# Salt Lake City Report

by Tomasi Akimeta, Jr.
August 3, 1998

Without further adoooo...

Getting to Salt Lake wasn't so bad. Flight was cool (man, I think the amount of peanuts per bag per flight per year is dwindling... I think I only counted 4 from the complimentary 6 that they should/ supposed to give you), but as soon as I hit the walkway off of the plane in Salt Lake, I was hit by a 104 degree wall of heat that felt like walking into a wool blanket in the desert. Blarg!!

The weather got better as the week went on, but that first monday was when we first got together for a 'Fist game, and it was then that I was introduced to what is left of the 3 Secret Warriors who are left in the small town of Holliday (I think it's Holliday...).

Greg "Dark's Soft Whisper" Voser is the main lifeline of the group. I call him the "lifeline" because he is the one who has given/ supported the other two with cards when they wanted/ needed more. This guy has some pretty cool collectable 'Fist stuff, I must say. He's got a butt-load of signed cards by Kaja Foglio (I learned that her name is pronounced "kah-Yah"), with a two-card display of the old school White Ninja and the new school one, both signed, with the original artwork above each card.

Two words: Whoa damn.

Anyways, the other two dudes were Leo "Blues" Davis (he plays the upright bass in a couple of bands, one in a jazz ensemble, and another in a brazillian mambo band, I think), and David "3 Deck" Erbanik (he says that he only has enough cards to make 3 viable decks, but I'm sure with the cards that I ahve supplied the SLC Crew, he should be able to make a few more).

The we only got to play Monday and Friday night, but they were great games, none the less.
They're play style was kinda the old school "turtle" style mainly because, with the cards that they had then, there was hardly any way for attacks to punch through effectively without having event stoppers and blockers in the way. Thanks to my lameass deck designs, I have since shown them the magical yummy cards called... States! They didn't put many states into their decks because (I assume) of not taking into account how devastating it could be or the existence of them being cancelled or whatever.

But, I showed them a beautiful card that I played in reaction to a zap that David Erbanik tried to land on my big Hand Hitter... Fortuitous Chi! Throughout its existence on the table, the only thing to stop my attacks were two Fos Passes, one held by David, and the other held by Leo Davis. It was then I was hoping to draw an Invincible Chi. But alas, Greg Vose told my deck to shut up and sit down with a timely draw of the Larcenous Mist/ Discerning Fire combo (stupid Larcenous Mist... I've always had some grievances against this card). Uhhh... ow? Aother cool night was when I whipped out the "Men In Black" and showed them 3 just how NOT to play it (it eventually won that night, mostly because of my draw, and totally NOT because of my skills with the metagame, in which I have none).

A couple of turns into the game, it came around for me to try for the win, and was once again showed a seat and given a mouth gag. I had a Test Subject out, and the effective cards I had in hand were a Shadowy Mentor, a Bull Market, a Sucker Rounds, a Lodge Politics, an Imprison, and 1 site away from Victory.
David Erbanik had 3 sites out, with a Just a Rat and a Liquidators protecting it, whilst Greg Vose and Leo Davis had some pizza crumbs and a bag of chips protecting theirs (y'know... they didn't have any characters on the board... well, none that I could remember clearly). I played a Lodge Politics on to David's Liquidators, which left me with a Just a Rat to worry about... until I Shadowy Mentored it as well. Man, was my ego inflated then.

I attacked with both stolen cards to an already heavily damaged Fortress of Shadow (4 damage counters, I believe). Leo plays a Discerning Fire upon my "Pledged" characters, forcing me to reveal a Festival Circle and damaging it to use its abilities. Greg played a Nerve Gas upon the Just a Rat that I have so unrighteously stolen, sending it back to David's smoked pile, leaving the Liquidators to make a succesful attack. I then attacked with my Test Subjects, wich forced Greg to answer with a Golden Comback, which brought back the Just a Rat on to its proper side. I responded with a Bull Market and a Sucker Rounds. I smelled Victory when I Imprisoned her back into David's hand. I started to collect my cards as if I had a victory, but then Greg (that bum), OUT OF NOWHERE, with his new found wealth, plays an Orbital Laser Strike on the Fortress of Shadows, leaving my ego deflated to the size of a small pile of rubble.

Hence, I call this beautiful play, "Shoot The Hostage". Anyways, those are some really great guys, who showed me generous amounts of hospitallity, and all with dire need of some serious psychiatric counselling. But, hey, it's always the "normal people" who stay committed, right? :)
They have said that they wanted to try and make the Silicon when it comes down San Jose during the Thanksgiving weekend. Hope to see you guys then!

Last modified: October 1, 1998.
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