I made the 3 hour trip (listening to The Devil Went Down to Georgia by the Charlie Daniels Band and hence my title) to the New Jersey Qualifier (Jester’s Playhouse), the location of my first ever qualification 3 years ago that resulted in my first trip to GenCon to compete in the constructed championship and began my DDM addiction! In short, I have fond memories of competing in New Jersey and I was hoping to secure my top 100 sealed DCI ranking instead of leaving it to the Maryland Qualifier in December.

I arrived at Jester’s at noon, 2 hours ahead of the 2 p.m. tournament start. I was the first person there for DDM, although there were several people showing up for the Star Wars minis pre-release. John Zink (aka The Waterboy for Team Amish) arrived about ½ hour after I did so I was able to hang out with him while we waited to register. I wanted John to register first as he needed to qualify by taking first or second. At 1 p.m. we were able to register and I was surprised that there were others at the store for the qualifier.

People started arriving around 1:15 but when we got to 2 p.m., we only had 8 people. We were told that at least one other person was on their way so the qualifier was delayed. By the time we had our booster opened and warbands registered, it was 2:45 p.m. and our 9th player had arrived. Argh—after traveling 3 hours and waiting about another 3 hours to play, I was the lucky person to get the bye!

My warband: Capricious Copper Dragon, Cliffwalk Archer, Naga, Spined Devil, Tiefling Cleric, Milita Archer and Animated Statue. More of a ranged/techy warband than I prefer so I decided to pick Thieves Quarter as my map.

After beating on Bye, I was 1-0 and played my first real game against a teenager named Kyle. Kyle won map so we played on the Tomb of Queen Peregrine. He had a Bruenor Battlehammer warband with Dwarf Maulfighter, Drider, Blood of Vol Fanatic, Snaketongue Cultist and fodder. I took the early lead by using my Animated Statue to get victory area points in the first round while Kyle did not. In fact, he didn’t get victory area points the entire game which hurt him. In the second round, I routed his Snaketongue Cultist off the board using my CCD’s acid line and with my Naga getting VA points, I was leading 42-0. Neither of us were able to get points in round 3 but he routed my Naga and in round 4 my Naga routed off the board. I was able to kill his Drider so I was up 68-31. In round 5, IIRC, I routed Bruenor but he ended up rallying. However, during his absence from battle, I was able to kill the Blood of Vol Fanatic and Dwarf Maulfighter while he took out my Animated Statue so I was up 138-41. In round 6, Kyle came back by routing my CCD off the board and killing my Spined Devil. I kill Bruenor but he makes his Hard to Kill roll so the game ends with me winning 138-106.
2-0

In the third game, I face off against John Zink. John is undefeated after getting a great pull of Angel of Vengeance, Osyluth, Spined Devil—all with DR! He also has Halfling Rogue, Militia Archer, Merchant Guard and Ravenous Ghoul. John has had my number in very single DCI event that we’ve played even though we’re about 50-50 on Vassal and I didn’t like this matchup, even with winning map. I took the early lead by round 3, 69-30 as I got 3 rounds of VA to his 2, plus 1 with the Naga. I was also able to take out his Merchant Guard, Ravenous Ghoul and Halfling Rogue. I rout his Spined Devil but it rallies and everything more or less goes downhill from there. He routs or kills my Militia Archer so I can’t rally my routing Spined Devil. He also kills my Naga, putting him at something like 136-79. He methodically kills everything and I’m left with my CCD which of course routs when he MC’s it. John outplayed me and he’s a good friend so I’m happy to see him go to 3-0 while I fall to 2-1.

Garrett is my opponent in my 4th game and he makes the mistake of giving me my map. I don’t know if he forgot to bring a map or just wasn’t bothered but in any case, his unfamiliarity with Thieves Quarters hurt him. Garrett had the Sahuagin Baron and Nightmare as his rares and also got the Eternal Blade, Large Fire Elemental, Animated Statue, Flame Snake and Tiefling Rogue. We both got VA points in the first 2 rounds for a 20-20 tie but by the end of the 2nd round, Garrett had his Nightmare beating on my Naga on a rooftop with my Spined Devil, Militia Archer, Tiefling Cleric and Cliffwalk Archer sharing the same rooftop. The Nightmare routs my Naga and it falls off the rooftop but is able to rally before getting killed by the Large Fire Elemental. This leaves the Large Fire Elemental in the alley, just below the Nightmare and the Sahuagin Baron which has moved up to support the Nightmare. This positioning allows my Capricious Copper Dragon to put an acid line through all 3 figures while sitting on my VA rooftop. Between attacks from my Spined Devil, Militia Archer and arrows from my Cliffwalk Archer and spells from the Tiefling Cleric, I rout the Nightmare and then kill the Sahuagin Baron. So although I lose the Naga, I take out his two beaters with my CCR on my VA for the bonus points and I’m leading 136-51 at the end of the 3rd round and Garrett concedes recognizing that he has little chance to catch me with his Eternal Blade and Large Fire Elemental as I can block ladders and bridges.
3-1 and a place in the top four along with the undefeated John Zink!

We sit down to conduct the final four draft and I roll high and open first. I open my first booster and a Sahuagin Baron pops out so I grab it to ensure I have a solid commander/beater. My draft continues to go well as I grab an Astral Walker, Large Fire Elemental, Blood of Vol Fanatic, Spined Devil, Snaketongue Cultist and Ravenous Ghoul to form a well balanced warband. I actually grabbed two Blood of Vol Fanatics and a Guardian Mummy but decided to go with the Large Fire Elemental for its speed, reach and fire shield.

My first match of the finals is a rematch against Kyle. Kyle has a warband centered around a Mercenary General mounted on a Warhorse with a Dwarf Maulfighter, Halfing Enchanter, Halfing Rogue, Animated Statue, Visejaw Crocodile, a Merchant Guard and fodder for support. We stay even the first 2 rounds, 20-20 as we both get VA points. In the third round, Kyle takes the lead 61-30 as he kills my Large Fire Elemental. I regain the lead in the fourth round as I kill his Maulfighter and Halfing Rogue and we both get VA points for a 93-71 score. Kyle again takes the lead in round 5 as my Astral Walker fails to rally and routs off the board. I’m only able to kill the Merchant Guard and get VA points so I’m down 116-111. In round 6, I finally kill his Mercenary General and IIRC he concedes as I have my mostly unharmed Sahuagin Baron and Blood of Vol Fanatic and a wounded Spined Devil to his wounded Halfling Enchanter, Animated Statue and Visejaw Croc.
4-1

John is also victorious so we’re both qualified and I get a chance at redemption! John’s draft isn’t as strong as mine but he has the Eternal Blade, Umber Hulk Delver, Bar-Lgura, Cliffwalk Archer, Halfling Rogue, Merchant Guard, Boneshard Skeleton and Demonweb Swarm. He wins map so we’re playing on the Mushroom Cavern. I get VA points in the first round while he does not so I go up 10-0. In the second round, I get a break when I MC his Bar-Lgura and he both fails and just makes it off the board. I also take out the Boneshard Skeleton. He takes out my Ravenous Ghoul and we both get VA points so I go up 63-18. In the third round he presses on with his Umber Hulk Delver but leaves it open for retailiation. He is able to take out my Snaketongue Cultist and routs my Spined Devil off the board, but I finally kill his Umber Hulk. He gets VA points but I do not so the score is 99-72 in my favor. John takes the lead in the 4th round as he kills my Large Fire Elemental and I only get VA points so it’s 113-109. In round 5, I am able to surround his Eternal Blade with my Astral Walker, Blood of Vol Fanatic and Sahuagin Baron and the Blade goes down, along with his Merchant Guard and John resigns with his Cliffwalk Archer and Halfling Rogue left to carry on the fight against an unharmed Sahuagin Baron and an Astral Walker and Blood of Vol Fanatic with decent hit points left.
5-1 and another successful trip to New Jersey for Team Amish!