#neveragain #heaven’sfeelsoon #top10animebetrayals -ruo
[insert Watchmojo YT meme vid here]
Well, sad to say that as much as Doki Doki Literature Club has taken storm over the gaming community, I can’t cover it at the moment, and that’s mostly because you can’t review it without spoiling the surprises, and the fact that I have not and will not finish it. Rather, let’s head on to a real life event!
Last October 7-8, 2017, the Bushiroad Championship Series Autumn Circuit, the second event of the year, was held at Glorietta Activity Center. The first day was the first leg of Cardfight! Vanguard, but seeing as none of us here play that anymore, we skip to the second day, all for the game we’ve known and loved. But mostly salted on. Yep, it’s the game where true skill is measured when you cancel. Weiss Schwarz.
I was about to cover the Bye Tournament held in the new venue of The Dragonforge, but it wasn’t as eventful as it was, seeing as there were only 5 participants had I not joined. And thanks to the glory of the Swiss System, I was Top 2 despite losing in the second round. The way that worked was because I fought the guy who went 3-0, and everyone else who fought him were 1-2, so I had the tie-breaker edge against the other 2-1s. The finals, thanks to TO Kiseki Arisa, was a Best of 5, using the decks of the other participants and only being allowed to use our own decks at match point. Due to time constraints, the affair turned into a Best of 3, and a grudge match of Swiss Round 2. The only thing I remember about the match was me skipping Turn 2 and Turn 3, and not even needing my triple Yami to finish him off. So, easy peasy Bye Card get.
Going back to the event. Arisa and I arrived early, being neighbors and all. We used the warmup time to watch the pilot episode of Love Live! Sunshine!! Season 2. I have a lot to hype about, and some things to complain about. After all, it’s the only anime I’m watching at the moment, meaning I can be a little bit more critical about something that should be taken lightly. LOL
Easily the highlight of the pilot episode. XD
With 40 minutes of free time because of the Bye Card, I found myself bored. Sleepy, in fact. Even if I was reading a light novel Req gave me. And even if Jamie was right next to me playing classic ramp Dragoncraft.
I don’t want to blame anything or anyone, but this might have been the cause for my fall at Round 2.
(I was using the same TLR:D GY deck as seen here and the one I used for the Bye Tournament.)
Round 2: vs Sword Art: Online
When the deck whiffs, the deck whiffs hard. Without the CX for the level 1 combo, you’re basically dead, and without the L1 Assist that gives characters in front of it Hand Encore, you’re even deader. With this deck clutching hard on the combo, getting it crippled screws the player over, especially more so if he doesn’t cancel. That’s that. It’s difficult to play the deck from behind. Technical decks are too reliant on the techniques they employ. So yeah. Dead.
Round 3: vs The iDOLM@STER: Cinderella Girls
And since there’s probably a curse with the bye cards, I get paired against Jamie of all people who are 1-1. This was a familiar setting, since I lost to him exactly last year, with him using that same deck and I with reliable Rin. Sad that one of us had to go this early, though. Just a side note on how Jamie went 0-2 after the bye twice: during the Spring Circuit and now, by my hand.
Round 4: vs Love Live! Sunshine!!
I know my opponent by name, and yes, that’s because I’m a lurker of the Love Live PH community. I don’t remember how I lost, though. It’s always with me not cancelling, anyway. I think this was me taking 8 straight whilst ready to win with Yami. Never. Freaking. Lucky. FeelsBadMan. No more Top 8 dreams.
Round 5: vs The iDOLM@STER: Cinderella Girls
…and to put the icing on the cake, I lost to a CG Blue Trial deck. It’s always so damn aggravating to feel that you’ve spent a fortune building a super competitive meta deck and to have played around 3 years not just for fun, and someone who only plays during special events and only spent 800 pesos (or ~$16) beats you hands down and almost effortlessly. You know something’s wrong when:
- He has no hand, and is hard Encoring (paying 3 stock) every turn starting midgame.
- Despite him cancelling very early, he cancels every turn.
- Despite being able to do my combo and plus, I found myself struggling to catch up with damage, with me already at 3/6 and him clocking to Level 3, AND NOT DROPPING AN L3 BECAUSE HE HAS NO STOCK.
- I already triple Yami’d him early (because I didn’t have my heals on hand), but he still cancels!
- All he ever plays are vanillas, and those are enough to do the job and finish me off.
All I could do at that moment was laugh awkwardly and say “GG”. That tilted me so much that I wanted to go home so badly and not play this game again. The thrill’s gone. The hype’s gone. I don’t know if it’s the fault of the game with its delays and mishaps with errata, or if it’s because of the environment I played it in. My issue with that would fall on a personal level. My thoughts on that go somewhere else. Have fun finding them.
Unfortunately, the show must go on.
Round 6: vs Love Live! Sunshine!!
Well, at least I get to enjoy my final match against an old friend, who’s not only a vet in the community, but also an avid Love Live fan, part of the same community I lurk in. The highlight of the game was him learning that my characters have the <<Trans>> trait. Nice translation, BSR. <<Transformation>> was apparently too long to print, so let’s go with the semantically ambiguous term <<Trans>>.
“So these weren’t girls before???”
Man, if only the community wasn’t so nice to be with, I would have been out of it faster than me losing the previous match.
And that was it for me. However, it wasn’t it for Arisa and Gazer, who are now consistent Top 8 members. As NOHK members, we had to wait for them. Gazer fell in the quarters, while Arisa managed to grab Top 3. Neat. Though, I was super hungry, super tired and super salty to care even a bit. I wanted to go home, but the affair went on super late because of Round 7 and slow setup for Top 8. Wish they sped that up. Somehow. The story about Round 7 is a story best saved for either ruo or Arisa to tell. *winky face ;)*
I’ve experienced all but one: becoming a judge. I would gladly substitute one current judge so he can play while I tend to those who still stay in the fray. Call me, Courtside? Please? :>
After all, after an athlete’s career, he either retires for good or stays in the community as a non-player proponent, like a coach, a commentator, or an official.
Well, until the next event! Hopefully… Congrats to Arisa for Top 3! I hope you get the invite since I heard the top player refused the invite. But even if it doesn’t go to you, this is another testament to your strength as a Meister. XD
And always congrats to Gazer’s Top 8 performance. If there’s true talent in WS, it’s in you, with your habit of deck-building a day before the major event. XD
(pic credits to Courtside and cover pic props to this guy.)
NOHK Gaming 