I  started playing tournaments this year, taking 3 2nd places before the national. At the national I went 12(+505), which allowed me to play in day 2 of the European championships.

On August 13 I got out of bed really early (far too early), to go the Brussels, which is about 4 hours by train/bus/subway. I unfortunately didn’t have the money to stay the weekend in a hotel, so I only went on the day of the tourney. I arrived in Brussels around 10:30 (the tourney starts at 11:00), so I have to hurry and get there 5 minutes late. They didn’t start yet, so I could still sign up.

My deck: I didn’t play any tournaments between the national and the EC except for the regional, so I didn’t test a new deck. I decided to play a deck similar to the deck I’ve been playing for some time. It’s a Ferengi mission solver with Loss of Orbital Stability, Docking Procedures and Rogue Borg Mercenaries . The complete decklist is in WNOHGB 27.
 

Round 1: A Ferengi deck

I’m sorry, but I almost never remember names. His deck was over 100 cards and very slow. I killed his Brunt and Grand Nagus Gint, so he couldn’t attack and didn’t have a 34th rule to draw cards for me attacking his Deep Space 9 with my Husnock Ship. I easily solved my 2 dual icon missions for 40 and 50 (2 mission specs) and acquired my Ressikan Flute for some bonus points. He scored some points with Dabo and Paul Manheim.
FW with 100-22
2(+78)
 

Round 2: Vladimir Vrbata Fed VCM/Empok

I seed my Friendly Fire at his Empok and switch my dilemmas around a bit. The seed phase takes really long. I start as usual, playing personnel @ DS9 and the Tower of Commerce, with Gint drawing cards for the 34th rule, because Galen and my mission specialist are shooting at his HQ aboard the Husnock Ship. My first scan is nullified by Scanner Interference, but Quark and Suna quickly solve that problem aboard a Xepolite. He discards it to add a Dead End. I play some more personnel and so does he, until I solve deliver supplies for 40. I’m at 48 points, because I scored 8 playing Dabo, the next turns I stall him with my interrupts, but keep getting bad probes :-(.  Just before time is called he scores 63 points from missions to win.
TL with 48-63
2(+63)
 

Round 3: Jan-Jitse’s Romulan PNZ deck

I seed my strong combos (Maglock – Cytherians – Hazardous Duty) under his PNZ missions closest to his HQs, then a Dead End, and the weaker dilemmas furthest from his HQs (Scientific in front to prevent Tallus from redshirting). Basically he can’t pass my dilemmas and I laugh at his Sheliak – Chandra – Q (advice: this has no effect on a dual icon mission, because Chandra will hit a 1 man AT and the crew will face Q). I solve my 2 missions and win 100 – 0.
FW with 100 – 0
4(+163)
 

Round 4: Fed/Klingon Super Crew

He uses Ooby Dooby to draw lots of cards, and Devidian Door/STP to report his crew, but he has a Ooby Dooby seeded under my mission and can’t get to it because I use HQ: Defensive Measures. He draws up his entire deck, except 4 cards. One of these 4 is his last Devidian door, so he loses for not showing it.
FW with 100 – 0
6(+263)
 

Round 5: Alexander Bloemen’s Dominion Smackdown

First I have to say this: I HATE Smackdown decks. I manage to keep him in his quadrant for some turns, but eventually he comes to the Alpha. I run away from him and he destroys a Xepolite for 9 points w/ Ultimatum. I solve 1 mission, but I’m stuck behind a Dead End on the other. His 2 Attack ships approach to only one mission away from me (the mission I was planning on solving). I remember the dilemmas to be Lack of preparation – Borg Ship – Dead End. I fly my crew on the Husnock to the mission, and attempt. I pass LoP, but the Borg Ship attacks, damaging the Husnock and destroying the 2 attack ships. With all his Personnel gone I probe for Dabo and pass Dead End for another 50 points.
FW with 100 - 9
8(+354)
 

Round 6: Johnny Olsen’s Dominion/Cardy Smackdown/Capturing

AARRGGHH, another smackdown. This time he kills all my personnel, so I download Leeta and start Dabo-ing.
Krunk is my first probe, so I score 6 and he stays on top of my draw deck, because I downloaded Leeta this turn. Next turn I download a personnel from my Q’s Tent and I do some useless actions, when I probe for Dabo, I get a Krunk for another 6 points and I repeat this trick for a few turns. He tries to solve his missions, but can’t pass the dilemmas. Eventally he solves my Deliver Supplies for 40 and a few seconds later time is called. Wes, who counted my dabo points, says I’m at 42. The judge counts again and he comes to 40!!! We count again, and still 40. After counting for the 3rd time we discover that 2 cards were stuck together, so the final score is 42 – 40
TW with 42 – 40
9(+356)

I can’t believe it, I‘m in the final confrontation!
 

Round 7: Vladimir Vrbata’s FED VCM/Empok

We both know each other’s decks, like that he has a Scanner Interference and that I have Rogue Borg. I have a good start and quickly solve a mission for 50 points. He tries to commandeer Empok, but a Docking procedures delays him a turn. I build a Colony at the mission I solved and draw some more cards. At this points I have 3 Rogue Borg, a Docking Procedures and 2 Palor Toffs. He commandeers Empok, and gets his equipment, I score some points and he tries to undock: Docking Procedures. I score some more points and I’m at 92 now. His turn he plays a personnel and I Rogue Borg his ship, with no more options to do anything he ends his turn. I score another 21 for a 100 – 0 win.

Woohoo! I’m going to DecipherCon!

Now it’s time for some thanks:
-Decipher for making such a great game and for paying my ticket to Florida :-)
-The TDs for running a great tournament
-Wesley Crusher (Helge Blohmer, NOT Wil Wheaton) for Kedanya Station. This is where I learned STCCG at tournament level.
-The Kedanya Admins for running Kedanya
-All the players at Kedanya for discussing strategy and playing games online
-Spock and Alidar for this magazine
-Anyone I forgot for whatever they did

And remember: Ferengi kick ass!

I hope to see you all at Decipher Con

Björn Neervoort
Aka Son of Seto