2017 Spring Mail-in

Posted: Wed Mar 29, 2017 8:01 pm

I only sent in 15, mostly lower levels. Only two ADM, on their pre-burn Stat Trek, but I'm sending in a really good-looking rookie class:

14-5-7-21-17-3-17 SL good endurance, Adex Att, Ex Init
17-6-10-21-9-10-11 ST good damage
11-4-10-21-15-12-11 ST good damage
17-5-9-15-21-6-11 LU good damage, great endurance, AdEx Att
15-6-4-21-17-6-15 LU (? haven't seen him yet)

number 3 and 4 came from my Crapgiver rollups! now let's see how many survive...

ArchMaster Poster Joined: Apr 15, 2004 Posts: 2958

I sent Lee a question about the use of the prize and she responded.

Question: Can you add more than 6 points to an attribute when using the team stat-switch prize?

Answer: Looking back we decided that it was impractical to require additions of only 6 to an attribute. So long as there's no subtracting and each warrior ends at 84 points, it's good.

So should you win the prize, the key is to find a team sheet with lots of low numbers rather than finding a team sheet with lots of 15+ numbers. Good luck to everyone in the tourney!

Unchartered Poster Joined: Feb 26, 2016 Posts: 38

I sent in 40:

Primus-1 Contenders-3 Eligibles-4 ADM-6 Freshmen-2 Challengers-2 Champions-2 Adepts-6 Initiates-1 Apprentices-4 Rookies-9

AB-1 ST-8 LU-10 SL-1 BA-3 TP-3 WS-2 PR-10 PS-0 PL-1

I ended up running the Rookies that I had saved for July (I rarely ever run rookies). No real star among them, but with so many entrants, one might emerge. Anything is possible. I'm sure that this tourney will be one to remember!

ArchMaster Poster Joined: Apr 15, 2004 Posts: 2958

It is Saturday night and the tourney is probably getting ready to run or is already running. At any rate, it should be too late to alter rosters and strategies.

I am sure that I'm not the favorite in any class, but I estimate that I should have a small but reasonable chance to win four different classes: Eligibles, ADM, Freshmen, and Champions.

Here are my top prospects:

ELIGIBLES

DEAD MAN WALKING is my entry in this class. He is a 25(14)-21(10)-14-24(3)-16(7)-5(2)-17(2) PR who had previously TV'd Eligibles in October with less CN trains. Not pretty to look at, I know.

He learned gateway skills in the Primus arena in the three turns leading up to the mail-in and will be entering the tourney with 222 total skills. He'll be trying for the train to 25 WT for much of the early tourney, followed by repeated attempts to pick up 17 WL for the rest of the tourney.

If there is a legitimate double-21 bust-out in Eligibles, DEAD MAN WALKING will have a tough time winning, but you never really know. Tremendous endurance, tremendous hit points, limitless carry, and devastating damage can take you pretty far. Plus he has pretty neat favorites and bonuses. He is probably the biggest long-shot of my four best chances to TC, but I'm looking forward to reading his fights nonetheless.

ADM

I have three warriors in this class, but two of them are probably also-rans. SURLY DECKHAND is a sandbagging BA who has TV'd the class before and FINGER SANDWICH is a single-21 SL bust-out who previously TC'd Champions. It would be nice if they could do well, but it might be enough if they put some early losses on other people's bust-outs.

My best prospect in this class is a trip-17 AB named FISHWIFE who entered the freeze looking like 10(7)-13(7)-14-20(3)-20(3)-10-20(3). Not very pretty either, I know, but what she lacks in 21s she makes up for by being +5/+4, Fist favorite, and 125+ FE.

She got a train to 21 in the first post-freeze turn, missed in the second turn, and hit a train to 21 in the third turn. So she is entering the tourney with 189 total skills. She'll spend the first six turns trying to get the third 21+, then the remainder of the tourney trying to get the other two stats to 22+. She is largely untested in tournies, so I can't really predict how she'll do.

FRESHMEN

I have a single entry in this class, a 25(8)-3-3-21-21-8-11 Bloodgames ST named RIB IAYE. He entered the freeze with 150 total skills and has trained WL three times before the tourney. He'll be mostly training WT, but will take a shot at the 4th WL train and then switch to DF in rounds 10+.

He is light on Init (being -4), has a funky favorite weapon, and is only at 70+ FE, not to mention that there are lots of tough Freshmen to compete with. I could see him going anywhere from 0-3 to 13-0.

CHAMPIONS

My final TC hopeful is GAMMA DELPHINI, who TC'd Adepts in October. He is a natural 10(1)-11-6-21-20-10-7 LU who is +2 Ini, +3 Rip, +4 Att, +2 Def, and +3 Dec. He is entering the tourney with 156 or 157 total skills (depending on his Par base) and he still has good stuff to learn, being 4 Att and 3 Def away from maxed (not to mention some Rip, Par, and Dec).

I didn't over-think it. I'm running him exactly the same way I ran him in October Adepts. Hopefully I am hitting some of his favorites and he continues his winning ways.

There are some tough customers in this class, though, including JIM of SHEPHERDS, Assur's 16-0-1 Adepts TC from the January FtF. So while GAMMA DELPHINI looks great on paper and has a history of success, I'm not a favorite here either.

----------

I'm sending 51 overall (I added a last minute Rookie on an active team), so maybe a warrior in Contenders or Apprentices or another class will surprise me. But if not, these four above are my top candidates to TC. I figure there is a 50% chance that one of my warriors gets it done. But regardless of whether I win or lose, I look forward to participating and reading the results.

Good luck to everyone in the tourney!

Advanced Expert Poster Joined: Jul 15, 2014 Posts: 192

Pick of the litter, and I DO mean litter:

Rookies: While I am a fan of this ST, he is only N/N and I can't imagine that's enough to go the distance - 13-4-10-21-15-8-13. I guess my "official" best entry here is a 13-8-14-21-9-6-13 BA, +4 ATT (EX). Fun runner up: 21-13-10-13-9-5-13 +4 ATT N/R TP

Apps: ST's rule Apps and I just don't have one. I mean, I have one. Literally, one. And he ain't it. Anyway, what I do have are two 21/21 LUs, 9-7-8-21-21-7-11 N/N, Adex ATT and INI vs 7-9-10-21-21-5-11 G/N with Ex ATT, INI and DEF.

Inits: 9 Inits entered and options are dwindling here. I think I'll have to go with the Nebuchadnezzar AB who TVd rooks: 7-7-8-15-17-9-21 N/G Adex ATT. Runner up, 9-4-17-21-10-12-11 ST L/R, Adex DEC, and Ex in ATT and INI who has gone 5-3 in rooks and 7-3 in apps. He seems to have a bit of knack.

Adepts: Things get interesting here. I have two warriors who are among my most successful from a tourney perspective, with one going 12-3 in Apps and the other 11-3. I think the favorite is the 12-11-8-17-21-4-11 LU, R/G, with 4 ADEXs going in who also seems to have some knack.

Champs: One man, or dog rather, entered and without doubt the best chance I've had to go the distance. Ruff Ruff, of Ruff Ruff, Tweet & Dave fame, is my 10(2)-8-5-21-21-10-11 LU, G/N, who went deep in Inits, ultimately losing to OAB's Gamma Delphini and the 2nd place finisher, Plumbing Airstrip. OAB has been kind to humor my nervous questions. Skillwise, he seems to have a slight edge on both GD and Jim, sitting at 165 with two each left to learn in ATT and DEF. His favorite weapon seems to be FI, so I am hoping he sees some broken pointy things. AMAS ATT and DEF, MAS INI and RIP, Adex DEC. Like OAB, I couldn't find a reason to abandon the strats that did so well for him in Inits, so it is largely the same. One exception, this is the first tourney warrior I've had where I had to think about stat training, so he is doing a mix of skill and ST / CN trains. Pity for RR that, ultimately, his manager will probably doom him.

That's it for me. 63 total entries, climbing by three to include the scrubs from the team that is most likely to participate in the Slaughterhouse V contest.

Good luck to all!

Posted: Sun Apr 09, 2017 4:31 am

I've never been much of a tourney manager, and this time around the trend continues with just 22 entrants.

2 Eligibles - 1 ADM - 1 Freshman - 1 Champion - 4 Adepts - 2 Inits - 5 Apps - 6 Rookies

BA (3) ST (4) LU (7) SL (2) PS (1) PL (0) WS (3) TP (0) AB (2) PR (0)

I'm most interested to see ...

FRESH

Cowboys, a BG WS, and my first bust. 20(4)-22(4)-3-10(2)-24(3)-5-14(1). Awesome/Good. +3 Parry. He went 1-3 and 4-3 in Freshman prior to his bust out trains. Will have 183 skills if he makes his ST 21 WT 11 WL 25 DF 15 trains, and a Grandmaster Parry (I know, I know, but it still means something to me). Hoping for a TV.

ADEPTS

11(1)-9-7-21-17-9-11 ST N/N Mst Decis, Exp Init, Rip, Att

INITS

14(1)-5-13-16-17-9-11 LU N/G Ex Att (+4 Att)
11-7(1)-11-17-17-9-13 LU N/G AdEx Init Att Exp Def (Nicely bonused)

ROOKIES

13-9-16-21-9-9-7 BA P/R
11-12-9-21-9-10-12 ST P/R

I estimate a .0001% chance of TC'ing.

Donald Trump DBA Riff-Raff

Posted: Sun Apr 09, 2017 4:31 am

I've never been much of a tourney manager, and this time around the trend continues with just 22 entrants.

2 Eligibles - 1 ADM - 1 Freshman - 1 Champion - 4 Adepts - 2 Inits - 5 Apps - 6 Rookies

BA (3) ST (4) LU (7) SL (2) PS (1) PL (0) WS (3) TP (0) AB (2) PR (0)

I'm most interested to see ...

FRESH

Cowboys, a BG WS, and my first bust. 20(4)-22(4)-3-10(2)-24(3)-5-14(1). Awesome/Good. +3 Parry. He went 1-3 and 4-3 in Freshman prior to his bust out trains. Will have 183 skills if he makes his ST 21 WT 11 WL 25 DF 15 trains, and a Grandmaster Parry (I know, I know, but it still means something to me). Hoping for a TV.

ADEPTS

11(1)-9-7-21-17-9-11 ST N/N Mst Decis, Exp Init, Rip, Att

INITS

14(1)-5-13-16-17-9-11 LU N/G Ex Att (+4 Att)
11-7(1)-11-17-17-9-13 LU N/G AdEx Init Att Exp Def (Nicely bonused)

ROOKIES

13-9-16-21-9-9-7 BA P/R
11-12-9-21-9-10-12 ST P/R

I estimate a .0001% chance of TC'ing.

Donald Trump DBA Riff-Raff

Posted: Sun Apr 09, 2017 3:04 pm

DonaldTrump wrote:

I've never been much of a tourney manager, and this time around the trend continues with just 22 entrants.

...
I estimate a .0001% chance of TC'ing.

Donald Trump DBA Riff-Raff

Donald - I'd love to know how you got that percentage! If I could figure out my percentage chance of TCing, I could optimize my spending!!!

Posted: Sun Apr 09, 2017 4:42 pm

Assurnasirbanipal wrote:

DonaldTrump wrote:

I've never been much of a tourney manager, and this time around the trend continues with just 22 entrants.

...
I estimate a .0001% chance of TC'ing.

Donald Trump DBA Riff-Raff

Donald - I'd love to know how you got that percentage! If I could figure out my percentage chance of TCing, I could optimize my spending!!!

Rumor has it that you and we should just divide his number by 2. Rolling Eyes

Posted: Mon Apr 10, 2017 9:33 am

Assurnasirbanipal wrote:

DonaldTrump wrote:

I've never been much of a tourney manager, and this time around the trend continues with just 22 entrants.

...
I estimate a .0001% chance of TC'ing.

Donald Trump DBA Riff-Raff

Donald - I'd love to know how you got that percentage! If I could figure out my percentage chance of TCing, I could optimize my spending!!!

.0001% = 1 in a million. To quote Jim Carrey, "SO there IS a chance!"