Disclaimer: I met lots of people over the weekend, and I suck with names. So, if you played against me, and I didn't credit you for your deck that kicked me around the block, drop me a line.

It was a dark and stormy night. A major front came through the midwest, with the temperature dropping 40 degrees. I wound up leaving later than expected, and I misjudged the driving time. (For those who care, it's nearly seven hours from St. Louis, MO, to Delaware, OH.) I dragged my frosted butt into town in the wee hours of the morning (made even later by the forgotten time change), circled Delaware three times like a dog getting settled, and checked into the hotel.

In the morning, I woke up with just enough time to do some deck construction before reporting to Ohio Wesleyan to help with tournament setup. The Dayton contingent had already arrived. I rearranged some chairs, made some photocopies, shuffled some cards, and got a bite to eat before reporting for the Apocalypse tournament.

Once again, Fenris got the goods. The first three prizes were a handmade statue by Fenris, a pair of handmade knives, and a wicked looking "hunting" knife. The good sportmanship trophy was a bone knife.

Only six people turned out for the Apocalypse tournament. A few others were expected, but the weather probably caused some delays. We split into three Gaia and three Wyrm players, and played one-on-one sets. I brandished my Red Talon deck. Special thanks to James Logan, who attempted to recreate the deck that ran roughshod over all of the decks in our playgroup so many years ago. This was going to be my first game of the old Rage in a couple of years, so I hoped that I didn't embarass myself too badly. Fenris and I squared off...

Mamu raised his muzzle to the night air and sniffed. The scent of something rotting and unnatural clung to the path ahead of him. His hackles raised and he burst through the underbrush into the clearing beyond. The creature turned at his approach, and Mamu felt the weight of the monstrosity's eyes upon him. The Red Talon's muscles locked and ice grew in the pit of his stomach as the abomination Alonzo Montoya rushed him with a wicked grin. Through his paralysis, Mamu felt a tugging at his side, and a wrenching wash of pain as organs uncoiled in his gut. Alonzo cackled, squishing a handful of entrails between his fingers. The pain washed the ice away and Mamu exploded from lupus form to crinos as his rage boiled over. Fury lent his limbs grim strength even as his body reached its limits. A flurry of blows was exchanged, but Alonzo was no match for the frenzied Red Talon. Some small amount of reason returned to Mamu as he realized his fist was continually pounding a sticky mass where the abomination's head had been. The chill of the grave claimed suddenly leaden limbs, though Mamu knew with his last thought that another of the Wyrm's minions had been destroyed. The Red Talon collapsed in an unmoving heap on the slain body of his foe. [Alonzo: True Fear and Entrail Rend; Mamu: Frenzy and lots and lots of damage cards.]

It was a game of "Nuclear Alpha Strike", and when the dust settled three rounds later, Mamu and Howls-Like-Thunder lay beneath the claws of the Wyrm (curse that Skin of the Hellbound!), and I only had the abominable Alonzo to my gain. The second game lasted a bit longer, but the Wyrm deck of Jason Smith remained victorious (curse that Odor of Skunk!). Finally, I was able to avenge Gaia in the third game, coming out on top over Teaches-The-Young of the Soaring Peace Caern. As it turns out, though, I made a tactical error in the endgame. In my eagerness to crush the Wyrm, I took out the Alpha and last member of the pack for three renown, instead of using Entrapment to take out the Fractured Nephandus, which would have netted me eight (and would have edged Fenris for third place).

It was a hard-fought battle, but thanks to The King, (and that last-game surge by my Red Talons, no doubt) Garou forces managed a narrow victory. Matt Farney rode the Silver Fangs into the lead. (C'mon, King Albrecht in a one-on-one game versus Wyrm? I wouldn't bet against that...) Matt chose the statue, Jason Smith claimed the pair of knives, and Fenris exempted herself from prizes, giving me the Klaive-like "hunting knife". ('Zactly what are they planning to hunt with that?)

Following that, and flush with victory, I nibbled a little lunch and worked on my Tribal War deck. With the unique victory conditions for the contest, I simply couldn't come up with a working Theurge deck. I was going to have to go against type, and play an all-female Ahroun deck (Sipple the Unclean, Claws-of-Clay, and Virus-To-Wyrm). It was a Wyrm-killing Glory machine, but I was going to have to hope to score those few Honor and Wisdom needed to advance in rank.

Fenris wowed us with the prizes once again. The top rank Garou in each Auspice gained a suitable trophy. For the Ahroun, another pair of handcrafted knives; Galliard, a goatskin drum; Philodox, a deck of beautifully illustrated spirit-totem cards; Theurge, a skull-encrusted hourglass (well, five minutes anyways); and Ragabash, handcarved runes in a handmade rabbitskin pouch.

Sixteen players, three rounds of four-player games. I started off with three of the guys from Dayton. I cracked open my Bag of Endless Jawas (Toys R Us had a clearance sale on their Star Wars Micromachine sets some months earlier), and we got down to business. I bagged a Neon Elemental, and swatted down an ambitious cub (that attacked my wounded Sipple!) for my points in the round. The Environmental Action Comittee was on their second chairperson before I realized David Walsh's Red Talons were cleaning house pretty efficiently, though. Delilah Morgan came out to keep an eye on the hunting grounds, but it was too little, too late as the Talons cruised to an uncontested victory in Round One. I wasn't skunked, and my deck was beginning to show flashes of what I hoped it had, but all in all rather ineffectual. I resolved to do better the second round.

Round Two found me facing the combined might of the Kinser family, Aaron, Paul, and Anne. No nepotism here, however, as they laid into each other with ferocity. My girls sat back and bided their time. Finally, the scent of wounded Thunderwyrm brought Sipple out to play, netting me my first big kill. A Disrupter followed. Finally, Virus-to-Wyrm sharpened her Silver Claws and went for another Thunderwyrm. She Gutted the beast Like a Fish, and hung on for dear life as it thrashed in its death throes. With the second Thunderwyrm carcass beneath my claws, the round was mine. The Kinser family played well, so of the three discretionary points I got, I gave them each a point of Honor.

Time to assess: I had just netted a bunch of Glory, but not a whisper of Honor or Wisdom. A single point of each with my current Glory would be good for Rank 2, but the opportunities weren't presenting themselves. Should I have kept my trophy points for my own Honor? No time to dwell on that. My showing in the previous round landed me on the winners' table: Walks-With-Weaver, Fenris Lorsrai, and David Walsh with a familiar Red Talon deck. It was gonna be tough.

Left: Fenris shows off the Theurge prize, and young Kinser beseeches Gaia for her favor in the next round. Right: Walks-With-Weaver, and his new timepiece.

I bagged a Wyrm critter in the first round, wounding Sipple, and Fenris' Fianna took advantage of my Shadow Lord's weakness, dragging her metis carcass back as a trophy. As if on cue, all of my Shadow Lord gifts and required cards floated to the top of my deck. I managed to scratch out some additional kills, but ultimately it was Walks-With-Weaver's deck, with victory points from a myriad of different sources, that cruised to victory.

As it turned out, I had 44 victory points. All but one was from Wyrm kills, and all was Glory. I remained a lowly, unranked cub. Fortunately, my generosity was not unrewarded. The Soaring Peace Caern had provided a good sportsman trophy, a dreamcatcher. It was destined for the person who gave up the most discretionary victory points, though it turned out almost everyone gave theirs up. As it turns out, I harmed my standing the most by not keeping them, so the prize was awarded to me. An unexpected bonus!

Ryan Blackburn claimed the Ragabash prize, Walks-With-Weaver cleaned house with his Theurge deck, David Walsh netted the top Philodox spot, Matt Farney won Galliard by tiebreaker, and Brendon Marting battled his way to top Ahroun.

No drunken post-moot revel this time. Pizza and a screening of Mononoke Hime, though, was just as good. A mighty howl to Fenris Lorsrai and Ohio Wesleyan for a fine day of tournaments. Special thanks to the Garou from Soaring Peace Caern. It's good to be among so many friendly folks.

SWEET MERCIFUL GAIA! WHAT IS THAT HORRENDOUS... Oh, wait. That's just Matt Farney. (He doesn't always look like a drooling idiot.)