Most nervewracking yet exciting match evar!

[bloodfyr]

Good GOD! I just won what was possibly the most exciting match I've ever played in Culdcept.

It was Me vs. Pickett vs. Selena in the first round of the Ceptor Tournament. Since the map was pretty large, I couldn't waste magic power trying to build chains of every color, so I built a new deck that focused on Wind monsters, and the cards to support them. For the most part, my main goal was conquering yellow territories or conquering neutral territories and making them yellow. Near the end, however, was where it got pretty heated.

Selena had a huge chain of Red going, and she was in the lead for most of the game. Pickett took out her most valuable territory, and she was dropped within five hundred magic points of the rest of us. (I want one of those Coati cards).

The rat then leveled up a green territory that was surrounded by some of my territories, so I lusted after that it. The original goal was to swap out a neighboring defense monster with a hornet, and sweep in with my Prismatic Wand *humphump* and take it out. I had thought the Mudman (the monster that Pickett had on the territory)'s ST was multiplied by the number of Forest monsters on the board times five, but it wasn't. It was his HP. I weakened the Mudman, but didn't kill him. On the next go round, I planned to repeat the process, but with my Vampire. I swapped in the Vampire for the Hornet as I passed it, and then on my very next turn, I drew Evil Blast.

GAH! The Mudman's HP was just under 30! w00t! So I blasted it, then did a mental count of how many squares away from the castle I was. Seven.

And I rolled a seven.

BOOYA! Territory Command-Move-Vampire. Level Five territory. Mwahahahaha!

Then, practically four turns later, I landed on Selena's most valuable red territory. I charged in with my Gladiator/Prismatic Wand (I've got two) combo, made her waste one of her defense items, and took it. Level five! Again! w00t! So, I landed on the castle in my next turn and changed the element color to yellow, and thus depriving the Gladiator of his +50HP land element bonus. Before I could get around to a fort or a castle again, Pickett landed on it and used another Coati. I would've lost if it weren't for Gaseous Form. *hugs it* Daddy loves you, he does.

I swapped out the Gladiator for a snake monster (for the life of me I can't remember the name of it - It's the one that deals the Disease status effect if no item was used), and that bumped my yellow chain up to eight.

At this point in the game, we were all really close in scores. Pickett was at about 7300, Selena at 8500, and me at 8400, with 9000 being the target. Selena was about six squares away from the northern castle, and with her lap bonus, she would've won it.

Had Pickett not landed on and taken a Level Four territory of hers, and knocked her down to 7538. So now it was me vs. the rat. Selena lapped the castle as I jumped onto the final leg towards the castle.

I was at 8500 now, and wasn't sure if my lap bonus would be able to be enough to push me over the top. I rolled a four, and landed on Pickett's Level Three territory. Instead of fighting, I leveled up a land just enough to knock me up to 8700-ish, with still plenty left over cash-wise to survive the last few squares.

Pickett was headed towards the castle now. He landed on a Fort, and had recieved enough. He used the Territory command to level up a green land....IN MY WAY...to Level Five. Selena then landed on the same fort, and leveled ANOTHER land in my way up to Level FIVE! Two level five territories in my way, and now both Pickett and Selena had enough to clinch it.

I'm like "crap, crap, crap, crap". I don't have enough magic on hand to pay those, nor do I have any items that could win it for me. I'm crossing my finger as I hit X at the window that announces my turn. "Fly. Fly. Fly. Fly." But my book had just been recycled, so I new my chances were pretty slim. I drew a creature, and then rolled.

And I got JUST enough to land me at the castle! I drop the controller, and I see "GOAL COMPLETED!" come onto the screen.

w00000t!

Afterwards? It turned out that I had the least amount of magic total
Me: 9124
Selena: 9568
Pickett: 9372

I had been at this map for almost two days now, and have lost almost as many times as I lost at the first battle at the Temple (upwards of about eight times), and here I won it in a race towards the castle.

Holy god...

Sorry about the length.

Anyone else ever have that narrow a battle?

[TheTampaCepter]

Wow! Unreal match grats!!

[Ignis]

Don't apologize for the length. Indeed you are a very good storyteller, I was captivated by your story from the beginning to the end

I never went that close in a match.
Fortunately you're not heart-diseased. It would have been hard to overcome if that was the case. ^^

[bloodfyr]

Thanks. ^_^

[Deljarum]

Woah! That sounds like a pretty intense game...I don't know if I have the mental fortitude to stick with a match for two days...(haven't had to yet, but ah well)....congrats!

[Insomniac74]

In my mind, ALL of my victories are as heart-poundingly close as that, though none of them would make half as good of a story. Thanks for spinning that tale. It feels good when I realize that it's just as much fun to talk/read about Culdcept as it is to play it.

[amp5]

I know you posted this a while ago, but I'm 99% sure Gladiator is unable to use a Gaseous Form. Other than that sounds like a great match.

[TheSynapZe]

Dang. Rarely have I seen a three-way match end that close before (usually one player is completely out of it by the end).

My closest match ever was my final fight at the Heavenly Alter between Balberit and "Geminigh". I honestly thought I was going to lose, but I kept plugging away and narrowly won it. I decided to save that Replay and I watched it a couple months back. Maybe I'll write about it someday.

Also, the gladiator can't use Gaseous Form (he can only equip weapons), and the Yellow snake that grants Disease is the Giant Rattler. I rarely use him because on a successful defense he gives Disease to himself. How awkward.