04-17-2021, 05:09 PM
"A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches,
Loving favor rather than silver and gold."
Round 2 of the Earth Kingdom Rumble VII is over, and round 3 has taken off with a bang! Yesterday we saw some brilliant plays and heart-stopping matches! The Winner bracket is growing very narrow and some big fights are going on in the Losers bracket. Now I know a very nice prize has been offered to the winner, but remember the best prize is the honor earned from playing good honest matches! Now let's dive in and check on yesterday's matches.
"Looking around there's no fear in your heart
For I know you will never surrender
Everyone here raise their eyes to the sky
Now with strength and honor we fight"
WINNER’S BRACKET ROUND 3
Yagalo vs tree was the first match of round 3 completed, tree now showing a budding interest in haste. As host Yagalo was at a disadvantage as they bloomed out their 5-4 arrangements, and by turn 6 tree was threatening to win across the East/West areas, casting a deep shade over Yagalo's countenance. As Yagalo blocked and maneuvered, tree opened a new North/South threat. On turn 14, however, tree failed to notice Yagalo had finally set his flowers up. Yagalo made a long move and wheeled his last piece into place and with that tree was pruned from the winners bracket, but not uprooted from the competition altogether!
Adder vs Liam_Keaggy13 was a shockingly short game, lasting only 11 turns! Liam began the game with a 3-5 opener, and Adder countered with his signature 3 rush start. Liam, having moved his 5 out first, was able to keep the bottom gate away from Adder for a couple of turns, though Adder snagged the East gate, forcing Liam to work from the top. Liam quickly formed his first ring threat, which Adder continually blocked, first with a rock, and then with his basic flower tiles. However, on turn 11, Liam was able to sneak past Adder’s defenses, and won the game with a beautiful wheel finish!
Cannoli vs TheRealMomo had a very curious match earlier today. Despite Cannoli having the guest advantage, TheRealMomo was the first to threaten a winning arrangement on turn 8. When Cannoli blocked with a rock, both players seemed to be about equally scuttled. As the players brought out more flowers they were very stingy with their accent tiles. At the end of turn 12 TheRealMomo had a new threat to win, but did not realize that Cannoli was one step ahead. Cannoli on turn 13 made his last move and shifted into a winning ring with a boat using TheRealMomo's Lotus to complete the ring. Cannoli now moves on and TheRealMomo has learned a lesson I was taught in the last tournament. Never play a tourney match with distractions!
ZxTinyJ vs Minkey was an incredible sight to see! Minkey began the game with a classic 4-5 opener, and Zx followed suit. Zx mirrored Minkey until turn 4, where he planted a lotus rather than a rhododendron, likely in hopes of taking the South gate if Minkey left it open. Minkey recognized this, and maintained control of this gate, planting a W3 in the West without a harmony bonus. Zx remained patient, and carefully constructed the top half of his ring while defending against Minkey’s offensive threat with precise placement of accent tiles. ZxTinyJ’s patience paid off, as he was able to construct a ring threat with many more options while Minkey was still avoiding defensive blocks, and by turn 11 Zx had set up a strong offensive threat that Minkey could only have blocked with a boat or a wheel. This threat slipped past Minkey, and Zx was able to secure the win on turn 12!
BaronAlbatross vs Lalalandikki was quite the game! Lalalandikki began with her favorite 5-3 opener, and BaronAlbatross countered with a 5-4, utilizing the gate behind his opponent to quickly form a ring threat. Lalalandikki blocked cleverly, using both her basic flower tiles and accent tiles to defend as she worked on a ring of her own. On turn 11, however, she missed Baron’s win opportunity, and elected to plant an orchid, and BaronAlbatross boated away her knotweed for the win.
LOSER’S BRACKET ROUND 2
Obscuris vs erumi321 was a brutal and grueling match spanning a total of 31 turns. The game ended with no accent tile or special flowers left in reserve. Both players were operating with great talent for disruption, Obscuris managed to threaten a win at turn 10, but as erumi321 blocked it, there was a long gap of time before anyone got too close again. erumi321 made their first Orchid capture on turn 15, greatly complicating Obscuris' efforts to pull together a coherent East/West ring. On turn 16 erumi321's orchid was captured by the same of Obscuris, but he had managed to begin a tight North/South arrangement as well as one from East to West inside Obscuris' ring. Now erumi321 had use their last accent tile on turn 12, but Obscuris had continued to reserve his wheel throughout. erumi321's best option therefore was to continue producing basic flowers so that he could set up an unblockable arrangement, which is what he seemed to attempt for the rest of the game. Obscuris did the same, and though there were a few captures made by clashing tiles, the board quickly became crowded around the edges. Finally on turn 31 Obscuris was able to use his wheel to burn a clean ring around the board and take the win.
Campolobaja’s match against Jay77 was quick and to the point. Jay77 began with a 5-4 start, and Campolobaja replied with a 5-3, giving Jay77 a significant speed advantage. Jay77 used this advantage to quickly form his first ring threat long before Campolobaja could do the same, and after a few defensive moves from Campolobaja, Jay77 was able to win the game on turn 9.
Ultra and Demilocke’s match was a slow, methodical game. Demilocke began with a 5-4, and Ultra mirrored his first two plants. Yet on turn 4, Ultra diverged from Demilocke’s pattern, opting to give up the West gate in order to plant in the South. Demilocke took advantage of this, and was able to complete his ring threat by utilizing the now open gate. Not yet deterred, Ultra careful defended from Demi’s assault, cleverly using both basic and accent tiles to prevent a harmony ring. Eventually, however, Demilocke’s offense was too much, and he slipped by Ultra and won the game on turn 14.
Dallin vs Markdwagner was a slow paced match, but the result seemed inevitable as Dallin demonstrated dexterous movement and defense. Markdwagner opened with a 5-4, an opener that Dallin likely mirrored reluctantly, as 3-5 is his preferred start. Mark played for offensive gate control, taking opposite gates and calmly sitting back to defend a bit, knowing he could make a ring threat at any time. Dallin opted for a more aggressive and flexible approach, chaining together harmonies in order to get to his ring threat first. Both players brought out lotuses and orchids in order to start chipping away at each others’ rings, but neither player made too much of a dent with orchids alone, instead relying on clash captures and accent tiles. Dallin used his double boat accent spread to remove Mark’s defenses, and on turn 17, he was able to secure the win.
Rumblers, Day 2 of this round has come and gone, and what an exciting day it was! I know you all are looking forward to seeing how the rest of the matches in this round turn out, but let’s first take the time to look at the truly wonderful games that took place yesterday! This is your local Pai Sho appreciation duo, BaronAlbatross and Cannoli, here to give you the rundown.
WINNER’S BRACKET ROUND 3
SpinxKreuz vs Cpt_Seabear played a fast and thorough round, almost exclusively in German. Both players ran out the gate with a 5 and a 3, both players having their pieces traverse the board making the first harmonies on turn 5. Wasting no time, Cpt_Seabear threatened a win on turn, but SpinxKreuz blocked deftly with a rock and offered his own threat. Cpt_Seabear blocked with his flowers, but on turn 10 SpinxKreuz used his wheel to clear a path and make a winning ring.
LOSER’S BRACKET ROUND 2
UlisCM vs PaiShoAce was another short but exciting match wherein UlisCM showed off a risky opening strategy, moving his first plant out instead of planting a second. PaiShoAce did not respond in the way I would have expected either, normally this bold move is countered by either planting behind the opponent or guarding the opposite gate. Instead PaiShoAce went right along making a 5-3 pattern as if he was the only one playing. UlisCM got two points of hia ring lined up right away, but lost momentum when he elected his slower Lotus as the third piece out of a side gate. On turn 9 PaiShoAce looked set to make a winning ring, but UlisCM had a clashing flower poised to break the ring. Instead however he made a quick harmony and boated a piece out of place. PaiShoAce responded by sending out his Orchid, which captured two pieces by turn 13, leaving the orchid between two of his own flowers. On turn 14 he captured a third tile, clearing the path and then using a wheel on the bonus to realign the displaced flower and make a winning ring.
Jokras vs HarpistforHim didn’t take long, but It was a great match that showed an effective way to guard the gates as the game progresses. As host, Jokras got the opportunity to take up a third gate on turn 3, leaving HarpistforHim to wander. As soon as the East gate opened up however, HarpistforHim immediately planted and held control of that and the South gate for the remainder of the game. The East gate was open on turns 9 and 10, but to prevent an early loss Jokras was forced to leave it be. Jokras had bound one of HarpistforHim's roses on turn 9 with his Orchid, but as the game played out HarpistforHim continued to build a pattern that included that piece. On turn 14 HarpistforHim made one last move and used the wheel to bring that rose out from behind the orchid and make a winning ring.
CatholicChris and Habadababu danced beautifully together in their match! Habadababu began with a 3-5, and Chris followed suit. Habadababu first moved out their rose, and CatholicChris planted a jade behind it, using it in the coming turns to block Habadababu’s first possible harmony. Habadababu planted a R4 in the south, using it to chain out their next white jade up top. The move paid off, and Habadababu was the first one to make a ring threat, though CatholicChris was not far behind, and used his knotweed and rock to catch up and make a threat of his own. Habadababu then used basic blocks to slow Chris down, planting and constructing his next ring threat with harmony bonuses. Meanwhile, CatholicChris did not sit idle, and brought out his lotus and orchid in addition to his continued ring threats. By turn 21, however, it looked like Habadababu had the game in the bag, but in an incredible turn of events, they didn’t see their own win opportunity! His opponent distracted with defense, CatholicChris was able to use his orchid to capture enough of Habadababu’s tiles to create an opening for himself, which he promptly used to win the game!
Hoid148 and TwoTheSecond played a fast match, finishing the game in only 8 turns! TwoTheSecond opened with her favorite 4-5 start, though this game she added an interesting twist. Hoid played for gate control, planting behind TwoTheSecond’s jade after she moved it out. From there, they began slowly moving tiles into place to form a ring threat. Meanwhile, TwoTheSecond planted a rose up top, maintaining control of the Southern gate as well. Hoid continued to move their tiles into place as TwoTheSecond brought her rose directly down and brought her jade out of the Southern gate, planting another rose behind it to maintain gate control. TwoTheSecond’s position was deceptively unassuming at this point, and Hoid took the time to plant their fourth tile in the Eastern gate in order to properly begin their ring threat. Yet by then it was already too late, and before Hoid could even make their first harmony, TwoTheSecond sent her Western white jade up to harmonize with her rose, wheeling the latter tile into place to form a harmony ring!
"Plans are established by counsel;
By wise counsel wage war."
Hello again Rumblers and fans! Last night we saw the end of round 3 and what an amazing round it was! The winner board has been whittled down from 64 to just 8 competitors, it is getting down to the wire and you can smell the dust from this stampede to the finals! The loser board still has a ways to go, and don't forget that one player from the loser board will face off for the title in this tournament! In order for the losers bracket to catch up, the next matches in the winners bracket have been delayed until Friday, so let that anticipation build and make sure you have your favorite tea on hand! This is also a good opportunity to train with your friends and mentors, I can not understate the value of good council to improve your skills!
"We'll keep holding on
In times of changes
Standing strong against the wind
Until the end of time"
WINNER’S BRACKET ROUND 3
The game between Ntturner and Sirstotes was quite the spectacle to watch! Sirstotes began the match with a 3-5 plant, and Ntturner responded with a 3-rush. Stotes quickly planted behind Ntturner’s rose, though it seems he planted too quickly! In the game chat, Stotes lamented his mistake—instead of planting a W5 in the Northern gate, Stotes planted a W4! It seemed like this mistake could very well be fatal for Stotes’ performance, and Ntturner aggressively pressed their advantage as Stotes desperately tried to make up for the lost time. Yet despite Ntturner’s unrelenting offense, Sirstotes was able to cleverly defend using the very W4 that had originally crippled his attack, moving it on nearly every turn to precisely block each of Ntturner’s threats. Having had enough of the hyperactive tile, Ntturner used their orchid to hold it still, but this gave Stotes an extra turn to begin rebuilding his offense. Ntturner kept pushing their offense, hoping to create a harmony ring before Stotes could have the opportunity to work on one of his own, but Stotes continued to block and press on offense, and by turn 22, in an incredibly sneaky boat finish, Stotes came back and formed a harmony ring, winning the game and advancing to the next round!
SamuraiAppa and Shader17 gave us a great spectacle in a twisting game that was hard to call until the last move. Both players made tight 5-3 rings, Shader17 being the first to threaten a win on tur9. SamuraiAppa was not far behind however, and when the dust settled after a flurry of accent tiles, SamuraiAppa had a winning ring and took one step closer to the golden glow of the tournament finals.
LOSER’S BRACKET ROUND 2
1styethkaage vs DerHerrPeer was a quick match as DeerHerrPeer flexed out in the Loser's bracket. DerHerrPeer started out with a 5-3 while 1styethkaage opted for a 4-3 opener. DerHerrPeer made a threat to win on turn 7, but 1styethkaage wasn’t about to let him get away so easily. Using a boat to displace the forming ring gave 1styethkaage time to plant more flowers, but they missed a new threat on the next turn and DerHerrPeer took the win on turn 9.
Resu532 and Lexi’s match was a nice, short game, with clever offense and a clean finish! Resu began with an alternate 3-5 opener, planting a white jade in the Western gate. Lexi mirrored this opener, and the two players began working on their first ring threats. Lexi played to chain harmonies, having at most one tile in a gate at a time. Resu, on the other hand, played more slowly, using their existing speed advantage as guest to stay ahead of Lexi as they placed accent tiles on harmony bonus rather than just flowers. This allowed Resu to pull even further ahead of Lexi, as they bombarded Lexi’s fourth flower tile with a knotweed and rock, which prevented any accent tile blocks on harmony bonus. From there, Resu was able to trap Lexi on turn 8, and secured the win on turn 9!
Cajuncoder defeated Queso314 by default
Megajotb defeated Ghost117 by default
Dinosar defeated Toni by default
Sensei_Wu beat 5up3r by default
Padre beat Wolf by the flip of a coin
Rumblers, the first day of this round has been a bit quieter, with only one game completed by our writeup cutoff point. We look forward to seeing those results start trickling in a bit faster, but first let’s give some love to the game that has been completed so far!
LOSERS BRACKET ROUND 3
Demilocke pulled off a classic strategy against Padre in the first match completed for this round on the L bracket. Veterans of Chan and Roun Jian's Ember Island House Party will either smile or cringe at the final state of this board. That's right folks, there is not much more to say other than that Demilocke made the classic monochrome 5 point ring in the minimum 7 turns! It has happened to the best of us, but don't let it happen twice, there are weaknesses to this strategy just like any other.
Greetings Rumblers! The L-Bracket catch up round is still running and more results are trickling in as the crowd of players becomes a smaller and smaller group. The round ends tonight so let’s make sure we get those matches wrapped up! W-Bracket is back in force as well today with the last 8 players on this side of the tournament competing in their fourth round. As a note Cannoli and BaronAlbatross will be facing off, so expect a special guest commenter to be announced for that match! Enough news though, let’s talk about the action of the last day or so!
LOSERS BRACKET ROUND 3
Harpistforhim vs JefferyMunro ran all in one sitting thursday evening, I had the opportunity to view it live and it was crazy suspenseful! Jeffreymunro opened up with a 5-4, appearing to go for the 5-point patterning, but HarpistForHim planted behind him guarding the gate he needed to make a quick ring. Both players planted their Orchids on turn 6, HarpistForHim’s being captured on turn 8, but not before defanging Jeffreymunro’s by capturing his Lotus. HarpistForHim came out with a slight advantage in speed, threatening to win on turn 9 with a vertical ring. Jeffreymunro crippled the lotus with a knotweed, but HarpistforHim moved out a tile planted in reserve at the north gate. Thus again under duress Jeffremunro bloomed his orchid to block and detain one of the offending flowers. Both players moved closer to reconfiguring their rings and simultaneously tossing rocks at one another. On turn 16 Jeffreymunro finally got the slip and used a wheel to complete a winning ring.
CatholicChris has unfortunately decided to withdraw from the tournament—life calls him away for now. We wish Chris the best! Because of this withdrawal, Megajotb advances to the next round by default.
Dinosaur vs TwoTheSecond was a fast paced and short lived match! TwoTheSecond began the game with her tried and true 4-5 opener, and Dinosar followed suit. As both of them began building their rings, Dino left the North gate open in favor of taking the East, and TwoTheSecond quickly took the open gate, planting a jasmine there. The two continued to rush to their rings, and TwoTheSecond reached her ring threat first, and Dino broke formation in order to block her. TwoTheSecond used her orchid to trap Dino’s chrysanthemum out of formation, crippling their offensive threat. From there, Dino began to switch to defense, planting both their lotus and their orchid, but it was too late, and TwoTheSecond took the win with a lovely wheel finish!
Thank you all for reading our reviews and keeping up with your friends' matches! As a token of appreciation the first person to dm me will be sent an unpainted board and tile kit, I can ship anywhere in the US. It is a thank you and I also want to see what you can do with it! [This board and tile kit was given out on discord by BaronAlbatross to Obscuris, who was the first to respond.]
The game between Cajuncoder and Obscuris was certainly an interesting one! Cajun chose his characteristic double wheel double knotweed accent tile spread, and Obscuris went for the classic even spread. Obscuris began the game with a 5-3 plant, and Cajun responded with a 5-4. Though Cajun had the option to work with a speed advantage with this response, he instead elected to play for gate control, planting a rose behind Obscuris’s W5. Obscuris ended up making the first harmony, but Cajun used his extra plant to place one of his knotweeds to slow Obscuris down. Undeterred, Obscuris patiently pressed forward, taking the East gate when Cajun gave it up in order to further work on their ring. Cajun moved his fourth tile out, placing his second knotweed to further slow Obscuris down, though Obscuris was still able to get out their lily, preemptively placing a rock to block Cajun’s possible ring threat as they made one of their own. Cajun moved to block this ring threat, but Obscuris was able to sneak around his defenses and win the game.
Rumblers, round 4 of the Winners Bracket and Losers Bracket has begun! For the Winners Bracket, it's down to just 8 players, and for the Losers Bracket, this round has 16 people fighting to stay in. Before we get into the excitement, let’s take a look at the results of yesterday’s matches!
LOSERS BRACKET ROUND 3
DerHerrPeer and Resu32 both fought hard to hold on to a spot in the tournament. The players opened up with a 5-3 pattern and resu532 came out with a threat to win on turn 8, guarding the gate DerHerrPeer needed to finish their pattern. A knotweed only bought him one turn, and resu532 was in position again on turn 9. Now obstructed by a rock, resu532 moved out his Lotus and planted his Orchid right behind DerHerrPeer's main concentration. Resu532 was set up again on turn 11, and DerHerrPeer was able to block with only his flower tiles. Resu532 sent out his Orchid to capture key pieces, but DerHerrPeer meanwhile managed to plant and bloom his own Lotus and Orchid taking his first victim on turn 15. Resu532 swept the knee and captured his opponent's Lotus, thus protecting his own. Both players began rapidly rebuilding, although resu532 kept up the pressure with his Orchid. With this advantage resu532 was able to be the first to threaten a win again on turn 24. DerHerrPeer blocked again, and the ensuing scuffle led to the capture of both Orchids. On turn 28 resu532 set up a double threat and DerHerrPeer didnt manage to block so resu532 took the win on turn 29.
Dallin has defeated Sensei_Wu by default
PaiShoAce has defeated Jay77 by default
- Written by BaronAlbatross and Cannoli
Loving favor rather than silver and gold."
Round 2 of the Earth Kingdom Rumble VII is over, and round 3 has taken off with a bang! Yesterday we saw some brilliant plays and heart-stopping matches! The Winner bracket is growing very narrow and some big fights are going on in the Losers bracket. Now I know a very nice prize has been offered to the winner, but remember the best prize is the honor earned from playing good honest matches! Now let's dive in and check on yesterday's matches.
"Looking around there's no fear in your heart
For I know you will never surrender
Everyone here raise their eyes to the sky
Now with strength and honor we fight"
WINNER’S BRACKET ROUND 3
Yagalo vs tree was the first match of round 3 completed, tree now showing a budding interest in haste. As host Yagalo was at a disadvantage as they bloomed out their 5-4 arrangements, and by turn 6 tree was threatening to win across the East/West areas, casting a deep shade over Yagalo's countenance. As Yagalo blocked and maneuvered, tree opened a new North/South threat. On turn 14, however, tree failed to notice Yagalo had finally set his flowers up. Yagalo made a long move and wheeled his last piece into place and with that tree was pruned from the winners bracket, but not uprooted from the competition altogether!
Adder vs Liam_Keaggy13 was a shockingly short game, lasting only 11 turns! Liam began the game with a 3-5 opener, and Adder countered with his signature 3 rush start. Liam, having moved his 5 out first, was able to keep the bottom gate away from Adder for a couple of turns, though Adder snagged the East gate, forcing Liam to work from the top. Liam quickly formed his first ring threat, which Adder continually blocked, first with a rock, and then with his basic flower tiles. However, on turn 11, Liam was able to sneak past Adder’s defenses, and won the game with a beautiful wheel finish!
Cannoli vs TheRealMomo had a very curious match earlier today. Despite Cannoli having the guest advantage, TheRealMomo was the first to threaten a winning arrangement on turn 8. When Cannoli blocked with a rock, both players seemed to be about equally scuttled. As the players brought out more flowers they were very stingy with their accent tiles. At the end of turn 12 TheRealMomo had a new threat to win, but did not realize that Cannoli was one step ahead. Cannoli on turn 13 made his last move and shifted into a winning ring with a boat using TheRealMomo's Lotus to complete the ring. Cannoli now moves on and TheRealMomo has learned a lesson I was taught in the last tournament. Never play a tourney match with distractions!
ZxTinyJ vs Minkey was an incredible sight to see! Minkey began the game with a classic 4-5 opener, and Zx followed suit. Zx mirrored Minkey until turn 4, where he planted a lotus rather than a rhododendron, likely in hopes of taking the South gate if Minkey left it open. Minkey recognized this, and maintained control of this gate, planting a W3 in the West without a harmony bonus. Zx remained patient, and carefully constructed the top half of his ring while defending against Minkey’s offensive threat with precise placement of accent tiles. ZxTinyJ’s patience paid off, as he was able to construct a ring threat with many more options while Minkey was still avoiding defensive blocks, and by turn 11 Zx had set up a strong offensive threat that Minkey could only have blocked with a boat or a wheel. This threat slipped past Minkey, and Zx was able to secure the win on turn 12!
BaronAlbatross vs Lalalandikki was quite the game! Lalalandikki began with her favorite 5-3 opener, and BaronAlbatross countered with a 5-4, utilizing the gate behind his opponent to quickly form a ring threat. Lalalandikki blocked cleverly, using both her basic flower tiles and accent tiles to defend as she worked on a ring of her own. On turn 11, however, she missed Baron’s win opportunity, and elected to plant an orchid, and BaronAlbatross boated away her knotweed for the win.
LOSER’S BRACKET ROUND 2
Obscuris vs erumi321 was a brutal and grueling match spanning a total of 31 turns. The game ended with no accent tile or special flowers left in reserve. Both players were operating with great talent for disruption, Obscuris managed to threaten a win at turn 10, but as erumi321 blocked it, there was a long gap of time before anyone got too close again. erumi321 made their first Orchid capture on turn 15, greatly complicating Obscuris' efforts to pull together a coherent East/West ring. On turn 16 erumi321's orchid was captured by the same of Obscuris, but he had managed to begin a tight North/South arrangement as well as one from East to West inside Obscuris' ring. Now erumi321 had use their last accent tile on turn 12, but Obscuris had continued to reserve his wheel throughout. erumi321's best option therefore was to continue producing basic flowers so that he could set up an unblockable arrangement, which is what he seemed to attempt for the rest of the game. Obscuris did the same, and though there were a few captures made by clashing tiles, the board quickly became crowded around the edges. Finally on turn 31 Obscuris was able to use his wheel to burn a clean ring around the board and take the win.
Campolobaja’s match against Jay77 was quick and to the point. Jay77 began with a 5-4 start, and Campolobaja replied with a 5-3, giving Jay77 a significant speed advantage. Jay77 used this advantage to quickly form his first ring threat long before Campolobaja could do the same, and after a few defensive moves from Campolobaja, Jay77 was able to win the game on turn 9.
Ultra and Demilocke’s match was a slow, methodical game. Demilocke began with a 5-4, and Ultra mirrored his first two plants. Yet on turn 4, Ultra diverged from Demilocke’s pattern, opting to give up the West gate in order to plant in the South. Demilocke took advantage of this, and was able to complete his ring threat by utilizing the now open gate. Not yet deterred, Ultra careful defended from Demi’s assault, cleverly using both basic and accent tiles to prevent a harmony ring. Eventually, however, Demilocke’s offense was too much, and he slipped by Ultra and won the game on turn 14.
Dallin vs Markdwagner was a slow paced match, but the result seemed inevitable as Dallin demonstrated dexterous movement and defense. Markdwagner opened with a 5-4, an opener that Dallin likely mirrored reluctantly, as 3-5 is his preferred start. Mark played for offensive gate control, taking opposite gates and calmly sitting back to defend a bit, knowing he could make a ring threat at any time. Dallin opted for a more aggressive and flexible approach, chaining together harmonies in order to get to his ring threat first. Both players brought out lotuses and orchids in order to start chipping away at each others’ rings, but neither player made too much of a dent with orchids alone, instead relying on clash captures and accent tiles. Dallin used his double boat accent spread to remove Mark’s defenses, and on turn 17, he was able to secure the win.
Rumblers, Day 2 of this round has come and gone, and what an exciting day it was! I know you all are looking forward to seeing how the rest of the matches in this round turn out, but let’s first take the time to look at the truly wonderful games that took place yesterday! This is your local Pai Sho appreciation duo, BaronAlbatross and Cannoli, here to give you the rundown.
WINNER’S BRACKET ROUND 3
SpinxKreuz vs Cpt_Seabear played a fast and thorough round, almost exclusively in German. Both players ran out the gate with a 5 and a 3, both players having their pieces traverse the board making the first harmonies on turn 5. Wasting no time, Cpt_Seabear threatened a win on turn, but SpinxKreuz blocked deftly with a rock and offered his own threat. Cpt_Seabear blocked with his flowers, but on turn 10 SpinxKreuz used his wheel to clear a path and make a winning ring.
LOSER’S BRACKET ROUND 2
UlisCM vs PaiShoAce was another short but exciting match wherein UlisCM showed off a risky opening strategy, moving his first plant out instead of planting a second. PaiShoAce did not respond in the way I would have expected either, normally this bold move is countered by either planting behind the opponent or guarding the opposite gate. Instead PaiShoAce went right along making a 5-3 pattern as if he was the only one playing. UlisCM got two points of hia ring lined up right away, but lost momentum when he elected his slower Lotus as the third piece out of a side gate. On turn 9 PaiShoAce looked set to make a winning ring, but UlisCM had a clashing flower poised to break the ring. Instead however he made a quick harmony and boated a piece out of place. PaiShoAce responded by sending out his Orchid, which captured two pieces by turn 13, leaving the orchid between two of his own flowers. On turn 14 he captured a third tile, clearing the path and then using a wheel on the bonus to realign the displaced flower and make a winning ring.
Jokras vs HarpistforHim didn’t take long, but It was a great match that showed an effective way to guard the gates as the game progresses. As host, Jokras got the opportunity to take up a third gate on turn 3, leaving HarpistforHim to wander. As soon as the East gate opened up however, HarpistforHim immediately planted and held control of that and the South gate for the remainder of the game. The East gate was open on turns 9 and 10, but to prevent an early loss Jokras was forced to leave it be. Jokras had bound one of HarpistforHim's roses on turn 9 with his Orchid, but as the game played out HarpistforHim continued to build a pattern that included that piece. On turn 14 HarpistforHim made one last move and used the wheel to bring that rose out from behind the orchid and make a winning ring.
CatholicChris and Habadababu danced beautifully together in their match! Habadababu began with a 3-5, and Chris followed suit. Habadababu first moved out their rose, and CatholicChris planted a jade behind it, using it in the coming turns to block Habadababu’s first possible harmony. Habadababu planted a R4 in the south, using it to chain out their next white jade up top. The move paid off, and Habadababu was the first one to make a ring threat, though CatholicChris was not far behind, and used his knotweed and rock to catch up and make a threat of his own. Habadababu then used basic blocks to slow Chris down, planting and constructing his next ring threat with harmony bonuses. Meanwhile, CatholicChris did not sit idle, and brought out his lotus and orchid in addition to his continued ring threats. By turn 21, however, it looked like Habadababu had the game in the bag, but in an incredible turn of events, they didn’t see their own win opportunity! His opponent distracted with defense, CatholicChris was able to use his orchid to capture enough of Habadababu’s tiles to create an opening for himself, which he promptly used to win the game!
Hoid148 and TwoTheSecond played a fast match, finishing the game in only 8 turns! TwoTheSecond opened with her favorite 4-5 start, though this game she added an interesting twist. Hoid played for gate control, planting behind TwoTheSecond’s jade after she moved it out. From there, they began slowly moving tiles into place to form a ring threat. Meanwhile, TwoTheSecond planted a rose up top, maintaining control of the Southern gate as well. Hoid continued to move their tiles into place as TwoTheSecond brought her rose directly down and brought her jade out of the Southern gate, planting another rose behind it to maintain gate control. TwoTheSecond’s position was deceptively unassuming at this point, and Hoid took the time to plant their fourth tile in the Eastern gate in order to properly begin their ring threat. Yet by then it was already too late, and before Hoid could even make their first harmony, TwoTheSecond sent her Western white jade up to harmonize with her rose, wheeling the latter tile into place to form a harmony ring!
"Plans are established by counsel;
By wise counsel wage war."
Hello again Rumblers and fans! Last night we saw the end of round 3 and what an amazing round it was! The winner board has been whittled down from 64 to just 8 competitors, it is getting down to the wire and you can smell the dust from this stampede to the finals! The loser board still has a ways to go, and don't forget that one player from the loser board will face off for the title in this tournament! In order for the losers bracket to catch up, the next matches in the winners bracket have been delayed until Friday, so let that anticipation build and make sure you have your favorite tea on hand! This is also a good opportunity to train with your friends and mentors, I can not understate the value of good council to improve your skills!
"We'll keep holding on
In times of changes
Standing strong against the wind
Until the end of time"
WINNER’S BRACKET ROUND 3
The game between Ntturner and Sirstotes was quite the spectacle to watch! Sirstotes began the match with a 3-5 plant, and Ntturner responded with a 3-rush. Stotes quickly planted behind Ntturner’s rose, though it seems he planted too quickly! In the game chat, Stotes lamented his mistake—instead of planting a W5 in the Northern gate, Stotes planted a W4! It seemed like this mistake could very well be fatal for Stotes’ performance, and Ntturner aggressively pressed their advantage as Stotes desperately tried to make up for the lost time. Yet despite Ntturner’s unrelenting offense, Sirstotes was able to cleverly defend using the very W4 that had originally crippled his attack, moving it on nearly every turn to precisely block each of Ntturner’s threats. Having had enough of the hyperactive tile, Ntturner used their orchid to hold it still, but this gave Stotes an extra turn to begin rebuilding his offense. Ntturner kept pushing their offense, hoping to create a harmony ring before Stotes could have the opportunity to work on one of his own, but Stotes continued to block and press on offense, and by turn 22, in an incredibly sneaky boat finish, Stotes came back and formed a harmony ring, winning the game and advancing to the next round!
SamuraiAppa and Shader17 gave us a great spectacle in a twisting game that was hard to call until the last move. Both players made tight 5-3 rings, Shader17 being the first to threaten a win on tur9. SamuraiAppa was not far behind however, and when the dust settled after a flurry of accent tiles, SamuraiAppa had a winning ring and took one step closer to the golden glow of the tournament finals.
LOSER’S BRACKET ROUND 2
1styethkaage vs DerHerrPeer was a quick match as DeerHerrPeer flexed out in the Loser's bracket. DerHerrPeer started out with a 5-3 while 1styethkaage opted for a 4-3 opener. DerHerrPeer made a threat to win on turn 7, but 1styethkaage wasn’t about to let him get away so easily. Using a boat to displace the forming ring gave 1styethkaage time to plant more flowers, but they missed a new threat on the next turn and DerHerrPeer took the win on turn 9.
Resu532 and Lexi’s match was a nice, short game, with clever offense and a clean finish! Resu began with an alternate 3-5 opener, planting a white jade in the Western gate. Lexi mirrored this opener, and the two players began working on their first ring threats. Lexi played to chain harmonies, having at most one tile in a gate at a time. Resu, on the other hand, played more slowly, using their existing speed advantage as guest to stay ahead of Lexi as they placed accent tiles on harmony bonus rather than just flowers. This allowed Resu to pull even further ahead of Lexi, as they bombarded Lexi’s fourth flower tile with a knotweed and rock, which prevented any accent tile blocks on harmony bonus. From there, Resu was able to trap Lexi on turn 8, and secured the win on turn 9!
Cajuncoder defeated Queso314 by default
Megajotb defeated Ghost117 by default
Dinosar defeated Toni by default
Sensei_Wu beat 5up3r by default
Padre beat Wolf by the flip of a coin
Rumblers, the first day of this round has been a bit quieter, with only one game completed by our writeup cutoff point. We look forward to seeing those results start trickling in a bit faster, but first let’s give some love to the game that has been completed so far!
LOSERS BRACKET ROUND 3
Demilocke pulled off a classic strategy against Padre in the first match completed for this round on the L bracket. Veterans of Chan and Roun Jian's Ember Island House Party will either smile or cringe at the final state of this board. That's right folks, there is not much more to say other than that Demilocke made the classic monochrome 5 point ring in the minimum 7 turns! It has happened to the best of us, but don't let it happen twice, there are weaknesses to this strategy just like any other.
Greetings Rumblers! The L-Bracket catch up round is still running and more results are trickling in as the crowd of players becomes a smaller and smaller group. The round ends tonight so let’s make sure we get those matches wrapped up! W-Bracket is back in force as well today with the last 8 players on this side of the tournament competing in their fourth round. As a note Cannoli and BaronAlbatross will be facing off, so expect a special guest commenter to be announced for that match! Enough news though, let’s talk about the action of the last day or so!
LOSERS BRACKET ROUND 3
Harpistforhim vs JefferyMunro ran all in one sitting thursday evening, I had the opportunity to view it live and it was crazy suspenseful! Jeffreymunro opened up with a 5-4, appearing to go for the 5-point patterning, but HarpistForHim planted behind him guarding the gate he needed to make a quick ring. Both players planted their Orchids on turn 6, HarpistForHim’s being captured on turn 8, but not before defanging Jeffreymunro’s by capturing his Lotus. HarpistForHim came out with a slight advantage in speed, threatening to win on turn 9 with a vertical ring. Jeffreymunro crippled the lotus with a knotweed, but HarpistforHim moved out a tile planted in reserve at the north gate. Thus again under duress Jeffremunro bloomed his orchid to block and detain one of the offending flowers. Both players moved closer to reconfiguring their rings and simultaneously tossing rocks at one another. On turn 16 Jeffreymunro finally got the slip and used a wheel to complete a winning ring.
CatholicChris has unfortunately decided to withdraw from the tournament—life calls him away for now. We wish Chris the best! Because of this withdrawal, Megajotb advances to the next round by default.
Dinosaur vs TwoTheSecond was a fast paced and short lived match! TwoTheSecond began the game with her tried and true 4-5 opener, and Dinosar followed suit. As both of them began building their rings, Dino left the North gate open in favor of taking the East, and TwoTheSecond quickly took the open gate, planting a jasmine there. The two continued to rush to their rings, and TwoTheSecond reached her ring threat first, and Dino broke formation in order to block her. TwoTheSecond used her orchid to trap Dino’s chrysanthemum out of formation, crippling their offensive threat. From there, Dino began to switch to defense, planting both their lotus and their orchid, but it was too late, and TwoTheSecond took the win with a lovely wheel finish!
Thank you all for reading our reviews and keeping up with your friends' matches! As a token of appreciation the first person to dm me will be sent an unpainted board and tile kit, I can ship anywhere in the US. It is a thank you and I also want to see what you can do with it! [This board and tile kit was given out on discord by BaronAlbatross to Obscuris, who was the first to respond.]
The game between Cajuncoder and Obscuris was certainly an interesting one! Cajun chose his characteristic double wheel double knotweed accent tile spread, and Obscuris went for the classic even spread. Obscuris began the game with a 5-3 plant, and Cajun responded with a 5-4. Though Cajun had the option to work with a speed advantage with this response, he instead elected to play for gate control, planting a rose behind Obscuris’s W5. Obscuris ended up making the first harmony, but Cajun used his extra plant to place one of his knotweeds to slow Obscuris down. Undeterred, Obscuris patiently pressed forward, taking the East gate when Cajun gave it up in order to further work on their ring. Cajun moved his fourth tile out, placing his second knotweed to further slow Obscuris down, though Obscuris was still able to get out their lily, preemptively placing a rock to block Cajun’s possible ring threat as they made one of their own. Cajun moved to block this ring threat, but Obscuris was able to sneak around his defenses and win the game.
Rumblers, round 4 of the Winners Bracket and Losers Bracket has begun! For the Winners Bracket, it's down to just 8 players, and for the Losers Bracket, this round has 16 people fighting to stay in. Before we get into the excitement, let’s take a look at the results of yesterday’s matches!
LOSERS BRACKET ROUND 3
DerHerrPeer and Resu32 both fought hard to hold on to a spot in the tournament. The players opened up with a 5-3 pattern and resu532 came out with a threat to win on turn 8, guarding the gate DerHerrPeer needed to finish their pattern. A knotweed only bought him one turn, and resu532 was in position again on turn 9. Now obstructed by a rock, resu532 moved out his Lotus and planted his Orchid right behind DerHerrPeer's main concentration. Resu532 was set up again on turn 11, and DerHerrPeer was able to block with only his flower tiles. Resu532 sent out his Orchid to capture key pieces, but DerHerrPeer meanwhile managed to plant and bloom his own Lotus and Orchid taking his first victim on turn 15. Resu532 swept the knee and captured his opponent's Lotus, thus protecting his own. Both players began rapidly rebuilding, although resu532 kept up the pressure with his Orchid. With this advantage resu532 was able to be the first to threaten a win again on turn 24. DerHerrPeer blocked again, and the ensuing scuffle led to the capture of both Orchids. On turn 28 resu532 set up a double threat and DerHerrPeer didnt manage to block so resu532 took the win on turn 29.
Dallin has defeated Sensei_Wu by default
PaiShoAce has defeated Jay77 by default
- Written by BaronAlbatross and Cannoli
« Next Oldest | Next Newest »
Messages In This Thread
Earth Rumble VII Skud Pai Sho Tournament - by Cannoli - 03-01-2021, 10:51 PM
RE: Earth Rumble VII Skud Pai Sho Tournament - by Cannoli - 04-07-2021, 11:17 PM
RE: Earth Rumble VII Skud Pai Sho Tournament - by Cannoli - 04-08-2021, 02:58 AM
RE: Earth Rumble VII Skud Pai Sho Tournament - by Cannoli - 04-09-2021, 03:50 PM
RE: Earth Rumble VII Skud Pai Sho Tournament - by Cannoli - 04-10-2021, 05:13 PM
RE: Earth Rumble VII Skud Pai Sho Tournament - by Cannoli - 04-11-2021, 09:22 PM
RE: Earth Rumble VII Skud Pai Sho Tournament - by Cannoli - 04-17-2021, 05:09 PM
RE: Earth Rumble VII Skud Pai Sho Tournament - by Cannoli - 04-19-2021, 09:38 PM
RE: Earth Rumble VII Skud Pai Sho Tournament - by Cannoli - 04-20-2021, 02:08 PM
RE: Earth Rumble VII Skud Pai Sho Tournament - by Cannoli - 04-21-2021, 05:02 PM
RE: Earth Rumble VII Skud Pai Sho Tournament - by Cannoli - 04-22-2021, 11:15 PM
RE: Earth Rumble VII Skud Pai Sho Tournament - by Cannoli - 04-23-2021, 11:31 PM
RE: Earth Rumble VII Skud Pai Sho Tournament - by Cannoli - 04-24-2021, 11:46 PM
RE: Earth Rumble VII Skud Pai Sho Tournament - by Cannoli - 04-27-2021, 04:48 PM
RE: Earth Rumble VII Skud Pai Sho Tournament - by Cannoli - 05-03-2021, 11:18 PM
RE: Earth Rumble VII Skud Pai Sho Tournament - by Cannoli - 05-10-2021, 03:33 PM
RE: Earth Rumble VII Skud Pai Sho Tournament - by Cannoli - 05-12-2021, 02:32 AM
Users browsing this thread: 2 Guest(s)