Master of the MeleeWe Induct a New A Game of Thrones: The Card Game Champion into the Hall of Heroes
“Sharp steel and strong arms rule this world, don’t ever believe any different.”
–Sandor Clegane
The North American Championships at Gen Con Indy 2013 have ended, the dust on the tourney ground has settled, and one contender was crowned champion. Today, we are proud to induct this new champion into the Hall of Heroes. Steven Simoni conquered the field at Gen Con Indy to take his place as the 2013 North American Overall and Melee Champion for A Game of Thrones: The Card Game!
The War for Westeros
The battle for the Iron Throne was vicious, as players took the field against each other in the free-wheeling, four-player battles of the Melee and the one-on-one matches of the Joust. Steve Simoni set himself apart with his exemplary play in both events.
House Martell drew the most players to the Melee, with House Lannister as a close second. Steve Simoni, however, decided to fight for the cold wastes of the North, and his Stark Siege of Winterfell (Lords of Winter 48) deck battled its way to the final table. Steve found himself facing off against House Lannister, House Martell, and another House Stark player, who was also running the Siege of Winterfell agenda. Steve and his military challenges managed to carry the day on the field of combat, placing him securely as the Melee North American Champion for A Game of Thrones: The Card Game, and earning him a place in the Hall of Heroes. Although Steve had already secured a champion’s place, he wasn’t done yet.
In the Joust, Steve elected to join the numerous adherents of House Martell, which attracted nearly a quarter of all participants. After six ferocious Swiss rounds, House Martell and House Greyjoy represented the majority of the Houses in the Top 8, which featured one Targaryen deck, two Greyjoy decks, and an impressive five Martell decks. At Gen Con, the numerous followers of House Martell triumphed over the other Houses, and the tourney ended in a climatic match between Tim Peterson and Steve Simoni, playing nearly identical House Martell decks. Although Steve took second place in the Joust, his utter conquest in the Melee and his victories in the Joust combined to make Steve the Overall North American Champion for A Game of Thrones: The Card Game as well.
A Champion’s Perspective
When asked about the Championship, Steve said, “Definitely the highlight for me was playing in the Joust Top 16. It’s great when you make the cut: Games become more cutthroat and intense and I really enjoy that. The semifinal match versus Chris Schoenthal, from the South California meta, was the most intense match I had all day. We both made some mistakes and missed some triggers, but overall it was a great game. My goal in every tournament is to make the cut – from there anything can happen.”
Steve had a great tournament at Gen Con Indy 2013, and he’ll look to add to his honors at the World Championship Weekend from November 7th – 10th. To find out more about Steve and his victories at Gen Con Indy, check out his place of honor in the Hall of Heroes. Then, make your plans to join us for the World Championship Weekend and the ultimate battle for the Iron Throne, at our headquarters in Roseville, Minnesota!
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Source:
Master of the Melee
