This article is a brief look at a few of the players expected to take the field at this year’s Australian Continental Championship as part of our increased event coverage this year. The top-ranked players will be discussed, but also some others of note who may not be ranked as high but generate interest for other reasons. Discussion will only be centred around the Second Edition event and not the First Edition version of the game, as I am not particularly familiar with it; my apologies to First Edition enthusiasts.
The Clarke BrothersThe two highest-ranked players in Australia is a good place to start. To put it simply, they are the most consistent players in Australia and either of them should be odds-on favourites to take the crown this year. Between them, they have won every Australian Continental Championship since 2008: Lee in 2008 and Chris in 2009 and 2010. Lee won N.S.W Regionals in 2009, Australian Nationals that same year, as well as coming second to Chris at Continentals in 2009 and 2010. The lowest he has finished in any tournament was 4th at this year's N.S.W Regionals.
Chris has an equally impressive record, winning U.S Nationals West in 2010, N.S.W Regionals in 2011 and being runner-up to Lee at Regionals 2009. Their win-to-attendance ratio is high; Chris has won 8 from 13 and Lee, a bit less, at 5 from 12. Looking at their tournament history, they have played a vast array of different affiliations, so what they choose to take into this year’s event is far from certain. Regardless, they will be the toughest competition in the field and a certainty for Day Two.
Shane BrierlyRanked third in Australia by rating is Shane Brierly. It is safe to say that Shane is the best player in Sydney at the moment. He has 18 tournament wins from 64 starts, won Regionals in 2010 and came second at Australian Nationals that same year. He has made the final 8 of Continentals in 2009 and ’10 and the top 16 of Worlds last year in Germany. Shane has excellent knowledge of the game and always builds a strong deck. He plays a lot of events in his deck and, in my experience, builds decks that have good speed. I rate him a certainty to make the final day's play this year and is one of a very few players who can squarely challenge Chris and Lee for the title.
Rob DawsonRob is the highest-ranked Western Australian on the rankings list, as well as fourth in Australia overall. He has won Regionals in W.A. every year except for 2010, where he was runner-up, won Australian Nationals in 2008 and made the final of Continentals every year. Rob has the most tournament wins of any Australian player, with 25. I played Rob in a side event at last year’s Continentals in the final match for the tournament win and, apart from beating me, the thing I take away from it is the memory of the sheer level of concentration and focus Rob had. He played quickly and with great intent, never second-guessing his plays and winning strongly in what turned out to be a very tight game. Like Shane, Rob should be regarded as a strong chance to win this year’s title.
Mike Garvey and the QueenslandersI’m including Mike and the Queenslanders because this will be the first time since 2008 that anyone from Queensland has participated in the Australian Continental Championships. Mike has done a great job rebuilding the play group north of the border this year. They hosted both First and Second Edition Regionals in 2011 and play on a regular basis. Because they have not participated in the Continentals in recent years, the Queenslanders will be an unknown quantity. What decks they will play and the composition of their dilemma piles will only be answered once they have shuffled up and drawn their opening seven. However, there is something players from other states should beware: the Queensland Roar soccer team won the A League last year, the Reds sit atop the Super Rugby table and the Queensland Rugby League State of Origin Team is invincible, showing us that right now, Queenslanders are winners.
Kieren OttonThe tournament organiser and centre of the Star Trek CCG world in Sydney. When looking up his tournament history, I was astounded to find that Kieren has played 294 sanctioned matches. He has played the most events of anyone in Sydney--or the country. Kieren was the winner of N.S.W Regionals in 2008, Australian Nationals 2010, second at Continentals 2008 (funnily enough, I remember him telling me this at band practice one day, before I began playing) and made the top 8 at last year’s Continentals. An experienced player, Kieren has an excellent understanding of the game and should never be written off in the big events, as he has proven. He has the biggest collection in Sydney (which he shares with Shane), so he can play any deck he wants; however, when looking at his tournament history, he has surprisingly played only seven different factions, not including the odd dual-headquarters deck. Kieren is definitely one to keep your eye on at this year’s events.
Mike Nugent"Iron Mike Nugent:" I am not sure where he earned the name “Iron”, but I am sure he is not a miner. Another veteran of the Sydney group, Mike has 229 matches under his belt at time of writing. Mike’s only top 8 finish at Continentals came in 2008; however, he does sport a 1593 rating and 13 tournament victories. Mike is largely a TOS specialist when it comes to deck choice; however, he has recently been playing a very fast and effective Klingon solver, which he won with last weekend. Mike is another good player, who just missed out on the final day's play last year in that six-way tie on 12 points. He has a good chance of finishing in the top 8 at the Continentals this year and a player to watch.
Steve HartmannSteve, match-wise, has only been attending events on a regular basis since January 2009 although he is no stranger to the game, playing before the Continuiing Committee era. Without much luck at Continentals in 2009 or 2010, he stepped up at this year’s Regionals, finishing second. Largely a Bajoran, Dominion, Terok Nor or Cardassian player, Steve has built a couple of competitive and efficient decks. I was certainly a victim of his current Bajoran build last weekend. His rating has risen to 1584 after having a good run in the last six months or so. He is definitely one player I believe will be a strong contender for Day Two of the Continentals this year.
Craig GiblettWhat would a preview article be without the author talking himself up? With a sub-1500 rating, a winning percentage of 44% and a current five-match losing streak, I am one player the field should obviously be wary of. Fear me! Giblett for Continental Champion 2011!
There are many more players that deserve a mention in this article, however I did not have room for them all. All three Western Australian players who competed at Continentals in 2010 made the final 8 and should not be discounted from the running to make up the final day's play this year. Nor should a few other Sydney players not mentioned, as that play group is tight and very competitive. With only a month to go, a couple more events for players to flex their muscles before the big event and with the field promising to be the biggest Continentals held in Australia, ever, there are very few certainties except that it will be an epic event to remember.