GEN CON 2006 Report
by Barron Vangor Toth
WWE Raw Deal co-designer

People love the summer for all sorts of reasons. Me, I’m not one for the outdoors and all that hullabaloo, but I still love this season: mainly due to the conventions. And when you think “conventions” you must think of one in particular: Gen Con.

While I’m in the tournament area for basically every moment anyone is Raw Dealing, I’m certainly not alone in making the weekend possible, so I’d like to thank some of those that helped: Comic Images President Alan Gordon, my fellow co-designer Mike Foley, Raw Deal Rules Guys Christopher “Creed” Pate and Jason Griffey, and Manager Extraordinaire Tom McKelvey. But wait, that’s not all, as I’d also like to thank DeQuan Watson, Brian “Antigoth” Mitchell, Jon Manuel, Dave and Vicki Kelley, and a bunch of other people who pitched in from time to time (helping run a pod, going to grab us food, whatever) throughout the weekend. I’d also like to thank the almost-200 of you that sacrificed your time and money to spend a weekend playing our game. Conventions aren’t cheap—but I hope everyone felt the experience was worth it.

I know I did, even if I was dragging a bit having spent the previous two-and-a-half weeks in Las Vegas with the World Series of Poker.

THURSDAY

With Great American Bash debuting at Gen Con (look for it at your local hobby shop the last few days of August), Thursday was all about 6-man pods. We ran 20+ with the winners of each coming back that night to participate in a free redraft to determine who would be the Gen Con Great American Bash Draft Champion. That man was Kevin Mulder. Congrats, Kevin.

FRIDAY

Afterburn Championship

189 people entered: a record in Raw Deal
8 rounds of Swiss
Top 32 cut (note: we would’ve cut to a Top 64 if we had 64 different Superstars present—we only had 62)

Swiss Results / Your Top 32:

8-0

World Champion Wess Victory (Stephanie McMahon)

7-1

Nilton Arruda (JBL)
Heath Gray (Your Freak’n Hero)
Blair Thompson (Leader of the Peepulation)
Eric Williams (Jake the Snake)

6-2

Mike Bauman (Evolution)
Alex Bedell (Doink)
Rob Bingham (Eddie Guerrero)
Andy Bruni (Big Freak’n Machine)
Joe Caks (Carlito)
Justin Cantor (Teddy Long)
Aaron Cohorst (Batista)
Damon Erickson (Chris Benoit)
Pat Eshgy (Rob Van Dam)
Matt Fetting (Edge)
Kevin Fish (Shawn Michaels)
Corbin Livingston (People’s Champ)
Brian Mitchell (Hurri-Friends)
Jeff Scott (Bobby “The Brain” Heenan)
Bryson Yuzyk (Randy Orton)

5-3

Jesse Coates (The Immortal One)
Craig Ewing (Rey Mysterio)
Chad Gaynier (Triple H)
Matt Hatcher (The Rock)
Matt Hogg (John Cena)
John Macek (Rowdy Roddy Piper)
Lucas Magrum (Booker T)
Chris McCleese (Largest Athlete)
Alex Olexa (Home Team)
Darren Patching (Heat Seekers)
Kevin Peters (Leader of the Edge Army)
Bryon Rickertson (Big Show)

After many commented that they thought DX was superior to Triple H and Shawn Michaels individually—which led to about as many DX players as the other two combined—yet Triple H and Shawn Michaels made the top 32 but DX didn’t…

Afterburn Championship: TOP 32 RESULTS

Nilton Arruda (JBL) defeated Jesse Coates (The Immortal One)
Mike Bauman (Evolution) defeated Lucas Magrum (Booker T)
Alex Bedell (Doink) defeated John Macek (Rowdy Roddy Piper)
Rob Bingham (Eddie Guerrero) defeated Andy Bruni (Big Freak’n Machine)
Joe Caks (Carlito) defeated Matt Hatcher (The Rock)
Justin Cantor (Teddy Long) defeated Kevin Fish (Shawn Michaels)
Damon Erickson (Chris Benoit) defeated Matt Hogg (John Cena)
Matt Fetting (Edge) defeated Darren Patching (Heat Seekers)
Heath Gray (Your Freak’n Hero) defeated Alex Olexa (Home Team)
Brian Mitchell (Hurri-Friends) defeated Aaron Cohorst (Batista)
Chris McCleese (Largest Athlete) defeated Pat Eshgy (Rob Van Dam)
Kevin Peters (Leader of the Edge Army) defeated Eric Williams (Jake the Snake)
Bryon Rickertson (Big Show) defeated Jeff Scott (Bobby “The Brain” Heenan)
Blair Thompson (Leader of the Peepulation) defeated Chad Gaynier (Triple H)
World Champion Wess Victory (Stephanie McMahon) defeated Craig Ewing (Rey Mysterio)
Bryson Yuzyk (Randy Orton) defeated Corbin Livingston (People’s Champ)

Afterburn Championship: TOP 16 RESULTS

Nilton Arruda (JBL) defeated Bryon Rickertson (Big Show)
Mike Bauman (Evolution) defeated Rob Bingham (Eddie Guerrero)
Alex Bedell (Doink) defeated Brian Mitchell (Hurri-Friends)
Justin Cantor (Teddy Long) defeated Blair Thompson (Leader of the Peepulation)
Matt Fetting (Edge) defeated Joe Caks (Carlito)
Chris McCleese (Largest Athlete) defeated Heath Gray (Your Freak’n Hero)
Kevin Peters (Leader of the Edge Army) defeated World Champion Wess Victory (Stephanie McMahon)
Bryson Yuzyk (Randy Orton) defeated Damon Erickson (Chris Benoit)

Afterburn Championship: QUARTERFINAL RESULTS

Mike Bauman (Evolution) defeated Chris McCleese (Largest Athlete)
Justin Cantor (Teddy Long) defeated Alex Bedell (Doink)
Kevin Peters (Leader of the Edge Army) defeated Nilton Arruda (JBL)
Bryson Yuzyk (Randy Orton) defeated Matt Fetting (Edge)

Afterburn Championship: SEMIFINAL RESULTS

Mike Bauman (Evolution) defeated Kevin Peters (Leader of the Edge Army)
Justin Cantor (Teddy Long) defeated Bryson Yuzyk (Randy Orton)

Afterburn Championship: THE FINALS

Millennium Games’ Mike “Venom” Bauman vs. Dark Tower’s Justin Cantor

Two stores noteworthy enough in Raw Deal to warrant Venues named after their respective locales: Rochester, NY and Denville, NJ.

***** AFTERBURN FINALS - play by play:

Mike "Venom" Bauman reveals Evolution and Raw Deal Fifth Anniversary.
Justin Cantor reveals Theodore Long, Edge or Big Show? Enforcer, APA or A-Train? Enforcer, and Raw Deal Fifth Anniversary; he chooses Edge as his Enforcer.

M: Boston, Massachusetts
(both pass on Feud/Stipulation)
M: Old School Manager
J: (pass)
M: Product Endorsements TB
J: United States Title Belt
M: Givin' 'em High Fives
J: The Champ Is Here!
M: Givin' 'em High Fives TB (taking Spinebuster TB & Power Slam TB)
J: Haterade
M: Evolution Is a Mystery
J: Old School Wrestling Match
M: Vince McMahon, Guest Ringside Announcer (blanked)
J: Banned from Ringside, Pyrotechnic Volley, The Old Switcheroo (Givin' 'em High Fives non-TB)

Mike draws 9 cards, Justin draws 20 cards.

Mike discards I'm Making This Up As I Go Along x2, Tormented Tomfoolery, Dynamic Finisher, Sharpshooter TB, and Back Body Drop TB for Evolution Is a Mystery (taking Victory Roll)
Justin removes Vince McMahon GRA with Old School Wrestling Match, and picks up Holla! Holla! Holla! with The Old Switcheroo (copying Givin' 'em High Fives)
{note: Justin did not use Pyrotechnic Volley as he drew no Volley maneuvers)

J: (starts the game first via Edge Enforcer) draws to start his turn, activates Haterade
M: Don't Try This at Home

M: overturns/draws, puts Back Body Drop TB under his Arsenal to pick up Over the Ropes, removes Vince McMahon GRA from the game to pick up I Can't Be Reading This Right, Over the Ropes
J: Sidewalk Slam TB

J: draws, Judo Choke TB
M: Elbow to the Face

M: overturns/draws, Over the Ropes (removing Tormented Tomfoolery), Precision Clothesline
J: Raw Deal Revolution

J: draws, hides Raw Deal Fifth Anniversary (overturning 5, recovering Master Manipulator, Dynamic Finisher, German Suplex TB, and Atomic Lariat x2), uses Superstar Ability to search for Master Manipulator, Judo Choke TB
M: I Gotta Say Out of Play
J: puts Judo Choke TB under his Arsenal for Banned from Ringside

M: overturns/draws, Over the Ropes (removing Precision Clothesline), Reverse Fall-Away Slam (retrieving Volley This!)
J: Sustained Damage, activates Sustained Damage by discarding 4 cards
M: hides Raw Deal Fifth Anniversary (overturning 5, recovering The Finisher, Dynamic Finisher, Brave H, I Gotta Say Out of Play, and Sloppy... Very Sloppy), removes Leg Drag TB from the game to pick up ICBRTR, uses Superstar Ability to remove Sustained Damage
J: puts Judo Takedown into the Ring area
M: removes Just Bring It! and Elbow to the Face from the game to pick up ICBRTR x2, puts Back Body Drop TB under his Arsenal to pick up Over the Ropes, passes the turn

J: draws, Atomic Lariat
M: Sustained Damage, reverses from Arsenal with Leg Drag TB at 5

M: overturns/draws, uses Superstar Ability to remove Atomic Lariat, removes Inverted Leg Lock, Reverse Fall-Away Slam, and Just Bring It! from the game to pick up ICBRTR x3, Over the Ropes (removing Sharpshooter TB), Atomic Powerbomb Suplexbuster Piledriver Bulldog DDT of Doom, passes the turn

J: draws, Atomic Lariat
M: Back Body Drop TB for the win!

2nd Place: Justin Cantor (Teddy Long)

1st Place,
Winner of the largest event in Raw Deal history (at least in the US—perhaps in the world),
And the next participant in the 2007 Raw Deal World Championships in Detroit:

MIKE “VENOM” BAUMAN

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