389 players participated in the Dominion Online Championship, the largest Dominion tournament ever! Now, only 8 remain. This is the final interview of the remaining top 8 players. To discuss the championship and all 8 interviews, click here.
Interview With Dan Brooks: Dominion Online Quarterfinalist
Beyond Awesome: What do you think was your toughest match?
Dan Brooks: Going into the tournament, I was most nervous about my ro32 match – it seemed like RTT was a strong player and doing a lot of prep work. In hindsight, the ro16 match against Dingan was quite tough, with some really rough shuffles on both sides. Commentary for these games (and others) is up on youtube.
Beyond Awesome: Tell us a little about yourself. How old are you, where are you from, what do you do?
Dan Brooks: Well, hi! I’m Dan. I’m 27 years old. I grew up in Connecticut, went to college in New York and moved to Southern California for grad school. My current project is developing better battery materials.
Beyond Awesome: How did you get into Dominion?
Dan Brooks: I played my first game in dominion in Philadelphia after a magic tournament. I bought a bunch of Workshops and Villages, but never ended up with any of those Province cards – some things never change!
Beyond Awesome: Most feared opponent on Dominion Online?
Dan Brooks: That’s a tough one. There are a number of very good players that are just too friendly to be scared of. The players that I don’t know are the ones that really scare me.
Beyond Awesome: What are your favorite and least-favorite Dominion cards, and why?
Dan Brooks: I like complicated games with lots of decision points. Black Market, Procession, Sentry, Outpost, and Vassal come to mind. I dislike mid-to-low power level cards that are difficult to build around. Shanty Town, Transmute, Contraband, Embassy, and Golem are on my initial banlist, should the feature become available.
Beyond Awesome: What are your initial impressions of Nocturne, the newest Dominion expansion?
Dan Brooks: It’s a cool set. Heirlooms can change the openings quite a bit and the Night phase is something that hasn’t been explored before. I’m looking forward to the release in November.
Beyond Awesome: What advice do you have for Dominion players looking to get better?
Dan Brooks: First, define what better means to you. It could mean spending an enjoyable evening with friends or it could mean learning to play a complicated engine. There really isn’t a magic formula to making good decisions – you have to look at the options available, evaluate them, and decide which is best for your plan. If you do make a mistake, learn from it. Every little bit counts.
Beyond Awesome: Finally, who do you think is going to win the Championship?
Dan Brooks: That’s a tough one. I think all of the players in the semifinals are strong enough to advance and potentially win the whole thing. I’ve got to root for jsh for being an active community member and LazyDog for having an awesome username. And whatever the result, a big thanks to Stef and the mods for organizing the event and to the community for supporting it.
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