Sorry to hear you didn't make it.
I've always said that there are 3 things you need:
1. The blueprint - to plan
2. The documentation - to study
3. The software - to play
I don't personally think you need anything else.
When I took the exam I felt that every single question could be attributed to an area of the blueprint objectives. VMware validate all the exam items against the documentation. And you've seen for yourself already how important hands-on experience is.
Best of luck for your next attempt.