Lauderhill Florida City Championship Report Top 8!

Hey everyone. My name is Kevin and I have been playing the Pokémon Trading Card Game for about 6 months now. I was originally in Seniors, but did not participate in many tournaments, or even top cut. There was a city championship about 10 minutes from my house, so I decided to go. I decided on playing Dialga / Garchomp, also known as “DialgaTank.” I played a standard list, but did not tech in Ambipom G or Toxicroak G promo, which ended up hurting me in the end. This is only my third tournament as a master, and I am not nervous, just extremely focused.

Round 1 vs ??? (Machamp/Mewtwo)

Dialga G Platinum PL 7 Pokemon CardSo my first round is against some sort of “Anti-SP deck.” Great. I have a Dialga G start, and “Deafen” for 10. He starts with a Mewtwo and uses Roseannes Research to take a Machop and a Fighting energy. Good thing I Deafened because by the look on his face I knew he had a Machamp and a Rare Candy, so I do not want to break the “Deafen” lock. I decide to grab 2 Uxies and use “Set Up” to start building up my hand. I also attach an Unown G to my Uxie, so that I can dent the Machamp early on. Eventually he manages to get up a Mewtwo LV.X and two Machamp, which I smash with Dialga G LV.X’s “Remove Lost” and defeat Machamps using Toxicroak G and Skuntank G’s “Poison Structure” Poké-Power to seal the game.

1-0

Round 2 vs Sheldon P. (Blaze/Ray)

Great. Another very unfavorable matchup. I start just like I want to, with a Garchomp C, an Energy Gain, and some other notable cards, Luxury Ball, Cyrus’ Conspiracy, etc. I am able to use Cyrus Conspiracy to set up extensively, and then just “Claw Swipe” for 30. Sheldon starts with 2 Shiny Vulpix, and uses Roseannes Research to search out 2 Blaziken FB. He then uses Vulpix’s free move to search his deck for 2 R Energies.

Now I attach another energy to Garchomp, use SP Radar to search for Garchomp C LV.X, and use “Dragon Rush” to KO his Blaziken FB. Eventually, I am up by 3 Prizes, and have a Garchomp C LV.X on the bench with 5 energies on it, and a Dialga G LV.X with 4 Special M Energies on it! He only had a Blaziken FB active with 60 damage on it, and a Ninetales, which I ended up sniping. When he failed to KO my Garchomp C LV.X, I just retreated, brought up Dialga G LV.X, and finished with “Remove Lost” for the game.

2-0

Lunch Break:

I end up hitching a ride with Team R as they go to Chipotle. They’re really awesome guys, seriously. The steak bowl is amazing; I could eat it all day haha. We make some jokes and make it back to the venue with plenty of time to spare.

Round 3 vs Will B. (Gengar)

Toxicroak G Platinum PL 40 Pokemon CardI have never tested this matchup, but was almost positive that it was even. I saw a Haunter while he was shuffling, (sorry!) and asked him if he was playing Gengar. I already knew that he was but I was just playing around. He replied “you’ll see” and we started the game. When he mulliganed 3 times in a row, I had confirmed that he was indeed playing Gengar.

I start ready to donk with Toxicroak G, Skuntank G, a psychic energy, an Energy Gain, two Pokéturn, and a Crobat G. “Gah! I said annoyed.” No stadium! I decide to start with Toxicroak G, and bench Skuntank G, and hit Baltoy active for 20. He top decks a Gastly and passes. I top deck a Conductive Quarry amazingly, play it, and use Crobat G’s “Flash Bite” Poké power, and KO it after using 3 Pokéturns. I then activate Skuntank G’s “Poison Structure” to poison Gastly, and finish with Toxicroak G’s “Deep Poison” to KO Gastly.

3-0

Round 4 vs Greg C. (LuxChomp)

Great. Greg’s an awesome player, and one of my good friends, so I’m very nervous here. I do not have a Toxicroak G Promo, which I know is one of the key cards against this matchup, as Luxray GL and Luxray GL LV.X resist Dialga’s attacks. The game drags for awhile, as we exchange prizes. Evetually Greg is up by 3 Prizes, and I am out of steam, so I just scoop. “Deafen” for 0 was what was really killing me, and the fact that I could not use Skuntank G’s “Poison Structure” since his Pokémon were also Pokémon SP.

3-1

Round 4 vs Chris B. (Gyarados)

Skuntank G Platinum PL 94 Pokemon CardGreaaaaat. Chris B is one of the best players in Florida, and he’s really cool, and he’s good. This matchup is easy, too bad he plays Combee, and I do not play Expert Belt, which makes the matchup about five times harder. He starts incredibly well, and gets a T3 Gyarados, not to mention he gets a top deck Expert Belt, which is just enough to KO my active Garchomp C LV.X. I have nothing and draw into garbage, while he takes 5 Prizes to my 1. Hopefully I’m still in the top cut.

Top Cut:
(So I make top cut as the 7th seed. Unfortunately, I now play Greg. If I would’ve came in as the 8th seed, I would’ve played Anthony C, who was playing Shuppent Donk, a ridiculously easy matchup for me).

Round 1 vs Greg C.

The game is very close. We start exchanging prizes about 20 minutes in, and the game comes down to 2-2 Prizes. I almost have him scooped, but somehow he escapes and drags up a Luxray GL LV.X to stall out my Dialga who only has enough energy to “Deafen.” I scoop

Game 2:

This game is so horrible. I start with nothing and draw into nothing. He just sweeps me with Luxray.

So I lose in the top 8, but I am proud of how I did. The event was filled with good players (Justin S, Chris B, Omar I, Ryan V, Greg C, etc) and I ended up top cutting, even after having bad matchups. I had so much fun and cannot wait until states.

Props:
The Broward Army
Team R
Dialga for being a tank
Skuntank G for being a boss
Dialga G again for telling Mewtwo that he can’t stop me
Chipotle
SixPrizes.com for helping me decide on what I was playing.

Slops:
Galactic HQ dealing a total of 20 damage out of 7 games.
Not playing Toxicroak G Promo

Jeez

Reader Interactions

30 replies

  1. Joshua Pikka

    Good job, theres nothing wrong with top 8.

    Even though most of your wins were donks and you ended the evening losing your last 4 matches you learned a lot about the game. Next time you will be ready for more things than you were this time.

    Just a hint, if you dont have promocroak you can use mankey sv instead. He also can ohko a luxray gl lv.x in just one turn. He isnt quite as versatile and doesnt has leap away. But its a decent poormans version of promocroak.

    Maybe that you learned more about the game you can start constructing other decks now, or you can still with metadecks, which are ok too.

  2. Great job, well written article as well. You made quick work of the Gengar deck, lol.

  3. Clinton Chan

    Kind of odd that there were only 4 rounds but had a top cut of 8, Anyway nice showing and Toxicroak G promo is such a beast.

  4. vergel

    it was 5 rounds, top 8, 32 participants total.

    good job, kevin. you made a great showing. aging up is hard, and it will take a little while before you probably do consistently well, but you are on the right path. when i have seen seniors aging up do best is when they usually stick to archetypes, play very good, established lists, and just work on ‘playing’ the deck. its better to have experience with your deck than the best deck in those situations, normally.

    i think the list is more solid day 2 ;D

    see you at states. prepare! team r might try to sweep it again.

  5. vergel

    it was 5 rounds, top 8, 32 participants total.

    good job, kevin. you made a great showing. aging up is hard, and it will take a little while before you probably do consistently well, but you are on the right path. when i have seen seniors aging up do best is when they usually stick to archetypes, play very good, established lists, and just work on ‘playing’ the deck. its better to have experience with your deck than the best deck in those situations, normally.

    i think the list is more solid day 2 ;D

    see you at states. prepare! team r might try to sweep it again.

  6. Joshua Pikka

    Good job, theres nothing wrong with top 8.

    Even though most of your wins were donks and you ended the evening losing your last 4 matches you learned a lot about the game. Next time you will be ready for more things than you were this time.

    Just a hint, if you dont have promocroak you can use mankey sv instead. He also can ohko a luxray gl lv.x in just one turn. He isnt quite as versatile and doesnt has leap away. But its a decent poormans version of promocroak.

    Maybe that you learned more about the game you can start constructing other decks now, or you can still with metadecks, which are ok too.

  7. Michael Randolph

    Great job, well written article as well. You made quick work of the Gengar deck, lol.

  8. Clinton Chan

    Kind of odd that there were only 4 rounds but had a top cut of 8, Anyway nice showing and Toxicroak G promo is such a beast.

  9. Zachary Slater

    Good job even though you didn’t hit T4, I would have probably seen you there if it wouldn’t have been icy on the roads to Lauderhill!

  10. Zachary Slater

    Good job even though you didn’t hit T4, I would have probably seen you there if it wouldn’t have been icy on the roads to Lauderhill!

  11. Mark Stroup

    Wow, you did a really great job, it didn’t sound as though you made many misplays and you went up against some nasty matchups and won them!
    You did good making the transition from Seniors to Masters as well!

  12. Mark Stroup

    Wow, you did a really great job, it didn’t sound as though you made many misplays and you went up against some nasty matchups and won them!
    You did good making the transition from Seniors to Masters as well!

  13. Hey man, this is Sheldon F. lol. Congrats on making the top cut.

    I tried a form of DialgaChomp at my last tourney but I couldn’t get my special metals out and had a rough time with my first 2 matches because of the fire X2 weakness, my Dialga G X got one shotted 3 times in 2 games…

    As for our match, I couldn’t do anything with you sniping my people, such a bummer for me… Anyways, hope to see you at State or Pre-releases coming up!

    And congrats again!

  14. Sheldon Frye

    Hey man, this is Sheldon F. lol. Congrats on making the top cut.

    I tried a form of DialgaChomp at my last tourney but I couldn’t get my special metals out and had a rough time with my first 2 matches because of the fire X2 weakness, my Dialga G X got one shotted 3 times in 2 games…

    As for our match, I couldn’t do anything with you sniping my people, such a bummer for me… Anyways, hope to see you at State or Pre-releases coming up!

    And congrats again!

  15. John Rea

    How many skuntanks and toxicroak Gs (none promo) did you play.

  16. John Rea

    How many skuntanks and toxicroak Gs (none promo) did you play.

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