[Disclaimer: Between getting very little sleep last night and being completely emotionally overwhelmed and drained by the series finale of LOST, this isn't going to be the lengthiest report you've ever read. I can't remember exactly all of the details of every match, but I'll try my hardest.]
To make up for the above disclaimer, I’ll be sharing my deck list. It’s not super pro or anything, and there’s undoubtedly some things you’ll disagree with, but it’s something that I’ve been fairly successful with, and that fits my playstyle completely. Although I’m not really looking for deck critiques, I’d be more than willing to discuss the deck at length, should anyone want to.
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Pokemon: 20 3-1 Luxray GL LV.X 2-2 Garchomp C LV.X 1-1 Claydol GE 1-1 Mismagius SF 2 Uxie LA 1 Azelf LA 1 Crobat G 1 Bronzong G 1 Lucario GL 1 Ambipom G 1 Toxicroak G Promo |
Trainers, Supporters, Stadiums: 27 4 Cyrus Conspiracy 4 Roseanne’s Research 2 Bebe’s Search 4 Poke Turn 3 Energy Gain 3 Power Spray 2 SP-Radar 1 Aaron’s Collection 1 Night Maintenance 1 Expert Belt 1 Luxury Ball 1 Premier Ball |
Energy: 4 Call 4 Double Colorless 4 Lightning 1 Psychic |
Onto the report:
This BR was in Bremerton, which is about an hour drive away. Being that I live in a tiny town and hour drive isn’t a huge deal (I commute an hour for league every week too), but being that registration started at 9:00 AM (and I’m anal about being on site when registration starts), and I didn’t get to sleep until 4:00 AM the night before, the wake-up/shower/drive portion of the trip wasn’t the greatest. Praise Arceus for Red Bull. We find out that there’s 20-some-odd players, with a top 4.
Round 1: David Cohen w/ Donphan Manectric
You may remember David Cohen as the kid who got 2nd place at Worlds last year in Seniors, losing to a tiny child in a Kyogre hat. SUCH a scrub. Anyway, we get started, I open Garchomp and am able to take a pretty good lead, but as soon as he gets the Donphan/Manectric combo rolling he makes it very tough on me.
I keep a prize lead throughout, until I make a major misplay by sending up Luxray GL LV.X and using Bright Look instead of just taking the safe route and Dragon Rushing one of his two Claydols. He’s able to set up next turn to obliterate me, so I scoop.
0-1
With 5 rounds and a T4, I realize I have to win out for the rest of the day, which is never a good place to be in, haha.
Round 2: Amelia B. w/ LuxChomp
Amelia is such a pro. She’s only a senior right now (they had to mix the SRs in for some reason), but she’s an amazing player. She consistently wins almost every tournament in the area, and if she doesn’t then she’s at least topped. She won WA States and Regionals, and top cut Oregon States as well. I feel pretty confident in the mirror, and luckily my confidence isn’t unfounded.
She gets a slow start while I get a near god one, and am able to snipe her Garchomps before they can do anything. She techs Dragonite FB instead of Ambipom, which, although wasn’t entirely effective, it was quite the sight to see her Giant Tail my Misdreavus with 50 HP, haha. I keep the lead throughout and manage to take my 6th prize, leaving her with 2 or 3 left. Good game.
1-1
Round 3: ??? ??? w/ Zangoose Seviper
I’ve never met this gentleman before, and I apologize for his name escaping me. I get set up very early while he can’t draw into anything, and if he does I manage to pull sprays out of nowhere, haha. I start taking prizes turn 2 and continue taking one every turn before he’s left with a lone Jirachi UL (which was how he beat my fiance’s Jumpluff earlier in the day, heh). Good game, but it sucks that set-ups mean so much nowadays.
2-1
Round 4: David w/ Kingdra
This guy is a newer player, and a super nice guy, which makes it even harder that I Bite w/ Luxray two turns straight to KO all he’s got. Super lame game, but it was great meeting him, and I hope he continues to play regularly.
3-1
Round 5: Penny A. w/ Jumpluff
Uuuugh. I hate Jumpluff, as my fiance has owned me with it for months, heh. We both get set up about the same, but I manage to take the first prize. She’s setting up a good lead, but her downfall comes when she attaches an Expert Belt to a damaged Jumpluff, Mass Attacks for a prize, and then I’m able to Flash Impact for 2 of my prizes, leaving me with one and her with three.
She manages to get Shaymin out the turn after, which, although I don’t agree with, certainly does make Jumpluff an absolute beatstick. I’m able to Dragon Rush a Claydol for game the next turn, though.
4-1
I realize that I’m going to be the fourth seed, with the bracket looking something like this…
1st.) Andrew F. w/ DialgaChomp
2nd.) Larry w/ LuxChomp
3rd. ) David C. w/ Donphan
4th.) Kenny Wisdom w/ LuxChomp
Top 4: Andrew F. w/ DialgaChomp
Andrew is a great guy, who didn’t really get the credit he deserves until very lately, when he won Washington States, and then top 16′d Regionals. He was sitting with something like a 1603 rating before winning States, and now he’s regarded as one of the best players in the region, a title that he deserves every bit of.
Game 1: I get an absolute god start and wreck everything he has, taking 4 prizes in just as many turns, and he scoops early. 1-0
Game 2: This was one of the greatest games of my life, no hyperbole. It lasted a good 45 minutes, and not because of any stalling, just because it was such an exhausting game. I get an early prize lead, but he Deafens for several turns, which, although it doesn’t do much damage, it does prevent me from getting set up. We eventually get down to 1-1 in prizes, and I have a Mismagius set up to KO his Toxicroak G promo for the win. However, I don’t attach the Expert Belt to Ambipom like I should have, and he exploits my misplay and takes the game. 1-1
Game 3: Time is called before we even set up, so it’s one prize, which is very lame considering the greatness of our last game. We both take a while to get set-up but in the end I hit a key DCE + Power Spray, while he misses that exact combo that would’ve won him the game, and I Dragon Rush something small for the win. 2-1
Top 2: David C. w/ Donphan Manectric
NOOOO!
Game 1: I get a decent start with a Garchomp active and two power spray in hand, which completely wrecks his set-up, and he scoops on turn 3 or 4.
Game 2: We both get solid set-ups but he gets the Donphan out quick and gets a prize lead so I scoop.
Game 3: I get a terrible set-up, as does he, but he’s able to draw into more things, and when I’m left with 2 Luxray on the field and he has Claydol, Claydol, Uxie, Donphan, and Manectric, I scoop as I realize the loss is inevitable.
So, all in all, I only lost to the eventual winner of the tournament, who happened to be running my autoloss, heh. Although it’s a pretty small tournament, I was proud of myself, yet kicking myself for making two crucial misplays, heh.
Props:
The Dias’ for TO/Judging
B-Side 4 life
Mad kids asking about my 6P shirt
David, Andrew, Ryan, Amelia, etc, etc. for being awesome
Slops:
Misplays
Getting up early
Donphan!
Thanks for reading!
