irwinmalek
New Member
Belgian National Championships 2005
Sunday 1st May 2005, Brussels, Belgium
Sunday 1st May 2005, Brussels, Belgium
First of all, I’d like to say a huge thank you to all people involved in the planning, organisation and running of the event. It was a great success, so I’d like to thank the following people (and anyone else involved that I don’t know the name of):
Jann (TO working for Intrafin, the Belgian distributors)
Kristel (Head Judge, who did a great job, especially in the top 8 rounds)
Kim (Judge)
Sven (Judge)
The staff all made sure I understood what was being said, when it wasn’t being said in English or French.
Now onto the report…
I had 3 decks go missing at the London State Championships the week before, so I was having trouble building enough decks to practice with (the trainers were becoming scarce).
On the Saturday before the tournament I was in London, as usual, and thankfully I was lent many cards from my friends there, including John, Steven and Sami. I talked to Sami a little afterwards, about which deck to actually play, and he lent me his versions of DragTrode and Blaziken. As we talked about the decks, I changed a couple of cards which I disagreed with, and then we were on our way to the Channel Tunnel, straight from London.
I was still undecided as to which deck to play at the Nationals, but I had edited both decks to the point where I would be happy playing either one in a large scale tournament.
We reached Brussels at around 3:30 AM, and I went to bed in the Holiday Inn at around 4:15 AM, taking quite a while to get to sleep.
I woke up at about 8:30 AM, and the tournament was due to start at 10:00 AM (registration before), with the tournament across the road, somewhere in the HUGE Brupark resort.
When we finally found the actual room where the tournament was, the last few people were signing up. I had e-mailed Jann in advance to find out all the info about the tournament, and signed up when we got there.
I then had to choose which deck to play…
It was quite a while, maybe 45 minutes before the first round began, so I sat down and made decklists for both decks, before having a little look around the room, to see who was there and what decks were popular.
I didn’t really have any indication as to which deck would do better, but decided to play Blaziken as it was pretty consistant and I had played it a lot in the past. I expected some Salamence EX to be played, as well as DragTrode, and thought that Rayquaza EX in Blaziken would do better.
EX: Emerald was NOT legal for this tournament, and that would have changed things quite a bit I expect.
Anyway, I handed in the decklist for Blaziken, and I’ll now get onto the tournament report. I really can’t remember the names of many people, but once the event is uploaded onto the op site, I’ll post the first names of the players. I’m afraid I also remember much more about the later rounds and top 8 than I do about the earlier ones, except that I got one or two Pidgey/Rayquaza opening hands which I managed to come back from, and I may also have had similar hands in some of the games I lost too.
Round 1- vs ???
I won this one relatively quickly.
1-0
Round 2- vs ???
I set up well, and won without any set-backs.
2-0
Round 3- vs ???
I won without too much trouble.
3-0
Round 4- vs ???
I won without too much trouble.
4-0
Round 5- vs Jerone R
This was a Blaziken vs Magma matchup. I went behind in this match, as he played cleverly, using his Claydols intelligently, so that they were a threat to my Blaziken EX whenever I decided to use it. The game was within my grasp, but he had a 3rd Claydol which I wasn’t expecting, which won him the game.
4-1
Round 6- vs Manuel B
He was playing Blastoise EX with Articuno EX. He starts off using several TV Reporters with Magby, to help set-up. Once he played his Articuno EX with 3 energy on it, the game was very difficult. He knocked out my Jirachi with a strength charm, and kept claiming prizes from there onwards. Rayquaza EX was useful as he didn’t seem to have any crystal shards, but Articuno EX discards an energy per turn if it wants, so Rayquaza couldn’t power up to KO it. A Blaztoise EX with 4 energy waited on the bench anyway.
4-2
I started off so well, 4-0. Throughout the swiss, I recovered from a couple of dodgy Pidgey or Rayquaza EX starts, and this may have been the case in rounds 5 and 6 too.
I was going crazy trying to work out my chances of making the top 8, as I was in around 5th place before round 6.
I talked a little, and many players talked freely about their decks, assuming I wouldn’t make top 8. I find out that Manuel is NOT running crystal shard, and that Jerone is NOT running Maxie.
The results were read out (in a language I couldn’t understand- for the only time that day), and several people on 12 points were in around 11th/10th place… 9th place is read out and it’s NOT me, which means I’m in the top 8, in 8th place as it turns out.
As I’m 8th, I have to play 1st place, in 1 hour, best 2/3 matches. Only completed games count, so whoever is ahead in games wins when time is called.
Round 7 (Quarter Final Round)- vs Jerone R
I figure out that Jerone isn’t playing ANY Pokemon Reversals. This helps a lot.
Game 1: I won game 1 after about 25 minutes, in a very close game.
5-2
Game 2: I lost game 2 with about 20 minutes of the hour left to play.
5-3
I didn’t (as far as I can remember) get the best of hands in ANY of the 3 games in this match).
Game 3: We get a 2 minute time extension due to a little bit of time taken by talking and being talked to by the Head Judge, who watched most of our match (pretty much the whole of games 2-3). I have out a Blaziken EX, which I work out can’t be knocked-out, as he didn’t have (enough??) Claydol in play. At this point we are equal on prizes. He takes quite a while on his turn, and we are told as he starts his turn that there are two minutes left of the match. He can’t knock out any of my Pokemon, and at my turn, we are told there are 20 seconds left. I take the all-important prize to go ahead and win the match on prizes.
6-3
This match was VERY close, against the 2nd place finisher from the main Indianapolis Fan Appreciation Tournament, and many-time Belgian National Champion. There was literally NO talking, as spotted by the judge
We both picked up penalties over the course of the match, me two warnings and a caution and him a warning, but I think this was due to the very tense atmosphere of the match, playing for a place in the top 4 and a guaranteed invite to Worlds 2005. Jerone however is an experienced player, and shook hands after the match, which showed the good sportsmanship expected by a world-class player.
It turns out after the quarter-final that Michel and his daughter are the last Belgian players, and this means they are both invited to Worlds and they will either get a trip to Worlds or two trips to Worlds, depending on which one finishes in a better position.
Round 8 (Semi-final)- vs Michel
Game 1: He is playing DragTrode, but unfortunately can’t get out a Dragonite. Blaziken EX took care of whichever Pokemon his energy was attached to.
7-3
Game 2: He got a better start, but again I won.
8-3
Round 9 (Final)- vs Manuel B
I knew he wasn’t playing crystal shard, but this didn’t help too much unfortunately.
Game 1: I was losing this match, but I managed to find a possible way to try and win. Seeing as how a Rayquaza EX got KOed early (I think I started with it), I found out that the other was in my last 4 prizes. My opponent has one left, so I had to make some sort of a plan. He had out a Blastoise EX, fully powered with 2 damage counters, with a fully powered Articuno EX on the bench. I had a good set-up, with one or two Blaziken and a Blaziken EX, with a Pidgeot. I searched for one part of my combo. I attacked Blastoise EX with Pidgeot, so it couldn’t retreat and couldn’t get a prize. 80 damage was done to Pidgeot, and I then searched, played a Pidgey, Rare Candy to Pidgeotto, attached an ATM [Rock], firestartered an energy, retreated to gain a prize (his Blastoise EX had been Rare Candied). I knew he couldn’t KO the Pidgeotto as all he had out that could attack was Articuno EX. I NEEDED to draw the Rayquaza as my prize, but didn’t unfortunately. I lost game 1.
8-4
Game 2: I won quickly. He didn’t get a great start. Rayquaza EX won the game for me.
9-4
Game 3: I think we had around 8 minutes for this game. I suggested that we play the final game with no time limit, but there may not have been time, as there were still many supporters. I was tired by this point. I could have brought out Rayquaza EX, but didn’t, as Articuno EX doesn’t allow it to get powered. I lost this game, as he was winning when time was called.
9-5
2nd place finish.
This really was a fun and competitive tournament! Well done to all the players, especially the winner, and Michel and family.
The prizes were spectacular, including boosters, GBA SPs, scholarships, trophies (to be delivered by mail), promos, Nationals items, sleeves, invitations, trips, and more.
Laetitia beat Michel in the 3rd/4th place match, which means that they can both go to Worlds with invites.
Thanks again to the organisers and judges for organising and running such a great event, and thanks to my friends for helping with the decks and my family for bringing me and supporting me!
I can now go to Worlds if I want to without worrying about the grinder!!
Thanks!
