Canadian Nationals 2011
Pre-tournament: I hadn't played at all in HGSS-on format. Sebastian Crema had a Yanmega/Magnezone list that he had decided hes running so he was nice enough to give me a heads up a few days prior to the event. My first time playing with the deck was 1am the night before the tournament.
Im on vacation so I wasnt expecting to do well. But, I knew i had a good deck since i know how much Sebastian, Kyle and others were working on it for weeks prior to the event.
Round 1 vs Chris's Blastoise/Floatzel/Donphan/Zoroark
I go second but it seems as if he had never seen this deck before. His deck is incredibly slow and Yanmega took a bunch of prizes with reversal/linear attack. by the time he got anything going, i lost burn'd to finish off the win.
1-0
Round 2 vs Kevin's Mismagius/Vileplume/???
I go second. He benches oddish and uses Misdreavus' attack so both of us draw 3. I have Yanma and Magnemite and a seeker in hand. I attach lightning to magnemite and pass. i misplayed pretty hard since i didnt use seeker right away so he for sure cant make a plume. This misplay is exemplified since i have magnezone and candy in hand. at this point, i figured id lsoe this round. On his turn, he uses sages training and rare candies into vileplume and evolves into mismagius and attacks for 30. A GLIMMER OF HOPE. my turn. I evolve yanma to yanmega. use seeker on the basic i drew for turn so vileplume is gone. rare candy into magnezone and magnetic draw for 4. if i get an energy. i win. i get the lightning on the 3rd outta 4 cards.
2-0. Undeserved win. greasy.
Round 3 vs Matt Koo's Mew/Vileplume/Yanmega/Muk/Jumpluff
I go second. He thinks i have a good hand so he judges right away. I had a bad hand but he judges me into a collector but he isnt able to bench an oddish on the first turn. Once i built a yanmega, I sniped the oddish right away. Near the end he tried to stall by sludging one of my magnezones. i eventually get my switch and take my 6th prize.
3-0. Phew. Vileplume is annoying
Round 4 vs Andrew's Zekrom/Typhlosion/Ninetales/Zekrom
I go second. He has a slow start and I have a fairly fast one. Without going into too much detail. he lost removerd my rescue energy and i had 3 energy prized so i had a severe energy drought. Prizes were tied 3-3 when time was called. I dig for my switch, get it, and lost burn his typhlosion with all my remaining energy to take a 1 prize lead. (i had a yanmega on bench with reversal so even if he reply kills i have a chance). hes unable to take a prize so i win in time by 1.
4-0. Close one, glad he didnt run pluspower.
Round 5 vs Lostgar Matthew's Mime JR/Slowking/Mew/Gengar/Lost World
I go first. He quickly gets his mime jr lock going with slowking. I roll 0/3 on early reversals so hes having his way with removing my pokemon. However, he kept his hand size low so my yanmega couldnt attack easily. at some point, i used copycat into 2 cards so sonicboom can finish off the mews. yanmega took all 6 prizes vs this weenie deck, he got to 5 pokemon in the lost zone. 4 via mime jr. 1 via mew using lostgar's attack.
5-0. Pretty safe for top cut.
Round 6 vs Reed's Yanmega/Kingdra/Jirachi
I go first. We both have slow-ish starts but i get going faster. I have a 2 prize lead and was putting on the pressure while reed was spreading with yanmega and kingdra. on a key turn, he rolled 2 heads on jirachi and devolved 2 of my guys for 2 prizes. i couldnt reply kill since i didnt have a yanmega. next turn, he spreads then linear attacks either my magnemite or yanma i forget. i had a chance to win if i got my junkarm/switch on my trapped magnezone. i didnt. i lost.
5-1. Oh well. but reed is pretty good and hes a great tiebreaker so i shoul dbe fine.
Round 7 vs Sebastian P's Zekrom/Yanmega
I open lone cleffa. oh my god. i win the roll. thank god. I pokemon communnication for magnemite. attach energy. use judge. bench yanma (i think). then use eek. he has a shaymin active with yanma on bench. he simply attachs a lightning to yanma and passes. either this turn or next (i cant remember since he just attached an energy as his turn), i rare candy into magnezone. attach lightning to zone, seeker and attack for game.
6-1. SICK.
Standings after Swiss
1. Reed M (i lost to in round 6)
2. Julian (me)
3. Charles D (donkd Seb C in round 1)
4. Alaric m
5. Simon L
6. Sebastian C (my decklist buddy lol)
7. Edward (ZPS)
8. Andrew V (fellow Westerner)
9. Juan L (Koo's underling. JK)
10. Sebastian P (i beat in round 7)
11. Matt Koo (i beat in round 3
12. Colman
13. Matthew (i beat in round 5)
14. Zach L
15. Sean L (my top 16 opponent)
16. Sebastian S
Curtis wouldve been 12th, but he dropped in order to protect his rating.
Top 16 vs Sean's Blastoise/Feraligatr
1: I go second with LONE BABY. im freaking out. right away he tells me, 'dont wory i cant donk u'. at that point i proceed to get my yanmegas and magnezones ready. i reversal his squirtles so he has to attack with gatr for damage. i win this game fairly easily.
2: very similar to game 1, it takes me a few turns longer to get a magnezone but the result is the same.
7-1. Very fortunate to breeze through a favorable matchup in the top 16. Sean was very nice throughout the entire match. Gracious in defeat, hope he does well in the future.
Top 8 vs Edward's Zekrom/Pachirisu/Shaymin
1: I go first but I have a dead hand. long story short, i mischeavous punch 4 turns in a row trying to roll tails since it was my only basic and i kept drawing energy every single turn. eventually, i roll heads lol.
2: I go first and still have a horrible hand. he has a solid start and is pushing the pressure right away. i am eventually able to get my magnezones ready and make a big comeback. however, zekrom has 130 hp which is annoying to deal with energywise. yanmega gets one-shotted by outrage if zekrom uses its bolt attack or i put fairly miniscule damage on it. i whiff on 3 reversal when im attempting to get a cheap prize off a yanmega attack. after prize exchanges mid-game prize exchanges, we're down to 2-2 but i have very few cards left in deck, no energy left and only one junk arm left to attempt to reversal on a damaged shaymin. i concede as i would have deckouted if by some miracle i could take 2 prizes.
7-2. BRUTAL. 5th place. one win away from invite. edward isnt going to worlds unless he wins the trip and hes playing donphan in top 4. ='( Seb C also loses in sudden death.
Either way, good run. I did pretty good all things considered, just unfortunate my deck died on me in the most crucial match of the tournament. Going first is too much of an advantage, simple as that.
Props:
Sebastian Crema for the sick list and him top cutting too
Bidier, Andrew, Jonathan and others that lent me cards
Andrew for topping
my (albeit smaller) bandwagon
Yanmega
Magnezone
not getting donkd
Slops:
Gordon finishing 18th
Only 2 of the Yanmegas and 1 of the Magnezones were mine
One win away
missing reversal at crucial times, but thats to be expected lol
Pre-tournament: I hadn't played at all in HGSS-on format. Sebastian Crema had a Yanmega/Magnezone list that he had decided hes running so he was nice enough to give me a heads up a few days prior to the event. My first time playing with the deck was 1am the night before the tournament.
Im on vacation so I wasnt expecting to do well. But, I knew i had a good deck since i know how much Sebastian, Kyle and others were working on it for weeks prior to the event.
Round 1 vs Chris's Blastoise/Floatzel/Donphan/Zoroark
I go second but it seems as if he had never seen this deck before. His deck is incredibly slow and Yanmega took a bunch of prizes with reversal/linear attack. by the time he got anything going, i lost burn'd to finish off the win.
1-0
Round 2 vs Kevin's Mismagius/Vileplume/???
I go second. He benches oddish and uses Misdreavus' attack so both of us draw 3. I have Yanma and Magnemite and a seeker in hand. I attach lightning to magnemite and pass. i misplayed pretty hard since i didnt use seeker right away so he for sure cant make a plume. This misplay is exemplified since i have magnezone and candy in hand. at this point, i figured id lsoe this round. On his turn, he uses sages training and rare candies into vileplume and evolves into mismagius and attacks for 30. A GLIMMER OF HOPE. my turn. I evolve yanma to yanmega. use seeker on the basic i drew for turn so vileplume is gone. rare candy into magnezone and magnetic draw for 4. if i get an energy. i win. i get the lightning on the 3rd outta 4 cards.
2-0. Undeserved win. greasy.
Round 3 vs Matt Koo's Mew/Vileplume/Yanmega/Muk/Jumpluff
I go second. He thinks i have a good hand so he judges right away. I had a bad hand but he judges me into a collector but he isnt able to bench an oddish on the first turn. Once i built a yanmega, I sniped the oddish right away. Near the end he tried to stall by sludging one of my magnezones. i eventually get my switch and take my 6th prize.
3-0. Phew. Vileplume is annoying
Round 4 vs Andrew's Zekrom/Typhlosion/Ninetales/Zekrom
I go second. He has a slow start and I have a fairly fast one. Without going into too much detail. he lost removerd my rescue energy and i had 3 energy prized so i had a severe energy drought. Prizes were tied 3-3 when time was called. I dig for my switch, get it, and lost burn his typhlosion with all my remaining energy to take a 1 prize lead. (i had a yanmega on bench with reversal so even if he reply kills i have a chance). hes unable to take a prize so i win in time by 1.
4-0. Close one, glad he didnt run pluspower.
Round 5 vs Lostgar Matthew's Mime JR/Slowking/Mew/Gengar/Lost World
I go first. He quickly gets his mime jr lock going with slowking. I roll 0/3 on early reversals so hes having his way with removing my pokemon. However, he kept his hand size low so my yanmega couldnt attack easily. at some point, i used copycat into 2 cards so sonicboom can finish off the mews. yanmega took all 6 prizes vs this weenie deck, he got to 5 pokemon in the lost zone. 4 via mime jr. 1 via mew using lostgar's attack.
5-0. Pretty safe for top cut.
Round 6 vs Reed's Yanmega/Kingdra/Jirachi
I go first. We both have slow-ish starts but i get going faster. I have a 2 prize lead and was putting on the pressure while reed was spreading with yanmega and kingdra. on a key turn, he rolled 2 heads on jirachi and devolved 2 of my guys for 2 prizes. i couldnt reply kill since i didnt have a yanmega. next turn, he spreads then linear attacks either my magnemite or yanma i forget. i had a chance to win if i got my junkarm/switch on my trapped magnezone. i didnt. i lost.
5-1. Oh well. but reed is pretty good and hes a great tiebreaker so i shoul dbe fine.
Round 7 vs Sebastian P's Zekrom/Yanmega
I open lone cleffa. oh my god. i win the roll. thank god. I pokemon communnication for magnemite. attach energy. use judge. bench yanma (i think). then use eek. he has a shaymin active with yanma on bench. he simply attachs a lightning to yanma and passes. either this turn or next (i cant remember since he just attached an energy as his turn), i rare candy into magnezone. attach lightning to zone, seeker and attack for game.
6-1. SICK.
Standings after Swiss
1. Reed M (i lost to in round 6)
2. Julian (me)
3. Charles D (donkd Seb C in round 1)
4. Alaric m
5. Simon L
6. Sebastian C (my decklist buddy lol)
7. Edward (ZPS)
8. Andrew V (fellow Westerner)
9. Juan L (Koo's underling. JK)
10. Sebastian P (i beat in round 7)
11. Matt Koo (i beat in round 3
12. Colman
13. Matthew (i beat in round 5)
14. Zach L
15. Sean L (my top 16 opponent)
16. Sebastian S
Curtis wouldve been 12th, but he dropped in order to protect his rating.
Top 16 vs Sean's Blastoise/Feraligatr
1: I go second with LONE BABY. im freaking out. right away he tells me, 'dont wory i cant donk u'. at that point i proceed to get my yanmegas and magnezones ready. i reversal his squirtles so he has to attack with gatr for damage. i win this game fairly easily.
2: very similar to game 1, it takes me a few turns longer to get a magnezone but the result is the same.
7-1. Very fortunate to breeze through a favorable matchup in the top 16. Sean was very nice throughout the entire match. Gracious in defeat, hope he does well in the future.
Top 8 vs Edward's Zekrom/Pachirisu/Shaymin
1: I go first but I have a dead hand. long story short, i mischeavous punch 4 turns in a row trying to roll tails since it was my only basic and i kept drawing energy every single turn. eventually, i roll heads lol.
2: I go first and still have a horrible hand. he has a solid start and is pushing the pressure right away. i am eventually able to get my magnezones ready and make a big comeback. however, zekrom has 130 hp which is annoying to deal with energywise. yanmega gets one-shotted by outrage if zekrom uses its bolt attack or i put fairly miniscule damage on it. i whiff on 3 reversal when im attempting to get a cheap prize off a yanmega attack. after prize exchanges mid-game prize exchanges, we're down to 2-2 but i have very few cards left in deck, no energy left and only one junk arm left to attempt to reversal on a damaged shaymin. i concede as i would have deckouted if by some miracle i could take 2 prizes.
7-2. BRUTAL. 5th place. one win away from invite. edward isnt going to worlds unless he wins the trip and hes playing donphan in top 4. ='( Seb C also loses in sudden death.
Either way, good run. I did pretty good all things considered, just unfortunate my deck died on me in the most crucial match of the tournament. Going first is too much of an advantage, simple as that.
Props:
Sebastian Crema for the sick list and him top cutting too
Bidier, Andrew, Jonathan and others that lent me cards
Andrew for topping
my (albeit smaller) bandwagon
Yanmega
Magnezone
not getting donkd
Slops:
Gordon finishing 18th
Only 2 of the Yanmegas and 1 of the Magnezones were mine
One win away
missing reversal at crucial times, but thats to be expected lol
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