I played in Missouri State Championships the first weekend of States this year, and Tennessee the second. I am in my first year of Masters and had been playing Gengar/Nidoqueen since Naitonals last year, so my ambition for states was to top cut with something other than Gengar. For Missouri I played Gyarados, and for Tennessee I played Gardevoir/Gallade. Both decks were my own versions. On to the reports.
Missouri
~Round 1 VS Dad with Flygon/Donphan~
I start with Regice and Warp Energy to the bench. I get rolling after a minute and KO his flygon. He Xtreme Attacks my Luxray X at one point, but I end up winning by 2 prizes or so.
1-0
~Round 2 VS Anthony with Butterfree~
Butterfree, what the heck? I didn't know what this deck was supposed to do, but found out soon enough that it gets setup T1 and then hits for a constant 70 or 80 the rest of the game while healing 70 to 80 damage every turn. Pretty crazy stuff right there. I prized 2 Magikarp, 2 Gdos, and 2 SSU, so I was screwed from the start. I did get it down to me only having 2 prizes left though before he beat me. My pokehealers came in handy.
1-1
~Round 3 VS Dad with Jumpluff/Shaymin~
I one shotted all of his jumpluffs with Gyaradoses. I had SSU/Pokehealers ready after every attack. He prized his Shaymin X so that was a plus for me, but I had Luxray X ready to Bring it up and knock it out anyway.
2-1
~Round 4 VS Gardevoir/Gallade~
I have the worst start ever. Lone Magikarp and no supporters what so ever. My opponenet gets a T2 Gardy with Psychic and DCE and Claydol to Cosmic for 6. At one point I do get a Gyarados but he sends up Gallade with a Belt and flips over the rest of his prizes for the KO.
2-2
~Round 5 VS Jason with Gyarados~
This match was tough. He got a faster gyarados than I did, but he played it differently. He set up 2 Gdos with 2 Karp in the Discard and a Belt on each. I didn't attatch a belt until late game. He was ahead for a while, but we both kept healing. I would get 80 damage on each of his gyarados and then he would play Blissey to heal them both. He did this twice and THEN hit heads on SSU for Blissey. I use Bright look to my advantage a lot and Healers helped a lot too because I only hit heads on 1/4 SSU. I end up winning because of not Belting the Gdos.
3-2
~Round 6 VS ???~
My mind has just blanked. All I know is that I won.
4-2
Last Round and it's make it or break it for me. If I win this round, I make the cut. If I lose, I don't.
~Round 7 VS Jake S with Luxchomp~
Luxchomp... Great... We set up and I screw myself over really early. I could have sworn that I saw 4 Magikarp in my deck, but apparantly I prized one. This put me behind from the beginning and I never really recovered from a misplay. I did get it down to 1-2 prizes though before the most cheerful human being on earth won the game. Good game Jake.
4-3
I miss the cut but oh well. There's still next week.
Tennessee
~Round 1 VS Mr. Thompson with Shadow Skip Gengar~
He has a strong start and mine not so much. I do get the Lock going and he can't do much after I win a wager, but its a really tough game. Close right down to the line. I couldn't draw a DCE or rare candy until really late in the game which really hurt. In the end he won by 2 Prizes, but had I not had my Azelf Lv X as the LAST prize, the game would have been quite different. Good Game Mr. Thompson.
0-1
~Round 2 VS Scott A with Gyarados~
He gets 5 heads on Sea Spray T1. T2 he has a Gyarados rolling for 80 Damage. I can't get anything set up. He takes 3 Prizes and I've taken none, but then I get out a Gallade and take Control. I take all 6 prizes before he can take his 4th.
1-1
~Round 3 VS Taylor M with Infernape/Garchoomp/Luxray~
I get set up relatively well and then win a well timed wager and get the Psylock going. The next turn Downer Material Azelf is locked in play and she has no Energy on the board. Despite all this, she gets it to a 1 to 1 prize game, but I still win in the end. Sorry Taylor.
2-1
~Round 4 VS Adam M with Palkia Lock~
I wager from turns 2-5 and Adam wins every one of them. I can't set up but I keep him from setting up as well with all of the Wagers and the fact that I have Spiritomb active. It comes down really close, but I win in the end because of Downer Material. Good Game.
3-1
~Round 5 VS David C with Flygon/Machamp~
Both of us have slow but solid starts. He catches me off gaurd at one point using Tail code to move my DCE off of Gardy to a Mesprit. Ouch. That hurt. I have trouble keeping the psylock. At one point he sends up a Flygon with Belt to KO my Gardy, but I respond with a Belted Gallade for the 2 Prize KO. Then I am able to KO his other Attackers he had set up. He KO'd me with Hurricane punch once when he needed it, but then again he whiffed on the flips another time. It comes down to time and I win, but we play it out and I would have won anyway off of a Warp Point. Good Game David.
4-1
~Round 6 VS Dude from Kentucky with Luxchomp~
Sorry man, I'm bad with names. He starts with 2 Luxrays and gets a prize or 2 within the first couple turns of the game. I get the psylock out though and its really close for the rest of the game. In the end I break the psylock and get the Downer Material in play and Bring Down for the last Prize. Good Game man.
5-1
So I'm the 4rth Seed going into the Top 8.
Top 8 VS a Different guy from Kentucky with Luxchomp~
Sorry man, like I said, can't remember names.
Game 1: I start with Mesprit but have some cards to work with and get out a Gardevoir. I get it out right after he KO's my spiritomb and Wager winning the wager and Psylock. I get Downer Material in play and he scoops.
Game 2: I get out a Gardevoir X but don't have much else. He pulls the Energy Gain and 2 energy out of his 4 Card hand to Trash Bolt my Gardevoir X for the KO. I don't have anything else. Game 2 goes to him.
Game 3: I have a poor start with a Nidoran and 2 Expert Belt, and he just tears right through me with Dragon Rush after Dragon Rush FTL... He had like 3 DCE in his hand in the first couple turns. Good games though man.
I met my goal at least. Proved that I can top cut with a deck that isn't Gengar. Just wait for Regionals. I'll do more than just top cut then. Thanks for reading.
~Sam
Missouri
~Round 1 VS Dad with Flygon/Donphan~
I start with Regice and Warp Energy to the bench. I get rolling after a minute and KO his flygon. He Xtreme Attacks my Luxray X at one point, but I end up winning by 2 prizes or so.
1-0
~Round 2 VS Anthony with Butterfree~
Butterfree, what the heck? I didn't know what this deck was supposed to do, but found out soon enough that it gets setup T1 and then hits for a constant 70 or 80 the rest of the game while healing 70 to 80 damage every turn. Pretty crazy stuff right there. I prized 2 Magikarp, 2 Gdos, and 2 SSU, so I was screwed from the start. I did get it down to me only having 2 prizes left though before he beat me. My pokehealers came in handy.
1-1
~Round 3 VS Dad with Jumpluff/Shaymin~
I one shotted all of his jumpluffs with Gyaradoses. I had SSU/Pokehealers ready after every attack. He prized his Shaymin X so that was a plus for me, but I had Luxray X ready to Bring it up and knock it out anyway.
2-1
~Round 4 VS Gardevoir/Gallade~
I have the worst start ever. Lone Magikarp and no supporters what so ever. My opponenet gets a T2 Gardy with Psychic and DCE and Claydol to Cosmic for 6. At one point I do get a Gyarados but he sends up Gallade with a Belt and flips over the rest of his prizes for the KO.
2-2
~Round 5 VS Jason with Gyarados~
This match was tough. He got a faster gyarados than I did, but he played it differently. He set up 2 Gdos with 2 Karp in the Discard and a Belt on each. I didn't attatch a belt until late game. He was ahead for a while, but we both kept healing. I would get 80 damage on each of his gyarados and then he would play Blissey to heal them both. He did this twice and THEN hit heads on SSU for Blissey. I use Bright look to my advantage a lot and Healers helped a lot too because I only hit heads on 1/4 SSU. I end up winning because of not Belting the Gdos.
3-2
~Round 6 VS ???~
My mind has just blanked. All I know is that I won.
4-2
Last Round and it's make it or break it for me. If I win this round, I make the cut. If I lose, I don't.
~Round 7 VS Jake S with Luxchomp~
Luxchomp... Great... We set up and I screw myself over really early. I could have sworn that I saw 4 Magikarp in my deck, but apparantly I prized one. This put me behind from the beginning and I never really recovered from a misplay. I did get it down to 1-2 prizes though before the most cheerful human being on earth won the game. Good game Jake.
4-3
I miss the cut but oh well. There's still next week.
Tennessee
~Round 1 VS Mr. Thompson with Shadow Skip Gengar~
He has a strong start and mine not so much. I do get the Lock going and he can't do much after I win a wager, but its a really tough game. Close right down to the line. I couldn't draw a DCE or rare candy until really late in the game which really hurt. In the end he won by 2 Prizes, but had I not had my Azelf Lv X as the LAST prize, the game would have been quite different. Good Game Mr. Thompson.
0-1
~Round 2 VS Scott A with Gyarados~
He gets 5 heads on Sea Spray T1. T2 he has a Gyarados rolling for 80 Damage. I can't get anything set up. He takes 3 Prizes and I've taken none, but then I get out a Gallade and take Control. I take all 6 prizes before he can take his 4th.
1-1
~Round 3 VS Taylor M with Infernape/Garchoomp/Luxray~
I get set up relatively well and then win a well timed wager and get the Psylock going. The next turn Downer Material Azelf is locked in play and she has no Energy on the board. Despite all this, she gets it to a 1 to 1 prize game, but I still win in the end. Sorry Taylor.
2-1
~Round 4 VS Adam M with Palkia Lock~
I wager from turns 2-5 and Adam wins every one of them. I can't set up but I keep him from setting up as well with all of the Wagers and the fact that I have Spiritomb active. It comes down really close, but I win in the end because of Downer Material. Good Game.
3-1
~Round 5 VS David C with Flygon/Machamp~
Both of us have slow but solid starts. He catches me off gaurd at one point using Tail code to move my DCE off of Gardy to a Mesprit. Ouch. That hurt. I have trouble keeping the psylock. At one point he sends up a Flygon with Belt to KO my Gardy, but I respond with a Belted Gallade for the 2 Prize KO. Then I am able to KO his other Attackers he had set up. He KO'd me with Hurricane punch once when he needed it, but then again he whiffed on the flips another time. It comes down to time and I win, but we play it out and I would have won anyway off of a Warp Point. Good Game David.
4-1
~Round 6 VS Dude from Kentucky with Luxchomp~
Sorry man, I'm bad with names. He starts with 2 Luxrays and gets a prize or 2 within the first couple turns of the game. I get the psylock out though and its really close for the rest of the game. In the end I break the psylock and get the Downer Material in play and Bring Down for the last Prize. Good Game man.
5-1
So I'm the 4rth Seed going into the Top 8.
Top 8 VS a Different guy from Kentucky with Luxchomp~
Sorry man, like I said, can't remember names.
Game 1: I start with Mesprit but have some cards to work with and get out a Gardevoir. I get it out right after he KO's my spiritomb and Wager winning the wager and Psylock. I get Downer Material in play and he scoops.
Game 2: I get out a Gardevoir X but don't have much else. He pulls the Energy Gain and 2 energy out of his 4 Card hand to Trash Bolt my Gardevoir X for the KO. I don't have anything else. Game 2 goes to him.
Game 3: I have a poor start with a Nidoran and 2 Expert Belt, and he just tears right through me with Dragon Rush after Dragon Rush FTL... He had like 3 DCE in his hand in the first couple turns. Good games though man.
I met my goal at least. Proved that I can top cut with a deck that isn't Gengar. Just wait for Regionals. I'll do more than just top cut then. Thanks for reading.
~Sam