Fireborn
New Member
Er, slightly belated, and I'll be surprised if anyone reads this, but I thought it'd be fun to post a report anyway =) So here goes:
After two weeks of lots of practice in between my exams (it's been aaages since I've played Pokemon everyday, and I can't believe how much fun it is again!) and a trip to the Stadium Challenge in Austria I believed I was sort of ready for our nationals. I had an important exam the day after our nationals, so not all my free time was dedicated to playing sadly, but funnily enough school's important too.
So 3rd of July came, and I rose at 6 AM to prepare and head over to the place of the Olaf and David, the kids I always play with, because their dad offered to take me and another kid they're friends with, with him. They were all excited about it, so the ride didn't take too long. We registered and I met up with many of the players I know, and who'd also be competing. After some last-minute trading/lending, all decks were completed, and we got to wait a joyous 3 hours before the event actually started -_-;;
Olaf would be playing Dark Tyranitar in 10-, David was playing Gardy in 11-14, and Jetze (the other kid) Blastoise EX/Articuno EX in 11-14. I was playing Ludicargo, since that was the deck that beat me last week in the T4 in Austria, and I didn't have much time to come up with anything incredibly original
So finally, at around 1.30 PM or whatever, we start.
Round 1 – vs. Marlies (Gardevoir/Medichamp/Pidgeot)
She was really nice, and we chatted for a bit during the 20 minutes before we were actually allowed to begin. I like playing against girls, cos I usually only play against guys in my local league/tournaments ^^;; After an eternity everything is settled, and we're allowed to begin. I start horribly with a lone Chinchou, and she starts with Pidgey, I think. We both get a really slow set-up, and as she doesn't know many cards, play is really slow, cos she keeps needing to read my trainers and Poke-powers and stuff. Finally I get my deck going, and my Battle Frontier stops her Pidgeot, so I manage to take all my prizes fairly easy.
1-0
Round 2 – vs. John (Explaud, Metagross, Pidgeot)
I get an early Battle Frontier against his Pidgeot, he counters it with Magnetic Storm, I drop another Battle Frontier. He uses a Scott, only to find out his other Magnetic Storm was in his prizes, and the only stadium he had left in his deck was…a Battle Frontier. So basically, he doesn't get a lot going, and I kill two Explauds and Beldums/Metangs to take all prizes.
2-0
Round 3 – vs. Jeroen (Dark Raticate/Dark Crawdaunt/Raichu/Togetic or something)
He only gets one Dark Raticate out all match, because the others are in his prizes. His Pokemon don't have enough HP to survive my Lanturn attacks, so I win fairly easily.
3-0
Round 4 – vs. I should write these names down really… (Raticate/Crobat (EX??) He never got beyond Golbat, so I don't know)
He gets a fast Raticate, and keep flipping heads on the quick attack, killing my Sparce and Chinchou, but by then I'm sort of setting up nicely, and after I kill the Raticate he doesn't get anything anymore. At one time he even plays a Masterball and doesn't have any cards he can choose among the 7 ><
4-0
Round 5 – vs. Joey (Muk EX/Dustox/Togetic)
I don’t think he draws a single energy card all game, and my set-up is rather alright, so needless to say it didn't take long, and I win after about 10 turns or so. I felt really sorry for him, especially when we looked at his deck, and there were like 2 groups of about 6 energy cards in the deck ^^;;
5-0
Round 6 – vs. Kristel (Jumpluff/Ninetales/Zapdos EX/Moltres EX/Rayquaza EX)
She starts with an Igglybuff and uses set song to search for a Hoppip. I start with a Lotad, and keep using Surprise to remove her best cards. At some turn she uses Set Song for a Zapdos EX, so next turn I use Rocket's Admin, heh. This happens next turn as well (when she searched for Moltres EX), and by then I had a nice set-up, so I kill the Igglybuff. She sends up a Jumpluff, and flips like 4 heads in a row for the power against my Magcargo and later my Lanturn attacks >< But she can't get her EX Pokemon in play (didn't see a single one), and when I finally kill her 2nd Jumpluff, she doesn't get anything running again anymore, so I take my last prize against a Ninetales, I think. Good game!
6-0
Top 8 – vs. Maurice (Dragtrode)
Game 1: I wasn't looking forward to playing Dragtrode at all, but he looked even more nervous than I was. He starts the first game, and draws a card in his first turn. I sort of thought he'd be slightly irritating, because of an incident in the swiss rounds he was involved in, and I was nervous as well, so I call over a judge, and he gets a warning. Looking back, I feel really guilty about calling the judge, cos he turned out to be a really sweet guy, who wasn't all that experienced yet, and we could've just worked something out ourselves. After that mistake he kept asking me if it was alright to play this or that card now, which made me feel even worse
So then we actually start playing, and he draws absolutely nothing for about 3 turns, by which I've got a full bench with two Ludicolo, 1 Magcargo, and 2 Lanturn. I retreat my Dunsparce for Ludicolo, and start killing all his Pidgeys and Dunsparces, after dropping a Battle Frontier. I think I took all 6 prizes in 8 turns or so.
7-0
Game 2: This was very much like the first one. I get a great start, and he gets absolutely nothing. He wasn't really playing very smartly either, so in the end I felt sorry for him, and sort of helped him by telling he could still use Pidgeot's power, etc. He eventually draws 1 prize against my 6. Battle Frontier totally stopped his deck, because he only played 2 counter stadiums, one of which he played 2nd turn, when I hadn't played a Battle Frontier yet. But he was really nice, and wished me luck, and I told him to download Apprentice so he could playtest his deck better next time, since he came from a region where he knew no other 'experienced' players he could play against.
8-0
Top 4 – vs. John (Explaud, Metagross, Pidgeot)
Game 1: He gets out an Explaud turn 3 or 4, with 2 Double Rainbow on it. So basically, it doesn't do any real damage anymore >< I give it 80 with Lanturn, then ATM rock it, so his rare candied Pidgeot goes to his hand as well. From there on I take all 6 prizes pretty fast with Lanturn, en then Ludicolo to finish it.
9-0
Game 2: He starts with a Beldum, and Pidgey on the bench. Rare Candies to Pidgeot, quick searches. I think I started with Sparce, cos I got a fast setup, and drop a Battle Frontier, which he can't get away all game. He eventually gets an Explaud out with his Jirachi (Make a Wish), but two Lanturn attacks kill it, and then he gets nothing anymore.
10-0
Finale – vs. Manuel (Blastoise EX/Articuno EX)
Game 1: So I was unbeaten so far, but I knew that I had a lot of luck at times, especially with my opponents. This was gonna be the toughest match I've ever played, and by now it was 9 PM, so I wasn't at my fittest anymore, and made a LOT of mistakes, which was sort of frustrating. Onto the game; I get the lousiest start ever with a lone Slugma against his Squirtle ^^;; Luckily I manage to get a Magcargo first turn with rare candy, but tiredness is kicking in, and I stupidly use his power for a switch instead of a Sparce. Luckily he can't kill the Cargo cos he doesn't get his Strength Charm, so from there on things get easier. I switch for a Dunsparce I got through my Steven's, and fill up my bench. Eventually my Lanturn kills a Blastoise, and he drops an Articuno. I give it 90, he drops a second one and kills my Lanturn. By now he's got a full bench, and somehow miscalculated Ludicolo's attack, so I give him an exact 110 damage, and from there he doesn't really recover. I think he got another Blastoise with 4 energies, but I switch for my other Lanturn to kill the Blastoise as well.
11-0
Game 2: I get the worst start with a lone Chinchou. I think I managed to kill one Blastoise and maybe a Jirachi or something, but he's got the upper hand all game, so I lose, also because I make the mistake of not removing 50 damage from Ludicolo at one time with Healing Steps, because I thought removing 40 would be enough, but he plays a strength charm on his Blastoise EX to kill it, and I didn't have the right cards to replace the Ludicolo with a new one.
11-1
Game 3: With about 6 minutes left, we play a third round. I start with three mulligans, and thought that was it, he must've had a Blastoise/candy in his hand with enough energies in an 10-card-hand. I luckily start with a Dunsparce, which is what saves me. I SAR for Slugma, Chinchou, Lotad. He rare-candies, Blastoise EX, 4 energies, kill >< I send up my Lotad, evolve to Lombre, attach DRE, and retreat (for free) for another Dunsparce, get a Magcargo and smooth over for a Ludicolo, I think. He kills the Sparce, and is now 4-6 up in prizes with 2 minutes to go >< But I use the Ludicargo combo to search for a Scramble Energy, evolve Chinchou to Lanturn, and kill the Blastoise EX so we're now tied in prizes with about 1 minute to go. Phew. He gets an Articuno active, and does 50 damage to Lanturn. He's got a 60 HP Jirachi and a Wartortle with 20 damage on his bench (from Blastoise's power). So I draw a card, and time runs out. Sudden Death.
I'm thinking about a way to kill his Articuno, which just wasn't possible this turn, when suddenly I notice his bench. Two Pokemon with 60 HP left each. I take a look at my hand, and see 2 Pokemon Retriever, and suddenly I see the winning move. I Smooth Over/Happy Dance for a… Warp Point. Use the two retrievers to get back the 2 Dunsparce he killed, to fill my bench. I drop a Water Energy on Ludicolo, which already had a DRE. He thinks I used the cargo/colo powers for a Switch (hehe), so he keeps making remarks along the lines of 'come on, play the Switch already'. I re-count the damage I would give (70) a million times, cos I just couldn't believe that if I played the Warp Point I would actually *win* the game. Finally I'm sure I do that 70 damage, so I play the Warp Point, and win the match.
12-1
Soooo, I win the trip, 2 boosterboxes, sleeves, a Nintendo DS bag, and $500 scholarship award. All of my fellow Team LG members came in T16 in their respective categories as well, with Olaf (10-) and David (11-14) losing closely mostly due to tiredness because they were playing their top 8 matches at 8 PM or so =( Erik came in 6th in the 15+ in the end, I think, and Jeroen (15+ as well) 13th or something due to his low perc. I think everyone was suffering from tiredness in the final knock-out games. But we had lots of fun, and lots of boosters to open on the way back ^^
Props:
- The HUGE attendance =) 166 people!
- Erik, David, Jeroen, Olaf for being the coolest team members ever, and for all the practice games, and for finishing T8/T16 =)
- Manuel for the most exciting game I've ever played =)
- Martin for the advice and for dropping out of the tournament to solve part of the judging problem
- Warp Point for being my winning card, hehe.
- Girls doing so well in the tournament 11-14 had two girls in the final, and 15+ 2 girls in the T8 (including me) =)
Slops:
- The tournament starting 3 hours late due to computer errors and many more players than expected
- The enormous confusing over doing Top 8 or Top 16 in the 11-14 category
- The huge entrance fee (18 dollars)
See you all at the Worlds!
After two weeks of lots of practice in between my exams (it's been aaages since I've played Pokemon everyday, and I can't believe how much fun it is again!) and a trip to the Stadium Challenge in Austria I believed I was sort of ready for our nationals. I had an important exam the day after our nationals, so not all my free time was dedicated to playing sadly, but funnily enough school's important too.
So 3rd of July came, and I rose at 6 AM to prepare and head over to the place of the Olaf and David, the kids I always play with, because their dad offered to take me and another kid they're friends with, with him. They were all excited about it, so the ride didn't take too long. We registered and I met up with many of the players I know, and who'd also be competing. After some last-minute trading/lending, all decks were completed, and we got to wait a joyous 3 hours before the event actually started -_-;;
Olaf would be playing Dark Tyranitar in 10-, David was playing Gardy in 11-14, and Jetze (the other kid) Blastoise EX/Articuno EX in 11-14. I was playing Ludicargo, since that was the deck that beat me last week in the T4 in Austria, and I didn't have much time to come up with anything incredibly original
So finally, at around 1.30 PM or whatever, we start.
Round 1 – vs. Marlies (Gardevoir/Medichamp/Pidgeot)
She was really nice, and we chatted for a bit during the 20 minutes before we were actually allowed to begin. I like playing against girls, cos I usually only play against guys in my local league/tournaments ^^;; After an eternity everything is settled, and we're allowed to begin. I start horribly with a lone Chinchou, and she starts with Pidgey, I think. We both get a really slow set-up, and as she doesn't know many cards, play is really slow, cos she keeps needing to read my trainers and Poke-powers and stuff. Finally I get my deck going, and my Battle Frontier stops her Pidgeot, so I manage to take all my prizes fairly easy.
1-0
Round 2 – vs. John (Explaud, Metagross, Pidgeot)
I get an early Battle Frontier against his Pidgeot, he counters it with Magnetic Storm, I drop another Battle Frontier. He uses a Scott, only to find out his other Magnetic Storm was in his prizes, and the only stadium he had left in his deck was…a Battle Frontier. So basically, he doesn't get a lot going, and I kill two Explauds and Beldums/Metangs to take all prizes.
2-0
Round 3 – vs. Jeroen (Dark Raticate/Dark Crawdaunt/Raichu/Togetic or something)
He only gets one Dark Raticate out all match, because the others are in his prizes. His Pokemon don't have enough HP to survive my Lanturn attacks, so I win fairly easily.
3-0
Round 4 – vs. I should write these names down really… (Raticate/Crobat (EX??) He never got beyond Golbat, so I don't know
)He gets a fast Raticate, and keep flipping heads on the quick attack, killing my Sparce and Chinchou, but by then I'm sort of setting up nicely, and after I kill the Raticate he doesn't get anything anymore. At one time he even plays a Masterball and doesn't have any cards he can choose among the 7 ><
4-0
Round 5 – vs. Joey (Muk EX/Dustox/Togetic)
I don’t think he draws a single energy card all game, and my set-up is rather alright, so needless to say it didn't take long, and I win after about 10 turns or so. I felt really sorry for him, especially when we looked at his deck, and there were like 2 groups of about 6 energy cards in the deck ^^;;
5-0
Round 6 – vs. Kristel (Jumpluff/Ninetales/Zapdos EX/Moltres EX/Rayquaza EX)
She starts with an Igglybuff and uses set song to search for a Hoppip. I start with a Lotad, and keep using Surprise to remove her best cards. At some turn she uses Set Song for a Zapdos EX, so next turn I use Rocket's Admin, heh. This happens next turn as well (when she searched for Moltres EX), and by then I had a nice set-up, so I kill the Igglybuff. She sends up a Jumpluff, and flips like 4 heads in a row for the power against my Magcargo and later my Lanturn attacks >< But she can't get her EX Pokemon in play (didn't see a single one), and when I finally kill her 2nd Jumpluff, she doesn't get anything running again anymore, so I take my last prize against a Ninetales, I think. Good game!
6-0
Top 8 – vs. Maurice (Dragtrode)
Game 1: I wasn't looking forward to playing Dragtrode at all, but he looked even more nervous than I was. He starts the first game, and draws a card in his first turn. I sort of thought he'd be slightly irritating, because of an incident in the swiss rounds he was involved in, and I was nervous as well, so I call over a judge, and he gets a warning. Looking back, I feel really guilty about calling the judge, cos he turned out to be a really sweet guy, who wasn't all that experienced yet, and we could've just worked something out ourselves. After that mistake he kept asking me if it was alright to play this or that card now, which made me feel even worse
So then we actually start playing, and he draws absolutely nothing for about 3 turns, by which I've got a full bench with two Ludicolo, 1 Magcargo, and 2 Lanturn. I retreat my Dunsparce for Ludicolo, and start killing all his Pidgeys and Dunsparces, after dropping a Battle Frontier. I think I took all 6 prizes in 8 turns or so.
7-0
Game 2: This was very much like the first one. I get a great start, and he gets absolutely nothing. He wasn't really playing very smartly either, so in the end I felt sorry for him, and sort of helped him by telling he could still use Pidgeot's power, etc. He eventually draws 1 prize against my 6. Battle Frontier totally stopped his deck, because he only played 2 counter stadiums, one of which he played 2nd turn, when I hadn't played a Battle Frontier yet. But he was really nice, and wished me luck, and I told him to download Apprentice so he could playtest his deck better next time, since he came from a region where he knew no other 'experienced' players he could play against.
8-0
Top 4 – vs. John (Explaud, Metagross, Pidgeot)
Game 1: He gets out an Explaud turn 3 or 4, with 2 Double Rainbow on it. So basically, it doesn't do any real damage anymore >< I give it 80 with Lanturn, then ATM rock it, so his rare candied Pidgeot goes to his hand as well. From there on I take all 6 prizes pretty fast with Lanturn, en then Ludicolo to finish it.
9-0
Game 2: He starts with a Beldum, and Pidgey on the bench. Rare Candies to Pidgeot, quick searches. I think I started with Sparce, cos I got a fast setup, and drop a Battle Frontier, which he can't get away all game. He eventually gets an Explaud out with his Jirachi (Make a Wish), but two Lanturn attacks kill it, and then he gets nothing anymore.
10-0
Finale – vs. Manuel (Blastoise EX/Articuno EX)
Game 1: So I was unbeaten so far, but I knew that I had a lot of luck at times, especially with my opponents. This was gonna be the toughest match I've ever played, and by now it was 9 PM, so I wasn't at my fittest anymore, and made a LOT of mistakes, which was sort of frustrating. Onto the game; I get the lousiest start ever with a lone Slugma against his Squirtle ^^;; Luckily I manage to get a Magcargo first turn with rare candy, but tiredness is kicking in, and I stupidly use his power for a switch instead of a Sparce. Luckily he can't kill the Cargo cos he doesn't get his Strength Charm, so from there on things get easier. I switch for a Dunsparce I got through my Steven's, and fill up my bench. Eventually my Lanturn kills a Blastoise, and he drops an Articuno. I give it 90, he drops a second one and kills my Lanturn. By now he's got a full bench, and somehow miscalculated Ludicolo's attack, so I give him an exact 110 damage, and from there he doesn't really recover. I think he got another Blastoise with 4 energies, but I switch for my other Lanturn to kill the Blastoise as well.
11-0
Game 2: I get the worst start with a lone Chinchou. I think I managed to kill one Blastoise and maybe a Jirachi or something, but he's got the upper hand all game, so I lose, also because I make the mistake of not removing 50 damage from Ludicolo at one time with Healing Steps, because I thought removing 40 would be enough, but he plays a strength charm on his Blastoise EX to kill it, and I didn't have the right cards to replace the Ludicolo with a new one.
11-1
Game 3: With about 6 minutes left, we play a third round. I start with three mulligans, and thought that was it, he must've had a Blastoise/candy in his hand with enough energies in an 10-card-hand. I luckily start with a Dunsparce, which is what saves me. I SAR for Slugma, Chinchou, Lotad. He rare-candies, Blastoise EX, 4 energies, kill >< I send up my Lotad, evolve to Lombre, attach DRE, and retreat (for free) for another Dunsparce, get a Magcargo and smooth over for a Ludicolo, I think. He kills the Sparce, and is now 4-6 up in prizes with 2 minutes to go >< But I use the Ludicargo combo to search for a Scramble Energy, evolve Chinchou to Lanturn, and kill the Blastoise EX so we're now tied in prizes with about 1 minute to go. Phew. He gets an Articuno active, and does 50 damage to Lanturn. He's got a 60 HP Jirachi and a Wartortle with 20 damage on his bench (from Blastoise's power). So I draw a card, and time runs out. Sudden Death.
I'm thinking about a way to kill his Articuno, which just wasn't possible this turn, when suddenly I notice his bench. Two Pokemon with 60 HP left each. I take a look at my hand, and see 2 Pokemon Retriever, and suddenly I see the winning move. I Smooth Over/Happy Dance for a… Warp Point. Use the two retrievers to get back the 2 Dunsparce he killed, to fill my bench. I drop a Water Energy on Ludicolo, which already had a DRE. He thinks I used the cargo/colo powers for a Switch (hehe), so he keeps making remarks along the lines of 'come on, play the Switch already'. I re-count the damage I would give (70) a million times, cos I just couldn't believe that if I played the Warp Point I would actually *win* the game. Finally I'm sure I do that 70 damage, so I play the Warp Point, and win the match.
12-1
Soooo, I win the trip, 2 boosterboxes, sleeves, a Nintendo DS bag, and $500 scholarship award. All of my fellow Team LG members came in T16 in their respective categories as well, with Olaf (10-) and David (11-14) losing closely mostly due to tiredness because they were playing their top 8 matches at 8 PM or so =( Erik came in 6th in the 15+ in the end, I think, and Jeroen (15+ as well) 13th or something due to his low perc. I think everyone was suffering from tiredness in the final knock-out games. But we had lots of fun, and lots of boosters to open on the way back ^^
Props:
- The HUGE attendance =) 166 people!
- Erik, David, Jeroen, Olaf for being the coolest team members ever, and for all the practice games, and for finishing T8/T16 =)
- Manuel for the most exciting game I've ever played =)
- Martin for the advice and for dropping out of the tournament to solve part of the judging problem
- Warp Point for being my winning card, hehe.
- Girls doing so well in the tournament
11-14 had two girls in the final, and 15+ 2 girls in the T8 (including me) =)Slops:
- The tournament starting 3 hours late due to computer errors and many more players than expected
- The enormous confusing over doing Top 8 or Top 16 in the 11-14 category
- The huge entrance fee (18 dollars)
See you all at the Worlds!
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