Levi,
I look at it like this and I agree with Marty. What do you do when you Elm? You get a hand of seven completely random cards. What do you hope to achieve with this new hand of seven cards? The answer is obvious, you are looking for a couple key cards. Magcargo needs certain cards on KEY turns at KEY moments to win. Cyclone Energy? Focus Band? Holo Entei? Oracle/Draw guarantees TWO cards which is absolutely broken in Entei/Cargo. At the VERY least you are setting yourself up for the GUARANTEED Topdeck. Which never hurts in a game where reducing the luck factor is always big IMHO...
I like the Entei/Cargo Drawing Engine to look like:
4 Oracle
4 Bill
2 Copycat
2 Professor Elm
2 Mary
Alright. With THAT engine you still have 4 solid hand/shuffle cards in the 2/2 Elm/Copycat string. A 4/4/2 Oracle combo is NUTS. You give consistancy to a deck that loses to inconsistancy. I obviously cut the 2 Elm for Mary. Oracle + Copycat just don't mix. I'd rather re-inforce the Oracle deal. Again, four solid drawing cards isn't bad in the least.You have Traders as well. You may want to test Fast Balls. As they are INSANE. And worked VERY well in Brian and I's TMP decks. But then again Traders can grab the Enteis. Test and see. It's really a judgement call.
Here's my list:
Pokemon: 14
4 Slugma (Combustion)
4 Magcargo (Lava Flow)
4 Entei (3 Holo/1 Non Holo)
1 Suicune (Non Holo)
1 Cleffa
Energy: 22
21 Fire
1 Metal
Trainers: 24
4 Oracle
4 Bill
4 Double Gust
2 Copycat
2 Professor Elm
2 Pokemon Trader
2 Mary
2 Focus Band
1 Gold Berry
1 Town Volunteers
Good luck dude and props for your performance at the FAT. Beats the hell out of my 4-5 record. Hell, I can't even remember the tourney and fell asleep during one of my games...-_-
~Jim Ferrell