Iron Chef-The Grinder (7th-8th)

[Cyrus]

Now, for those of you that don't know what's been going on in the deck forum, I have been running a deck contest to select seven people that will represent Pokegym in a sort of national/world championship-esque tournament run by yours truly...the only differenc from regular tourniese?

No playing at ALL! Just simply deckbuilding...the ultimate test on not only your ability to make a quality list, but also to find usage for all of your cards, as well as a way to make it all unique and creative. Sadly, these seven people are not the first, but rather the last to join the hallowed ranks of invitees to Iron Chef's "Tournament of Champions." With my sixteen competitors chosen, on an undisclosed date, these people will duel to decide the ultimate champion of deckbuilding!

However, you may be asking..."Who all is invited?" Well, in addition to these previously invited people:

-Pooka (1st place, Age of Yamato)
-Dendrobatida (2nd place, Age of Yamato)
-Whicker (T8, Age of Kabuto)
-Hypnosproject HQ (T8, Age of Kabuto)
-Criminal (T8, Age of Kabuto)
-Slimeygrimey (T8, Age of Kabuto)
-Superwooper (T8, Age of Kabuto)
-Metagross (T8, Age of Kabuto)
-Magnechu (9th place trickle-down, Age of Kabuto)
-??? (Grinder)
-??? (Grinder)
-??? (Grinder)
-??? (Grinder)
-??? (Grinder)
-??? (Grinder)
-??? (Grinder)

We have these TWELVE fighting for the last seven spots:

~~~GRINDER FINALISTS~~~

~Blazi-King~
FlipsareCool
Pidgeotto Trainer
Venusaur
Acutin
Gymbo ex
Mr. Meches
Rokman
Flaming Spinach (9th)
Chuzzoe (10th)
P_A (11th)
Bullados (12th)

P.S.: If you are among these twelve, please PM Big Daddy Snorlax your name and address so that you may receive your prizes =)

 

[Cyrus]

~~~8th Place: Rokman~~~

“mew and friends

14
1 Rayquaza*
2 Rayquaza ex DX
1 Aipom UF
2 Magcargo DX1
2 Slugma DX2
3 Holon's Electrode
3 Mew ex

35
2 Rocket's Admin.
3 Mary's Request
3 Steven's Advice
4 Battle Frontier
3 celios network
4 Dual Ball
4 Mysterious Fossil
4 Claw Fossil
4 Root Fossil
2 switch
1 warp point
1 scott

11
3 Lightning Energy
4 Fire Energy
4 Rainbow Energy

Mew and friends is ment to be a fast deck and even with a bad hand it can stall until the end of time with the fossils. After playing through 10 quick first 5 turn games I had a consistent set up with usually a turn 3 or sooner magcargo. the deck runs as smooth as silk with the correct hand and plays.

4 rainbow is necessary so you can abuse Mews versatile. and the switch and warps are for when the opponent pows/reversals out a cargo. 4 dual ball is necessary because you need to get your mew and slugmas early and dual ball is the perfect card for the job. Rayquaza * is a disgusting tech that can mean the end for so many decks out there. It helps with the LBS matchup and the random dustox. Rayquaza ex is amazing for when the opponent isnt using anything big like say when your facing a queendom deck and you can only copy queen. Aipom is to help abuse magcargo. cargo, aipom, dual ball, cargo, aipom, gg.

The holons electrodes are extremely helpful when you arent handed the greatest of hands. you can celios for the trode and attach it to mew so you can attack with the opponents cards. But the fossils really bring this deck together. You can stall any tiem of the game if you admined and got a horrible hand. You can use them as a trick and have your opponent think you have a bad hand by bluffing that you dont have anythign good and have to retreat mew or somethign and send up a fossil when next turn you discard it, attach rainbow/trode whatever to mew and then send it up and destroy your opponent.

The last card I will mention is battle frontier. Facing rocklock, facing, dragtrode, LBS, queendom, anything you need to keep a steady supply of bf out there. Thats why i play 4 and a scott. It really keeps those matchups at bay and IMO there isnt a solid deck out there that can just walk all over this.

Thanks kettler. I owe you one!”

Deck (6/10): I’d say that this list is okay. Energy is pretty skimpy, and the lack of consistent Magcargo’ing can be distressful (no 4th celio, or simply all this convenience for Magcargo…one of those hurts consistency). Unlike regular ZRE (I know, that's not what you're aiming for), you really have no way at ALL to help out your energy situation, and without manipulation in a deck like this, you very well may be up the creek, my friend.

Creativity (2/5): Although the list excels, the creativity isn’t going that far…just a ZRE twist.

Card Use (3/5): Many of the cards work well with the fossils, so I’m pleased with that. It seems very easy to stall so that you may build up with this deck, so A+ on that. Rayquaza doesn’t seem to work as well as it should, since you run only three lightning and four fire (meaning poor damage at times), but good nevertheless.

OVERALL: 11/20

~~~7th Place: Gymbo ex~~~

“Alright, here is an idea I have been toying with for a little while now. I saw Jon Anderson in MD use a deck similar to this and do very well. I figured I'd give it a shot.

Ingredient/Challenge: 4/4/4 Mysterious Fossil/Claw Fossil/Root Fossil

Pokemon: 20
4 Mysterious Fossil
4 Claw Fossil
4 Root Fossil
4 Nincada (Deoxys)
4 Shedinja (Deoxys)

Energy: 15
8 Water
4 Holon WP
3 Heal

Trainers: 25
4 Celio's Network
4 Curse Powder
3 Steven's Advice
3 Battle Frontier
3 Cursed Stone
2 Pokemon Retriever
2 Rocket's Admin.
2 Copycat
1 Scott
1 Ancient Technical Machine: Rock

Strategy: I mean it's basically stall out the opponent. The opponent never draws a prize unless they KO a Nincada. You just slowly build up the damage with Shedinja's Extra Curse. Curse Powder also helps out tremendously when dealing damage back. Cursed Stone also does a nice job of spreading damage around as well to Pokes with Powers and such. The Holon WP is key to the deck in that you become immune to Status conditions and more importantly ATM: Rock for the KO on the Nincada and the prize. Once you take a prize or two with Shedinja, just send up the Fossils and slowly whittle the opponent down until time runs out. Shedinja's Empty Shell is just irritating, comboed with the inability to lose a prize from Fossil KOs. The Trainers are fairly self-explanitory, mainly just setup and disruption. The Scott lets me pull the Stadiums if I need to have a certain one. The Retrievers pull back the Nincada/Shedinja once they are KOed. The ATM Rock allows me to clean up and potentially get some KOs from Pokes that have retreated. I understand this deck is probably marginal at best in terms of competition, but it is still annoying as hell to play against.

~Jim”

Deck (6/10): Looks consistent, but with the focus of the deck (time burning), it seems to come short. In a deck that really needs to shuffle often, I see a dozen or less cards that actually do shuffle…in a 30 minute game I see this winning, but not in something longer (like a 2/3 time limit of an hour). Also, there is NO way to fetch basics…oi.

Creativity (2/5): You play many of the right cards to work with it, but it’s really not that unique. I do like you gym choices, though =)

Card Use (3/5): All of the cards work out pretty well here, and curse powder/curse stone are both very good for whittling down a Pokemon. However, lack of shuffle draw, retrievers, and great balls neglects the strategy of the deck in multiple ways.

OVERALL: 11/20* (wins on judge's preference tiebreaker)

 

[rokman]

Depressing. As you said, if I would have had more time I would of made it, but becuase I had been away from the computer, I forgot. I was forced to throw it together without the proper amount of testing time and I lost becuase of it. Sadly, I do disagree with the score on creativity. =/

 

[~Blazi-King~]

WTG!

You guys still show that you are among some of the best deck builders!