Pidgeotto Trainer
New Member
So as probably everyone knows, I went on quite a Battle Road streak, winning 5 and 4-0 dropping 2 to get a 2050+ rating and ultimately qualifying for worlds. I hated the nationals metagame because it was supposed to be all Infernape which destroys almost all setup decks. Faster decks could beat Ape but I hate playing aggro decks over setup decks. The fall of Infernape at Nats was great for me as it opened up setup decks again.
I liked R-Gon because it could beat Ape about 50%, unacceptable going into nats but now very acceptable. Also, after Absolutions won nats, I felt that Sceptile ex was just too amazing a card not to play. R-Gon also used Sceptile the best, able to power it up to be the great attacker it is. As I heard more and more rumors of what people were considering for worlds, such as the rise of Lucariolutions, Sceptile became better and better in my mind. I tested R-Gon with Sceptile for basically the whole month between nats and worlds, against Ape, Ambush, Luclutions, Absolutions, Banette (lutions/Doom and neither), Metanite, Electinite, and MMs.
I tried all sorts of techs besides Sceptile, mainly Gardevoir ex and Flygon ex LM. In the end I went with this list:
Pokemon 24
4 Holon’s Castform
3 Trapinch (grass)
1 Vibrava (sonic noise)
3 Flygon HP
1 Flygon ex d
2 Exeggcute
2 Exeggutor
2 Treecko
1 Sceptile ex d
2 Mew d Pop5
1 Mew d*
1 Rayquaza ex d
1 Chimecho
Trainers 26
4 Holon Transceiver
2 Holon Mentor
2 Holon Researcher
1 Holon Scientist
1 Holon Adventurer
1 Holon Farmer
2 Lanette’s Net Search
4 Rare Candy
3 Windstorm
2 Giant Stump
2 PlusPower
1 Strength Charm
1 Mr. Briney’s Compassion
Energy 10
4 Delta Rainbow
1 Grass
1 Fire
2 Lightning
1 Metal (basic)
1 Holon’s Magnemite
The 2nd Mew p5 I added late and was definitely good for Metanite and Scizor. 1 Flygon ex d might look small but it is pretty bad against so many matchups. I almost went without it, but worried about Luclutions and mirror the night before the event. 2nd Treecko is great vs the many eeveelution decks, as you bait the 1st eevee to Umbreon your Treecko and not Vaporeon you. Then you keep your big hand from D Draws and get the Sceptile more often. Also just cuts down on games your Sceptile line is prized. I had to cut an energy for it though, I think 11 energy including Magnemite would have been more ideal. I originally had 4 Windstorm 1 Stump, but Stump is just broken. Ruin setup decks early with it and defend against bench damage decks like Empoleon with it late. I tinkered with Switch over Briney (originally because of Gardevoir), but ended up with Briney as it seemed like it could be a mirror winning card. Lanette is for Rayquaza, which is very important to get quickly in matches like Banette.
Round 1 vs Bidier Jing (Canada) Scizor/Blastoise
I thought he would be playing Metalix since he played that at Canadian Nats, so I was surprised to start vs Squirtle. It was unfortunate to have to wait there a few minutes for the opening announcements with a mentorless hand, but I got one quickly and he got no setup. The combo looked really hard to beat if he got it, but he never got an evolution and only a few energy. Ray ex ko’d everything on his field. 1-0
Round 2 vs Jeremy Maron (USA) Metanite
RE-MATCH!! Oh man, time for revenge. My opening hand is pretty bad, Treecko, no energy, Lanette, Researcher, other stuff. I have to Lanette and Researcher for Metal to D draw t2. He t2 candies to Metagross-but benches nothing else. He can only attach a 2nd metal and misses a ko on Treecko. I retreat and D draw. He Mentors and gets a Lightning too to ko Castform. I Mentor and bench and attach to a Mew p5 with Treecko active. He gets a Castform and ko’s it. I Mew ko Metagross. He’s up 4-5. He has to D draw and I need cards too so I copy D draw. I think we both d drew a 2nd time and I get no draw at all, but I got a Flygon on the first one. He ko’s Mew with Metagross and I ko with the 2nd Mew p5. He d draws again and I retreat and ko with Flygon making it 3-3. He sends up Dragonite and starts to power a Lugia. I have no draw, and no 2nd Flygon, but a Vibrava on the field and a PP and Charm sitting in my hand since early in the game. I do 60 to Dragonite. He Switches and ko’s with Lugia. I attach to Mew p5 and do 100 with the Vibrava to go up 1-2. If he ko’s with Metagross I win with Mew. He takes a long time on his turn after sending up Metagross. I was waiting for some kind of Switch/Agility play, which could have been hard to deal with unless I drew into a Flygon. His turn was so long though, we were under a minute when he finished so I probably would’ve just won on time. After a lot of thinking he just ko’s the Vibrava and I have the D Rainbow on Mew P5 ftw. 2-0
Round 3 vs Lim Jittman (Singapore) Gardevoir PK/DS/DF/Lugia/Mewtwo*/Ledians
I had heard between rounds from Jay H. about this Gardevoir deck he lost to that played Cessation Crystals which surprised him, so I knew what I was facing. I got a couple Delta Draws and began powering a Flygon ex d. He had Gardevoir DS ready to ko but nothing after I would ko him back. So instead he retreats for Ledian. He retreats before playing his Sidney’s Stadium so I make him discard his Castform. Either way, I delta draw like 3 more times and have absolutely everything I need while he just sets up too slow. I end up using Mew d* to copy a benched Lugia’s Elemental Blast 3 times and win like 6-1. With so many D draws, Cess was no problem. 3-0
Just gotta win one more round! I’ve never started this well, even in 05 I went to lunch break at only 1-1. The other undefeateds are Yamato’s Empoleon with Ape, Go’s Empoleon without Ape, Yoneda’s Luclutions, Kettler’s Flygon ex LM, Craig’s Absolutions with Mew p5 and 4 Reversal (WHAT?!), Diego’s Banlutions and ..ugh I don’t remember. I really didn’t want to face Craig and Yamato’s Ape tech seemed bad for me (Sceptile is huge in me beating Empoleon decks), but everything else would be a good matchup. I come back from lunch to see I’m up against:
Round 4 vs John Kettler (USA) Flygon ex LM/Delcatty
I hadn’t tested against this but it SHOULD be an autowin with Sceptile ex. I get a very good start. I get a t2 eggs koing his Budew with Sceptile waiting to be gotten t3. I was thinking I would have this in the bag if he didn’t get a Flygon ex this turn, but he did retrieving one energy. I Candy Sceptile and Split Bomb his bench. Next turn I retreat and Delta Draw as I realize I need to get rid of this one Flygon ex he was powering and not worry about the bench. Kettler picks up a bunch of prizes as I try to build. At 3-4 him, I’m building a Mew p5 to do 100, thinking I have a turn to stall with Eggs but I forget about Boost and he does 100, 2-4. Fortunately, I realize I can just do 40 with Mew and ko with Sceptile next turn. Kettler ko’s the Mew making it 1-4 him, but I just ko with Sceptile. Since all his ko’s needed to discard React or Boost, he had no energy left on the field, it would take him forever to power a Flygon. He puts up his Flygon ex with 30 damage from earlier and just attaches a Lightning. I Pluspower Sceptile for game. GG 4-0
I’m pretty relaxed now knowing I’m in unless I get the absolute sourest of grapes in the tiebreakers but it doesn’t seem possible. The standings go up and the 4 undefeateds are me and 3 Japanese. I have to defend the US against Japan again like 05!? I was hoping to play the Lucario player. (at this time, I thought Go had Ape tech also, if I knew he didn’t, I’d want that matchup too). But....
Round 5 vs Tsugoyoshi Yamato (Japan) Empoleon/Corsola/Tech Infernape
Yamato saw the pairings first and told me we were playing. I knew about the Ape tech so Sceptile would probably be useless. I always seem to use Sceptile to successfully close out my games vs Ambush so the tech really should hurt me in theory. He misses the first energy drop and after one Delta Draw for 5, I go aggro doing 60 with Eggs to his Prinplup. He benches some stuff and I split Bomb next turn koing the Prinplup. The rest of the game plays as me Split Bombing and letting Cursed Stone kill my Chimecho, and Flygon. I didn’t have a counter anyways, but I wanted them to fall rather than try d drawing again as I didn’t want to activate his Scrambles. He had taken the opputunity to do 40 to my Treecko as soon as he got the chance, which was fine because he had Chimchar already down. My first Split Bomb target was Chimchar though, and I thought it was key that he was able to Candy Infernape the following turn just to save it. (I’m betting the 2nd Treecko late would surprise him). At first he was very slow, but he got a Celio for Prinplup and Corsola’d for Empoleon. Eventually I realized Split Bombs were gonna be too slow as he started to really get a couple Empoleon going. When the Empoleon finally came active, he went after my Ray on the bench. I think I elected not to ko with it for fear of Scramble ko. Now ever since that one d draw for 5, I hadn’t one single draw card. I had Mentors to power a bunch of attackers before Flygon fell, but what I really needed was one of my two Stump. He ended up hitting Ray 3 times on the bench so I really could’ve set him back 2 turns if I just had a Stump waiting. Didn’t have the Briney either. At 3-3 I ko an Empoleon with Mew d* and hit the Aqua Jet flip, putting 20 on Prinplup. He evolves and ko’s the Ray going up 1-2. I have one Pluspower in hand, if I get a 2nd I can copy Ape for 110 and ko. I can’t get the draw though, as I hadn’t all day. My only hope is to copy Meteor Punch, needing 4 heads. I get one and thats game. My next prize was a Pluspower. I had several ways to win this game but I also had a really good start. My gut tells me this is a slightly unfavorable matchup only because of the Ape tech. 4-1
Round 6 vs Cristian Vidal (Chile) R-Gon with Latias ex/Latios ex
I have like 2 Castform and a Trapinch, no mentor. He starts with Latias ex and Mentors for the Latios ex, double attaches to Latios ex. No mentor, d draw for 1 again. He ko’s Castform. If I don’t get the mentor now it is over. I send up Castform and indeed do draw the Transceiver. He ko’s the Castform though. I do 40 with Vibrava, he does 60, I Briney it, and ko with a fresh one and Pluspower. Somehow without d drawing, he got Fearow, which got everything else. I wasn’t really expecting it, but he Flygon ex d’d the fresh Vibrava and that was basically game. Nothing I could do about it anyways. 4-2
I find out I am 12th seed, facing Austin Reed in mirror, ugh. I hate playing mirror anything. I hadn’t tested a lot vs mirror. I hadn’t slept well the night before, so I go to my room to rest for a while and do fall asleep for like an hour. I go to the secret X-Files testing location and play my friend Paul a couple games of mirror, trying to simulate what Austin’s list might look like. I also go ask Drew G and my friend Tyler from Seattle about Flygon mirror, as they had both played it for most of the year. After all this, I feel I know how to approach the mirror well. You always must have a response to Flygon ex d, and if you both have it, the 2nd player to use it is in much better position. Besides that, I figure I will be able to play to the situation as well as my opponent.
Top 16 vs Austin Reed (USA) R-Gon
Game 1
Things look good, I have a d draw for 5 on my first supporter turn whenever that was. He responds with Stump which didn’t hurt that much, but we continue d drawing for 3. There’s no way I can go for attacking until I have Flygon and Flygon ex d. I Researcher for Vibrava and draw a Trans so I can get one of the two. If I just draw any kind of Flygon or another supporter, I can get both, but I whiff on a couple d draws for 3. He gets the Flygon and Flygon ex d and goes on the attack. I hit with an Eggs or something which he ko’s and I have little after that. I let the game dangle a few more minutes since we have so much time but I concede about 20 minutes into the round. 0-1
Game 2
I start with Mew d* and another basic, no Mentor. I go first and am fortunate to be facing a Castform. D draw for 2, nothing. He has the Mentor and starts setting up. D draw for 2, nope. I don’t remember exactly what it was, but I remember thinking I have to get the Mentor now or I’m done, and I do topdeck the Transceiver. I don’t have extra energy, but I can play down Candy Flygon Candy Flygon ex d and d draw for 5. I think he ko’d with Flygon HP. I can’t attack with Flygon ex yet, but I promote it for sand damage, having little other choice. When Flygon ex falls, his Chimecho and Mew P5 have 50 damage. Somehow I get 80 on a Flygon ex also, as he pulls ahead to like 3-5. I need a Rare Candy to triple attach to Mew and take 4 prizes, (had Briney in hand) it’s my only shot. Can’t get it, or any draw. He evolves to a benched Flygon ex so now even if I get the 4 prizes, the fresh Flygon ex will surely finish things off for him. I spend like 2 turns managing my basics and who I put active to stay alive the maximum amount of time from Sand Damage. I have to let him ko something something so Chimecho doesn’t die from Sand Damage. The judge tries to say Chimecho dies between turns from Sand Damage but I promote it and calmly tell him “No, because then he would take his last prize, and that would be bad.” I Hook him for 20 and that’s game. 0-2
Oh well. I played well and made a very good choice for a deck. On one hand my final record was 4-4, but on the other hand I had so many great matchups in the top cut. I know in the top 8, I would have really good chances vs Go’s Apeless Empoleon, the t2 Scizor (sceptile and 2 Mew p5), the Absol that won it (without reversals like fulop/craig/sami), the Flygon ex lm, and the Banlutions. Yamato, Austin and Sami’s Reversal/Mew Absolutions would be harder but winnable as well. My only losses were to Empoleon with Ape tech which happened to be terrible for me, and 3 losses to mirror. I probably am an underdog to mirror because of my extra tech, but it probably not worse than 40-45%. I’m slightly disappointed that Austin didn’t run Sceptile ex, as that card is so good for this deck, to me it is mandatory, not just a matter of choice. Just because of that, I think my list is so much more prepared for so many other matchups, Luclutions, Banlutions, Absolutions, Empoleon, and Flygon ex lm. His ingame was flawless vs me though, people told me he wasn’t a very good player compared to me but he definitely played well.
For the list, I would consider cutting down the Eggs line, though it is nice for consistancy. Some more draw/energy would have been nice. I kinda wish I had run a deck like MMs with Magcargo, which is what I ran for my BR run. Magcargo is such an underrated card. R-Gon for example loses so many games midgame, no draw, no candy/stump/pluspower/whatever. I really came away feeling Magcargo was as underrated as ever, and I probably should’ve stuck with it. (of course it is impossible to play in R-Gon, but I mean playing something like MMs).
Overall I finished fairly well, and with some different pairings in top cut, I really could’ve gone far. I even was the 2nd highest American for 2 out of 3 consecutive worlds, that’s pretty impressive (though sadly I can say that as 13th in the world =/). I also proved wrong anyone who thought I didn’t deserve to be in because I skipped one tournament.
Oh, and I 4-0’d the pre-release! Sudowoodo is SOO much fun. ;p 3/3 in Rock-Paper-Scissors *pumps fist* I was 4/4 throughout worlds until a Japanese player beat me. =/
Props
-PUI hosted a great event, very few complaints
-1 hour and a half, this was sooo needed I can’t even begin to say
-Team X-Files, you guys have become some of my best friends and its always great hanging out with you guys and finding The Truth ;p
-The many other cool people I met or re-met at worlds, just too many to name but I tried to get as many of you as possible to sign a card in my binder
-The Japanese I got to hang out with a bit more Sunday night and Monday night, they all seem like really nice people and great players. Makes me want to destroy them that much more next year. ;p
-Jeremy for winning worlds, finding the truth, and giving something for the US to cheer about.
-Henry grinded in and top 16 (now Spencer doesn’t have to kill himself ;p)
-Me for top 16 (1000$ and a Wiiiiiiiiii)
-The way Gordon talks
-Sceptile ex, I swear this was the single most broken card for the worlds format and not nearly enough people knew it. I think I was the only one in top 16 with it, ugh. I fully believed this card was The Truth.
-The cameras for the final matches
-Hinata
Slops
-USA Masters
-Long walks to...everything
-The Phantom Hurricane, sure go ahead and close everything on my last day in Hawaii but you’d BETTER give me something exciting to watch =/=/
-No extra prizes for 4-0ing the pre-release
-Doing nothing on my birthday, Monday, and then having the hurricane ruin everything Tuesday
-Deoxys ex (@#&$@(#&$@(&@ (YES! YOU’RE FINALLY OUT OF FORMAT!!!!!)
I liked R-Gon because it could beat Ape about 50%, unacceptable going into nats but now very acceptable. Also, after Absolutions won nats, I felt that Sceptile ex was just too amazing a card not to play. R-Gon also used Sceptile the best, able to power it up to be the great attacker it is. As I heard more and more rumors of what people were considering for worlds, such as the rise of Lucariolutions, Sceptile became better and better in my mind. I tested R-Gon with Sceptile for basically the whole month between nats and worlds, against Ape, Ambush, Luclutions, Absolutions, Banette (lutions/Doom and neither), Metanite, Electinite, and MMs.
I tried all sorts of techs besides Sceptile, mainly Gardevoir ex and Flygon ex LM. In the end I went with this list:
Pokemon 24
4 Holon’s Castform
3 Trapinch (grass)
1 Vibrava (sonic noise)
3 Flygon HP
1 Flygon ex d
2 Exeggcute
2 Exeggutor
2 Treecko
1 Sceptile ex d
2 Mew d Pop5
1 Mew d*
1 Rayquaza ex d
1 Chimecho
Trainers 26
4 Holon Transceiver
2 Holon Mentor
2 Holon Researcher
1 Holon Scientist
1 Holon Adventurer
1 Holon Farmer
2 Lanette’s Net Search
4 Rare Candy
3 Windstorm
2 Giant Stump
2 PlusPower
1 Strength Charm
1 Mr. Briney’s Compassion
Energy 10
4 Delta Rainbow
1 Grass
1 Fire
2 Lightning
1 Metal (basic)
1 Holon’s Magnemite
The 2nd Mew p5 I added late and was definitely good for Metanite and Scizor. 1 Flygon ex d might look small but it is pretty bad against so many matchups. I almost went without it, but worried about Luclutions and mirror the night before the event. 2nd Treecko is great vs the many eeveelution decks, as you bait the 1st eevee to Umbreon your Treecko and not Vaporeon you. Then you keep your big hand from D Draws and get the Sceptile more often. Also just cuts down on games your Sceptile line is prized. I had to cut an energy for it though, I think 11 energy including Magnemite would have been more ideal. I originally had 4 Windstorm 1 Stump, but Stump is just broken. Ruin setup decks early with it and defend against bench damage decks like Empoleon with it late. I tinkered with Switch over Briney (originally because of Gardevoir), but ended up with Briney as it seemed like it could be a mirror winning card. Lanette is for Rayquaza, which is very important to get quickly in matches like Banette.
Round 1 vs Bidier Jing (Canada) Scizor/Blastoise
I thought he would be playing Metalix since he played that at Canadian Nats, so I was surprised to start vs Squirtle. It was unfortunate to have to wait there a few minutes for the opening announcements with a mentorless hand, but I got one quickly and he got no setup. The combo looked really hard to beat if he got it, but he never got an evolution and only a few energy. Ray ex ko’d everything on his field. 1-0
Round 2 vs Jeremy Maron (USA) Metanite
RE-MATCH!! Oh man, time for revenge. My opening hand is pretty bad, Treecko, no energy, Lanette, Researcher, other stuff. I have to Lanette and Researcher for Metal to D draw t2. He t2 candies to Metagross-but benches nothing else. He can only attach a 2nd metal and misses a ko on Treecko. I retreat and D draw. He Mentors and gets a Lightning too to ko Castform. I Mentor and bench and attach to a Mew p5 with Treecko active. He gets a Castform and ko’s it. I Mew ko Metagross. He’s up 4-5. He has to D draw and I need cards too so I copy D draw. I think we both d drew a 2nd time and I get no draw at all, but I got a Flygon on the first one. He ko’s Mew with Metagross and I ko with the 2nd Mew p5. He d draws again and I retreat and ko with Flygon making it 3-3. He sends up Dragonite and starts to power a Lugia. I have no draw, and no 2nd Flygon, but a Vibrava on the field and a PP and Charm sitting in my hand since early in the game. I do 60 to Dragonite. He Switches and ko’s with Lugia. I attach to Mew p5 and do 100 with the Vibrava to go up 1-2. If he ko’s with Metagross I win with Mew. He takes a long time on his turn after sending up Metagross. I was waiting for some kind of Switch/Agility play, which could have been hard to deal with unless I drew into a Flygon. His turn was so long though, we were under a minute when he finished so I probably would’ve just won on time. After a lot of thinking he just ko’s the Vibrava and I have the D Rainbow on Mew P5 ftw. 2-0
Round 3 vs Lim Jittman (Singapore) Gardevoir PK/DS/DF/Lugia/Mewtwo*/Ledians
I had heard between rounds from Jay H. about this Gardevoir deck he lost to that played Cessation Crystals which surprised him, so I knew what I was facing. I got a couple Delta Draws and began powering a Flygon ex d. He had Gardevoir DS ready to ko but nothing after I would ko him back. So instead he retreats for Ledian. He retreats before playing his Sidney’s Stadium so I make him discard his Castform. Either way, I delta draw like 3 more times and have absolutely everything I need while he just sets up too slow. I end up using Mew d* to copy a benched Lugia’s Elemental Blast 3 times and win like 6-1. With so many D draws, Cess was no problem. 3-0
Just gotta win one more round! I’ve never started this well, even in 05 I went to lunch break at only 1-1. The other undefeateds are Yamato’s Empoleon with Ape, Go’s Empoleon without Ape, Yoneda’s Luclutions, Kettler’s Flygon ex LM, Craig’s Absolutions with Mew p5 and 4 Reversal (WHAT?!), Diego’s Banlutions and ..ugh I don’t remember. I really didn’t want to face Craig and Yamato’s Ape tech seemed bad for me (Sceptile is huge in me beating Empoleon decks), but everything else would be a good matchup. I come back from lunch to see I’m up against:
Round 4 vs John Kettler (USA) Flygon ex LM/Delcatty
I hadn’t tested against this but it SHOULD be an autowin with Sceptile ex. I get a very good start. I get a t2 eggs koing his Budew with Sceptile waiting to be gotten t3. I was thinking I would have this in the bag if he didn’t get a Flygon ex this turn, but he did retrieving one energy. I Candy Sceptile and Split Bomb his bench. Next turn I retreat and Delta Draw as I realize I need to get rid of this one Flygon ex he was powering and not worry about the bench. Kettler picks up a bunch of prizes as I try to build. At 3-4 him, I’m building a Mew p5 to do 100, thinking I have a turn to stall with Eggs but I forget about Boost and he does 100, 2-4. Fortunately, I realize I can just do 40 with Mew and ko with Sceptile next turn. Kettler ko’s the Mew making it 1-4 him, but I just ko with Sceptile. Since all his ko’s needed to discard React or Boost, he had no energy left on the field, it would take him forever to power a Flygon. He puts up his Flygon ex with 30 damage from earlier and just attaches a Lightning. I Pluspower Sceptile for game. GG 4-0
I’m pretty relaxed now knowing I’m in unless I get the absolute sourest of grapes in the tiebreakers but it doesn’t seem possible. The standings go up and the 4 undefeateds are me and 3 Japanese. I have to defend the US against Japan again like 05!? I was hoping to play the Lucario player. (at this time, I thought Go had Ape tech also, if I knew he didn’t, I’d want that matchup too). But....
Round 5 vs Tsugoyoshi Yamato (Japan) Empoleon/Corsola/Tech Infernape
Yamato saw the pairings first and told me we were playing. I knew about the Ape tech so Sceptile would probably be useless. I always seem to use Sceptile to successfully close out my games vs Ambush so the tech really should hurt me in theory. He misses the first energy drop and after one Delta Draw for 5, I go aggro doing 60 with Eggs to his Prinplup. He benches some stuff and I split Bomb next turn koing the Prinplup. The rest of the game plays as me Split Bombing and letting Cursed Stone kill my Chimecho, and Flygon. I didn’t have a counter anyways, but I wanted them to fall rather than try d drawing again as I didn’t want to activate his Scrambles. He had taken the opputunity to do 40 to my Treecko as soon as he got the chance, which was fine because he had Chimchar already down. My first Split Bomb target was Chimchar though, and I thought it was key that he was able to Candy Infernape the following turn just to save it. (I’m betting the 2nd Treecko late would surprise him). At first he was very slow, but he got a Celio for Prinplup and Corsola’d for Empoleon. Eventually I realized Split Bombs were gonna be too slow as he started to really get a couple Empoleon going. When the Empoleon finally came active, he went after my Ray on the bench. I think I elected not to ko with it for fear of Scramble ko. Now ever since that one d draw for 5, I hadn’t one single draw card. I had Mentors to power a bunch of attackers before Flygon fell, but what I really needed was one of my two Stump. He ended up hitting Ray 3 times on the bench so I really could’ve set him back 2 turns if I just had a Stump waiting. Didn’t have the Briney either. At 3-3 I ko an Empoleon with Mew d* and hit the Aqua Jet flip, putting 20 on Prinplup. He evolves and ko’s the Ray going up 1-2. I have one Pluspower in hand, if I get a 2nd I can copy Ape for 110 and ko. I can’t get the draw though, as I hadn’t all day. My only hope is to copy Meteor Punch, needing 4 heads. I get one and thats game. My next prize was a Pluspower. I had several ways to win this game but I also had a really good start. My gut tells me this is a slightly unfavorable matchup only because of the Ape tech. 4-1
Round 6 vs Cristian Vidal (Chile) R-Gon with Latias ex/Latios ex
I have like 2 Castform and a Trapinch, no mentor. He starts with Latias ex and Mentors for the Latios ex, double attaches to Latios ex. No mentor, d draw for 1 again. He ko’s Castform. If I don’t get the mentor now it is over. I send up Castform and indeed do draw the Transceiver. He ko’s the Castform though. I do 40 with Vibrava, he does 60, I Briney it, and ko with a fresh one and Pluspower. Somehow without d drawing, he got Fearow, which got everything else. I wasn’t really expecting it, but he Flygon ex d’d the fresh Vibrava and that was basically game. Nothing I could do about it anyways. 4-2
I find out I am 12th seed, facing Austin Reed in mirror, ugh. I hate playing mirror anything. I hadn’t tested a lot vs mirror. I hadn’t slept well the night before, so I go to my room to rest for a while and do fall asleep for like an hour. I go to the secret X-Files testing location and play my friend Paul a couple games of mirror, trying to simulate what Austin’s list might look like. I also go ask Drew G and my friend Tyler from Seattle about Flygon mirror, as they had both played it for most of the year. After all this, I feel I know how to approach the mirror well. You always must have a response to Flygon ex d, and if you both have it, the 2nd player to use it is in much better position. Besides that, I figure I will be able to play to the situation as well as my opponent.
Top 16 vs Austin Reed (USA) R-Gon
Game 1
Things look good, I have a d draw for 5 on my first supporter turn whenever that was. He responds with Stump which didn’t hurt that much, but we continue d drawing for 3. There’s no way I can go for attacking until I have Flygon and Flygon ex d. I Researcher for Vibrava and draw a Trans so I can get one of the two. If I just draw any kind of Flygon or another supporter, I can get both, but I whiff on a couple d draws for 3. He gets the Flygon and Flygon ex d and goes on the attack. I hit with an Eggs or something which he ko’s and I have little after that. I let the game dangle a few more minutes since we have so much time but I concede about 20 minutes into the round. 0-1
Game 2
I start with Mew d* and another basic, no Mentor. I go first and am fortunate to be facing a Castform. D draw for 2, nothing. He has the Mentor and starts setting up. D draw for 2, nope. I don’t remember exactly what it was, but I remember thinking I have to get the Mentor now or I’m done, and I do topdeck the Transceiver. I don’t have extra energy, but I can play down Candy Flygon Candy Flygon ex d and d draw for 5. I think he ko’d with Flygon HP. I can’t attack with Flygon ex yet, but I promote it for sand damage, having little other choice. When Flygon ex falls, his Chimecho and Mew P5 have 50 damage. Somehow I get 80 on a Flygon ex also, as he pulls ahead to like 3-5. I need a Rare Candy to triple attach to Mew and take 4 prizes, (had Briney in hand) it’s my only shot. Can’t get it, or any draw. He evolves to a benched Flygon ex so now even if I get the 4 prizes, the fresh Flygon ex will surely finish things off for him. I spend like 2 turns managing my basics and who I put active to stay alive the maximum amount of time from Sand Damage. I have to let him ko something something so Chimecho doesn’t die from Sand Damage. The judge tries to say Chimecho dies between turns from Sand Damage but I promote it and calmly tell him “No, because then he would take his last prize, and that would be bad.” I Hook him for 20 and that’s game. 0-2
Oh well. I played well and made a very good choice for a deck. On one hand my final record was 4-4, but on the other hand I had so many great matchups in the top cut. I know in the top 8, I would have really good chances vs Go’s Apeless Empoleon, the t2 Scizor (sceptile and 2 Mew p5), the Absol that won it (without reversals like fulop/craig/sami), the Flygon ex lm, and the Banlutions. Yamato, Austin and Sami’s Reversal/Mew Absolutions would be harder but winnable as well. My only losses were to Empoleon with Ape tech which happened to be terrible for me, and 3 losses to mirror. I probably am an underdog to mirror because of my extra tech, but it probably not worse than 40-45%. I’m slightly disappointed that Austin didn’t run Sceptile ex, as that card is so good for this deck, to me it is mandatory, not just a matter of choice. Just because of that, I think my list is so much more prepared for so many other matchups, Luclutions, Banlutions, Absolutions, Empoleon, and Flygon ex lm. His ingame was flawless vs me though, people told me he wasn’t a very good player compared to me but he definitely played well.
For the list, I would consider cutting down the Eggs line, though it is nice for consistancy. Some more draw/energy would have been nice. I kinda wish I had run a deck like MMs with Magcargo, which is what I ran for my BR run. Magcargo is such an underrated card. R-Gon for example loses so many games midgame, no draw, no candy/stump/pluspower/whatever. I really came away feeling Magcargo was as underrated as ever, and I probably should’ve stuck with it. (of course it is impossible to play in R-Gon, but I mean playing something like MMs).
Overall I finished fairly well, and with some different pairings in top cut, I really could’ve gone far. I even was the 2nd highest American for 2 out of 3 consecutive worlds, that’s pretty impressive (though sadly I can say that as 13th in the world =/). I also proved wrong anyone who thought I didn’t deserve to be in because I skipped one tournament.
Oh, and I 4-0’d the pre-release! Sudowoodo is SOO much fun. ;p 3/3 in Rock-Paper-Scissors *pumps fist* I was 4/4 throughout worlds until a Japanese player beat me. =/
Props
-PUI hosted a great event, very few complaints
-1 hour and a half, this was sooo needed I can’t even begin to say
-Team X-Files, you guys have become some of my best friends and its always great hanging out with you guys and finding The Truth ;p
-The many other cool people I met or re-met at worlds, just too many to name but I tried to get as many of you as possible to sign a card in my binder
-The Japanese I got to hang out with a bit more Sunday night and Monday night, they all seem like really nice people and great players. Makes me want to destroy them that much more next year. ;p
-Jeremy for winning worlds, finding the truth, and giving something for the US to cheer about.
-Henry grinded in and top 16 (now Spencer doesn’t have to kill himself ;p)
-Me for top 16 (1000$ and a Wiiiiiiiiii)
-The way Gordon talks
-Sceptile ex, I swear this was the single most broken card for the worlds format and not nearly enough people knew it. I think I was the only one in top 16 with it, ugh. I fully believed this card was The Truth.
-The cameras for the final matches
-Hinata
Slops
-USA Masters
-Long walks to...everything
-The Phantom Hurricane, sure go ahead and close everything on my last day in Hawaii but you’d BETTER give me something exciting to watch =/=/
-No extra prizes for 4-0ing the pre-release
-Doing nothing on my birthday, Monday, and then having the hurricane ruin everything Tuesday
-Deoxys ex (@#&$@(#&$@(&@ (YES! YOU’RE FINALLY OUT OF FORMAT!!!!!)
