Hi! My name's Jack Pitcher. I came Top 4 at Worlds in Seniors last year so I pretty much took this season off, knowing I'd have my Invite in Masters. So anyway, the months before I really couldn't decide what to play. Blastoise was my top choice because I thought it was the best deck, but Plasma was also up there. I didn't like Darkrai or Goth, Darkrai because it needed too many cards to go off T2 which I found it needed to do to stay in it, and I disliked Goth because you could just lose games to bad starts, and I expected everyone to be teching for the deck.
Anyway, the week leading up to Worlds I eventually decide to play Blastoise. I was happy with my list until Grinders happened, and Darkrai/Garbodor did very well. This forced me to change my list to incorporate Tool Scrapper and Dowsing Machine instead of Crystal Wall. Here's the list I ended up using:
Pokemon:
3 Squirtle
1 Wartortle
3 Blastoise
3 Keldeo EX
2 Black Kyurem EX
1 Black Kyurem
1 Vulpix
1 Ninetales
15
Trainers:
4 Juniper
4 Skyla
2 N
2 Colress
3 Tropical Beach
4 Rare Candy
3 Ultra Ball
3 Superior Energy Retrieval
2 Level Ball
1 Catcher
1 Max Potion
1 Energy Retrieval
1 Super Rod
1 Tool Scrapper
1 Dowsing Machine
33
Energy:
9 Water
3 Lightning
12
Obviously I was really paranoid about Gothitelle. I just couldn't beat it in testing and I expected (incorrectly) there would be a lot of Goths. So I used Ninetales instead of a 2nd Catcher and a 10th Energy. Even though it was an incorrect decision, I still don't regret; I used Ninetales as a searchable Catcher a couple times throughout the day.
Sooo let's get to the actual tournament!
Round 1 vs. Jay Hornung (USA) w/ Darkrai/Absol/Sableye
Oh boy, first Worlds in Masters and I get to play against Jay Hornung Round 1. Whatever, he's playing Darkrai so it's a good matchup right? Yeah it is! Even better because I go first and get a T2 Secret Sword! Not only that, but I have most of my Supporters left in my deck so N shouldn't hurt much. What could possibly go wrong?
Several things apparently. First of all, he bounces my Beach early on with Virbank, and I fail to see another Beach for the rest of the game. Secondly, Lightning Energy eludes me for the entire game as well. Finally, I get stuck in an N to 3 and don't draw any of my several Supporters remaining in my deck. He wins after I dead draw for 3 or 4 turns. Oh well. GG!
0-1
Round 2 vs. ??? (Portugal) w/ Plasma
First Plasma of the tournament. This was a problem matchup for me in testing, but I finally got it down to needing to kill the Energy and holding my Max Potion for a critical moment.
That strategy doesn't quite work out this time because he gets a fantastic start with a T1 Raiden Knuckle with Energy in the discard. He gets up 2 Kyurems with 3 Energy each and Thundurus before I get any kind of set up. It's looking more and more like I'll start my first Worlds in Masters at 0-2.
I'm not quite sure how but I managed to get down to 4 Prizes by the time he had 2 Prizes. I still had my Ninetales and Catcher and Dowsing Machine and Max Potion left in my deck. I've got a decent set up going. I can actually do this! He hits my Black Kyurem for some damage, and I Max Potion that off and Catcher up an EX to KO it. He hits me again, and I Dowsing Machine for a Colress for 10, hit the Superior Enrgy Retrieval and Level Ball for Ninetales to win the game! GG!
1-1
Round 3 vs. Stephan Tabaco (USA) w/ Darkrai/Mewtwo
Before the game he jokes that he must be playing Darkrai/Mewtwo because he has a Mewtwo deckbox and Darkrai mat. I laugh and think that he can't be playing Darkrai/Mewtwo in that case, but he actually is haha.
Anyways I get a decent start but I get N'd out of the game early on. I manage to topdeck a Beach after a turn or two and get back into it though. I Black Ballista a Mewtwo, tying the Prizes up at 4. He KO's my Black Kyurem somehow (I believe it already had X Ball damage on it) and does 30 to my Keldeo, which is my only attacker in play. This is my only chance to do something. I play Beach, Tool Scrapper, get 7 Energy on my Keldeo and Catcher his Mewtwo with DCE to KO. His only out is to either hit the 3rd Virbank, 3rd Claw and 4th Laser or hit a 3rd Mewtwo and 3rd DCE or Dark/Energy Switch. He only has a 3 card hand. Next turn I can Bright Look his Darkrai for game as long as he doesn't have game this turn.
He draws and Benches Mewtwo, plays Energy Switch, Junipers. He hits the second Energy Switch for game. GG!
1-2
Round 4 vs. ??? (Australia) w/ Klinklang
When she flips over Klink I get worried immediately; I haven't tested at all against Klinklang. I have my little Black Kyurem and Super Rod though, along with Blastoise to attack. I should be okay I guess.
Early on I see that my Super Rod is Prized. Uh oh. Could be bad if I don't draw it early. I don't get a great start, going in with a T4 or 5 Blastoise and am forced to Dual Claw a Cobalion, luckily hitting a heads. She Energy Presses me and I manage to KO the Cobalion next turn with a timely Blastoise.
I dance around her Cobalions, keeping my Black Kyurem alive for longer than it had a right to be alive. I use Dual Claw again, abusing the fact that ENergy Press only does 60 to a Kyurem with 2 Energy and she had Junipered away her Laser T1. At some point I get 6 Energy on Blastoise and KO a Cobalion as well, and then I hit a CObalion EX for 120, Catchering it next turn and KOing it with my Black Kyurem.
I get down to 1 Prize to her 4 but I still haven't drawn my Super Rod. And... this creates a problem. She used Iron Head on my Blastoise with an Energy, preventing me from attacking. I only have a Superior Energy Retrieval and an Energy left, not enough to Rush In with Keldeo and Retreat to Toise. I needed my Super Rod to win the game this turn, but unfortunately it was not meant to be. So instead I saw that she only had 2 cards left in her deck and decided to try and deck her out. I Rush In and pass. She draws. She now has 3 cards in hand, 4 Prizes left, and 1 left in deck, so N doesn't matter. She Steel Bullets Keldeo. I Max Potion and she scoops, knowing that she can't win before she decks. GG!
2-2
Round 5 vs. ??? w/ Plasma
Unfortunately I forget the details of this match. It was the most one sided game of the day though, as I got a good start and just killed off all his Energy quickly. He tried to come back with Deoxys but my Black Cute Ram just rammed its way through his board. I won by 4 Prize cards. GG.
3-2
Round 6 vs. Zach Bivens (USA) w/ Accelgor/Garbodor
I open really badly - 2 Juniper, a couple Retrievals, Tool Scrapper and Black Kyurem. I was all set to Juniper but he Benches Trubbish. If I discard my Scrapper against Garbodor, I'm going to lose the game. Just fantastic. I draw pass for around five turns while he builds up his board of 3 Accelgor, 2 Garbodor and Mewtwo Active. Luckily he whiffs DCE for long enough for me to get a Squirtle out, and eventually I get a decent set up. I get a couple key KO's on Accelgors using my Scrapper and Catcher, taking out 3 Accelgors. I think I can actually win the game unless he plays 4 Accelgor, because he drew the last card in his deck. Unfortunately, he plays the 4th Accelgor and Deck and Covers, preventing him from decking out.
However, I see one last out to win the game. He only has 1 Shelmet left. If that Shelmet is the last card in his deck, he'll draw it and be unable to Deck and Cover so I'll win the game! There's a 1 in 3 chance, so it might actually happen.
Unfortunately, time is called. He has the option of either KOing my Keldeo with Mewtwo, which would allow me to Black Ballista to tie up the Prizes and make me win eventually because he only has the 1 Shelmet, or he can Catcher my Blastoise and just wait till time is called. I pray he doesn't have the Catcher but he does.
He then revealed that the last card in his deck WAS the Shelmet. Ah well, very close game, GG!
3-3
Round 7 vs. ??? (Singapore) w/ Plasma
I'm playing up this game. I briefly consider scooping but I decided I wouldn't because I can get CP for coming Top 64.
Anyway, this game goes like a normal Toise vs. Plasma match goes. He gets ahead early on but I come back and have a dominating board position. The one thing that went wrong for me was he used Lugia to take 3 Prizes on my Keldeo. That was all his Energy on board. It basically comes down to if I can hit 2 Water Energy that turn off a Juniper. Fortunately I do get it, and I KO his Lugia and then his Thundurus the next turn to win the game. GG.
4-3
Round 8 vs. Louis (New Zealand) w/ Plasma
Another Plasma! At this point I was extremely confident in this matchup and felt like I could play it all day.
He gets ahead further than either of my last two Plasma opponents did, but nearly as much as my Round 2 opponent did. I was forced to discard my Max Potion early, but fortunately I managed to Dowsing Machine for it to avoid a KO on my Black Ballista guy which let me live long enough to take my 6 Prizes. I won in a similar fashion to Round 2, stealing the game by killing 3 EXs quickly. GG.
5-3
I finished 64th, just barely in range of CP assuming it works the same as it did last year. I'm happy with my performance. Obviously I'm disappointed I didn't make Top Cut but it's all you can do, any of my losses could have gone either way. I had an amazing time regardless.
Props
All the amazing people who make Worlds amazing (too many people to name but shout out to Kabir for letting me stay at his house a couple times in the week prior and being my main testing partner <3)
Meeting lots of new people
Joey and Ian for Top 4ing
Joey for naming his deck after me <3
64th
Blastoise
Plasma matchups
Free room
Slops
Worlds being over
Worlds 2014 in D.C.
Small room
64th
Darkrai matchups
Joey for not winning Worlds
Anyway, the week leading up to Worlds I eventually decide to play Blastoise. I was happy with my list until Grinders happened, and Darkrai/Garbodor did very well. This forced me to change my list to incorporate Tool Scrapper and Dowsing Machine instead of Crystal Wall. Here's the list I ended up using:
Pokemon:
3 Squirtle
1 Wartortle
3 Blastoise
3 Keldeo EX
2 Black Kyurem EX
1 Black Kyurem
1 Vulpix
1 Ninetales
15
Trainers:
4 Juniper
4 Skyla
2 N
2 Colress
3 Tropical Beach
4 Rare Candy
3 Ultra Ball
3 Superior Energy Retrieval
2 Level Ball
1 Catcher
1 Max Potion
1 Energy Retrieval
1 Super Rod
1 Tool Scrapper
1 Dowsing Machine
33
Energy:
9 Water
3 Lightning
12
Obviously I was really paranoid about Gothitelle. I just couldn't beat it in testing and I expected (incorrectly) there would be a lot of Goths. So I used Ninetales instead of a 2nd Catcher and a 10th Energy. Even though it was an incorrect decision, I still don't regret; I used Ninetales as a searchable Catcher a couple times throughout the day.
Sooo let's get to the actual tournament!
Round 1 vs. Jay Hornung (USA) w/ Darkrai/Absol/Sableye
Oh boy, first Worlds in Masters and I get to play against Jay Hornung Round 1. Whatever, he's playing Darkrai so it's a good matchup right? Yeah it is! Even better because I go first and get a T2 Secret Sword! Not only that, but I have most of my Supporters left in my deck so N shouldn't hurt much. What could possibly go wrong?
Several things apparently. First of all, he bounces my Beach early on with Virbank, and I fail to see another Beach for the rest of the game. Secondly, Lightning Energy eludes me for the entire game as well. Finally, I get stuck in an N to 3 and don't draw any of my several Supporters remaining in my deck. He wins after I dead draw for 3 or 4 turns. Oh well. GG!
0-1
Round 2 vs. ??? (Portugal) w/ Plasma
First Plasma of the tournament. This was a problem matchup for me in testing, but I finally got it down to needing to kill the Energy and holding my Max Potion for a critical moment.
That strategy doesn't quite work out this time because he gets a fantastic start with a T1 Raiden Knuckle with Energy in the discard. He gets up 2 Kyurems with 3 Energy each and Thundurus before I get any kind of set up. It's looking more and more like I'll start my first Worlds in Masters at 0-2.
I'm not quite sure how but I managed to get down to 4 Prizes by the time he had 2 Prizes. I still had my Ninetales and Catcher and Dowsing Machine and Max Potion left in my deck. I've got a decent set up going. I can actually do this! He hits my Black Kyurem for some damage, and I Max Potion that off and Catcher up an EX to KO it. He hits me again, and I Dowsing Machine for a Colress for 10, hit the Superior Enrgy Retrieval and Level Ball for Ninetales to win the game! GG!
1-1
Round 3 vs. Stephan Tabaco (USA) w/ Darkrai/Mewtwo
Before the game he jokes that he must be playing Darkrai/Mewtwo because he has a Mewtwo deckbox and Darkrai mat. I laugh and think that he can't be playing Darkrai/Mewtwo in that case, but he actually is haha.
Anyways I get a decent start but I get N'd out of the game early on. I manage to topdeck a Beach after a turn or two and get back into it though. I Black Ballista a Mewtwo, tying the Prizes up at 4. He KO's my Black Kyurem somehow (I believe it already had X Ball damage on it) and does 30 to my Keldeo, which is my only attacker in play. This is my only chance to do something. I play Beach, Tool Scrapper, get 7 Energy on my Keldeo and Catcher his Mewtwo with DCE to KO. His only out is to either hit the 3rd Virbank, 3rd Claw and 4th Laser or hit a 3rd Mewtwo and 3rd DCE or Dark/Energy Switch. He only has a 3 card hand. Next turn I can Bright Look his Darkrai for game as long as he doesn't have game this turn.
He draws and Benches Mewtwo, plays Energy Switch, Junipers. He hits the second Energy Switch for game. GG!
1-2
Round 4 vs. ??? (Australia) w/ Klinklang
When she flips over Klink I get worried immediately; I haven't tested at all against Klinklang. I have my little Black Kyurem and Super Rod though, along with Blastoise to attack. I should be okay I guess.
Early on I see that my Super Rod is Prized. Uh oh. Could be bad if I don't draw it early. I don't get a great start, going in with a T4 or 5 Blastoise and am forced to Dual Claw a Cobalion, luckily hitting a heads. She Energy Presses me and I manage to KO the Cobalion next turn with a timely Blastoise.
I dance around her Cobalions, keeping my Black Kyurem alive for longer than it had a right to be alive. I use Dual Claw again, abusing the fact that ENergy Press only does 60 to a Kyurem with 2 Energy and she had Junipered away her Laser T1. At some point I get 6 Energy on Blastoise and KO a Cobalion as well, and then I hit a CObalion EX for 120, Catchering it next turn and KOing it with my Black Kyurem.
I get down to 1 Prize to her 4 but I still haven't drawn my Super Rod. And... this creates a problem. She used Iron Head on my Blastoise with an Energy, preventing me from attacking. I only have a Superior Energy Retrieval and an Energy left, not enough to Rush In with Keldeo and Retreat to Toise. I needed my Super Rod to win the game this turn, but unfortunately it was not meant to be. So instead I saw that she only had 2 cards left in her deck and decided to try and deck her out. I Rush In and pass. She draws. She now has 3 cards in hand, 4 Prizes left, and 1 left in deck, so N doesn't matter. She Steel Bullets Keldeo. I Max Potion and she scoops, knowing that she can't win before she decks. GG!
2-2
Round 5 vs. ??? w/ Plasma
Unfortunately I forget the details of this match. It was the most one sided game of the day though, as I got a good start and just killed off all his Energy quickly. He tried to come back with Deoxys but my Black Cute Ram just rammed its way through his board. I won by 4 Prize cards. GG.
3-2
Round 6 vs. Zach Bivens (USA) w/ Accelgor/Garbodor
I open really badly - 2 Juniper, a couple Retrievals, Tool Scrapper and Black Kyurem. I was all set to Juniper but he Benches Trubbish. If I discard my Scrapper against Garbodor, I'm going to lose the game. Just fantastic. I draw pass for around five turns while he builds up his board of 3 Accelgor, 2 Garbodor and Mewtwo Active. Luckily he whiffs DCE for long enough for me to get a Squirtle out, and eventually I get a decent set up. I get a couple key KO's on Accelgors using my Scrapper and Catcher, taking out 3 Accelgors. I think I can actually win the game unless he plays 4 Accelgor, because he drew the last card in his deck. Unfortunately, he plays the 4th Accelgor and Deck and Covers, preventing him from decking out.
However, I see one last out to win the game. He only has 1 Shelmet left. If that Shelmet is the last card in his deck, he'll draw it and be unable to Deck and Cover so I'll win the game! There's a 1 in 3 chance, so it might actually happen.
Unfortunately, time is called. He has the option of either KOing my Keldeo with Mewtwo, which would allow me to Black Ballista to tie up the Prizes and make me win eventually because he only has the 1 Shelmet, or he can Catcher my Blastoise and just wait till time is called. I pray he doesn't have the Catcher but he does.
He then revealed that the last card in his deck WAS the Shelmet. Ah well, very close game, GG!3-3
Round 7 vs. ??? (Singapore) w/ Plasma
I'm playing up this game. I briefly consider scooping but I decided I wouldn't because I can get CP for coming Top 64.
Anyway, this game goes like a normal Toise vs. Plasma match goes. He gets ahead early on but I come back and have a dominating board position. The one thing that went wrong for me was he used Lugia to take 3 Prizes on my Keldeo. That was all his Energy on board. It basically comes down to if I can hit 2 Water Energy that turn off a Juniper. Fortunately I do get it, and I KO his Lugia and then his Thundurus the next turn to win the game. GG.
4-3
Round 8 vs. Louis (New Zealand) w/ Plasma
Another Plasma! At this point I was extremely confident in this matchup and felt like I could play it all day.
He gets ahead further than either of my last two Plasma opponents did, but nearly as much as my Round 2 opponent did. I was forced to discard my Max Potion early, but fortunately I managed to Dowsing Machine for it to avoid a KO on my Black Ballista guy which let me live long enough to take my 6 Prizes. I won in a similar fashion to Round 2, stealing the game by killing 3 EXs quickly. GG.
5-3
I finished 64th, just barely in range of CP assuming it works the same as it did last year. I'm happy with my performance. Obviously I'm disappointed I didn't make Top Cut but it's all you can do, any of my losses could have gone either way. I had an amazing time regardless.
Props
All the amazing people who make Worlds amazing (too many people to name but shout out to Kabir for letting me stay at his house a couple times in the week prior and being my main testing partner <3)
Meeting lots of new people
Joey and Ian for Top 4ing
Joey for naming his deck after me <3
64th
Blastoise
Plasma matchups
Free room
Slops
Worlds being over
Worlds 2014 in D.C.
Small room
64th
Darkrai matchups
Joey for not winning Worlds
