Hi, I'm Jayson, in case you don't know me. I'm from Owensboro, Kentucky. Nobody plays Pokemon here, so I end up traveling around a bit to attend tournaments. Here is where I've gone so far, and a quick summary of how things went:
Saturday, Nov. 29: Eureka, MO
I was playing my original Regi list, which is designed to get turn 2 Regi as consistently as possible and just tank that one Regi all game, alternating between Giga Punch and Giga Blaster.
Round 1 - Torterra
I get T2 Regi and rush through all of his support Pokemon before any of them can evolve. He gets a Torterra but it can't do much without any Sceptiles or Claydols backing it up.
1-0
Round 2 - Mason with Dusknoir Gengar
He wagers me T1, I get an energy, a Lunatone, and a Pokeball. Tails on the Pokeball. I manually power up a Regular Regi, take a prize with him, and it's an Uxie. I get set up off of t hat Uxie but it's already like turn 8 and he's taken 3 or 4 prizes. So I lose.
1-1
Round 3 - Luxray
I get T2 Regi and kill his Shinxes before they can evolve. He gets a Claydol and a Togekiss (??) out but I kill those too.
2-1
Round 4 - Magmortar
I get T2 Regi and take six prizes in six turns. He takes a few prizes but only from Sacrifice, of course.
3-1
Round 5 - Colin with Regigigas
He keeps me Mespirit locked for what seems like forever, but somehow I manage to get my own Regi Lv.X set up and get caught up. It comes down to me having one prize, him having two. He kills my Regi Lv.X with his Regi Lv.X. I bring up Lunatone, pluspower, knock over for 60 discarding snowpoint to KO his Lv.X. Best game I had in swiss. I was squirming in my seat the whole time, it was so intense. Colin is so amazing.
4-1
Top 8 - Grumpy Bald Guy with Tyranitar
In game 1, he gets Darkrai Lv.X out and I just have no response to his 150 damage grinds. In game 2, I get T2 Regi and steamroll him. Game 3 goes to time, and I was several prizes ahead when time was called.
5-1
Top 4 - Anthony with Machamp
I have no experience with the Machamp matchup. When people have asked me "what will you do against Machamp?" I have just sorta jokingly replied, "I dunno, fight with Uxies I guess." Well it turns out, that actually works. I don't figure it out soon enough in game 1 and he owns me pretty bad. Game 2, I go aggro Uxie Lv.X and kill 3 Machops and a Machamp with some very careful psychic restoring to conserve Uxies and Unown Gs. Game 3 I start with Uxie and take an early lead. It goes to time I believe.
6-1
Top 2 - Kason with Dusknoir Gengar
I don't remember this one too well. I win game 1. He takes four prizes before time is called in game 2, so we go to sudden death, one prize each. I am shocked to discover that in sudden death, I can't use sacrifice. At all. Ughhh. He gets a really early Gengar and poltergeists my normal Regi for 90 I believe. For some reason he burned some warp points for very little effect. I pull up his Claydol, but don't have enough energy to Gigaton Punch that turn, so I pass. He attaches to Claydol and passes. I attach a third energy to Regi, and flips heads on Gigaton Punch for the win.
7-1
I pull two Lv.X, a shining and a secret rare from my packs. I feel bad for whoever got the other boosters from that box. =<
I go back to Colin's house, and Michael comes over to playtest with us. I'm wanting to play something else for Sunday but I don't really have any experience with anything besides Regi so I just switch a Cynthia for a Wager and go to bed.
Sunday, Nov. 30 - Belleville
Same list as the day before, just changed Cynthia for Wager.
Round 1 - Newman with Kingdra
He gets T1 Kingdra but can only do 60 to my Uxie, I believe? I sacrifice that Uxie and Gigaton Punch him, 20 to his benched Kingdra. Next turn Giga Blaster. Turn after that, do some tricks, Giga Blaster with pluspower on the other Kingdra. I kill a Claydol at some point. Usually I don't feel too good about winning, but feels good to beat someone who is notorious for cheating, stalling and being obnoxious.
1-0
Round 2 - Wisconsin Guy with Salamence/Leafeon/Togekiss
He gets Claydol, Salamence, and Togekiss out on turn 2, and I think four energies from Serene Grace? I respond with Giga Blaster with a pluspower for the 1-hit on his Salamence. He starts stalling while he tries to find his Leafeon Lv.X. I pull up his Leafeon and Giga Blaster it. I think he had 3 energies on that. He gets up another Salamence, but I've been holding another Pluspower in hand just in case. I Giga Blaster its face for the win.
2-0
Round 3 - Josh with Scizor
I have to burn so many trainers and waste so many resources just to draw into a Premier Ball. I finally grab it off of a lucky Trade Off and start Giga Blastering Scizors. He gets a few prizes from Sacrifice but never manages to kill my Regi after that.
3-0
Round 4 - Zach with Tangrowth
I pluspower Giga Blaster his Tangrowths. So they never really get to heal. Also, I think I killed a Claydol really early in the game, but he gets another one set up. Might've killed a Sceptile as well. Oh, and Unown G prevents some special conditions. He's my little buddy =D
4-0
Top 4 - Colin with Kingdra
I win game 1. Time is called on my turn in game 2, and I had been planning on sacrificing to heal my Gigas out of upstream range, but that would put me two prizes behind instead of one. So I take a prize and tie it up. He gets up another Kingdra and aqua streams for, like, a lot. So we go into sudden death. And I have to get a KO against a T1 stage 2 deck, without sacrificing. Ugh. I start with Uxie I think, to his Horsea? He gets Kingdra but can't do 70. I go through a ridiculous amount of my deck trying to find pokeblower or warp point. I get the pokeblowers and for the win.
5-0
Top 2 - Zach with Tangrowth again
I win pretty decisively, twice. And then we all go out to dinner at Burger King, talk Pokemans, then get lost trying to get me back to my car. Woo. =) I head home after a long and lovely weekend. Thank you for your hospitality Colin. =)
6-0
Saturday, Dec. 6 - Valley Park, MO
I'm running a pretty different build of Regi this weekend, with Palkia and switches instead of Pokeblowers. Requires more setup, but Palkia is searchable unlike blower. And he resets your Giga Blaster. And he gives you a lot more tricks at your disposal. And he's just awesome. I stayed the night before at Bela's, and we built him a copy of my deck to play over the weekend.
Round 1 - Bela with Regi
Ugh we're both upset that we have to play each other round 1. I have a bit more experience playing Regi, and I know how to win the mirror match, so I go about doing that. It's all in the Mespirit drops.
1-0
Round 2 - Grumpy Bald Guy with MACHAMP AND GLISCOR
A little bitter from last weekend, it seems? Yeah, fighting types. Real mature. =P I try to stick to my Uxie strategy, but it doesn't work so well because Gliscor isn't Psychic weak. I think this was my only swiss game that went to time, in all of the cities I have attended so far. It was his turn when time was called, and he went a prize ahead.
1-1
Round 3 - Magmortar
He recycles the Lv.X like THREE times. It's annoying because I'll kill a Mag Lv.X, expecting to get a 1-hit on the next Magmortar with the pluspower I've been saving in hand. But then he night maint/Bebes the Lv.X, burns and bazookas. I think I had to sacrifice five times this game? And just about every energy attachment went on Regi to heal the Torrent burns.
2-1
Round 4 - Colin with Torterra
I'm paired up with Colin who is 3-0, which ends up being nice for my resistance later on. He gets a perfect Torterra setup to my T2 Regi and Palkia. I pull up Sceptile very early and kill it, but he recycles the Sceptile and gets him back out on the next turn, and has a playday with his Forest Murmurs for a while before finally killing my Palkia. There goes my chances at killing his support Pokemon. Fighting type Torterra wrecks me.
2-2
Round 5 - Anthony with Machamp
Somewhat of a repeat of last Saturday. I Uxie rush him while he draws completely dead. He had no shortage of call energy to get his basics, but couldn't get any evolutions until a Claydol toward the end. His Cosmic Power got him a handful of trash and he scooped.
3-2
Top 8 - Grumpy Bald Guy with Machamp/Gliscor
I have a better idea of how to play against his deck now, and he misplays a bit and forgets to use Gliscor Lv.X's power once. I win game 1 and I forget what happened in game 2. Either I won it or I was ahead when time was called.
4-2
Top 4 - Colin with Torterra
Game 1, he owns me just like in swiss. I scoop after about 20 minutes, I think? Game 2, he gets a Treecko start and candies it to Sceptile while it's still active? I get a very early Gigas and kill his support, and he isn't able to recycle it like before. He scoops round 2. Game 3, I get a good setup while he isn't able to get out his evolutions, so I take a few early prizes and time is called.
5-2
Top 2 - Michael with Dusknoir/Gengar
He scoops to me. I would've liked to play it out, but it's late and everyone is tired and very happy to be leaving an hour early so I don't protest.
6-2
I meet up with Josh afterward and we go to Zach's to playtest. Bela and Will are there too. Zach, Josh and Will all tech Mewtwo Lv.X in their decks. I feel very unloved. =<
Sunday, Dec. 7 - O'Fallon, IL
Same list as Saturday.
Round 1 - Andrew with Dusknoir/Gengar
I get paired with a Senoir for round 1, but Vince's kids are ridiculously good at this game so I'm not expecting an easy game. He gets up a Dark Palm 'Noir a little earlier than I expected him to, shuffles in my Regi and kills a Lunatone. This leaves me with two Uxie, Palkia Lv.X and a Mespirit. I attach Unown G to the Uxies and Palkia, use all my trainers, level up an Uxie and start pulling different things up and putting damage on them. He has 2 claydol, 2 gengar, Dark Palm 'Noir (levelled up) and something else out, I think. My hand keeps growing as I collect energies and Pokemon that I don't want to play down, and he keeps Poltergeisting for nothing because all of his other attacks do counters and that doesn't get him very far once he has KOed my Mesprit. I take all six of my prizes with Uxie Lv.X.
1-0
Round 2 - Eric with Regi
I have a better list for mirror and he never gets a Claydol set up so he usually only has a card or two in hand. It gets down to two prizes each. He sacrifices his Palkia Lv.X, leaving his Regi completely alone on the field, and he KOs something of mine to bring it to 1-1 prizes. I can two hit his Regi, but he can 1 hit mine if he can get his Spiritomb out of his deck. He doesn't get it out.
2-0
Round 3 - Tyranitar
I rush him pretty bad, going up four prizes and discarding all kinds of important stuff. When he gets out a T-tar, I stop using powers. He gets two special dark on his T-tar and attacks my Regi for 60. I decide not to sacrifice because I've already discarded his other two special dark and I don't think he can KO my Regi next turn. So I just put 100 on his T-tar with Regi. He drops a spiritomb and attaches another energy to T-tar to get the KO. I respond with a KO with Lunatone, putting me at one prize left. I restructure and take my last prize with Uxie Lv.X.
3-0
Round 4 - Bela with Regi
Ugh, paired with Bela again. It doesn't matter who's better at mirror this time, because my deck works perfectly on his side of the field, but totally hates me. He beats me really bad.
3-1
Bela ends up in the top 2 cut with Newman, who was playing SF Infernape. Bela loses. =<
Saturday, Dec. 13 - Louisville, KY
I'm still playing the same list as last weekend. I stay with Tyler the night before and we do a bunch of playtesting and I learn how to lose terribly to T-tar/Alakazam. Glad I got that practice in because I end up playing a deck like that the next day. We also play some chess and get philosophical and stay up until like 4am. It was fun =)
Round 1 - Gengar/Mismagius
The head judge for the day, who also happens to run the league that this pokedad attends, thinks that Mismagius can discard your opponent's Unown Gs. And that's what he told this pokedad at league, so that's the whole reason this pokedad is playing Mismagius. When he tries to discard my Unown Gs during our game, and I have Bernie the TO look up the Mismagius ruling, pokedad gets kinda upset at the head judge for telling him wrong and basically leading him to build a deck that doesn't actually in the way he built it to. Anyways he had me kinda worried, starting with an Unown G to my Regi with no support, and attacking me for 50 turn 2. I get set up just in time, level up and heal off the 50, and start killing stuff. At one point he had a two card hand at the end of his turn, so I pull up his Claydol and kill it. He never recovers after that, missing like three or four energy attachments. I killed a couple Gengars with the Uxie trick in this game. =)
1-0
Round 2 - Kingdra
He gets T2 Kingdra but no draw to support its attack. I go to work Giga Blastering every turn to keep his hand size down.
2-0
Round 3 - Magnezone
I didn't get a supporter until the very last turn of this game. Ughh. I eventually run out of pokemon to sacrifice, so my Regi is sitting out there with 80 damage, but I've been pulling up and Giga Blastering his Claydols and Electivires all game so he has two energyless Magnezones out and keeps hitting tails on Conductive Quarry. My fifth prize is a Roseanne, the first supporter I saw this game. I got three pokeballs but they were all tails =< But I don't need the Roseanne to take my last sixth prize so I go ahead and get one last KO for the game.
3-0
Round 4 - Jackie with Kabutops/Groudon
Wow, pretty much an autoloss. But she's my favorite pokemom so I'm happy anyways. =) I misplayed pretty awfully in this game but I doubt it would've made much difference. She got a Kabutops up when I had like 6 trainers in my hand, so I basically end up stuck with that lame useless hand for the rest of the game while she mows down all of my pokemon and I sacrifice futilely.
3-1
Round 5 - League Leader Guy From Nashville - Tyranitar/Alakazam
I'm fortunate to get an amazing setup very early, before he gets his T-tar and 'Kazam out. And then I just completely stop using powers. I take three prizes while he's setting up, then he gets out a T-tar and hits my regi. I hit him with Lunatone. He spinning tails. I retreat and KO with Regi. He KOs with Sableye. I KO with Uxie Lv.X putting me at one prize. He brings up a T-tar with no energy, attaches and passes. I warp and he sends up Mr. Mime, so I switch back to Uxie Lv.X, attach a third energy and take my last prize.
4-1
Top 4 - Phillip with Machamp/Palkia
Game 1, I kill a Machoke and two Machops with my first Uxie Lv.X. He gets up a Machamp and kills that Uxie with Hurricane Punch. I recycle Uxie Lv.X and hit him back. He levels up, attaches pluspower and kills me with strong willed. My third Uxie is prized, but I have a TSD somewhere in my deck and I think I can stall with Restructure until I draw into it, so I pull up his Claydol. He switches out and kills something with Strong Willed. So I pull up Claydol again. He switches out and KOs again. Third time's the charm? Nope. Switch number 3. So he's down to one prize, he has a backup Machamp built up already, and I haven't been able to recycle my Uxies. I do 70 with Palkia's first attack just for fun, just to see if I can kill that darn Machamp. He flips heads on his strong-willed effect, lol. Game 2, I get T2 Uxie Lv.X, and recycle it instantly every time it dies, taking four prizes before time is called. Ugh, sudden death against Machamp. The head judge thinks we're supposed to put out six prizes, so I have to set him straight on that. Bernie has to pull out the rule book because the head judge doesn't believe me. I think I should know; I've been in three top cuts already this season. Anyways we get that straightened out and set up for our sudden death. I start with Lunatone to his Machop, who kicks for 10. I Roseanne for Unown G and Uxie, retreat to Uxie, attach G, and pass. He hits Uxie for 20. I level up, search out Mesprit to block a claydol I see he's about to get, psychic restore for 30. He candies to Machamp and tries to kill me with three heads off of Hurricane Punch. He only gets two. He now has 100 hp left, and I only do 90 after weakness, so I have to draw into a pluspower or else I probably lose next turn. I get my hand down to just an Uxie and a Felicity, draw 6 with Uxie and 4 with Felicity, and wiff on the pluspower. So I warp point up his Claydol, bring up my Lunatone, move an energy to him with opponent's Stark Mountain, then do 20 and discard the Stark, which I'm hoping will lock Claydol active for a turn. He didn't have to cosmic power or anything, though; he already had switch in his hand. Ughhhhh. So close.
4-2
So that's my report so far. I'll update this after I've gone to my last three cities. Good luck to everyone, have fun, and hope to see you at some tournaments this season =)
Update!
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Saturday, December 20 - Seymour, IN
I decided I wanted to try something slightly different, so I borrowed a few cards and built AMU teched against Machamp. Didn't have a lot of time to practice with it, but I covered the matchups I felt would be most common (Machamp, Gigas, and Dusknoir).
Round 1 - Tyler with Empoleon/Omastar
I take an early lead, and have everything set up for a double Supreme Blast when he finally gets some Empoleons going.
1-0
Round 2 - Regigigas
I get out Azelf MT very early and he keeps making the mistake of trying to attack with too few energies. He tries to fight with his Uxie Lv.X which didn't make any sense to me, since he would need 3 energies to do 60 and I had Azelf Lv.X out to negate weakness, while he is still 2x weak. I 6-0'd him.
2-0
Round 3 - Isaiah with Scizor/Cherrim
I realize when I sit down with Isaiah that my Scizor matchup is awful. This is going to be difficult. He goes first, and misses the T1 energy drop. So I think I might have a chance. T2 he attaches to a benched Scyther, and on my T2 I kill his active. He brings up the benched Scyther, evolves, attaches energy, attaches 2 pluspower, kills my Uxie Lv.X. Ugh. He builds up some Cherrims so he can 1-hit anything of mine. Seven or eight turns later, he wins.
2-1
Round 4 - Dustin with Regigigas
I'm happy to see a good matchup again in round 4. Until I see my opening hand. It's Mesprit MT, a bunch of Lv.Xes, energy switch, warp point, switch. No energy, no search, no other basics. Dustin gets a Gigas start with Regice on the bench, and goes first. My turn, I draw an energy, attach, warp point to (hopefully) stall a turn. His turn, switch, level up, sacrifice for energy accel, and he kills my lone Mesprit for game. It was over in about a minute. We played another game afterward and I dominated him just like my list is supposed to. Dustin goes on to win against my friend Steven who was also playing AMU but had techs that helped his Scizor matchup.
2-2
Saturday, December 3 - Evansville, IN
I go back to playing Gigas because I don't have anyone to borrow AMU stuff from at this tournament. My friend Kristin is playing my Machamp deck, and Emily is playing my Torterra deck.
Round 1 - Morgan with Glaceon/Walrein
She has a hard time getting out evolutions so I kill a bunch of Eevees and Seal-guys.
1-0
Round 2 - Guy from Indianapolis with Kingdra
I psychic bind his Claydol when he gets one set up, then kill it, then discard most of his hand. He has a hard time getting off the 60-20 attack because his hand is always two or three cards at most. He never really gets many energies into the discard, which is the key to beating Gigas with Kingdra.
2-0
Round 3 - Dustin with Regigigas
Very close game, but he sacrifices to heal his Regi, before he kills my Regi, putting me at one prize left, and him at two. I level up my backup Regi, restructure for an Uxie or something, sacrifice whatever he brings up, and kill the Uxie.
3-0
Round 4 - Emily with Torterra
I'm so excited for Emily, she's undefeated in her first tournament ever =) Also I'm kinda worried, because my Torterra build has a pretty good matchup against Gigas. She gets SF Torterra before I can start to Psychic Bind, but it just does 60 to a random basic. I attack it for 20 with Uxie, putting it at 100 hp. She whiffs on the Lv.X or Dawn Stadium, so next turn I level up Gigas and hit it for 100. She sends up an MD Torterra to hit me for 100. I Palkia up Sceptile, heal myself, and kill Sceppy. She's stuck earthquaking for a little bit while I kill her Claydol too. She stays ahead on prizes most of the game because I'm having to Sacrifice almost every turn. It ends up with both of us at one prize left and I have to draw into a Switch in order to Palkia up something and kill it. I get the switch off of a Trade Off. Best game all day =)
4-0
Top 4 - Monti with Toxicroak/Mewtwo Lv.X
Game 1, he gets out basic Mewtwo twice but each time I pull it up with Palkia and Giga Blaster it. He never really gets setup so I just kill a bunch of basics for the game. Game 2, he starts with Mewtwo. I hit it for 40 with Uxie. He levels up on turn 2 so I go to work setting up my Mewtwo counter, and kill the Lv.X a couple turns later. Then I just mow through his basics like I did last game.
5-0
Top 2 - Dustin again with Regigigas
He wins game 1 pretty decisively. I had some pretty bad draws and made some sloppy plays. Game 2, he fills his bench without putting down a Gigas, which has me puzzled. So he goes about attacking with Uxie Lv.X and not really getting anywhere. I pull up a baltoy and kill it, and he replaces it with a Gigas, which I pull up and kill as well. Having an almost full bench can be devastating when your opponent has Palkia set up. Anyways I take 4 prizes and have board control so he scoops. We get started on game 3 and time is called after one or two turns. I've been setting up Uxie and Palkia, while he's been setting up a Gigas which he can now no longer use because Sacrifice would cost him the game. So I kill something with Uxie Lv.X and win somewhat anti-climatically.
6-0
Sunday, December 4 - Nashville, TN
Emily and Tyler from Evansville come down to Owensboro to stay at my place for the night, then Kristin comes over Sunday morning and we all ride down to Nashville together. Emily and Kristin are still playing Torterra and Machamp respectively. Tyler is playing my Scizor Cherrim deck, and I'm still playing Gigas.
Round 1 - Kristin with Machamp
I'm bummed that I have to play a friend in round 1. Her deck works splendidly and she almost beats me, but she doesn't play the Lv.X at the right time and only gets 2/4 heads on a critical Hurricane Punch, so I kill that Machamp and leave her with an energyless and evolutionless field and Machamp DP is already in the discard so I don't have to worry about that. I have enough of a lead from that to win the game by Restructuring for random basics.
1-0
Round 2 - Carlos with Regigigas
Ugh, playing another friend in round 2. I set up very slow because he Psychic Binds me for like four turns straight. So I'm just attaching to a Regi manually, which actually ends up helping me because I don't have to give up a prize for energy acceleration. After he's done chaining Psychic Binds together, I start my own chain of Binds only to find that one out of my two Mesprit is prized and I don't have the bench space to search it out with Azelf and play it. So I sacrifice the Mesprit I have in play and try to get it back with TSD, but flip 0/3 heads. So his Gigas is going to be able to heal next turn, plus I'm vulnerable to being Psychic Binded myself. Which is exactly what happens. He sacs a Mesprit, plays his own TSD, gets 2/3 heads and gets back two Mesprit, and that's pretty much game. Too many prizes have been taken for me to safely set up a new Gigas.
1-1
Round 3 - Tyranitar I think?
I T2 his lone Baltoy.
2-1
Round 4 - Tyler with Scizor/Cherrim
I get a Mesprit start, but I don't mind because it's not like he has any powers to lock anyways. I set up a Gigas Lv.X pretty fast and start mowing down his Scizors.
3-1
Round 5 - Torterra
He plays with a bench of 3 the whole time. Did some one tell him I tech a Dusknoir DP or something? I kill his support Pokemon, but he gets up a big Tort Lv.X toward the end with 3 energies attached, and an empty bench. I had fresh Gigas Lv.X active, a Palkia Lv.X and an Uxie Lv.X with 60 on each. The prize count was me with 1 prize, him with 2. I made a big misplay in not sacrificing Uxie Lv.X to turn off his Forest Murmurs/deny him the snipe KO, and I would have lost the game but time is called as I am calling my attack. He would have won on his next turn =/
4-1
Top 4 - Dusknoir/Bronzong
Game 1, I set up Gigas, Palkia, and Uxie all with Unown G attached. I put his Dusknoir Lv.X on the bench and kill it with heads on a Gigaton Punch. Game 2 I get a slower start because my Palkia is prized and he sets up Noir Lv.X on turn 2. I play Azelf, putting me at 4 bench, but Psychic Restore an Uxie back into my deck. Then he snipes Azelf so I'm free to set up Palkia and carefully Restructure KO everything important on his field.
5-1
Top 2 - Carlos again with Regigigas
Game 1, he Psychic Binds me 1000 times and I lose. Game 2, the same. Oh but for a second there I thought I might win because it was tied at 3-3 on my turn and I had 3 Uxies out - one with 2 energy, 1 with 1 energy, and 1 with 0. I could warp point/zen blade, he kills that Uxie, I recycle the Lv.X onto the next one and warp point/zen blade again, he kills that one, then I restructure/psychic restore to his Palkia with 100 on it for the win. But he Psychic Binds my Restructure at the end there. So yeah, I got owned pretty bad in a mirror match that I'm usually very good at. Only 2 Mesprits ftl =(
5-2
Props:
City Championships.
Pokemon. I love this game!
Colin, Bela, Josh, Tyler and Hannah. Thank you all so much for letting me stay with you!
All the rest of my friends that I've gotten to see over the past few weekends. It's been a blast.
Vince, Clay and Bernie. You guys put on some great tourneys and I really appreciate it.
Slops:
Grumpy Bald Guy and Newman. lol.
Love,
Jayson
Saturday, Nov. 29: Eureka, MO
I was playing my original Regi list, which is designed to get turn 2 Regi as consistently as possible and just tank that one Regi all game, alternating between Giga Punch and Giga Blaster.
Round 1 - Torterra
I get T2 Regi and rush through all of his support Pokemon before any of them can evolve. He gets a Torterra but it can't do much without any Sceptiles or Claydols backing it up.
1-0
Round 2 - Mason with Dusknoir Gengar
He wagers me T1, I get an energy, a Lunatone, and a Pokeball. Tails on the Pokeball. I manually power up a Regular Regi, take a prize with him, and it's an Uxie. I get set up off of t hat Uxie but it's already like turn 8 and he's taken 3 or 4 prizes. So I lose.
1-1
Round 3 - Luxray
I get T2 Regi and kill his Shinxes before they can evolve. He gets a Claydol and a Togekiss (??) out but I kill those too.
2-1
Round 4 - Magmortar
I get T2 Regi and take six prizes in six turns. He takes a few prizes but only from Sacrifice, of course.
3-1
Round 5 - Colin with Regigigas
He keeps me Mespirit locked for what seems like forever, but somehow I manage to get my own Regi Lv.X set up and get caught up. It comes down to me having one prize, him having two. He kills my Regi Lv.X with his Regi Lv.X. I bring up Lunatone, pluspower, knock over for 60 discarding snowpoint to KO his Lv.X. Best game I had in swiss. I was squirming in my seat the whole time, it was so intense. Colin is so amazing.
4-1
Top 8 - Grumpy Bald Guy with Tyranitar
In game 1, he gets Darkrai Lv.X out and I just have no response to his 150 damage grinds. In game 2, I get T2 Regi and steamroll him. Game 3 goes to time, and I was several prizes ahead when time was called.
5-1
Top 4 - Anthony with Machamp
I have no experience with the Machamp matchup. When people have asked me "what will you do against Machamp?" I have just sorta jokingly replied, "I dunno, fight with Uxies I guess." Well it turns out, that actually works. I don't figure it out soon enough in game 1 and he owns me pretty bad. Game 2, I go aggro Uxie Lv.X and kill 3 Machops and a Machamp with some very careful psychic restoring to conserve Uxies and Unown Gs. Game 3 I start with Uxie and take an early lead. It goes to time I believe.
6-1
Top 2 - Kason with Dusknoir Gengar
I don't remember this one too well. I win game 1. He takes four prizes before time is called in game 2, so we go to sudden death, one prize each. I am shocked to discover that in sudden death, I can't use sacrifice. At all. Ughhh. He gets a really early Gengar and poltergeists my normal Regi for 90 I believe. For some reason he burned some warp points for very little effect. I pull up his Claydol, but don't have enough energy to Gigaton Punch that turn, so I pass. He attaches to Claydol and passes. I attach a third energy to Regi, and flips heads on Gigaton Punch for the win.
7-1
I pull two Lv.X, a shining and a secret rare from my packs. I feel bad for whoever got the other boosters from that box. =<
I go back to Colin's house, and Michael comes over to playtest with us. I'm wanting to play something else for Sunday but I don't really have any experience with anything besides Regi so I just switch a Cynthia for a Wager and go to bed.
Sunday, Nov. 30 - Belleville
Same list as the day before, just changed Cynthia for Wager.
Round 1 - Newman with Kingdra
He gets T1 Kingdra but can only do 60 to my Uxie, I believe? I sacrifice that Uxie and Gigaton Punch him, 20 to his benched Kingdra. Next turn Giga Blaster. Turn after that, do some tricks, Giga Blaster with pluspower on the other Kingdra. I kill a Claydol at some point. Usually I don't feel too good about winning, but feels good to beat someone who is notorious for cheating, stalling and being obnoxious.
1-0
Round 2 - Wisconsin Guy with Salamence/Leafeon/Togekiss
He gets Claydol, Salamence, and Togekiss out on turn 2, and I think four energies from Serene Grace? I respond with Giga Blaster with a pluspower for the 1-hit on his Salamence. He starts stalling while he tries to find his Leafeon Lv.X. I pull up his Leafeon and Giga Blaster it. I think he had 3 energies on that. He gets up another Salamence, but I've been holding another Pluspower in hand just in case. I Giga Blaster its face for the win.
2-0
Round 3 - Josh with Scizor
I have to burn so many trainers and waste so many resources just to draw into a Premier Ball. I finally grab it off of a lucky Trade Off and start Giga Blastering Scizors. He gets a few prizes from Sacrifice but never manages to kill my Regi after that.
3-0
Round 4 - Zach with Tangrowth
I pluspower Giga Blaster his Tangrowths. So they never really get to heal. Also, I think I killed a Claydol really early in the game, but he gets another one set up. Might've killed a Sceptile as well. Oh, and Unown G prevents some special conditions. He's my little buddy =D
4-0
Top 4 - Colin with Kingdra
I win game 1. Time is called on my turn in game 2, and I had been planning on sacrificing to heal my Gigas out of upstream range, but that would put me two prizes behind instead of one. So I take a prize and tie it up. He gets up another Kingdra and aqua streams for, like, a lot. So we go into sudden death. And I have to get a KO against a T1 stage 2 deck, without sacrificing. Ugh. I start with Uxie I think, to his Horsea? He gets Kingdra but can't do 70. I go through a ridiculous amount of my deck trying to find pokeblower or warp point. I get the pokeblowers and for the win.
5-0
Top 2 - Zach with Tangrowth again
I win pretty decisively, twice. And then we all go out to dinner at Burger King, talk Pokemans, then get lost trying to get me back to my car. Woo. =) I head home after a long and lovely weekend. Thank you for your hospitality Colin. =)
6-0
Saturday, Dec. 6 - Valley Park, MO
I'm running a pretty different build of Regi this weekend, with Palkia and switches instead of Pokeblowers. Requires more setup, but Palkia is searchable unlike blower. And he resets your Giga Blaster. And he gives you a lot more tricks at your disposal. And he's just awesome. I stayed the night before at Bela's, and we built him a copy of my deck to play over the weekend.
Round 1 - Bela with Regi
Ugh we're both upset that we have to play each other round 1. I have a bit more experience playing Regi, and I know how to win the mirror match, so I go about doing that. It's all in the Mespirit drops.
1-0
Round 2 - Grumpy Bald Guy with MACHAMP AND GLISCOR
A little bitter from last weekend, it seems? Yeah, fighting types. Real mature. =P I try to stick to my Uxie strategy, but it doesn't work so well because Gliscor isn't Psychic weak. I think this was my only swiss game that went to time, in all of the cities I have attended so far. It was his turn when time was called, and he went a prize ahead.
1-1
Round 3 - Magmortar
He recycles the Lv.X like THREE times. It's annoying because I'll kill a Mag Lv.X, expecting to get a 1-hit on the next Magmortar with the pluspower I've been saving in hand. But then he night maint/Bebes the Lv.X, burns and bazookas. I think I had to sacrifice five times this game? And just about every energy attachment went on Regi to heal the Torrent burns.
2-1
Round 4 - Colin with Torterra
I'm paired up with Colin who is 3-0, which ends up being nice for my resistance later on. He gets a perfect Torterra setup to my T2 Regi and Palkia. I pull up Sceptile very early and kill it, but he recycles the Sceptile and gets him back out on the next turn, and has a playday with his Forest Murmurs for a while before finally killing my Palkia. There goes my chances at killing his support Pokemon. Fighting type Torterra wrecks me.
2-2
Round 5 - Anthony with Machamp
Somewhat of a repeat of last Saturday. I Uxie rush him while he draws completely dead. He had no shortage of call energy to get his basics, but couldn't get any evolutions until a Claydol toward the end. His Cosmic Power got him a handful of trash and he scooped.
3-2
Top 8 - Grumpy Bald Guy with Machamp/Gliscor
I have a better idea of how to play against his deck now, and he misplays a bit and forgets to use Gliscor Lv.X's power once. I win game 1 and I forget what happened in game 2. Either I won it or I was ahead when time was called.
4-2
Top 4 - Colin with Torterra
Game 1, he owns me just like in swiss. I scoop after about 20 minutes, I think? Game 2, he gets a Treecko start and candies it to Sceptile while it's still active? I get a very early Gigas and kill his support, and he isn't able to recycle it like before. He scoops round 2. Game 3, I get a good setup while he isn't able to get out his evolutions, so I take a few early prizes and time is called.
5-2
Top 2 - Michael with Dusknoir/Gengar
He scoops to me. I would've liked to play it out, but it's late and everyone is tired and very happy to be leaving an hour early so I don't protest.
6-2
I meet up with Josh afterward and we go to Zach's to playtest. Bela and Will are there too. Zach, Josh and Will all tech Mewtwo Lv.X in their decks. I feel very unloved. =<
Sunday, Dec. 7 - O'Fallon, IL
Same list as Saturday.
Round 1 - Andrew with Dusknoir/Gengar
I get paired with a Senoir for round 1, but Vince's kids are ridiculously good at this game so I'm not expecting an easy game. He gets up a Dark Palm 'Noir a little earlier than I expected him to, shuffles in my Regi and kills a Lunatone. This leaves me with two Uxie, Palkia Lv.X and a Mespirit. I attach Unown G to the Uxies and Palkia, use all my trainers, level up an Uxie and start pulling different things up and putting damage on them. He has 2 claydol, 2 gengar, Dark Palm 'Noir (levelled up) and something else out, I think. My hand keeps growing as I collect energies and Pokemon that I don't want to play down, and he keeps Poltergeisting for nothing because all of his other attacks do counters and that doesn't get him very far once he has KOed my Mesprit. I take all six of my prizes with Uxie Lv.X.
1-0
Round 2 - Eric with Regi
I have a better list for mirror and he never gets a Claydol set up so he usually only has a card or two in hand. It gets down to two prizes each. He sacrifices his Palkia Lv.X, leaving his Regi completely alone on the field, and he KOs something of mine to bring it to 1-1 prizes. I can two hit his Regi, but he can 1 hit mine if he can get his Spiritomb out of his deck. He doesn't get it out.
2-0
Round 3 - Tyranitar
I rush him pretty bad, going up four prizes and discarding all kinds of important stuff. When he gets out a T-tar, I stop using powers. He gets two special dark on his T-tar and attacks my Regi for 60. I decide not to sacrifice because I've already discarded his other two special dark and I don't think he can KO my Regi next turn. So I just put 100 on his T-tar with Regi. He drops a spiritomb and attaches another energy to T-tar to get the KO. I respond with a KO with Lunatone, putting me at one prize left. I restructure and take my last prize with Uxie Lv.X.
3-0
Round 4 - Bela with Regi
Ugh, paired with Bela again. It doesn't matter who's better at mirror this time, because my deck works perfectly on his side of the field, but totally hates me. He beats me really bad.
3-1
Bela ends up in the top 2 cut with Newman, who was playing SF Infernape. Bela loses. =<
Saturday, Dec. 13 - Louisville, KY
I'm still playing the same list as last weekend. I stay with Tyler the night before and we do a bunch of playtesting and I learn how to lose terribly to T-tar/Alakazam. Glad I got that practice in because I end up playing a deck like that the next day. We also play some chess and get philosophical and stay up until like 4am. It was fun =)
Round 1 - Gengar/Mismagius
The head judge for the day, who also happens to run the league that this pokedad attends, thinks that Mismagius can discard your opponent's Unown Gs. And that's what he told this pokedad at league, so that's the whole reason this pokedad is playing Mismagius. When he tries to discard my Unown Gs during our game, and I have Bernie the TO look up the Mismagius ruling, pokedad gets kinda upset at the head judge for telling him wrong and basically leading him to build a deck that doesn't actually in the way he built it to. Anyways he had me kinda worried, starting with an Unown G to my Regi with no support, and attacking me for 50 turn 2. I get set up just in time, level up and heal off the 50, and start killing stuff. At one point he had a two card hand at the end of his turn, so I pull up his Claydol and kill it. He never recovers after that, missing like three or four energy attachments. I killed a couple Gengars with the Uxie trick in this game. =)
1-0
Round 2 - Kingdra
He gets T2 Kingdra but no draw to support its attack. I go to work Giga Blastering every turn to keep his hand size down.
2-0
Round 3 - Magnezone
I didn't get a supporter until the very last turn of this game. Ughh. I eventually run out of pokemon to sacrifice, so my Regi is sitting out there with 80 damage, but I've been pulling up and Giga Blastering his Claydols and Electivires all game so he has two energyless Magnezones out and keeps hitting tails on Conductive Quarry. My fifth prize is a Roseanne, the first supporter I saw this game. I got three pokeballs but they were all tails =< But I don't need the Roseanne to take my last sixth prize so I go ahead and get one last KO for the game.
3-0
Round 4 - Jackie with Kabutops/Groudon
Wow, pretty much an autoloss. But she's my favorite pokemom so I'm happy anyways. =) I misplayed pretty awfully in this game but I doubt it would've made much difference. She got a Kabutops up when I had like 6 trainers in my hand, so I basically end up stuck with that lame useless hand for the rest of the game while she mows down all of my pokemon and I sacrifice futilely.
3-1
Round 5 - League Leader Guy From Nashville - Tyranitar/Alakazam
I'm fortunate to get an amazing setup very early, before he gets his T-tar and 'Kazam out. And then I just completely stop using powers. I take three prizes while he's setting up, then he gets out a T-tar and hits my regi. I hit him with Lunatone. He spinning tails. I retreat and KO with Regi. He KOs with Sableye. I KO with Uxie Lv.X putting me at one prize. He brings up a T-tar with no energy, attaches and passes. I warp and he sends up Mr. Mime, so I switch back to Uxie Lv.X, attach a third energy and take my last prize.
4-1
Top 4 - Phillip with Machamp/Palkia
Game 1, I kill a Machoke and two Machops with my first Uxie Lv.X. He gets up a Machamp and kills that Uxie with Hurricane Punch. I recycle Uxie Lv.X and hit him back. He levels up, attaches pluspower and kills me with strong willed. My third Uxie is prized, but I have a TSD somewhere in my deck and I think I can stall with Restructure until I draw into it, so I pull up his Claydol. He switches out and kills something with Strong Willed. So I pull up Claydol again. He switches out and KOs again. Third time's the charm? Nope. Switch number 3. So he's down to one prize, he has a backup Machamp built up already, and I haven't been able to recycle my Uxies. I do 70 with Palkia's first attack just for fun, just to see if I can kill that darn Machamp. He flips heads on his strong-willed effect, lol. Game 2, I get T2 Uxie Lv.X, and recycle it instantly every time it dies, taking four prizes before time is called. Ugh, sudden death against Machamp. The head judge thinks we're supposed to put out six prizes, so I have to set him straight on that. Bernie has to pull out the rule book because the head judge doesn't believe me. I think I should know; I've been in three top cuts already this season. Anyways we get that straightened out and set up for our sudden death. I start with Lunatone to his Machop, who kicks for 10. I Roseanne for Unown G and Uxie, retreat to Uxie, attach G, and pass. He hits Uxie for 20. I level up, search out Mesprit to block a claydol I see he's about to get, psychic restore for 30. He candies to Machamp and tries to kill me with three heads off of Hurricane Punch. He only gets two. He now has 100 hp left, and I only do 90 after weakness, so I have to draw into a pluspower or else I probably lose next turn. I get my hand down to just an Uxie and a Felicity, draw 6 with Uxie and 4 with Felicity, and wiff on the pluspower. So I warp point up his Claydol, bring up my Lunatone, move an energy to him with opponent's Stark Mountain, then do 20 and discard the Stark, which I'm hoping will lock Claydol active for a turn. He didn't have to cosmic power or anything, though; he already had switch in his hand. Ughhhhh. So close.
4-2
So that's my report so far. I'll update this after I've gone to my last three cities. Good luck to everyone, have fun, and hope to see you at some tournaments this season =)
Update!
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Saturday, December 20 - Seymour, IN
I decided I wanted to try something slightly different, so I borrowed a few cards and built AMU teched against Machamp. Didn't have a lot of time to practice with it, but I covered the matchups I felt would be most common (Machamp, Gigas, and Dusknoir).
Round 1 - Tyler with Empoleon/Omastar
I take an early lead, and have everything set up for a double Supreme Blast when he finally gets some Empoleons going.
1-0
Round 2 - Regigigas
I get out Azelf MT very early and he keeps making the mistake of trying to attack with too few energies. He tries to fight with his Uxie Lv.X which didn't make any sense to me, since he would need 3 energies to do 60 and I had Azelf Lv.X out to negate weakness, while he is still 2x weak. I 6-0'd him.
2-0
Round 3 - Isaiah with Scizor/Cherrim
I realize when I sit down with Isaiah that my Scizor matchup is awful. This is going to be difficult. He goes first, and misses the T1 energy drop. So I think I might have a chance. T2 he attaches to a benched Scyther, and on my T2 I kill his active. He brings up the benched Scyther, evolves, attaches energy, attaches 2 pluspower, kills my Uxie Lv.X. Ugh. He builds up some Cherrims so he can 1-hit anything of mine. Seven or eight turns later, he wins.
2-1
Round 4 - Dustin with Regigigas
I'm happy to see a good matchup again in round 4. Until I see my opening hand. It's Mesprit MT, a bunch of Lv.Xes, energy switch, warp point, switch. No energy, no search, no other basics. Dustin gets a Gigas start with Regice on the bench, and goes first. My turn, I draw an energy, attach, warp point to (hopefully) stall a turn. His turn, switch, level up, sacrifice for energy accel, and he kills my lone Mesprit for game. It was over in about a minute. We played another game afterward and I dominated him just like my list is supposed to. Dustin goes on to win against my friend Steven who was also playing AMU but had techs that helped his Scizor matchup.
2-2
Saturday, December 3 - Evansville, IN
I go back to playing Gigas because I don't have anyone to borrow AMU stuff from at this tournament. My friend Kristin is playing my Machamp deck, and Emily is playing my Torterra deck.
Round 1 - Morgan with Glaceon/Walrein
She has a hard time getting out evolutions so I kill a bunch of Eevees and Seal-guys.
1-0
Round 2 - Guy from Indianapolis with Kingdra
I psychic bind his Claydol when he gets one set up, then kill it, then discard most of his hand. He has a hard time getting off the 60-20 attack because his hand is always two or three cards at most. He never really gets many energies into the discard, which is the key to beating Gigas with Kingdra.
2-0
Round 3 - Dustin with Regigigas
Very close game, but he sacrifices to heal his Regi, before he kills my Regi, putting me at one prize left, and him at two. I level up my backup Regi, restructure for an Uxie or something, sacrifice whatever he brings up, and kill the Uxie.
3-0
Round 4 - Emily with Torterra
I'm so excited for Emily, she's undefeated in her first tournament ever =) Also I'm kinda worried, because my Torterra build has a pretty good matchup against Gigas. She gets SF Torterra before I can start to Psychic Bind, but it just does 60 to a random basic. I attack it for 20 with Uxie, putting it at 100 hp. She whiffs on the Lv.X or Dawn Stadium, so next turn I level up Gigas and hit it for 100. She sends up an MD Torterra to hit me for 100. I Palkia up Sceptile, heal myself, and kill Sceppy. She's stuck earthquaking for a little bit while I kill her Claydol too. She stays ahead on prizes most of the game because I'm having to Sacrifice almost every turn. It ends up with both of us at one prize left and I have to draw into a Switch in order to Palkia up something and kill it. I get the switch off of a Trade Off. Best game all day =)
4-0
Top 4 - Monti with Toxicroak/Mewtwo Lv.X
Game 1, he gets out basic Mewtwo twice but each time I pull it up with Palkia and Giga Blaster it. He never really gets setup so I just kill a bunch of basics for the game. Game 2, he starts with Mewtwo. I hit it for 40 with Uxie. He levels up on turn 2 so I go to work setting up my Mewtwo counter, and kill the Lv.X a couple turns later. Then I just mow through his basics like I did last game.
5-0
Top 2 - Dustin again with Regigigas
He wins game 1 pretty decisively. I had some pretty bad draws and made some sloppy plays. Game 2, he fills his bench without putting down a Gigas, which has me puzzled. So he goes about attacking with Uxie Lv.X and not really getting anywhere. I pull up a baltoy and kill it, and he replaces it with a Gigas, which I pull up and kill as well. Having an almost full bench can be devastating when your opponent has Palkia set up. Anyways I take 4 prizes and have board control so he scoops. We get started on game 3 and time is called after one or two turns. I've been setting up Uxie and Palkia, while he's been setting up a Gigas which he can now no longer use because Sacrifice would cost him the game. So I kill something with Uxie Lv.X and win somewhat anti-climatically.
6-0
Sunday, December 4 - Nashville, TN
Emily and Tyler from Evansville come down to Owensboro to stay at my place for the night, then Kristin comes over Sunday morning and we all ride down to Nashville together. Emily and Kristin are still playing Torterra and Machamp respectively. Tyler is playing my Scizor Cherrim deck, and I'm still playing Gigas.
Round 1 - Kristin with Machamp
I'm bummed that I have to play a friend in round 1. Her deck works splendidly and she almost beats me, but she doesn't play the Lv.X at the right time and only gets 2/4 heads on a critical Hurricane Punch, so I kill that Machamp and leave her with an energyless and evolutionless field and Machamp DP is already in the discard so I don't have to worry about that. I have enough of a lead from that to win the game by Restructuring for random basics.
1-0
Round 2 - Carlos with Regigigas
Ugh, playing another friend in round 2. I set up very slow because he Psychic Binds me for like four turns straight. So I'm just attaching to a Regi manually, which actually ends up helping me because I don't have to give up a prize for energy acceleration. After he's done chaining Psychic Binds together, I start my own chain of Binds only to find that one out of my two Mesprit is prized and I don't have the bench space to search it out with Azelf and play it. So I sacrifice the Mesprit I have in play and try to get it back with TSD, but flip 0/3 heads. So his Gigas is going to be able to heal next turn, plus I'm vulnerable to being Psychic Binded myself. Which is exactly what happens. He sacs a Mesprit, plays his own TSD, gets 2/3 heads and gets back two Mesprit, and that's pretty much game. Too many prizes have been taken for me to safely set up a new Gigas.
1-1
Round 3 - Tyranitar I think?
I T2 his lone Baltoy.
2-1
Round 4 - Tyler with Scizor/Cherrim
I get a Mesprit start, but I don't mind because it's not like he has any powers to lock anyways. I set up a Gigas Lv.X pretty fast and start mowing down his Scizors.
3-1
Round 5 - Torterra
He plays with a bench of 3 the whole time. Did some one tell him I tech a Dusknoir DP or something? I kill his support Pokemon, but he gets up a big Tort Lv.X toward the end with 3 energies attached, and an empty bench. I had fresh Gigas Lv.X active, a Palkia Lv.X and an Uxie Lv.X with 60 on each. The prize count was me with 1 prize, him with 2. I made a big misplay in not sacrificing Uxie Lv.X to turn off his Forest Murmurs/deny him the snipe KO, and I would have lost the game but time is called as I am calling my attack. He would have won on his next turn =/
4-1
Top 4 - Dusknoir/Bronzong
Game 1, I set up Gigas, Palkia, and Uxie all with Unown G attached. I put his Dusknoir Lv.X on the bench and kill it with heads on a Gigaton Punch. Game 2 I get a slower start because my Palkia is prized and he sets up Noir Lv.X on turn 2. I play Azelf, putting me at 4 bench, but Psychic Restore an Uxie back into my deck. Then he snipes Azelf so I'm free to set up Palkia and carefully Restructure KO everything important on his field.
5-1
Top 2 - Carlos again with Regigigas
Game 1, he Psychic Binds me 1000 times and I lose. Game 2, the same. Oh but for a second there I thought I might win because it was tied at 3-3 on my turn and I had 3 Uxies out - one with 2 energy, 1 with 1 energy, and 1 with 0. I could warp point/zen blade, he kills that Uxie, I recycle the Lv.X onto the next one and warp point/zen blade again, he kills that one, then I restructure/psychic restore to his Palkia with 100 on it for the win. But he Psychic Binds my Restructure at the end there. So yeah, I got owned pretty bad in a mirror match that I'm usually very good at. Only 2 Mesprits ftl =(
5-2
Props:
City Championships.
Pokemon. I love this game!
Colin, Bela, Josh, Tyler and Hannah. Thank you all so much for letting me stay with you!
All the rest of my friends that I've gotten to see over the past few weekends. It's been a blast.
Vince, Clay and Bernie. You guys put on some great tourneys and I really appreciate it.
Slops:
Grumpy Bald Guy and Newman. lol.
Love,
Jayson
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