Pokémon TCG: Sword and Shield—Brilliant Stars

a Canadian Nationals report

moose101

Member
Played Blastoise, because it's "the play". Travelled there Friday and played in the practice area with all sorts of decks and convinced people I was running Gothitelle. Built quad snorlax for April to play because Quadlax is op. Sleeved with Deoxys Thundurus sleeves and a matching deck box to psyche people out. Registration took place and after a while roster then pairings.

R1: I got a bye for losing badly to AmericanDavid in top 2 of Oregon Regionals...
1-0!!!
I nervously waited for west coasters results and all of the seniors and juniors won their first round except for Bradley. :(

R2: I got another bye because one just isn't enough.
2-0!!!!!
Waited and waited until I didn't want to wait any longer.

R3 vs. Antoine w/Rayeels
Yay, a bad matchup against another person with 2 byes...
Anyways, I go first and have supporters. So I set up. Antoine attaches fire to babyray to kill ny black Kyurem later. Unfortunately for him, he had to use 2 fire energy on babyray. This ended up being a critical misplay as he proceeds to whiff on fire for Rayquaza EX multiple times at pivotal moments. It was thanks to this that I could take the lead and win.
3-0!!!!
Just need 1 more win.

R4: Victor w/Klinklang lasers
Another bad matchup... Well.
I go first (tails never fails) and have supporters so I set up. He also gets 2 klinks and beaches. I use N and get Blastoise set up. He attaches and beaches. I knock out a Klink with Keldeo. He draws and uses righteous edge. I catcher and KO his other Klink. He passes. I Black Ballista for game.
4-0!!!!
Dead draws are unfortunate but they happen, Victor ended up making top 8.

R5: vs. David w/Klinklang
Bleh. Why did I choose to run Blastoise.
Anyways, I go first and am able to set up. David gets the nuts and has lots of stuff turn 2. I use Black Kyurem to knock out the Keldeo he started with. He just starts hitting stuff with Cobalion. I start hitting his Cobaluons repeatedly for 90 with Blastoise (with 3 water 1 lightning). But he gets max potion EVERY TURN. He uses 4 max potion and 1 dowsing machine for max potion. It's really frustrating. I eventually am able to KO a Cobalion EX and David offered the handshake thinking he lost when I still had 2 prizes left. I just look at him confusedly and he realizes it's not over yet. We continue and he hits me with another Cobalion EX. I catcher a Cobalion and knock it out. He then knocks me out and I have nothing left and just start rush in+max potion stall.* I eventually deck out.
4-1!!!!!
Bad matchup all day. The 2 X-0's are both Klinklang. I needed to win my last round so I wouldn't have to play against Klinklang in top 8.

R6: vs. Ashir w/Darkrai
Finally!!!! An even matchup!
I start no supporters and go first. Top deck... N! I get ultra ball level ball energy beach. He attaches to Darkrai active and passes. I get Blastoise out with Skyla then beach. He attacks with Absol on a Keldeo. I knock out the Absol. He sends up Darkrai and beaches. I catcher his benched Absol and knock it out. He kills me with Darkrai. I kill him with Black Kyurem. He drops the N and then beaches. I get Juiper and pull Superior Retrieval and catcher for game.
5-1!!!!!!!!
Well, prolly second seed because of two byes. All other seniors from west coast went 4-2 or 3-3 and two bc juniors went 4-2 and one (James) went 5-1 because I told him to...

Final Standings for seniors after swiss.
1.Allan X w/Klinklang
2.moi w/Blastoise
3.David w/Klinklang
4.Victor w/Klinklang
5.Ciaran w/Klinklang
6.Jack w/Darkrai or TDK I think... (actually it was Garbodor)
7.TJ w/gothitelle
8.Aneil w/TDK

I get to play the only other west coaster (if you count Alberta as West coast).
We all hand in our decks and are told to come back the following day at 8:30am.

I then fail at hacky sack and almost die in a creepy endless hallway with many twists and turns with no bathrooms.
And the very next day...

I get there at 8:00 and wait along with Trevor, Bidier, Mark, and James. They call up juniors and we all yell good luck at James. Then they call up seniors.
I wasn't really nervous as this was my 5th time in top 8 for Canadian Nats.

Top8 vs. TJ w/Gothitelle/Accelgor
I go first! (Tails never fails!!). I level ball for squirtle, attach to Keldeo and beach.
He N's me out of rare candy, Blastoise, 3 energy, juniper... I don't draw rare candy stoise. He beaches as well. I attach and juniper into a second Keldeo. He gets candy goth float stone and then attacks with Accelgor with no shelmets on bench. I rush in to my other Keldeo, attach lightning and hit for 90. He plays down helmets and gothita. I attach the 3rd water to my active Keldeo and KO his Goth. He gets Mew, DCE, rare candy goth and hits my Keldeo. I double rush in and attach the KO his last gothitelle. He KO's my powered up Keldeo. I get candy Blastoise maxpotion superior energy retrieval and another Keldeo then juniper yo catcher Accelgor. He gets another one and hits me with Mew. I double rush in catcher shelmet. He can't really respond. I take game 1.
1-0

Game 2
He chooses to go first.* He gets basics down and passes.* I N him and am able to get some basics.* I think I got 1squirtle and 2 Keldeo out but then had 0 cards in hand.* He Doesnt get a supporter or was holding an N and just passes.* I top a catcher and pass.* He draws, evolves shelmet, hits me with Accelgor.* I draw rare candy, pass.* He has to play beach and draws cards hoping to set up goth before I get candy stoise.* I topdeck Blastoise.* I use rare candy to evolve into stoise and catcher a duskull then beach for 7.* After that it was all downhill for him.* I end up winning game 2.
2-0 (6-1)

I legitimately advance to top 4 for the first time in 5 years.* Finally broke my "top 8 then lose" streak and looking for a win.

Top 4 vs. David w/Klinklang
David is my opponent from round 5, so I know most of his deck already.
I go first and set up as usual.* He plays N I think and gets down two klinks.* I rare candy Blastoise catcher Klink deluge onto Keldeo and juniper (or something like that).* He gets plasmaklang out and hits Keldeo.* I catcher another Klink and knock it put with Blastoise.* He hits Blastoise, I knock out another Klink.* He KO s Blastoise but I have another so I knock out his regular Cobalion.* He N's me to 2 and hits Blastoise for 30.* I rushin Keldeo and beach.* He N's and hits Keldeo.* I rushin another Keldeo and beach.* He N's and hits Keldeo.* I rush in retreat to black Kyurem and beach.* He hits me.* I catcher his Keldeo and black ballista for game.
1-0

Game 2
He chooses to go first.* Game 1 went pretty long so I thought that if I could draw out the game I could win on time since I usually take first prize.* Anyways, this time around he sets up much better.* I, on the other hand, did not.* He gets all his Klinklangs and max potions everything I do.* I run out of energy and start rushin retreating late game to make it last longer.* Max potions help in stalling lots too.* Eventually I have no outs left and he wins.
1-1

Game 3
I go first and play down some squirtles.* He N's and I don't get candy stoise.* He gets out klinklang and it's starting to look like the last game.* I was able to knock out klinks to stay ahead on prizes if time were called.* Eventually it's 4 prizes for me, 5 for him.* I check his discard pile for catchers and he has used 2 and dowsing machine.* I decide to rushin to stall since I can KO his bench Keldeo with black Kyurem.* He plays some cards and hits Keldeo.* I notice his deck is small so I count the cards.* Then I check his discard. 4 N's.* I max potion, Skyla catcher, retreat to black Kyurem and KO Keldeo (in case time is called) then I count the cards in my deck, it's exactly the same as his, 5.* He draws, 4.* He hits my black Kyurem.* I rushin healthy Keldeo, pass.* He draws, 3.* He hits Keldeo.* I rushin another and pass.* Draws, 2.* He catchers something for kill.* I play max potion on black Kyurem and Keldeo, pass.* He draws, 1.* Hits black Kyurem.* I rushin, pass.* He draws his last card with no N's in hand and still 3 prizes left.* He scoops, gg.
2-1 (7-1)

I move onto top 2 and so does James in juniors, will the west coast sweep the younger age divisions?

Top2 vs. Ciaran w/Klinklang
This game was filmed and will hopefully be posted online soon, I'll just give a recap.
G1: I outspeed him and take 6 prizecards due to his lack of max potions.
G2: I can't keep up with Cobalions and run out of retrievals.
G3: I don't start strong, he does the same thing as he did game 2 and there are some interesting gear grind flips.
1-2 (7-2)

I finished 2nd place after a long day, and James wins in juniors! We take pictures and celebrate. Then April, Eric, Bradley, James, Trevor, Mark, Josh, and I play a mutant draft with one of my boxes, pulled FA deoxys, FA Tornadus, Thundurus, heatran, shiny garbodor, and rock guard. Then trade FA deoxys for regular and Mew EX, and FA Tornadus for regular and ghetsis.

Props
Finally winning top 8 for once
A cool looking trophy
Blastoise
James, my hero
Beating bad matchup
900CP
Everyone from BC who are the coolest.
My dad for taking me there and his advices, also going 5-1 to 5-3 and just missing cut.
Tony for lending cards
Simon C for his amazingness
Americanos for helping me test Blastoise at all those Battle Roads.
Getting my finals match filmed
The live streaming, hope this happens at US Nats.
An ancient Mew
Cyndaquil
Getting 2 packs of play! Pokemon sleeves from the 2 times I actually reported super league games.
Selling sleeves for money.
80% resistance, lol

Slops
Klinklang
So many bad matchups
A 20$ ancient Mew
Both BC masters in cut losing in top 32
Lack of British Columbians with invites (only 5).
That's it!

The end.
 
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Congrats on making second! Also the article is very insightful as for what will probably at Senior Nats. What I found interesting though was that only 2 TDK's made it in. Do you know if it was because people couldn't afford it or if people just thought it was bad? Oh and tails never does fail. (I say that also before every game.)
 
MiniWade- Oh, gosh im sorry. I typed this up on the flight back and I was half asleep at the time. See you at Worlds!!

Thatguy- Thanks. There were quite a few TDKs at the event but after round 4, they all got paired against Klinklang and lost and it was made worse since only one X-2 would make cut.. TDK is still a really good deck, it's just that many seniors expected it to be popular so they played anti plasma (Klinklang). I also saw some pro players using things like Rayeels and Blastoise.

Also, it turns out that Jack was playing Garbodor so no TDK went X-1.
 
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Congrats on 2nd! My Gear Grind flips were pretty hilarious! Double tails 3 times in a row!!
 
Wow, Klingklang is still seeing play! Thank you very much Joey for your awesome tournament report. Thank you even more for putting me in the props. I need all the tournament reports for my addiction fix as I can. You are indeed an outstanding member of our pokemon community.
 
cf11- thanks, those gear grind flips were pretty hilarious, Blastoise just can't get his gears grinded. Congratulations on winning, see you at Worlds!!

icyp- I didn't expect Klinklang at all, I thought it would be Darkrai heavy. Thanks for your support, you are also a very important member of the BC pokemon community, see you at league and worlds!
 
Despite what people say that seniors final was impressively high level of play. Congrats on second! We'll hopefully have the games dubbed and uploaded by the end of the week.
 
WHY DID YOU LOSE?!

Also looking forward to playing hacky sack with you at Worlds. I expect you to be at least as good as me by then. ;)
 
OTB- thanks, looking forward to seeing myself play on camera. :)

Kazuto!!!!!!!!!!!- I didn't have an epic larvitar tech, that's why I lost. Now I shall hacky sack until I win, See You At Worlds!
 
#TeamTails

Good job man and hopefully I'll have time to drop in on a league and congratulate you in person before Worlds! Crazy job considering the amount of Klingklang you played!
 
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