Naki Feralkin
New Member
So, Massillon. My home store and last BR until cities (I think I'm just judging here on), I needed to pull something out and I haven't won a premier event since I started this game. Today, determination was on me.
I went with Garchomp. I knew the bloody deck, after all. I made very few changes since last week, caving to peer pressure and putting in two Upper energies, and a Mewtwo LX line, since my only really bad matchup was against SP last week. I cut the Relicanth and a Warp Point, as well as the two fighting (I can't justify cutting any more psychics with the addition of Mewtwo). If you want to see the deck, look for my previous report as I'm just way too lazy to type the list again, and make those changes.
Very small number, but 18 is enough for a Top 4 and 5 rounds. Works for me.
Round 1 Vs. Kim Allen (SP Box)
This list was not unfamiliar to me, having seen it last week and realizing the Ditto tech had to be dealt with swiftly and by other means. My hand looks kind of yucky as I wait 4 turns for a supporter before finally grabbing a Roseanne's. I believe her hand was just as bad though, having no real bombs to hit the field with, while I at least had a Garchomp line to throw together for some damage. I do manage to get him on the field swinging, which puts a severe dent in SP's as I learned last week (Speed Impact = yum) and I manage to come back. She does start setting up a Ditto which makes me cry a little as I haven't even thrown my Mewtwo on the field yet (wanted to save it for later, when I knew there was no Ninetales/Banette). She warp points, and I bring up a Chatot. She chatters, as she must have had something decent in her hand, not wanting to mimic it away. I have a Nidoqueen out by this time, so the damage is irrelevant and I mimic for a couple better hands off of her massive hands. She continues to chatter, so I pull a trick from her book and chatter back. I eventually get rid of the ditto, which paves the way for safe Chomp and Queen for the rest of the game.
(1-0)
Round 2 Vs. Jane Hostetler (???)
I didn't get to see this game the entire way through, I ended up dropping her early Magmortar on Turn 3, and knocking off a few of her benched pokemon before she could get any explosive pokemon onto the field. I speed impact sweep by Turn 5.
(2-0)
Round 3 Vs. Andrew Mishik (Gyarados)
I seriously just cried a couple of tears walking into this game. Out of all the SP decks and other such decks I could have run into, I run into Gyarados. This machine is a terror on.. fins, able to beat hard and fast for very little. Granted, I can perfect Speed Impact every attack, but with a fishy beating for 90 a turn for nothing... I don't exactly want this.
He starts with Sableye, and I have a Gible start, but I'm unable to get anything going for a few turns. He takes an early 2 prize lead which really puts a dent in my plans.. but, I had something in mind. I can reduce the amount of damage he does significantly with Garchomp/Queen, so my goal was to just fill the bench with chomps and a queen and one Claydol. I know the deck runs Warp Point and Cyclones, so I had to work around it. I gave him a BTS by dropping mine early on, but I needed it as well to just dump guys as I needed. By the time I'm finally a few prizes in, I have 3 Chomps and a Queen ready to go. I flip flop around the Garchomps, recovering as I guard claw, slowly adding up the damage until I knock off a Gyarados. I continue this pattern, throwing bait at him anytime he warp points, letting him have the prize. By the games end, we're tied up and I manage to find a way around his last Gyarados to take it. Smart walling and Queen aggro for one turn save the day. ROCKY matchup and really good game!
(3-0)
Round 4 Versus Kyle Pattyson (Gliscor/Drapion)
This matchup had to be the most agonizing game I've ever played in my life. I know you're probably laughing at this deck, but the player played smart and built a really efficient deck that worked incredibly well.
Again, rocky start. My hand looks really good, I have ways to get my hand down to nothing early and draw with Uxie and Claydol. I WHIFF on both of them, getting energies and useless trainers/supporters. His nasty status wall keeps throwing energies on him, making it almost impossible to Speed Impact, and my Guard Claw's doing almost nothing due to the triple toxicity crap. I manage to keep pace towards the end game, going Nidoqueen aggro for a prize, then attempting to get her out, in which case she gets Gliscor locked to oblivion. I lose with 1 prize remaining apiece.
(3-1)
I'm skeptical about top cut here, but my only possible opponents are two SP's or a pair-down. My hopes were thought to be bitterly crushed by a pokemon I forgot even existed.
Round 5 vs. "Hoolon" Michael Collins (Blaziken/Luxray)
Pretty much the same sort of deck I'd seen earlier, but I didn't remember seeing Blaziken or Luxray. I felt really bad because I pretty much Mewtwo rocked him the entire game. I open with Mewtwo which became a Level X, which went bad for him down hill. I win after taking 6 to his 3, letting him have a little fun towards the end.
(4-1)
So, I know I'm in now, but the opponent choice is really bad. I was pretty sure I would get seeded 2 or 3, with my opponent probably being Kyle again, but after I check the list, I find out that I'm actually in 4th versus my LEAST favorite deck. Queue seeds.
1st: Joey Gannon (Beedrill)
2nd: Kyle Pettyson (Gliscor/Drapion)
3rd: Jacob Rebescher (Blaziken/Luxray)
4th: Stephen McGaffney (Garchomp)
I don't know literally what to say. I've seen wierder days, but I think this might just take the cake. I go depressed for this round, wondering just how I'm gonna win this.
Top 4 Vs. Joey Gannon (Beedrill)
Joey has a very rough time trying to get himself setup, being unable to really do any serious damage for a couple of turns. He does manage to get ahead in prizes, but doesn't get a Bee out until roughly turn 3. Unfortunately, my hand isn't much better, though I do luckily manage to draw into a call on my opening hand, being able to set up an early Chomp. We trade off prizes for quite some time, making the game take quite longer than I'd thought. I finally manage to pull ahead, and get a number of sharks on the bench that he'd be unable to constantly sting through. He scoops for time with 26 remaining. I also give him a BTS because I just don't want his Skuntank G tech adding that 10 damage to my Garchomps for OHKO's.
Round 2 just looked really bad. I knew I just had to survive the onslaught of damage that would be thrown at me, and I took advantage of my lone warp point and an Azelf. I saw his bench was not looking favoring, so I warp pointed out my Garchomp (With not enough damage on him to really savor a beating, nor did I want to give prizes haphazardly here) and brought in my Azelf. I attach an energy, not expecting him to bring up the Skuntank, and I lock it in place for 4 turns, closing out the Skuntank with a Garchomp's Guard Claw. The 4 turns of lock really gave me some time to build up a bench and get some form of counter-aggression going, should he have the offensive ready. Time is unfortunately called with very few prizes taken apiece and game 2 is thrown out. I heave a sigh of relief and move on to Top 2.
This is where it gets interesting. I play against Jacob, who is also from my league store, and his SP list throws a nasty curveball at me. Dialga G. This would be our first Masters tournament win for either of us, so this was a gigantic milestone for both of us, having defended our home store. I don't know what to expect here, but lets run with it. Needless to say, this game excites me to no end. Jacob is someone I pretty much got into this game with, and his ability to play this game is immense. He may not seem like he has the self-confidence, but he keeps to himself, and is VERY hard to read, making it difficult for me to get anything off of him. Congratulations on your 2nd top cut in your first year in masters!
Top 2 Vs. Jacob Rebescher (Blaziken/Luxray feat. Dialga G)
Round 1 I had an Unown G and I went first. I'll just let you use your imagination there. I also top decked nothing.
Round 2. Same start and an equally bad hand, I was certain I'd lost. I however top-deck a Call (Somehow..) and get to work. I start off strong, but the instant he drags out that Dialga G and just leaves it there (with nothing to force it off the field..), I have no Dragon intim, no Nidoqueen, and no Mewtwo. I was going to force the Mewtwo to dish out some harsh damage, but I couldn't get the Dialga off the field, so it was irrelevant. We trade prizes for a while, and it seems like I'm going to lose again, at one prize apiece. I drop his Blaziken with Mewtwo LX finally and I'm just waiting to see a Luxray GL LX force my Chatot out to drop him. He does not have the Energy Gain for it, and I breathe a sigh of relief seeing the Azelf dropped instead. I absorption up energy and drop one the next turn for win (I didn't have the energy, but I was going to forcefully draw it. I had a Baltoy and a Claydol in my hand with a BTS in play. I was just going to drop it all out. No need to give the chicken more free kills.)
Game 3 was pretty badly in my favor, but I play devils advocate, so I figure I'm going to lose this one, despite having almost everything I need very quickly. I jump ahead early and see that stupid time pony again. I figure he can get me, but I'm told after the game is over and he scoops, he has absolutely no outs against me.
So, Chris Fulop's girlfriend decides she's gonna open a bag of Andy Capp hot fries and well.. they got all over me. We have to stop time for a couple minutes to get all the crumbs off my sleeves, and off other such things, but since myself and Chris were hungry, any on the table we just ate. I also stupidly begin tearing up from the hotness, and I wipe my eyes with one, in which case a crumb was there. Way to go nub.
I come back, and Jacob scoops before time recalls, saying there's no way to pull it off. I don't much like being scooped to in top cut, but, what can you do?
I win my first event, not that I'm proud of gaining it off a scoop, and it is a little disappointing, but I think Jacob did a great job in the tournament and that was enough for him, apparently.
So, my first Victory Medal and my first win since I started playing this game. I'm stoked, but I'm done until Cities. Look for a return of the Landshark in months to come!
Props:
- Jacob for getting to top 2 and getting Blaze FB LX out of his packs
- CHATOT AGGRO
- Those of you pushing me to put Upper's in. Thanks. Really. It did help.
- Seeing a Drapion deck work!
- Garchmop
- My lovely girlfriend for being there at least the first half of the tourney
- The Keep and AJ for holding a sick tournament
Slops:
- Winning off a scoop
- HOT FRIES ON ME HANDLE IT
- Crappy victory packs
- I used the Enertron to recover my health...but I'm still hungry.
- Only having one warp point in my deck and having to adjust to it.
So, until next time, I bid you, adieu!
I also may make a deck list on this for the gym shortly. Look for it maybe soon?
I went with Garchomp. I knew the bloody deck, after all. I made very few changes since last week, caving to peer pressure and putting in two Upper energies, and a Mewtwo LX line, since my only really bad matchup was against SP last week. I cut the Relicanth and a Warp Point, as well as the two fighting (I can't justify cutting any more psychics with the addition of Mewtwo). If you want to see the deck, look for my previous report as I'm just way too lazy to type the list again, and make those changes.
Very small number, but 18 is enough for a Top 4 and 5 rounds. Works for me.
Round 1 Vs. Kim Allen (SP Box)
This list was not unfamiliar to me, having seen it last week and realizing the Ditto tech had to be dealt with swiftly and by other means. My hand looks kind of yucky as I wait 4 turns for a supporter before finally grabbing a Roseanne's. I believe her hand was just as bad though, having no real bombs to hit the field with, while I at least had a Garchomp line to throw together for some damage. I do manage to get him on the field swinging, which puts a severe dent in SP's as I learned last week (Speed Impact = yum) and I manage to come back. She does start setting up a Ditto which makes me cry a little as I haven't even thrown my Mewtwo on the field yet (wanted to save it for later, when I knew there was no Ninetales/Banette). She warp points, and I bring up a Chatot. She chatters, as she must have had something decent in her hand, not wanting to mimic it away. I have a Nidoqueen out by this time, so the damage is irrelevant and I mimic for a couple better hands off of her massive hands. She continues to chatter, so I pull a trick from her book and chatter back. I eventually get rid of the ditto, which paves the way for safe Chomp and Queen for the rest of the game.
(1-0)
Round 2 Vs. Jane Hostetler (???)
I didn't get to see this game the entire way through, I ended up dropping her early Magmortar on Turn 3, and knocking off a few of her benched pokemon before she could get any explosive pokemon onto the field. I speed impact sweep by Turn 5.
(2-0)
Round 3 Vs. Andrew Mishik (Gyarados)
I seriously just cried a couple of tears walking into this game. Out of all the SP decks and other such decks I could have run into, I run into Gyarados. This machine is a terror on.. fins, able to beat hard and fast for very little. Granted, I can perfect Speed Impact every attack, but with a fishy beating for 90 a turn for nothing... I don't exactly want this.
He starts with Sableye, and I have a Gible start, but I'm unable to get anything going for a few turns. He takes an early 2 prize lead which really puts a dent in my plans.. but, I had something in mind. I can reduce the amount of damage he does significantly with Garchomp/Queen, so my goal was to just fill the bench with chomps and a queen and one Claydol. I know the deck runs Warp Point and Cyclones, so I had to work around it. I gave him a BTS by dropping mine early on, but I needed it as well to just dump guys as I needed. By the time I'm finally a few prizes in, I have 3 Chomps and a Queen ready to go. I flip flop around the Garchomps, recovering as I guard claw, slowly adding up the damage until I knock off a Gyarados. I continue this pattern, throwing bait at him anytime he warp points, letting him have the prize. By the games end, we're tied up and I manage to find a way around his last Gyarados to take it. Smart walling and Queen aggro for one turn save the day. ROCKY matchup and really good game!
(3-0)
Round 4 Versus Kyle Pattyson (Gliscor/Drapion)
This matchup had to be the most agonizing game I've ever played in my life. I know you're probably laughing at this deck, but the player played smart and built a really efficient deck that worked incredibly well.
Again, rocky start. My hand looks really good, I have ways to get my hand down to nothing early and draw with Uxie and Claydol. I WHIFF on both of them, getting energies and useless trainers/supporters. His nasty status wall keeps throwing energies on him, making it almost impossible to Speed Impact, and my Guard Claw's doing almost nothing due to the triple toxicity crap. I manage to keep pace towards the end game, going Nidoqueen aggro for a prize, then attempting to get her out, in which case she gets Gliscor locked to oblivion. I lose with 1 prize remaining apiece.
(3-1)
I'm skeptical about top cut here, but my only possible opponents are two SP's or a pair-down. My hopes were thought to be bitterly crushed by a pokemon I forgot even existed.
Round 5 vs. "Hoolon" Michael Collins (Blaziken/Luxray)
Pretty much the same sort of deck I'd seen earlier, but I didn't remember seeing Blaziken or Luxray. I felt really bad because I pretty much Mewtwo rocked him the entire game. I open with Mewtwo which became a Level X, which went bad for him down hill. I win after taking 6 to his 3, letting him have a little fun towards the end.
(4-1)
So, I know I'm in now, but the opponent choice is really bad. I was pretty sure I would get seeded 2 or 3, with my opponent probably being Kyle again, but after I check the list, I find out that I'm actually in 4th versus my LEAST favorite deck. Queue seeds.
1st: Joey Gannon (Beedrill)
2nd: Kyle Pettyson (Gliscor/Drapion)
3rd: Jacob Rebescher (Blaziken/Luxray)
4th: Stephen McGaffney (Garchomp)
I don't know literally what to say. I've seen wierder days, but I think this might just take the cake. I go depressed for this round, wondering just how I'm gonna win this.
Top 4 Vs. Joey Gannon (Beedrill)
Joey has a very rough time trying to get himself setup, being unable to really do any serious damage for a couple of turns. He does manage to get ahead in prizes, but doesn't get a Bee out until roughly turn 3. Unfortunately, my hand isn't much better, though I do luckily manage to draw into a call on my opening hand, being able to set up an early Chomp. We trade off prizes for quite some time, making the game take quite longer than I'd thought. I finally manage to pull ahead, and get a number of sharks on the bench that he'd be unable to constantly sting through. He scoops for time with 26 remaining. I also give him a BTS because I just don't want his Skuntank G tech adding that 10 damage to my Garchomps for OHKO's.
Round 2 just looked really bad. I knew I just had to survive the onslaught of damage that would be thrown at me, and I took advantage of my lone warp point and an Azelf. I saw his bench was not looking favoring, so I warp pointed out my Garchomp (With not enough damage on him to really savor a beating, nor did I want to give prizes haphazardly here) and brought in my Azelf. I attach an energy, not expecting him to bring up the Skuntank, and I lock it in place for 4 turns, closing out the Skuntank with a Garchomp's Guard Claw. The 4 turns of lock really gave me some time to build up a bench and get some form of counter-aggression going, should he have the offensive ready. Time is unfortunately called with very few prizes taken apiece and game 2 is thrown out. I heave a sigh of relief and move on to Top 2.
This is where it gets interesting. I play against Jacob, who is also from my league store, and his SP list throws a nasty curveball at me. Dialga G. This would be our first Masters tournament win for either of us, so this was a gigantic milestone for both of us, having defended our home store. I don't know what to expect here, but lets run with it. Needless to say, this game excites me to no end. Jacob is someone I pretty much got into this game with, and his ability to play this game is immense. He may not seem like he has the self-confidence, but he keeps to himself, and is VERY hard to read, making it difficult for me to get anything off of him. Congratulations on your 2nd top cut in your first year in masters!
Top 2 Vs. Jacob Rebescher (Blaziken/Luxray feat. Dialga G)
Round 1 I had an Unown G and I went first. I'll just let you use your imagination there. I also top decked nothing.
Round 2. Same start and an equally bad hand, I was certain I'd lost. I however top-deck a Call (Somehow..) and get to work. I start off strong, but the instant he drags out that Dialga G and just leaves it there (with nothing to force it off the field..), I have no Dragon intim, no Nidoqueen, and no Mewtwo. I was going to force the Mewtwo to dish out some harsh damage, but I couldn't get the Dialga off the field, so it was irrelevant. We trade prizes for a while, and it seems like I'm going to lose again, at one prize apiece. I drop his Blaziken with Mewtwo LX finally and I'm just waiting to see a Luxray GL LX force my Chatot out to drop him. He does not have the Energy Gain for it, and I breathe a sigh of relief seeing the Azelf dropped instead. I absorption up energy and drop one the next turn for win (I didn't have the energy, but I was going to forcefully draw it. I had a Baltoy and a Claydol in my hand with a BTS in play. I was just going to drop it all out. No need to give the chicken more free kills.)
Game 3 was pretty badly in my favor, but I play devils advocate, so I figure I'm going to lose this one, despite having almost everything I need very quickly. I jump ahead early and see that stupid time pony again. I figure he can get me, but I'm told after the game is over and he scoops, he has absolutely no outs against me.
So, Chris Fulop's girlfriend decides she's gonna open a bag of Andy Capp hot fries and well.. they got all over me. We have to stop time for a couple minutes to get all the crumbs off my sleeves, and off other such things, but since myself and Chris were hungry, any on the table we just ate. I also stupidly begin tearing up from the hotness, and I wipe my eyes with one, in which case a crumb was there. Way to go nub.
I come back, and Jacob scoops before time recalls, saying there's no way to pull it off. I don't much like being scooped to in top cut, but, what can you do?
I win my first event, not that I'm proud of gaining it off a scoop, and it is a little disappointing, but I think Jacob did a great job in the tournament and that was enough for him, apparently.
So, my first Victory Medal and my first win since I started playing this game. I'm stoked, but I'm done until Cities. Look for a return of the Landshark in months to come!
Props:
- Jacob for getting to top 2 and getting Blaze FB LX out of his packs
- CHATOT AGGRO
- Those of you pushing me to put Upper's in. Thanks. Really. It did help.
- Seeing a Drapion deck work!
- Garchmop
- My lovely girlfriend for being there at least the first half of the tourney
- The Keep and AJ for holding a sick tournament
Slops:
- Winning off a scoop
- HOT FRIES ON ME HANDLE IT
- Crappy victory packs
- I used the Enertron to recover my health...but I'm still hungry.
- Only having one warp point in my deck and having to adjust to it.
So, until next time, I bid you, adieu!
I also may make a deck list on this for the gym shortly. Look for it maybe soon?
