dancingaway
New Member
I’d been to 2 cities already. In Sheffield I went 4-1 in Swiss losing only to the eventual winner (playing Luxchomp). Who then also beat me in top 4. But I came 3rd so all good! In Beeston (Nottingham) I went 3-2 losing to a straight Machamp (winning the first game convincingly and then getting donked.... TWICE!) and a Yanmega Prime / Jumpluff deck that I had no answer for and missing the top 8 cut. So I was playing Machamp / Donphan and I knew the deck worked. Just needed a bit of luck and some half-decent match-ups and I could do well. Just really didn’t wanna play Gyarados. Which brings us to:
(for the record, in the UK in Swiss rounds we play best of 3, hence why each match has 3 rounds)
Round 1: Stefan (Gyarados)
First round I was drawn against an experienced guy I had been chatting to before we started. When I told my girlfriend who I was playing she replied: “Good luck, he’s awesome”. So, I went in with a lot of confidence! Annoyingly, 2 weekends before I had teched in a 1-1 Infernape 4 for the Gyarados match-up but after 2 weeks of not meeting one I took it out. Which, after finding out he ran nothing to hit or drag up the bench, I regretted. I genuinely think he could have been awesome in this particular game against this particular Gyarados list.
R1: I took the lead in this game, delaying his set-up by killing his Sableye T1 (with Donphan) and getting a few early prizes. Unfortunately I had put a BTS in play and he got a Floatzel Lv. X out. I took down a couple Gyarados but every time I knocked one out he’d put up Floatzel, lay down Magikarp and Gyarados with BTS (as Floatzel had put them back into his hand) then retreat Floatzel for free and be hitting for 90. He eventually won by a single prize.
R2: He started with a lone Sableye and in my opening hand I had Phanpy, rare candy and a fighting energy. I could not get a Donphan. Eventually I took a chance by playing a PONT looking for a Donphan (also looking for a BTS or candy to evolve T1) to try and get the donk. I couldn’t do it and he ran through me 6-0.
Didn’t mind losing this. Was a little annoying as it basically killed my chance of making the top 2 after my first game, but I was well beaten by an awesome player.
(0-1)
Round 2: Emily (Random Dark Deck)
I’d never met Emily before but she was new and playing a random dark deck with Tyranitar (prime and SF), Sneasel and Umbreon UD.
R1: I started to get set-up fast and she could get nothing but a lone Sneasel. I started with an Uxie so on T2 I used a bebes to search out my Uxie X. I had put a DCE on Uxie T1 but with Sneasel’s resistance to psychic I couldn’t get the KO this turn. I had a Donphan on my bench so I played a judge hoping to pull a fighting energy, retreat the Uxie and score the KO for the early win. We shuffled out hands into out decks and then I realised you can’t play 2 supporters in a turn. After 5mins of judges trying to reach a decision is scooped and went to the second game.
R2: Not much to tell about this one. I got an early Donphan and killed 4 Pokémon in 4 turns until she was out of Pokémon.
R3: I got an early Donphan out and got 2 quick prizes. Then she put up an Umbreon UD and started to use moonlight fang. All through battle roads I ran an Umbreon deck though so I was ready for this. I kept a Machoke on the bench with one fighting energy and when my Donphan had 2 energy on it I attached a DCE, paid the retreat cost of 4, promoted my Machoke, belted it and hit Umbreon for 100 (with his weakness) for the KO. Next turn I evolved into Machamp prime and took the last 3 prizes in 3 turns.
(1-1)
Round 3: Ross (Scizor / Houndoom)
I played Ross at the battle roads here when I was running my Umbreon deck. He won a close game but is a cool guy and we had a very fun, jokey, friendly game. I thoroughly enjoyed myself. This game was even more fun than the last.
R1: I got a turn 1 SF Machamp for a couple early prizes but he got his Scizor out, and flipped heads to burn me with his benched Houndoom Prime. I had a chance to kill Scizor with Hurricane Punch is I could flip 3 out of 4 heads. I flipped none. Then got killed by burns. Luckily I had a Donphan on the bench so I promoted him and proceeded to 2HKO everything he had. He couldn’t recover Scizor fast enough and I got lucky on burn flips. I took my last prize as he played Darkrai / Cresselia and moved the damage counters from my benched Pokémon (that they had from many earthquakes from Donphan) to kill my active Donphan. I promoted my benched Donphan and played an Uxie to set-up for 4 cards. In those 4 cards I got a fighting energy and expert belt, which was enough for the OHKO on the legend using earthquake.
R2: He got Houndoom UD out on T1. The one that does 80 damage if your opponent has any fighting Pokémon out. Like I did. In my first few turns I could only get 2 Machops and a Phanpy with a Machamp Prime in hand. I could not draw: Pokémon collectors, Pokémon Communications, Donphans, Machokes, Rare Candies, Bebe’s Searches, Luxury Ball or Uxies. This was 20 cards of my deck. ONE of them could have got me rolling. But I didn’t get them and I lost in 3 turns when he killed my 3 basic Pokémon.
R3: I got a T1 SF Machamp but could not draw any fighting energy. On my second turn he had an active Scyther with 2 metal energies and a Scyther on the bench. With no fighting energy for take out I took a ridiculous chance. I attached a DCE energy to Machamp (meaning when he evolved Scyther into Scizor the next turn I wouldn’t be able to touch him), seekered up his only benched Pokémon, and went for Hurricane punch. I rolled 2 heads and killed his only Pokémon for the win. For the record, this MORE than made up for my luck in R2.
(2-1)
Round 4: Darren (Lockchamp)
The previous evening I read an article on Sizprizes.com about lockchamp and, believing every Machamp list to not be as good as mine (even though that is CLEARLY not true) I proclaimed “pah, why would anyone play lockchamp?” I really dug playing against it and seeing how it worked.
R1: He got a Spiritomb start and quickly built up a Vileplume to lock trainers for the whole game. However I managed to get a SF Machamp quickly and he was unable to get up anything bigger than a Machoke. I also had a Donphan Prime and Machamp Prime on the bench. After 4 prizes he scooped to save time for R2.
R2: He got another trainer lock on from turn 1 and didn’t let go. We both had a slow set-up and he had a Machamp prime with not enough energy to attack, to my Machoke. I did 30 damage with my Machoke and then he got enough energy on his Machamp to kill the Machoke. However, my Machoke had left him on 120 damage, so I promoted Uxie X to get the kill (due to Machamp’s weakness) with Zen Blade. This is pretty much how the game played out. I ran with Donphans and Machamp Primes and whenever he got a kill I’d promote Uxie X and get the revenge kill. I got lucky with always having a DCE to attach to attack then discard next turn to retreat (screw you unown q, you’re too easily donked!) and he was never in a position to take out my Uxie X after I used it. I eventually won by 2 prizes.
Overall: 3-1 (3rd)
So I went 3-1 and got third overall. Annoying as we only had a top 2 but hey, I got 4 packs and had I made the top 2 it would just have been me getting beaten by the Gyarados guy again. I had a 2 and a half hour drive home anyway so best to run and get home early.
Props:
- Getting 3rd
- 3 of my games being proper happy, friendly affairs
- Winning a hat as a door prize
- This tournament boosting me to 12th in masters in the UK according to pokemon.com rankings!
- Awesome trades (including a MINT Giovanni’s Machamp, which seemed fitting) and a Mew Prime, which I gave to my girlfriend
Slops:
- Not being able to beat Gyarados!
- Not winning a mat: p
(for the record, in the UK in Swiss rounds we play best of 3, hence why each match has 3 rounds)
Round 1: Stefan (Gyarados)
First round I was drawn against an experienced guy I had been chatting to before we started. When I told my girlfriend who I was playing she replied: “Good luck, he’s awesome”. So, I went in with a lot of confidence! Annoyingly, 2 weekends before I had teched in a 1-1 Infernape 4 for the Gyarados match-up but after 2 weeks of not meeting one I took it out. Which, after finding out he ran nothing to hit or drag up the bench, I regretted. I genuinely think he could have been awesome in this particular game against this particular Gyarados list.
R1: I took the lead in this game, delaying his set-up by killing his Sableye T1 (with Donphan) and getting a few early prizes. Unfortunately I had put a BTS in play and he got a Floatzel Lv. X out. I took down a couple Gyarados but every time I knocked one out he’d put up Floatzel, lay down Magikarp and Gyarados with BTS (as Floatzel had put them back into his hand) then retreat Floatzel for free and be hitting for 90. He eventually won by a single prize.
R2: He started with a lone Sableye and in my opening hand I had Phanpy, rare candy and a fighting energy. I could not get a Donphan. Eventually I took a chance by playing a PONT looking for a Donphan (also looking for a BTS or candy to evolve T1) to try and get the donk. I couldn’t do it and he ran through me 6-0.
Didn’t mind losing this. Was a little annoying as it basically killed my chance of making the top 2 after my first game, but I was well beaten by an awesome player.
(0-1)
Round 2: Emily (Random Dark Deck)
I’d never met Emily before but she was new and playing a random dark deck with Tyranitar (prime and SF), Sneasel and Umbreon UD.
R1: I started to get set-up fast and she could get nothing but a lone Sneasel. I started with an Uxie so on T2 I used a bebes to search out my Uxie X. I had put a DCE on Uxie T1 but with Sneasel’s resistance to psychic I couldn’t get the KO this turn. I had a Donphan on my bench so I played a judge hoping to pull a fighting energy, retreat the Uxie and score the KO for the early win. We shuffled out hands into out decks and then I realised you can’t play 2 supporters in a turn. After 5mins of judges trying to reach a decision is scooped and went to the second game.
R2: Not much to tell about this one. I got an early Donphan and killed 4 Pokémon in 4 turns until she was out of Pokémon.
R3: I got an early Donphan out and got 2 quick prizes. Then she put up an Umbreon UD and started to use moonlight fang. All through battle roads I ran an Umbreon deck though so I was ready for this. I kept a Machoke on the bench with one fighting energy and when my Donphan had 2 energy on it I attached a DCE, paid the retreat cost of 4, promoted my Machoke, belted it and hit Umbreon for 100 (with his weakness) for the KO. Next turn I evolved into Machamp prime and took the last 3 prizes in 3 turns.
(1-1)
Round 3: Ross (Scizor / Houndoom)
I played Ross at the battle roads here when I was running my Umbreon deck. He won a close game but is a cool guy and we had a very fun, jokey, friendly game. I thoroughly enjoyed myself. This game was even more fun than the last.
R1: I got a turn 1 SF Machamp for a couple early prizes but he got his Scizor out, and flipped heads to burn me with his benched Houndoom Prime. I had a chance to kill Scizor with Hurricane Punch is I could flip 3 out of 4 heads. I flipped none. Then got killed by burns. Luckily I had a Donphan on the bench so I promoted him and proceeded to 2HKO everything he had. He couldn’t recover Scizor fast enough and I got lucky on burn flips. I took my last prize as he played Darkrai / Cresselia and moved the damage counters from my benched Pokémon (that they had from many earthquakes from Donphan) to kill my active Donphan. I promoted my benched Donphan and played an Uxie to set-up for 4 cards. In those 4 cards I got a fighting energy and expert belt, which was enough for the OHKO on the legend using earthquake.
R2: He got Houndoom UD out on T1. The one that does 80 damage if your opponent has any fighting Pokémon out. Like I did. In my first few turns I could only get 2 Machops and a Phanpy with a Machamp Prime in hand. I could not draw: Pokémon collectors, Pokémon Communications, Donphans, Machokes, Rare Candies, Bebe’s Searches, Luxury Ball or Uxies. This was 20 cards of my deck. ONE of them could have got me rolling. But I didn’t get them and I lost in 3 turns when he killed my 3 basic Pokémon.
R3: I got a T1 SF Machamp but could not draw any fighting energy. On my second turn he had an active Scyther with 2 metal energies and a Scyther on the bench. With no fighting energy for take out I took a ridiculous chance. I attached a DCE energy to Machamp (meaning when he evolved Scyther into Scizor the next turn I wouldn’t be able to touch him), seekered up his only benched Pokémon, and went for Hurricane punch. I rolled 2 heads and killed his only Pokémon for the win. For the record, this MORE than made up for my luck in R2.
(2-1)
Round 4: Darren (Lockchamp)
The previous evening I read an article on Sizprizes.com about lockchamp and, believing every Machamp list to not be as good as mine (even though that is CLEARLY not true) I proclaimed “pah, why would anyone play lockchamp?” I really dug playing against it and seeing how it worked.
R1: He got a Spiritomb start and quickly built up a Vileplume to lock trainers for the whole game. However I managed to get a SF Machamp quickly and he was unable to get up anything bigger than a Machoke. I also had a Donphan Prime and Machamp Prime on the bench. After 4 prizes he scooped to save time for R2.
R2: He got another trainer lock on from turn 1 and didn’t let go. We both had a slow set-up and he had a Machamp prime with not enough energy to attack, to my Machoke. I did 30 damage with my Machoke and then he got enough energy on his Machamp to kill the Machoke. However, my Machoke had left him on 120 damage, so I promoted Uxie X to get the kill (due to Machamp’s weakness) with Zen Blade. This is pretty much how the game played out. I ran with Donphans and Machamp Primes and whenever he got a kill I’d promote Uxie X and get the revenge kill. I got lucky with always having a DCE to attach to attack then discard next turn to retreat (screw you unown q, you’re too easily donked!) and he was never in a position to take out my Uxie X after I used it. I eventually won by 2 prizes.
Overall: 3-1 (3rd)
So I went 3-1 and got third overall. Annoying as we only had a top 2 but hey, I got 4 packs and had I made the top 2 it would just have been me getting beaten by the Gyarados guy again. I had a 2 and a half hour drive home anyway so best to run and get home early.
Props:
- Getting 3rd
- 3 of my games being proper happy, friendly affairs
- Winning a hat as a door prize
- This tournament boosting me to 12th in masters in the UK according to pokemon.com rankings!
- Awesome trades (including a MINT Giovanni’s Machamp, which seemed fitting) and a Mew Prime, which I gave to my girlfriend
Slops:
- Not being able to beat Gyarados!
- Not winning a mat: p
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