Here's something you don’t get from me everyday - a Tournament report!!!
Woke up Saturday. Started off the day with a tough decision. So I picked my course of action and stuck with it. Got ready. Got my mother-in-law and stopped at McDonald's on the way home for breakfast. Ate and packed up and my wife, oldest, middle, and myself left for CT a few minutes later than I would have liked (but last week left for NH late and arrived ok). Followed the directions (MapQuest > Yahoo! Driving Directions). And arrived at the Hall a little bit later than I would have liked (luckily both of my Powers - "Leadfoot" and "Radar Invisibility" were working). So we go inside. Pokemebob and the gang he brings is there. Jerry and his boys were there, which was a surprise (they're from MA). A gentleman from MA brought his 9 year old, his first tourny ever (he plays Pokémon with his friends. Told him about the GC coming up as well as regular League play at TJ's (he's only 30 minutes from there). Also told him about the websites so he & his son can get more information). JohnnyBlaze and his gang walked it. Now Johnny is THE definition of a Pokémon player - abandons his oldest (who already won a States) at his basketball game and goes to play Pokémon
. He, 5 year old(!), and a family friend enroll. Unfortunately babayaga and her crew did not show (which meant my middle could not see his special friend). So before we begin, it looks like 15 & up: 7, 11 - 14: 6, and 10 & under: 3. None of the players are from CT. To keep the 15 & up better paired, I play making it a manageable 8 players. I use the same deck I use at League, though I tweaked it while up at NH states, figuring I'd be playing but wound up not. The strange thing is, most of the 15 & up is playing Grass decks!
Round 1: Josh with a Fossil deck.
I get to go first! So I mulligan (which happens often). I tell Josh, "See those Oak's? You won't be seeing them again." As my hand consisted of 2 Oak's, some energy, and other Trainers. So I redraw and I get a Trecko and I don't remember what else. He mulligans. Several times. I have a hand of 11+ cards. We flip over. Treecko vs Absol. I have no shuffling cards whatsoever. So I play what I had. I do 10 to Absol. His turn. He really doesn't have anything so I think he Copycats (don’t think he Oaked). He gets a Darkness energy (turns out he runs 4 Dark/4 Multi/4 Rainbow but didn’t have any in his hand!!!). I have 11 cards, he has 5, so say good-bye to 6 cards. Which hurt but not too much. I really don't remember too much about the game except I won.
Round 2: My wife with a BAR
I go first I think. I think I have Dunsparce so I get Wobby and Suicunes as she started off with Rayquazza ex and a Torchic. I have no draw power. She Oracles and I think she took the wrong cards (I would've gone for Dunsparce and an energy). I start attacking Ray with Dun. Paralyze it a few times. She Rare Candies to Blaze ex and I'm :/ as I have Wobby and Suicunes out. I really don't remember what happened but I was able to get Wobby powered up. I win. She's all mad because she thinks she could win the next round if I gave her this one. I'm like, you can't even beat me and you think you could beat one of them? So she's all angry at me.
Round 3: JohnnyBlaze with Sceptile/Sceptile ex
One of us went first. We battled it back and forth with Wobby stalling until I could get energy, my Sceptiles built, my Wobby powered, anything. Meanwhile he keeps Green Healing. What fun. I attack with Wobby do 50 to him, 10 to myself. He Green Heals. I can Energy Trans the energy and Pokémon Nurse/Mr. Briney Wobby (another Wob was on the Bench). Between Wobby and Lizard Poison Sceptile I'm able to pull the win off.
So I go to the bathroom. There is to be a Top 2, and I know I'm in it. It'll either be Johnny or my wife. Unfortunately it was Johnny (if it was my wife that would've been cool).
So we begin. I start off slow (as usual), I guess. Johnny's Energy Trans Sceptile isn't in his prizes this time. I really don't remember much about this. I did my best but I lost (which really ticked my wife off). Oh wait, Johnny was also having trouble going so he sends his Energy Trans Sceptile to attack my Wobby. He rolls 2 heads! Arrrrghhhhh! So I send up Dunsparce? Rolls 2 heads. Send up Sceptile (with 1 damage on it). Rolls 2 heads! Arrrrrgggghhhhh! Or something like that.
Props:
My mother-in-law for watching our youngest.
My middle for T4ing (which I think surprised many people).
POP for lunch (even though I only had 2 pieces cuz I was playing).
JohnnyBlaze's son, who won more packs at his first tournament, than Johnny did in his first 5
JohnnyBlaze - always a pleasure to battle against (and my wife also thinks so). If you ever want to learn how to play watch JB play. Wish more players would play the way he does.
Krispy Kreme donuts - Tom went and got some, wish I hadn't had breakfast.
TJ's Collect - for doing this. Probably lost money on it and probably won't be having one there again.
Everyone else - for showing up and having a good time, for the most part.
Slops:
The members of my family that really boarded on poor sportsmanship.
CT in general. I was :/ when all the RI state champs were out of staters, but at least 30% of the participants were RIers. 0% participation by CTers.
Birthday parties - had to go to one so we couldn't stay for the next tourney. Plus the family wanted to go to church that night just in case we decide to go to NY.
Our pulls - with all the packs won here, in NH, RI, and MA, you'd think we'd have a pretty decent collection of ex's but no our ex pull ratio is really awful.
My morning decision - should've started my day off with the other decision. Things might've turned out differently.
