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...but when I do, I generally do okay. Between four people and one giant pile of cards (with a general periphery supply or two), there's limited resources to make four meta decks. However, with the release of Noble Victories and new archetypes, there's no questioning that four 'proper' meta decks can be constructed. So, jumbling nonsensical mess of as supply we've constructed four decks: Rashiram / Typhlosion, Magnezone / Eelektrik, Cobalion/Kyurem, and Durant.
For those curious, I ran Cobalion / Kyurem. My reasoning is twofold. First, Cobalion / Kyurem is the most flexible deck out of all of our available options. As someone who played a generally rogue-ish season for the majority of 2010, the deck's setup generally suits my gung-ho shoot first, ask questions later (indicative of my approach to my life) routine.
Second, the deck has something very important: it's the most well-rounded to combating rogue decks. As much as I love the cacophony of "What does that do?", "Really?" and "Okaaaaaay", I prefer not to be the one making those noises.
So, I ran Cobalion / Kyurem. Now, I had play-tested against the three other decks (Reshiram / Typhlosion, Magnzone / Eelektrik, and Durant) fairly extensively, but my matchups focused down to pure, base skill and adaptability. Dealing with certain matchups required very, very precise actions and setups, and much of my game plan revolved around this setups. I'm cool with that.
The place was Brampton, at a sting-operation-of-a-name called Teddy 'N Me. We arrived an hour early due to the fact that there was news of a blizzard the day before, and therefore had expected to be kept under both a mix of frightening traffic and monstrous traffic.
None of that happened. Instead, we meandered through the empty halls of the Brampton mall listening to Ray Newman songs in some sort of twisted Fallout-esque fashion ('dem radscorpions) before we actually were able to get ourselves set up to play. Knuckle cracking time.
Match 1: Versus Feraligatr / Magnezone / Kyurem
At first I was a bit taken aback at the board before me: Magnemites, Kyurems and Totodiles tend to be builds that I didn't expect to be facing against. So I'm playing MagneGatr, huh? But wait, what's that Kyurem doing there? Ah, well, whatever.
Aside from the extremely inconsistent line of thought being so poorly articulated, I had a generally manageable setup. When I say 'manageable', I mean 'I could not have gotten donked'. Started off as a good day for me. His setup was alright in terms of how quickly he got it out - specific Catchers on my part allowed me to stunt his setup for a few turns, and thus I began establishing a quick upper hand.
But Magnezone, he is a tempest of the most wily sort. Drawing to six is a massive benefit, and subsequent N's kept me on my toes. Of course, my benefit lied in the fact that all my cards (save for my Cleffa and Electrode line) were all within the '3-cards to lost burn' area. Of course, it did not help that I helped him gain prizes by recklessly exploding.
Regardless, we got pushed down to the last little bits of our decks, and he's looking for one, crucial card before I decide to go all Robert de Niro in Taxi Driver with my Cobalion on his field. It didn't help.
What did help, however, was that I weakened it enough that in the last little bits of the game, a successful Glaciate knocked out the benched (and highly damaged) Magnezone Prime, winning me the game.
1-0
Match 2: Versus Durant
I knew how to play against this man and his Durant deck. He's one of my friends, and he was one of those fanatically rabid 'omg-Durant' players who have been in existence since the dawn of Noble Victories. Had he channeled his love for Durant into a religious outlet, he would have been declaring Crusades and forcing people to sell their houses in preparation for the apocalypse.
And oh, did I know how to play against Durant. I ran 2-3 Super Rods in my Cobalion / Kyurem deck, alongside four Junk Arms. Durant discards. The priority is clear. My setup is a simple Electrode Twins lock - he draws one for my Energymite, and in response, he cannot utilize the benefits of Twins until I decide to start take cards. The strategy, therefore, is a mix of spreading damage on his field to keep him on his feet and locking him from Twins until I had at least two Kyurems loaded and ready.
My strategy was a flurry of Iron Breaker and Glaciates. Catcher the Durant with energy. If there is no energy on anything, aim for the one with Eviolite and put it in Glaciate range. Almost at the discard? Super Rod. Junk Arm a Super Rod. Use Super Rod. 6 cards (and usually 2 turns) added to the game.
I was eventually to overpower his deck before his ants, like some swarming monstrosity, devoured me whole.
2-0
Match 3: Versus Cobalion / Donphan / Kyurem
Never has such a deck introduced me to such helplessness. It wasn't really the intimidating Donphan-Kyurem-Cobalion board that she commanded that worried me. It was the endless swarm of Lost Removers that had set me and my precious Energymites back 2-3 turns. While I accelerated, she took a manual and disruptive play to the decks. Her game was a fierce game.
I was unable to get anything set up properly - that was the unfortunate fact. In hindsight, it was a foolish move to have focused on Kyurem. What I ended up hitting was a state of improper threat recognition: I had believed the Donphan capable of doing the most damage. No, rather, it was the Cobalion on her field with 2 energy and willing to kill my Kyurem without a second thought.
Amusingly, I had feared a donk early and attached an Eviolite to my Cleffa in the beginning move of the game. Stay forever classy, me. Stay forever classy.
2-1
Match 4: Versus Cobalion / Landorus / Kyurem / Electrode
Now we're getting into the gung-ho that I was so readily promised. This game was short, but ultimately intense. Control was crucial, and maintaining a swift and significant power board became the major focus of this matchup. The moment I began with a Voltorb, I aimed to blow it up. It must be done.
Cobalion served as the major locking attacker to minimize all damage on the field, but ultimately it was Kyurem that won me the game. His Landorus had fearsomely hit me, but only doing a stunted 60 due to Eviolite. What that did, however, was put his Voltorbs within 30 KO range. Rush to victory and Energymite, gentlemen, and I was able to enough to crassly discard and then Glaciate for two Prize cards and 60 damage onto his Landorus.
I do know, however, that he Collector'd for a Victini, but I would have none of that - an immediate Catcher and Iron Break was key to disrupting his counter to my setup. I can take a Gaia Hammer - a V-Create? Not so much.
It was nerve-wracking; the subsequent results were more than just water cooler conversation.
3-1
Match 5: Virizion / Kyurem / Celebi Prime
I was not impressed to see a Virizion. Ironically, before this match began, I had jokingly mentioned to my friends that I hope not to face 6 Corners, because it in-my-oh-so-eloquent words, "was vile witchery of a deck that had made a pact with Satan". Of course, my claims are unsubstantiated: I honestly had never played against this deck, and so I didn't really know what to expect (other than dubious theorymoning, but I felt like if I wanted to do that I could just go to Pokemon and make a 'best-deck-in-format' thread and put on scented candles).
He got it out fast. I cannot stress those words enough. I was looking at Leaf Wallop from the second turn, and so I immediately began playing defense. "Defense, defense, defense!" my mind would shout. I evidently have the mentality of a Raptors game (zing).
Playing defense at the beginning, however, paid off. By putting myself on the defensive, I was able to keep a fairly strong clinch on major threats by using Cobalion as a meat shield to absorb almost all of my opponent's attacks. Kyurem, in this matchup, became nearly useless as Virizion resisted most of my attacks. I had, unfortunately, planned to block his own Kyurem with my Cobalion, as it was evident he was attaching energy to build up an attacker. Can't have that.
A Catcher and an Iron Breaker (because nothing is cooler than preventing a dead Pokemon from attacking) later, I was able to set him back a few turns in terms of energy.
Leaf Whallop this, Double Draw that, he was able to set up again. Alright, I thought, Energymite[/]i. Of course, because I had to declare using Energymite, I did. "Energymite." I said, pointing to my only Electrode. What?
At that stage, I was looking at two charged Cobalions versus his weakened Virizions (I'm probably wrong - my memory is a haze of burgers and Hegelian dialectics at this point), and at that point we went down to the wire of 1-to-1 prizes. He Catchers my benched Shaymin buy time, but I get an energy on Shaymin, spelling the game.
4-1
Match 6: Versus Zekrom / Tornadus / Shaymin / Pachirisu
It was at this point I was in a whiff of hubris, and suckling on the sweet teat of victory. Of course, it was likely that the gravitational force of the earth would not sufficiently function with a head as soundly large and cocky as mine at this stage, but nevertheless it was quite the sight.
The beginning seemed to work out well for me: he had limitations in setting up a strong Shaymin and Pachirisu network to support my Zekroms, so he went through a significant amount of work to do so. On my side, I maintained my continual set up: Cobalions and Voltorbs, at the ready and prepared to strike.
I kept Terrakion on the bench, both three reasons. First, Terrakion did not have enough energy to start attacking, and a gutsy attack on Zekroms with Terrakion without proper Land Rush capabilities is asking for a beatdown.
Second, Terrakion was still vulnerable from enemy attacks, and presents itself as big, fat target. If Terrakion gets targeted (because my line of thought was that Zekrom players will go after the thing that can one-shot it first), that gives me more time to figure out an actual plan. Game signalling "for the win", as you youngsters call it.
Third, and most importantly, Terrakion looks like some sort of Hound el fuego del diablo, but with rocks instead of furious brimstone and instead of being on an 80's Metal Album cover he rushed the land for 90 damage. Having something like Terrakion sitting on the bench like some over-muscled on-command animal is just a good feeling to have. It's therapeutic.
Anyhow, I was a bit hasty, and put too many damage counters on Terrakion. This, unfortunately, led to Terrakion, well, dying, but not before he mauled the face of one Zekrom. There, were, however, two more, and my gung-ho-Terrakion-herp-derp strategy didn't cut it. Of course, by the time I realised that two Terrakions can't really handle a Zekrom army (as thrilling as that sounded to me), the game was over.
4-2
Top Cut Match: versus Chandelure
This match was the match that I had formulated a strategy based entirely on dubious theorymon. I had no Chandelure decks to test against, and the builds varied so much that no single consistent action was capable for me to really be able to do anything. 50 plus two status conditions and 30 snipe? What kind of devilry is this? On top of that, but a set up Dodrio line equated to another 30 more? Baffling.
The first match went somewhat swimmingly. Details are foggy, but I know that his Cobalion was more of a threat to me than the Chandelure, given my propensity to Glaciate shamelessly in the face of so many Oddishes. Holding off the Vileplume set up as long as I could, I eventually was hit with a lock down around the 4th to 5th turn. Well, that just happened, I thought, looking at the Communications, Junk Arms, Catchers, and Super Rods littering my hand.
That lockdown messed me up, and unfortunately, I lost.
The second match, going first, I promoted a Kyurem, and Collector'd for another Kyurem and two Voltorbs. Manual attachment, and wait. He gets a full bench set up. Evolve into Electrode Prime. Energymite. 5 Energy attachment. Manual attachment. Glaciate.
He scoops due to being unable to handle 5 lost prize cards.
The third matchup was a matchup I lost due to time and prizes. Y'see, I had opted for the always exciting strategy of 'build things on the bench because he can't Catcher me' idea, until he used Luring Light on me. Then I didn't know what to think. Literally - my mind became an amorphous form, thinking of nothing but a mess of things (occasionally food) before I had to whip it into activity. Active basic, no energy. Well, time to manually attach. Manually attach.
Pass. Manually attach. Pass. Oh no, I'm going to deck out.
Well, time to attack. Time is called. Alright, I can do this. Well, not really. I used Glaciate, taking three prize cards. Unfortunately, I blew up twice before that, and he killed off a Cleffa. He return knockouts my Cobalion. Oh time, you vicious mistress.
Well, done. Time to go to Wendy's and then exercise it off.
Pros:
Cons:
---------- Post added 12/28/2011 at 06:56 PM ----------
If I incorrectly detailed the accounts, I apologise. Please feel free to berate me over the internet. I may change the details, but will otherwise just acknowledge you as right and I as wrong. I'm too lazy actually change the details.
To everyone else: if someone says I'm wrong in my report, then they're right.
For those curious, I ran Cobalion / Kyurem. My reasoning is twofold. First, Cobalion / Kyurem is the most flexible deck out of all of our available options. As someone who played a generally rogue-ish season for the majority of 2010, the deck's setup generally suits my gung-ho shoot first, ask questions later (indicative of my approach to my life) routine.
Second, the deck has something very important: it's the most well-rounded to combating rogue decks. As much as I love the cacophony of "What does that do?", "Really?" and "Okaaaaaay", I prefer not to be the one making those noises.
So, I ran Cobalion / Kyurem. Now, I had play-tested against the three other decks (Reshiram / Typhlosion, Magnzone / Eelektrik, and Durant) fairly extensively, but my matchups focused down to pure, base skill and adaptability. Dealing with certain matchups required very, very precise actions and setups, and much of my game plan revolved around this setups. I'm cool with that.
The place was Brampton, at a sting-operation-of-a-name called Teddy 'N Me. We arrived an hour early due to the fact that there was news of a blizzard the day before, and therefore had expected to be kept under both a mix of frightening traffic and monstrous traffic.
None of that happened. Instead, we meandered through the empty halls of the Brampton mall listening to Ray Newman songs in some sort of twisted Fallout-esque fashion ('dem radscorpions) before we actually were able to get ourselves set up to play. Knuckle cracking time.
Match 1: Versus Feraligatr / Magnezone / Kyurem
At first I was a bit taken aback at the board before me: Magnemites, Kyurems and Totodiles tend to be builds that I didn't expect to be facing against. So I'm playing MagneGatr, huh? But wait, what's that Kyurem doing there? Ah, well, whatever.
Aside from the extremely inconsistent line of thought being so poorly articulated, I had a generally manageable setup. When I say 'manageable', I mean 'I could not have gotten donked'. Started off as a good day for me. His setup was alright in terms of how quickly he got it out - specific Catchers on my part allowed me to stunt his setup for a few turns, and thus I began establishing a quick upper hand.
But Magnezone, he is a tempest of the most wily sort. Drawing to six is a massive benefit, and subsequent N's kept me on my toes. Of course, my benefit lied in the fact that all my cards (save for my Cleffa and Electrode line) were all within the '3-cards to lost burn' area. Of course, it did not help that I helped him gain prizes by recklessly exploding.
Regardless, we got pushed down to the last little bits of our decks, and he's looking for one, crucial card before I decide to go all Robert de Niro in Taxi Driver with my Cobalion on his field. It didn't help.
What did help, however, was that I weakened it enough that in the last little bits of the game, a successful Glaciate knocked out the benched (and highly damaged) Magnezone Prime, winning me the game.
1-0
Match 2: Versus Durant
I knew how to play against this man and his Durant deck. He's one of my friends, and he was one of those fanatically rabid 'omg-Durant' players who have been in existence since the dawn of Noble Victories. Had he channeled his love for Durant into a religious outlet, he would have been declaring Crusades and forcing people to sell their houses in preparation for the apocalypse.
And oh, did I know how to play against Durant. I ran 2-3 Super Rods in my Cobalion / Kyurem deck, alongside four Junk Arms. Durant discards. The priority is clear. My setup is a simple Electrode Twins lock - he draws one for my Energymite, and in response, he cannot utilize the benefits of Twins until I decide to start take cards. The strategy, therefore, is a mix of spreading damage on his field to keep him on his feet and locking him from Twins until I had at least two Kyurems loaded and ready.
My strategy was a flurry of Iron Breaker and Glaciates. Catcher the Durant with energy. If there is no energy on anything, aim for the one with Eviolite and put it in Glaciate range. Almost at the discard? Super Rod. Junk Arm a Super Rod. Use Super Rod. 6 cards (and usually 2 turns) added to the game.
I was eventually to overpower his deck before his ants, like some swarming monstrosity, devoured me whole.
2-0
Match 3: Versus Cobalion / Donphan / Kyurem
Never has such a deck introduced me to such helplessness. It wasn't really the intimidating Donphan-Kyurem-Cobalion board that she commanded that worried me. It was the endless swarm of Lost Removers that had set me and my precious Energymites back 2-3 turns. While I accelerated, she took a manual and disruptive play to the decks. Her game was a fierce game.
I was unable to get anything set up properly - that was the unfortunate fact. In hindsight, it was a foolish move to have focused on Kyurem. What I ended up hitting was a state of improper threat recognition: I had believed the Donphan capable of doing the most damage. No, rather, it was the Cobalion on her field with 2 energy and willing to kill my Kyurem without a second thought.
Amusingly, I had feared a donk early and attached an Eviolite to my Cleffa in the beginning move of the game. Stay forever classy, me. Stay forever classy.
2-1
Match 4: Versus Cobalion / Landorus / Kyurem / Electrode
Now we're getting into the gung-ho that I was so readily promised. This game was short, but ultimately intense. Control was crucial, and maintaining a swift and significant power board became the major focus of this matchup. The moment I began with a Voltorb, I aimed to blow it up. It must be done.
Cobalion served as the major locking attacker to minimize all damage on the field, but ultimately it was Kyurem that won me the game. His Landorus had fearsomely hit me, but only doing a stunted 60 due to Eviolite. What that did, however, was put his Voltorbs within 30 KO range. Rush to victory and Energymite, gentlemen, and I was able to enough to crassly discard and then Glaciate for two Prize cards and 60 damage onto his Landorus.
I do know, however, that he Collector'd for a Victini, but I would have none of that - an immediate Catcher and Iron Break was key to disrupting his counter to my setup. I can take a Gaia Hammer - a V-Create? Not so much.
It was nerve-wracking; the subsequent results were more than just water cooler conversation.
3-1
Match 5: Virizion / Kyurem / Celebi Prime
I was not impressed to see a Virizion. Ironically, before this match began, I had jokingly mentioned to my friends that I hope not to face 6 Corners, because it in-my-oh-so-eloquent words, "was vile witchery of a deck that had made a pact with Satan". Of course, my claims are unsubstantiated: I honestly had never played against this deck, and so I didn't really know what to expect (other than dubious theorymoning, but I felt like if I wanted to do that I could just go to Pokemon and make a 'best-deck-in-format' thread and put on scented candles).
He got it out fast. I cannot stress those words enough. I was looking at Leaf Wallop from the second turn, and so I immediately began playing defense. "Defense, defense, defense!" my mind would shout. I evidently have the mentality of a Raptors game (zing).
Playing defense at the beginning, however, paid off. By putting myself on the defensive, I was able to keep a fairly strong clinch on major threats by using Cobalion as a meat shield to absorb almost all of my opponent's attacks. Kyurem, in this matchup, became nearly useless as Virizion resisted most of my attacks. I had, unfortunately, planned to block his own Kyurem with my Cobalion, as it was evident he was attaching energy to build up an attacker. Can't have that.
A Catcher and an Iron Breaker (because nothing is cooler than preventing a dead Pokemon from attacking) later, I was able to set him back a few turns in terms of energy.
Leaf Whallop this, Double Draw that, he was able to set up again. Alright, I thought, Energymite[/]i. Of course, because I had to declare using Energymite, I did. "Energymite." I said, pointing to my only Electrode. What?
At that stage, I was looking at two charged Cobalions versus his weakened Virizions (I'm probably wrong - my memory is a haze of burgers and Hegelian dialectics at this point), and at that point we went down to the wire of 1-to-1 prizes. He Catchers my benched Shaymin buy time, but I get an energy on Shaymin, spelling the game.
4-1
Match 6: Versus Zekrom / Tornadus / Shaymin / Pachirisu
It was at this point I was in a whiff of hubris, and suckling on the sweet teat of victory. Of course, it was likely that the gravitational force of the earth would not sufficiently function with a head as soundly large and cocky as mine at this stage, but nevertheless it was quite the sight.
The beginning seemed to work out well for me: he had limitations in setting up a strong Shaymin and Pachirisu network to support my Zekroms, so he went through a significant amount of work to do so. On my side, I maintained my continual set up: Cobalions and Voltorbs, at the ready and prepared to strike.
I kept Terrakion on the bench, both three reasons. First, Terrakion did not have enough energy to start attacking, and a gutsy attack on Zekroms with Terrakion without proper Land Rush capabilities is asking for a beatdown.
Second, Terrakion was still vulnerable from enemy attacks, and presents itself as big, fat target. If Terrakion gets targeted (because my line of thought was that Zekrom players will go after the thing that can one-shot it first), that gives me more time to figure out an actual plan. Game signalling "for the win", as you youngsters call it.
Third, and most importantly, Terrakion looks like some sort of Hound el fuego del diablo, but with rocks instead of furious brimstone and instead of being on an 80's Metal Album cover he rushed the land for 90 damage. Having something like Terrakion sitting on the bench like some over-muscled on-command animal is just a good feeling to have. It's therapeutic.
Anyhow, I was a bit hasty, and put too many damage counters on Terrakion. This, unfortunately, led to Terrakion, well, dying, but not before he mauled the face of one Zekrom. There, were, however, two more, and my gung-ho-Terrakion-herp-derp strategy didn't cut it. Of course, by the time I realised that two Terrakions can't really handle a Zekrom army (as thrilling as that sounded to me), the game was over.
4-2
Got into top cut at 6th place. I felt so cool.
Top Cut Match: versus Chandelure
This match was the match that I had formulated a strategy based entirely on dubious theorymon. I had no Chandelure decks to test against, and the builds varied so much that no single consistent action was capable for me to really be able to do anything. 50 plus two status conditions and 30 snipe? What kind of devilry is this? On top of that, but a set up Dodrio line equated to another 30 more? Baffling.
The first match went somewhat swimmingly. Details are foggy, but I know that his Cobalion was more of a threat to me than the Chandelure, given my propensity to Glaciate shamelessly in the face of so many Oddishes. Holding off the Vileplume set up as long as I could, I eventually was hit with a lock down around the 4th to 5th turn. Well, that just happened, I thought, looking at the Communications, Junk Arms, Catchers, and Super Rods littering my hand.
That lockdown messed me up, and unfortunately, I lost.
The second match, going first, I promoted a Kyurem, and Collector'd for another Kyurem and two Voltorbs. Manual attachment, and wait. He gets a full bench set up. Evolve into Electrode Prime. Energymite. 5 Energy attachment. Manual attachment. Glaciate.
He scoops due to being unable to handle 5 lost prize cards.
The third matchup was a matchup I lost due to time and prizes. Y'see, I had opted for the always exciting strategy of 'build things on the bench because he can't Catcher me' idea, until he used Luring Light on me. Then I didn't know what to think. Literally - my mind became an amorphous form, thinking of nothing but a mess of things (occasionally food) before I had to whip it into activity. Active basic, no energy. Well, time to manually attach. Manually attach.
Pass. Manually attach. Pass. Oh no, I'm going to deck out.
Well, time to attack. Time is called. Alright, I can do this. Well, not really. I used Glaciate, taking three prize cards. Unfortunately, I blew up twice before that, and he killed off a Cleffa. He return knockouts my Cobalion. Oh time, you vicious mistress.
Well, done. Time to go to Wendy's and then exercise it off.
Pros:
- Doing okay with a deck that I didn't know how well would put up
- Not fighting against any deck that I tested against save for one matchup against my buddy
Cons:
- As a grown man, I half-expected Chris Hanson sitting me down when I walked into 'Teddy 'N Me'
- Body heat - seriously, this is getting horrendous
- Repeat above
- Not having encountered any deck that I actually tested against, save for my friend's Durant deck. Seriously, fate.
---------- Post added 12/28/2011 at 06:56 PM ----------
If I incorrectly detailed the accounts, I apologise. Please feel free to berate me over the internet. I may change the details, but will otherwise just acknowledge you as right and I as wrong. I'm too lazy actually change the details.
To everyone else: if someone says I'm wrong in my report, then they're right.
