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So let's begin this thing by a couple pre-defined statements and contextual tales:
As such, under these conditions, I ended up playing with a different deck mechanic: Legends, and most particularly, Kyogre-Groudon Legend.
I was at first apprehensive on precisely how effective it could be in a format possibly dominated by Zekroms and Magnezones, but I felt that I had to generally just play it on from there. Indeed, if playing carefully, KGL I found it pretty 50-50 against most things on the board, since the deck is constructed to deal with a milling strategy, and not really deal with an actual opponent.
So, I have been testing out viable builds of KGL, and after discussing things with a couple players, playtesting and whatnot, I have found out that a thinner BlastGatr line with 4 Twins and 2-2 KGL is actually quite effective. So consider this not to be me playing 'purebred' KGL, but rather some sordid halfblood that snuck in in my time of lack of cards.
And so, let me begin by noting a few major things:
As such, I ended up playing KGL using an HGSS-on deck in an MD-on format. A recipe for disaster? Yes.
But one of my friends played an HS Trainer Kit, so it could have been worse.
Match 1 - vs. Gyarados / Empoleon
I could not figure out what went wrong on here. He played Mom's Kindness and low-level trainers and supporters, but he regardless set up much better than I had, despite my optimal Cleffa start. The moment I began, I could not draw into the necessary energy required, and I ran 14 energy in my deck, so probability should not have been stacked against me. Indeed, too much dallying left me helpless, and while I could set up, that crucial 1 energy I needed to begin my rampage never surfaced, and would only be whisked away as 'has-beens' to another realm.
Unfortunately, the taste of defeat was salty indeed, and while he was certainly a man who played with a vigor and a clarity of a kind person, it was nevertheless a kudos that I had done so most painfully.
0-1
Match 2 - vs. Gengar / Dusknoir
I had played this kind fellow in Cities championships at the same location about a few months back, and at that time he had played Vilegar whereas I played Dialgachomp. I had beaten him handily back then, and at first my memory of our previous card-based swashbuckling was amiss. However, as the flicks of the wrists and the attachment of the energies began to unveil themselves, I was painted a more clear reminiscence of our past encounter, and truly, it was a most wholesome meeting indeed.
He had played a strong opening hand, beginning with a lock (if I could recall correctly), but it was relinquished once that Spiritomb retreated, giving me appropriate breathing room to prepare myself. Through a robust and thick Supporter Line, I was able to clear myself of many and most Supporters and Trainers from my hand, setting up a quite significant KGL that, compared to his Gengar's reflectively low damage output, could not manage to match as I had knocked out his bench and milled him into submission.
1-1
Match 3 - vs. Reshiram / Emboar
Oh-ho, this chap was truly a good fellow! I had most believed he likely was in journalism, for he had the rank smell of the vitriol alcohol and the covering veil stench of mountain freshness and Old Spice man's perfume. Verily, he began with a Reshiram and I began with a Sableye, whereupon I quickly used Collector to get a Quick and a Cleffa for my hand was aimed at using the multiple Twins I had drawn into.
Verily, it was a bluff, but it paid off, for my Cleffa was quickly killed, allowing me to easily (and quite vicariously, I must say!) set up my Feraligatr and Blastoise, but nothing else. Indeed, KGL was not needed in this situation, as Blastoise kept all enemy Reshirams at bay, and soon enough, without the firepower to match, I had quickly began to consume prizes like an American fruit corporation.
2-1
Match 4 - vs. Vileplume / Gengar
A great battle presided here, I would dare say, as I set up and he set up both quite well, but he fared better as my capacity to get KGL out was much slower due to his constant Spiritomb lock. Such a lock was a dastardly thing, but it was also something that proved to be helpful for me, as I was able to eventually use my KGL once set up to begin Mega Tidal Waves for effective deck outs. Since I ran very little Trainers and more Supporters, I could still easily rid my hand of them, and thus his Poltergeists did not exceed 30-60 damage.
Such a meagre damage output allowed me to discard 15-20 of his cards and knocking out his entire bench (which yielded me a delicious 3-4 prizes in a single turn), but he game out on top as he destroyed my benched Sableye for the last prize card and had killed my KGL with a benched Fainting Spell.
2-2
In Conclusion
Enh, it was okay. I realised that no one Machamp should have all that power.
Pros
- Did better than expected with a Legend Deck in the wrong format
- Double Downs are amazing
Cons
- Easily mistaken play mistakes that I really should pay more attention to
- Still too much body heat
- Firstly, I had been keeping track of the format poorly over the last little while, so I've been presuming a constant 'MD-on' set - regardless, to be on the safe side, I had tweeted skyfoxgames (the usual main organizer down in southern Ontario) to double the format, upon which I was told most erroneously HGSS-on
- Secondly, considering the first rule, I had no real construction for a 'meta-game' deck that could function with the limited resources at my disposal. As such, I was greatly confined by precisely what I could and could not use, and therefore many 'meta-game' decks in the vacuously imaginary and precognitive HGSS-on format I was presuming were unavailable
- Thirdly, the only two viable decks I could construct - Reshiboar and DonChamp - in said HGSS-on format, were used by others coming with me to the London Battle Roads
As such, under these conditions, I ended up playing with a different deck mechanic: Legends, and most particularly, Kyogre-Groudon Legend.
I was at first apprehensive on precisely how effective it could be in a format possibly dominated by Zekroms and Magnezones, but I felt that I had to generally just play it on from there. Indeed, if playing carefully, KGL I found it pretty 50-50 against most things on the board, since the deck is constructed to deal with a milling strategy, and not really deal with an actual opponent.
So, I have been testing out viable builds of KGL, and after discussing things with a couple players, playtesting and whatnot, I have found out that a thinner BlastGatr line with 4 Twins and 2-2 KGL is actually quite effective. So consider this not to be me playing 'purebred' KGL, but rather some sordid halfblood that snuck in in my time of lack of cards.
And so, let me begin by noting a few major things:
- All my cards, save for last minute changes (added 1 Sableye and 1 Unown Q) were HGSS-on: therefore, I did not run Uxie, Azelf, Bebe's Search, Bubble Coat, Warp Point, or Exploud.
- I lost my remaining Seekers in the wretched black hole that was my basement, so I ended up with Seekers, and only 2 Super Scoop Ups were not worth it
- I was totally broke, so I'm no way buying more cards
As such, I ended up playing KGL using an HGSS-on deck in an MD-on format. A recipe for disaster? Yes.
But one of my friends played an HS Trainer Kit, so it could have been worse.
Match 1 - vs. Gyarados / Empoleon
I could not figure out what went wrong on here. He played Mom's Kindness and low-level trainers and supporters, but he regardless set up much better than I had, despite my optimal Cleffa start. The moment I began, I could not draw into the necessary energy required, and I ran 14 energy in my deck, so probability should not have been stacked against me. Indeed, too much dallying left me helpless, and while I could set up, that crucial 1 energy I needed to begin my rampage never surfaced, and would only be whisked away as 'has-beens' to another realm.
Unfortunately, the taste of defeat was salty indeed, and while he was certainly a man who played with a vigor and a clarity of a kind person, it was nevertheless a kudos that I had done so most painfully.
0-1
Match 2 - vs. Gengar / Dusknoir
I had played this kind fellow in Cities championships at the same location about a few months back, and at that time he had played Vilegar whereas I played Dialgachomp. I had beaten him handily back then, and at first my memory of our previous card-based swashbuckling was amiss. However, as the flicks of the wrists and the attachment of the energies began to unveil themselves, I was painted a more clear reminiscence of our past encounter, and truly, it was a most wholesome meeting indeed.
He had played a strong opening hand, beginning with a lock (if I could recall correctly), but it was relinquished once that Spiritomb retreated, giving me appropriate breathing room to prepare myself. Through a robust and thick Supporter Line, I was able to clear myself of many and most Supporters and Trainers from my hand, setting up a quite significant KGL that, compared to his Gengar's reflectively low damage output, could not manage to match as I had knocked out his bench and milled him into submission.
1-1
Match 3 - vs. Reshiram / Emboar
Oh-ho, this chap was truly a good fellow! I had most believed he likely was in journalism, for he had the rank smell of the vitriol alcohol and the covering veil stench of mountain freshness and Old Spice man's perfume. Verily, he began with a Reshiram and I began with a Sableye, whereupon I quickly used Collector to get a Quick and a Cleffa for my hand was aimed at using the multiple Twins I had drawn into.
Verily, it was a bluff, but it paid off, for my Cleffa was quickly killed, allowing me to easily (and quite vicariously, I must say!) set up my Feraligatr and Blastoise, but nothing else. Indeed, KGL was not needed in this situation, as Blastoise kept all enemy Reshirams at bay, and soon enough, without the firepower to match, I had quickly began to consume prizes like an American fruit corporation.
2-1
Match 4 - vs. Vileplume / Gengar
A great battle presided here, I would dare say, as I set up and he set up both quite well, but he fared better as my capacity to get KGL out was much slower due to his constant Spiritomb lock. Such a lock was a dastardly thing, but it was also something that proved to be helpful for me, as I was able to eventually use my KGL once set up to begin Mega Tidal Waves for effective deck outs. Since I ran very little Trainers and more Supporters, I could still easily rid my hand of them, and thus his Poltergeists did not exceed 30-60 damage.
Such a meagre damage output allowed me to discard 15-20 of his cards and knocking out his entire bench (which yielded me a delicious 3-4 prizes in a single turn), but he game out on top as he destroyed my benched Sableye for the last prize card and had killed my KGL with a benched Fainting Spell.
2-2
In Conclusion
Enh, it was okay. I realised that no one Machamp should have all that power.
Pros
- Did better than expected with a Legend Deck in the wrong format
- Double Downs are amazing
Cons
- Easily mistaken play mistakes that I really should pay more attention to
- Still too much body heat