Naki Feralkin
New Member
So, every year in mansfield, the Central Ohio TO, Ryan Patterson holds an annual League tournament in his league store in Mansfield Ohio, he invites league members and a bunch of his friends to come out and have some fun testing out the new format, I didn't get to make it out last year, so Saturday, I drove out there with one of my own Team members, Jacob. (empolove330 on the beach)
I must say I really enjoy what Ryan gives to the community while at the same time being a fair and laid back judge. He knows how to have fun and when to be a serious TO, even asking his own judges for input when necessary.
I play a few league games with some of the local guys just for fun while waiting for Mr. David Brown and his family/friends? to arrive. Once he gets there, brackets are announced, let the games begin!
My list is a compiled piece of work thrown back and forth between me and MadHatter's. This variant is his version of a deck I created about 3-4 weeks ago, dubbed Hellokittyhatter. Originally the deck ran Mewtwo Level X and Azelf Level X, but MH set me up with a new list to try out.
Pokemanz:
1 Chatot MD
1 Minun SW
1 Slowpoke GE
1 Slowking GE
1 Duskull DP
1 Dusknoir DP
1 Dusknoir DP
2 Vileplume L.41 LA
4 Bellossom L.38 LA
3 Gloom L.24 LA
4 Oddish L.7 LA
Energizorz:
3 Call Energy
5 Psychic Energy
6 Grass Energy
Teh supportin team:
3 Pokeradar
4 Rare Candy
2 Night Maintenance
3 Felicity's Drawing
3 PlusPower
4 Buck's Training
3 Bebe's Search
4 Roseanne's Research
I really like how Bellossom has been doing for me lately, so I figure, why the heck not, its worth a try against the potential AMU and the heavy water meta I saw in the store.
Round 1 Vs. Mike B. (Wailord/Xatu/Kyogre)
I must admit, I really was not expecting this. I had water resistance, so I went in with confidence I'd have little problems with it. Unfortunately, I had a bit of a lagging start and he was able to set up a Wailord before I even got a line of Bell's ready to go. Eventually I got a Dusknoir out and finally was able to put some much needed problems back in his deck. I managed to start smacking for 100 apiece and was taking Wailords out left and right until he stated that he didn't know what Dark Palm did.
Now, I know Mike's been playing for at least 7-8 months as well as played at Nationals this year, it befuddled my mind that he didn't know what Dark Palm did, most likely running into it more often than he might have thought (It's only been around since.. I dunno, states?) So once I tell him (He didn't ask, so I didn't tell.. I assumed he knew.) what it does, he immediatly returns a Kyogre he just laid down as a bench like.. a minute before to put himself under 4. I was a little ticked about it, but I let it go, warning him I wouldn't do it in a premier. The big beef I had is he managed to stage a comeback and almost beat me off that single error. That would have seriously ticked me off.
I do manage to take out his final pesky Wailord and end the game there. I normally am a very mellow person, I just have no tolerance for people who do sneaky things like that. I shrug it off and move on.
(1-0)
Round 2 Vs. Ryan P. (Groudon/Wormadam Sandy)
Ryan is my Central Ohio TO, so I hold a lot of respect for him, being a judge under his wing. I have not played him one time since I started playing the game competitively last June, and I've seen him at a lot of events. Only time I'd ever witnessed him play before this was the Midnight Mutant Draft at Nationals 07. (which he won) So this was a very amusing moment for me.
I already had my deck panned out before I came, I had no idea I was gonna have type advantage over almost everyone here.. >.< I felt really bad when I was done, because everyone I'd played, barring one was at a disadvantage. Ryan was in a worse condition, his Groudons being one shotted by a Blend Pollen with only one Bell in play. He manages to Drought one onto Groudon early on, but I get to Bellossom just as quickly and get some really bomb pokemon from two Pokeradars. After I one shotted his first, he gets a sandy cloak Worm out to buy some extra HP. Unfortunately, I evolved another Bell up and knocked that one out. He got rid of one of them, but I just kept donking em out to win the game.
GG's Ryan! (2-0)
Round 3 Vs. David B. (Kyogre/Togekiss)
IMHO, I'm more afraid of this matchup than any stupid Kingdra variant you can throw me. Kyogre only needs to dump the energy on it and can set it up just as fast as Kingdra can, and spread it to the entire bench.. Its a much better and well thought out idea by a player I respect a ton than donky, overrated Kingdra. And he proved its superiority by keeping the guns on me in all 3 games we played this day.
Mr. Brown is an incredibly good player in this state, I just don't get to see him play a whole lot. He is the past winner of Ryan's tournament, so its obvious that he's a big threat in this tournament. To beat this mathematical whiz, I was gonna need a lot more than just a couple good hands.
This first round really looked bad. I got an Oddish start and just a Gloom to evolve into. Nothing extraordinary. I top decked a Minun later on, but he was set up faster than me, and let the high tide bowl me over.
(2-1)
I get to break for a little bit and play some friendlies with some of my other decks while some of the other losers bracket rounds clean up. I was waiting for my next opponent, anyways. Made some trades too, so that was cool.
Round 4 Vs. San ? (Random Hodgepodge)
Sorry, don't know your last name..
, this guy is the owner of the store Ryan runs his league at. and he just came off a 3 game winning streak from heck. I was utterly confused as I'd taken hits from things I'd never expected in my life. I had a very terrible hand, could not evolve to save my life.. AND GOT HIT WITH COATING.. You have no idea how bad that feels.
I did manage to rally back, but lawd, that was a really goofy game.
(3-1)
Round 5. Vs. Jacob R. (T2 Wrath)
This match absolutely frightens me. I'm playing the seniors player that I mentor, and really, I am incredibly nervous. Jacob, in my opinion, plays and has the attitude of a masters player, and shows it in every game he plays. I've had the opportunity to judge him in many events, and play him at league every week just for practice... but this is the first time I've ever played him in a real tournament, and he's even better when focused on a real game than when we're just horsing around.
He's playing Poliwrath, a variant he took off of my girlfriend (secretsof2113), and altered to his liking. He's been doing exceptionally well with it, and has fought through the resistance of my grass deck every single time, nearly beating me in every game, and even walking away with a few. He knows how to run the deck, and hes extremely frightening with it.
It also didn't help that this became a rally game for me. He gets a very amazing Turn 2 Wrath, and they just keep coming. He gets a very successful Radar that makes me want to cry and begins blowing through early game Oddishes like they're candy. I get a night maintenance late on, and finally things begin to blow my way as I'm able to candy into a Bell, then into a Vileplume the turn after. His guerilla tactics with Mantine are still annoyingly effective, and he even energises a single wrath for the submission to blow right through a Bell.
I manage to pull ahead after a while, but just as I think I've got the upper hand, he gets a couple of Night Maintenances and his field begins to explode again. It becomes a back and forth fight to who can deliver the last blow first, I'm running through my deck like its a vending machine full of vault, until it finally ends. A lot of people in the room were paying very close attention to the game, as it was very intense.
Sith Master prevails over the Apprentice... this time. I defeat him and move on to the finals.
(4-1)
Finals Vs. David B. (Kyogre/Togekiss)
Now I was extremely nervous. I win one rough fight for another to begin. This one even more against my odds than before. I've got to defeat Mr. Brown twice in order to win this tournament as it is a Double Elimination and he is sitting at the top of the chain, undefeated. He gave me a friendly reminder that 3 out of 4 times, the title has gone to the losers bracket. I of course, knowing how my fortune is, don't believe it will smile in my way.
And my opening hand proved it. Slowpoke. A bloody slowpoke. I had no idea what to do with this as the bugger has 2 retreat cost, which is... sick. I don't like wasting that much to retreat, so I made do. Fortunately, he didn't have that much better of a start, forcing his hand to rare candy the Baltoy just so he could try and get a better hand.
I WAS gonna retreat the Slowking when I evolved him next turn, but I figured, I have an attacker, I'll use it. As I had him use a couple of psych ups, I set up the Oddish I got later. Finally I get a Roseanne's and I can truly begin setting up my field. For a while, it was going my way, he knocks off my Slowking and I begin to Minus Charge my deck down. UNFORTUNATELY, I was stuck with the same mess as last game.. NO GLOOMS OR CANDIES! His God Orca began his vegetarian diet of Oddishes and I was sweating. However, his early game loss of Claydol was taking a toll on him too. Eventually, I manage to Minus Charge a great draw, setting up a Bellossom quickly as well as a Vileplume to begin my attack rally back. Towards the end, it was coming down to me catching on him. I get a crucial plus power down, praying for a burn flip. Success. Burn effect? Yes! Knocked out.
It finally came down to what looked like the last turn. I needed something fast. I had an Oddish benched who could have been in big doo doo. No Bells in hand, but a Candy. I had another in the deck, but I didn't want to risk the probability of not getting it. I use the NM in my hand to place an energy, a Vileplume, and a Bellossom back in my deck. I go to Felicities, and I get what I need. Candy to Bell, begin setting it up, Blend Pollen, burn success again, and game.
I lucksacked. I won't lie. It was a hard fought game to get that far nontheless, and probably one of the best games I've played in this game.
(5-1)
Finals Round 2 Vs. David B. (Kyogre/Togekiss)
This was the winner take all. Both of us are now sitting at 5-1 apiece. Winner takes the tournament and entire playset of Staff Promo's from this year (Pretty epic prize IMHO!) and I'm even more tense than before.
...I shouldn't have been.
I get an okay hand, with an Oddish, a Grass, and a Bell. Felicities was the only supporter in there, which makes me nervous. He flips. Solo Baltoy. I shrug, I don't have grass yet. I felicities my next turn for some much needed supporters, and I get the next best thing. A Rare Candy. Looking for the Pluspower for T1 donk, I can't get it. I do candy anyways to Parallel Gain him to 10 HP's left. He draws, and lays his hand on the table. Ugly. I haven't seen a hand that ugly since my opponent at Round 3 at nationals. (All those GG lines and not a candy to support it... X.X)
I was ecstatic. The tradition lives on and the losers bracket goes 4 for 5, and a pretty impressive start to what I hope becomes an excellent season. I'm very confident in this deck, but I may make some changes to it here in the coming days before Battle Roads begins.
Props:
- Post-Game Fazoli's WOOOT
- I gotz teh Staff Promo's from every event this year save states/regionals!
- A new binder.. Good thing too, my infernape one was starting to look ragged.
- McDonalds food not killing my stomach for once.
- Great games all around and a ton of fun was had.
- Bell-awesome taking it all.
- NO KINGDRA NYAH NYAH
Slops:
- That stupid Kyogre wrist play
- All of the Diamond/Pearl packs that were there! And I didn't pull a single dusknoir!
- BEE'S. EVERYWHERE.
- I didn't get to test out my deck against AMU..
- All the gas I used up! O.O
- Slowking for having 2 retreat
I must say I really enjoy what Ryan gives to the community while at the same time being a fair and laid back judge. He knows how to have fun and when to be a serious TO, even asking his own judges for input when necessary.
I play a few league games with some of the local guys just for fun while waiting for Mr. David Brown and his family/friends? to arrive. Once he gets there, brackets are announced, let the games begin!
My list is a compiled piece of work thrown back and forth between me and MadHatter's. This variant is his version of a deck I created about 3-4 weeks ago, dubbed Hellokittyhatter. Originally the deck ran Mewtwo Level X and Azelf Level X, but MH set me up with a new list to try out.
Pokemanz:
1 Chatot MD
1 Minun SW
1 Slowpoke GE
1 Slowking GE
1 Duskull DP
1 Dusknoir DP
1 Dusknoir DP
2 Vileplume L.41 LA
4 Bellossom L.38 LA
3 Gloom L.24 LA
4 Oddish L.7 LA
Energizorz:
3 Call Energy
5 Psychic Energy
6 Grass Energy
Teh supportin team:
3 Pokeradar
4 Rare Candy
2 Night Maintenance
3 Felicity's Drawing
3 PlusPower
4 Buck's Training
3 Bebe's Search
4 Roseanne's Research
I really like how Bellossom has been doing for me lately, so I figure, why the heck not, its worth a try against the potential AMU and the heavy water meta I saw in the store.
Round 1 Vs. Mike B. (Wailord/Xatu/Kyogre)
I must admit, I really was not expecting this. I had water resistance, so I went in with confidence I'd have little problems with it. Unfortunately, I had a bit of a lagging start and he was able to set up a Wailord before I even got a line of Bell's ready to go. Eventually I got a Dusknoir out and finally was able to put some much needed problems back in his deck. I managed to start smacking for 100 apiece and was taking Wailords out left and right until he stated that he didn't know what Dark Palm did.
Now, I know Mike's been playing for at least 7-8 months as well as played at Nationals this year, it befuddled my mind that he didn't know what Dark Palm did, most likely running into it more often than he might have thought (It's only been around since.. I dunno, states?) So once I tell him (He didn't ask, so I didn't tell.. I assumed he knew.) what it does, he immediatly returns a Kyogre he just laid down as a bench like.. a minute before to put himself under 4. I was a little ticked about it, but I let it go, warning him I wouldn't do it in a premier. The big beef I had is he managed to stage a comeback and almost beat me off that single error. That would have seriously ticked me off.
I do manage to take out his final pesky Wailord and end the game there. I normally am a very mellow person, I just have no tolerance for people who do sneaky things like that. I shrug it off and move on.
(1-0)
Round 2 Vs. Ryan P. (Groudon/Wormadam Sandy)
Ryan is my Central Ohio TO, so I hold a lot of respect for him, being a judge under his wing. I have not played him one time since I started playing the game competitively last June, and I've seen him at a lot of events. Only time I'd ever witnessed him play before this was the Midnight Mutant Draft at Nationals 07. (which he won) So this was a very amusing moment for me.
I already had my deck panned out before I came, I had no idea I was gonna have type advantage over almost everyone here.. >.< I felt really bad when I was done, because everyone I'd played, barring one was at a disadvantage. Ryan was in a worse condition, his Groudons being one shotted by a Blend Pollen with only one Bell in play. He manages to Drought one onto Groudon early on, but I get to Bellossom just as quickly and get some really bomb pokemon from two Pokeradars. After I one shotted his first, he gets a sandy cloak Worm out to buy some extra HP. Unfortunately, I evolved another Bell up and knocked that one out. He got rid of one of them, but I just kept donking em out to win the game.
GG's Ryan! (2-0)
Round 3 Vs. David B. (Kyogre/Togekiss)
IMHO, I'm more afraid of this matchup than any stupid Kingdra variant you can throw me. Kyogre only needs to dump the energy on it and can set it up just as fast as Kingdra can, and spread it to the entire bench.. Its a much better and well thought out idea by a player I respect a ton than donky, overrated Kingdra. And he proved its superiority by keeping the guns on me in all 3 games we played this day.
Mr. Brown is an incredibly good player in this state, I just don't get to see him play a whole lot. He is the past winner of Ryan's tournament, so its obvious that he's a big threat in this tournament. To beat this mathematical whiz, I was gonna need a lot more than just a couple good hands.
This first round really looked bad. I got an Oddish start and just a Gloom to evolve into. Nothing extraordinary. I top decked a Minun later on, but he was set up faster than me, and let the high tide bowl me over.
(2-1)
I get to break for a little bit and play some friendlies with some of my other decks while some of the other losers bracket rounds clean up. I was waiting for my next opponent, anyways. Made some trades too, so that was cool.
Round 4 Vs. San ? (Random Hodgepodge)
Sorry, don't know your last name..
, this guy is the owner of the store Ryan runs his league at. and he just came off a 3 game winning streak from heck. I was utterly confused as I'd taken hits from things I'd never expected in my life. I had a very terrible hand, could not evolve to save my life.. AND GOT HIT WITH COATING.. You have no idea how bad that feels.I did manage to rally back, but lawd, that was a really goofy game.
(3-1)
Round 5. Vs. Jacob R. (T2 Wrath)
This match absolutely frightens me. I'm playing the seniors player that I mentor, and really, I am incredibly nervous. Jacob, in my opinion, plays and has the attitude of a masters player, and shows it in every game he plays. I've had the opportunity to judge him in many events, and play him at league every week just for practice... but this is the first time I've ever played him in a real tournament, and he's even better when focused on a real game than when we're just horsing around.
He's playing Poliwrath, a variant he took off of my girlfriend (secretsof2113), and altered to his liking. He's been doing exceptionally well with it, and has fought through the resistance of my grass deck every single time, nearly beating me in every game, and even walking away with a few. He knows how to run the deck, and hes extremely frightening with it.
It also didn't help that this became a rally game for me. He gets a very amazing Turn 2 Wrath, and they just keep coming. He gets a very successful Radar that makes me want to cry and begins blowing through early game Oddishes like they're candy. I get a night maintenance late on, and finally things begin to blow my way as I'm able to candy into a Bell, then into a Vileplume the turn after. His guerilla tactics with Mantine are still annoyingly effective, and he even energises a single wrath for the submission to blow right through a Bell.
I manage to pull ahead after a while, but just as I think I've got the upper hand, he gets a couple of Night Maintenances and his field begins to explode again. It becomes a back and forth fight to who can deliver the last blow first, I'm running through my deck like its a vending machine full of vault, until it finally ends. A lot of people in the room were paying very close attention to the game, as it was very intense.
Sith Master prevails over the Apprentice... this time. I defeat him and move on to the finals.
(4-1)
Finals Vs. David B. (Kyogre/Togekiss)
Now I was extremely nervous. I win one rough fight for another to begin. This one even more against my odds than before. I've got to defeat Mr. Brown twice in order to win this tournament as it is a Double Elimination and he is sitting at the top of the chain, undefeated. He gave me a friendly reminder that 3 out of 4 times, the title has gone to the losers bracket. I of course, knowing how my fortune is, don't believe it will smile in my way.
And my opening hand proved it. Slowpoke. A bloody slowpoke. I had no idea what to do with this as the bugger has 2 retreat cost, which is... sick. I don't like wasting that much to retreat, so I made do. Fortunately, he didn't have that much better of a start, forcing his hand to rare candy the Baltoy just so he could try and get a better hand.
I WAS gonna retreat the Slowking when I evolved him next turn, but I figured, I have an attacker, I'll use it. As I had him use a couple of psych ups, I set up the Oddish I got later. Finally I get a Roseanne's and I can truly begin setting up my field. For a while, it was going my way, he knocks off my Slowking and I begin to Minus Charge my deck down. UNFORTUNATELY, I was stuck with the same mess as last game.. NO GLOOMS OR CANDIES! His God Orca began his vegetarian diet of Oddishes and I was sweating. However, his early game loss of Claydol was taking a toll on him too. Eventually, I manage to Minus Charge a great draw, setting up a Bellossom quickly as well as a Vileplume to begin my attack rally back. Towards the end, it was coming down to me catching on him. I get a crucial plus power down, praying for a burn flip. Success. Burn effect? Yes! Knocked out.
It finally came down to what looked like the last turn. I needed something fast. I had an Oddish benched who could have been in big doo doo. No Bells in hand, but a Candy. I had another in the deck, but I didn't want to risk the probability of not getting it. I use the NM in my hand to place an energy, a Vileplume, and a Bellossom back in my deck. I go to Felicities, and I get what I need. Candy to Bell, begin setting it up, Blend Pollen, burn success again, and game.
I lucksacked. I won't lie. It was a hard fought game to get that far nontheless, and probably one of the best games I've played in this game.
(5-1)
Finals Round 2 Vs. David B. (Kyogre/Togekiss)
This was the winner take all. Both of us are now sitting at 5-1 apiece. Winner takes the tournament and entire playset of Staff Promo's from this year (Pretty epic prize IMHO!) and I'm even more tense than before.
...I shouldn't have been.
I get an okay hand, with an Oddish, a Grass, and a Bell. Felicities was the only supporter in there, which makes me nervous. He flips. Solo Baltoy. I shrug, I don't have grass yet. I felicities my next turn for some much needed supporters, and I get the next best thing. A Rare Candy. Looking for the Pluspower for T1 donk, I can't get it. I do candy anyways to Parallel Gain him to 10 HP's left. He draws, and lays his hand on the table. Ugly. I haven't seen a hand that ugly since my opponent at Round 3 at nationals. (All those GG lines and not a candy to support it... X.X)
I was ecstatic. The tradition lives on and the losers bracket goes 4 for 5, and a pretty impressive start to what I hope becomes an excellent season. I'm very confident in this deck, but I may make some changes to it here in the coming days before Battle Roads begins.
Props:
- Post-Game Fazoli's WOOOT
- I gotz teh Staff Promo's from every event this year save states/regionals!
- A new binder.. Good thing too, my infernape one was starting to look ragged.
- McDonalds food not killing my stomach for once.
- Great games all around and a ton of fun was had.
- Bell-awesome taking it all.
- NO KINGDRA NYAH NYAH
Slops:
- That stupid Kyogre wrist play
- All of the Diamond/Pearl packs that were there! And I didn't pull a single dusknoir!
- BEE'S. EVERYWHERE.
- I didn't get to test out my deck against AMU..
- All the gas I used up! O.O
- Slowking for having 2 retreat