After being pestered by PokeMeBob and BJJ to come (after the Auburn CC during which I was hounded by bad luck) I decided to pack the kids up and make the trip. A big factor was the decision by the organizers to run 3 concurrent tournaments so each age group only played with the other age groups. I really feel bad when my 8-year-old special guy has to play teens and adults. He went 1-3 yesterday with my Salamence/Crawdaunt deck and that's really good for him. Shannon went 0-3 in 11-14, but she had fun doing Gameboy battles and eating pizza so she didn't care. Calvin will write his own report for the 10 + <.
I've always wanted to build a Cradily deck and thought that Armaldo would be a good complement. After the Auburn CC I traded for a second Cradily and I was good to go. I pulled a couple of Battle Blast Breloom in packs I got at Target (yay for sales and the frame coupons, though I had to buy too many Icees to get promos). In goes Shroomish (Sleep Powder) and Breloom.
Blaziken was out in great numbers, and I have to say I went in a little blind because I don't even own a holo Blaziken and only saw one for the first time at Auburn. I haven't had much funds to buy R&S and Sandstorm cards. :-(
Sorry, I can't give turn-by-turn accounting because my memory doesn't work that way. Here's general info:
okeball: First Round vs Ed
Ed's a really nice guy. I played him before during the Sandstorm Prerelease. His Electabuzz/Altaria deck never got off the ground due to lack of energy and basics. Breloom was my main Pokémon here. We played a second match for fun after and I got to see his deck action better that time.
okeball: Second Round vs. William
Barbara's son, so I knew he'd have a really good deck. I winced when he turned over Ralts because I'd heard about Gardevoir-EX. Mind you, I'd never even laid eyes on the card until he evolved his Kirlia. It took quite a while for him to get energy on Gardevoir, so I had time to build up my bench but I had a *big* handful of cards (8) so when G-Ex knocked out my active I ditched my hand--fast! I got down to 3 cards by placing 1 energy and evolving everything I could and doing a useless switch then retreat. With three cards in my hand Armaldo could swing away. Phew!
okeball: Third Round vs. Robert
Robert had a Blaziken deck, with what else I don't know because he never got past Combustken. I twitched a bit to only start with a Root Fossil, and a Lileep in hand. I Influenced on the second turn, put Anorith on my bench, made Anorith active next turn, did Fast Evolution, then Pierce next turn, then started swinging. Robert asked after if I would sign one of my favorite energy cards for him (he provided) as a souvenir of the match. Darkness is my favorite, so I ran out to my car and brought back a VS Darkness (I have lots and I don't use them in decks because they buckle slightly).
By now I'm thinking my Karma is really good and I'm quite happy to have broken 50-50.
okeball: Fourth Round vs. Nick (I think that's right--sorry if it's wrong!)
Now I'm expecting my train to derail. He's very good and I know he's got some kind of great deck: Xatu and Aggron-EX. The only problem was his Aggron ended up in his prizes and I had 3rd Turn Armaldo powered up and shut down his Trainer game. He stalled very well with 2 Xatus, removing 2 damage counters each turn, but stalling allowed me to power up Cradily and start work on another Armaldo. He played an awesome match for getting totally *skunked* with his opening. My deck was in the zone and Just Worked. Phew!
We played another match for fun and his deck showed its true colors, while I got the stinky hand. It was fun because I like Aggron.
I got a *lot* of ribbing from BJJ every time I signed my results sheet and a lot of teasing after the results were in for insisting after Auburn that I wasn't going to make it to Milford.
I'm glad I did, because it's a really great bunch of people to play with. Everyone respects the Pokémoms there; no grumbling about losing to a 'mom like I heard from one kid at Auburn. I only wish that PUI hadn't totally b0rked my CC application, then I could have hosted my own and showed these players my hospitality.
A note about my deck: I've been fascinated with Anorith and Lileep since they came out because they are Pokémon versions of very old life-forms. Lileep are Sea Lillies, not plants but anchored echinoderms related to sea stars and sea urchins. Anorith are Anomalocaris, the top predator from the Burgess Shale, and the first really big predator in history.
It was really fun and I look forward to playing these people again at the PreRelease in two weeks and at States.
:unknown-b
I've always wanted to build a Cradily deck and thought that Armaldo would be a good complement. After the Auburn CC I traded for a second Cradily and I was good to go. I pulled a couple of Battle Blast Breloom in packs I got at Target (yay for sales and the frame coupons, though I had to buy too many Icees to get promos). In goes Shroomish (Sleep Powder) and Breloom.
Blaziken was out in great numbers, and I have to say I went in a little blind because I don't even own a holo Blaziken and only saw one for the first time at Auburn. I haven't had much funds to buy R&S and Sandstorm cards. :-(
Sorry, I can't give turn-by-turn accounting because my memory doesn't work that way. Here's general info:
okeball: First Round vs EdEd's a really nice guy. I played him before during the Sandstorm Prerelease. His Electabuzz/Altaria deck never got off the ground due to lack of energy and basics. Breloom was my main Pokémon here. We played a second match for fun after and I got to see his deck action better that time.
okeball: Second Round vs. WilliamBarbara's son, so I knew he'd have a really good deck. I winced when he turned over Ralts because I'd heard about Gardevoir-EX. Mind you, I'd never even laid eyes on the card until he evolved his Kirlia. It took quite a while for him to get energy on Gardevoir, so I had time to build up my bench but I had a *big* handful of cards (8) so when G-Ex knocked out my active I ditched my hand--fast! I got down to 3 cards by placing 1 energy and evolving everything I could and doing a useless switch then retreat. With three cards in my hand Armaldo could swing away. Phew!
okeball: Third Round vs. RobertRobert had a Blaziken deck, with what else I don't know because he never got past Combustken. I twitched a bit to only start with a Root Fossil, and a Lileep in hand. I Influenced on the second turn, put Anorith on my bench, made Anorith active next turn, did Fast Evolution, then Pierce next turn, then started swinging. Robert asked after if I would sign one of my favorite energy cards for him (he provided) as a souvenir of the match. Darkness is my favorite, so I ran out to my car and brought back a VS Darkness (I have lots and I don't use them in decks because they buckle slightly).
By now I'm thinking my Karma is really good and I'm quite happy to have broken 50-50.
okeball: Fourth Round vs. Nick (I think that's right--sorry if it's wrong!)Now I'm expecting my train to derail. He's very good and I know he's got some kind of great deck: Xatu and Aggron-EX. The only problem was his Aggron ended up in his prizes and I had 3rd Turn Armaldo powered up and shut down his Trainer game. He stalled very well with 2 Xatus, removing 2 damage counters each turn, but stalling allowed me to power up Cradily and start work on another Armaldo. He played an awesome match for getting totally *skunked* with his opening. My deck was in the zone and Just Worked. Phew!
We played another match for fun and his deck showed its true colors, while I got the stinky hand. It was fun because I like Aggron.
I got a *lot* of ribbing from BJJ every time I signed my results sheet and a lot of teasing after the results were in for insisting after Auburn that I wasn't going to make it to Milford.
I'm glad I did, because it's a really great bunch of people to play with. Everyone respects the Pokémoms there; no grumbling about losing to a 'mom like I heard from one kid at Auburn. I only wish that PUI hadn't totally b0rked my CC application, then I could have hosted my own and showed these players my hospitality.
A note about my deck: I've been fascinated with Anorith and Lileep since they came out because they are Pokémon versions of very old life-forms. Lileep are Sea Lillies, not plants but anchored echinoderms related to sea stars and sea urchins. Anorith are Anomalocaris, the top predator from the Burgess Shale, and the first really big predator in history.
It was really fun and I look forward to playing these people again at the PreRelease in two weeks and at States.
:unknown-b
