I only got to go to one Battle Road this season, despite there being several in the area. Between the North Shore Century, Wildcats football, Yom Kippur, and my parents being in town, the only one I got to go to was the one in Des Plaines. It was a nice bike ride--took merely a "long forty minutes" from Evanston to Des Plaines.
My deck was Krookodile (Krookoroll)/Forretress (Spike Spread), which I built the previous night. I don't own any Kingdra, even though that's a more efficient pairing.
ROUND ONE: Noah vs. Nik N. (Yanmega/Zoroark/Donphan): He got the jump on me early after Judging away my hand twice. Although I got a few Spike Spread attacks while powering up Krookodile on the Bench, I fell behind 0-3. After I top-decked Juniper, his Zoroark (the biggest threat) fell to Krookoroll, and I managed to rally to a 4-4 tie. It was too little, too late, though.
LOST (0-1 record)
ROUND TWO: Noah vs. Tim H. (Reshi-boar): Despite the fact that I play him in League every week, this is the first time that I have ever faced him in a tournament! He was paired down against me. He set up fully on turn three, and despite my ability to use Catcher on his Emboar a few times, he had plenty of outs against it. I got crushed.
LOST (0-2 record)
ROUND THREE: Noah vs. Karol N. (ZPST): I was paired up again! Starting with a lone Sandile (instead of Pichu), I never got set up, although I didn't get donked either.
LOST (0-3 record)
ROUND FOUR: Noah vs. Jonathan B. (Reshi-phlosion): Despite me fielding 2 Krookodile, I did not get the Energy in a timely fashion, as I had no Energy for the first three turns. Obviously, the tech cards that I am using in this deck do not fit well with it, and I need more drawing in the deck, since I've gotten stuck with bad hands a few times.
LOST (0-4 record)
ROUND FIVE: Noah vs. Rafel (?). (ZPST): As I drew dead, his Zekrom punished me with Outrage. I was down 0-4 early, and though I took a few Prizes, there was no outlasting his team.
LOST (0-5 record)
ROUND SIX: Noah vs. Cody B. (Ross.dec): He locked my Trainer cards on turn three, and I drew dead early as Donphan took three early Prize cards. However, he ran short on Energy, and after I finally KO'd it with Krookoroll, I went on a 5-Prize run to put him on the edge. Unfortunately, he just fielded Reuniclus, and I had no further recourse as he finished me on a slow and painful end.
LOST (0-6 record)
In my twelve-year Pokemon career, this was the first tournament ever that I batted .000. Even in my worst tournaments early in my career, I picked up at least one win (even if it was a bye). There's a first for everything, and sometimes that's how the ball rolls. As a rule of etiquette that I read before says, "Have the courage and fortitude to complete even your worst round and do not pick up or fail to turn in your scorecard."
(I wonder if anyone else has ever posted a .000 tournament report on the 'Gym before?)
PROPS:
* Wonderful weather for biking.
* Jimmy Ballard, for announcing that States will be held in Des Plaines. YAY--I won't have to get a ride and/or a hotel room!
SLOPS:
* None. (What--I positivize anything, and an 0-6 record does not ruin my day.)
My deck was Krookodile (Krookoroll)/Forretress (Spike Spread), which I built the previous night. I don't own any Kingdra, even though that's a more efficient pairing.
ROUND ONE: Noah vs. Nik N. (Yanmega/Zoroark/Donphan): He got the jump on me early after Judging away my hand twice. Although I got a few Spike Spread attacks while powering up Krookodile on the Bench, I fell behind 0-3. After I top-decked Juniper, his Zoroark (the biggest threat) fell to Krookoroll, and I managed to rally to a 4-4 tie. It was too little, too late, though.
LOST (0-1 record)
ROUND TWO: Noah vs. Tim H. (Reshi-boar): Despite the fact that I play him in League every week, this is the first time that I have ever faced him in a tournament! He was paired down against me. He set up fully on turn three, and despite my ability to use Catcher on his Emboar a few times, he had plenty of outs against it. I got crushed.
LOST (0-2 record)
ROUND THREE: Noah vs. Karol N. (ZPST): I was paired up again! Starting with a lone Sandile (instead of Pichu), I never got set up, although I didn't get donked either.
LOST (0-3 record)
ROUND FOUR: Noah vs. Jonathan B. (Reshi-phlosion): Despite me fielding 2 Krookodile, I did not get the Energy in a timely fashion, as I had no Energy for the first three turns. Obviously, the tech cards that I am using in this deck do not fit well with it, and I need more drawing in the deck, since I've gotten stuck with bad hands a few times.
LOST (0-4 record)
ROUND FIVE: Noah vs. Rafel (?). (ZPST): As I drew dead, his Zekrom punished me with Outrage. I was down 0-4 early, and though I took a few Prizes, there was no outlasting his team.
LOST (0-5 record)
ROUND SIX: Noah vs. Cody B. (Ross.dec): He locked my Trainer cards on turn three, and I drew dead early as Donphan took three early Prize cards. However, he ran short on Energy, and after I finally KO'd it with Krookoroll, I went on a 5-Prize run to put him on the edge. Unfortunately, he just fielded Reuniclus, and I had no further recourse as he finished me on a slow and painful end.
LOST (0-6 record)
In my twelve-year Pokemon career, this was the first tournament ever that I batted .000. Even in my worst tournaments early in my career, I picked up at least one win (even if it was a bye). There's a first for everything, and sometimes that's how the ball rolls. As a rule of etiquette that I read before says, "Have the courage and fortitude to complete even your worst round and do not pick up or fail to turn in your scorecard."
(I wonder if anyone else has ever posted a .000 tournament report on the 'Gym before?)
PROPS:
* Wonderful weather for biking.
* Jimmy Ballard, for announcing that States will be held in Des Plaines. YAY--I won't have to get a ride and/or a hotel room!
SLOPS:
* None. (What--I positivize anything, and an 0-6 record does not ruin my day.)