I started playing Pokemon again last week (last played... 10-11 yrs ago?) and my buddy told me there was a free tournament with lots of prizes so... ask what best deck in format is, mooch cards, and let's play!
3 Dialga G
1 Dialga G Lvl X
2 Bronzong G
2 Crobat G
1 Toxicroak G
1 Skuntank G
1 Honchkrow G
1 Houndoom G
1 Sableye
1 Uxie
1 Azelf
1 Baltoy
1 Claydol
1 Unown G
2 Galactic HQ
4 Cyrus's Conspiracy
4 Roseanne's Research
3 Bebe's Search
4 Poke Turn
4 Energy Gain
3 Power Spray
3 Super Scoop Up
1 Luxury Ball
1 Pokemon Rescue
4 Special Metal Energy
3 Metal Energy
3 Dark Energy
3 Psychic Energy
Round 1: Steven Stone - ???.dec
I go into this round prepared to lose. How can a man named Steven Stone not be a Pokemon master? He wins the die roll and starts with a Crobat. I flip over a Honchkrow. He puts a Psychic energy on his Crobat and says go.
My turn I go draw, Galactic HQ, Crobat (10), Dark Energy my Honchkrow, Roseanne's for Crobat and Uxie, Crobat (20), Poke Turn (30), Poke Turn (40), Poke Turn (50), Uxie, draw 7, Energy Gain, Sack Attack (90)!
1-0
Round 2: Murat ??? - Something that looked like my deck except with no Dialgas and a lot of Houndooms and Weaviles and stuff like that
He takes forever to take his turns. One of the judges says he has ADD so be a little patient with him. Around 30 minutes later (or 6 of his turns), I ask the judge what happens when time expires and the judge tells me it's sudden death. And then the judge decides to sit behind me and pressure me when I'm trying to make a search with Cyrus's Conspiracy. I already told the judging staff that I just started playing last week... maybe they could be a little more patient with me? Naturally time ends on his turn because I'm trying to play fast and fast as he can he plays a bunch of PlusPowers and randomly kills my Crobat because I didn't read Special Metal Energy.
Turns out what the judge *didn't* tell me was that it's only sudden death if we're tied. We had done nothing for a few turns and I could've been using my Honchkrow to snipe all his damaged back row guys.
1-1
Round 3: Joseph Sanchez - Magmortar/Typhlosion
I sit down and give him the obligatory "new player, be a little patient with me" speech and he immediately calls a judge over and ask him to watch me for slow play. I play at what I feel like is a reasonable pace and the judge watching me never asks me to speed up so I figure everything is all right. As time ticks down we're tied at 3-3 and the judge tells me that he's extending our match time. I'm fine with that since my plan of using Honchkrow to snipe his back row guys has finally forced his last remaining "powered up" Magmortar Lvl X out to battle, and I can kill it in one hit with some hot Crobat/Poke Turn/Dialga Lvl X action. I finish planning my moves, play a Cyrus's to get another Cyrus's, a Poke Turn, and a Metal Energy - and in the middle of this search the judge tells me he's granting our match another extension of time and giving me my second warning for slow play.
Is this like one of those IRS things where they just send you the second warning because it's more effective that way?
I end my turn, he plays Roseanne's, takes what seems like an eternity to search, and then all of a sudden when time is called, he knows exactly what he wants. Strange, my last round opponent did this also. He does some stuff, and then tries to use Typhlosion's Poke-Power to give him enough energy to lethal my Honchkrow. I Power Spray (I'm holding all 3, from Honcho's Command early in the game). He tries to use Magmortar Lvl X's Poke-Power. I Spray again. He looks sort of sad and just does 60 damage to my Honchkrow. My turn, instead of bothering with something fancy, I just Crobat and Poke Turn one of his heavily damaged back rows to death.
By this time a rather large crowd of what I assume are his buddies has gathered around the match (no spectators in play area... another rule that gets selectively enforced I see) and is telling the judge I was "stalling" and calling me "Joseph Stallin" and etc. One of them tells me "we're Pokemon players, we know how to tell when someone's stalling." I've played Magic, YGO, and pretty much every other card game out there, and I guess all useless barnacles act the same no matter which game it is. Not enough talent to do anything yourself, so you latch onto some "big name" and get all pissy when that big name loses. Completely classless.
At this point I'm about convinced that every single Pokemon player is a complete jerk, that the judges are corrupt and biased, and that whoever designed the time rules is the biggest moron on the planet. Just as I start to tell my opponent that "if you want the win so bad, you can have it," he turns to the judge and starts badmouthing me.
Well, screw that.
2-1
Round 4: Michael Silva - Dialga/Palkia G
I don't draw supporters until turn 10 or so while he hits Cyrus's Conspiracy on turn 1. That didn't turn out so well.
2-2
Round 5: ??? ??? - Shaymin/Leafeon (I really wish I could remember this guy's name, he was a really cool guy)
He only has one basic so I go for a fast Crobat kill. Luckily for him I fizzle out with 10 HP left on his active. He plays another one next turn but isn't able to really set up as I get Dialga G out and wreck his board.
3-2
Round 6: Jason Fong - Tyranitar/Darkrai/Togekiss
We both get pretty bad hands as he has no Pokemon and I have no energy (due to a lack of supporters). He searches out every single one of his Sableye targets and I search out every single one of my Honchkrow targets before I finally find a Cyrus's. Dialga Lvl X with 3 Special Metal Energy gets set up pretty quickly, takes out his T-Tar, and then just sweeps away the rest of his board as nothing he can muster will take out Dialga Lvl X w/ Poke Turn/Bronzong backup.
Jason was really fun to play against, and didn't make a big deal out of me being a new player. Appreciated.
4-2
I slide into the T16 as 13th seed where I face...
T16: Murat ??? - See Above.dec
We don't finish game 1 until less than 10 minutes are left in the round (after a few extensions) and the time pressure really gets to me, causing me to make some savage misplays. I play as quickly as possible game 2 and get 3 prizes but time expires before I can get a 4th.
4-3
Get a few packs, pull a Dialga G Lvl X.
My friend who I started playing the game with last week got T8 with Dialga/Palkia G. It was his first tournament also, and I feel he could've gone all the way if he didn't get stalled out of the T8 by Machamp. His T4 opponent would have been Murat, who he savaged in the Swiss, and I don't know enough about Pokemon to figure out what would've happened in the finals. It was his first tournament also, and like me, he didn't know how time worked very well.
Props:
Opponents in rounds 5 and 6 - you guys really restored the image of Pokemon players in my eyes - if I keep on playing this game, know that both of you play a large part in that decision.
John - you are a great judge. Thanks for clarifying so many things for me and helping make sure that people didn't try to cheat me because I'm a new player.
Thomas Cao - for letting me mooch a deck
Glenn Velasquez - for the original deck idea, and now that Bleach is dead, for being my lieutenant forever!
Slops:
Time rules - one opinion of mine hasn't changed: whoever made these up is a moron. If the rules were like Magic's I'm sure stalling wouldn't be such a viable strategy.
Opponent in round 3 - dude, chill. It's a game. And don't be such a hypocrite.
Favoritism - I am absolutely convinced there was favoritism going on with the judges and tournament staff. Some of it was blatant, some of it was maybe unconscious, but it was there nevertheless.
Thomas Cao - for savagely misplaying game 2 in the T8 which forced a game 3, which leads me to...
Thomas's T8 opponent - I'm a Pokemon player, and I know how to tell when someone's stalling
3 Dialga G
1 Dialga G Lvl X
2 Bronzong G
2 Crobat G
1 Toxicroak G
1 Skuntank G
1 Honchkrow G
1 Houndoom G
1 Sableye
1 Uxie
1 Azelf
1 Baltoy
1 Claydol
1 Unown G
2 Galactic HQ
4 Cyrus's Conspiracy
4 Roseanne's Research
3 Bebe's Search
4 Poke Turn
4 Energy Gain
3 Power Spray
3 Super Scoop Up
1 Luxury Ball
1 Pokemon Rescue
4 Special Metal Energy
3 Metal Energy
3 Dark Energy
3 Psychic Energy
Round 1: Steven Stone - ???.dec
I go into this round prepared to lose. How can a man named Steven Stone not be a Pokemon master? He wins the die roll and starts with a Crobat. I flip over a Honchkrow. He puts a Psychic energy on his Crobat and says go.
My turn I go draw, Galactic HQ, Crobat (10), Dark Energy my Honchkrow, Roseanne's for Crobat and Uxie, Crobat (20), Poke Turn (30), Poke Turn (40), Poke Turn (50), Uxie, draw 7, Energy Gain, Sack Attack (90)!
1-0
Round 2: Murat ??? - Something that looked like my deck except with no Dialgas and a lot of Houndooms and Weaviles and stuff like that
He takes forever to take his turns. One of the judges says he has ADD so be a little patient with him. Around 30 minutes later (or 6 of his turns), I ask the judge what happens when time expires and the judge tells me it's sudden death. And then the judge decides to sit behind me and pressure me when I'm trying to make a search with Cyrus's Conspiracy. I already told the judging staff that I just started playing last week... maybe they could be a little more patient with me? Naturally time ends on his turn because I'm trying to play fast and fast as he can he plays a bunch of PlusPowers and randomly kills my Crobat because I didn't read Special Metal Energy.
Turns out what the judge *didn't* tell me was that it's only sudden death if we're tied. We had done nothing for a few turns and I could've been using my Honchkrow to snipe all his damaged back row guys.
1-1
Round 3: Joseph Sanchez - Magmortar/Typhlosion
I sit down and give him the obligatory "new player, be a little patient with me" speech and he immediately calls a judge over and ask him to watch me for slow play. I play at what I feel like is a reasonable pace and the judge watching me never asks me to speed up so I figure everything is all right. As time ticks down we're tied at 3-3 and the judge tells me that he's extending our match time. I'm fine with that since my plan of using Honchkrow to snipe his back row guys has finally forced his last remaining "powered up" Magmortar Lvl X out to battle, and I can kill it in one hit with some hot Crobat/Poke Turn/Dialga Lvl X action. I finish planning my moves, play a Cyrus's to get another Cyrus's, a Poke Turn, and a Metal Energy - and in the middle of this search the judge tells me he's granting our match another extension of time and giving me my second warning for slow play.
Is this like one of those IRS things where they just send you the second warning because it's more effective that way?
I end my turn, he plays Roseanne's, takes what seems like an eternity to search, and then all of a sudden when time is called, he knows exactly what he wants. Strange, my last round opponent did this also. He does some stuff, and then tries to use Typhlosion's Poke-Power to give him enough energy to lethal my Honchkrow. I Power Spray (I'm holding all 3, from Honcho's Command early in the game). He tries to use Magmortar Lvl X's Poke-Power. I Spray again. He looks sort of sad and just does 60 damage to my Honchkrow. My turn, instead of bothering with something fancy, I just Crobat and Poke Turn one of his heavily damaged back rows to death.
By this time a rather large crowd of what I assume are his buddies has gathered around the match (no spectators in play area... another rule that gets selectively enforced I see) and is telling the judge I was "stalling" and calling me "Joseph Stallin" and etc. One of them tells me "we're Pokemon players, we know how to tell when someone's stalling." I've played Magic, YGO, and pretty much every other card game out there, and I guess all useless barnacles act the same no matter which game it is. Not enough talent to do anything yourself, so you latch onto some "big name" and get all pissy when that big name loses. Completely classless.
At this point I'm about convinced that every single Pokemon player is a complete jerk, that the judges are corrupt and biased, and that whoever designed the time rules is the biggest moron on the planet. Just as I start to tell my opponent that "if you want the win so bad, you can have it," he turns to the judge and starts badmouthing me.
Well, screw that.
2-1
Round 4: Michael Silva - Dialga/Palkia G
I don't draw supporters until turn 10 or so while he hits Cyrus's Conspiracy on turn 1. That didn't turn out so well.
2-2
Round 5: ??? ??? - Shaymin/Leafeon (I really wish I could remember this guy's name, he was a really cool guy)
He only has one basic so I go for a fast Crobat kill. Luckily for him I fizzle out with 10 HP left on his active. He plays another one next turn but isn't able to really set up as I get Dialga G out and wreck his board.
3-2
Round 6: Jason Fong - Tyranitar/Darkrai/Togekiss
We both get pretty bad hands as he has no Pokemon and I have no energy (due to a lack of supporters). He searches out every single one of his Sableye targets and I search out every single one of my Honchkrow targets before I finally find a Cyrus's. Dialga Lvl X with 3 Special Metal Energy gets set up pretty quickly, takes out his T-Tar, and then just sweeps away the rest of his board as nothing he can muster will take out Dialga Lvl X w/ Poke Turn/Bronzong backup.
Jason was really fun to play against, and didn't make a big deal out of me being a new player. Appreciated.
4-2
I slide into the T16 as 13th seed where I face...
T16: Murat ??? - See Above.dec
We don't finish game 1 until less than 10 minutes are left in the round (after a few extensions) and the time pressure really gets to me, causing me to make some savage misplays. I play as quickly as possible game 2 and get 3 prizes but time expires before I can get a 4th.
4-3
Get a few packs, pull a Dialga G Lvl X.
My friend who I started playing the game with last week got T8 with Dialga/Palkia G. It was his first tournament also, and I feel he could've gone all the way if he didn't get stalled out of the T8 by Machamp. His T4 opponent would have been Murat, who he savaged in the Swiss, and I don't know enough about Pokemon to figure out what would've happened in the finals. It was his first tournament also, and like me, he didn't know how time worked very well.
Props:
Opponents in rounds 5 and 6 - you guys really restored the image of Pokemon players in my eyes - if I keep on playing this game, know that both of you play a large part in that decision.
John - you are a great judge. Thanks for clarifying so many things for me and helping make sure that people didn't try to cheat me because I'm a new player.
Thomas Cao - for letting me mooch a deck
Glenn Velasquez - for the original deck idea, and now that Bleach is dead, for being my lieutenant forever!
Slops:
Time rules - one opinion of mine hasn't changed: whoever made these up is a moron. If the rules were like Magic's I'm sure stalling wouldn't be such a viable strategy.
Opponent in round 3 - dude, chill. It's a game. And don't be such a hypocrite.
Favoritism - I am absolutely convinced there was favoritism going on with the judges and tournament staff. Some of it was blatant, some of it was maybe unconscious, but it was there nevertheless.
Thomas Cao - for savagely misplaying game 2 in the T8 which forced a game 3, which leads me to...
Thomas's T8 opponent - I'm a Pokemon player, and I know how to tell when someone's stalling
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