Naki Feralkin
New Member
Sup guys, Naki-pad here giving the downlow on how crappy he did during this Nationals weekend.
First off, Nationals this year was easily the most fun I've had at a Pokemon Nationals since I began playing this game competitively (So I've seen two Origins, St. Louis, and this year) because the city of Indianapolis is bomb awesome in comparison to anything my state (Ohio) can dish out.
So.
Thursday:
We drive in and I almost have like twenty heart attacks because the guy driving us is going much faster than he ever did when driving to BR's/Cities/etc and its freaking me and my girlfriend (Secretsof2113) out. Nontheless, we make good time and get into Indianapolis in 4 hours (3:30 PM)
So we get into our Hotel (Mariott across the street), get our stuff together and head down to the con center. Myself and Tyler (Friend of mine and the driver) pile into line and I meet Rogue Archetype (Officially) who is standing behind us in line. Line was incredibly long, but it took literally no time at all for us to get from the escalator to the mariott down to the registration line. The wait wasn't a wait, we just got there early and we blitzed. Srsly. Good job staff.
From here I head over to Collectors Cache and thereon waste an hour and a half of my time in there waiting to get my commons/uncommons sold because they only had one person doing it. Sorry, this was one of my big slops of the weekend. I've been to Gencon, Origins, etc, and any vendor buying cards typically had more than one person doing this when you know you're gonna have a tournament of this size (1333 players plus parents plus friends plus staff). They had a grand total of one. Not smart. When I got my Orzhov deck sold at Gencon there were at least 3-4 other people doing the same thing. Kind of meh when you're the vendor everyone is hyping the previous year in St. Louis. Not only that, but there was no restock either. So much for me getting any pokemon merch. I'd care less about cards. I play like the cheapest deck (as far as cost goes) in the format. Does not bother. So enough on that.
From there I check out some of the other perks of the con center. The free gaming room was epic. Great idea and a great way to get some last minute practice in. I played a couple games, met my friend and we headed to the mall where I got a delicious A&W Root beer float and got bothered by some homeless dude who questioned why Cleveland sucked so bad (Trust me, it sucks. Look up Cleveland Tourism video humorous sometime on Youtube. Everything on it = true.) and asked us for money. We lol'd then went back to the con center and back to our hotel room and hung out.
It was at this point that I was debating on whether to leave my deck as is or cut two cards for an anti-mewtwo tech. You're likely wondering, "Why the heck aren't you debating on what deck to play?" Well, to be fair, I have only changed my competitive deck one time since states and that was the dumbest thing I've ever done in my life. (4-4 with Jumpluff at Great Lakes regionals. Get owned Naki.) So I stuck with my favorite deck since it was given to me around Ohio States. Sablelock. At states I went 5-2 and missed cut due to tie breakers (was like 3 slots from 16th. x.x), and through Battle Roads I won an event and did very well in the remaining. (Overall from States-BR's, I went 17-6), and the numbers don't lie. Stick to what you know and you shall prosper.
Anyways. I'm rambling. I was determining sneaking in a Mightyena LA (Bite On ***** Mewtwo but then dies to Frog. x.x) tech but I threw the idea out and just went with it.
So. I'm gonna reveal a list because I honestly don't care about it being copied.
Pokemon:
4 Sableye
2 Honchkrow G
2 Garchomp C
2 Garchomp C Level X
3 Uxie
1 Uxie Level X
3 Crobat G
1 Azelf
1 Toxicroak G Promo
1 Ambipom G
1 Drifblim FB
Energy:
4 Special Dark
4 DCE
2 Dark
1 Psychic
Trainers/Supporters:
4 Cyrus' Conspiracy
3 Pokemon Collector
3 Judge
2 Cyrus' Initiative
1 Aaron's Collection
4 Poketurn
3 SP Radar
3 Energy Gain
3 Power Spray
2 Moonlight Stadium
Yeah. Lol at it. Question my numbers. Is cool. 4 Collectors overclunk your deck once you have everything, Judge > Initiative, and SSU is way too flippy for my taste to ruin consistency over. I've no doubt the national champion thinks otherwise, but I dont know his list so I can't confirm or deny that.
So I decide against the Mightyena and just try to fall asleep (and fail until like 4 AM. x.x)
I get up reluctantly against my will with only 3 hours of sleep at my disposal and walk over to the con center with deck in hand, hopefully ready for the disaster that might befall me. Sablelock hasn't failed me yet, lets not do it now. GOOOOOO NAKI
Round 1 Vs. ??? from Indianapolis (Raticate Donk)
I really need to stop forgetting names. You're likely gonna see this a lot. First and foremost, I had something short of a god hand. The only downside is my opponent had a Crobat G start so I QQ'd a bit. I have literally no idea what he was playing until he started throwing plus powers on an Uxie and then a Belt. At first I thought it was an Uxie Donk deck in which case I despise solitare decks.. But. no such case. Next turn I see a Rattata then question what exactly is going on here.
Me: Youngster Joey attacks!
He drops BTS and a Raticate and this is when I realize what it does.
So I decide. Lets kill some rats with belts. I set up 3 kills in 3 turns to pokemanz with Expert Belts. 6 Prizes in 3 turns. I really liked the deck, it was interesting, but I just couldn't lose to this here.
1-0.
Round 2 Vs. Pokedad from Arizona (???)
I didn't get to see much of his deck because I didn't let him set up fast enough. He was a very nice gentleman, I helped his kid out with a deck on Sunday, but this was me wanting a taste of that top cut, so I wasn't gonna just let up. I saw Chinchou's and Phanpy's, but he just couldn't get anything going. I stop literally every threat before it hits the field, wiping him in a few swift turns.
2-0
LUNCH TIIIIIIIME! I go to Noodles and Co. Which is a fantastic noodle joint for cheap and try some hot sauce over my marinara. Made an interesting hot delicious flavor that I am currently craving because I am talking about. I then go back to my hotel room for about 30 minutes and lay down and try to catch a cat nap. Helped. Slightly.
Round 3 Vs. Steven Scrobe (King of Magikarps) from Virginia (Gyarados)
ITT you get to hear about me fail. I know to stop his setup with my hand, I literally just have to end the game as fast as possible. I have no Sableye's or ways to get to Sableye. I open with a Code Monkey to DCE. I bite his bat with my own bat on T1 and put it 10 away from wipe out. He comes in with a Sableye next turn and Impersonates for Magikraps.
This is where I become dumb. Pay attention.
During this turn I intend to use my Uxie in hand. I wanted to dump as much as possible and draw into some hotness. And literally, there was hotness. I'm just too dumb to pay attention. I get a poketurn in my hand and an Azelf. Azelf lets me tutor and watches me cry as TWO of my Garchomp C's are prized, and surprise, so is a poketurn. So my brain dies for a second and I remember putting it in the middle row, and now remember WHICH one it was. I flash bite his crobat, it dies. And I pick up the wrong prize.
Guess what. You lose. You screwed up the donk, you moron.
My game kind of went downhill from there. I fail to keep him from setting up. I take a few prizes to stay ahead, ultimately he comes back. He manages to stop me one turn from victory as I have a Drifblim ready to kill off some pixies.
2-1. I'm an idiot.
Round 4 Vs. Lance Wilson (I think this was your name..?) from I forget (Luxchomp)
Good match but it was pretty forgetful to me. I know I whiffed on a few judges and couldn't get the counters I needed at the opportune times, and I remember that an Uxie Level X became the bane of my existence after I wipe out one of his Luxray GL LX's. Totally wasn't expecting that.
Unfortunate loss that I don't really remember too much of. x.x
2-2
Round 5 Vs. Pablo Gallicia? (Again bad with names) from Virginia (Shuppet Donk)
I won this game off of my opponent misplaying. I hate winning games like this because I feel so illegit, but its a national championship. You screw up, it costs you. I did the same thing he did in the same turn. Except his was a bit more disastrous. After all, Shuppet kind of needs its plus powers.
I mostly remember a poor Shuppet that sat on the bench who couldn't hit the active position leaving Pluspowers on it. They get discarded because he didn't attack and I pretty much clean up shop, though he sends out nasty SP Horse at me which puts me behind a little bit. I manage to set up a way to get around it in the end, crobatting for the damage putting it over its damage limit, then finish it with a special darked Sableye. I win by wiping his field and taking two prizes to belt.
3-2.
Round 6 Vs. ??? from Virginia (Stuff)
I call this deck stuff because I saw a lot of it. Gengar, Blaziken FB, etc. I mostly just matched up damage with whatever was the most threatening problem at the time. I don't remember this game much, just that I needed to get around a few fainting spells and that I won. x.x
4-2
Round 7 Vs. ??? from California (Jumpluff)
I literally didn't give him the chance. He had an Azelf start to my borderline god hand. I start with Honchy but have a moonlight present, manage through two uxie draws to get a turn for my bat as well as the E-gain I had from the start and a DCE. I Quake his active and win after two bats. Sorry!
5-2
Day ends here. I'm stoked. I have the momentum to carry me in and I think I'm solid enough to sneak off a 6-3. but I want the 7-2. I meet my girlfriend once she finishes with her shenanigans and we go and get delicious sushi, then come back to the con center and BS with some Ohio friends.
Again no sleep. I'm trying to focus on whats at hand here.
Saturday:
Round 8 begins and I'm just as nervous as I was yesterday. Lets begin.
Round 8 Vs. Kason Day from Missouri (Legos)
I would say this would have been one of the most interesting games on the day, but I just cannot let a nasty spread deck shut me down. I manage to stall the deck early by judging him into what seemed to be a questionable hand for him. I saw the Palkia and stopped it before it became a problem and picked off his remaining threats. He seemed distraught after his loss, but he was a nice guy nontheless.
6-2
Round 9 Vs. ??? from ??? (Gengar)
The day started to became hazy from here, but Gengar excites me because I can stop it. And stop it I did. I take a few early prizes and I also manage to Uxie-out a Gengar's Fainting Spell (thank GOD). He trades prizes for a little while, but I eventually pull ahead when his cursegar is unable to set up when I pick it off from the bench. He runs no Nidoqueen's in the deck, so I roll after that.
7-2.
My first Nationals cut in two years. I made it into Top 32 at nationals two years ago, and I think thats what really got me to understand I have the ability to do good things. And now I just did it again.. I may not have the trophies, but some day..
So I turn my deck in and wait in line for like 45 minutes and I'm craving noodles, though instead I just go back up to the hotel room and goof off instead. I'm too tense to eat so I just come back down and hang out in the free gaming room and talk with Jim Tredway who is 64th seed going into his first nationals top cut with Machamp.
So I go back in and have to change my sleeves. A bit annoying seeing as how the sleeves given to me were the same ones I had on the deck at the time so I have to separate them so as to not mix the new from the old. Even more annoying is that I literally put these sleeves on the deck the previous day because my Dusknoir sleeves were very sketchy to me and I didn't want to get in trouble for having marked cards I had no intention of marking. (I'm paranoid leave me alone)
So. Lets do this.
Top 128 Vs. Zach Zamora (Honchvire) (Glisctomb)
I.. have never played against this deck in my life and I think playing one again would be too soon as I literally wanted to strangle myself consistently playing against it. My opponent was very polite and an overall good guy and our games were extremely awesome.
Round 1: I've got nothing. I had a few outs, a few ways to stop him from getting too far ahead, but the perfect lock was on his side of the field and he blower+'d a critical bomb from hitting the field. I gave him a fight and was pressing ahead, but I was starting to draw dead for a couple turns and any longer locking would just waste time. I was gonna be fighting the clock off a loss, so I needed to react. I scoop and get ready for game two.
Round 2: I stop two Spiritomb's early, but he's still hitting me strong and fast. However this time I manage to get some sprays a bit sooner and I stop the nastier Shoot Poison powers to critical pokemon. I also begin throwing Crobats at him while setting up attackers to counter because that fighting resistance is proving nasty. I manage to hit my 4 prize threshold and he eventually scoops to force a game 3.
Round 3: I know nobody wants to fight Sablelock in sudden death, so him scooping quick was a good move. Regrettably, I had a solid hand on my end and I just began taking prizes before he could set up consistently. I take two, he takes one back but time is called on my turn. Whew. Good games.
Victory!
Top 64 Vs. Gino Lombardi from Rhode Island (Jumplux)
Round 1: I literally had a brain fart here. In my panic of playing the 2008 Nationals champion, I second guess myself in round one, and literally forget to drop a pokemon, thinking that flash biting was irrelevant at the time. Well, YEAH it was irrelevant. However if I didn't drop that pokemon I would have just lost to a donk which would have been absolutely humiliating. Nontheless, he trucks forward on an early lead that I just can't keep up with. I scoop to save time.
Round 2: Get there Sableye donk.
Round 3: If my active was a Sableye, I would have won. It wasn't a Sableye though, so he donks me instead.
So. Top 64 and lose to a national champion? I can dig that. I also find it amusing that I've now played National Champions from the last 4 years (Chris Fulop lives in Ohio, I played both Con Le and Kyle Sucevich at 2008 Nationals, and I now played Gino).
So I'm done. Gino's loss also got me the Entei Raikou Piece I needed for a set and a Kingdra Prime. Win. I go eat at this awesome wings place down the road which I think now beats Quaker Steak and BW3 and try to figure out what to do for prof cup.
Sunday:
Prof cup = Irrelevant. I go 0-2 drop trying Healix. Deck was cool but lost to like stupid things, and by this I mean like top decks from hell and me being stupid. On the upside, my friend Andrew Mishik got Top 2 in it and was undefeated going into that round.
Also, Spencer B. came in second in Seniors, and I talk to his dad Dave on a regular Basis. Way to represent Ohio, Spencer!
All in all. Fun weekend. Good times were had and the city was very awesome.
Props:
- Sablelock for being an awesome deck
- All the winners of the tournaments
- Spencer for coming in second
- My Girlfriend for the support she gave me throughout the tournament, as well as in our relationship these past 3 years. Happy Anniversery!
- Tyler for driving
- Mishik for almost winning prof cup
- All the awesome pulls I got from a mediocrely bad set
- The city of Indianapolis for BEING THE CITY OF FLIPPING INDIANAPOLIS
- Dave Schwimmer for throwing shirts at me. My League can use these!
- Noodles and Company for existing
- TPCI for having the BEST NATIONALS EVER
Slops:
- Totally did not dig the vendors. At all.
- Those loud obnoxious kids from that student council thing who kept running up and down halls in the hotel as well as destroying my ear drums in the pool.
- Parking. 28 dollars a night. Yuck.
- The healthy smell of drunk people and booze entering the Mariott from the con hall AT SIX PM ON FRIDAY. Apparently political people can't control alcohol levels.
- Homeless people.
- Tyler making me have to change my pants for how many people he tailgated on the way to Indianapolis. x.x
So, that is all, folks. Look for my tournament reports to possibly continue next season when more great Sablelock matches will continue (I love having to only replace moonlight stadium with Champions room and having an MD-on deck...) Until next time, peace OUT
- Naki
First off, Nationals this year was easily the most fun I've had at a Pokemon Nationals since I began playing this game competitively (So I've seen two Origins, St. Louis, and this year) because the city of Indianapolis is bomb awesome in comparison to anything my state (Ohio) can dish out.
So.
Thursday:
We drive in and I almost have like twenty heart attacks because the guy driving us is going much faster than he ever did when driving to BR's/Cities/etc and its freaking me and my girlfriend (Secretsof2113) out. Nontheless, we make good time and get into Indianapolis in 4 hours (3:30 PM)
So we get into our Hotel (Mariott across the street), get our stuff together and head down to the con center. Myself and Tyler (Friend of mine and the driver) pile into line and I meet Rogue Archetype (Officially) who is standing behind us in line. Line was incredibly long, but it took literally no time at all for us to get from the escalator to the mariott down to the registration line. The wait wasn't a wait, we just got there early and we blitzed. Srsly. Good job staff.
From here I head over to Collectors Cache and thereon waste an hour and a half of my time in there waiting to get my commons/uncommons sold because they only had one person doing it. Sorry, this was one of my big slops of the weekend. I've been to Gencon, Origins, etc, and any vendor buying cards typically had more than one person doing this when you know you're gonna have a tournament of this size (1333 players plus parents plus friends plus staff). They had a grand total of one. Not smart. When I got my Orzhov deck sold at Gencon there were at least 3-4 other people doing the same thing. Kind of meh when you're the vendor everyone is hyping the previous year in St. Louis. Not only that, but there was no restock either. So much for me getting any pokemon merch. I'd care less about cards. I play like the cheapest deck (as far as cost goes) in the format. Does not bother. So enough on that.
From there I check out some of the other perks of the con center. The free gaming room was epic. Great idea and a great way to get some last minute practice in. I played a couple games, met my friend and we headed to the mall where I got a delicious A&W Root beer float and got bothered by some homeless dude who questioned why Cleveland sucked so bad (Trust me, it sucks. Look up Cleveland Tourism video humorous sometime on Youtube. Everything on it = true.) and asked us for money. We lol'd then went back to the con center and back to our hotel room and hung out.
It was at this point that I was debating on whether to leave my deck as is or cut two cards for an anti-mewtwo tech. You're likely wondering, "Why the heck aren't you debating on what deck to play?" Well, to be fair, I have only changed my competitive deck one time since states and that was the dumbest thing I've ever done in my life. (4-4 with Jumpluff at Great Lakes regionals. Get owned Naki.) So I stuck with my favorite deck since it was given to me around Ohio States. Sablelock. At states I went 5-2 and missed cut due to tie breakers (was like 3 slots from 16th. x.x), and through Battle Roads I won an event and did very well in the remaining. (Overall from States-BR's, I went 17-6), and the numbers don't lie. Stick to what you know and you shall prosper.
Anyways. I'm rambling. I was determining sneaking in a Mightyena LA (Bite On ***** Mewtwo but then dies to Frog. x.x) tech but I threw the idea out and just went with it.
So. I'm gonna reveal a list because I honestly don't care about it being copied.
Pokemon:
4 Sableye
2 Honchkrow G
2 Garchomp C
2 Garchomp C Level X
3 Uxie
1 Uxie Level X
3 Crobat G
1 Azelf
1 Toxicroak G Promo
1 Ambipom G
1 Drifblim FB
Energy:
4 Special Dark
4 DCE
2 Dark
1 Psychic
Trainers/Supporters:
4 Cyrus' Conspiracy
3 Pokemon Collector
3 Judge
2 Cyrus' Initiative
1 Aaron's Collection
4 Poketurn
3 SP Radar
3 Energy Gain
3 Power Spray
2 Moonlight Stadium
Yeah. Lol at it. Question my numbers. Is cool. 4 Collectors overclunk your deck once you have everything, Judge > Initiative, and SSU is way too flippy for my taste to ruin consistency over. I've no doubt the national champion thinks otherwise, but I dont know his list so I can't confirm or deny that.
So I decide against the Mightyena and just try to fall asleep (and fail until like 4 AM. x.x)
I get up reluctantly against my will with only 3 hours of sleep at my disposal and walk over to the con center with deck in hand, hopefully ready for the disaster that might befall me. Sablelock hasn't failed me yet, lets not do it now. GOOOOOO NAKI
Round 1 Vs. ??? from Indianapolis (Raticate Donk)
I really need to stop forgetting names. You're likely gonna see this a lot. First and foremost, I had something short of a god hand. The only downside is my opponent had a Crobat G start so I QQ'd a bit. I have literally no idea what he was playing until he started throwing plus powers on an Uxie and then a Belt. At first I thought it was an Uxie Donk deck in which case I despise solitare decks.. But. no such case. Next turn I see a Rattata then question what exactly is going on here.
Me: Youngster Joey attacks!
He drops BTS and a Raticate and this is when I realize what it does.
So I decide. Lets kill some rats with belts. I set up 3 kills in 3 turns to pokemanz with Expert Belts. 6 Prizes in 3 turns. I really liked the deck, it was interesting, but I just couldn't lose to this here.
1-0.
Round 2 Vs. Pokedad from Arizona (???)
I didn't get to see much of his deck because I didn't let him set up fast enough. He was a very nice gentleman, I helped his kid out with a deck on Sunday, but this was me wanting a taste of that top cut, so I wasn't gonna just let up. I saw Chinchou's and Phanpy's, but he just couldn't get anything going. I stop literally every threat before it hits the field, wiping him in a few swift turns.
2-0
LUNCH TIIIIIIIME! I go to Noodles and Co. Which is a fantastic noodle joint for cheap and try some hot sauce over my marinara. Made an interesting hot delicious flavor that I am currently craving because I am talking about. I then go back to my hotel room for about 30 minutes and lay down and try to catch a cat nap. Helped. Slightly.
Round 3 Vs. Steven Scrobe (King of Magikarps) from Virginia (Gyarados)
ITT you get to hear about me fail. I know to stop his setup with my hand, I literally just have to end the game as fast as possible. I have no Sableye's or ways to get to Sableye. I open with a Code Monkey to DCE. I bite his bat with my own bat on T1 and put it 10 away from wipe out. He comes in with a Sableye next turn and Impersonates for Magikraps.
This is where I become dumb. Pay attention.
During this turn I intend to use my Uxie in hand. I wanted to dump as much as possible and draw into some hotness. And literally, there was hotness. I'm just too dumb to pay attention. I get a poketurn in my hand and an Azelf. Azelf lets me tutor and watches me cry as TWO of my Garchomp C's are prized, and surprise, so is a poketurn. So my brain dies for a second and I remember putting it in the middle row, and now remember WHICH one it was. I flash bite his crobat, it dies. And I pick up the wrong prize.
Guess what. You lose. You screwed up the donk, you moron.
My game kind of went downhill from there. I fail to keep him from setting up. I take a few prizes to stay ahead, ultimately he comes back. He manages to stop me one turn from victory as I have a Drifblim ready to kill off some pixies.
2-1. I'm an idiot.
Round 4 Vs. Lance Wilson (I think this was your name..?) from I forget (Luxchomp)
Good match but it was pretty forgetful to me. I know I whiffed on a few judges and couldn't get the counters I needed at the opportune times, and I remember that an Uxie Level X became the bane of my existence after I wipe out one of his Luxray GL LX's. Totally wasn't expecting that.
Unfortunate loss that I don't really remember too much of. x.x
2-2
Round 5 Vs. Pablo Gallicia? (Again bad with names) from Virginia (Shuppet Donk)
I won this game off of my opponent misplaying. I hate winning games like this because I feel so illegit, but its a national championship. You screw up, it costs you. I did the same thing he did in the same turn. Except his was a bit more disastrous. After all, Shuppet kind of needs its plus powers.
I mostly remember a poor Shuppet that sat on the bench who couldn't hit the active position leaving Pluspowers on it. They get discarded because he didn't attack and I pretty much clean up shop, though he sends out nasty SP Horse at me which puts me behind a little bit. I manage to set up a way to get around it in the end, crobatting for the damage putting it over its damage limit, then finish it with a special darked Sableye. I win by wiping his field and taking two prizes to belt.
3-2.
Round 6 Vs. ??? from Virginia (Stuff)
I call this deck stuff because I saw a lot of it. Gengar, Blaziken FB, etc. I mostly just matched up damage with whatever was the most threatening problem at the time. I don't remember this game much, just that I needed to get around a few fainting spells and that I won. x.x
4-2
Round 7 Vs. ??? from California (Jumpluff)
I literally didn't give him the chance. He had an Azelf start to my borderline god hand. I start with Honchy but have a moonlight present, manage through two uxie draws to get a turn for my bat as well as the E-gain I had from the start and a DCE. I Quake his active and win after two bats. Sorry!
5-2
Day ends here. I'm stoked. I have the momentum to carry me in and I think I'm solid enough to sneak off a 6-3. but I want the 7-2. I meet my girlfriend once she finishes with her shenanigans and we go and get delicious sushi, then come back to the con center and BS with some Ohio friends.
Again no sleep. I'm trying to focus on whats at hand here.
Saturday:
Round 8 begins and I'm just as nervous as I was yesterday. Lets begin.
Round 8 Vs. Kason Day from Missouri (Legos)
I would say this would have been one of the most interesting games on the day, but I just cannot let a nasty spread deck shut me down. I manage to stall the deck early by judging him into what seemed to be a questionable hand for him. I saw the Palkia and stopped it before it became a problem and picked off his remaining threats. He seemed distraught after his loss, but he was a nice guy nontheless.
6-2
Round 9 Vs. ??? from ??? (Gengar)
The day started to became hazy from here, but Gengar excites me because I can stop it. And stop it I did. I take a few early prizes and I also manage to Uxie-out a Gengar's Fainting Spell (thank GOD). He trades prizes for a little while, but I eventually pull ahead when his cursegar is unable to set up when I pick it off from the bench. He runs no Nidoqueen's in the deck, so I roll after that.
7-2.
My first Nationals cut in two years. I made it into Top 32 at nationals two years ago, and I think thats what really got me to understand I have the ability to do good things. And now I just did it again.. I may not have the trophies, but some day..
So I turn my deck in and wait in line for like 45 minutes and I'm craving noodles, though instead I just go back up to the hotel room and goof off instead. I'm too tense to eat so I just come back down and hang out in the free gaming room and talk with Jim Tredway who is 64th seed going into his first nationals top cut with Machamp.
So I go back in and have to change my sleeves. A bit annoying seeing as how the sleeves given to me were the same ones I had on the deck at the time so I have to separate them so as to not mix the new from the old. Even more annoying is that I literally put these sleeves on the deck the previous day because my Dusknoir sleeves were very sketchy to me and I didn't want to get in trouble for having marked cards I had no intention of marking. (I'm paranoid leave me alone)
So. Lets do this.
Top 128 Vs. Zach Zamora (Honchvire) (Glisctomb)
I.. have never played against this deck in my life and I think playing one again would be too soon as I literally wanted to strangle myself consistently playing against it. My opponent was very polite and an overall good guy and our games were extremely awesome.
Round 1: I've got nothing. I had a few outs, a few ways to stop him from getting too far ahead, but the perfect lock was on his side of the field and he blower+'d a critical bomb from hitting the field. I gave him a fight and was pressing ahead, but I was starting to draw dead for a couple turns and any longer locking would just waste time. I was gonna be fighting the clock off a loss, so I needed to react. I scoop and get ready for game two.
Round 2: I stop two Spiritomb's early, but he's still hitting me strong and fast. However this time I manage to get some sprays a bit sooner and I stop the nastier Shoot Poison powers to critical pokemon. I also begin throwing Crobats at him while setting up attackers to counter because that fighting resistance is proving nasty. I manage to hit my 4 prize threshold and he eventually scoops to force a game 3.
Round 3: I know nobody wants to fight Sablelock in sudden death, so him scooping quick was a good move. Regrettably, I had a solid hand on my end and I just began taking prizes before he could set up consistently. I take two, he takes one back but time is called on my turn. Whew. Good games.
Victory!
Top 64 Vs. Gino Lombardi from Rhode Island (Jumplux)
Round 1: I literally had a brain fart here. In my panic of playing the 2008 Nationals champion, I second guess myself in round one, and literally forget to drop a pokemon, thinking that flash biting was irrelevant at the time. Well, YEAH it was irrelevant. However if I didn't drop that pokemon I would have just lost to a donk which would have been absolutely humiliating. Nontheless, he trucks forward on an early lead that I just can't keep up with. I scoop to save time.
Round 2: Get there Sableye donk.
Round 3: If my active was a Sableye, I would have won. It wasn't a Sableye though, so he donks me instead.
So. Top 64 and lose to a national champion? I can dig that. I also find it amusing that I've now played National Champions from the last 4 years (Chris Fulop lives in Ohio, I played both Con Le and Kyle Sucevich at 2008 Nationals, and I now played Gino).
So I'm done. Gino's loss also got me the Entei Raikou Piece I needed for a set and a Kingdra Prime. Win. I go eat at this awesome wings place down the road which I think now beats Quaker Steak and BW3 and try to figure out what to do for prof cup.
Sunday:
Prof cup = Irrelevant. I go 0-2 drop trying Healix. Deck was cool but lost to like stupid things, and by this I mean like top decks from hell and me being stupid. On the upside, my friend Andrew Mishik got Top 2 in it and was undefeated going into that round.
Also, Spencer B. came in second in Seniors, and I talk to his dad Dave on a regular Basis. Way to represent Ohio, Spencer!
All in all. Fun weekend. Good times were had and the city was very awesome.
Props:
- Sablelock for being an awesome deck
- All the winners of the tournaments
- Spencer for coming in second
- My Girlfriend for the support she gave me throughout the tournament, as well as in our relationship these past 3 years. Happy Anniversery!
- Tyler for driving
- Mishik for almost winning prof cup
- All the awesome pulls I got from a mediocrely bad set
- The city of Indianapolis for BEING THE CITY OF FLIPPING INDIANAPOLIS
- Dave Schwimmer for throwing shirts at me. My League can use these!
- Noodles and Company for existing
- TPCI for having the BEST NATIONALS EVER
Slops:
- Totally did not dig the vendors. At all.
- Those loud obnoxious kids from that student council thing who kept running up and down halls in the hotel as well as destroying my ear drums in the pool.
- Parking. 28 dollars a night. Yuck.
- The healthy smell of drunk people and booze entering the Mariott from the con hall AT SIX PM ON FRIDAY. Apparently political people can't control alcohol levels.
- Homeless people.
- Tyler making me have to change my pants for how many people he tailgated on the way to Indianapolis. x.x
So, that is all, folks. Look for my tournament reports to possibly continue next season when more great Sablelock matches will continue (I love having to only replace moonlight stadium with Champions room and having an MD-on deck...) Until next time, peace OUT
- Naki
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