prodigal_fanboy
New Member
SC State Championship Report – 1st Place // MA
So after spending the better part of a month whining about the format and shooting the Feraligatr with Greg, Mike, Bjorn, et al., I decided that I would be playing either Luxchomp or ***arods/Luxray for this tournament. ***arods had going for it the fact that about half of the deck had funny mispronunciations for about half of the cards/actions that could be taken (Regi Move → Reggie Bush Push, etc.), and the fact that Warp Energy is just a pretty dope card. However, I had never played with ***arods. Ever. So Luxchomp was still being considered. I play a few test games against my brother with ***arods, and 2-0 his Cursegar against double Mime wall. This is because Warp Energy is pro, and also should have been a sign that his deck choice for states needed to be reconsidered. I build my Luxchomp, opting for mad consistency rather than putting in any techs (outside of teching for mirror, which basically comes down who gets the first Garchomp C X in play. I teched for that). Then I head over to my girlfriend's house to hang out with her, because I haven't seen her in nearly two months. I come home at 12:45 and find that Ben crashed at like 9:00 pm because he is a woman and consequentially lacks the manly fortitude to stay up late and test like a good little Pokemon master. Oh well. I play some Call of Duty and go to sleep.
Wake up in the morning. Go to Above Board Games. Register. Play the ***arods v. ***arods mirror with Elissa Hill. Despite her repeatedly calling me scummy for things irrelevant to game-state, we had a good two games in as we waited for the Masters division to get started. Elissa, Zach and I discuss how marriage is essentially functions as self-induced slavery of the American woman, who buys into this system believing it to have origins of romance and love while at the same time perpetuating her own subjugation... actually, I talk about this, Elissa calls me scum and says I'm going to make a terrible husband, and Zach says that we shouldn't be worrying about it for another ten years. It's good having a contingent of intelligent people my age to hang with at the tourney.
Pairings are up, and they move seniors to another location for their tournament due to space constraints – and it was still cramped.
Round 1 – Lynda Harris with Electivire FB/???
We set up. She goes first. Flips over Electivire FB. I know I am going to win the match as soon as I see that card. Attach, dump and draw for four. I just do whatever, Garchomp, attach, Gain, bite. She draws, attaches, and uses Dump and Draw. I Cyrus for the energy and SP radar, grab Garch C X, and Dragon Rush for the game. Turns out, I had both Luxray GL and a Luxray GL Lv. X prized. Thank heavens that didn't take long. Like I said, Electivire FB does not win.
1-0
Round 2 – Something Hsuing with Dialga.dec
He's a pretty cool kid, gets a garbage start and I rick roll through him. Four prizes in he mimics for a decent amount and hits his first Cyrus, but at that point it's too late for him to get in the game and I win handily. He ends up going 3-3 at his first real tournament, good considering my brother worked with him on the deck at league the week before.
2-0
Round 3 – Mr. Lackey with ***arods
I was glad I fooled around with ***arods prior to the tournament, because I knew how to beat it. As long as he can't impersonate twice in a row, I can pull out the win. He starts with a Regice (oof), turn 2 he warp energies it for a sableye, but I kill the sableye, forcing the Regice back active. I allow a Time Walk, hoping to spray the Regi Move to pitch the two Karps I know he has. He Felicity's them away right after anyway. D'oh. Turns out he prized 2 Karp, 1 ***arods, and 1 of his 2 Azelf, unbeknownst to me. I got a little lucky on prizing, but that's how it works. Mr. Lackey's always fun to play against, though, and I think he ended up 4-2'ing it.
3-0
Round 4 – Georgia Boy (?) with Palkia/Chomp
Greatttt.... a favorable matchup, but a Promocroak start and a bad hand. Whatevskis. I can make this work. I SP Radar for a Luxray GL, go to Leap Away the Croak, he sprays (?!). I turn it. Attach Call, grab a Garchomp and something. He retreats his active Crobat, levels up and D. Rushes my Garchomp C X. Now the huge misplay occurs. My gut tells me Ambipom G is prized – I forgot to check. I go to gamble it though, Roseanne's, and... Azelf and Ambipom G are prized. So much for Snap Attack counter-KO. Having burned a supporter, I couldn't use my Cyrus to get the Lux X and gain and pick off his benched Palkia, so I'm up a creek. Anyway, he doesn't get much else outside of the occasional decent topdeck and breaks his Cyrus chain rather early (foolish in the SP matchup imo), so I manage to come back from behind and pull out a tense-ish win.
4-0.
So at this point, I know for sure me and Curran Hill are 4-0. I thought there was only one other 4-0, so odds were decent that I'd have to play Curran in round five. Unacceptable. I'd be down for playing him in the sixth round, because whatever, at that point we'd both be in like Flynn. But no. This is not good, however, pairings get posted and...
Round 5 – Cool Air Force Guy w/FlyChamp
So, apparently I am the fifth Luxchomp build he has played against today. However, I used to play Flychamp, so I know how to win. Actually, that's a lie. It's more or less the same with every non-SP deck there is. Deny and KO Claydol and clean up the pieces. But you get the picture.
I get a mediocre start, as does he. He calls for trapinch. Other stuff happens. I take a prize with Garchomp C (Bite and Crobat tricks or something?). He promotes Trapinch. Evolves to Vibrava. DCE. Quick attack. Heads. I'm down a Garchomp C. Thankfully I had another one benched, so I push it up, DCE, Belt, Claw Swipe KO. With my two prizes to his five, he has a nidoran active, benched trapinch with a DCE, and a Claydol. He warps, so I promote my Lucario GL, sending my Garchomp C Lv. X to the bench (belt, I think, and 1 energy, having pitched the DCE to rush). He Cynthia's for eight, fails to draw any evo's for his benched Trapinch and Nidoran, and neglects to Premier Ball → Fly X and Extreme Attack → Garch C X. At which point, I would have had a Luxray X kill on his Claydol, he would have the counter KO, and then I'd be struggling to take my last prize. He Power Swings Lucario for 70, next turn I turn it, lay it down, attach a DCE to Garchomp C, Earthquake the knockout (belt, remember?), and he scoops.
5-0
In between rounds, I find out that Curran and Elissa are 4-1. Elissa lost round 1, so her resistance is down the tube. But Curran runs the numbers, though, and is about 80% sure that if he scoops to Elissa and I scoop to Ryan, the remaining 5-0 who beat Curran last round, Curran, Elissa, and I would all make top cut, him squeaking in as the 4-2 with resistance. On one hand, I want to be the very best. And the very best does not go 5-1. On the other hand, Curran and Elissa are legit. I'll say I'll see what happens.
Round 6 – Ryan Gouge w/Luxchomp
I get a Lucario start, with Call, going second, no Cyrus. This would be great in the mirror going first, with Cyrus. Better if going first with Garchomp. But no dice. I call for Luxray and Garchomp, he attaches DCE and levels up his Garchomp, snipes my benched basic Garch, and rolls from there. I scoop when I'm behind four prizes, figuring that I could rest well scooping if it gets Curran and Elissa both in.
5-1
So me, Elissa, Curran, Zach, and the kid from round two are hanging around outside and I start raging because I realize that given my seeding, odds are decent that I'll have to play Curran in top 8, the way we calculated things. Which is no good. Then only one of us gets glass. And that is important.
But then postings come up, and Curran whiffs. Some dude from Georgia came late and took a first round loss, but then X-0'd up through the X-1 bracket with Cursegar, and so Curran bubbled as 9th seed.
Which doubly sucks, because that would have mean I'd be playing Palkia lock kid again had he made it. Disheartened, we also realize that if Elissa and I both win in T8, we are playing in T4. Rage @ TOM a little.
Top 8 – Victor Pruett w/Cursegar
As we set up, he explains how he was late, and we both know what the other is running. He has these Pokemon coins, and as he asks me to call heads or tails for first I ask if those are legal. I personally don't think they should be, the light plastic ones that they toss into theme decks all the time. Anyway, Mr. Miller says they're legal, and he has a lab coat so he makes the rules. I forget if I win or lose the flip. Anyway, as we wait for the round to start, Victor goes something like 5/1 H/T flipping for giggles, I suppose. Mr. Miller grabs it and goes 1/6 H/T. So if you sum them up, 50/50. But like I said, I'm suspicious of the coins. They're cheap plastic, and not very well equalized for aerodynamics, if I'm not mistaken. Oh well. He only gets one in-game flip outside of the setup, a Fainting Spell heads. Whatevskis.
Game 1 – I have an Azelf start against his Spiritomb. Rage. Lock Up and stall. My hand is terrible, I'm planning on scooping for time after four turns. Anyway, I think I can stage a comeback, we play it out, and it comes down to 1 prize, but I just can't pull it out.
0-1.
Game 2 -
I do not get an Azelf start, and the match plays how Luxchomp v. S2 works. I troll his Claydols to the best of my ability. He also commented after game one that I should have sniped his Gastly with an energy instead of his Baltoy – a play I would have made were it a Ralts, but I had decided against in game one. I decided that hitting benched energied prevos was a good play, and think I dragon rushed a haunter or two that game. I pull it out though.
1-1
Game 3 -
Azelf start. Lock up again. I'm raging hardcore at this point, because seriously, twice in two b-o-3. And I mulliganed twice, as well. With bloody SP. How does that happen? Anyway. Eventually it's mid-game. I've been trolling, but hamstrung by my lack of Cyrus'. I've got two or three prizes left, no energy on board, but definitely the momentum has yet to slip away from me. I topdeck a Luxray GL Lv. X, bright look up his claydol, and pass. He attaches. I draw pass I think. Anyway, I decide that forget it, I'm going to Uxie for 1. I hit my first Cyrus of the game (it feels like turn fifteen, might be T10ish), proceed to get a KO on something, and with the ability to chain cyrus'/grab things and what I had in hand, the game is more or less sealed – he can't take prizes faster than one per turn, and he can't pick things up off his bench.
2-1
I think he misplayed this matchup a little. He went aggro SF-gar while trying to set up a Cursegar, which is great in theory but frankly makes it easier for me to beat him as I'm not forced to draw into/Bebe's for Lux Xs, or even KO it it while holding on to sprays before I can attack his Claydols. Poltergeist and shadow room are nice and all, but for the most part result in inconsequential prizes, as I can manipulate P-geist damage (although sometimes, fresh out of tomb lock, not very well), or at least plan in advance for the loss. I still maintain that this is a favorable matchup for Luxchomp, as has borne out in my experience and that of those I talk to.
Top 4 – Tennessee Guy w/Gechamp
So Elissa lost to him, he went 5/5 of Fainting Spell heads or something and she didn't Luxray around it like Curran and I told her to (she picked up Gyara/Lux the day of the tournament). I was somewhat nervous, because I had dropped my lone Unown G to reduce my odds of bad starts (as I expected no one in the meta to touch Flychamp, let alone Gechamp). But oh well, same stuff different day.
Game 1 – he goes kind of aggro, does use spiritomb and moonlight, I discover, to get a little momentum. I still hit his draw hard, Luxray up his Claydol, knock it out, eat a Take Out in response, promote Uxie, level up, DCE, Crobat, Lucario, and roll from there.
1-0
Game 2 – he tries to go aggro Gengar SF on me... but has a one/two card hand as a result. I hold on to a spray in case he tries to Uxie and get rolling again (which he never does, oddly?), and work around the Gengar until I'm ready to KO it. I did walk into a Relicanth KO dumping my hand early in order to Uxie (I had a bad start, 3 Gains and a Belt in hand), but after that I limited what was in play and didn't keep Luxray active unless I had to and so limited Relicanth's lethality.
2-0
Top 2 – Mike Reynolds w/Jumpluff+things
To be frank, there is no one I'd have rather played in top two than Mike. I knew that regardless of whether I won or lost, it would be fun, and despite the mandate for PG cross-chat, we would make puns aplenty and keep the good times rolling. Here I'd like to apologize to Mr. Keith, Mr. Reynolds, and Mrs. Reynolds. Mr. Keith especially, since he was the closest to us, but they had to put up with the incessant banter that we had going. I told him that we would be some chattery Chatots, but he really needed noise-cancelling headphones.
Game 1 – I nearly double donk (triple flash bite hoppip and had I drawn into a poketurn off of Uxie for five, along with the SP Radar I got, I would have been able to put two on his Baltoy and use Bite for the KO and game). However, this momentum lets me get a small lead, that and having the ability to spray some of his deluge of draw-powers while I went to KO Claydols let me take the game.
1-0
Game 2 – Like game one, only I'm bad at math and came slower out of the gate while he was aroarin', so he gives me that Chris Brown treatment.
1-1
Game 3 – Like game two, only he had prized two Claydols, and with a Chatot active, he palmer's back in his Claydol, mimics, and whiffs at his only shot of the game (could have bright looked up my garch C X benched, Mass attacked it, preventing the D rush KO and forcing me to hope that my luxray could get two hits in on his Jumpluff). I don't want to win because of terrible prizes, but I do. Sorry, Mike. Good luck @ NC.
2-1
So I won states. I get a box, a playmat, a piece of glass (niceee), and a stipend. And apparently a bye @ Nats, if I don't have an internship then that prevents me from attending.
Props:
Curran, Elissa, Zach, et al. For being legit.
Seeing all the people I missed
Collin for winning Seniors with Luxchomp. If I could have chosen any one to win other than Ben, it would have been you.
Everyone who theorymon'd me about Luxchomp, in particular Ben for telling me to be gutsy, Greg and Marc for telling me not to fear Cursegar.
Mr. Keith for surviving the most ludicrous discourse to occur in a T2 scenario.
Stipends!
Nifty Dice!
Slops:
Curran whiffing cut.
Ben scrubbing out, 3-2 with Cursegar.
Seniors.
Someone teching 1-1 Lugia Legend into their Salamence deck
Feraligatr Prime
So after spending the better part of a month whining about the format and shooting the Feraligatr with Greg, Mike, Bjorn, et al., I decided that I would be playing either Luxchomp or ***arods/Luxray for this tournament. ***arods had going for it the fact that about half of the deck had funny mispronunciations for about half of the cards/actions that could be taken (Regi Move → Reggie Bush Push, etc.), and the fact that Warp Energy is just a pretty dope card. However, I had never played with ***arods. Ever. So Luxchomp was still being considered. I play a few test games against my brother with ***arods, and 2-0 his Cursegar against double Mime wall. This is because Warp Energy is pro, and also should have been a sign that his deck choice for states needed to be reconsidered. I build my Luxchomp, opting for mad consistency rather than putting in any techs (outside of teching for mirror, which basically comes down who gets the first Garchomp C X in play. I teched for that). Then I head over to my girlfriend's house to hang out with her, because I haven't seen her in nearly two months. I come home at 12:45 and find that Ben crashed at like 9:00 pm because he is a woman and consequentially lacks the manly fortitude to stay up late and test like a good little Pokemon master. Oh well. I play some Call of Duty and go to sleep.
Wake up in the morning. Go to Above Board Games. Register. Play the ***arods v. ***arods mirror with Elissa Hill. Despite her repeatedly calling me scummy for things irrelevant to game-state, we had a good two games in as we waited for the Masters division to get started. Elissa, Zach and I discuss how marriage is essentially functions as self-induced slavery of the American woman, who buys into this system believing it to have origins of romance and love while at the same time perpetuating her own subjugation... actually, I talk about this, Elissa calls me scum and says I'm going to make a terrible husband, and Zach says that we shouldn't be worrying about it for another ten years. It's good having a contingent of intelligent people my age to hang with at the tourney.
Pairings are up, and they move seniors to another location for their tournament due to space constraints – and it was still cramped.
Round 1 – Lynda Harris with Electivire FB/???
We set up. She goes first. Flips over Electivire FB. I know I am going to win the match as soon as I see that card. Attach, dump and draw for four. I just do whatever, Garchomp, attach, Gain, bite. She draws, attaches, and uses Dump and Draw. I Cyrus for the energy and SP radar, grab Garch C X, and Dragon Rush for the game. Turns out, I had both Luxray GL and a Luxray GL Lv. X prized. Thank heavens that didn't take long. Like I said, Electivire FB does not win.
1-0
Round 2 – Something Hsuing with Dialga.dec
He's a pretty cool kid, gets a garbage start and I rick roll through him. Four prizes in he mimics for a decent amount and hits his first Cyrus, but at that point it's too late for him to get in the game and I win handily. He ends up going 3-3 at his first real tournament, good considering my brother worked with him on the deck at league the week before.
2-0
Round 3 – Mr. Lackey with ***arods
I was glad I fooled around with ***arods prior to the tournament, because I knew how to beat it. As long as he can't impersonate twice in a row, I can pull out the win. He starts with a Regice (oof), turn 2 he warp energies it for a sableye, but I kill the sableye, forcing the Regice back active. I allow a Time Walk, hoping to spray the Regi Move to pitch the two Karps I know he has. He Felicity's them away right after anyway. D'oh. Turns out he prized 2 Karp, 1 ***arods, and 1 of his 2 Azelf, unbeknownst to me. I got a little lucky on prizing, but that's how it works. Mr. Lackey's always fun to play against, though, and I think he ended up 4-2'ing it.
3-0
Round 4 – Georgia Boy (?) with Palkia/Chomp
Greatttt.... a favorable matchup, but a Promocroak start and a bad hand. Whatevskis. I can make this work. I SP Radar for a Luxray GL, go to Leap Away the Croak, he sprays (?!). I turn it. Attach Call, grab a Garchomp and something. He retreats his active Crobat, levels up and D. Rushes my Garchomp C X. Now the huge misplay occurs. My gut tells me Ambipom G is prized – I forgot to check. I go to gamble it though, Roseanne's, and... Azelf and Ambipom G are prized. So much for Snap Attack counter-KO. Having burned a supporter, I couldn't use my Cyrus to get the Lux X and gain and pick off his benched Palkia, so I'm up a creek. Anyway, he doesn't get much else outside of the occasional decent topdeck and breaks his Cyrus chain rather early (foolish in the SP matchup imo), so I manage to come back from behind and pull out a tense-ish win.
4-0.
So at this point, I know for sure me and Curran Hill are 4-0. I thought there was only one other 4-0, so odds were decent that I'd have to play Curran in round five. Unacceptable. I'd be down for playing him in the sixth round, because whatever, at that point we'd both be in like Flynn. But no. This is not good, however, pairings get posted and...
Round 5 – Cool Air Force Guy w/FlyChamp
So, apparently I am the fifth Luxchomp build he has played against today. However, I used to play Flychamp, so I know how to win. Actually, that's a lie. It's more or less the same with every non-SP deck there is. Deny and KO Claydol and clean up the pieces. But you get the picture.
I get a mediocre start, as does he. He calls for trapinch. Other stuff happens. I take a prize with Garchomp C (Bite and Crobat tricks or something?). He promotes Trapinch. Evolves to Vibrava. DCE. Quick attack. Heads. I'm down a Garchomp C. Thankfully I had another one benched, so I push it up, DCE, Belt, Claw Swipe KO. With my two prizes to his five, he has a nidoran active, benched trapinch with a DCE, and a Claydol. He warps, so I promote my Lucario GL, sending my Garchomp C Lv. X to the bench (belt, I think, and 1 energy, having pitched the DCE to rush). He Cynthia's for eight, fails to draw any evo's for his benched Trapinch and Nidoran, and neglects to Premier Ball → Fly X and Extreme Attack → Garch C X. At which point, I would have had a Luxray X kill on his Claydol, he would have the counter KO, and then I'd be struggling to take my last prize. He Power Swings Lucario for 70, next turn I turn it, lay it down, attach a DCE to Garchomp C, Earthquake the knockout (belt, remember?), and he scoops.
5-0
In between rounds, I find out that Curran and Elissa are 4-1. Elissa lost round 1, so her resistance is down the tube. But Curran runs the numbers, though, and is about 80% sure that if he scoops to Elissa and I scoop to Ryan, the remaining 5-0 who beat Curran last round, Curran, Elissa, and I would all make top cut, him squeaking in as the 4-2 with resistance. On one hand, I want to be the very best. And the very best does not go 5-1. On the other hand, Curran and Elissa are legit. I'll say I'll see what happens.
Round 6 – Ryan Gouge w/Luxchomp
I get a Lucario start, with Call, going second, no Cyrus. This would be great in the mirror going first, with Cyrus. Better if going first with Garchomp. But no dice. I call for Luxray and Garchomp, he attaches DCE and levels up his Garchomp, snipes my benched basic Garch, and rolls from there. I scoop when I'm behind four prizes, figuring that I could rest well scooping if it gets Curran and Elissa both in.
5-1
So me, Elissa, Curran, Zach, and the kid from round two are hanging around outside and I start raging because I realize that given my seeding, odds are decent that I'll have to play Curran in top 8, the way we calculated things. Which is no good. Then only one of us gets glass. And that is important.
But then postings come up, and Curran whiffs. Some dude from Georgia came late and took a first round loss, but then X-0'd up through the X-1 bracket with Cursegar, and so Curran bubbled as 9th seed.
Which doubly sucks, because that would have mean I'd be playing Palkia lock kid again had he made it. Disheartened, we also realize that if Elissa and I both win in T8, we are playing in T4. Rage @ TOM a little.Top 8 – Victor Pruett w/Cursegar
As we set up, he explains how he was late, and we both know what the other is running. He has these Pokemon coins, and as he asks me to call heads or tails for first I ask if those are legal. I personally don't think they should be, the light plastic ones that they toss into theme decks all the time. Anyway, Mr. Miller says they're legal, and he has a lab coat so he makes the rules. I forget if I win or lose the flip. Anyway, as we wait for the round to start, Victor goes something like 5/1 H/T flipping for giggles, I suppose. Mr. Miller grabs it and goes 1/6 H/T. So if you sum them up, 50/50. But like I said, I'm suspicious of the coins. They're cheap plastic, and not very well equalized for aerodynamics, if I'm not mistaken. Oh well. He only gets one in-game flip outside of the setup, a Fainting Spell heads. Whatevskis.
Game 1 – I have an Azelf start against his Spiritomb. Rage. Lock Up and stall. My hand is terrible, I'm planning on scooping for time after four turns. Anyway, I think I can stage a comeback, we play it out, and it comes down to 1 prize, but I just can't pull it out.
0-1.
Game 2 -
I do not get an Azelf start, and the match plays how Luxchomp v. S2 works. I troll his Claydols to the best of my ability. He also commented after game one that I should have sniped his Gastly with an energy instead of his Baltoy – a play I would have made were it a Ralts, but I had decided against in game one. I decided that hitting benched energied prevos was a good play, and think I dragon rushed a haunter or two that game. I pull it out though.
1-1
Game 3 -
Azelf start. Lock up again. I'm raging hardcore at this point, because seriously, twice in two b-o-3. And I mulliganed twice, as well. With bloody SP. How does that happen? Anyway. Eventually it's mid-game. I've been trolling, but hamstrung by my lack of Cyrus'. I've got two or three prizes left, no energy on board, but definitely the momentum has yet to slip away from me. I topdeck a Luxray GL Lv. X, bright look up his claydol, and pass. He attaches. I draw pass I think. Anyway, I decide that forget it, I'm going to Uxie for 1. I hit my first Cyrus of the game (it feels like turn fifteen, might be T10ish), proceed to get a KO on something, and with the ability to chain cyrus'/grab things and what I had in hand, the game is more or less sealed – he can't take prizes faster than one per turn, and he can't pick things up off his bench.
2-1
I think he misplayed this matchup a little. He went aggro SF-gar while trying to set up a Cursegar, which is great in theory but frankly makes it easier for me to beat him as I'm not forced to draw into/Bebe's for Lux Xs, or even KO it it while holding on to sprays before I can attack his Claydols. Poltergeist and shadow room are nice and all, but for the most part result in inconsequential prizes, as I can manipulate P-geist damage (although sometimes, fresh out of tomb lock, not very well), or at least plan in advance for the loss. I still maintain that this is a favorable matchup for Luxchomp, as has borne out in my experience and that of those I talk to.
Top 4 – Tennessee Guy w/Gechamp
So Elissa lost to him, he went 5/5 of Fainting Spell heads or something and she didn't Luxray around it like Curran and I told her to (she picked up Gyara/Lux the day of the tournament). I was somewhat nervous, because I had dropped my lone Unown G to reduce my odds of bad starts (as I expected no one in the meta to touch Flychamp, let alone Gechamp). But oh well, same stuff different day.
Game 1 – he goes kind of aggro, does use spiritomb and moonlight, I discover, to get a little momentum. I still hit his draw hard, Luxray up his Claydol, knock it out, eat a Take Out in response, promote Uxie, level up, DCE, Crobat, Lucario, and roll from there.
1-0
Game 2 – he tries to go aggro Gengar SF on me... but has a one/two card hand as a result. I hold on to a spray in case he tries to Uxie and get rolling again (which he never does, oddly?), and work around the Gengar until I'm ready to KO it. I did walk into a Relicanth KO dumping my hand early in order to Uxie (I had a bad start, 3 Gains and a Belt in hand), but after that I limited what was in play and didn't keep Luxray active unless I had to and so limited Relicanth's lethality.
2-0
Top 2 – Mike Reynolds w/Jumpluff+things
To be frank, there is no one I'd have rather played in top two than Mike. I knew that regardless of whether I won or lost, it would be fun, and despite the mandate for PG cross-chat, we would make puns aplenty and keep the good times rolling. Here I'd like to apologize to Mr. Keith, Mr. Reynolds, and Mrs. Reynolds. Mr. Keith especially, since he was the closest to us, but they had to put up with the incessant banter that we had going. I told him that we would be some chattery Chatots, but he really needed noise-cancelling headphones.
Game 1 – I nearly double donk (triple flash bite hoppip and had I drawn into a poketurn off of Uxie for five, along with the SP Radar I got, I would have been able to put two on his Baltoy and use Bite for the KO and game). However, this momentum lets me get a small lead, that and having the ability to spray some of his deluge of draw-powers while I went to KO Claydols let me take the game.
1-0
Game 2 – Like game one, only I'm bad at math and came slower out of the gate while he was aroarin', so he gives me that Chris Brown treatment.
1-1
Game 3 – Like game two, only he had prized two Claydols, and with a Chatot active, he palmer's back in his Claydol, mimics, and whiffs at his only shot of the game (could have bright looked up my garch C X benched, Mass attacked it, preventing the D rush KO and forcing me to hope that my luxray could get two hits in on his Jumpluff). I don't want to win because of terrible prizes, but I do. Sorry, Mike. Good luck @ NC.
2-1
So I won states. I get a box, a playmat, a piece of glass (niceee), and a stipend. And apparently a bye @ Nats, if I don't have an internship then that prevents me from attending.
Props:
Curran, Elissa, Zach, et al. For being legit.
Seeing all the people I missed
Collin for winning Seniors with Luxchomp. If I could have chosen any one to win other than Ben, it would have been you.
Everyone who theorymon'd me about Luxchomp, in particular Ben for telling me to be gutsy, Greg and Marc for telling me not to fear Cursegar.
Mr. Keith for surviving the most ludicrous discourse to occur in a T2 scenario.
Stipends!
Nifty Dice!
Slops:
Curran whiffing cut.
Ben scrubbing out, 3-2 with Cursegar.
Seniors.
Someone teching 1-1 Lugia Legend into their Salamence deck
Feraligatr Prime
