I hate mewtwo.
I have magnezone/eelektrik sleeved up the night before - but decide with a friend that games nowadays aren't going to go for long enough for magnezone to be more useful than supporters. At this point I build a good old standard zek/eels list, but I add a blackbelt for good measure. The only proxy I had at the time was a mewtwo EX, but a friend said he could lend me one. Sweet!
... not. He didn't have a mewtwo to lend (but that's another story). I ended up begrudgingly playing the day with an additional zekrom (3 regular 2 ex). My pokemon line was:
3 Zekrom
2 Zekrom EX
2 Thundurus
4-3 Eel
1 Cleffa
The 1 mewtwo (cutting a Zekrom EX probably) would have let me cut a zekrom (normal) as well. I think to myself that it won't matter much. I was wrong.
With 45 masters, there will be 6 rounds - there will be 1 6-0, 5 5-1, and three 4-2 in the top 8. What this means is, you need to go 4-1 and then lose at worst. In australia, we do bo3 swiss; it's better, but takes FOREVER.
Round 1 - vs Kristian
I always dislike playing against a 'newer' player round one. When I say dislike - it's good fun playing them, but if I'm confident I would rather play against a good player for resistance. I didn't know at this point but the resistance wouldn't matter.
He was playing a fighting/darkness deck with Zoroark, Hydreigon, Terrakion, Scrafty and Stantler as a starter. Probably other stuff, but yeah. Game 1, it ended up going for quite a while as he would stantler for two basics, and I would catcher the deino and kill it. First time, he got a Deino and a Riolu; and I killed the Riolu with Thundurus. First time, he got a deino and a zorua. I killed the deino again. At this point I get 3 eels on the bench. The game very quickly becomes one sided and I win because he runs very few supporters and runs out of cards. He did show me terrakion which made me slightly worried but not really.
Game 2, he starts zorua to my tynamo. he attaches DCE and flips and it's heads. He proceeds to gloat for the rest of the round about how he won the 'round' on the first turn (as though that was something to be proud of). At this point, I was fine because I get to play in G3.
Game 3, I get a thundurus out early and start dealing damage. He sends up a scrafty and keeps using rock head to prevent damage. I keep catchering his bench and killing them, ignoring scrafty. He keeps gloating to his friends about how his scrafty works really well and that I 'have to attack other pokemon instead'. After letting his scrafty deal lots of damage and take a few prizes, I just take all my prizes.
Round 2- Shaun
Zek-Eel Mirror
I can't remember much about this match. I know Shaun; but not well - he said he played 3 mewtwos which made me cringe.
Game 1 - I remember revenge killing all of his tynamo and eelektriks over and over and over. And over. Eventually he just doesn't have a tynamo on the field and I start taking out his attackers.
Game 2 - I can't remember what happened in game 2 apart from being beaten down by mewtwo and not having a mewtwo to revenge it. It ends up being really close - having a mewtwo would have won this game
Game 3 - I can't remember what happened here either. All I know is that I remember being furious that I didn't have a mewtwo and that it lost me the game.
Round 3- Keit
Keit is a guy I know. Most people in pokemon in victoria (the state) know each other. He's playing Zek-Eel too.
Game 1 was very long and drawn out. He gets screwed on supporters, but I get screwed on energy and can't exploit it. I still get to a very long lead after he attempts to smeargle me after an Eek and reveal nothing - except I have Poke'Gear. I catcher and bolt strike a zekrom ex with an eviolite on it... and then he hits heads on SSU to save it. later on, he gets mewtwo out... but I don't have an <expletive deleted> mewtwo and end up having to trade really badly for it. I end up losing the game to a glinting claw flip. If either of the coins were tails he would have lost that game; and If I had a mewtwo it would have been over immediately a long time ago. Not having a mewtwo lost me that game.
Game 2 was not exciting, although it went to time. I was in a dominating lead all game - with three Eelektriks and a free retreat tynamo out. I constantly have attackers down, but I have to junk arm some. My deck is like 12 cards - and then I super rod in Zekrom, Zekrom and Zekrom EX in... and then use juniper... and I don't get a single freaking pokemon. I get 4 supporters, a switch, a pokegear and an energy. I have to triple dynamotor to an eelektrik and attack his mewtwo that has taken 3 prizes in a row for 30. Not only did it go to time, it ended up even in prizes (2 a-piece) because I didn't have mewtwo. I can't remember much of this game, but I lost, again, because I had no mewtwo to revenge kill his mewtwo.
I end up 1-2, which means I will basically not make it, even if I go 4-2. I decide to play it out in case something incredible happens, because the three 4-2's that get into the top 8 will all be 4-1's that lose.
Round 4 - Shakara
Shakara is a woman I had seen around but didn't know. She didn't show the 'pro' vibe and (not to be demeaning) seemed like a casual player. She had a very powerful deck though - I don't think it was well built but it had three mewtwos in it! (Zek-eel)
She didn't really know how to pilot the deck, which I think was her biggest downfall.
Game 1 - I start thundurus and go collector into three tynamos, and then level ball into a fourth tynamo. She seemed confused - but at this point I didn't let looks deceive (I know how easily a player could swing things with a sudden tech or something). She collectors and gets only one tynamo, a zekrom and a mewtwo ex and benches all 3... and then eeks. At this point, i basically kill her eels over and over. After I get fully set up, we trade prizes - her eel (bringing her to 1 tynamo and no eels), my thunderus, then her other eel (leaving her with only a 1-retreat tynamo), then my zekrom dies, then i attack her mewtwo, then she catchers my zekrom ex and kills it, and i kill mewtwo. I might have missed something, but she ends up killing zekrom but I just send up another which was already on the bench with 3 energy already on it.
Game 2 - I get a dominating lead, but time is called. I ask her if she knows how time works and she said yes. I mentioned how there was not going to be any way for the game to finish (only 1 prize had been taken), but we kept playing. One of the judges watching who was my friend watched our game; we both knew there was not going to be a resolution. The game ends with her at 4 prizes left to my 5 prizes (I was still at a convincing lead, though; she had no eels, I had 3 on t2). She then questions why the game doesnt count despite having taken more prizes than me. After letting the judge explain, I move on to the next round.
Round 4 - Rosario
I know rosario. He's pretty experienced but he always plays a little slowly (not slow play slow, but thinking thoroughly slow) but always takes back plays and I know this because he's done it before!
I tell him that I'm not going to be as lenient as I have been... and although I'd let him take back stuff, that he has to learn that not everybody will.
Game 1 - This game was not very long. My opening is horrible - My hand had a thundurus, a level ball, a switch a catcher, and energy. I decide to level ball for a cleffa, but still use charge - I'm on the play, and if he benches a cyndaquil i'd much rather attempt to cripple him than to attempt to maybe catch up to him without a supporter. He goes through his turn, and benches a cyndaquil and then uses communication. I expect him to get a cyndaquil and circle slam it... but he gets a quilava? In my head, I'm a combination of:thumb: assuming he has another in hand. Nope. Perfect. I catcher up the cynadquil and take the first prize. I end up using Black Belt well this game. After noticing that he discarded two typhlosion early, I kill each typhlosion as soon as I can. He ends up playing Pokemon Center. I don't know what to think of that - it could be bad if I can't KO reshirams. Well, turns out that pokemon center is really good... for me. I end up killing a typhlosion in one turn with a zekrom EX and then stop him from setting up and take straight KOs by switching or retreating (for 3!), triple dynamotoring and attaching and healing 20 over and over.
Game 2 - ends up going to time. I'm in a fairly good position but I am in a bad spot. I end up just benching an ex and eeking, knowing I win in time. I forget that he could have the very possible out of a seeker - but he doesn't play any (not that you should, but i'm just saying that it could have been a huge mistake).
Round 6 - Michael L
Michael L was the guy I borrowed the mewtwo off. Or should I say, would have borrowed it off. He's actually a really good guy and I don't dislike him for not giving me the mewtwo but I think he really really shouldn't have said I could borrow one if he didn't have one.
His deck was just a crazy troll deck that he build just to put lots of full arts and EXes in one deck. I wont post a match report here, but both game end up with him only having one basic and having me kill it. I would feel more guilty, but he told me he only ran 2 collectors and very very few draw supporters. He really only plays for fun anyway and it's all good. I was really worried he was playing 6 corners after seeing him play earlier in the day, though.
I miss top cut. The two players I lost to, Shaun and Keit, are both in top 8. I'm still annoyed I lost due to lack of mewtwo.
The top 8 looked like (in no specific order):
CMT
Mewtwo/Zek/Eels
Mewtwo/Zek/Eels
Mewtwo/Zek/Eels
CMT
Mewtwo/Zek/Eels
CMT
Mewtwo/Zek/Eels
Great. Whoopee.
Mewtwo is busted and makes the game feel really horrible. Every deck in the format right now, apart from durant is better with one or two mewtwos in it - even if it's just as a tech against other mewtwo. That's very, very sad. A blantant money grab if there is one to not print it in the mewtwo EX box. I'm not being a bad sport when I say 'if I had a mewtwo I would have won that round'; literally, unless mewtwo was one of my last two prizes all of those 3 games i lost in rounds 2/3, i would have been able to win easily.
My other minor rant is with the Best of 3 format for swiss. I understand that best of 3 makes time better, but we simply have too many players to use a Bo3 format anymore. We use Bo3 because we used to have few enough players to make it worth it but with record numbers (we had more people at a battle roads this season than last season's nationals!) far too many games I played went to time. I only lost one game to time that I would have won - but I'm sure that others had similar issues. The worst feeling is to lose G1, and be in a dominating positing game 2 (such as being fully set up vs a deck with only a pachirisu and a shaymin out, being at 3 prizes to 6 at the end of time) and then lose.
Props -
Building a very consistent deck
(In my opinion) playing well
Team Monash victory!
Slops -
Mewtwo exists (the biggest slop ever)
not having mewtwo
losing games to mewtwo
I have magnezone/eelektrik sleeved up the night before - but decide with a friend that games nowadays aren't going to go for long enough for magnezone to be more useful than supporters. At this point I build a good old standard zek/eels list, but I add a blackbelt for good measure. The only proxy I had at the time was a mewtwo EX, but a friend said he could lend me one. Sweet!
... not. He didn't have a mewtwo to lend (but that's another story). I ended up begrudgingly playing the day with an additional zekrom (3 regular 2 ex). My pokemon line was:
3 Zekrom
2 Zekrom EX
2 Thundurus
4-3 Eel
1 Cleffa
The 1 mewtwo (cutting a Zekrom EX probably) would have let me cut a zekrom (normal) as well. I think to myself that it won't matter much. I was wrong.
With 45 masters, there will be 6 rounds - there will be 1 6-0, 5 5-1, and three 4-2 in the top 8. What this means is, you need to go 4-1 and then lose at worst. In australia, we do bo3 swiss; it's better, but takes FOREVER.
Round 1 - vs Kristian
I always dislike playing against a 'newer' player round one. When I say dislike - it's good fun playing them, but if I'm confident I would rather play against a good player for resistance. I didn't know at this point but the resistance wouldn't matter.
He was playing a fighting/darkness deck with Zoroark, Hydreigon, Terrakion, Scrafty and Stantler as a starter. Probably other stuff, but yeah. Game 1, it ended up going for quite a while as he would stantler for two basics, and I would catcher the deino and kill it. First time, he got a Deino and a Riolu; and I killed the Riolu with Thundurus. First time, he got a deino and a zorua. I killed the deino again. At this point I get 3 eels on the bench. The game very quickly becomes one sided and I win because he runs very few supporters and runs out of cards. He did show me terrakion which made me slightly worried but not really.
Game 2, he starts zorua to my tynamo. he attaches DCE and flips and it's heads. He proceeds to gloat for the rest of the round about how he won the 'round' on the first turn (as though that was something to be proud of). At this point, I was fine because I get to play in G3.
Game 3, I get a thundurus out early and start dealing damage. He sends up a scrafty and keeps using rock head to prevent damage. I keep catchering his bench and killing them, ignoring scrafty. He keeps gloating to his friends about how his scrafty works really well and that I 'have to attack other pokemon instead'. After letting his scrafty deal lots of damage and take a few prizes, I just take all my prizes.
Round 2- Shaun
Zek-Eel Mirror
I can't remember much about this match. I know Shaun; but not well - he said he played 3 mewtwos which made me cringe.
Game 1 - I remember revenge killing all of his tynamo and eelektriks over and over and over. And over. Eventually he just doesn't have a tynamo on the field and I start taking out his attackers.
Game 2 - I can't remember what happened in game 2 apart from being beaten down by mewtwo and not having a mewtwo to revenge it. It ends up being really close - having a mewtwo would have won this game
Game 3 - I can't remember what happened here either. All I know is that I remember being furious that I didn't have a mewtwo and that it lost me the game.
Round 3- Keit
Keit is a guy I know. Most people in pokemon in victoria (the state) know each other. He's playing Zek-Eel too.
Game 1 was very long and drawn out. He gets screwed on supporters, but I get screwed on energy and can't exploit it. I still get to a very long lead after he attempts to smeargle me after an Eek and reveal nothing - except I have Poke'Gear. I catcher and bolt strike a zekrom ex with an eviolite on it... and then he hits heads on SSU to save it. later on, he gets mewtwo out... but I don't have an <expletive deleted> mewtwo and end up having to trade really badly for it. I end up losing the game to a glinting claw flip. If either of the coins were tails he would have lost that game; and If I had a mewtwo it would have been over immediately a long time ago. Not having a mewtwo lost me that game.
Game 2 was not exciting, although it went to time. I was in a dominating lead all game - with three Eelektriks and a free retreat tynamo out. I constantly have attackers down, but I have to junk arm some. My deck is like 12 cards - and then I super rod in Zekrom, Zekrom and Zekrom EX in... and then use juniper... and I don't get a single freaking pokemon. I get 4 supporters, a switch, a pokegear and an energy. I have to triple dynamotor to an eelektrik and attack his mewtwo that has taken 3 prizes in a row for 30. Not only did it go to time, it ended up even in prizes (2 a-piece) because I didn't have mewtwo. I can't remember much of this game, but I lost, again, because I had no mewtwo to revenge kill his mewtwo.
I end up 1-2, which means I will basically not make it, even if I go 4-2. I decide to play it out in case something incredible happens, because the three 4-2's that get into the top 8 will all be 4-1's that lose.
Round 4 - Shakara
Shakara is a woman I had seen around but didn't know. She didn't show the 'pro' vibe and (not to be demeaning) seemed like a casual player. She had a very powerful deck though - I don't think it was well built but it had three mewtwos in it! (Zek-eel)
She didn't really know how to pilot the deck, which I think was her biggest downfall.
Game 1 - I start thundurus and go collector into three tynamos, and then level ball into a fourth tynamo. She seemed confused - but at this point I didn't let looks deceive (I know how easily a player could swing things with a sudden tech or something). She collectors and gets only one tynamo, a zekrom and a mewtwo ex and benches all 3... and then eeks. At this point, i basically kill her eels over and over. After I get fully set up, we trade prizes - her eel (bringing her to 1 tynamo and no eels), my thunderus, then her other eel (leaving her with only a 1-retreat tynamo), then my zekrom dies, then i attack her mewtwo, then she catchers my zekrom ex and kills it, and i kill mewtwo. I might have missed something, but she ends up killing zekrom but I just send up another which was already on the bench with 3 energy already on it.
Game 2 - I get a dominating lead, but time is called. I ask her if she knows how time works and she said yes. I mentioned how there was not going to be any way for the game to finish (only 1 prize had been taken), but we kept playing. One of the judges watching who was my friend watched our game; we both knew there was not going to be a resolution. The game ends with her at 4 prizes left to my 5 prizes (I was still at a convincing lead, though; she had no eels, I had 3 on t2). She then questions why the game doesnt count despite having taken more prizes than me. After letting the judge explain, I move on to the next round.
Round 4 - Rosario
I know rosario. He's pretty experienced but he always plays a little slowly (not slow play slow, but thinking thoroughly slow) but always takes back plays and I know this because he's done it before!
I tell him that I'm not going to be as lenient as I have been... and although I'd let him take back stuff, that he has to learn that not everybody will. Game 1 - This game was not very long. My opening is horrible - My hand had a thundurus, a level ball, a switch a catcher, and energy. I decide to level ball for a cleffa, but still use charge - I'm on the play, and if he benches a cyndaquil i'd much rather attempt to cripple him than to attempt to maybe catch up to him without a supporter. He goes through his turn, and benches a cyndaquil and then uses communication. I expect him to get a cyndaquil and circle slam it... but he gets a quilava? In my head, I'm a combination of
:thumb: assuming he has another in hand. Nope. Perfect. I catcher up the cynadquil and take the first prize. I end up using Black Belt well this game. After noticing that he discarded two typhlosion early, I kill each typhlosion as soon as I can. He ends up playing Pokemon Center. I don't know what to think of that - it could be bad if I can't KO reshirams. Well, turns out that pokemon center is really good... for me. I end up killing a typhlosion in one turn with a zekrom EX and then stop him from setting up and take straight KOs by switching or retreating (for 3!), triple dynamotoring and attaching and healing 20 over and over. Game 2 - ends up going to time. I'm in a fairly good position but I am in a bad spot. I end up just benching an ex and eeking, knowing I win in time. I forget that he could have the very possible out of a seeker - but he doesn't play any (not that you should, but i'm just saying that it could have been a huge mistake).
Round 6 - Michael L
Michael L was the guy I borrowed the mewtwo off. Or should I say, would have borrowed it off. He's actually a really good guy and I don't dislike him for not giving me the mewtwo but I think he really really shouldn't have said I could borrow one if he didn't have one.
His deck was just a crazy troll deck that he build just to put lots of full arts and EXes in one deck. I wont post a match report here, but both game end up with him only having one basic and having me kill it. I would feel more guilty, but he told me he only ran 2 collectors and very very few draw supporters. He really only plays for fun anyway and it's all good. I was really worried he was playing 6 corners after seeing him play earlier in the day, though.
I miss top cut. The two players I lost to, Shaun and Keit, are both in top 8. I'm still annoyed I lost due to lack of mewtwo.
The top 8 looked like (in no specific order):
CMT
Mewtwo/Zek/Eels
Mewtwo/Zek/Eels
Mewtwo/Zek/Eels
CMT
Mewtwo/Zek/Eels
CMT
Mewtwo/Zek/Eels
Great. Whoopee.
Mewtwo is busted and makes the game feel really horrible. Every deck in the format right now, apart from durant is better with one or two mewtwos in it - even if it's just as a tech against other mewtwo. That's very, very sad. A blantant money grab if there is one to not print it in the mewtwo EX box. I'm not being a bad sport when I say 'if I had a mewtwo I would have won that round'; literally, unless mewtwo was one of my last two prizes all of those 3 games i lost in rounds 2/3, i would have been able to win easily.
My other minor rant is with the Best of 3 format for swiss. I understand that best of 3 makes time better, but we simply have too many players to use a Bo3 format anymore. We use Bo3 because we used to have few enough players to make it worth it but with record numbers (we had more people at a battle roads this season than last season's nationals!) far too many games I played went to time. I only lost one game to time that I would have won - but I'm sure that others had similar issues. The worst feeling is to lose G1, and be in a dominating positing game 2 (such as being fully set up vs a deck with only a pachirisu and a shaymin out, being at 3 prizes to 6 at the end of time) and then lose.
Props -
Building a very consistent deck
(In my opinion) playing well
Team Monash victory!
Slops -
Mewtwo exists (the biggest slop ever)
not having mewtwo
losing games to mewtwo
