HurricaneWarty
New Member
Well, about 11 PM Friday night I decide to call it a night and head home, because I still have no clue what I'm going to play. I know my brother is pretty set on an Empoleon/Lucario build he has been working on, and I decide to build it since I've played with it a little bit, giving me 4 viable deck options to choose from. I decide to go to bed and deal with it in the morning. After getting to Press Box and still not really sure what I'm going to play, I decide to roll a dice in the car before heading in to decide. I end up getting Empoleon/Lucario. I know the build is pretty solid, and I copy my brother's list exactly except for -1 Water -1 Fighting +2 Multi, since I expect a lot of Lucario and want to be able to attack w/Chimecho if I have to. The deck ran great the entire day really, the only change I'd make is adding in a few scramble, since the two trainer techs I replaced them with were pretty much useless all day, and in 1 matchup I think it would've helped out. Anyway, 40 people event, and we get at least 6 in every division so we don't have to play up or down! Also, it's 2 days later so some of the details are a little fuzzy.
Round 1 - Ninetales/Lucario
I haven't seen this deck yet, but having both weaknesses covered I figure I can do fairly well. I open up with a lone Piplup, she has an active Vulpix, and Vulpix and Riolu on the bench. I have
Prinplup/Empoleon/Castaway in my hand, so I feel very good. She couldn't find any evos or any energy when it counted most, and my t3 Empoleon pretty much runs through everything until she finally knocks it out when I have 1 prize left, promote Lucario and take my last prize with it. We played again, and I loved the speed of the deck when it sets up right. I got quite lucky it didn't because it would've been a good match if it did.
1-0
Round 2 - DuskQueen
Another good matchup, plus it's against Doug, one of my favorites to play with. My hand was pretty crappy to start with as I recall, and I'm almost certain this was the game I started with a lone Chime. He had 2 Duskulls and 1 Nidoran to start, plus a Sableye start (this thing gets annoying btw!). He attaches and down draws. I attach and draw 1 with my Chime. He attaches to a Nidoran and down draws again. I pull the TGW, so I go ahead and drop my lone Cessation Crystal on my Chime, then play the TGW. I lose. Over the next couple of turns he attaches energy to the bench, and actually starts attacking with Sableye. I am able by this time to pull a Piplup and get a Prinplup going in two turns to aqua shower. I get Empoleon and pick off a Duskull and Nidoran with energy, but he pulls a RC/Dusknoir/DRE. I go "oh crap" as he KOs my Empoleon, and I have to promote my lone Lucario. I pull my first Castaway though 10 or so turns in, and get the fighting energy I need to KO the Dusknoir. From there I'm able to go through things and win on prizes 0-2. Great game though!
2-0
Lunch break. Arby's FTW.
Round 3 - Raichu/Electivire/Manectric
This is one of the decks I actually thought about playing today, since it's lots of fun and can make some great comebacks. I hate playing against it with Empoleon/Lucario though because the matchup sucks. I start out with a ton of basics, 4 I think. I get a Chingling/Chime going and draw for a couple turns. He hits and early Steven's on my huge bench that gets him going. It isn't long before he gets an active Electivire ready to go after using Raichu to get some energy on it. I misplayed about 2-3 turns before this and went ahead and Crystal'd my active Empoleon. I had hit it on the bench for 40 with the Empoleon, and was hoping he'd promote it, knock out my Empy and I'd get it with my Lucario on the bench. No such luck though as he Pulse Barrier's and gets his agility going. I go ahead and promote a Lucario though, since it's the only thing I have that will make him discard all this energy to kill it. He goes up on prizes for a while, but I am able to knock out his Lvl X with a Lucario and run through the Raichus with, which makes dealing with his Lvl X after he NM'ed it back into his deck much easier. This one was also 0-2 I believe on prizes.
3-0
Round 4 - t2 Blissey
This deck is mean. It's the best Blissey list I've ever seen, and my only chance is to hit the RC/Lucario t1. I whiff the RC, go for a wild kick and hit it I believe, but it ends up not mattering because I can't get Lucario. He gets a Blissey up and that's all she wrote. Can't say enough about this deck though.
3-1
Round 5 - Gatr d/Raichu/T-Tar ex
I have to win to make t4. I don't remember alot about this game except I misplay twice and lose Empoleon's because of it. Luckily I am able to make a come back by shutting off his body for a while with the Crystal, and not getting the extra damage hurts him. He made a nice play to drag off my benched Empy that I'd been building up, and because I can't add it gets knocked out. I am able to get rid of a T-tar though and getting those 2 prizes for 1 KO helps out a bunch. I pull this one out when it's 1-1 in the end by just blading a benched Fearow twice.
4-1
So I'm 2 seed going into the cut, and I play Taylor again, the kid I played in round 3
T4 - Raichu/Vire/Manectric
Game 1 -
He has an Elekid bench and Pikachu active. I T1 a Lucario w/a Rare Candy. He is able to get this game to last about 4 turns, and is able to get a Manectric going that helps out for a couple turns, but a T1 Lucario and weakness too much to over come
1-0 games
Game 2 -
I thought I was going to get t2 donked as I get a lone Piplup. I go 2nd though, and I am able to RC/Empoleon to keep it alive. He retreats whatever he had active, brings up Electrike and does 40 for 1 :/ and gets heads. He stalls for 2 turns with the stupid thing and makes it really close in the beginning. He can't pull basics mid-game though and I am able to win.
2-0 games/ 5-1 overall
Finals
I play Steve after playing his son Logan this time, both of them playing Steve's t2 Blissey deck.
Game 1 -
I whiff on the Wild Kick t1, and the rest is history as he runs through my 3 basics after getting a t2 50 going.
0-1
Game 2 -
Lone Chimecho, and I have no chance. The deck is just too crazy consistent and I have no scrambles to even try with. Awesome deck though!
0-2 games/ 5-2 overall
So I'm fairly pleased with my 2nd place finish, and I find Empoleon/Lucario can be an awesome deck in the right hands and will be something to be reckoned with at least through Cities IMO. My list isn't the best yet either, and there are some changes we want to make before next week. I don't know if I'll play it again next week or not. I love the low K values in BRs because I really don't have to worry about how I do, I know in 1-2 Cities I can make it up. Being able to play always beats out sitting around for an extra 4-6 weeks.
Props
Everyone who showed up. Largest BR turn out so far in Utah!
Excitement for the new season
T2 Blissey
Simba for letting me borrow 2 Cessation Crystals (I'll get them back to you...oops)
The way the format is looking. I was always a much better play back in the day when setups were quick, and i think the lack of 2 prizes for 1 ko will help me too. I still couldn't get used to that after playing with it for a year and a half!
Slops
T2 Blissey!
My bro going 2-2 in Seniors (it happens to the best of us though)
Rainy weather so I can't work today
Round 1 - Ninetales/Lucario
I haven't seen this deck yet, but having both weaknesses covered I figure I can do fairly well. I open up with a lone Piplup, she has an active Vulpix, and Vulpix and Riolu on the bench. I have
Prinplup/Empoleon/Castaway in my hand, so I feel very good. She couldn't find any evos or any energy when it counted most, and my t3 Empoleon pretty much runs through everything until she finally knocks it out when I have 1 prize left, promote Lucario and take my last prize with it. We played again, and I loved the speed of the deck when it sets up right. I got quite lucky it didn't because it would've been a good match if it did.
1-0
Round 2 - DuskQueen
Another good matchup, plus it's against Doug, one of my favorites to play with. My hand was pretty crappy to start with as I recall, and I'm almost certain this was the game I started with a lone Chime. He had 2 Duskulls and 1 Nidoran to start, plus a Sableye start (this thing gets annoying btw!). He attaches and down draws. I attach and draw 1 with my Chime. He attaches to a Nidoran and down draws again. I pull the TGW, so I go ahead and drop my lone Cessation Crystal on my Chime, then play the TGW. I lose. Over the next couple of turns he attaches energy to the bench, and actually starts attacking with Sableye. I am able by this time to pull a Piplup and get a Prinplup going in two turns to aqua shower. I get Empoleon and pick off a Duskull and Nidoran with energy, but he pulls a RC/Dusknoir/DRE. I go "oh crap" as he KOs my Empoleon, and I have to promote my lone Lucario. I pull my first Castaway though 10 or so turns in, and get the fighting energy I need to KO the Dusknoir. From there I'm able to go through things and win on prizes 0-2. Great game though!
2-0
Lunch break. Arby's FTW.
Round 3 - Raichu/Electivire/Manectric
This is one of the decks I actually thought about playing today, since it's lots of fun and can make some great comebacks. I hate playing against it with Empoleon/Lucario though because the matchup sucks. I start out with a ton of basics, 4 I think. I get a Chingling/Chime going and draw for a couple turns. He hits and early Steven's on my huge bench that gets him going. It isn't long before he gets an active Electivire ready to go after using Raichu to get some energy on it. I misplayed about 2-3 turns before this and went ahead and Crystal'd my active Empoleon. I had hit it on the bench for 40 with the Empoleon, and was hoping he'd promote it, knock out my Empy and I'd get it with my Lucario on the bench. No such luck though as he Pulse Barrier's and gets his agility going. I go ahead and promote a Lucario though, since it's the only thing I have that will make him discard all this energy to kill it. He goes up on prizes for a while, but I am able to knock out his Lvl X with a Lucario and run through the Raichus with, which makes dealing with his Lvl X after he NM'ed it back into his deck much easier. This one was also 0-2 I believe on prizes.
3-0
Round 4 - t2 Blissey
This deck is mean. It's the best Blissey list I've ever seen, and my only chance is to hit the RC/Lucario t1. I whiff the RC, go for a wild kick and hit it I believe, but it ends up not mattering because I can't get Lucario. He gets a Blissey up and that's all she wrote. Can't say enough about this deck though.
3-1
Round 5 - Gatr d/Raichu/T-Tar ex
I have to win to make t4. I don't remember alot about this game except I misplay twice and lose Empoleon's because of it. Luckily I am able to make a come back by shutting off his body for a while with the Crystal, and not getting the extra damage hurts him. He made a nice play to drag off my benched Empy that I'd been building up, and because I can't add it gets knocked out. I am able to get rid of a T-tar though and getting those 2 prizes for 1 KO helps out a bunch. I pull this one out when it's 1-1 in the end by just blading a benched Fearow twice.
4-1
So I'm 2 seed going into the cut, and I play Taylor again, the kid I played in round 3
T4 - Raichu/Vire/Manectric
Game 1 -
He has an Elekid bench and Pikachu active. I T1 a Lucario w/a Rare Candy. He is able to get this game to last about 4 turns, and is able to get a Manectric going that helps out for a couple turns, but a T1 Lucario and weakness too much to over come
1-0 games
Game 2 -
I thought I was going to get t2 donked as I get a lone Piplup. I go 2nd though, and I am able to RC/Empoleon to keep it alive. He retreats whatever he had active, brings up Electrike and does 40 for 1 :/ and gets heads. He stalls for 2 turns with the stupid thing and makes it really close in the beginning. He can't pull basics mid-game though and I am able to win.
2-0 games/ 5-1 overall
Finals
I play Steve after playing his son Logan this time, both of them playing Steve's t2 Blissey deck.
Game 1 -
I whiff on the Wild Kick t1, and the rest is history as he runs through my 3 basics after getting a t2 50 going.
0-1
Game 2 -
Lone Chimecho, and I have no chance. The deck is just too crazy consistent and I have no scrambles to even try with. Awesome deck though!
0-2 games/ 5-2 overall
So I'm fairly pleased with my 2nd place finish, and I find Empoleon/Lucario can be an awesome deck in the right hands and will be something to be reckoned with at least through Cities IMO. My list isn't the best yet either, and there are some changes we want to make before next week. I don't know if I'll play it again next week or not. I love the low K values in BRs because I really don't have to worry about how I do, I know in 1-2 Cities I can make it up. Being able to play always beats out sitting around for an extra 4-6 weeks.
Props
Everyone who showed up. Largest BR turn out so far in Utah!
Excitement for the new season
T2 Blissey
Simba for letting me borrow 2 Cessation Crystals (I'll get them back to you...oops)
The way the format is looking. I was always a much better play back in the day when setups were quick, and i think the lack of 2 prizes for 1 ko will help me too. I still couldn't get used to that after playing with it for a year and a half!
Slops
T2 Blissey!
My bro going 2-2 in Seniors (it happens to the best of us though)
Rainy weather so I can't work today