Hey PoJo, please post this in your Killer Decks Section.
 
       It's been a while since I entered a tournament ( since Sept. 17
exactly ) and I've been playing alot of apprentice. So I decided to bring my
favorite apprentice deck out for a test drive. This tournament was held at
Gateway Comics and More in Erie, Pa on October 8, and had about 20
participants.Before I list the tournament report, I'll show the miracle of
modern pokemon that is the poor man's haymaker.

Pokemon  ( the wierd thing is that they are no rare cards in this deck )

4 Charmander
4 Machop
3 Farfetch'd
3 Magmar
3 Rattata

4 PlusPower
4 Energy Removal
4 Bill
2 Gust of Wind
2 Professor Oak
1 Scoop Up
1 Energy Retrieval

15 Fire Energy
10 Fighting Energy

  And now the tournament report ( only one game per round ).....

Round 1 vs. a Muk / Aerodactyl Grass deck
   
  I didn't have the sense to write the names of the competitors, but I did at
least remember what kind of decks I was playing against. Well anyway, I
started out with an active farfetch and a benched rattata. He had out a
grimer and a benched fossil. I could really care less if he had gotten out
Aerodactyl because of Farfetch's resistance to fighting, so I concentrated on
grimer. I played a fighting energy and leek slapped his ass. HEADS. Grimer is
twenty damage away from losing him the game. He quickly lays down a grass
energy and minimizes preventing 20 damage less next turn. I drew Magmar, and
I knew the game was over. The rest of his grass pokemon were all weak to
fire. After a few turns Magmar was fully pumped and the game was mine.

Record 1-0

Round 2 vs. a very quick rain dance deck
    I have to give some props to this guy, becuase he was my toughest
opponent. His raindance deck ,instead of featuring Vaporeon and Poliwrath,
had Golducks and Seakings. Of Course, there was Blastoise but he was the only
slow pokemon. Alright, he starts out with a psyduck ( he is very underated )
and a benched squirtle. I get a charmander and an active rattata. He goes
first and Fury Swipes...THREE HEADS. I mean it was terrible. Rattata is now
dead and I'm left with Charmander.I draw an Oak, use it and get Farfetch,
Machop, Rattata, 3 fighting, and a gust of wind. I quickly retreat
Charmander, send out the energyless machop and gust out the squirtle.He must
have energy concerns because in the next 5 turns my Machop saved the game by
killing squirtle and psyduck. All he had left over was a measly goldeen.

Record 2-0

Round 3 vs. a Mulligan Mewtwo Deck
 Lucky for me he drew Mewtwo in his first turn and I had my trusty Rattata.
The match didn't last very long after that as Rattata killed his Mewtwo, and
he had no other basics ready. That has to be the only bad thing about those
decks is only 2 or 3 basics.

Record 3-0

Since I was undefeated so far, I had a bye in round 4. This pushed me into
round 5, and a chance for me to clinch.

Round 5 vs. a Electric / Psy Deck
 An interesting mix of pokemon is surely what got this kid so far. He said
Electrabuzz , Mr.Mime , and Jynx had been hot for him all day. Well that was
about to change.He started out with Mr. Mime and Pikachu ( the one with spark
). I had a Farfetch and an active Machop. He goes first slaps down a
Magnemite, switches, and gust of winds farfetch. Farfetch is eventually
killed from a self destruct. I really didn't need him anyway, because Machop
and Rattata were more than enough to survive.Machop came in and just layed
the smack down on magnemite and pikachu. Then his psy pokemon came on out,
with a Jynx first killing machop. Rattata came in and was just terrific for
me. He eventually won me the game with a pluspowered bite against Jynx.

Record 4-0

MY FIRST TOURNAMENT VICTORY!!! After a small celebration ( i jumped up and
down and yelled " yes " a few times ), I received my prize of a Power Reserve
Deck and 1 fossil booster pack. It turned out to be a great prize because I
got that 2nd Kangaskhan I needed and a fossil Magmar and Golduck. Hint : You
could be seeing these cards in a future report....

Thanks for your time...

Nate
Duke3421@aol.com