Tournament site-Grand Slam Comics, Fort Worth, TX
Saturday, 10-30 about 40-45 players
first prize was a box of fossil boosters
third place was six fossil boosters and a vendor sheet
entry fee-$5
Last week I finished second with my Magmar/Buzz/Scyther deck. I made a
few changes to my deck for this tournament.
I added two Ponytas and two Rapidashes, computer search, and pokemon
trader. I took out a gust, Ditto, Buzz, super potion, and a lightning
and fire energy.
This change was made in order to fight the grass speed decks harder, and
to get out any hiding Magmars.
The Rapidash kicks but big time if I can get it out. It does 30 damage
for two fire energies and a colorless with AGILITY, and also has the
free retreat. Against the always strong grass speed decks, this card
rules.
This weeks deck:
Magmar(fossil) 4
Electabuzz 3
Scyther
3
Ponyta
2
Rapidash 2
13 fire energies
8 lightning
4 dbl colorless
Energy removal 4
Super ER 4
Gust
2
Super potion 3
Energy retrieval 4
Professor oak 2
computer search 1
pokemon trader 1
In this weeks tournament, I finished third. I again ran into some minor
problems, and my deck showed more weaknesses. With my super potions, I
was rarely able to use them. Not because of a lack of energy, but when I
was expecting to be able to use them, my pokemon was usually killed by a
plus power(s).
So, for next week, I am going to put in plus powers for the potions.
Also, I need more gusts. I will have to give up a card somewhere-either
a fire energy or a plus power, I guess.
First two rounds were fairly easy in our five round, two out of three
games per round tourny. I was up against a water deck and a grass deck.
These decks were basicly decent, but need refining. (A deck needs to be
refined to fight fast-kill hay variants). They went down in two games
each round, leaving me 4-0.
Third round I was up against last weeks winner. He plays a grass speed
deck with pinsirs, scythers, tauros. Tons of trainers-bills, plus
powers, and so on. Unlike last week, my deck changes got out my Magmars.
With Buzzes and Magmars I won both games!
Fourth round I played a grass speeed deck that has always finished high
or won in the past. Last week I had defeated this guy in three games.
This time I lost in three games. Those darn super potions hurt-I needed
the plus powers. I also couldn't get my Magmars out fast enough, and the
whole deck just didn't play well. The energy was not right, and the oaks
were lost.
Won the last round easily over a lightning deck that wasn't really very
good.
I think I know the answer to my deck problem. I need 62 cards! Next week
I will try again. All of the good players are gearing up for my deck.
They say it is the one to beat. I never played the winner this week. He
changed his grass/buzz speed deck and put in Lapras's just for me. I
think I could have beat him with my Buzzes.
The winner played against a Moltres stall deck in the finals. This stall
deck was borrowed from the tournament director. It went undefeated all
the way until the finals where it died. The Lapras's confuse ray
disarmed the Moltres, and the Chancey's died too. I am not sure exactly
what the tournament winner had in his deck-either scythers, lapras's,
and pinsirs-or buzzes, scythers, and lapras's-or chans, scythers, and
lapras's. I will find out next week, probably.
As far as all of the dislike for haymakers, I never see a true haymaker.
They are all variants and are very well desined. They require fine
tuning and need to be played well. Nothing but pure fun here in the
strategy and planning, as well as the playing. Just as fun as any
evolution or stall deck, but without the agony of hard work to
manipulate everything because it really just is not tuned. How does one
tune an evolution deck. You don't. You just work and work hoping that
your hay-variant opponent makes a mistake.
When we are competing to win, we have to be a boy scout-PREPARED. When
we are playing for fun, we can experiment. I like both.
stealthfighter tuffhem@earthlink.net