dfranks1@infinet.com

> Subject: The Power Turbine by Phoenix Franks (Origins, DCI Sanctioned
> tournaments)

>
>  Hello all, I'm the one who wrote the article about how to play in CCG
> tournaments and I just got through playing in two major Pokemon tournaments
> at Origins, so I thought I'd tell you how I did.
>  For those of you who don't know, Origins is the second largest CCG/Boardgame
> convention in the US (GenCon is the largest). Fortunate for me, it is also
> held right here in Columbus, Ohio at our convention center, so once a year, I
> always have an opportunity to play in a major CCG tournament.
>  This year they had two constructed-deck Pokemon tournaments scheduled, and I
> was able to make time for both. The first one was on Thursday (7/1), and the
> second was on Saturday (7/3). I later
> found out that the Pokemon sealed-deck tournaments on Friday and Sunday were
> changed to the
> constructed format because WOTC could not provide the decks. Unfortunately,
> due to my job I was unable to attend those.
>  Below is the deck I used on both days at the tournaments, and a brief
> summary from both days of play. I'm not going to give you game by game
> analysis because I didn't keep track of them, just the entertaining
> highlights.
>  
> The Power Turbine by Phoenix Franks
>  
> 4 X Voltorb (only here because of Electrode, nothing is scarier than starting
> with only this in hand)
> 3 X Electrode (quick power that gets around the standard one energy a turn)
> 2 X Electabuzz (KOing Pokemon is his specialty, but he's not very good
> against Fighting decks)
> 2 X Zapdos (mainly in here for their resistance to Fighting, but they turned
> out to be the big guns)
>  
> 4 X Dratini (here for the Dragonairs, at least they aren't weak to fighting)
> 3 X Dragonairs (obviously here for their energy removal powers, Slam is very
> inconsistent)
> 2 X Chansey (the best basic available, and capable of second turn kills in
> this deck)
>  
> 2 X Computer Search (this card allows you to get whatever you need at
> anytime)
> 4 X Professor Oak (the best card in the game, it never hurts to have one in
> your hand)
> 2 X Bill (Oak's little buddy is also nice, I may change these out for
> something else)
> 4 X Energy Removal (nice for those lone energies, or to slow down your
> opponent)
> 4 X Super Energy Removal (the powerhouses of the deck, two for one is a
> bargain) 
> 3 X Item Finder (makes Super Energy Removal a recurring nightmare)
>  
> 3 X Double Colorless Energy (speeds up the colorless Pokemon immensely)
> 18 X Lightning Energies (plenty for this deck, trust me)
>  
>  It's easy to see the theme of this deck from the cards above, deny your
> opponent energy while you
> knockout his Pokemon or run him out of cards. I know that the energy content
> looks low, but if you count the double colorless and Electrode cards as two
> energy then there is a total of 30 energy available. The only time I had
> energy problems was when I was facing a lot of energy denial, and in those
> cases my opponent and I suffered together. This deck's main weakness is to
> Fighting decks. Almost everyone in here is weak to fighting except Zapdos,
> this is compounded by the fact that Fighting decks usually only need one
> energy a turn to do some real damage. I was also very careful with my use of
> Oaks, I only used about two a game. When in doubt, I would count both our
> decks beforehand. Anyways, onto the tournaments.
>  
> Thursday (Day one of Origins)
>  
>  The tournament is at noon, and I'm there with my friend Gabe. He's the
> person I play against mainly, but he can't play today because he has to go to
> work before the tournament will be over. Since it's the first day, the
> exhibit hall won't open until 3:00pm, so we are just sitting around. We then
> run into Wes, a Comictown regular, who I just taught how to play Pokemon two
> days ago. He's in the tournament, playing with a Fighting deck with some
> Kangaskhans in it. We talk until it's time for the tourney. When the judge
> comes up I give him the most recent FAQ, which I obtained from the Pojo. He
> thanks me, but admits he doesn't know much about Pokemon. Uh-oh, that's not
> good. Oh well, I know the rules.
>  Before the pairings begin, the judge announces that the rounds will only be
> 20 minutes long. Gabe and I have had hour-long games before, so I turn to Wes
> and say,"That might not be enough time for everyone." That's when someone, we
> will call him "Annoying Boy" so he may remain unnamed, jumped in and stated
> that it was plenty of time. I then tell him that my friend and I sometimes
> have long games and it would stink to lose because of time, especially when
> someone may stall if they are ahead on prizes. Annoying Boy proclaims he
> always completes his games in under twenty minutes. When I tell him a
> damage-trans deck can stall till it decks you, he doesn't care and is adamant
> that any game of Pokemon can be played in under twenty minutes. I finally get
> tired of arguing with him, and turn back towards the judge to continue
> listening. Yet he continues to badger me, finally I turn to the kid (he was
> about 17), and tell him, "Listen, if you can lose in under twenty minutes I
> don't care!". The kid was totally unphased. He continues to argue until I
> walk away from him. What a moron.
>  Anyways, my first match-up was against a guy playing a standard Raindance
> deck. We both get pretty good starts, and by the third turn he got Blastoise
> out. Up to that point, I had only used two 
> Energy Removals and I think the guy was unsure of what my deck did. So he
> starts dropping energy like crazy. Unfortunately for him, my deck hits and
> I'm removing energy as fast as he can lay it. He Professor Oaks three times
> just to get more energy, and in the end, he decks himself. He's not happy.
>  My second game I win handily.
>  My third game is against Wes! Players from Comictown continually get matched
> up against one another in these big tournaments! Two of my other Comictown
> friends are in the L5R tournament and they are playing each other at the same
> time at the table across from us. Oh well. Wes has played against this deck
> before, so he knows exactly what it does. He has been playing CCGs for years
> and picks up games very quickly. He's played in countless tournaments, so
> don't be surprised when I say this, he beat me. My starting Pokemon was
> Chansey, and his was Mankey. He went first and warmed Chansey up for a
> Primeape beat-down. I had no card-drawing cards in my hand, or any other
> Basic Pokemon either. I start drawing Voltorbs while poor Chansey can't
> Scrunch to save his life. After Chansey becomes Weepinbell fertilizer, the
> Voltorbs get knocked down like bowling pins. This is the worst game this deck
> has ever had. My misery ends approximately eight turns after it began.
>  I go on to win my next two games to have an overall record of 4-1. During
> this time, a few things happen. 
>  First, Wes ends up playing Annoying Boy. Gabe has been watching people play
> all day, since he isn't in the tournament, and has a front row seat as
> Annoying Boy receives a biblical butt-whoopin from Wes. They both tell me
> about how, even as he's losing, he still talks trash. Some people never
> learn.
>  Secondly, Wes, Gabe, and I notice this one kid in particular who, up to this
> point, was undefeated. He won't talk to anyone, even when he's playing. He is
> dressed nicely, and you can tell this kid means business. We all dub him "The
> Machine".   
>  Overall, Wes ends up going 3-2 and so does Annoying Boy, but during the
> tournament we also kept track of the total HP of the Pokemon that we KOed for
> tie-breaker and scoring purposes. As it turns out Wes had more points than AB
> and ended up in the eighth spot, the last spot. I ended up 3rd overall in the
> standings.
>  Well, as the finalists are standing over the judge to see their pairings,
> one of them says something about amicably splitting the two boxes between all
> eight of us and not playing a finals. This idea catches on like wildfire and
> pretty soon everyone wants to do that instead. I wasn't particularly fond of
> this idea, but Wes wasn't there and I didn't want to be the only dissenting
> voice, so I caved. When Wes got back he had no problems with it, and that's
> how it ended.
>  The top three players got nine packs, and the other five players got eight.
> Overall, I had a good time and met some nice people that day. Now onto
> Saturday.
>  
> Saturday (Day three of Origins)
>  
>  Gabe and I, arrive at the convention center at about 10:00am. We pick up our
> badges and event tickets at the Pre-Registration counter, and then head to
> the exhibit hall to buy some cards. The tournament isn't until 11:00am. Gabe
> picks up a Wigglytuff that he needs for $6.00, and then we head for the
> tournament.
>  Unfortunately, Wes isn't playing today, but The Machine and Annoying Boy
> grace us with their presence, along with about 38 other people. The tourney
> on Thursday had approximately 24 people, so this is a slightly larger field.
> The people also seem to be older and more experienced, today it's going to be
> much more challenging, I can feel it.
>  The judge today isn't the same one who organized the tournament on Thursday,
> he actually knows how to play Pokemon. Good deal. After a brief time all the
> pairings are laid out and we begin to play.
>  I end up playing against a non-descript psychic deck, which I beat. Gabe
> wins his match as well, this is a good start to the day.
>  The judge lays out the second pairings, and I get matched up against
> Annoying Boy! How does this happen in a field this large? God must hate me.
> Anyways, I just think to myself, be nice and don't start anything, and maybe
> this kid will be nice too. Fat chance of that happening. As soon as we are
> across from each other he starts running his mouth about how I'm in trouble
> because he's so lucky and he knows he's going to win. I don't say anything
> for a long while, but this kid is talking and won't shut up! Finally, I just
> tear into him. I tell him his luck has just ran out because he drew me and
> he's definitely not going to win, etc. We are talking pretty loud, and by
> chance Gabe is at this table too and he says something to the kid. Then some
> other guys at our table start saying negative things about Annoying Boy, to
> me, loud enough for him to hear it. Apparently, this kid's starting a fan
> club. Well, to make a long story short, I destroyed this guy so quickly I
> can't even remember what he played. Why do some people act like that?
>  Well, at this point Gabe and I are both 2-0 when we sit down for our third
> pairings. 
>  I get matched up against an older gentleman who is playing a deck very
> similar to mine. It's Lightning and Fire, using Electabuzz and Growlithes
> with a heavy amount of Trainers. He is playing serious energy removal with
> some Item Finders to recycle the Trainers he needs. Both our decks are
> working well and as a result there are a lot of turns where we both just drew
> and said "Done.".
> When time was called we were both at four prizes apiece. The guy I was
> playing wanted a tie, and there was no way for me to win in the one turn
> given, so I agreed. 
>  At this point, my record was 2-0-1, and Gabe was 3-0. That's when it
> happened, when the judge announced the pairings, Gabe and I were matched
> against each other. I attempted to plead with the judge, but it was no use.
> Why does this keep happening to me?
>  Well, I've played against Gabe's deck a lot, like every time we play, and I
> knew if I was going to win it wasn't going to be an easy or short game. Gabe
> plays a Fighting deck with Hitmonchans, Mankeys, Primeapes, Jigglypuffs, and
> Wigglytuffs with support from four Scoop Ups and Pokemon Centers. This deck
> is a pain in the butt to kill. The only way I win is to get out both Zapdos,
> power them up, and pray they don't kill themselves in the process of KOing
> Gabes guys. It's a long, agonizing process. A process I didn't have to worry
> about this time because Gabe KOed six of my Pokemon in short order. Man, I'm
> doing terrible.
>  Well, now Gabe's 4-0, and I'm 2-1-1. My record is horrible. I decide to go
> up to the judge and ask him if it's still possible for me to make the final
> eight. To my surprise, he says if I win my next game I'm assured a spot in
> the finals. My mood improves.
>  Well, we sit down for our last round, and I have to play a boy who is about
> 12 years old. I enjoy talking to him, he's a really nice kid. When we flip
> over our starting Pokemon, I have a Chansey up front along with a Voltorb on
> the bench, and he has a Squirtle. He grabs my Chansey and says he has heard
> so much about it and that he really wants to get one. We start to play and on
> my first turn I lay an energy on Chansey. On his first turn, he lays an
> energy and does Bubble, but he doesn't paralyze Chansey. On my second turn, I
> put down an energy on Chansey, evolve my Voltorb to Electrode, burn the
> Electrode, and do Double Edge. The poor kid is shocked by what just happened,
> and just stops talking. I try to encourage and support him by complementing
> his gameplay, but it's no use. He looks like he's going to cry, picks up his
> cards real quick, and leaves. I feel terrible, I felt so bad about it, that I
> almost dropped out of the tournament because of it. I thought about it a long
> time afterwards too.
>  Well, Gabe lost his last game to an older woman playing a
> Fighting/Farfetch'd energy removal deck, and ended up 4-1. Overall, I
> finished 3-1-1. Which, through a small act of God, got me in.
>  After a short break, we began the finals. The finals were single-elimination
> match play, so you played the best two out of three, with the winner moving
> forward. One noteworthy item, is the fact that all of the top eight finalists
> were playing with energy removal, with the exception of Gabe.
>   In my first finals round, I got matched up against the same guy I tied
> earlier. An older guy with a Team Electabuzz t-shirt on, I knew this was
> going to be a struggle and it lived up to my expectations. In the first game,
> both our decks were clicking, and as a result we did a lot of doing nothing.
> Neither one of us had energy, despite the fact that he was playing with
> Energy Retrieval. In the end it was close, but I decked him. What a long,
> tedious game. In the second game, my deck didn't show up. He was fortunate
> enough to draw two Electabuzzes in his opening hand and he made short work of
> my Pokemon. I'm starting to worry now. In the final game, I knew who ever
> could keep the most cards in their deck would have the best chance of
> winning, but unfortunately I had to go first. This meant that if no one
> played a Professor Oak or Bill, I would deck myself first. The key would be
> whether or not someone would be forced to play one to get the cards he needed
> to stay in the game. As luck would have it, he had to play a Professor Oak at
> one point and the game swayed in my favor. Again, I deck him. Winning that
> way is the worst. This game was twice as long as the first one, and everyone
> else was done a while ago. I take a five-minute break before I return for the
> next round.
>   During that time, I find out that Gabe was eliminated by a guy by the name
> of Kevin. While I was playing my round, Kevin and Gabe were talking. As it
> turns out, Kevin is a really nice guy who doesn't play as often as Gabe and I
> do, but has a strong Hitmonchan/Jynx Fighting deck that has a heavy dose of
> energy removal. I come to find out that Kevin will be my next opponent. I'm
> pretty happy with that because if Gabe had won the match, I would have had to
> play him instead. The other match-up was the woman who had beat Gabe with her
> Fighting deck and some kid I hadn't seen before. He was playing a
> Scyther/Venasaur deck with lots of energy removal.
>  Well, Kevin and I get started and the poor guy is very nervous. What did
> Gabe say about me? After talking while we play, he calms down, but ends up
> decking himself. Kevin has a lot of energy removal in his deck and it puts a
> serious hurt on me the second game. My Electabuzzes go down with two hits
> from Hitmonchan, and my Zapdos can't hold any energy. He wins by KOing all my
> Pokemon. We start the third game, and I know I'll have to play extremely well
> to win. The only problem is, I don't. During my third turn, I have Zapdos up
> front with two Electrodes on my bench. Kevin has a Jynx up, that has 20
> damage on it, and only a Farfetch'd on his bench. I place my one energy on
> Zapdos, bringing him up to one energy. Now, at this point I have a decision
> to make, I can burn both my Electrodes, kill Jynx this turn, and if he can't
> lay a Basic Pokemon, kill Farfetch'd on my next turn and win. I'm gambling
> that he doesn't have a Basic Pokemon or a Super Energy Removal in his hand.
> Unfortunately, he has both. He removes both my Electrodes, and lays another
> Basic, from here the game went downhill and I end up decking myself. Oh well.
> I end up being third overall again. 
>  Something important to note, is that during the my third game with Kevin,
> the kid playing the Grass deck wins his round against the woman. Well, as
> soon as he's done he comes over to to where Kevin and I are playing and sits
> down to watch us play. He had not played either one of us up to that point,
> and I nicely tell him that he can't watch us play because it is scouting. He
> would know exactly what is in both of our decks and we wouldn't know what was
> in his. Well, this kid, who from here going forward we will call "Obnoxious
> Boy", stated that it's not illegal to scout in Pokemon, and that it was okay.
> I reaffirmed that it was not okay, and that you can scout in any CCG. Well,
> he refused to leave until I called the judge. When the judge came over, I
> explained the situation and the kid immediately began arguing that it's not
> illegal. The judge then lectured the kid that it was bad sportsmanship to
> scout games, and asked the kid if he would not watch because we (Kevin and
> I), had nicely asked him not to. He begrudgingly agreed to leave, but I think
> it was because the judge was obviously about to rule against him, not because
> we asked. Anyhow, poor nice Kevin had to play against this rude little kid
> while Gabe and I watched. Throughout the entire first game the kid
> continually tried to do illegal things, and took his turn so fast Kevin
> couldn't keep up. Kevin wouldn't call this kid on anything, and the judge
> wasn't there, so the kid ran him over roughshod in the first game.
> Unfortunately, Gabe and I had BBQs to go to, so we were unable to stay and
> watch the entire final match. However, if I had to wager I'd say Obnoxious
> Boy won.
>  Overall, Origins was a good place to go to play against some of the better
> decks in the region, and I wish I had won one of the tournaments, but 18 free
> basic set booster packs is not a bad thing. I believe Gabe ended up about 6th
> or 7th overall. I'm highly encouraging him to write of his own experience
> there, so that you guys will have another perspective on the tourney. Until
> my next article, you can e-mail me at
> <mailto:dfranks@infinet.com>dfranks@infinet.com .