Place: New Jersey, Toys ‘R Us on 2/19/00

Participants: 16

Type: Ladder/ single elimination. You can switch back and forth between decks.

4 of my Friends where also participated, but tragically I only faced one of them.

A side note: This tournament had only restrictions against Raindance decks, none however against Haymakers. The surprising part is that neither I nor any of my friends used or faced one during the Tournament.

My Deck is as follows:

Energy: (24)

24 Fire energies

Pokemon: (18)

3 Lickitung

2 Grimers

2 Muks

4 Magmars (Fossil)

4 Vulpix

3 Ninetails

Trainers: (18)

4 Bills

4 Energy Removals

3 Pokemon Trainers

4 Plus Power

2 Computer Searches

1 Gust of Wind

It’s named after my Ninetails in the Game Boy game.

    The strategy is quite simple: Muk is their to stop Aerodactyl, Lickitung and Magmar do the dirty work of being nuisances/transition cards/cannon fodder. Lickitung is also my anti-water card. While they paralyze/confuse/cause misses, I put down Vulpix and slap on energy. If all goes right I either let my active die (in most Lickitung cases) or retreat it and send out Ninetails and Fireblast repeatedly, Luckily, most of the people at the league aren’t too bright (specifically me. Is spent tons of shiny cards that I deemed ‘useless’ or at least useless for my deck.) So I got three Ninetails. In case one should die I send out my transition card and power up a new one. The trainers are self explanatory, so I move on to the tournament.

    This was my first Tournament outside of the ones I would have with only my friends. They consider me the ‘Strategist’ of the group. I designed or tweaked all of their decks, with the exception of one. The Toys R’ Us had a Pokemon League (obviously) so in between matches I had quick chats with some of my friends and the Gym leaders. The Wednesday before one of them, named Robert had shown me the deck he was working on, because his old one (a Krabby deck) had been beaten too many times by my friend’s deck (which I basically made). (You may see me glorifying myself a few times, I’m sorry but I have a large Ego). I gave him a few more modifications and told him to wait until Rocket comes out. Anyway here is the report.

Round one: Me Vs. Josh with a Moltres/Articuno Deck.

He designed his deck to specifically beat mine. This guy is a friend of mine and yet he never listens to my advice.  I’m currently making a deck for him; I doubt he’ll build it. I believe that I started with a Lickitung active a Magmar and a Vulpix on bench. Really it was ideal because I had energy, retrievals and a Comp. Search in my hand. He had a Farfetch’d out and a Moltres and a few other Pokemon out on his bench. He went first, he leaked slapped and it worked but I placed energy under Lickitung and did tongue wrap and paralyzed. He started putting energies on Moltres while I put some on Vulpix. On the fourth tongue wrap, Farfetch’d was not paralyzed and he retreated. He sent out a big, bad, fully loaded Moltres who, guess what? Got a heads on Sky attack. Fortunately I had another Vulpix, which I sent out. He obliterated it too but I didn’t care. The next turn I sent out a Vulpix. The judge watching later told me that he thought I was screwed. I put down that fourth energy on Vulpix and use my Comp. Search. Josh thinks I’m getting a Ninetails but he’s wrong. Because by luck of the draw I already had one. I grabbed Fire energy, evolved to Ninetails and Fireblasted. I did so until I had three prizes left. He then sent out a Jigglypuff, which put me to sleep, I then woke up and kept on Fireblasting. He was out of basics and I had one more card left in my prizes. He gets to draw once to see if he gets a Pokemon. He manages to get a Meowth but forfeits.

I move into the Quarter-finals. 

Round two: Me Vs. A ‘not-so-very-smart’ kid with a Water/Grass deck.

            I won’t get too involved with this one. He sent out an Eevee and had a Grimer on his bench. My Magmar was up, but all alone. Surprisingly Magmar managed to wipe out Eevee and Grimer without needing the help of my Lickitung that I drew. I knew he was part water because he had water energy under Eevee. He had no other basics.

            I move into the Semi-Finals. 

I now get a break because two people are battling to be my opponent. One of them being my good friend, Matt. He un/fortunately he loses. I say this because a). I don’t want to battle him; he is my friend you know, and b). I built his supped up Overgrowth Deck (water/grass). 

            Next to him sat Mike who was fighting a REALLY good player (I mean the ‘A.J.’ of Pokemon the Pokemon card game.) with his psychic deck (the one that obliterated Robert) It was probably the 2^nd most exciting match, at least definitely the longest. The first of course being the last battle. 

            My last friend, Mark, had lost his battle to Matt, but was back in the game because some one didn’t show-up. 

Round three: Me Vs. The-guy-who-beat-Matt with a Power Reserve.

            This guy knew how to play; he just lacked imagination in creating decks. He asked me what kind of deck I played; I strategically told him I played water. I mean, why tell the truth? You shouldn’t help your opponents beat you. He sends out an array of Pokemon of the poison-grass persuasion I stall until the all-mighty (don’t take me seriously) Ninetails comes out to wreak havoc. He gets out a Kadabra but it only has one Psy and a Grass energy under it. Fireblast and we’re done.

            On to the Finals! 

I’m pretty happy but I’m a little nervous so I shake like a Chihuahua.  My opponent turns out to be who I predicted would at least make it to the finals. Before the tourney he allowed me to see his decks, (I’m a deck-mechanic, but not one in the sense that I have a link to the PoJo) all four of them. They were pretty well built. I like them because they had use of ‘odd-ball’ Pokemon. I.e. one had Sandslash; the other used Kingler, etc… I didn’t have anything of the top of my head that would change their performance drastically. Basically he was a nice guy. He was about 15(?) wore a gray cap and understood my pain of having schoolmates ridicule me publicly because I played a ‘kiddies game’. Anywho. I wished him good luck. 

Final Round: Me Vs. The guy with the Cap (SORRY I FORGOT YOUR NAME!!!!!)

            We first shake hands. He pulls out a random deck. Sometimes I think I am an actual Psychic, because I told myself, oh s#!t he got his water deck. What a great time to be right. For the first half of the game, I’m actually in control. I have a Magmar annoying his Krabby, then a Lickitung wreaking havoc. Finally our tie breaks. It’s three to three. One of my Lickys die. I have my last Licky on bench and a Ninetails that had managed to deal some damage active. He brings out a FULLY LOADED POLIWRATH!!!!! Ninetails quickly succumbs to its water gun but my Licky is ready to get revenge. Tongue wrap, paralyze. YES!! Then Supersonic, IT WORKS!! He manages to hit me with whirlpool but I tongue wrap, and no paralyze! Perfect. It confuses itself. Even better. Then Tongue wrap. It works! NO!!!!! I tongue wrap franticly hoping for an upset repeat. It fails. He water guns and wins. We shake hands. Robert is all ‘wowed’ at the battle. I’m not sure if it’s because I lasted so long against a water deck or because he beat me.

            I take second place. 

My prize was $10 in store credit, His prize was $25. I go out and spend my cash on a link cable for my Game Boys.  Everyone else got a sticker. I congratulate him one last time. All my friends congratulate me. I think I knew he would win but I got this kind of calmness when I battled him that reminds me why I got this far in the tournament, and that is because I love the game. 

I don’t believe in giving props and slops but because there is a first time for everything…

Slops to:

All those people at school who taunt me. HEY GUESS WHAT!?! I GOT MONEY FOR PLAYING A ‘BABY GAME’!!!! 

The Judge who didn’t think I could beat Josh. 

Luck for choosing that water deck as my opponent. 

Props to:

Everyone who gave me the resources to make this deck. 

WoTC for making the Brush Fire deck for which this is based loosely on. 

My friends for lending support and helping me test my decks. 

Robert for being so generous with the prizes. 

The guy with the gray hat, for being a good sport and for letting me check out his decks. 

And Finally I give myself a pat on the back. There’s always next time 

Any Questions, Comments, Flames, (No spam please) Email me: gugalle@hotmail.com 

GenjiSM