Silver Bullet-Version one (Psychic/Lightning)
by Ryan Albert
Great Traditions Comic Shop
Marlton, NJ
15-20 paricipants
4/17/00

You know, I feel a little silly writing about a tourney I took part in almost
a year ago, but I just found out that PoJo.com had such thing as a "Killer
Deck Report."  It was the first tournament I ever actually played in, so I
was really nervous about how I did.  I seems strange, but every detail was
encrusted into my memory.  People remember things like that, such as their
first kiss or their first broken leg, strange as it may sound.

The manager told us he would give out Pokemon cards to the winner, so then I
decided I would win that tourney no matter what.  Here is the deck I used
(which is currently at
Version six) in this fateful test of skill:

Energy (24):
    12 Psychic Energy
    8 Lightning Energy
    4 Double Colorless Energy

Pokemon (12):
    4 Movie Promo Mewtwo
    4 Electabuzz
    4 Scyther

Trainers (24):
    4 Professor Oak
    3 Computer Search
    4 Super energy Removal
    1 Item Finder
    4 Bill
    3 Gust of Wind
    1 Scoop Up
    4 PlusPower

Anyway the tourney was pretty intesnse (except for the 2nd match) so I hardly
had time to breathe.  My four challenges went as follows: [Note- All matches
were best of three]

    Round One Vs. Poke-Veteran with a Rain Dance

He won the flip and opened with Squirtle and no bench.  (Ha, I thought.)  My
Buzz would pummel him in a matter of two turns, if I had energy, that is. 
First of all, he bubbled me for 10 and paralysis.  And after I finally did
draw a Lightning energy, he played Blastoise, which was a major thorn in my
side.  You see, Buzz was my only monster, and after a fifty-damage assault, I
was skeptical about winning.  Drawing an Oak helped me by giving me two
PlusPower.  But could I win?  I flipped for Thunderpunch and... Pikachu's
face gleamed back at me!  I had won my first tourney match!

He seemed like he had never lost before (and with good reason) and started to
get red in the face.  I was almost scared of this "displaced anger" of his
and was determined to win for once and for all.

He opened with Arcticuno with Lapras and Squirtle on the bench.  I had
Scyther out and Mewtwo benched.  He attached an energy to Arcticuno and ended
his turn.  I drew Buzz and began to power him up for safekeeping.  On turn
two, he unleashed Blastoise and pounded me for 50 and 10 to my bench.  I had
a fully charged Buzz, a PlusPower, and a Gust of Wind.  So I waited for him
to knock out Scyther and I sent out Electabuzz.  From there, he seemed
confident, but I defeated Blastoise and the rest of his Pokemon with a little
luck.

The strangest thing was, he asked to count my cards afterwards.  He counted
59 on purpose!  The judge counted a correct 60 and I went on.  1-0 wins.

    Round Two Vs. Poke-Newbie and a Tangela Deck

This match was much easier than the previous one, so I remember little about
it.  I just remember two things:

1. Mewtwo decimated his ranks (er, solitary Tangela) within 2 or 3 turns per
game.
2. He gasped every time I used Energy Absorption and complimented my deck.

But he was a good sport and shook my hand.  He told me how he wished he had a
deck like mine. (How cute.)  Wins 2-0.

    Round Three Vs. My Brother, Jonathan and his Haymaker

You know, I felt bad having to beat my own brother, but he told me he didn't
care who won.  Here's how it went.

He opened with Chan and won the flip, so my lone Mewtwo took 20.  By the
second turn, I knocked out his Hitmonchan as he replaced it for a Scyther. 
Scyther didn't have any Energy for a while, so I knocked it out in two turns.
 He had no replacements so I won that fight.

In the second match, he started out with Electabuzz versus my Scyther.  I
charged my own Buzz with Lightning Energy and let Scyther be knocked out.  By
the fifth turn, I had knocked out Buzz and won with a few HP to spare.  Wins
3-0.

    Final Match Vs. Poke-Amateur with Dragon Deck

These matches were almost hard as my opposition used a Dragonite deck with
immense resistance to Mewtwo.  But the amateur that he was, he didn't
understand energy ratios and card synergy or things like that, and didn't
hurt Mewtwo at all.  As soon as I got an Electabuzz, the game was over.  It
went that way for match two as well, leaving me as the victor.  He was
indifferent about whether he won or lost, and was a very good sport through
and through.  Undefeated, 4-0.

After I was congratulated by the judge and manager, I recieved a what...?!  A
Starter Deck?!  For all I did, I should've at least got a theme deck.  Grr...

But in the end, everyone got to watch Austin Powers 2, so I got to relax, and
the day ended on a good note.  All in all, that day was perfect.

    Props:
            To me for going undefeated.
            To the little kid who complimented my deck.
            To the manager, who let us watch something cool for a change.

    Slops:
            To me for beating my own brother.
            To the manager for giving me a Starter Deck as a reward.
            To the snooty kid who counted my cards wrong and almost got me
disqualified.