Basically a Killer (Fighting/Psychic)
                             by Luis Guzman
                               Toys 'R Us
                        Albuquerque, New Mexico
                      Saturday, December 2nd, 2000
                         Roughly 30 participants

   This deck was designed to exploit a few strong basic pokemon.  Using
Aerodactyl, Mew, and Erika's Dratini, this deck basically kills other
basic pokemon.  Hitmonchan and promo movie Mewtwo have been added to
take advantage of pokemon with psy. or fighting weakness.  I am new to
the TCG, with little experience.  However, this deck has worked
extremely well against other veteran adult pokemon players at this
league.  With this in mind, I entered our weekly Saturday tournament
hoping to wipe out many a veteran.  The entry fee was a rare pokemon, so
I got rid of a jungle electrode.  This was a double elimination
tourney.  Since we have a fair number of kids at our league, us adults
play with the rule that a kid always go first, and they only need 4
prizes to win (adults have to take 6).

Basically a Killer

3 Aerodactyl
3 Erika's Dratini
3 Hitmonchan
2 Mew
3 Mewtwo (movie promo)

3 Computer Search
2 Energy Removal
2 Gust of Wind
3 Item Finder
3 Mysterious Fossil
3 Nightly Garbage Run
2 Plus Power
2 Potion
3 Professor Oak
2 Scoop Up
2 Super Energy Removal
2 Switch

6 Fighting Energy
7 Psychic Energy
4 Double Colorless Energy

This deck is slightly low on energy.  In order to see if it would work
well, I playtested against my older brother who plays with at least 3 ER
and SER.  Although he can be successful at removing my energy, he
ususally plays with WigglyHays that are weak to my basic pokemon.
Basically, with my search power, I could grab energy anytime he took it
off (especially with promo Mewtwo).  Onto the tourney.

Round 1 vs. Darrell (WigglyHay with buzz, scyther, ditto)

This guy got out the buzz in his first turn with Scyther on bench.  I
have 'chan in active with mewtwo on bench.  He fails to power up until
3rd turn.  He never waves.  Basically, I continued to gust, item finder,
and take advantage of his weakness until the end.  This was a very
lengthy game that was neck and neck.
1-0

Round 2 vs Kyle (dark charzard, grass deck)

I think I frustrated this kid to death.  Everytime he added an energy, I
took it off.  By my 3rd turn, I had aerodactly on bench, mew deevolving
everyone of his monsters, and erika's dratini ready to finish them off.
2-0

Round 3 vs John (Dark Vileplume/Aerodactyl)

This match was a blessing in disguise.  Although he had the power to
shut down my trainer action, he started out his second turn by evolving
into Aerodactyl.  I had a problem because his army consisted of TR
oddish and my army was mew and erika's dratini.  Scoop Ups, switches,
and item finders saved my day.  After he realized that I did not have
any evolution pokemon, he sacrificed his fossil dino and breedered into
the vileplume.  By this time, my hitmonchan and mewtwo were cleaning up
the oddishs.
3-0

Round 4 vs. Raquelle (mean fire deck)

This deck was a real challenge.  Her TR charmander kept grabbing onto
energy.  She had a few energy removals and energy retrievals which
messed up my energy removal game.  She evolves into dark charmeleon and
hits my 'chan for 70.  She takes her last prize.  "Oh, I was looking for
that dark charizard."  Man, where was my aerodactyl!!
3-1

Round 5 vs. Mike (Venasaur/Dark Muk/Dark Vileplume deck)

I usually fear playing this guy.  He always manages to evolve into the
solar beaming beast quick with his breeders.  Luckly for me, Aerodactyl
shows up after oaking 2 times.  He tries to use his TR oddish army to no
avail.  With mysterious fossil as my active, he is helpless as I power
up hitmonchan for a special punch and good ol' mewtwo.  Erika's dratini
takes out his last oddish with tail strike and plus power.
4-1

Final vs. Steve (Alakazam/Tentacool/Mr. Mime)

Now this is the guy I love to play.  He always love to damage swap into
tentacool and flee damage away!  Not today.  My Aerodactyl is up on turn
2.  With Erika's dratini active, I am hitting him everytime.  Darn, he
goop gases me.  Alakazam is now up.  I gust up his Alakazam and mewtwo
sweeps him under the rug.  It was pretty much all down hill for Steve at
that point.
5-1

Whew.  This deck takes the tournament.  I never won one before.  Prizes
for 1st: ecologo gym, rainbow energy, clefairy doll (loser card), 3
beedrill, and a mewtwo strikes back poster.  Man, I hope I can make it
to real tourney so I can win something better than this.

Props

To Raquelle for burning me up
To mewtwo and his broken absorb
To  erika's dratini and aerodactyl

Slops

To the prizes
To WoTC for thinking that a rare goldeen should be in a booster pack
(throw your supporters a bone, man!)

Thanks for Reading!!

Luis Guzman
mcescher@unm.edu