Subject: Building a Creative Deck

It's the final round of a major tournament.  The
player sits staring at his cards placed on the bench. 
Up front, a Feraligatr, fully powered, leads his army
of crocodilian Pokemon.  Their vicious jaws, cruel
eyes, and huge power makes enemies cower in fear.  On
the other side, a similar set up.  Beads on sweat are
nowhere to be seen on the players face, he is
confident that he will win, people watch as he makes
his attack, KO'ing his opponent for the final prize. 
Some people pat him on the back, his opponent
complains that it was luck, and so it was.

We look at the modified tournaments as being ruled by
Feraligatr, followed by Crobat and Typhlosion.  Most
people say how great Gatr is, but there are so many
decks that have one or two minor differences, it's
hard to tell who the great players are any more.  It's
luck that brings Gatr decks to the top, sure there is
strategy involved, but so many people know the ways to
use the deck that the best way to win is by getting a
good first hand.

I myself can rightfully say that I've never played an
archtype, though I am in possession of the cards, I
refuse to use them due to my pride.  I try to use
creative decks, I have made several fairly effective
decks that have rarely, if never, been seen at a
toury.  I went to the 2001 ECSTS with a Genesis Lugia
deck, it was shot down to earth, with only two
victories there.  I have constructed a deck using
Discovery Kabutops, that maimed my fellow league
players in the final tournament during last year's
Pokemon League, and recently I built a deck focusing
on Neo Revelations Quagsire.  This took third place in
a tournament and was noticed by Brian Jessings, who
was a judge at the 2001 WCSTS and highly ranked in the
2001 ECSTS.

I have never felt the thrill of winning a big tourny,
and don't plan to.  I have, however, felt the thrill
of seeing a hopeless Lugia deck beat a Gatr at the
ECSTS, felt the agony and learned from it when my
Kabutops fell to second place in a tourny, under the
crushing weight of a Snorlax deck while proud that my
opponent saw my veiws of creativity, and had my esteem
restored when I was noticed for being new and
creative.

I admire someone who has the guts to take a deck, that
has no hope to a tourny, and give it their all.  Even
from losing they learn to win, from winning they know
not to give up, and from not giving up, they become
the true champions of the game.

                                 Sincerely yours,
                                  ~The Alpha Avihowl

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