So this is my 3rd straight Gym Challenge that I’m attending and also using a different deck. I topped 8 at the other 2 and read this report to find out how I did on this one. There were about 62 peeps there all vying for that elusive trip to the World Championships in San Diego. As always the 15+ division was the most attended. 10 –under only had 7 and I brought 2 out of those 7 or there would have only been 5. Even the 11-14 was disappointingly low turnout. So what happens is that due to the attendance the tourney is run as age modified swiss for 5 Rounds. I think would could have happened is that if the 10-and under was combined with the 11-14 then the 15+ have a separate tourney. But it wasn’t that way so we all played 5 rounds with the Top records from each age division playing in their own separate Top 8. The 10-and-under was determined very easily as the Top 2 kids already had trips so then the 3rd place finisher received the invite and travel package.

 

I decide to run a Slaking variant that included the DX Slaking for Amnesia and its Lazy Aura Body that reduces damage from Pokemon-ex by 30. With that I am using DX Grumpig for those ohko’s against any Psychic weak Pokemon such as Muk-ex, (Which had only 1 showing in the 15+ but the deck bombed), Hariyama-ex, Vile-ex, and Gardy-ex. Of course there is the R+S Slaking that shuts off all Poke-Powers with Lazy. Also the strategy is to use Meteor Falls and either use Slakoth’s Slack Off attack to clear damage off of a Slaking or to use Vigoroth’s Rage damage. In hindsight I think I should have run Ancient Tomb to help with Slaking’s Fighting weakness against especially Rock-Lock. But the Ancient Tomb wouldn’t have helped agasint DragTrode in which I played 2 out of my 5 games against.


Round 1 vs. Lori D.
Lori was playing a Gardy variant with the Psychic Trance Claydol. My start is very bad as I start with a lone Pidgey. Her start is so-so as she has a Ralts and 2 Baltoy’s. Since I’m going 1st I basically pass to her as I cant play supporters. She attaches and puts me to sleep. I play a Celio’s and search for a Spoink and attach energy to it. Then flip tails to stay asleep. She evolves into a Kirlia and attaches energy and attacks. I still stay sleeping but then I top deck a Pidgeot and have Rare Candy in my hand. I search for the Grumpig and attach another energy to it. I leave Pidgeot active. She evolves in to emerald Gardevoir and damages my Pidgeot. I go and attach another energy to Grumpig and take out her Gardy in 1 shot. She can get nothing else but her Psychic weak Baltoy’s and I end up winning the match with Grumpig.

1-0

Round 2 vs. Steven
Steven is from my League and has been playing at our League from the beginning of time. Lol But it always seem that whenever we travel to New Jersey for a tournament we wind up playing each other. Steve always runs Vileplume-ex/Bellosom/Pidgeot/ Kingdra. So I know exactly what to expect and so does he. Basically what I remember from this match is that Steven made a huge misplay and didn’t find his Pidgeotto and I was able to ko an early Pidgey for a prize. He concentrated on Bellosom since he saw Grumpig benched. But instead of powering up Grumpig I went for the Slaking attack with a Boost to ko the 100 hp Bellosom. I was basically in control of the whole game and took all 6 prizes.

Record 2-0


Round 3 vs. Brandon
This was against a Dragtrode deck. I’ve been waiting to play one of these as Slaking totally wrecks this deck. There is not much to say about this match. Basically I got out a Turn 2 Lazy Slaking active and shut down all his powers from Darkness Navigate to Dark Trance and to Quick Search he was so annoyed by this. I end up ko’ing a Dragonite, Sneasle-ex, 2 Dark Electrode’s, and a Dratini for the game.

Record 3-0



Round 4 vs. Kenneth Wong
Let me start out by saying that Kenneth Wong is an exceptionally great player and sportsman. Ken was using his Sally/Sally-ex/Magcargo deck that has placed him in many Top 8 prior to this tourney. I knew I had a great chance if he didn’t get the Kingdra out for his weakness. I get a decent set-up with a Pidgey and Rare Candy but no Celio’s in my hand. I also have a benched Slakoth. Ken starts with 2 Bagon’s. I manage to ko 2 of his Bagon’s during the game when I finally get Pidgeot and then a 3rd after my Pidgeot goes down on his part with Magcargo and scrambles. I have the Slaking active and he has a Sally-ex with 40 damage on it. Of course by this time I have no more Pidgeot and no bench and I wait 5 turns for an energy card to basically win the game once I can knock out his last Bagon that is evolved into a Sally-ex. I wait and wait for an energy or basic and by this time he can Bright Flame me 2 times for the win. (I had the DX-Slaking so it was preventing 30 from Bright Flame each time.)

Record 3-1



Round 5 vs. Eli
So I most likely need this win to make it to Top 8 since there were only going to be 5 rounds. Eli was playing a Dragtrode deck. Yes!!! The game was over so quick I don’t remember much except that I won by Turn 4. I believe that I ko’d his only Dragonite with my Lazy Slaking. He didn’t really have a chance in this one and I felt bad because he is a nice guy.

Record 4-1



So Top 8 is announced and I’m definitely in. Here is what Top 8 looked like this:
1.) Jeffrey Mermelstein 5-0 with Marowak/Lanturn/Magcargo
2.) Michael Pramawat 5-0 with Rock-Lock
3.) Johnny Blaze 4-1 with Slaking
4.) Kenenth Wong 4-1 with Salamance/Sally-ex/Magcargo
5.) Lori Deuser 4-1 with Gardevoir/Gardy-ex/Gardy-EM/Claydol
6.) Daniel Reyes 4-1 with Rock-Lock
7.) Andrew Daly 4-1 with Hariyama-ex
8.) Christian Ortiz 4-1 with Blaziken



So do you see anything wrong with the Top 8 standings? There were two 5-0 players at then end of Round 5. And 6 players all at 4-1 with the booby prize going to Dan Levinson for missing Top 8 at 4-1. Sorry Danny it happens to the best of us. Anyhow this was a major bone of contention for many players and really 1 more round of Swiss would have definitely been better.

So my Top 8 match was against Daniel Reyes with Rock-Lock a deck that poses significant problems for Slaking as it is weak to Fighting and the Grumpig absolutely is useless against Rock-Lock. Even though Lazy shuts off Poke-Powers the Fighting weakness seriously did me in. I didn’t go up against Rock-Lock all day and to face it my 1st match in Top 8 was not funny whatsoever. To give credit to Time Warp there was no time limit in the Top 8 matches.



Game 1 vs. Daniel with Rock-Lock
I was pretty much energy screwed from the get go. I go 1st and have a Dunsparce, Rare Candy, Slaking-DX, Warp Point, Vigoroth, and Celio’s. I pass my 1st turn and Dan gets his Strike and Run off. I draw a Slakoth, play Celio’s for a Pidgey and pass. It goes like this for about 2 more turns while Dan is building up a Sand Damage T-Tar. I finally top deck a Pidgeot and search for energy. I get the Slaking-DX with Amnesia up and stall out by using Amnesia on T-Tar’s only attack. I don’t get a Lazy Slaking all game. I think I managed to get 2 prizes with the DX Slaking but Dan managed to use all of his ATM-Rocks and with the combo of re-evolving and taking Damage from Dark Amphy proved too much and my only Pidgeot was prized so I ran out of Candies and Sand Damage T-Tar finished me off.


Game 2
I start off much better Game 2 and get a 3rd turn Lazy Slaking shutting off his Pidgeot so he cant quick search for anything he needs. He slowly is building up a Sand Damage T-tar. I take the 1st three prizes and then things turn for the worse. Once he is able to ko my Lazy Slaking the Sand-Damage/Dark Amphy/ATM-Rock combo destroy me and he takes like 3 prizes in a row. I try to stall with Grumpig’s 1st sleep attack but he pulls switches or Warp Points I forget which and frys me with Dark Amphy. I try to hold out with DX Slaking and Amnesia but that slowly dies off and Daniel advances.


So I continue my Gym Challenge streak with 3 consecutive Top 8 finishes with all losses in the 1st round.

Later I find out that Andrew Daly (Bee300) wins the 15+ with his Hariyama-ex deck.

The 11-14 winner was Miguel F. with Dragtrode beating Daniel M. with Dragtrode.

 

 

 

The trip in the 10 and under was passed to the 3rd place finisher Jacob B. (Jake is from our Pokemon League here in NY) since the Top 2 already have trips. Jacob was playing Sally-ex/Ludicolo/Magcargo.

 

Here are some more happy pictures:


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is my decklist that I played:

Pokemon- 23
4 - Dunsparce
4 – Slakoth (Slack Off)
2 – Vigoroth (Rage)
2 – Slaking (Lazy)
2 – Slaking (Lazy Aura)
2 – Pidgey
1 – Pidgeotto
2 – Pidgeot
2 – Spoink
2 – Grumpig

Trainers: 21
4 - Steven's Advice
4 - Rare Candy
3 – Celio’s
2 - Warp Point
2 – Meteor Falls
1 - Desert Ruins
1 - Rockets Admin
1 - Mr. Briney's Compassion
1 – Rocket’s Admin.
1 – ATM Rock
1 – VS Seeker

Energy: 16
12 – Psychic
2 – Scramble
2 - Boost



As always please feel free to revise this decklist to fit your needs and playstyle accordingly.

Well I’m going to be at Origins starting this Thursday June 30th and definitely competing in Friday’s Professor Cup and then Saturday and hopefully Sunday’s National Championship. Stay tuned for my Origins report. Also please contact me at JSChimento@aol.com or AIM me at JSChimento if you wish to discuss this article or any decks.