So it goes...

After a short hiatus, I'm back. As you may or may not
know, I was absent due to a number of factors--among
them, my participation in a tournament hosted by Kate
Johnson, AKA The Pokemon Lady. It was a very nice
tournament, and the pleasant scarcity of copied
archetypes in my division (in particular, a complete
dearth of Raindance) meant that I was able to win.
Hopefully I'll bang out a Killer Deck report at some
point. I've already waited too long, but I should be
able to provide a semi-accurate rendition of events
for your reading pleasure.

Anyway, that was why I was gone. Now I'm back. Hope
Vulpix did OK in my absence. There should be six decks
in this update (though some of them might get held
over by Scott, 'cause I'm gonna be off again next
week.) There are no real changes or add-ons to my
garage rules, although sometime soon I'm gonna move
that rather lengthy document up front to a separate
page and replace it with something more manageable.

On to what you want: the letters! In chronological
order, of course, to make things less of a headache
for me.


>Subject: RE: Scyther 2/1
>
>No I do not smoke!!!!!! Smoking sucks! Well, I
>talked to the guy and he
>said
>that he had been drinking.


If you're scratching your head now, fear not. This
letter is from the "Scyther can do 90 damage" dude in
the Single Card section. If you haven't been following
my recent activities there, go take a gander. I really
ought to write something constructive, but so far
bashing other people's illegal strategies has proven
to be more fun.


>Subject: Counterdict
>
>What you said about being their is no best card is
>very true, but a
>little
>Cloyster needs the lower energies because he >cannot
stay out as long
>because he sucks.  Your example was very poor in
>that you were
>comparing
>a low hp uncomon to a 100hp rare holo.  You should
>have picked a better
>card to compare because Cloyster sucks and I >wouldnt
waste two energies
>to attack or two to retreat that bastard. I would
>rather let him die
>attacking then retreat the suckiest stage one card
>ever made in the
>history of pokemon.
>                                                    
  thank you for
>your time,


True enough. However, I'm afraid you may have missed
my point. I was doing a spoof on some other guy's
review of Arcanine vs. Gyarados. Re-read my article--I
believe I inserted a disclaimer at the end.


>Subject: Comments
>
>Hey Spike,
>
> I like your section in which you post letters that
>people have sent you. I have some comments on
>trainers and other stuff. First of all, I like
Gambler >better than Oak. Gambler can save you from
>decking yourself late in a game while Oak can't.
>Gambler, if you flip a heads gets you 8 cards and
>Oak only gets you 7. Gambler you put your cards >back
into your deck while Oak makes you discard >your
hand(even though you say that when you use >Oak you
have a horrible hand, but what if you want >to use
like 2 out of the 7 cards in your hand but you >can't
right at that moment, so you use Gambler and >save
those cards, but if you used Oak you would >lose the
cards). In my opinion Gambler is a little >better than
Oak. Also, I can't believe how some >people have the
nerve to cuss you out for trashing >their decks when
you tell them why you trashed >them. Someone needs to
set them right. *would like >to slap one of them, :)*
I hope you like my comments >and that you understand
why I like Gambler better >than Oak. I also like Mr.
Fuji better than Scoop Up, >but I hope I don't have to
explain why. If I do just >e-mail me back saying so,
or post it on the letters >section.
>
> *name deleted*
>
>P.S.-I have some decks that I might send in to you,
>but if you don't want me to just say so.


Umm, ok. Somebody decided to pull out the ol' shovel
and unearth this debate from what was apparently a
rather shallow grave. Each of the two card
comparisions you make has some truth behind it. It's
true that Gambler helps prevent you from decking. I'm
not denying that. But your comparision to Oak is
flawed. Oak is not MEANT to keep you from decking. Oak
is card drawing power. Obviously, I wouldn't recommend
Oak for a staller. But in terms of pure card drawing,
I don't wanna hear anybody saying that Gambler is
better than Oak. The coin flip makes all the
difference in the world. If Gambler said "Shuffle your
hand into your deck, then draw 8 cards," most
people--myself included--would be using Oak for toilet
paper. But it doesn't. When someone pulls a Gambler
out against me (assuming they are trying to use it for
card drawing, and oftentimes they are) I know that at
best they will get eight cards--1 more than with Oak.
At worst, they will get one. "Oh, gee. You get a card.
How nice. I'll bet it wasn't the one that could have
won the game for you. Such a pity."

Likewise, Scoop and Fuji each have their uses. Fuji
has the disadvantage that the Poke in question has to
be on your bench, but you do get to add to your deck.
On the other hand, maybe you want to use Scoop as an
impromptu Switch, or maybe you want to put the Scooped
Pokemon right back into play... Do you see what I
mean?

And thanks for your words about the Tourette's
Syndrome types. I welcome any decks you want to send
me...though I may add Oaks to them *grin*


>Subject: (no subject)
>
>Okay, first off all, I don't swear. Second of all, I
do >not like people
>
>flaring me over e-mail or on Pojo.com just because
>of a couple of
>mistakes!
>Do you ever make a mistake? Yes, of course you
>do!!!!! Everybody does
>you
>iddiot!


You again? The 90-damage guy? Well, I'm sorry I was
such an iddiot. I know that many people, including
myself, are iddiots sometimes and make iddiotic
mistakes.

By the way, it wasn't you I was accusing of swearing.


>Subject: Evolution families
>
>Dear Spike and Vulpix,
>
>I'm still waiting for a response on how bad my
special >deck is.  Also
>in
>your little conversation with the Pokemon Lady you
>said something about
>no
>evolutions in Kansas.  Well I live in Kansas.  I
would >just like to say
>that
>I had evolutions in my deck.  Also I'm almost
>evolved because I knew wo
>I
>could win against with my deck.  Now I would say >I'm
gonna kick your
>ass but
>there's this thing called thats physically impossible
>over the internet
>
>because all you can do is type words so consider
>yourself lucky. (I
>don't
>know why I added this last little part I was just
bored, >sorry)


Sorry I haven't gotten to that mail yet. It's kinda
lengthy, and I'm waiting 'till I have the time.

As for the thing about evolutions, I assume you know
the joke on that one. If you don't, then I question
whether you really live in Kansas.

Your letter seems to degenerate into marginal
coherence after that. I suggest you check out this
thing called "Apprentice."


>Subject: A good deck
>
>4 Mewtwos,2 Mr.Mime,54 psychic >energys,"Mewtwos
Psychic Party"


Heh. Heh. Heheh. Heh heh heh heh.

*delete e-mail*


>Subject: I DARE YOU!!!!
>
>DEAR SPIKE,
>     I'M DARING YOU TO MAKE A DECK THAT >USES
>HITMONCHAN AND PROMO MEWTWO.  I'VE >SEARCHED FOR A
DECK
>LIKE THIS TO COMPARE TO MINE, BUT I'VE >FOUND
>ABSOLUTELY NONE ON THE INTERNET.  THAT >IS WHY I'M
>DARING YOU TO MAKE A DECK FOCUSING >AROUND THEM.  THE
>DECK SHOULD USE HAYMAKER PRINCIPLES(
>SPEED,OAK,BILL,SCOOPUP).  IF YOU CAN, I'LL >BELIEVE
>YOUR THE BEST MECHANIC AT THE POJO.  IF >YOU
>CAN'T........
>
>SO, CAN YOU DO IT?
>
>REPLY TO *e-mail deleted*
>
>P.S. WHILE YOU'RE AT IT, TRY LOOKING AT >THE DECK I
>SENT YOU(FETCH THE PSIKICK)


THE DECK YOU ARE DESCRIBING SOUNDS REMARKABLY SIMILAR
TO SOMETHING I ALREADY HAVE ON MY COMPUTER. I COULD
MAKE A DECK LIKE THAT IN ABOUT 5 SECONDS FLAT SIMPLY
BY REPLACING ELECTABUZZ WITH HITMONCHAN IN MY SPONGE
VARIANT. I HAVE DELETED YOUR DECK BECAUSE I SAW IT IN
ANOTHER GARAGE, AND IT PISSES ME OFF TO BE USED AS
BACKUP FOR ANOTHER MECHANIC. MY TIME IS MORE VALUABLE
THAN THIS.

THANK YOU FOR TYPING ALL IN CAPS. HAVE A NICE DAY.


>Subject: Stupid Letters
>
>Hey Spike, it's me again. I am sorry if I am
bothering >you with these E-Mails but I just wanted to
prove >something. Don't post letters in your "I get
letters" >section that are...well...how should I put
this >nicely...CRAP. You know what I mean: the idiots
>that mail you letters that say some stupid one-line
>phrase. Chances are that these people only want to
>see their letters posted. A good example is the
>"freak of nature" person. Not only did he send you a
>letter that was probably wasting your time, but he
>used improper grammar. He used the wrong form of
>your - he should have said you're. Oh well, let me
>just get my point across. If you post this, I hope
that >the people that send you trash are reading this
>because I want to tell you to stop.


Good point. Really. But it's ever so much fun to mock
and laugh at all the people in this world (not you)
who have not been blessed with multiple brain cells,
let alone language skills. If you don't want to read
it, don't.

Those of you who were lucky enough to be reading the
"PlanetQuake" website (a site devoted to the computer
game Quake) about a year ago may realize that I gain a
lot of my inspiration from a fellow named Gestalt. If
you cried when he stopped doing their mailbag, then
you'll understand what I mean.

Now SHUT THE... um... Sorry. A little nostalgia there.


>Subject: Hey spike
>
>want a pokemon that looks really cool?  Merge the
>genetic material of a
>
>scyther, lickitung and charizard.  He would have big
>claw wing thingies
>like
>scyther, a big tounge like lickitung, and would have
>big wings like
>charizard
>and also be on fire.


Yes, that would be cool. But who wants cool when you
can have cute?


>Subject: Questions and Suggestions
>
>I've been wondering a few of things about what >goes
on in this and
>other deck
>garages. And I have thought about some stuff you
>could do to make your
>garage
>better. If you get around to it, do you think you
could >answer to the
>following;


I'll try.


>1. How does one become a deck mechanic? (I'm >not
asking to be one,
>though I'd
>like to be, I was just wondering what kind of tests
>did Scott G. put
>you
>through to be a mechanic.)


Well, there was a big, widely-advertised contest which
something like 400 people entered. Of those people, a
handful (including me) emerged as mechanics.
Basically, the contest consisted of fixing a bunch of
decks. The number of decks increased in the final
rounds. There was some other stuff, too, but that's
mostly it.


>2. How does the whole thing work? I mean, do you
>just write up a whole
>thing
>of links and guidelines every time, or has Pojo
>developed some sort of
>way to
>make it easier?


I take a deck and make recommendations on how to make
it better. I and Vulpix also write smartass columns
like this one. Then we send them in, and Scott throws
them up for everyone to see. Does that answer your
question?


>3. What is the approximate amount of decks you >and
other mechanics
>receive a
>day?


I recieve something like 6 on average. But I
understand other mechanics get way the hell more than
that. It still keeps me pretty busy.


>4. I know people have said this before, but maybe
>you really should get
>a new
>Pokemon. (Definitely NOT as a replacement, but just
>as an addition.)
>Especially since Vulpix is doing it's own thing now,
>maybe you should
>get
>another Pokemon to help fix the particularly good
>decks.


Hmm. Well, I've got plenty of other Pokes. Growlithe
doesn't seem that interested, and I don't want to risk
a repeat of the one time I let Kangaskhan get near my
computer (my *old* computer.) Maybe my new Meriipu
would be up for the job?


>5. I personally like to know a little about the
>mechanic before I send
>decks
>to them, and so far I've only been able to figure out
>your high school
>or
>college senior and minimal other things. So I think
>you should add a
>feature
>to your garage that is something similar to TPL's
>"About Me" and
>explain
>stuff about your self, where you live how old you
are, >etc.


Ahh...that takes time. Time, as a commodity, is in
short supply right now--despite appearances to the
contrary. And I'm a secretive (okay, shy) person by
nature. But here's a few tidbits for now.

Myself--I play Pokemon, Magic (badly) and chess. I
also get a kick out of playing video games. Sounds
boring, huh?

Where I live--Nice try. Northeast corner of Kansas is
about as close as you'll get.

How old I am--Well, as he said, I'm a high school
senior. That should tell you something. Let's just say
I'm old enough to enjoy all the good things in life
without any of the responsibilities =)

Do we have another letter? Yes, of course we do.


>Subject: There is no best pokemon, There is etc.
>
>I so have to agree with that statement. Esp. about
>the cloyster and
>gyrados.
>If there was a best pokemon, It would need the HP >of
a chansey, The
>weakness
>of a Gengar (haunter and gastly (non fossil) suck),
>The resistance of a
>pidgeot, the attack doing as much dammage as a
>charizard, the energy
>requirements of clefaible's metronome, and the rarity
>of a energy.
>
>__________________________________
>Chargenpidchancfable             120 HP
>
>
>                    PIC
>
>
>(single colorless)                      100
>
>
>Weakness:        Resistance: Fighting
>__________________________________


Actually, the attack would do 200 damage. That way it
would get around 120 HP with 4 Defenders. But you're
on the right track. Perhaps the same company that gave
us Chaos Orb will grant us this card.

And...that's all folks!

SPIKE'S RANDOM THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

Unicorns kick ass!

And if you want something that makes more sense than
that, you'll have to wait for a time when I'm not
sleep-deprived...

-Spike
Spike@pojo.com



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