Halifax, Virginia
South Boston Public Library
April 23, 2000
Around 40 Participants
Hi PoJo,
I participated in a tournament on April 23, 2000
at South Boston Public Library. The tournament organizers held it at 3:00 PM
till 7:00 AM, with a lot of time in between for playing Pokemon TCG
and enjoying ourselves. The prize was 10 1st edition
Team Rocket English boosters for 1st place and 5
1st edition Team Rocket
English boosters for 2nd. I decided to make
use of the #13 promo Venusaur and Jungle Vileplume together, with Pinsir
and Scyther for backup. Even though
this deck has a significant weakness to fire, no
one plays fire in this area, not
even in Haymaker. So I felt secure playing
Solar Dance today. I doubt I could play
it again because my friends would catch on to what
I play. Anyway, here is the deck:
The rules were Single Elimination, winners
advancing until the final champion was decided. Japanese cards were allowed,
although I didn't use any in Solar Dance.
22 Pokemon
3x Bulbasaur (nice basic; Leech Seed is good for
taking off some damage)
3x Ivysaur (poison powder is great; Vine Whip is a
great finisher after poison powder)
3x Venusaur (promo;Solar Power is the theme of the
deck; end Vileplume's confusion)
3x Oddish (jungle; good basic; Stun Spore is very
annoying and Sprout is good)
3x Gloom (2 jungle, 1 Rocket;poison powder could
be better, so could Foul Odor)
3x Vileplume (2 jungle, 1 Rocket; Rocket one
keeps Venusaur from being gusted)
2x Pinsir (great for pumping out damage; Iron Grip
can stall while Guillotine finishes)
2x Scyther (staple point of any deck; never
realized how better he is in a grass deck)
16 Trainers
3x Bill (draw two cards; great for a common)
3x Professor Oak (get rid of a hand full of
unwanted cards)
3x Computer Search (get what I want, when I
want it; simple)
3x Gust of Wind (great for gusting out unwary
Shellder or Magikarp)
4x Energy Removal (totally annoying; set your
opponent back a turn, energy wise)
22 Energy
3x Double Colorless Energy (help power up Scyther
and Pinsir quicker)
19x Grass Energy (if you don't know the
purpose of this, don't play the TCG)
Solar Dance has two strategies, a main one and a
side one. If the main strategy doesn't work, then I can use the other
strategy, rather than waiting out defeat. The main strategy is to get #13
promo Venusaur out as quickly as possible. I didn't use breeders because of
the promo Mew, which I see often. Then get either of the two different
Vileplume out and start dishing out heavy damage. If you can get both out,
let the Team Rocket one set on the bench so the promo
#13 Venusaur can't be gusted or status effected. Dish out heavy damage and get
all of your prizes. If this strategy can't be used because the two Stage 2
lines can't get out, then fine. Send in Oddish, both Gloom, or Ivysaur and
wham! You've just transformed your evolution deck into a Status Effect deck.
Those are both Strategies.
Round
1 Solar Dance versus Rain
Dance
I draw a perfect hand with Bulbasaur, Scyther,
Bill, Gust of Wind, and 3 Grass energy. I lay Scyther first with Bulbasaur on
the bench. He starts with Seel with Articuno on the bench. I call tails and
its...tails. I draw a Ivysaur and Bill. I get
Oddish and Rocket Vileplume. I attach a Grass to a
now layed Oddish and Gust of Wind the Articuno to stall for some time. He
uses Scoop Up on Articuno and plays a Squirtle and attaches a Water to it and
passes. I draw a Gust of Wind and use it to gust up the Squirtle. I retreat
Scyther for Oddish and attach a Grass energy to a now evolved Bulbasaur. I
flip the coin and get heads, so the Squirtle is paralyzed. He draws, and
passes. I draw energy Removal and decide to keep it in my hand. I retreat
Oddish for Ivysaur and attach an energy to Ivysaur and Vine Whip it for the
K.O. I draw a prize and its a Rocket Gloom. Great! He lays Seel and attaches
to it and uses Headbutt. I draw another Energy Removal and evolve the Oddish
to the Rocket Gloom and Poison Powder the Seel. He retreats it for a (insert
hysterical laugh here) Magikarp! Which he then evolves into the
Water-Snake-Evolution-of-Death Gyarados. Which will then faint eventually
because its weak to Grass. He attaches a Water energy to Seel and passes. I
draw Bill and use it to get a Gust of Wind and a Grass energy. I evolve the
Rocket Gloom into Rocket Vileplume and attach a Grass energy to it. Poison
Powder for 40, because of weakness. He attaches a Water Energy to Seel and
evolves it to Dewgong and passes. I draw another Energy Removal, use all three
on the Dewgong, attach a Grass energy to Rocket Vileplume and Vine Whip to K.O.
Gyarados. He then sends in the energy - less Dewgong and passes. I draw a
Bill and retreat Ivysaur for Rocket Vileplume and flip 3 heads, knocking
out Dewgong. He has no basics so I win. Never even stuck a damage counter on
me.
1-0
Round
2 Solar Dance versus Damage
Swap
You really couldn't get easier than this. I
drew a Scyther, Pinsir, Bill, Computer Search, Double Colorless energy,
and 2 Grass energy. He lays a lone Abra. I go first, attach a Grass
energy and Swords Dance, while drawing Jungle Vileplume from my
deck. He passes. I draw a Double Colorless energy and Slash for 60
for the win. He had tons of great Psychic pokemon in his hand, like Hypno and
Gengar, but not heir basic pokemon stages. Too bad, he had a great
constructed deck.
2-0
Round
3 Solar Dance versus DittoMaker
How some decks make it this far, I don't know. I
draw Scyther, Gust of Wind, Bill, Double Colorless energy, and 3 Grass energy.
She lays a Ditto with a Magikarp on
the bench. I go first, once again! I draw Energy
Removal and attach a Grass energy to
Scyther and Swords Dance. She snickers and
attaches a Water energy to Ditto / Scyther. I draw Bill and attach a Double
Colorless to Scyther and Slash. She says "At this rate, my Magikarp is
going to kick your tail (replace with other word)" she attaches Double
Colorless to Ditto / Scyther and Slashes. I Gust of Wind Magikarp (dead Ditto)
and Slash Magikarp. Now look who's tail (replace with other word) got
kicked.
3-0
I got a by this round so I hang with my now eliminated friends. They told me
about the decks that they lost to, and we traded and ate a lot.
4-0
I got another dang by! Why couldn't we have an even number of players?!
Oh well, I now know I at least got a prize.
Finals
Solar Dance versus Promo
Mewtwo Hay
I drew Bulbasaur, Oddish, Scyther, 3 Bill, and a Grass energy. I lead with
Scyther with Bulbasaur and Oddish on the bench. He leads with Hitmonchan
with Promo Mewtwo on the bench. I go first and attach a Grass energy to
Scyther and Swords Dance. He attaches a Psychic Energy to Mewtwo and passes.
I draw a Double Colorless energy. I use all three Bills and get Rocket
Gloom, Ivysaur, Venusaur, and 3 Grass energy. I evolve Bulbasaur into
Ivysaur and evolve Oddish into Rocket Gloom. I attach a Grass energy to
Rocket Gloom and attach a Double Colorless and Slash for 60. He attaches
another Energy to Movie Promo Mewtwo and passes. I draw a Professor Oak and
use it, getting a perfect hand consisting of Venusaur, Rocket Vileplume, and
5 Grass energy. I evolve Rocket Gloom and Ivysaur and Slash, knocking out
Hitmonchan. He sends in Movie Promo Mewtwo and attaches a Fighting Energy to
it and uses Psyburn. I retreat Scyther, send in Rocket Vileplume and attach
a Grass energy to it and Flower Whirlpool for 60. He Psyburns. I use Solar
Power to end Vileplume's confusion and Flower Whirlpool with one heads for
the win.
6-0
First, my advice to all those that I beat, add more basic pokemon to your
decks.
What was in my Team Rocket Boosters?
~ Dark Raichu Hologram
~ Dark Alakazam Hologram
~ Dark Gyarados Hologram
~ Dark Charizard Hologram
~ Here Comes Team Rocket Hologram
~ Dark Blastoise Non - Hologram
~ Team Rocket's Sneak Attack Non - Hologram
~ Dark Arbok Non - Hologram
~ Dark Hypno Non - Hologram
~ Dark Golbat Non - Hologram
Its time for Props and Slops!
Props to PoJo for, hopefully, posting my article
Props to the Team Rocket boosters for giving me
good cards
Props to my friend who had a Fire deck that got
eliminated
Props to my deck for being the greatest deck ever
made by me
Props to my deck for probably becoming the newest
Deck Archetype
Props to the tournament organizers for hosting a
great tournament
Slops to everyone who were bad losers
