Almost forgot to post this here. 
I get to go into this event with a sub 1600 rating due to a horrible run at my first tourney (md states) since last regs! If my opponents knew how bad my rating was, they probably would have been a little more worried when they faced me.
After being unsure of what deck to use for a few days, I decide to go with Steelix. It has a near autowin vs luxchomp (assuming they don't tech blaze, which, most don't), and very good - even matchups against most of the other popular decks that I was expecting.
Round 1 vs Leafeon?
I'm not 100% sure it was actually a leafeon deck, but I saw a leafeon and a shaymin so I'll assume it was. I got off to a fairly slow start, but eventually got a steelix up and running, and just steamrollered everything he put out.
1-0
Round 2 vs Champ/Rhyperior
This one was against a Pokedad, who had lent his "real" deck to his kid. I felt like I had good control over the game, until the Rhyperior X hit the field. I had completely forgotten about this card (again, the last time I played seriously was a year ago), and was rather disturbed by his first attack. He doesn't manage to KO me, but I know I have to kill him ASAP I put 120 on him, and he uses that + an expert belt + a black belt to score a KO on a fresh steelix. Posion from skuntank + a quick 20 from a blissy ensure that I get the KO, and the win. Either way, that was a game that nearly got away from me, and was making me wonder a bit about my deck choice.
2-0
Game 3 vs Eveelutions
Seriously? ANOTHER Evee deck? This was a weird day so far. He gets a less than amazing start, which results in him attaching a fire energy to an evee, with out getting a flarion out right away. I know what's coming (to be honest, I didn't know what flarion actually did, but I knew it was fire, and was probably not so good for me), so I prepare a blissy on the bench. He uses the flarion to KO a fresh steelix, and I use the blissy (already had 60 on it from being active earlier), to double edge, and take us both out. He sets up a glacion, and I get up another steelix, and use energy stream to recharge my self. I eventually just out power him, and grab another somewhat weird win.
3-0
Game 4 vs Luxchomp
FINALLY! A NORMAL DECK! I was SO happy to see a luxray. He was new to the game, and was quite amazed at how big steelix was. After taking a few turns to get rolling, I eventually do to him what I do to most other decks, and just flatten everything.
4-0
Game 5 vs Luxchomp
This one was a little harder than the last, due to him pulling annoying tricks with Dialga Lv.x, and Toxicroak to poison my steelix, but I eventually do to him what I did to my last opponent; steamroller ftw!
5-0
Game 6 vs Luxchomp
Tim, I need the picture for this one, so I can prove that I really did this.
We both cut each other to the WORST hands you could imagine. I had 2 chanceys out, one with DCE and expert belt, the other with 2 energy and an expert belt. I got 2 KO's off of pulled punch, before he does anything. By the end of the game, it actually looked like we had had a legit game, but we both agreed previously that our game play was SO bad, that we should be around table 60, not table 1. It's very close in the end, but he is unable to score a KO on my steelix, allowing me to win.
6-0
Game 7 vs Vilegar
Long story short. It's a very long, and annoying game of no trainers for me. I tank a lot, and keep trainers out of my hand with blissy, and kill enough stuff/dodge a FS flip to grab the win.
7-0
Game 8 vs Vilegar
Very similar to the last one. However, he ran 2 SF gengar *insert sad/annoyed face* ( I didn't even see the curse one), and got heads on 2 FS flips.
8-1
Top 32 vs gyarados/mew prime (not quite mewdos, but had a mew tech)
Game 1
He misplayes a few times, but nothing huge. I take full advantage of removing his stadium via Gaia Crush, and removing his hand via Judge.
-Win
Game 2
See game 1, except he scoops because he knows he can't win.
- Win
Top 16 vs Dialgachomp
Game 1
He takes an early lead. I know my best shot is to stick it out, rather than trying to scoop and win game 2/3 quickly, as this matchup takes FOREVER to play out. I eventually manage to catch up on prizes. He misplays late in the game, which lets me take the lead on prizes. He scoops to save time.
- Win
Game 2
I get a fairly good start, but he uses ambipalm to disrupt my energy. I get around it, and have him under fairly good control. However, I draw dead for a while, and am unable to get the 5th energy needed to Gaia crush. Thinking back on it, it might have been a good idea to scoop and go for a quick game 3 win, but I didn't. The game goes to time, and he wins.
- Loss
Game 3, sudden death round
We both start solo skuntank, which was epic. He gets a faster start than I do, and I'm forced to belt my skunk, or risk getting KO'd. He sends up a dragonite, and puts 80 on me. I know I have one shot at winning, so I collector for a chancey, uxie, and another chancey. I play down the chancey, and uxie for 3. I get the DCE, but do not get the expert belt I need for the win.
- Loss
I found out the next day that I would have been paired vs an autoloss (magnerock) the next round if I had won. So, it wound up not mattering that I lost, since I would have lost the next round in top 8 anyway, barring a miracle.
Final record, 8-2.
Props:
Staff
Judges
Location
Awesome opponents
Belted Chanceys beat up a Luxchomp
Double skuntank start in sudden death for epicness
Luxchomp being an autowin
No blaziken techs/fire decks
Honest players
Slops:
Kyle for being stupidly lucky with FS flips. (I ALWAYS hit tails when I use gengar)
Certain players trying to bribe other players to give them a win, so they get a rating invite to worlds.
Not drawing an expert belt for the most epic sudden death win ever.
I get to go into this event with a sub 1600 rating due to a horrible run at my first tourney (md states) since last regs! If my opponents knew how bad my rating was, they probably would have been a little more worried when they faced me.
After being unsure of what deck to use for a few days, I decide to go with Steelix. It has a near autowin vs luxchomp (assuming they don't tech blaze, which, most don't), and very good - even matchups against most of the other popular decks that I was expecting.
Round 1 vs Leafeon?
I'm not 100% sure it was actually a leafeon deck, but I saw a leafeon and a shaymin so I'll assume it was. I got off to a fairly slow start, but eventually got a steelix up and running, and just steamrollered everything he put out.
1-0
Round 2 vs Champ/Rhyperior
This one was against a Pokedad, who had lent his "real" deck to his kid. I felt like I had good control over the game, until the Rhyperior X hit the field. I had completely forgotten about this card (again, the last time I played seriously was a year ago), and was rather disturbed by his first attack. He doesn't manage to KO me, but I know I have to kill him ASAP I put 120 on him, and he uses that + an expert belt + a black belt to score a KO on a fresh steelix. Posion from skuntank + a quick 20 from a blissy ensure that I get the KO, and the win. Either way, that was a game that nearly got away from me, and was making me wonder a bit about my deck choice.
2-0
Game 3 vs Eveelutions
Seriously? ANOTHER Evee deck? This was a weird day so far. He gets a less than amazing start, which results in him attaching a fire energy to an evee, with out getting a flarion out right away. I know what's coming (to be honest, I didn't know what flarion actually did, but I knew it was fire, and was probably not so good for me), so I prepare a blissy on the bench. He uses the flarion to KO a fresh steelix, and I use the blissy (already had 60 on it from being active earlier), to double edge, and take us both out. He sets up a glacion, and I get up another steelix, and use energy stream to recharge my self. I eventually just out power him, and grab another somewhat weird win.
3-0
Game 4 vs Luxchomp
FINALLY! A NORMAL DECK! I was SO happy to see a luxray. He was new to the game, and was quite amazed at how big steelix was. After taking a few turns to get rolling, I eventually do to him what I do to most other decks, and just flatten everything.
4-0
Game 5 vs Luxchomp
This one was a little harder than the last, due to him pulling annoying tricks with Dialga Lv.x, and Toxicroak to poison my steelix, but I eventually do to him what I did to my last opponent; steamroller ftw!
5-0
Game 6 vs Luxchomp
Tim, I need the picture for this one, so I can prove that I really did this.
We both cut each other to the WORST hands you could imagine. I had 2 chanceys out, one with DCE and expert belt, the other with 2 energy and an expert belt. I got 2 KO's off of pulled punch, before he does anything. By the end of the game, it actually looked like we had had a legit game, but we both agreed previously that our game play was SO bad, that we should be around table 60, not table 1. It's very close in the end, but he is unable to score a KO on my steelix, allowing me to win.
6-0
Game 7 vs Vilegar
Long story short. It's a very long, and annoying game of no trainers for me. I tank a lot, and keep trainers out of my hand with blissy, and kill enough stuff/dodge a FS flip to grab the win.
7-0
Game 8 vs Vilegar
Very similar to the last one. However, he ran 2 SF gengar *insert sad/annoyed face* ( I didn't even see the curse one), and got heads on 2 FS flips.
8-1
Top 32 vs gyarados/mew prime (not quite mewdos, but had a mew tech)
Game 1
He misplayes a few times, but nothing huge. I take full advantage of removing his stadium via Gaia Crush, and removing his hand via Judge.
-Win
Game 2
See game 1, except he scoops because he knows he can't win.
- Win
Top 16 vs Dialgachomp
Game 1
He takes an early lead. I know my best shot is to stick it out, rather than trying to scoop and win game 2/3 quickly, as this matchup takes FOREVER to play out. I eventually manage to catch up on prizes. He misplays late in the game, which lets me take the lead on prizes. He scoops to save time.
- Win
Game 2
I get a fairly good start, but he uses ambipalm to disrupt my energy. I get around it, and have him under fairly good control. However, I draw dead for a while, and am unable to get the 5th energy needed to Gaia crush. Thinking back on it, it might have been a good idea to scoop and go for a quick game 3 win, but I didn't. The game goes to time, and he wins.
- Loss
Game 3, sudden death round
We both start solo skuntank, which was epic. He gets a faster start than I do, and I'm forced to belt my skunk, or risk getting KO'd. He sends up a dragonite, and puts 80 on me. I know I have one shot at winning, so I collector for a chancey, uxie, and another chancey. I play down the chancey, and uxie for 3. I get the DCE, but do not get the expert belt I need for the win.
- Loss
I found out the next day that I would have been paired vs an autoloss (magnerock) the next round if I had won. So, it wound up not mattering that I lost, since I would have lost the next round in top 8 anyway, barring a miracle.
Final record, 8-2.
Props:
Staff
Judges
Location
Awesome opponents
Belted Chanceys beat up a Luxchomp
Double skuntank start in sudden death for epicness
Luxchomp being an autowin
No blaziken techs/fire decks
Honest players
Slops:
Kyle for being stupidly lucky with FS flips. (I ALWAYS hit tails when I use gengar)
Certain players trying to bribe other players to give them a win, so they get a rating invite to worlds.
Not drawing an expert belt for the most epic sudden death win ever.
