Deck Stategy: Keeping it simple...

TuxedoBlack

Old School Player
Member
This past weekend, I competed in the MI State Championship tournament where we had 120+ Masters playing. Lots of top-notch players (even some from Canada) were competing. As expected, there were a number of Blastoise, Darkrai variants, FairyBox, PlasmaBox, RayBoar (with and without Delphox), VirGen, and Yveltal variants decks being played.

It boiled down to a player running Blastoise versus my Poké pal and another Poké Dad, PokéIrv who ran Darkrai-Yveltal WITHOUT Garbodor, in the finals. Fortunately, my friend won the tournament, and I was more than a bit amazed, because that was PokéIrv's 4th victory against Blastoise deck players - which I thought would have better game winning odds vs. Darkrai-Yveltal. So, I had to ask him what was his "secret" to beating players that had presumably better game-winning chances, IMHO; and his response was interestingly enough "not to 'over-think' his deck and keep it simple." And after examining his deck, I found that his deck did indeed model his philosophy. Wise words for all competitive players.

Big props to PokéIrv for his outstanding accomplishment!
 
Do you guys know who placed at the MI tournament . I had to leave early for work and didn't get to play after the third round.
 
Ironman131 said:
Do you guys know who placed at the MI tournament.
I only knew a few players, but check with the PTO; he could surely provide that info. Also, someone may have already posted that tournament's results in the State Tournament Forum. I'd suggest you check that Forum first.
 
This.

This is how I was trashing Darkrai-Yveltal decks with Flareon Weaville at States. Simplicity is best.
 
Indeed the best way to win is to know your deck: and the best way to do it is make it simple: Not so overcharged with different item/tools and accurate pokemons ;)
 
There are plenty of complex decks that win tournaments. I feel that both can succeed. A simple deck is not necessarily better than a techy one just more consistent.
 
Camoclone said:
There are plenty of complex decks that win tournaments. I feel that both can succeed. A simple deck is not necessarily better than a techy one just more consistent.
But even the techy ones are based off a simple idea. Take Fairy Toolbox for example. 4 Prism, 4 Rainbow, techs just about any Big Basic in. But the idea of moving around energy with Aromatisse, healing with Max Pots, and countering and adapting to all scenarios stays the same. As long as you maintain that consistent Fairy engine, the techs are all supplementary.
 
I see what you mean.

I occasionally play a deck I made based on Toxicroak. The basic idea is load up Mewtwo and then have an easy response to an opponents Mewtwo and Deoxys counter. Of all the silly rogue decks I've made, this one has actually been successful. I credit this to the deck having such a simple strategy that doesn't require multiple card combos to set up. A revenge from toxicroak or X ball from Mewtwo is all the deck needs to put the pressure on. This leaves plenty of room for one of techs which has actually won me games (Sigilyph is awesome). That's not to see the deck doesn't have multicard combos, I just don't rely on them to win.
 
Simple works best. That is why I recently won a states with my ultra simplistic list:

1 BKEX

3 Lightning

56 Water

Simple!
 
zavtac said:
Simple works best. That is why I recently won a states with my ultra simplistic list:

1 BKEX

3 Lightning

56 Water

Simple!

Wait.... Wait... You mean to tell me you won STATES with that list? You would get destroyed by every meta deck I can think of! Rayboar Shreds/ Bursts you, Blastoise baby BK's you, Yveltal easily KOs when you have 3 energy, and BKEX takes 4 so your earliest Black Ballista is turn 4! There is no way you won STATES with that (I'm not angry I'm just really surprised).
 
socery said:
zavtac said:
Simple works best. That is why I recently won a states with my ultra simplistic list:

1 BKEX

3 Lightning

56 Water

Simple!

Wait.... Wait... You mean to tell me you won STATES with that list? You would get destroyed by every meta deck I can think of! Rayboar Shreds/ Bursts you, Blastoise baby BK's you, Yveltal easily KOs when you have 3 energy, and BKEX takes 4 so your earliest Black Ballista is turn 4! There is no way you won STATES with that (I'm not angry I'm just really surprised).
I do believe it was a joke to prove a point... You can make your deck simple but it can't be too simple.
 
I think what the OP's friend meant, is to keep your deck true to the strategy. Don't load the deck full of techs, you can't tech against everything. Techs win games, consistency wins tournaments.
 
On the other hand, another Poké pal won the MN State tournament with a straightforward "toolbox" deck comprised of some simple techs.
 
Back
Top