Help Preparing for Charlotte Regionals

doubleb036

doubleb036

Jolteon GX Hopeful
Member
Hi everyone!

I'm fairly new here to Pokebeach and to the TCG game itself as I just started back in August of this past year. I have really been enjoying the competitive scene with my local League Challenges, Cups and monthly tournaments here on Pokebeach!

So, I am taking it to the next level by going to my first regional in Charlotte, NC! I was hoping to get any kind of tips, advice on deck choices/meta, what I should expect in general or what to do to make sure I don't screw myself over lol

I've already pre-registered, booked my flight and I am staying with a friend about 20-30 minutes outside of Charlotte (will have to grab an Uber in the morning to the venue though). For my deck choice, I've been thinking about a Buzzwole variant in an attempt to try and get points (Currently have 65), or maybe Ho-Oh Kiawe to just be super aggro. I feel like my micro decisions on trading with Zoroark decks aren't great and have led to my downfall in the past, so I'm hesitant but still open to those variants as well. Although, since it's my first regionals, I don't expect to get any but still want to prepare like I can (if that makes sense lol)

Any and all help is very much appreciated!! Thank you so much ahead of time and if you are going to NC as well, maybe I shall see you there! :)
 
doubleb036 said:
Hi everyone!

I'm fairly new here to Pokebeach and to the TCG game itself as I just started back in August of this past year. I have really been enjoying the competitive scene with my local League Challenges, Cups and monthly tournaments here on Pokebeach!

So, I am taking it to the next level by going to my first regional in Charlotte, NC! I was hoping to get any kind of tips, advice on deck choices/meta, what I should expect in general or what to do to make sure I don't screw myself over lol

I've already pre-registered, booked my flight and I am staying with a friend about 20-30 minutes outside of Charlotte (will have to grab an Uber in the morning to the venue though). For my deck choice, I've been thinking about a Buzzwole variant in an attempt to try and get points (Currently have 65), or maybe Ho-Oh Kiawe to just be super aggro. I feel like my micro decisions on trading with Zoroark decks aren't great and have led to my downfall in the past, so I'm hesitant but still open to those variants as well. Although, since it's my first regionals, I don't expect to get any but still want to prepare like I can (if that makes sense lol)

Any and all help is very much appreciated!! Thank you so much ahead of time and if you are going to NC as well, maybe I shall see you there! :)
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Hey @doubleb036, glad to hear that your attending your first Regional! I would be happy to give you some advice on the matter!

Since Ultra Prism was just released, things have been shifting quite a bit as of late. New decks have been popping up like Zoroark GX/Weavile (which won 1st and 2nd at Malmo Regionals) and a multitude of decks like Passimian, Dusk Mane Necrozma GX, etc. in recent tournaments. If you can, I encourage you to try and find any local tournaments (whether they are League Cups or League Challenges) and play in them, not just to test your own deck, but to gather information on how the meta has changed.

I, for one, live near NC and will be attending Charlotte Regionals as well! From what I've seen in my local leagues, there have been a lot of Tapu Bulu GX/Vikavolt (this was before ULP was released, but people have just upgraded their decks with new cards from my understanding), Dusk Mane Necrozma GX (at least, everyone in the tournaments I've been to, and I mean everyone, was looking for Dusk Mane Necrozma GX), and Leafeon GX (don't really expect this one though, as I'm pretty confident it is too clunky to successfully work, but everyone at the tournaments were looking for Leafeon GX as well). I will be attending some tournaments soon (before the Regional), and I will let you know what I see is being played in the area (mainly the ones that are successful). Don't count the details mentioned above as the final conclusion yet as I haven't seen what other people are playing, though I have been keeping an eye on their interests. Also, keep in mind that I speak for only a portion of NC's players, though I suspect that most of the ones I know will be attending the tournament and have influence on threads like Pokebeach (such as I'm doing now I suppose ;)).

I'm pretty sure your in the Masters division, so I'll let you know what I see from there. You seem to have everything laid out plan-wise with getting to and from the tournament, so great job on that. As for what deck to play, I encourage you to keep a broad mind on the subject and see what is doing well in tournaments beforehand. Be practicing with whatever deck you feel the most comfortable with for the moment until you have a better idea on the subject, so I would say Buzzwole GX/Garbodor (however much I dislike the deck ;)) would be a safe play for the moment. If you see something interesting, such as Turbo Ho-oh GX, don't be afraid to try it out just to get an idea of the deck and its inner workings. You never know!

Anyways, I'll let you know what I see in my tournaments and local league as soon as I can, I wish you luck in Charlotte! Hope this helps!
 
Test, test, test. Testing matchups is super important. It is also equally important to play a deck you are comfortable with NO LAST MINUTE DECK CHANGES. Try to choose a deck a week in advanve and play against all the decks that did well in Collinsville to be comfortable with matchups. And just because this is your first regional doesnt mean you cant do well, i made day 2 at Collinsville and it was my first regional.
 
hey doubleb is tiger <3. a good way to practice and improve is to find a solid testing group. i am actually looking for one myself and would be happy to help you test if you would like. i think buzzwole is a good, safe call. expect a lot of mirrors though. i always find that maybe bringing a spicy tech that no one uses usually helps me breakout a little. maybe hammers or even counter catchers if you feel you are playing from behind a lot. im always here to help if you need it
 
FrostBiter12 said:
Hey @doubleb036, glad to hear that your attending your first Regional! I would be happy to give you some advice on the matter!

Since Ultra Prism was just released, things have been shifting quite a bit as of late. New decks have been popping up like Zoroark GX/Weavile (which won 1st and 2nd at Malmo Regionals) and a multitude of decks like Passimian, Dusk Mane Necrozma GX, etc. in recent tournaments. If you can, I encourage you to try and find any local tournaments (whether they are League Cups or League Challenges) and play in them, not just to test your own deck, but to gather information on how the meta has changed.

I, for one, live near NC and will be attending Charlotte Regionals as well! From what I've seen in my local leagues, there have been a lot of Tapu Bulu GX/Vikavolt (this was before ULP was released, but people have just upgraded their decks with new cards from my understanding), Dusk Mane Necrozma GX (at least, everyone in the tournaments I've been to, and I mean everyone, was looking for Dusk Mane Necrozma GX), and Leafeon GX (don't really expect this one though, as I'm pretty confident it is too clunky to successfully work, but everyone at the tournaments were looking for Leafeon GX as well). I will be attending some tournaments soon (before the Regional), and I will let you know what I see is being played in the area (mainly the ones that are successful). Don't count the details mentioned above as the final conclusion yet as I haven't seen what other people are playing, though I have been keeping an eye on their interests. Also, keep in mind that I speak for only a portion of NC's players, though I suspect that most of the ones I know will be attending the tournament and have influence on threads like Pokebeach (such as I'm doing now I suppose ;)).

I'm pretty sure your in the Masters division, so I'll let you know what I see from there. You seem to have everything laid out plan-wise with getting to and from the tournament, so great job on that. As for what deck to play, I encourage you to keep a broad mind on the subject and see what is doing well in tournaments beforehand. Be practicing with whatever deck you feel the most comfortable with for the moment until you have a better idea on the subject, so I would say Buzzwole GX/Garbodor (however much I dislike the deck ;)) would be a safe play for the moment. If you see something interesting, such as Turbo Ho-oh GX, don't be afraid to try it out just to get an idea of the deck and its inner workings. You never know!

Anyways, I'll let you know what I see in my tournaments and local league as soon as I can, I wish you luck in Charlotte! Hope this helps!
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@FrostBiter12 This is great!!!!! Thank you so much for all of this :)

Sadly, there aren't many tournaments in my area before Charlotte so most of my testing will be limited to on PTCGO, the Pokebeach tournament and against myself with proxies since not many of my friends are into it as much as I am lol but yes, I did leave out that I am in the Masters division so good assumption haha

In terms of the meta I would agree with everything you said. I think Leafeon (as much as I love the eeveelutions and want to play it) is too clunky, I used to play Bulu and I don't want to brick as hard as I have in the past lol but I realize that if the deck gets going, it's not one to be taken lightly. I haven't played the matchup but I would think Buzzwole still beats the Zoroark/Weavile deck. Duskmane/Garbodor on the other hand seems like it could matchup well with the ability to return ko with GX, take another big one with regular attack and by that time build up another Duskmane for the finish, so I'm kind of worried about that deck being good.

Will definitely continue to test and thank you for letting me know what the meta looks like!! This definitely helped a lot (I'm around to playtest on PTCGO too if I can return the help at least lol) but best of luck to you as well!!!
 
@swaginator5000 agreed, I need to do a bunch of testing lol and congrats on making day 2 at Collinsville! Hoping I can replicate that for my own first regionals :p

@TigerZord14 thanks tiger :) definitely need to test the mirror and will take you up on that when I get home for sure, atm I just have a mewtwo tech but thats just not spicy lol maybe a one of counter energy to make sure the sudowoodo cant be picked off from the bench when setting it up lol idk
 
doubleb036 said:
@FrostBiter12 This is great!!!!! Thank you so much for all of this :)

Sadly, there aren't many tournaments in my area before Charlotte so most of my testing will be limited to on PTCGO, the Pokebeach tournament and against myself with proxies since not many of my friends are into it as much as I am lol but yes, I did leave out that I am in the Masters division so good assumption haha

In terms of the meta I would agree with everything you said. I think Leafeon (as much as I love the eeveelutions and want to play it) is too clunky, I used to play Bulu and I don't want to brick as hard as I have in the past lol but I realize that if the deck gets going, it's not one to be taken lightly. I haven't played the matchup but I would think Buzzwole still beats the Zoroark/Weavile deck. Duskmane/Garbodor on the other hand seems like it could matchup well with the ability to return ko with GX, take another big one with regular attack and by that time build up another Duskmane for the finish, so I'm kind of worried about that deck being good.

Will definitely continue to test and thank you for letting me know what the meta looks like!! This definitely helped a lot (I'm around to playtest on PTCGO too if I can return the help at least lol) but best of luck to you as well!!!
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Great, glad that I could help!

I agree with both @swaginator5000 and @TigerZord14 about testing a lot, just so you feel comfortable with your deck. The Regional will most likely be a long, tiring experience for you (since this is your first Regional) due to each round being a best of 3 and there being around 10+ rounds (just a heads up, my last Regional went to around 8:00-9:00 p.m. after starting at around 8:00 a.m. and I only had 8 rounds). The more comfortable you are with your deck though, the better you'll be at executing the correct plays without any mistakes. Don't forget, relax before the tournament and while your there, it clears your head and keeps you from misplaying. The most important thing is to have fun though, and if that is your goal, you'll enjoy the experience a lot better!

Unfortunately, I'm still a little unsure about the metagame right now without any taste of it for the moment, but I'm pretty sure that Dusk Mane Necrozma GX variants will make a showing along with Weavile, Buzzwole GX, Zoroark GX, and maybe some Glaceon GX. Tapu Bulu GX is also an option (as I enjoy playing the deck myself) and I think that it has a shot as well.

If you want, my PTCGO I.D. is FrostBiter12 (just like here on Pokebeach), so feel free to send me a friend request. I'd be happy to play a game every once and a while, just give me a shout if you want to (and also get a taste of what I feel will be successful in the tournament as well ;)). I'll let you know what I see in the tournaments beforehand (in the Masters division) as soon as I can. Good luck to you at Charlotte!

(also, if your looking for a tech in Buzzwole GX, I'd suggest you play either Sudowoodo if you have Max Elixir or maybe a Mew EX. It depends on what type of Buzzwole GX deck you do.)
 
Hey, I'm in the same boat as you. I started playing around July last year and have been playing on PTCGO for a while, and Charlotte will be my first regional as well. To see how someone similar to you is planning, I'm going to bring the deck I'm most comfortable with, which is Zoroark Lycanroc, to it. I think it is a good call right now, but really anything is possibly good in the current meta. I'd recommend, as people earlier have said, just use the deck you are comfortable with. If i were to say not to play a deck it'd be Turbo Ho-Oh, as Watch and Learn Sudowoodo is becoming a tech in more and more decks. Buzzwole is always a great deck, but make sure to practice how to beat Mewtwo and Mew, as they will be everywhere. If you do end up playing Buzzwole don't get tilted after possibly losing to these cards and think you made the wrong deck choice, but try to keep a clear mind throughout the long day. That's harder than it sounds, especially at a first regional I'd bet, but we all have to start somewhere. My name on PTCGO is MediTheLord if you want to practice matchups ever you can let me know, I hope this helped somewhat, and good luck at Charlotte!
 
@FrostBiter12 I'm a bit worried about my stamina lol but hopefully, I will be ready for the long haul on those days. What do you do for food and drinks, just go for whatever is in the convention hall? I've heard tips like bringing a water bottle too so you can fill up at fountains instead of paying for overpriced bottles lol is that a good idea?

I'm a competitive person and I want to do well but I'm trying to be realistic with myself as to not set my goals too high so I'm not terribly disappointed. I am trying to stay focused on having fun though because that is what this trip is really about!

No worries! I'm sure the meta will develop in the coming weeks, just gotta keep an eye on HeyFonte and Virbank for League Cup postings (if you know of any others I'd be interested to take a look at them too! Pokestats on twitter is great)

And I will definitely add you! (My ign is the same as on here - doubleb036) I would appreciate seeing what will be successful for sure :p Good luck to you as well!!

(and yeah, thankfully I have both cards, maybe ill just throw em both in lol)

@Medi Happy to hear from someone in the same shoes as I am lol makes me feel a bit better.

Yeah Zoroark is super strong, as draw power and as an attacker, just too good lol I could definitely lose to it even with the Buzzwole deck

I did get hit by that return "phoenix burn" at a league challenge recently, lost Top 4 because of it lol so I've felt the pain from that sudowoodo all too well haha XD

Definitely need to learn how to beat mewtwo and mew, especially mewtwo as a single prize attacker with 130hp. I will have to try my best not to get tilted (I played League of Legends for a bit so I still have some toxicity to clean out of my system :p but will make sure to focus myself on the fun as much as possible haha)

And yes please! I'd love to test the matchup as well as any others you might want to test, my ign is doubleb036. Good luck to you in Charlotte too!!

Really appreciate all the help thus far :) :)
 
doubleb036 said:
@FrostBiter12 I'm a bit worried about my stamina lol but hopefully, I will be ready for the long haul on those days. What do you do for food and drinks, just go for whatever is in the convention hall? I've heard tips like bringing a water bottle too so you can fill up at fountains instead of paying for overpriced bottles lol is that a good idea?

I'm a competitive person and I want to do well but I'm trying to be realistic with myself as to not set my goals too high so I'm not terribly disappointed. I am trying to stay focused on having fun though because that is what this trip is really about!

No worries! I'm sure the meta will develop in the coming weeks, just gotta keep an eye on HeyFonte and Virbank for League Cup postings (if you know of any others I'd be interested to take a look at them too! Pokestats on twitter is great)

And I will definitely add you! (My ign is the same as on here - doubleb036) I would appreciate seeing what will be successful for sure :p Good luck to you as well!!

(and yeah, thankfully I have both cards, maybe ill just throw em both in lol)

@Medi Happy to hear from someone in the same shoes as I am lol makes me feel a bit better.

Yeah Zoroark is super strong, as draw power and as an attacker, just too good lol I could definitely lose to it even with the Buzzwole deck

I did get hit by that return "phoenix burn" at a league challenge recently, lost Top 4 because of it lol so I've felt the pain from that sudowoodo all too well haha XD

Definitely need to learn how to beat mewtwo and mew, especially mewtwo as a single prize attacker with 130hp. I will have to try my best not to get tilted (I played League of Legends for a bit so I still have some toxicity to clean out of my system :p but will make sure to focus myself on the fun as much as possible haha)

And yes please! I'd love to test the matchup as well as any others you might want to test, my ign is doubleb036. Good luck to you in Charlotte too!!

Really appreciate all the help thus far :) :)
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Don't worry about it, I'm sure you will be fine! The water bottle suggestion is a good idea, not sure if they would allow you to bring it into the venue, but it wouldn't hurt to check I suppose.

Great, that is the best attitude you can have, as no matter what happens, you'll have fun! And hey, you never know, you might make Day 2 as well!

The only other place I know of is limitlesstcg.com. I use that, ptcgstats.com and Pokebeach. Never heard of the others though, so I'll be sure to check them out!

Great, looking forward to a few games (unfortunately, I haven't been able to play PTCGO recently, so don't panic if I haven't accepted it just yet ;), but if your open tomorrow afternoon/evening, I might be able to fit in a few games).

I'll let you know how the tournaments go as soon as I can! Thanks!
 
Thanks! Yeah, need to check that for sure. Actually, does anyone know if you can bring a digital watch in to use? I know that smart watches are banned but like a digital watch with a timer to be able to keep track of when the round will end easier. I bought one and some friends and people at a local league were worried but didn't know for sure.

Yeah trying to make sure I focus on fun as much as I want points lolol Fingers crossed I can go that far! Just gotta test :)

Yeah those are great so check them out when you can and love limitless and ptcgstats too, they are very good resources.

I accepted your request, I got stuck at a casino last night so I wasn't really on last night or today lol but yeah I'm around whenever!

Sounds great, thank you so much @FrostBiter12 ! :)
 
Hey @doubleb036, I finished with my Legaue Cups yesterday (of which I won 4th in both, so I gained 64 CP, which isn't bad I suppose) and I have some results for you (for Master's division, as you requested)! The first day, there were a lot of Zoroark GX/Golisopod GX, with at least one of each competitive deck (Zoroark GX/Lycanroc GX, Buzzwole GX/Lycanroc GX, Tapu Bulu GX/Vikavolt, etc.). The finalists for that tournament were both Zoroark GX/Gardevoir GX, so I assume that was successful against Zoroark GX/Golisopod GX (I was only able to hear about the finalists as I left earlier, since I'm a Senior and we finished before them). The next day, I saw more Zoroark GX/Golisopod GX, though not as much as before, and a little more of the other competitive decks (so at least two of each such as Zoroark GX/Lycanroc GX, Buzzwole Gx/Lycanroc GX, etc.). Unfortunately, I wasn't able to stay for the finals of Masters, and nobody has told me the results so far. Even with that drawback, I think it is safe to say that Zoroark GX/Golisopod GX is going to be what everyone is playing at Charlotte Regionals. If you have any more questions, feel free to ask. Hope this helps!
 
@FrostBiter12 this is incredible insight, thank you so much! I saw a bunch of Zoropod (and psychic lol) at my League Cup up here in Jersey, had a rough day with BuzzRoc so not sure thats the best call for the tourney even though its super strong so I'm totally lost on what to play XD but sounds like if you play something good against Zoropod, you have a pretty good shot lol
 
doubleb036 said:
@FrostBiter12 this is incredible insight, thank you so much! I saw a bunch of Zoropod (and psychic lol) at my League Cup up here in Jersey, had a rough day with BuzzRoc so not sure thats the best call for the tourney even though its super strong so I'm totally lost on what to play XD but sounds like if you play something good against Zoropod, you have a pretty good shot lol
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Great, glad that I could help! I have to agree with you about Buzzwole GX/Lycanroc GX not being the best play, maybe Buzzwole GX/Garbodor? I remember you saying something about Kiawe/Ho-oh GX, though it isn't the most consistent and struggles if your opponent can take it out early, it does have a good matchup against Zoroark GX/Golisopod GX. Not sure how familiar you are with the deck though, so I suggest you just go with what your most familiar with and the mindset that Zoroark GX/Golisopod GX will be there. I wish you luck!
 
Oh, by the way, I figured out the results for the other League Cup I went to (Masters Division), here they are for you (as you can see, Zoroark GX/Golisopod GX were the two finalists)! I Hope this helps!

1st. Zoroark-GX/Golisopod-GX
2nd. Zoroark-GX/Golisopod-GX
3rd. Zoroark-GX/Counters
4th. Magnezone/Dusk Mane Necrozma-GX
5th. Silvally-GX/Dawn Wings Necrozma-GX
6th. Zoroark-GX/Gourgeist/Rotoms
7th. Volcanion-EX
8th. Xerneas BREAK


Edit: It turns out that I was miss-informed about the first League Cup, but I was able to find the Top 8 results for it as well. Here are the official standings (Zoroark GX/Golisopod GX won, but Zoroark GX/Gardvoir GX got 2nd). Hope this helps!

1st. Zoroark-GX/Golisopod-GX
2nd. Zoroark-GX/Gardevoir-GX
3rd. Ho-Oh-GX
4th. VikaBulu
5th. Zoroark-GX/Golisopod-GX
6th. Golisopod-GX/Garbodor
7th. Glaceon-GX/Zoroark-GX
8th. Volcanion-EX
 
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FrostBiter12 said:
Oh, by the way, I figured out the results for the other League Cup I went to (Masters Division), here they are for you (as you can see, Zoroark GX/Golisopod GX were the two finalists)! I Hope this helps!

1st. Zoroark-GX/Golisopod-GX
2nd. Zoroark-GX/Golisopod-GX
3rd. Zoroark-GX/Counters
4th. Magnezone/Dusk Mane Necrozma-GX
5th. Silvally-GX/Dawn Wings Necrozma-GX
6th. Zoroark-GX/Gourgeist/Rotoms
7th. Volcanion-EX
8th. Xerneas BREAK


Edit: It turns out that I was miss-informed about the first League Cup, but I was able to find the Top 8 results for it as well. Here are the official standings (Zoroark GX/Golisopod GX won, but Zoroark GX/Gardvoir GX got 2nd). Hope this helps!

1st. Zoroark-GX/Golisopod-GX
2nd. Zoroark-GX/Gardevoir-GX
3rd. Ho-Oh-GX
4th. VikaBulu
5th. Zoroark-GX/Golisopod-GX
6th. Golisopod-GX/Garbodor
7th. Glaceon-GX/Zoroark-GX
8th. Volcanion-EX
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Thanks @FrostBiter12 !! Really helpful to be able to have this insight, I think I've figured out the play but all I'll say is I don't think I'll be playing BuzzRoc. Could be a bad idea lol but I feel more confident trying to get points at least with the deck :p You can pm me if you are curious enough about the deck choice lol
 
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