I was insanely nervous for this event. I tested a few different decks, including Stage 1s with Lanturn Prime, PrimeTime, and ZPST. I decided to go with ZPST because it felt a lot like playing Magnezone Regirock, my last year's play, because it depended on a lot of energy and had a lot of good matchups. I would post my list, but my computer busted before I could open up Redshark, and I'm too lazy to copy it here.
I will say what the odd choices are running 4 Zekrom was too good to pass up, knowing that THE Senior play was Dragons, and I needed 4 Zekrom for that. Another odd choice was Sage's, but I wasn't able to snag Cheren last minute. I also ran Energy Search replacing an energy, because it helped a lot with donks. 2 Seeker and 1 Pokegear let me get early bench wins, and most importantly reuse Pachimin without the flip of Super Scoop Up.
FD09 and other friends of mine were also going, which made the event more fun.
Round 1 Vs. Noob Deck:
Well, as much as I like meeting nice people, that did nothing to my chances of getting the cut besides a win :\ This is why I can't wait to go to Masters.
1-0
Round 2 Vs. ZPST
Ugh, the mirror. I got a meh start and she gets a brilliant start with brilliant topdecks. Even though I had the upper hand because I ran 3 Defender for the mirror match, they never came in handy because she had luck on her end.
1-1
I'm really mad at this point, knowing I'll probably have to win the rest of my matches in order to make the cut.
Round 3 Vs. ZPST
Another mirror, but this time the best Senior in the state, Lorenzo, is playing it. I believe we prize exchange twice, but once I got the third, he couldn't keep up. He couldn't get Cheren early game, which he said hurt him a lot. It came down close, I think he had two prizes remaining and a thin deck, and I had one prize remaining. By the time I took the last prize, he had no deck anyway.
I heard from FD09 he played against a strange Gothitelle/Reuniclus/Serperior deck. He scooped, but he probably could have won.
2-1
Round 4 Vs. Reshiphlosion
I start off by getting a T2 Bolt Strike PlusPower on his Reshiram, and next turn I repeat. I had 100 damage counters on Zekrom, and was naturally afraid of a revenge KO, but he I saw he had no Typhlosion yet, and took an energy off of him with Shaymin because I didn't want to bolt strike when I could do 120 with no recoil anyways. I pick off of a Quilava with Catcher, making me have 3 prizes left. I think he candies to Typhlosion, Afterburners to Reshi, but I think he had a Cleffa up and couldn't retreat and make a KO. I catcher Typhlosion and hit it for 120 with outrage, but then he sets up another Phlosion and is able to revenge. I Catcher the weakened Phlosion again for the fourth prize, and I think I KO'd the other Typhlosion as well, and he couldn't recover. Gave me plenty of time to set up the last KO.
3-1
TWO MORE GAMES C'MON I CAN DO IT
Round 5 Vs. Beartic/Vileplume/Lilligant
Very strange deck. I guess it's pretty much Bearplume with a Lilligant tech though, and I knew how to play the matchup. I start by DCE Outrage on a Cubchoo, then I Catcher Oddish and KO with two PPs. He doesn't play another one...? So he attempts to Petlil (Paralyzes on a flip) lock me without Vileplume, but I whiff SSU anyways so I guess he bought some time. In that time, he gets two Beartics out, one of them from the damaged Cubchoo. I got out of the lock in a way I can't remember, and Catcher + Bolt Strike. His other Beartic isn't set up, so I was able to KO with PlusPower, but then he revenge KOs by evolving the dreaded Paralyzing Lilligant. I revenge KO THAT with Tornadus, and from there he just throws random techs at me such as Farfetch'd. KO those, and that's game.
4-1
"I'll scream if I win the next match," said Tyraniking.
Round 6 Vs. ???:
Apparently a good player from around the region, and I don't know what he's playing so I--HOLY SMOKES I WAS REPAIRED FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE
Round 6 Vs. Stage 1 Rush
Well to be honest, I felt much more comfortable playing someone I knew from Florida, even though he was literally one of the best players from last year's Worlds, Juan Pablo. Basically I catcher + Hurricane all of his Phanpys. Since he can't do much from there, he has to use Yanmega and Zoroark to carry him through the match. He THKOs everything, as I do until it's my 1 prize to his two. I energy search, and fail, but I see one DCE. He Catchers Shaymin...AND KO's?!?! I bring up my Tornadus with a Lightning, Catcher Cleffa, use a Juniper, attach DCE, and win.
5-1
Feeling pretty good, I beat a lot of big name players and will be guaranteed into cut, which has free pizza, my favorite food (even though it had pepperoni on it, I don't eat most meats)...Am I dreaming or am I dead?
I check who's in the cut, and FD09 didn't make it :\ Only 1 4-2 did, and that was the mirror ZPST I lost to. I was the 7th seed, above me was Summer and below me was the ZPST mirror. Lucky number 7, right?
Top 8:
Round 1 Vs. Gothitelle/Reuniclus/Serperior:
I see Snivy, and I thought "So this is the deck FD09 scooped to..." I WILL NEVER CONSIDER 7 LUCKY AGAIN!!! I try and get a T1, and fail, and I know I'm pretty much out of T8...I take two prizes, but he easily recovers, and with Serperior, he can change an 80 damage hurricane into 20. It'd be like trying to kill a Zekrom with a Karrablast. I scooped to conserve time.
0-1
Round 2:
This time I have a much better start compared to his, and he scoops after I have two prizes left.
1-1
Round 3:
The strategy against Goth in the top cut wouldn't work now, so I was pretty much screwed. (T1 Round 1, lose the second, choose to go first the third round and T1 again) I thought I had him when I catchered Gothita with 3 Energies, but he still set up with a Twins. I proceeded to lose from there, but didn't scoop in hope he would be like the Junior next to me who shuffled his discard pile into his deck. Too bad he heard that lol...
1-2
Props:
First Top Cut at a big event...and a HUGE improvement since last time at Wisconsin.
FD09 and other people for coming.
Meeting cool people
Summer for getting at least T4
Cool vendors
Great pulls
Carlitosbob for helping my test results improve
evil_elf for giving me great advice
Magnevire for helping me on my list
My parents for taking me
2 Regionals Dice
1 bag of trail mix carrying me through swiss <3
Free pizza. Making anything good can be made better when it's free.
Slops:
Not going further in the cut
FD09 not cutting at all
Letting a Goth/Reuniclus/Serperior into the T4 for the other ZPST(s) to pull their hair out at it. (Sorry D: )
I will say what the odd choices are running 4 Zekrom was too good to pass up, knowing that THE Senior play was Dragons, and I needed 4 Zekrom for that. Another odd choice was Sage's, but I wasn't able to snag Cheren last minute. I also ran Energy Search replacing an energy, because it helped a lot with donks. 2 Seeker and 1 Pokegear let me get early bench wins, and most importantly reuse Pachimin without the flip of Super Scoop Up.
FD09 and other friends of mine were also going, which made the event more fun.
Round 1 Vs. Noob Deck:
Well, as much as I like meeting nice people, that did nothing to my chances of getting the cut besides a win :\ This is why I can't wait to go to Masters.
1-0
Round 2 Vs. ZPST
Ugh, the mirror. I got a meh start and she gets a brilliant start with brilliant topdecks. Even though I had the upper hand because I ran 3 Defender for the mirror match, they never came in handy because she had luck on her end.
1-1
I'm really mad at this point, knowing I'll probably have to win the rest of my matches in order to make the cut.
Round 3 Vs. ZPST
Another mirror, but this time the best Senior in the state, Lorenzo, is playing it. I believe we prize exchange twice, but once I got the third, he couldn't keep up. He couldn't get Cheren early game, which he said hurt him a lot. It came down close, I think he had two prizes remaining and a thin deck, and I had one prize remaining. By the time I took the last prize, he had no deck anyway.
I heard from FD09 he played against a strange Gothitelle/Reuniclus/Serperior deck. He scooped, but he probably could have won.
2-1
Round 4 Vs. Reshiphlosion
I start off by getting a T2 Bolt Strike PlusPower on his Reshiram, and next turn I repeat. I had 100 damage counters on Zekrom, and was naturally afraid of a revenge KO, but he I saw he had no Typhlosion yet, and took an energy off of him with Shaymin because I didn't want to bolt strike when I could do 120 with no recoil anyways. I pick off of a Quilava with Catcher, making me have 3 prizes left. I think he candies to Typhlosion, Afterburners to Reshi, but I think he had a Cleffa up and couldn't retreat and make a KO. I catcher Typhlosion and hit it for 120 with outrage, but then he sets up another Phlosion and is able to revenge. I Catcher the weakened Phlosion again for the fourth prize, and I think I KO'd the other Typhlosion as well, and he couldn't recover. Gave me plenty of time to set up the last KO.
3-1
TWO MORE GAMES C'MON I CAN DO IT
Round 5 Vs. Beartic/Vileplume/Lilligant
Very strange deck. I guess it's pretty much Bearplume with a Lilligant tech though, and I knew how to play the matchup. I start by DCE Outrage on a Cubchoo, then I Catcher Oddish and KO with two PPs. He doesn't play another one...? So he attempts to Petlil (Paralyzes on a flip) lock me without Vileplume, but I whiff SSU anyways so I guess he bought some time. In that time, he gets two Beartics out, one of them from the damaged Cubchoo. I got out of the lock in a way I can't remember, and Catcher + Bolt Strike. His other Beartic isn't set up, so I was able to KO with PlusPower, but then he revenge KOs by evolving the dreaded Paralyzing Lilligant. I revenge KO THAT with Tornadus, and from there he just throws random techs at me such as Farfetch'd. KO those, and that's game.
4-1
"I'll scream if I win the next match," said Tyraniking.
Round 6 Vs. ???:
Apparently a good player from around the region, and I don't know what he's playing so I--HOLY SMOKES I WAS REPAIRED FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE
Round 6 Vs. Stage 1 Rush
Well to be honest, I felt much more comfortable playing someone I knew from Florida, even though he was literally one of the best players from last year's Worlds, Juan Pablo. Basically I catcher + Hurricane all of his Phanpys. Since he can't do much from there, he has to use Yanmega and Zoroark to carry him through the match. He THKOs everything, as I do until it's my 1 prize to his two. I energy search, and fail, but I see one DCE. He Catchers Shaymin...AND KO's?!?! I bring up my Tornadus with a Lightning, Catcher Cleffa, use a Juniper, attach DCE, and win.
5-1
Feeling pretty good, I beat a lot of big name players and will be guaranteed into cut, which has free pizza, my favorite food (even though it had pepperoni on it, I don't eat most meats)...Am I dreaming or am I dead?
I check who's in the cut, and FD09 didn't make it :\ Only 1 4-2 did, and that was the mirror ZPST I lost to. I was the 7th seed, above me was Summer and below me was the ZPST mirror. Lucky number 7, right?
Top 8:
Round 1 Vs. Gothitelle/Reuniclus/Serperior:
I see Snivy, and I thought "So this is the deck FD09 scooped to..." I WILL NEVER CONSIDER 7 LUCKY AGAIN!!! I try and get a T1, and fail, and I know I'm pretty much out of T8...I take two prizes, but he easily recovers, and with Serperior, he can change an 80 damage hurricane into 20. It'd be like trying to kill a Zekrom with a Karrablast. I scooped to conserve time.
0-1
Round 2:
This time I have a much better start compared to his, and he scoops after I have two prizes left.
1-1
Round 3:
The strategy against Goth in the top cut wouldn't work now, so I was pretty much screwed. (T1 Round 1, lose the second, choose to go first the third round and T1 again) I thought I had him when I catchered Gothita with 3 Energies, but he still set up with a Twins. I proceeded to lose from there, but didn't scoop in hope he would be like the Junior next to me who shuffled his discard pile into his deck. Too bad he heard that lol...
1-2
Props:
First Top Cut at a big event...and a HUGE improvement since last time at Wisconsin.
FD09 and other people for coming.
Meeting cool people
Summer for getting at least T4
Cool vendors
Great pulls
Carlitosbob for helping my test results improve
evil_elf for giving me great advice
Magnevire for helping me on my list
My parents for taking me
2 Regionals Dice
1 bag of trail mix carrying me through swiss <3
Free pizza. Making anything good can be made better when it's free.
Slops:
Not going further in the cut
FD09 not cutting at all
Letting a Goth/Reuniclus/Serperior into the T4 for the other ZPST(s) to pull their hair out at it. (Sorry D: )
