*testing, testing*
Yep, that was all I was doing the whole week prior to regs. After testing five different decks against 3/4 metagame decks 3 times each, I felt 100% confident with my deck choice, Steelix. It had almost an autowin against Vilegar (40% of my metagame) and SP (except BLG, Chenlock, and Infernape 4), and didn't really have any bad matchups except for Fire types, which I didn't expect to see much of.
My List:
-Pokemon: 21-
3-3 Steelix Prime
4 Skarmory UD
1-1-1 Metagross LA
1-1 Blissey PL
2 Uxie LA
1 Azelf LA
2 Skuntank G
1 Regice LA
-T/S/S: 23-
4 Pokemon Collector
3 Bebe's Search
2 Professor Oak's New Theory
2 Seeker
2 Lucian's Assignment
2 Expert Belt
2 Pokemon Communication
2 Warp Point
3 Broken Time Space
1 Ruins of Alph
-Energy: 16-
4 Double Colorless Energy
4 Special Metal Energy
6 Metal Energy
2 Warp Energy
Now before you comment and say how bad this list sounds, let me explain my techs/lines.
1-1-1 Metagross LA: This is probably my favorite card released over the years I've been playing. It is essentially a Pokemon Reversal every turn, except can be searched for and not trainer locked, as well as being a backup attacker if absolutely necessary.
1-1 Blissey instead of 2-2: I found that I never needed 2 Blissey out at once in a game, and that 2-2 was just to clunky and unnecessary to be considered a good play IMO.
2 Skuntank G: Because of the large amount of Vilegar in my metagame, I found that 2 Skuntank was the play in case they were able to Shadow Room one of them to death or one was prized.
Division: Seniors
Players: 21
Rounds: 5
Top Cut: 4
*Main Rounds*
-Round 1 vs. Bye-
-Metallix vs. Bye Deck-
This was a very easy game. They didn't even have a deck so I won.
1-0
-Round 2 vs. Justin C-
-Metallix vs. Vilegar-
Yes!! I get to play a Vilegar for my first game!! I feel confident until I see that my only basics in my hand are Regice and Uxie, hindering my ability to set up quickly. Despite my bad start, I get a T2 Skarmory and begin to build up an Onix on my bench (I couldn't get a Steelix), while he spreads damage and plans for a 4 Prize Compound Pain. Once he KO's almost all my bench except for a Skuntank, I bring up Steelix and start swinging for prizes. His Gengars get KOed really early on, and with nothing for him to snipe on my bench and my hand having only 1 or 2 Trainers, the game goes rapidly downhill for him. He tries to do an epic play to heal his Gengar Prime (his final Gengar), but misplays badly and it's GG.
2-0
-Round 3 vs. Nakota H-
-Metallix vs. Mother Vilegar-
Honestly, when I saw that I had to play against Nakota, I died. This matchup would be great if I didn't have to face Nidoqueen negating Poison.... *sigh* Lucky for me, with both get mediocre starts and I get 2 Steelix powered up in 6/7 turns, while he gets out Gengar, Vileplume, and Nidoqueen at around the same time as me. I am able to set up my Metagross and keep switching around his Pokemon to take prizes, while he only can take 2 prizes with Shadow Room and stuff. Time is called and it's 2-4 prizes in my favor, as well as me being T1. He can't take 2 Prizes in one turn to tie the game, and I'm 3-0.
3-0
-Round 4 vs. Robert M-
-Metallix vs. Vilegar-
Wow, am I ever lucky lol. 2/3 of my games were against an autowin matchup. Anyway, this was just a basic game versus Vilegar. He gets a couple Gengar set up while I build up two Steelix and start OHKOing his Gengars with Skuntank and Gaia Crush. He can't get anything else set up and I win a low-stress game.
4-0
-Round 5 vs. Chase M-
-Metallix vs. Chenlock-
Well, my good luck has to end sometime. I knew I was going to lose this game since T1, and didn't really care to much because I knew I was getting into Top Cut anyway. He gets Blaziken up quickly and I can't fight back when he OHKO's me every turn, so I lose.
Top Cut is announced, and these are the standings:
1st: Me (Metallix)
2nd: Justin C (Vilegar)
3rd: Chase M (Chenlock)
4th: Kabir V (Magnezone/Regirock)
I am really annoyed that I have to play against Magnerock, as I don't have a very good matchup against it and wanted to play against a Vilegar.... ugh.
*Top Cut*
-Top 4 vs. Kabir V-
-Metallix vs. Magnerock-
Game One: I get the T2/T3 donk here, as he has a terrible start and can't draw into anything. Hmmm, maybe I do have a chance at Top 2....
Game Two: Well, this game goes really badly for me. He gets everything set up super quickly, and he takes down my fully powered up Steelix early on, crippling my set up. He takes 5 more quick prizes to win Game 2.
Game Three: This game goes almost exactly like game two, except I am able to take 4 Prizes before he sweeps through my field with Magnezone.
And, just like that, I've lost my chance at becoming Regional Champion.... But I pick up my box and fill out the forms so that they can send me my metal (darn P!P! for not having the medals ready....). I open my box because I don't want to bother selling/trading it, and pull some cool stuff like 2 Shinies, 3 Reverse Holo Energy, and Reverse Ninetales/Lost World/Smeargle.
PROPS:
-Getting 3rd
-Getting a Booster Box
-Getting good pulls in my box
-Playing against 3 Vilegars
-Proving that Steelix is a viable deck in the right metagame
-Watching my friends faces when they found out I was playing Steelix
SLOPS
-Playing against Magnerock in T4
-Not going 5-0 in Swiss
-Medals not being at the event
-Playing against one of my worst matchups in Round 5
-Not getting a two round Bye for Nationals
-No scholarship
Hope you liked my report, and what do you think of Metallix?
~A+G
Yep, that was all I was doing the whole week prior to regs. After testing five different decks against 3/4 metagame decks 3 times each, I felt 100% confident with my deck choice, Steelix. It had almost an autowin against Vilegar (40% of my metagame) and SP (except BLG, Chenlock, and Infernape 4), and didn't really have any bad matchups except for Fire types, which I didn't expect to see much of.
My List:
-Pokemon: 21-
3-3 Steelix Prime
4 Skarmory UD
1-1-1 Metagross LA
1-1 Blissey PL
2 Uxie LA
1 Azelf LA
2 Skuntank G
1 Regice LA
-T/S/S: 23-
4 Pokemon Collector
3 Bebe's Search
2 Professor Oak's New Theory
2 Seeker
2 Lucian's Assignment
2 Expert Belt
2 Pokemon Communication
2 Warp Point
3 Broken Time Space
1 Ruins of Alph
-Energy: 16-
4 Double Colorless Energy
4 Special Metal Energy
6 Metal Energy
2 Warp Energy
Now before you comment and say how bad this list sounds, let me explain my techs/lines.
1-1-1 Metagross LA: This is probably my favorite card released over the years I've been playing. It is essentially a Pokemon Reversal every turn, except can be searched for and not trainer locked, as well as being a backup attacker if absolutely necessary.
1-1 Blissey instead of 2-2: I found that I never needed 2 Blissey out at once in a game, and that 2-2 was just to clunky and unnecessary to be considered a good play IMO.
2 Skuntank G: Because of the large amount of Vilegar in my metagame, I found that 2 Skuntank was the play in case they were able to Shadow Room one of them to death or one was prized.
Division: Seniors
Players: 21
Rounds: 5
Top Cut: 4
*Main Rounds*
-Round 1 vs. Bye-
-Metallix vs. Bye Deck-
This was a very easy game. They didn't even have a deck so I won.
1-0
-Round 2 vs. Justin C-
-Metallix vs. Vilegar-
Yes!! I get to play a Vilegar for my first game!! I feel confident until I see that my only basics in my hand are Regice and Uxie, hindering my ability to set up quickly. Despite my bad start, I get a T2 Skarmory and begin to build up an Onix on my bench (I couldn't get a Steelix), while he spreads damage and plans for a 4 Prize Compound Pain. Once he KO's almost all my bench except for a Skuntank, I bring up Steelix and start swinging for prizes. His Gengars get KOed really early on, and with nothing for him to snipe on my bench and my hand having only 1 or 2 Trainers, the game goes rapidly downhill for him. He tries to do an epic play to heal his Gengar Prime (his final Gengar), but misplays badly and it's GG.
2-0
-Round 3 vs. Nakota H-
-Metallix vs. Mother Vilegar-
Honestly, when I saw that I had to play against Nakota, I died. This matchup would be great if I didn't have to face Nidoqueen negating Poison.... *sigh* Lucky for me, with both get mediocre starts and I get 2 Steelix powered up in 6/7 turns, while he gets out Gengar, Vileplume, and Nidoqueen at around the same time as me. I am able to set up my Metagross and keep switching around his Pokemon to take prizes, while he only can take 2 prizes with Shadow Room and stuff. Time is called and it's 2-4 prizes in my favor, as well as me being T1. He can't take 2 Prizes in one turn to tie the game, and I'm 3-0.
3-0
-Round 4 vs. Robert M-
-Metallix vs. Vilegar-
Wow, am I ever lucky lol. 2/3 of my games were against an autowin matchup. Anyway, this was just a basic game versus Vilegar. He gets a couple Gengar set up while I build up two Steelix and start OHKOing his Gengars with Skuntank and Gaia Crush. He can't get anything else set up and I win a low-stress game.
4-0
-Round 5 vs. Chase M-
-Metallix vs. Chenlock-
Well, my good luck has to end sometime. I knew I was going to lose this game since T1, and didn't really care to much because I knew I was getting into Top Cut anyway. He gets Blaziken up quickly and I can't fight back when he OHKO's me every turn, so I lose.
Top Cut is announced, and these are the standings:
1st: Me (Metallix)
2nd: Justin C (Vilegar)
3rd: Chase M (Chenlock)
4th: Kabir V (Magnezone/Regirock)
I am really annoyed that I have to play against Magnerock, as I don't have a very good matchup against it and wanted to play against a Vilegar.... ugh.
*Top Cut*
-Top 4 vs. Kabir V-
-Metallix vs. Magnerock-
Game One: I get the T2/T3 donk here, as he has a terrible start and can't draw into anything. Hmmm, maybe I do have a chance at Top 2....
Game Two: Well, this game goes really badly for me. He gets everything set up super quickly, and he takes down my fully powered up Steelix early on, crippling my set up. He takes 5 more quick prizes to win Game 2.
Game Three: This game goes almost exactly like game two, except I am able to take 4 Prizes before he sweeps through my field with Magnezone.
And, just like that, I've lost my chance at becoming Regional Champion.... But I pick up my box and fill out the forms so that they can send me my metal (darn P!P! for not having the medals ready....). I open my box because I don't want to bother selling/trading it, and pull some cool stuff like 2 Shinies, 3 Reverse Holo Energy, and Reverse Ninetales/Lost World/Smeargle.
PROPS:
-Getting 3rd
-Getting a Booster Box
-Getting good pulls in my box
-Playing against 3 Vilegars
-Proving that Steelix is a viable deck in the right metagame
-Watching my friends faces when they found out I was playing Steelix
SLOPS
-Playing against Magnerock in T4
-Not going 5-0 in Swiss
-Medals not being at the event
-Playing against one of my worst matchups in Round 5
-Not getting a two round Bye for Nationals
-No scholarship
Hope you liked my report, and what do you think of Metallix?
~A+G