"You Failed... HaHa!"- A 125th Place 2016 U.S. Nationals Report with Night March!

     Hello, fellow Pokemon players! My name is Evan Smith and today, I am going to be giving you all my 2016 U.S. Nationals tournament report with Night March!

Y U Choose Might Narch?

I'm pumped up!

     I chose to play Night March because my Vespiquen/Toolbox deck was clunky, and everyone wanted to beat Greninja BREAK, so I got the 3rd ShayminEX I needed and played Night March I evaluated the Pros and Cons of the three available decks I had and chose the one with the best Pros and Cons.

Vespiquen/Toolbox

Pros:

- Has answers to a lot of decks.

- Can hit for high damage

Cons: 

- Extremely Clunky

- Turn 1 item lock ruins the deck

Greninja BREAK

Pros:

- Has its own consistent engine

- Usually has control over the board 

- Great prize trades

Cons: 

- Most people want to counter Greninja

- Too many things can go wrong with it

- Loses to Turn 1 item lock

- Not fast enough

Night March

Pros:

- Extremely consistent

- Can hit for high damage

- Great Prize Trades

- Hits for weakness on Mega Rayquaza decks

Cons:

- Susceptible to deck outs

- Mirror matches are usually based off of who goes second

     As you can see, these are the Pros and Cons that I had in mind when I was deciding my deck, and what made my choice was the sheer consistency of Night March. In my opinion, consistency is key. 

My Night March List

     I ran a very consistent and straight-forward Night March list. You can find my card explanations here. Here is the list I ran:

Pokemon- 15

4 Joltik  PHF 26

4 Pumpkaboo PHF 44

4 Lampent PHF 42

3 ShayminEX ROS 77

Trainers-41

2 Professor Sycamore

1 N

1 Hex Maniac

1 Lysandre

1 Xerosic

1 AZ

1 Teammates

4 VS Seeker

4 Battle Compressor

4 Trainers' Mail

3 Acro Bike

4 Puzzle of Time

4 Ultra Ball

2 Fighting Fury Belt

1 Float Stone

1 Escape Rope

1 Buddy-Buddy Rescue

1 Target Whistle

1 Town Map

3 Dimension Valley

Energy-4

The Report

     I had a blast playing Night March at this year's Nationals, just didn't have great match-ups.


Round 1 ??? w/ Waterbox

     Game 1: He dead drew most of the game and set up after I had taken a good amount of Prizes. He also got Articuno out way too late. W

     Game 2: We both got really good starts. I got a few more prizes than him at first, then he was about to kill off my last Joltik (Last attacker w/ no way to get attackers back), and time was called. So he KO'ed my Joltik on Turn 0, and he couldn't get enough prizes in time to win the game. if time was called a little bit later, this would've been a tie. T

1-0-0

Round 2 ??? w/ Mega Sceptile/ JolteonEX

     Game 1: He drew inconsistently most of the game, but I missed a turn 1 donk on his SceptileEX by 1 Night Marcher. After that, he used HoopaEX to get a ton of Pokemon onto his bench. Target Whistle ShayminEX ftw. W

     Game 2: I didn't get OHKOs on his Pokemon and he was, this was not a good game for me. L

     Game 3: While we were shuffling to prepare for Game 3, we looked at the clock to find out that we only had 5 minutes let of Game Time, so we tied. T

1-0-1

Round 3 ??? w/ Mega Rayquaza/ JolteonEX

     Game 1: He got a full JolteonEX set up anannihilated me. L

     Game 2: I used Target Whistle ShayminEX with a Double Puzzle of Time to follow up. W

     Game 3: We decided to tie since we had 5 minutes left on the clock. T

1-0-2

Round 4 ??? w/ Vespiquen/ Night March

     Game 1: He won the coin flip and decided to go second. We made back and forth prize trades and he won ( I only had 1 Prize left). L

     Game 2: I decided to go second... And I dead drew. L
Bron
1-1-2

Round 5 ??? w/ AegislashEX/ Bronzong BREAK/ Zoroark

     Game 1: He never got Bronzong BREAK into play, and I managed to play around his AegislahEXs with Lysandre and Escape Rope. W

     Game 2: He started off with a lone AegislashEX, but then had to put down bench Pokemon after I used Hex Maniac. W

2-1-2

Round 6 ??? w/ Mega SceptileEX

     Game 1: He didn't get that fast of a set-up, and I got a pretty good start. W

     Game 2: I believe we went to time in this game. I'm not 100% sure though, all I remember is that I won this round.

3-1-2

At this point, I was talking with Anthony C. about how we both need to win our next 3 rounds in a row if we wanted to make cut. I did not realize that I just jinxed myself

Round 7 ??? w/ Vespiquen/ Vileplume/ JolteonEX

     Game 1:  He started first and he didn't get the turn 1 Vileplume out. I take the chance ad set up, but then he uses JolteonEX on me with a Vileplume in play, there was nothing I could do about that. L

     Game 2: He got the turn 2 JolteonEX and a turn 1 Vileplume... I stood no chance of
 winning. Goodbye cut! L

3-2-2

Round 8 ??? w/ Waterbox

     Game 1: He got the turn 1 Quaking Punch and I had a bad start. I used AZ to pick up my final ShayminEX. L

     Game 2:  I had another bad start so I just used AZ to pick up my final ShayminEX again. L

3-3-2

Round 9 ??? w/ DarkraiEX/ GiratinaEX/ Garbodor

     Game 1: I got the perfect start and she dead drew. W

     Game 2: She dead drew again and I got a decent start. W

Final Record : 4-3-2

     Thanks for reading, and until next time, test on!




   

BIG ANNOUNCEMENT!!!!

     Hello fellow Pokemon players, clashers, campers, and hikers! Evan here and today, I have a pretty big announcement that I'm making... I HAVE A YOUTUBE CHANNEL!!! :D Here is the link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCW2Z7XGQBASS_v9GZj9Jr6Q

     Yes, I will still be making articles on my blog (sorry for no articles lately, life has been pretty busy), i.e. tournament reports, tent reviews, and hiking experiences.

     Please go check out my channel! Also, please put your comments in the comment section on my channel for suggestions or for criticism.

     Thanks for reading the announcement, and good luck to all the Pokemon TCG Players at U.S. Nationals!

"The Fatality"- A Better Than Expected States Report!

     Hello, fellow Pokemon players! My name is Evan Smith and today, I am going to tell my tale of participating in Maryland States.

The Deck 

A very shocking experience!

Why I Chose to Play My Deck

     I was going to play Vespiquen/Night March, but Evan G. gave me some advice. He recommended that I play ManectricEX/Bats, my other deck, since it has better match-ups against Trevenant, Yveltal, and MetalRay (Which was actually used by a significant amount of players), but it loses to Jolteon. 

     My Vespiquen/Night March deck was also netdecked, and my ManectricEX/Bats deck was custom-made, so I was naturally more comfortable playing ManectricEX/Bats, even though I have more experience playing Vespiquen. 

     Most of the seniors playing were also playing decks that would beat Vespiquen/Night March, like Trevenant, Mega ManectricEX/Non-EXs, ToadTina, and Vileplume.

The Deck List 

     My ManectricEX/Bats list was very consistent and didn't dead draw much throughout the tournament. Here is the list:

Pokemon-16

4 Zubat

3 Golbat

3 Crobat

3 ManectricEX

2 ShayminEX

1 SeismitoadEX

Trainers-35

4 Professor Sycamore

1 Judge

1 Lysandre

1 Delinquent

1 AZ

1 Xerosic

1 Hex Maniac

4 VS Seeker

4 Ultra Ball

3 Trainers' Mail

3 Max Elixir

3 Fighting Fury Belt

2 Head Ringer

1 Escape Rope

1 Super Rod

4 Rough Seas

Energy-9

9 Lightning

Card Explanations

4-3-3 Bats Line

     I didn't play 4 Golbat due to space. It's also just not needed. 4 Zubat was a must though.

3 ManectricEX/1 SeismitoadEX

     I didn't play a full 4 ManectricEXs and opted for 3 and 1 Toad. You only need about 2 ManectricEXs per game. The one Toad does help stall in your first few turns (Especially with Fighting Fury Belt!), it definitely helps you start setting up your Bats. 

3 Trainers' Mail/3 Max Elixir/1 AZ/0 Super Scoop Up

     I didn't have enough space for 2 AZ, so I got away by playing one. I also opted out of playing Super Scoop Up because it is a flippy card, and I'd rather play it safe than risk it all. I play 3 Trainers' Mail and 3 Max Elixir for speed and acceleration.

1 Escape Rope/0 Switch

     I only played one item switch card due to space, and I'd also want a pseudo-Lysandre card. I typically don't switch out cards, and if I do I just retreat since I only have a 1 or 0 retreat cost on most of my Pokemon.

4 Rough Seas

     This is my hard Trevenant counter. It heals all the damage Trevenant BREAK does to ManectricEX and SeismitoadEX (Nobody needs bats and ShayminEXs alive!). It also serves as a counter stadium. 

9 Lightning/0 Flash/0 Double Colorless

     I chose to run all Basic Energy due to Jirachi (Even though it's not relevant anymore), Enhanced Hammer, and Xerosic. It also increases the chances I will get an energy attached with a Max Elixir.

The Report

The Tournament has begun!

     Here is the tournament report:

Round 1 vs. Rick J. w/ Greninja BREAK

     Game one was rough for me even though he dead drew the first few turns of the game. Once he got set up my deck couldn't keep up with damage since he didn't use any tools. Game two went badly for me again even though I used SeismitoadEX to slow him down. I was literally 10 damage away, and it would've been two turns for me to get the Fighting Fury Belt. The funniest part was 5 minutes after the match, they called time. So if I had won game 2, it would've been a tie instead of a loss.

0-1-0

Round 2 ??? vs. Latios Theme Deck with Other Cards

     I exploded both games and he got completely annihilated. He was also pretty new since he had a judge helping him the whole time. Of course my deck explodes when it just needs two energies the whole game.

1-1-0

Round 3 ??? vs. Team Magma's Aggron/ ROS manectric/ Hitmonlee

     My deck set up much quicker than his both games so I ended up winning even though he could hit me for weakness.

2-1-0

Round 4 vs. Anthony C. w/ Regice/Noctowl/Vileplume.

     Why do they ALWAYS pair Anthony and me at every tournament?! Game one I dead drew like I don't know what. Games 2 and 3 Anthony dead drew even though he got his Vileplume out quickly.

3-1-0

Round 5 vs. Luca M. (a.k.a. the Dark Machamp) w/ Night March Milotic

     We I.D.ed since wethough Jon was going to play his game out with London, and that would've put me in at 4th seed.

Final Record: 3-1-1

     Jon ended up I.D.ing with London and then Logan beat Anthony C. for 2nd seed. This is the result: 

     I ended up getting 5th place overall. I was pretty disappointed that I barely missed t4 but at least Luca got his invite to worlds (Congrats, Luca for making the finals!). I met Dylan Bryan in person, got 12 BreakPoint packs, and here's Anthony's shoutout! I had a great time. 

The changes I would make to my deck would be:

-1 Zubat-

-1 Crobat

-1 SeismitoadEX

+1 Trainers' Mail

+1 Max Elixir

+1 Parallel City 

3 BreakPoint Booster pack codes:

S5U-DN66-R9B-D6A

GMR-U76N-TXH-KC6

BVE-NYE4-DYL-TBD

Thanks for reading, and until next time, test on!

     

     

"The Vice Quadrant Part I and II"- A Review of Steam Powered Giraffe's Two Part Album!

     Hello, fellow music lovers! My name is Evan Smith and today I am going to be doing a music review of Steam Powered Giraffe's The Vice Quadrant Part I and The Vice Quadrant Part II. As suggested by Anthony C.

My Thoughts

     I think this is definitely an interesting album. The pitch of the lead singer's voice does not change much during all the songs. There is a story in the music (No spoilers!). And this album is pretty timid (in terms of instrument use compared to Alternative music). The most notable songs are, "Starburner", "Progress and Technology", "Burning in the Stratosphere", "Fire Fire", "Sky Sharks", "Daughter of Space", "Commander Cosmo", "Soliton", "Where I Left You", "Over the Moon", "The Speed of Light", "Starlight Star-Shine", "The Space Giant", "Oh No", and "Necrostar".

     This album definitely lives up to its Traditional Folk style. This has a very original story and music alike. The word choice and music patterns are very relaxing and entertaining at the same time. I highly suggest not playing this album on shuffle.

     The instruments use is very diverse through these two albums. One song is somewhat electric and then the next is calm and slower. I love it. This group also has a very good sense of humor in the story part of the songs too. This is truly an opera indeed.

Rating: 9/10

Please leave the album YOU want me to review next in the comment section below (If you don't have a Gmail account click the Gmail icon with an arrow and select another one like Anonymous or Outlook)! Thanks for reading, and until next time, listen on!

"Death of a Bachelor"- A Review of Panic! At the Disco's newest album!

     Hello, fellow music lovers! My name is Evan Smith, and today I am going to be doing something completely new on my blog, music reviews! Today I am going to be reviewing Death of a Bachelor by Panic! at the Disco!

My Thoughts

     I believe this is a truly unique album. It has all types of different sounds in each and every song, and they all just piece together so perfectly. This album has a healthy mix of many instruments that I can't even name. What's even more amazing is that all the instruments in this album were played by Bredon Urie (Most already know this though). Some stand-out songs would be "LA Devotee", "Crazy = Genius", "House of Memories", and "Emperor's New Clothes".


     All the songs are noticeably different from one another, and I love that. Since each song gives you a different feel from the last, you don't want to stop listening. Some songs are slow while others are very fast-paced. I recommend playing this album on shuffle for a good mix of slow songs and fast ones.

     I definitely hear the electronic sounds in this album, and it just makes the music that much better. Without it, I don't think this album would be as great as it is now. I definitely think this is one of the best albums released in 2016 so far.

Rating (Out of 10): 9.5/10

Creativity (Out of 10): 8/10

     All in all, I believe this is a very creative and unique album, with a perfect blend of instruments, and fast and slow-paced songs. Please leave in the comments section below what album you would like me to listen to and review!

     Thanks for reading, and until next time, listen on!

"72nd? You should've tested..."- A 72nd Regionals report,a ton of booster pack codes, A Town Hall 8 Troll base,a Town Hall 7 Trophy base, An Apple Sludge Cake Recipe, and it's my 1 year Bloggiversary!

     Hello, fellow Pokemon players/clashers/campers/hikers! My name is Evan Smith and today, I am going to do a Regionals report, two Clash of Clans bases, a camping gear review, and celebrate my 1-year bloggiversary! (Yes I know the title is really long) Sorry about the article being out so late! I had other things going on Saturday.

Going Rogue... Attempted

Going Toad, was not a good idea...

     I thought I had a good idea of the meta in mind, so I made a SeismitoadEX/Regice/Archeops deck. It was supposed to block evolutions, -Exs, and items. It got Archeops out on a consistent basis, but decked out pretty quickly. Here's the list I used:

Pokemon-12

4 SeismitoadEX

2 Regice

2 Archeops

2 ShayminEX

1 JirachiEX

Trainers-40

2 Professor Juniper

2 Maxie's Hidden Ball Trick

1 N

1 Lysandre

4 VS Seeker

4 Trainers' Mail

4 Battle Compressor

4 Ultra Ball

3 Acro Bike

3 Hypnotoxic Laser

3 Muscle Band

3 Float Stone

3 Red Card

1 Computer Search

2 Virbank City Gym

Energy-8

4 Water

4 Double Colorless

     The deck was a pretty standard list for what it is, so I don't feel the need for card explanations.

The Report

I failed pretty badly...

     I expected a lot of night march, and ended up not playing a single game against it. I was pretty ticked about that. Here's the report:

Round 1 vs. Seismitoad/Bats

     I went up against Seismitoad/Bats. It went back and forth with me winning the first and third games. typical Toad mirror. Especially with me getting the first Quaking Punch on the first and third games.

1-0-0

Round 2 vs. Vileplume/ Regice

     Before the match started, A. Cardella and I were joking about how we might be matched against each other, we even called ourselves the Rogue Team. Little did we know we would face each other in the second round. A. Cardella won both games in the Regice wars. He would always have more Regices out than me. GG A. Cardella!

1-1-0

Round 3 vs TDK 

     I lost both games. The first game I lost because of DeoxysEX and its attack. the second game I lost by Bunnelby deck out. Why Bunnelby, I thought we were friends?!

1-2-0

Round 4 vs. Rainbow Road

     This is the round that I got the Rainbow Road from. Thanks again Ben! I won the first game by Ben making a crucial mistake with his Ultra Ball. He went for Xerneas instead of HoopaEX. The second game he demolished me. The third game I don't know how I squeaked out the victory, all I remember is that it was close and that DCE came in clutch.

2-2-0

Round 5  vs. Yveltal

     These games went really long from both sides even though we were playing as fast as we could. This was really rough, since if time hadn't been called I would've lost badly.

2-2-1

Round 6 vs. Seismitoad

     This player urged me repeatedly to play fast. In the process, I made many mistakes. Therefore, I lost.

2-3-1

Round 7 vs. Yveltal

     These games went by very fast. I didn't win a single game, and it didn't go to time. I was screwed. 

FINAL RECORD: 2-4-1

All in all, I had a great time at Regionals, and plus, it was my one year anniversary of me meeting A. Cardella, and I received a Luxray playmat.

Free Loot

Based off of General Tony's free loot Troll Base.

     This is an open compartment base designed for only one compartment (Other than the parts near the Town Hall) to be opened by earthquake spells. I recommend having a decent amount of loot in the storages for people to attack you. I suggest using this base when you are not farming. 

For Trophies: 5/5

For Farming: 1/5

For Fun: 4.5/5

The Trophies are Rollin' in

Shout out to my little brother Jack for letting me use his account!

     This base ay have the Giant Bombs on the outside, but it has the Town Hall in the dead center and troops will go around it. Plus, people don't normally use hogs on regular raids.

For Trophies: 4/5

For farming: 3/5

For Fun: 0/5

Apple Sludge Cake

     This recipe, after we the Raccoon Patrol neglected to follow the directions for Apple Cobbler recipe in a Dutch Oven, turned out great. It still turned out great. this cake (that's what it turned out to be) would be great for birthday parties since the ingredients are cheap, it tastes good, and no frosting needed. This is also a great dessert for campouts. Apple Sludge Cake recieved its name after looking like sludge once everything is mixed up.

Ingredients 

     There are certain items and ingredients that you need. Here they are:

1/2 Cup of water

1 and 1/2 Sticks of butter

1 Box of cake mix

2 Cans of apples

3 Eggs

1 Dutch Oven

1 Chimney

28 Coals/Charcoals

Newspaper, paper, or cardboard

Lighter or matches

Heat resistant gloves

Prepping the Dutch Oven and Coals

     To prepare the Chimney, please see the link for Chimney in the Ingredients section. To prepare the Dutch Oven, DO NOT USE FOIL LINING. THE FOIL WILL FUSE WITH THE DUTCH OVEN, TRUST ME, I HAVE LEARNED THAT FROM EXPERIENCE! Grab 1/2 stick of butter, and rub it all over the insides of the Dutch Oven.

Putting in the Ingredients

Step 1: Spread both cans of apples evenly around the Dutch Oven.

Step 2: Put cake mix over apples also leveled out. DO NOT STIR ANYTHING!

Step 3: Place 20 hot coals on the top of the Dutch Oven, they must be evenly spread out. Place 8 coals on the bottom, also evenly spread out. Set timer for 5 minutes.

Step 4: Once 5 minutes is up, lift lid off and put 3 eggs in, and pour in 1/2 a cup of water. Stir well to where there are few lumps. Place lid back on.

Step 5: Set timer for 45 minutes.

Step 6: Enjoy. Don't let it cool off for too long!

The Codes

     Now, for the moment all you Pokemon players have been waiting for... THE CODES! I have 4 XY packs, 2 Flashfire packs, 4 Furious Fists packs, 3 Phantom Forces packs, and one Primal Clash pack in stock! Here they are:

HVY-UW6H-U9P-7GL

PWE-LRLW-STL-8KV

3UG-LT9E-KAY-ECE

HQD-KQCK-8QY-FRQ

5DT-HU7G-DA4-KNM

DEP-49DF-HRL-AFQ

XCG-UXJT-54V-M9Q

EAM-D8JG-4DH-KMF

U4B-NGVW-7S3-MSU

6MT-HVWJ-AQY-TX9

3FM-BMNF-CHT-URJ

APQ-JYBU-K7E-C8Y

FT3-RLEU-J96-S6U

7DN-QTYE-CG9-S53

     Thank you so much for reading this article on the anniversary of my blog! Test/clash/hike/camp on!

"Rainbow Road"- A Surprise Play for States!

     Hello, fellow Pokemon players! My name is Evan Smith and today, I am going to talk about a deck called Rainbow Road (Shoutout to Ben G. for the deck idea!). NOTICE: I am going to do my Regionals report and my anniversary article together ON THE DATE MY BLOG WAS FIRST PUBLISHED! Thank you so much for your patience.

The Deck

Seems like the deck to beat...

     The deck is a base build. I recommend that you test it and adjust it to your liking. This build also has many one-ofs for certain situations and/or for teching and to fuel Xerneas's Rainbow Force attack. Here is the build that I use:

Pokemon-14

3 Xerneas

2 ShayminEX

2 Dedenne

1 Regice

1 Hawlucha

1 Absol

1 Jirachi

1 Cresselia

1 Druddigon

1 Entei (Combat Blaze)

Trainers-34

3 Professor Sycamore

1 Professor Birch's Observations

1 Shauna

1 Judge

1 Ace Trainer

1 Lysandre

1 Brigette

1 Hex Maniac

1 Xerosic

1 Fisherman

1 Teammates

4 VS Seeker

3 Battle Compressor

3 Muscle Band

3 Switch

3 Ultra Ball

2 Level Ball

3 Sky Field

Energy-12

4 Fairy

4 Rainbow 

4 Double Colorless

Card Explanations 

     This deck has, as I said earlier, many one-ofs. I am going to explain the card counts and how they contribute to the strategy.

2 Dedenne 

     Dedenne has 3 uses.It can be used on the bench for Xerneas's attack. It can be used fo its first attack, Entrainment, to get out 2 Pokemon on the bench for only one energy. Its final use is for its bottom attack. It can do good damage against a fully loaded Yveltal or YveltalEX. 

1 Regice

     I run Regice for stalling against -EX based decks. It can also be used for paralysis to stall against non-EX-based decks. It can also be good against HoundoomEX or CharizardEX with a Muscle Band.

1 Hawlucha

     Hawlucha has two good uses. It can be used against an -EX-based deck for a guranteed 60 damage. It can also be used for the free retreat.

1 Cresselia

     Cresselia is used for the free retreat also, but it has more HP.

1 Entei

     Entei is used for its Combat Blaze attack. With a Sky Field in play and a Muscle Band, it can do some serious damage.

1 Professor Birch's Observations, 1 Shauna, 1 Judge, 1 Ace Trainer

     I play one of each for different situations. I I need to shuffle in my hand and get 7 cards, then I VS Seeker for PBO. If I want to play it safe, I go for Shauna. If I'm behind on prizes, I pull a surprise Ace Trainer. If I have the same amount or more prizes than my opponent, and he/she has a huge hand, I play Judge. And all I need to get then is a Battle Compressor.

1 Brigette

     I only run a single Brigette because I only need it early game, and for nothing else. Once I Battle Compressor and VS Seeker Brigette, I get out my 3 Basics, and I'm done with Brigette. I can't afford to have two turns without any draw support. 2 Brigette is optional, but I'm sticking with one since it isn't essential to the deck, and plus, I definitely want the room for some surprise supporters.

1 Fisherman

     I run Fisherman over Super Rod because the energy goes directly to my hand. I may not be able to put Pokemon back in the deck, but getting energy straight back to your hand can make for much better plays.

3 Battle Compressor

     Battle Compressor is run solely for getting one-of supporters in the discard pile. This also means I have to use my VS Seekers wisely.

The Strategy

One of the biggest powerhouses we have...

     Now that I gave you the list and card explanations, it's time for the strategy of the deck! 

     First things first, you ideally want to go second with this deck. If you go second, try to get Dedenne and an energy in the active spot ASAP. You need Entrainment to get Xerneas and other Pokemon on the bench. 

     If you go first, that's a completely different story. Since the highest HP in the deck is 120, you want to get a Pokemon in the active position that you are willing to sacrifice. This also gives you the chance to use Teammates or Ace Trainer. You also want to get a energy on Xerneas. 

     Once Xerneas is powered up, use Xerosic to get rid of their special energy. Use Jirachi or Regice to stall, if needed.

     Finally, keep using attackers or wall, until your opponent decks out, or you take all 6 prizes.

     Do not let this deck fool you, it is a complicated deck to play, but is very fun.

Codes:

Flashfire: MJY-P4JT-U7Q-8RB

XY: P6R-FSVP-JM5-VUX

XY: XPR-YQS5-UPR-YK3

Primal Clash: WVG-UB69-4GU-SN4

     All in all, Rainbow Road is a surprise play, fun, and complex. It also has a lot of room for versatility! Thanks for reading, and until next time, test on!

So true... Got a laugh out of my Algebra 1 teacher with this.

     

"Will Darkness Prevail?"- A look at Zoroark BREAK/YveltalEX/Regirock, a possible play for Winter Regionals!

     Hello fellow Pokemon players! My name is Evan Smith and today I am going to talk about a pretty viable pick for Winter Regionals! NOTICE: I apologize for no codes in this article or the last one, I promise you all that I will put 3 codes in the next Pokemon article.

The Meta

                                          There are so many decks I can't even count...

     I believe the meta for this years Regionals will be Yveltal/Darkrai, Blastoise/Keldeo, Night March, Vespiquen/Vileplume, Exeggutor/Vileplume, Regice/Vileplume, VirGen, Accelgor, Sableye, Giratina/Seismitoad, Seismitoad or Giratina/Garbodor, LandyBats, Latios/Bats, and Wobbats. There are probably many more decks that I didn't cover but I think if you can beat at least 60% of these decks you should do well.

     With these decks in mind try to make sure that you try to beat the most popular of the decks.

     I feel that Vespiquen/Vileplume will be heavily popular for Week 1 of Regionals. So this may call for Wobbats or another ability-lock deck. This also calls for a fast deck to get the ability lock. Even Latios/Bats might do well for a donk.

Yveltal

The evil bird will never die off...

     I would definitely play Yveltal since it is still considered a deck with 50/50 match-ups all around. If you want to play safe then thus is the deck for you. Here is the list:

Pokemon-17

3 Zorua (Moonless Madness)

1 Zoroark (Stand In)

1 Zoroark (Foul Play)

2 Zoroark BREAK

2 YveltalEX

2 ShayminEX

2 Regirock

1 DarkraiEX

1 Sableye (Junk Hunt)

1 Smeargle

1 Wobbuffet (Bide Barricade)

Trainers-33

2 Professor Sycamore

1 N

1 Colress

1 Lysandre

4 VS Seeker

4 Trainers' Mail

4 Acro Bike

3 Ultra Ball

3 Dark Patch

2 Battle Compressor

2 Muscle Band

1 Tool Scrapper

1 Super Rod

1 Computer Search

3 Sky Field

Energy-10

5 Darkness

2 Fighting

3 Double Colorless

     I attempted to tech this deck out for most match-ups. It runs pretty consistently and gets energy in the discard for Dark Patch. Here I will go into explanations for my card counts:

3 Zorua/1 Zoroark (Stand In)/1 Zoroark (Foul Play)/ 2 Zororark BREAK

     I chose to opt out of running KeldeoEX for a single Zoroark with Stand In, since I am already running Zoroark. I also wanted a regular Zoroark with Foul Play to get that attack out turn 2 if needed, but it costs a DCE. I chose to run 2 Zoroark BREAKs so I have essentially a KeldeoEX that costs one prize, has Mind Jack still, and Foul Play only costs one energy. The only downside; it takes a minimum of 3 turns to set up. If you want you can opt out of running the regular Zoroark with Foul Play and play 2 Zoroarks with Stand In.

2 YveltalEX

     I only run 2 YveltalEX due to the decks main attacker being Zoroark. I also find that I normally use only 1 YveltalEX most of the time. I also only run 3 DCE so 2 is plenty.

1 Wobbuffet (Bide Barricade)

     This is to give you a chance against Vesiquen/Vileplume. You (hopefully) go first, get Wobbuffet in the active (after you set up since it will be difficult to retreat it), and pass. You disrupt their set up by either; negating Vileplume for a while, force them to use Lysandre (while wasting a chance for Professor Sycamore, giving you a chance to use abilities again, and getting it out of the active for you) on it , or not letting them use ShayminEXs and JirachiEXs.

2 Professor Sycamore/1 N/1 Colress/4 VS Seeker/4 Acro Bike/4 Trainers' Mail/3 Ultra Ball/2 Battle Compressor/1 Computer Search

     Please do not quote my previous article about the Professor Sycamore counts, I didn't have the space and had to cut it. I chose to rely on items more instead of supporters, which does make this deck vulnerable to item-lock decks. The pros of this is that it results in a much faster deck. I would rather go fast than go slow.

3 Double Colorless

     I run 3 DCE because I feel a 4th one would be unnecessary. I understand that it could be used for Regirock, but if your attacking with Regirock you're most likely not using YveltalEX. I also am not comfortable with running only 4 Darkness energy.

     Thanks for reading, and until next time, test on!

   

"Basic Deck Building"- A Guide to Basic Deck Building!

     Hello fellow Pokemon players! My name is Evan Smith and today I am going to give a deck building guide for newer players or for players in general!

How to Start the Deck

     If you are an experienced player then skip this part. There are a few things you need to know before starting on a deck. You need to know that:

- There are 60 cards in a deck.

- You need at least one basic Pokemon.

     Make sure you know what kind of deck you want. Here are a few questions to get you started:

- How do you want your deck to perform?

- What Pokemon types do you want?

- What is going to counter your deck?

- How do you counter against that deck?



Deck Building Tips

     I have a few things that I put in my deck BEFORE I even start building my deck. These things are standard for me to put in my deck no matter what,these are called staples, to make sure that I have a consistent core in my deck. Here is the core of any of my decks:

- 3-4 Professor Sycamore. The bare minimum of Professor Sycamore is 3. This is the best draw supporter in the game and it would be wrong to have less than 3 in the deck.

- 3-4 Professor Birch's Observations/ Shauna/ Judge. This deck needs other draw supporters too. Use PBO / Shauna/ Judge at your own choice. They are all different supporters and should be used in different decks.

- 1-2 Lysandre. Lysandre is necessary in any deck. Its effect is too good to pass up, and it is a card that can win you the game.

- 2-4 Tech supporters. You need more supporters than the core. Make space for these and after you build your deck, fill in the spaces. Some good cards that I use are Hex Maniac, AZ, Korrina, Skyla, Brigette, Teammates, and Ace Trainer.

-4 VS Seeker. This is a major staple. You need VS Seeker to get your supporters back. This card pairs well with Battle Compressor.

- 4 Ultra Ball/ Level Ball. You need a maximum search for Pokemon. If your deck has Pokemon that have 90 HP or less, use Level Ball, if not use Ultra Ball.

     That is my core, no matter what. I highly recommend using this as your core before building your deck.

     So first, don't do the 20-20-20 method. It doesn't normally work. Plus, some decks use no energy, (Yeti, Wailord, to name a few.) and rely solely on trainers.

     Next, put in the Pokemon you need. I would recommend including at least 2 ShayminEXs for more draw power. I also recommend making at least 8 spaces for energy for your deck, and out in the energy after you make everything else.

     Finally, if you have some time to test your deck, and you have two cards you want to out in, but only one space left, put both cards in and test with a 61 card deck. Keep track of how many times you use one of those two cards, and after 10-20 testing rounds, put in the card that you used the most.

Thanks for reading, and until next time, test on!

"Double Sudden Death"- A 1st Place Cities Report!

     Hello fellow Pokemon players! My name is Evan Smith and today I am going to give you my 1st place VA Beach cities report!

The Deck
                                                 
                                  Wait? What? Why did you play Mienshao of all the decks?

     Very late at night, I wasn't satisfied with my Lucario/Bats deck, so I made my very own Mienshao/Hawlucha/Hammers deck from scratch. Here is my card-for-card list that I played:

Pokemon-11

4 Mienfoo

4 Mienshao

3 Hawlucha

Trainers-41

3 Professor Sycamore

3 Professor Birch's Observations

3 Korrina

1 Lysandre

4 VS Seeker

4 Robo Substitute

4 Level Ball

4 Crushing Hammer

4 Enhanced Hammer

4 Focus Sash

2 Eco Arm

1 Professor's Letter

1 Super Rod

3 Fighting Stadium

Energy-8

4 Fighting

4 Strong

     The list may seem very inconsistent, but it works while playing it. This deck typically is on the defensive side of the game, and you usually win by deck out, since you normally don't take 6 prizes with this build. I am going to go over many unusual card counts and explain them:

4 Mienfoo/4 Mienshao/3Hawlucha/0 Other Pokemon

     I chose to stick with, what I thought was, the bare minimum. I didn't use a one-of ShayminEX due to a 1/8 chance of starting with only that in my opening hand, and I would've had to make room for Ultra Ball. I didn't run an Eeveelution line due to space being very tight. The best part about the Pokemon line-up was that my opponent would have to knock out 6 of the 7 Pokemon out (which all attack) and deal with the 4 Robo Substitutes.

3 Professor Sycamore/3 Professor Birch's Observations/3 Korrina/1 Lysandre/0 Tech Supporters/4 VS Seeker

     I played only 3 of each main supporter and one Lysandre to make sure that I can max-out my Hammer counts. I also have 4 VS Seekers to retrieve them. Best of all you have a 70.72% chance of getting a Professor Sycamore, Professor Birch's Observations, or a Korrina in your first turn (as long as your opponent didn't use Judge).

4 Level Ball/0 Ultra Ball

     I opted to not play any Ultra Balls because I want to conserve resources, and all the Pokemon in my deck have 90 HP or less. I also have 3 Korrina to get out any Pokemon, since they are all Fighting, and get a Focus Sash or a Hammer.

4 Crushing Hammer/4 Enhanced Hammer

     I wanted to make sure that my opponent couldn't attack me easily, and to conserve my Focus Sashs. This also helped stall the game if I didn't have any Supporter cards. I honestly would've liked to have at least 2 Head Ringers to stall even more.

4 Focus Sash/0 Muscle band/2 Eco Arm

     I opted to play 4 Focus Sash to ensure I had the lock. I played no Muscle Band because I already opted to go defensive, so why should I try to go offensive too? The 2 Eco Arms was because those were all that I managed to get right before the tournament.

The Report

                                         
                                           This is what Supporters do, they betray you.

Round 1 ??? w/ Nigh March/Bronzong

     I started off dead drawing for the first few turns. While I was dead drawing I got rid of my opponents energy, stalled, and he was close to decking out. So when I used Professor Sycamore and set up, he had barely any cards and energy left so he scooped.

1-0-0

Round 2 ??? w/ Night March

     Kind of like the first game. I dead drew the first few turns. She wasn't close to decking out. I set up. The game was in my favor the whole time, it was the only game (that isn't sudden death) that I got all 6 prizes, and she had 0 cards left in her deck. Thank goodness I took the KO first and not win by another deck out.

2-0-0

Round 3 ??? w/ Metal/Ray

     I dead drew the whole game, he set up quickly. I lost this game very quickly.

2-1-0

Round 4 (Final Round before T4) ??? w/ Lucario/Bats

     I used a supporter almost every turn. He played too aggressively, which caused him to deck out, I used Hammers at the right times, and he didn't get many KOs. This game went perfectly.

3-1-0 (2nd seed)

Top 4 ??? w/ Mega ManectricEX/Raikou   

      Game 1: I didn't dead draw the whole game. I got a nice set up with a Focus Sash on each Mienfoo in play, he had to go through 4 Robo Substitutes, and I got rid of his Flash Energies with Enhanced Hammers. Win.

     Game 2: This game was like the first game, just a little more intense, okay I lied, it was WAY MORE INTENSE than the first game. I didn't dead draw, but my Mienfoos were KOed, and I only had one Pokemon left, Mienshao. I used Aero Turn on his Mega ManectricEX and I had no prizes, and Pokemon, left. What was even worse was that I had a Mienfoo in my hand so I could've won that game. Since me and my opponent had 1 win condition each, we had to do a sudden death. Time was called and I lost the sudden death by dead draw, and he won on the third turn. (And my deck isn't meant for fast starts!). An easy win turned into a catastrophy. Loss.

     Game 3: Since time has been called, and we each had on win each (Game 2 counted because someone (me) had taken at least 4 prizes.), we had to do a Sudden Death again. The judge was surprised for there to be two Sudden Death games in a row. My opponent dead drew while I had all the resources (and Hammers to remove the Flash Energy.) to win the game. Win.

Top 2 ??? w/ Night March

     Game 1: This game went quickly, I accidentally used Aero Turn instead of High Jump Kick and lost, Mienshao was my only Pokemon out. Loss.

     Game 2: My opponent conceded after being close to decking out, and I had a full set up. Win.

     Game 3: My opponent conceded after being dangerously close to decking out and there wouldn't be enough turns before decking out to get 4 prizes. I didn't even set up. Win.

                                                                          

My picture after winning.

Out of 18 Breakthrough booster packs, not bad. Also pulled Zoroark (Stand In), Magnezone, Raikou, Assault Vest, and more good cards!

     Shout out to Anthony because today is his birthday! 

     To celebrate Anthony's birthday and me getting first place, I am giving away half of my PTCGO Breakthrough Booster Pack Codes (9 of them):

88T-UY3C-VHE-6SS

C4S-EUNE-HJQ-BT8

FK9-5FVW-KFX-W7A

F9P-NSAM-TGF-EBQ

JTA-3VLH-SH5-RDV

MCN-94WR-9V7-FWA

GPC-QUNY-5YS-FXY

GT8-AWNT-KMN-DUM

KGR-ALS8-QKB-RE3

     Thanks for reading, and until next time, test on!