The Sponge v 1

The Sponge v 1.0
by Scott Gerhardt

Rama Llama Comics
Plano, Texas
November 14, 1999
11 participants - DCI Sanctioned

Well, every once in a while, I get to reading tournament reports and I want to write one too. This one is gonna be kinda short, but I wanted to get it out there because I feel the deck is pretty good

The Sponge v1.0

4 Electabuzz
3 Promo Mewtwo
3 Ditto
2 Kangiskhan

4 Bill
4 Professor Oak
4 Energy Removal
2 Super Energy Removal
3 Gust of Wind
2 Computer Search
2 Item Finder
2 Mr. Fuji
2 Scoop Up
2 Energy Retrievals

4 Double Colorless
9 Psychic
8 Electric

Strategy is simple - attack hard and fast, hopefully being able to disrupt your opponent completely until you have them on the ropes. If you can find a way to energy absorb a Mewtwo up to 3 energy at the end of your first turn, then you're doing great!

Round 1 vs Gordon Kane (Potpourri-style)

Gordon went back to a very solid Potpourri deck - Fire/Grass/Fighting, I beleive. He got a good jump on me, applying some pain with a Venomoth. I eventually am able to even things out with an Electabuzz. We go back and forth a little before I am able to get a fully powered Mewtwo up, and that is pretty bad for him. He spent the rest of the game on defense and I'm able to pull out the win

Match Record (1-0)

Round 2 vs Beth N. (Energy Transfer)

Beth has a solid energy transfer deck, but a couple of things went against her. First of all, my very fast Mewtwo came to play. Second, she never could get to a Venusaur. Third, she never saw her Psychic resistant Lickitung or Chansey. Mewtwo came hot and heavy and ripped her bench up.

Match Record (2-0)

Round 3 vs Chris N. (Wiggly-Hay)

Well, Beth's son now looking for revenge. Unfortunately for him, it was not in the cards. The game was slowly played, with key energy removals and a deadly-accurate Electabuzz going to work. Every time a Wiggly came up, I'd Super Strip it, then work it over to death. At time called, it was 4-2 prizes in my favor.

Match Record (3-0)

Well, that's the swiss part and I am the only undefeated. We break to top 4. Seeding looks a little like this:

Semi-finals vs Beth N.

Well, I've got to be honest. I beat Beth so bad round 2 that I figured I had a semi-final cake walk. WHOOPS! As you will see, time to re-evaluate. I get a kinda slow start to this game. She jumps out with a Lickitung and holds me off for forever and a day. Eventually she gets ou a venusaur and has her way. Her Ditto took out a gettin' ready Mewtwo, so that hurt. She was up on prizes, and with 5 cards in library, and 3 in hand, she Impostors me. Whoops. Guess I'm decked. Luckily for me, though, we agreed to go 2 of 3.
Game 2 starts similarly. I just can not seem to get enough damage through to draw any real number of prizes. Down a LOT in the library, I look for the deck. I jump a Mewtwo out there and start absorbing like mad. With about 9 energy cards on him, she drops an energy on a Ditto. Not wanting any funny business, and me having no way in hand to deal with Ditto, I retreat and Fuji. This leaves decks within 3. A few turns later, after I comp Search and KNOW I have the other Fuji still in deck, she Impostor's me. This leaves the differential at 5. Drawing down to zero cards in my library, I finally see the Fuji again. Faced in a bad situation (three prizes to her one), I make the only gamble I can. She killed the Mewtwo I was gonn Fuji the previous turn. not liking the Ditto sitting on her bench with 2 total energy on her side (Venusaur), I have to play the 4th energy on my other Mewtwo, leaving my active with one and defenseless. I Fuji it in, so now I am going to win the decking war. The question was, could I survive 5 turns. I have no removal, no Gusts, no real ammuniton at all. Luckily, she fails to draw the third energy. I had abrobed the turn earlier, so it was no problem retreating for Ditto. By this time, Ditto was a Lickitung, so I am able to tongue wrap a couple times to stall for an Electabuzz. She has no feasible way to kill a Buzz in 2 turns, so I won.
Game 3 was just like round 2. She saw nothing good and I got the insano Mewtwo start. One turn from death, she TDs a Chansey, but Buzz comes out and makes short work of it. She didn't see basics quick enough, and got benched.

Matches (4-0)

Finals vs Ryan Lassburn

Nothing to report here. He wanted prize money, and I wanted the DCI win as well as to rush off to a concert, so I gave him $20 credit, he gave me $10 and the win. Everyone is happy.

Now, I am #12 in the world riding a 16-1 DCI streak. I'm happy - should at least boost me back into the top 10 with the next update. Still shooting for #1, but we'll have to see how that goes.

Props and Slops

Props to Gordon for loaning me the camera for the trip! You will see a report and pictures from my Iowa trip soon.
Props to Beth for the match. Goodness gracious that was one of the best matches I have played in a long time.
Props to the Pokemon Lady for a well run tournament in Iowa - it was a blast!

Slops to Keith Williams just because he gives me slops - I still am waiting at RLC for ya!.

That's it. Have fun kiddos!

Scott Gerhardt