Or

Another Sunday means another Rama Llama tournament. Like last week, it was hot (another day at 100 degrees), and like last week the attendance was up there, reaching 79 this week. While some of the intense competitors from last week, like Chipmunk, were not there this week, plenty of others were there ready to fill in and provide ample good competition.

As I got there, Sam (the owner) let me know that he had set aside enough boosters to do a draft, so there would be one at the end of the main tournament. That was certainly something to look forward to, since it had been several weeks since the last draft. We were looking at 7 round of swiss, which was a bit long. I really need to convince Rama Llama and that age-modified swiss does not need as many rounds as regular swiss. BTW, sorry for my lack of names on some of my opponents. I got home, could not find the paper that had my opponents names on it, and had to try to remember as best I could.

Chris was running Rain Dance, which is just REAL bad for him, since I have never lost to, nor even come close to losing to Rain Dance with Potpourri. Add in an opening mulligan and life just gets miserable for him. I simply drop Electabuzz and let him do what he does best – rip Rain Dance wide open. It was mostly the Poliwag line, though. Never saw a Squirtle, and I fried the two Magikarps I saw on the spot.

(1-0)

Wow. This guy pile shuffled right in front of me so I saw his entire deck. We shall call it "Potpourri’s Twisted Cousin" Like 4 Hitmos, 4 Electabuzz, 1 Scyter, 2 Mime, 2 Mewtwo. It was weird, with a strange trainer mix. My opening Mewtwo eats up a Mr. Mime and Hitmonchan before going down, but I had prize and energy advantage at that point, and Scyther came out for some beats. I kept it from being close.

(2-0)

This guy was running a "Potpourri-breaker" it seemed like. It had Electabuzz, Scyther, and Magmar. Mr. Mime was generally fine, but my Scythers gave me no advantage, and could get roasted by Magmar. It was a tough match. My deck opened by the first 4 energies I draw all being Psychic, and no Psychic pokemon. This was after an Oak, so I was on the defensive quick. At like 3-4 prizes in his advantage, I took like 2 minutes to make a decision as to what to do. In that 2 minutes, time ran out. Since I got the last turn, I Item Findered for a Gust of Wind to bring out a damaged Scyther and roast it for the draw.

(2-0-1)

Well, Greg had the other Potpourri breaker. It was a Sword Dancer variant with Hitmonchans. A very good deck and one I am going to look into playing. Unfortunately for him, I got a really good draw, and jumped all over his Jynxes and Hitmonchans before he could do much. He got removaled a lot and never could get going. Not an easy win, but my deck really came through for me.

(3-0-1)

Dean is a really nice guy I know from Magic, so I know he’ll be tough. He’s running a slightly untuned stock Haymaker, so I kinda have the advantage. Like round 4, but deck was completely in gear and just gave me what I needed at opportune times. It was pretty bad for him as I always had the removal, or gust, or pluspower to do what I needed, and I got a 5-0 win.

(4-0-1)

Okay. This match was strange. It was during this match that I had to find the 4^th accepted way to win: be ahead on prize cards at time limit. He was running a really strange Alakazam/Chansey/Scyther/Hitmonchan. I don’t see how this deck wins in time limit. It seems to either be ahead on prizes at time limit, or decks you, because it had little offense to it. Anyway, I got an abyssmal draw against him. I finally draw into an Oak and can get a few cards. I get some offense running, but due to his super defensive deck, and my horrid draw, prizes are still 5-5 with 5 minutes left. It has become evident he wants to deck me, since that seems that is what his deck does best. Well, I don’t like the idea. If you take a stall deck to a 20 minute tournament, you’re gonna get some outcomes like ours. Taking respectable length turns (NOT playing exceptionally slow, but certainly not playing fast), I am able to gust out a Chansey and get a killing, leaving the prizes at 5-4. Running low in my library, I make sure to do plenty of things on my turn. Attach energy, retreat. It did not matter as I was simply trying to stay out of harm’s way at that point. I won the game as time was called. I kinda felt bad, because his deck performed better than mine. On the other hand, he built a deck that was not going to win in 20 minutes against a quality player. You must build for your environment, and his deck was not environment appropriate.

(5-0-1)

This match was as much for pride as anything. Alex had locked his division – I had not. I had a bit riding here. If I win, I get to silence Alex and his talk about being undefeated against me in tournament. Also, I get the $35 credit for winning. Lose, and I have nothing to say. I win the flip and go first. I open with Scyther to his lone Ponyta. Sensing the opportunity, I go off. I Oak first turn (using a comp search), and draw crap. I Oak again (using an item finder) and get a Hitmonchan, but no energy. I use another Oak (#3) and draw into a fight energy and a PlusPower. I only needed one thing left (and I just now realized that I almost gave him the win). Holding an Item Finder in hand, I get the Oak and go again. If I’m smart, I Finder for the Comp Search, and Search for the PlusPower and the win. I forget, and Oak again, getting a Bill, but nothing else. The bill yields nothing, and I have to hit pony for 30. He top decks another Pony, and removes my energy, but nothing else. Next turn I drop energy and kill Pony. Over the next 2 turns he fails to draw a basic, and removes all my energy, but I keep some in hand and am able to knock out the 2^nd pony for the win.

(6-0-1)

Well, I won the tournament and the $35 credit. My job was only half over for the day. It was time for draft. I get position 5 with Alex to my left and Mark Woodworth to my right. I open with a Bill, then get a Charmeleon. Third pick is a Vulpix, and I’m looking at fire. I get some great picks in the draft, including a 4^th pack, 6^th pick Ninetails. The lone jungle pack yields me 4 Pokeball, so I know I’m rocking. Here is my draft deck:

3 Charmander
2 Charmeleon
3 Vulpix
1 Ninetails
2 Magmar
1 Growlithe
1 Arcanine
1 Meowth
1 Persian
1 Bill
1 Item Finder
1 Computer Search
4 Pokeball
1 Energy Retrieval
17 Fire Energy

Decks were 40 cards, rounds were best 2 out of 3, 4 prizes per game.

Same guy I cheese won against in the main tournament. He is running fight/electric. Game 1 he opens with Machop and hurts me kinda bad for a while as my pokemon dance around. Finally a good Pokeball flip give me Charmeleon and I roast the Machop. From there, Charmeleon takes over and I win it. Game 2 is all about Rhyhorn coming out and Ramming by bench silly. I lose it bad! Game 3 her gets a bad draw, and evolved Pikachu to Raichu just for more HP. I kill it off, and drop Ninetails. There is not much you can do at that point when the large fox hits the board in draft and me having energy for days.

Great. Yet another guy who wants revenge for me beating them in the main. He is running mono grass, though, and really stands no chance. Thankfully, he beat the mono-water deck that was problems for me. Game 1 he annoys me with Porygon for a while, but Charmeleon is just too much and he burns through the line eventually. Game 2 you can only stiffen your Kakuna so much before the flip fails. By that time, Ninetails is ready and does 160 damage a shot – that clears him out quick.

Well, Mark and I split. We had to play for the real winner, though, so we play one game for first pick. I get out a quick Magmar and make pretty short work of him. It came down to too much damage too fast and I won it without much of a fight.

For winning, my half of the split (of all the holos in the draft) was a Blastoise, 2 Raichu, a Chansey, a Hitmonchan, a Zapdos, and a Pidgeot. I’d say I had a pretty good day overall.

Props to Rama Llama. At least this week just about everyone had a place to sit.

Props to Alex just because.

Props to Woodworth for making the draft finals in his first ever draft.

Props to everyone who built a Potpourri-breaker and did well with it. This will probably scare me away from playing it for a while.

Slops to Keith. These will just keep comin’ until you do. =)

Slops to myself. I take this game too seriously and need to calm the heck down at tournaments from now on.

That’s it. Have fun and keep playin’! Until next time…..

Scott "Simba" Gerhardt

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