Hey everybody, it's Sean here, finally back after nearly a month with no internet. I may have taken a leave of absence from surfing the net (Since we moved on June 2 and had no extra phone line) but not from the pokemon TCG. In my time off I participated in 2 tourneys, (including this one) and won the first one with this deck. Want to know how I did in this one? Then read on.

Death by Ditto
POKEMON: 9
3 magmar (F)
3 Lapras
3 Ditto

TRAINERS: 32
4 Pluspower
4 Scoop up
3 Energy Removal
3 Super Energy Removal
3 Lass
3 Nightly Garbage Run
3 Bill
1 Challenge!
3 Oak
3 Comp. Search
2 Gust of Wind

ENERGY: 19
8 Water
7 Fire
4 DCE

STRATEGY:
    The basic strategy with this deck is metagaming. Since most in my area use Fossil Magmar, I use Lapras in this deck. Since most use Scyther, I use Fossil Magmar. And since most use Wiggly and Promo Mewtwo, I use Ditto. You may notice the low number of Pokemon and high number of trainers, but I've only mulliganed a few times and the trainers help get Pokemon into play. Basically, just beat your opponent senseless.

INDIVIDUAL CARD STRATEGIES:
Lapras: take out magmars and confuse others
Magmar: Rip through Scyther and annoy with status effects
Ditto: requires skillfull use. Use for big hitters since he can power up faster.
Pluspower: aid beatdown of opponent
Scoop Up: Get Ditto out of the active spot ( Since retreating often kills him)
E.R.: Prevent attacks
S.E.R.:Prevent more attacks
Lass: Double-use; prevent E.R and stop from decking
N.G.R.: get back precious energy and stop from decking (Saved my butt in the last   tourney
Bill: Card advantage and get pokes out quicker
Challenge: a bit overrated, since opponent can say no. But helps get pokes either way
Oak: Awsome. without these no deck can win ('cept stall)
Comp. Search: get any card in time of need. Killer. Nuff said
G.O.W: pick off dying or weak benched pokes; or squirtles before they become monsters
Fire and Water energy: duh.
DCE: Help power ditto quickly

TOURNEY BACKROUND:
    A decent number of people this time, though nothing like last tourney's 20 people. I decided, since everyone was making defenses against Tuff Stuff, to surprise em last tournament, and surprise em I did. I took first after defeating a kid with a REALLY good Wiggly deck. NGR's and Lass saved me that time, after he almost won twice by Imp. Prof. Oaks. (I had just one card left in my deck each time)
Anyway, I decided to use this deck again, since it done well last time. Rudi came again, and so did my friend chris and his brother. I arrived 4 minutes late, but they hadn't started yet. While we waited to draw numbers, I sold some holo promo Eevees, and got enough money off of em to pay my way into the tourney and buy pizza without breaking my ten dollar bill. I also traded one for an Electabuzz. The tourney, since there were ten participants, was uneven. Therefore, 8 people played  best 2 out of 3 matches, while two had BYEs. The next round was two three way matches with the two winners of those facing off for first place.
FIRST prize: 20$ store credit
SECOND prize: 10$ store credit
On with the Tourney:

Round 1:
Match 1: Me vs. Levi with Dark charizard deck.
    Of course, I didn't get the BYE, but at least I didn't have to play Kevin or Rudi first Round. He mulliganed once, allowing me to draw a water energy, which desperately needed. Levi started with a Rocket Charmander and no bench, to my... Lapras, a bad start for him. I had another lapras benched, with a bill, a Pluspower, and an ER among other things. I attached energy and billed, hoping for another pluspower or a comp search to win first turn, but got neither, so I Gunned for 20. I hoped he got no basic pokemon, but he did; an Electabuzz, just my luck. The game continued on forever, with me drawing 5 prizes and him drawing 5 prizes. Then, he made a fatal error. With an two energy Dark Charizard up front, he benched a Rocket Charmander. He then flipped two tails for Continuous fireball. My turn, I had a charged lapras out, and a GOW in my hand. I said, "this is game," and gusted out the Charmander, watergunning it for the win... or so I thought. As I KOed the Mander, he immediately accused me of drawing an extra prize at some point in the game, and said tht I should have two left. I protested, knowing that I had not and that I'm not a cheater. He then looked through his entire discard pile, picking out 4 pokemon that he said I knocked out. I hate it when people do that. There is no way to tell by looking at the discard pile, since he oaked 3 times and nightly garbaged 3 times. I gave up my arguement, knowing I could win anyway. I ERed his Charizard and gusted the Mander for the kill. Next turn, he drew no energy and nail flicked me. I retreated Lapras for a Ditto with 4 energy and got 2 heads for the win. Seven prizes taken.
    WIN
Match 2: This time he went first, but this game was much faster. I dominated with Ditto, although he KOed it by bringing out a Mander when Ditto had 40 damage. He almost came back with Buzz, but my magmars took care of them and his Scythers, while Lapras doused his Dark Char family's flames. I benched jim with one prize in my pile remaining.
    Win

Since my match had taken so long, round 2's threeways were already underway. My bracket was taking forever, so I went down and bought a slice of pizza with Eevee money. Finally, I was up.

Round 2
    Match one: Me vs. young kid with good Electric deck( sorry I couldn't remember his name)
    He had defeated the other player in the bracket in his first round of the three way. As we began the match, Mr. Mondae told us to play one match, since time was running out. I started a single Ditto to his Rocket voltorb and his benched pikachu. I drew a Lapras (not the best against electric) and benched it. I attacked the voltorb for twenty. He then KOed my Ditto (he had gone first) and I was looking screwed. I sent up lapras and watergunned. He then benched a fossil Zapdos, and attatched to it, then evolved his one-energy pikachu into Dark Raichu. Next, he potioned, and I thought I'd lose next turn. But he made a deadly mistake as well. He imp. oak's revenged me, giving me a new hand with... yesss! a fossil magmar. After that, the game got less tense as I gained control of the match. My magmars stalled with smokescreen and he hit me with attacks very little due to magmar. I took out his Fossil Zapdos with ditto, as well as his Dark Jolteon. His final pokemon was a Rocket voltorb. I attached a 3rd energy to Lapras and had a pluspower in hand. After drawing energy next turn, I retreated Magmar and sent out Lapras, attatched the Pluspower and KOed the voltorb to win. Boy, I felt really bad about beating him, since he was young and his mom was there cheering him on. Too bad he had to leave, I was going to give him some of my prize money if I won.
    WIN
Match two: Me vs. kid (can't remember his name either, it slipped my mind) with Raindance.
    If I won here, I was in the finals, and I was pretty confident I could. Mr Mondae called one match again, and we began the game. I totally destroyed him. My ditto wrecked his Articunos with the help of SER, and I lassed away a breeder and an Oak from him early. The whole game I dominated. He got a blastoise out with 3 energy at one point, but I destroyed it with Ditto and Two ERs. I finally won by prizes, me taking all, him none.
    WIN

Kevin had won his bracket, so we were in the finals. We were both tired and knew we were the best players there and that our match would take forever. Rather than playing it out, we agreed to split the Prize money, each getting 15 dollars in store credit. I got three Rocket packs (even though I have the whole set) and got... Finally, a "good pack." While my other two packs were a Non-holo Dark Zard and Non holo Here comes team Rocket, my first pack was a Holo Dark Charizard. Now I can trade it to the people who forever want one. Well, that's all. This was my third in a row I believe, with a couple of second places before these. I'm happy. Oh yeah, time for...

Props & Slops
Props go to:
    Scott and the Pojo Staff, you guys rock
    Mr Mondae, who was nice enough to have the tourney
    Promo Eevees, which got me 3 Electabuzz and 5 bucks total
    Levi for using an original deck
    The electric deck kid, with practice, he'll be Great
    Ditto, he's just awsome
    Kevin, for accepting the draw
Slops go to:
    Levi for accusing me of cheating and making me draw 7 prizes
    Dark Charizard, if you look at him, he's not that great
    Haters of wigglytuff decks who love other archytypes. That's a tad hippocritical.
    Justin Smith for bashing Wigglytuff decks. (Nothin Personal Justin)
    Scyther-haters, you must be smoking crack
Well, that's it. Untill next time Poke fans,
    Sean Norris

Did ya like it?
    E-mail me at: snorris@snip.net