Team Rocket status effect deck
                                    By: Weston Taylor
        Wizards of the Coast store (Non-sanctioned tournament)
                                    Montclair, California
                       Monday, July 24, 2000, 4:00 P.M.-7:00 P.M.
                                Roughly 20 people attended
        Hi Almighty Pojo and readers! It's time for a first mono-Team Rocket
deck! One thing before I start my article-I DID NOT count basic energy as
part of the Team Rocket expansion, OK?! Just had to inform you about that
before I started the report!
Pokemon: 18
2-Dark Gloom
    I know it sounds awkward, but I put it in there because Oddish had to
evolve into something, and Pollen Stench is good for a last-ditch thing.
4-TR Oddish
    Poison your opponent then put 'em to sleep! Pretty tight card...I think
this card deserves a 3 1/2, SCOTT! J/K! :-)
2-Dark Muk
    Automatic poison and two more retreat cost for your opponent? Virtually
destroys free-retreaters except for Fossil Gastly...only problem...MP Mewtwo
dundundun
3-TR Grimer
    WAY better version than Fossil Grimer, if you ask me. The ability to put
your opponent to sleep then to do 30 w/ paralyzation is pretty good.
1-Dark Arbok
    I know running only one of these in a deck is pretty scary, but this guy
just kicks butt if you keep using poison vapor, and stare is pretty good for
the first attack on this guy. This card can be plain devastating.
2-TR Ekans
    Poison sting is pretty good, but this guy is waiting to evolve!
2-TR Koffing
    Koffing is pretty much the same as Ekans, but it has 10 less HP.
2-TR Porygon
    Hey! I needed resistance to psychic and a free retreater. I also like the
ability to change my opponents weakness and to be able to confuse my
opponent, too. Porygon fits in well w/ this deck IMO.
Trainers: 15
4-Sleep!
    Putting your opponent to sleep can be devastating.
4-Challenge!
    Filling up your bench is a great advantage, and a free Bill is good, too.
This card is just too Broken.
3-Rocket's Sneak Attack
    Mini-Lass and keeping yourself safe also? Whoa Nellie! What a card!
2-Imposter Oak's Revenge
    To keep my opponent at bay.
2-The Boss's Way
    This card grabs the evolutions I need, and it combos well with Challenge!
Energy: 26
24-Grass Energy
    Do I need to comment?
2-Potion Energy
    Whoa! One colorless energy and 10 more HP can really spoil your
opponent's next move.
    Well, that about wraps up the cards and their explanations. Onto the
rounds...
Round 1 vs. some fat guy with pink shirt
    OK, this guy was kind of weird...He threw a bunch of TR Meowths and
Eevees at me. I did everything I could to hold from laughing. :-D! Anyway, I
ended up just killing off his pokemon with Dark Gloom and Dark Muk. After the
match, the guy kept calling his deck a "Weasel deck"...haha...then he just
did a "mmph" after I said good game to him. What a jerk! Oh well. I still
won! :-)
Record: 1-0
Round 2 vs. Newcomer
    Well, my friend told me to go easy on him. I tried my hardest to go easy,
but this kid's deck was just too weak for my status effect deck. Oh well. At
least he wasn't a poor sport. Props to him.
Record: 2-0
Round 3 vs. Fat guy with pink shirt again.
    OK, I wanted to make this guy angrier than he already was after losing to
me the first time. The first thing he said to me was "Oh, you again..." haha.
This time he did kinda better, but after I got Dark Muk out, it was purely
academic against his weak basics. Another win!
Record: 3-0
Round 4 vs. Bruce with Dark Blastoise deck, I think.
    Well, this time I just overpowered his weak basics with the power of Dark
Gloom and Dark Arbok. By the time he finally got Dark Blastoise out, it was
too late because he didn't have the energy to use Hydro Cannon. "Sleep!"
played a major role in this round because he kept on forgetting to flip
before he drew his card...haha! Another win!
Record: 4-0
Round 5 vs. kid with Dark Dragonite deck
    Well, this round went pretty much my way because all he really managed to
get out were a few Farfetch'ds and a couple Dratini. I killed every last one
off that he threw at me after he continuously "Potion-ed" and "Super
Potion-ed" his damage off. That was probably one of the shortest matches I
played with me getting all my prizes. :-)!
Record: 5-0
Round 6 vs. annoying kid w/ colorless/psychic deck
    OK, first of all, this kid was ALMOST as annoying as the Fat Guy with the
pink shirt. This round went pretty quick because he was playing with all of
the psychic pokemon that evolve (i.e., Abra, Slowpoke, etc.) and he was also
playing with...Base Mewtwo?? Oh well. Anyway, the only pokemon I did have
trouble with was his stupid Lickitung. All the rest I either put to sleep and
then poisoned them, or I just flat-out poisoned them. Looks like another win
for me!!
Record: 6-0
Well, too bad that was a non-sanctioned tournament. Time for Props and Slops!
Props to
...My deck for doing so well
...Random props to Burger King-hey, their burgers are great!
...To my Mom for letting me go, even though I was supposed to be grounded for
the rest of the summer for breaking a window...:-)
Slops
...To the fat guy with the pink shirt for being a total jerk
...To the annoying kid for being mean
...To the Gym leader, Lance. He was a total jerk to me and my friend.
    Well, that's all for this Killer Deck report. Below is my E-mail address
and my name. Bye!
Email me at PrObAlLeR8769@AOL.COM OK!
Catch ya later!
--Weston Taylor