Top 8 @ FL Regionals ~ LuxChomp w/ Dialga Tech

Wake up in the mornin’ feeling like P-diddy…

Haha, just kidding… But I was pumped for a full day at Regionals and ready to try and make top cut with probably the most popular deck LUXCHOMP!

Pre-Regionals

I arrive driving a few of my friends and we quickly prepare our final touches and complete our decklists (got there 20 minutes before registration ended). We’re all really nervous and hear talk that the Silvestro’s and Curry’s aren’t at Regionals, which is kind of a breather since it makes Top 32 easier to get in. On the other hand though, two time World Champ Jason Klaczynski has arrived to compete in the Florida Regionals Championship?

Pairings are up, there are 131 players (8 ROUNDS, TOP 32!), no warm-ups, let’s get this party started!

Game 1: LuxChomp vs. Gyarados

This game was amazing for me. I knew LuxChomp had the edge on Gyarados, but I also knew that if he got a nice set-up he could start Tail Revenging me before I got set-up. Luckily, my hand involved a Luxray GL, a DCE, 2 Call, a Cyrus, and I think a Galactic trainer. He goes first. He starts with an Unown G and immediately puts down a few Pokémon to fill his bench. From here, I just start Knocking stuff Out and take a huge lead. He tries to Collector’s for Sableye and Magikarps, but I Bright Look his Sableye before he can Impersonate, but stupidly allow him to use Regi Move and I don’t Power Spray >_<.

Either way, I’ve taken too much of a Prize advantage with Flash Impact/Trash Bolt for him to catch up and I think he brought up Gyarados once, but I had an Expert Belt on Luxray so I Trash Bolt’d next turn.

1-0

Game 2: LuxChomp vs. Blastoise/Delcatty/Feraligatr

This was amazing for me. I never get lucky matchups like this, and I was blessed for this guy to have won. Needless to say, I Bright Look’d his Baltoy followed by his other Baltoy and Trash Bolt’d and left his Skitty’s on the field because they posed no threat to me. He couldn’t get anything set-up all game and it was a clean sweep with me taking 6-0 prizes.

2-0

Game 3: LuxChomp vs. Kingdra/Machamp

I was kind of bummed because I was paired against my friend this round. He was playing a donk deck, so I had to be prepared. Unfortunately, by some unexpected act of malice from God, I am stuck with EVERY BASIC I need prized. 2 Luxray and 2 Garchomp are in the prizes? How does that happen? I 6-pile shuffle before every round. Anyway, I start with Dialga G and Call for like a Bronzong and an Ambipom G lol. He tries to set-up twice with Uxie and I Power Spray both of them on his first-turn (his only draw-engine). So he stalls a few turns by trying to Psychic Restore them and get them back. I start attaching energies to Dialga and eventually take 2 Prizes through Second Strike on his Horsea’s.

Luckily, I draw 2 Luxray GL from the prizes. From there, I draw into a Cyrus and start Bright Look’ing his Machop first and then his other one second. I think the natural inconsistency of his 2 Stage 2’s deck without a Claydol gained me the win on this one. I took a sigh of fresh air though because I knew that getting into top cuts was going to require me to lose no more than twice most likely.

3-0

Game 4: LuxChomp vs. CurseGar

This game was just outrageous. I mean, the guy was nice and all, but he set-up his bench on his first turn! I go first with a Dialga G and a bunch of Galactic Trainers and I think a Roseanne’s. I Call for my Garchomp and Luxray and pass. Next, he uses Uxie Set-up (I have no Power Spray) and by the end of his turn has a Spiritomb active and two CurseGar on his bench as well as TWO Claydol! He basically went through half his deck on his first turn.

I have the LV.X in my hand, so I level-up to DGX, but it’s no use because I still don’t have a supporter and he Level-Down’s me next turn with Gengar LV.X. From there he’s got his second energy on and I’m just sitting there with him retreating to Spiritomb. I only ran 1 Bebe’s Search in my deck, which I regret now, so unfortunately he just out-sped me and gained a deserved win.

3-1

Game 5: LuxChomp vs. Flygon/Garchomp

The tides change once again for me this round. I’m going second and I have a god hand. I start with a Garchomp and have 2 DCE in my hand, an Energy Gain, as well as a Looker’s and a Cyrus, whereas he starts with a Trapinch. He attaches and passes. Next, I attach and lay Luxray onto the bench and then Earthquake to Knock Out his first Trapinch. He actually somewhat sets-up due to Claydol and Uxie (he actually put an Expert Belt on his Claydol so he could draw more cards and I couldn’t snipe it), but not enough to draw into a DCE for his evolved Flygon or his benched Garchomp SV, so he passes.

Next turn, I retreat to Luxray and Bright Look his expert belt’ed Garchomp, Poké Turn, and put Lucario GL onto the field so I can Dragon Rush for 2 Prizes.

This is basically what the game continued to be since he couldn’t Knock Out Garchomp and I was just retreating, Cyrus for Poké Turn, Poké Turn, Dragon Rush… until… he uses Giratina for the Power ‘Let Loose’ which really messes me up. I’ve got the win basically secured though since he can’t Knock Out Garchomp C X, so I let him take two easy prizes off of random Pokémon and then Flash Bite/Poké Turn/Dragon Rush his Claydol for the last 2 Prizes.

4-1

Game 6: LuxChomp vs. Machamp w/ Fan Rotom/Breloom SV

This was a weird matchup. Nobody understood why he was 4-1, and neither did I, but we both got decent starts until I Power Spray’d his Uxie (his only draw-engine as well) and started Flash Impact’ing a few of his Basic Pokémon. He finally got a Machamp out, but I had Unown G on my Garchomp C LV.X so he couldn’t Knock it Out. I Poké Turn’d Garchomp on my next turn and got my Uxie Power-up’d for Zen Blade + a Crobat drop.

From here, he couldn’t really do much and I was just Trash Bolt’ing all of his Basics including the Fan Rotom. Later, after the game, he told me that Fan Rotom won him like 3 or 4 games because he would start with it and use it’s attack ‘Spin Storm’ to put the only basic his Opponent had on the field into their hand, giving him the game (CHEAP!!).

5-1

Game 7: LuxChomp vs. Garchomp C/Gengar SF

This game, I got up-paired because I think I was the highest 5-1 due to my Opponent’s Win Percentage maybe? Either way, I had traded this guy my Flygon LV.X a few months beforehand and we casually talked and didn’t take the game too seriously. There wasn’t too much to say about this one, although his deck did run smoothly and it seemed like he always had a Dragon Rush prepared for the next turn. He didn’t even really use Gengar SF except for Shadow Room’ing benched Uxies. There came a point where we were tied 2-2 in Prizes, but I forgot about Fainting Spell since he had the LV.X on top of it so I used Zen Blade for the Knock Out and he flipped heads on Fainting Spell securing him the win basically >_<

5-2

Game 8: LuxChomp vs. Pl0×/Gardevoir/Gallade/Giratina

This game was so simple. I was shaking in my seat beforehand, scared that I wouldn’t make top cuts because of this last match. I saw him shuffling a Mr. Mime MT before the match, so I was pretty scared it was another CurseGar and was thinking ahead on what to do. So, to my surprise, he flipped over a Ralts when we started. My hand was really great this game as well though, so I just started Flash Impact’ing Ralts and Bright Look/Flash Impact on Baltoy early on. I got a few easy prizes and put my self ahead to two left and he hadn’t drawn one yet. Then… Let Loose >_< WHY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Fortunately, I drew into a Cyrus with my four cards and was able to re-setup. This guy didn’t talk too much and I didn’t say much to him either rather than GG and Good luck at the end.

6-2

Top 32 – I’m placed 13 and to my surprise, around 15 5-3 made it into the Top cut , so 3-of my friends got in as well :)

Match 1: LuxChomp vs. Flygon/Rampardos

These matches were so funny because it was all donk’ing. My opponent was a mom with her son in Juniors, and she was a very nice lady.

We flip over Turn 1 and I go first, attach an energy and Call. She goes and evolves her fossil into a Cranidos through Fossil Excavator. My turn. I Cyrus and Dragon Rush for the game.

7-2

Next game, we set-up and she makes me go first. I flip over a Lucario GL and attach a Psychic to pass. She goes second and rare Candy and attaches an Energy to Rampardos. 80 and game.

7-3

Here’s where things get interesting… We shuffle and cut decks, draw our 7 cards, and since I lost, I ask for myself to go first. She looks at me kind of puzzled and I flip over an Ambipom G. She flips over Uxie LA. I attach DCE, Flash Bite for 10, and Snap Attack for the game! What an amazing hand, and yet how cheap was that? I apologize like mad, but she just laughs and wishes me good luck.

8-3

Match 2: LuxChomp vs. Garchomp C/Gengar SF (Game 8)

This one was a little more tricky. We flip for Game 1 and fate decides for me to go first. I have an awful hand, including 2 Energy Gain, 2 Power Spray and 2 Call Energy. I have Dialga G active and Call for my 2 Basic starters. He set-ups through my power Spray’s by getting a Claydol out after I power Spray two Uxie (>_<) and attaches DCE to his benched Garchomp C and passes. I think I topdeck a Luxray, but anyway I Bite his Chatot and Poké Turn Crobat for the Knock Out. My Prize? a 3rd Energy Gain. I only run 3.

After this, he just runs through me TBH. It’s not much of a match because he just keeps Dragon Rush/Poké Turn/Dragon Rush on all my Basics before I can Level-up and be somewhat productive.

8-4

We start, I play down Garchomp C. I ask him to go first, we flip. He attaches DCE and Claw Swipe for 60. He says: “Show me an Energy Gain and a DCE and I’ll scoop” to which I show him a Cyrus and a DCE :)

9-4

Finally, a real game. We both have decent starts and I go first. I attach Call and get out two Basic Starters. I power Spray his Uxie and he has to resort to using Mimic with Chatot. I draw, Cyrus, get out Garchomp C X, Dragon Rush his benched Garchomp C. He draws, set-ups a Gengar and Shadow Room’s my Uxie. I go, Retreat/Poké Turn/Dragon Rush his Claydol. From there I think he just dead-drew, and I had the game… There was one point though where he Level-Up’d into a Gengar LV.X and I Dragon Rush’d it for 80 on the bench, and then tried Dragon Rushing again next turn for the K0, but didn’t realize he was Resistant (I knew, I just forgot like a loser >_<)

The guy was nice about it though, and let me take back a previous Flash Bite I had done to Claydol before attacking (in preparation for Bright Look next turn in case he had a Looker’s or something). I think I would have had the game though anyway since it was my last prize and he had 4 left anyhow.

Real cool guy.

10-4

Match 3: LuxChomp vs. LuxChomp

Here’s where everything went wrong… I had a HORRIBLE hand Game 1 and was convinced I could draw into a Cyrus because I didn’t want to give up. Unfortunately, when playing the mirror, it’s really whoever sets-up first in which case was my Opponent. He started Dragon Rushing early and I couldn’t keep up without my Basic starters. Somehow I managed to draw 4 Prizes through Ambipom G and Toxicroak G, but it was to no avail.

Next game was a little better, since I drew into a supporter this game (the ONLY supporter I used Game 1 was Aaron’s Collection >_<). He Looker’d me at one point though in the game and I think that was the deciding moment. I had Looker’s in my hand, but I was too late to use it. I still managed to bring it between 1-1 in Prizes but I knew he had Garchomp C X in his hand and he had put down a DCE and a Garchomp on the bench last turn, and unfortuantely, there’s no Sniping Spray.

10-5

I get up from the table, half relieved that I get to go home (it’s currently 1:40 AM in the morning) and half disappointed that I don’t get a chance to fight for a scholarship or receive a box of cards/trophy. The judge brings me over to the table and says to pick up any bag of packs I’d like since I’m first done and I grab the 5th place bag to which he laughs.

Oh well, first Regionals Championship, what was I expecting? To have an epic showdown against two time World Champ in Top 2? :P The competition is amazing in Florida, and Silvestro/Curry weren’t even there!

I’m not sure who won, but it must have been at 3 or 4 in the morning.

~ I got Donphan PRIME, Ampharos PRIME, 2 Legend Pieces, and the much needed… WATER LUGIA ENERGY!! (For Palkia Lock which I’m re-building next).

Hope you enjoyed the report and hopefully we’ll see a First place report on 6P! I saw that Faron won Junior Regionals Champions, so maybe he’ll write another report.

Laterrr