Huntley, IL City Championships Report

Hey everyone!!! Jordan VanHeesch here to give another tourney report. Sorry I haven’t given a report since Nationals, but I haven’t been able to play in a tournament since Nats, since I have been busy with school and moving to my new house. Anyway, after judging the Rockford, IL CC the day before, I spent that night doing a little playtesting, since I haven’t played in any Cities yet. I was going to attend the Jersey Marathon with a few buddies, but due to finances and weather, we decided against it.

After a few hours testing, I decided to go with LuxChomp, because I tested fairly well with it, and I feel it has fairly even to favorable matchups across the board. After a few modifications, here is the list I decided running:

Pokémon – 21 2 Luxray GL RR 2 Luxray GL LV.X RR 2 Garchomp C RR 1 Garchomp C LV.X RR 1 Dialga G PL 1 Dialga G LV.X PL 1 Crobat G PL 1 Bronzong G PL 1 Lucario GL RR 1 Ambipom G RR 1 Toxicroak G Promo 1 Dragonite FB SV 1 Azelf LA 2 Uxie LA 1 Uxie LV.X LA 1 Unown Q MD 1 Smeargle UD

T/S/S – 27 4 Cyrus’s Conspiracy 4 Poké Turn 3 Energy Gain 3 Power Spray 2 SP Radar 3 Pokémon Collector 2 Bebe’s Search 2 Premier Ball 1 Aaron’s Collection 1 Junk Arm 1 VS Seeker 1 Expert Belt

Energy – 12 4 Double Colorless 3 Warp 3 L 1 P 1 M

Techs and Trainers

Since I’m sure everyone has read countless LuxChomp articles, I will not go over the obvious necessities of the deck, but I will explain why I added certain techs and Trainers to my list.

1-1 Dialga G LV.X – Mainly used for the Mewtwo LV.X counter, and against Vilegar to counter Vileplume’s “Allergy Flower” Poké-Body, which prevents your Trainer usage, which could mean bad times for you. It is also useful against Mew Prime, Yanmega Prime, and the like. And, with the addition of a M Energy, it can use “Deafen” against Uxie Donk and other heavy Trainer-based decks to disrupt their setup.

Dragonite FB – An overall good card with high HP that is useful against the mirror because you do 80 to your opponent’s active SP with its first attack, “Mach Blow.” It also 1HKOs opposing Garchomp Cs or Dragonite FBs.

Smeargle – Used for its Poké-Power, “Portrait,” to use Supporters in your opponent’s hand, which is especially useful if you get a bad start.

Junk Arm – Used to recycle a key Energy Gain, Power Spray, Poké Turn, or other useful Trainer.

VS Seeker – Same usage as Junk Arm, but for Supporters.

Expert Belt – Used for extra damage output on a Belted Gyarados, or an easier Gengar KO with Uxie.

3 Warp Energy – Used for mainly pushing your freshly leveled up Dialga G to the bench, or resetting the Garchomp C LV.X counter. But it is a very useful card in general.

Huntley, IL City Championship

So, myself, Keith, and Christina Emmert drive to the Huntley tournament and get registered. I go and say hi to people who are happy that I am finally playing for the first time this season! I fill out and turn in my decklist, then go and buy new sleeves for my deck. After introductions and the day’s round schedule, it was announced that there will be 6 rounds in Masters with a top 8 cut. So I sit at my designated table, and got ready to play.

Round 1 vs. Bonnie Johnson with Uxie Donk

I didn’t really know her, but she recognized me as a judge in Rockford the day before, which was really nice. Not really much going for her, she starts first with a lone Uxie to my Luxray GL start. She passes, and I use a Pokémon Collector to get my Dialga G, an Uxie, and a Garchomp C.

So I play my cards, attach a Double Colorless Energy to my active, and hit her for 30. She unfortunately draws terribly with 2 Unown R, and tries to lay down another Uxie, which I Power Spray. So she just attacks me for 20, bottom decking her Uxie and promoting a Crobat G. I just KO it next turn, and she scoops……sorry.

1/0

Round 2 vs. ???? with Speed Kingdra

I apologize, but I forgot this guy’s name…but he is a regular player in the Chicagoland area, and is a really cool guy!!! He starts with a lone Regice while I open with an Ambipom G and a Luxray GL on the bench. He just draws and passes. I open with a Pokémon Collector to grab an Uxie, Lucario GL, and another Luxray GL. I play my cards, and attach a Double Colorless to my Ambipom and hit the Regice for 60 with “Snap Attack.”

Next turn, he uses a total (with Pokémon Rescues) of 7 Unown R. He is only able to get one Kingdra Prime on the field. He then hits my active for 60. Next turn, I Poké Turn my active to promote my Luxray GL, level it up, then I Cyrus for a L Energy, another Cyrus, and an Energy Gain. I attach the Energy Gain and L Energy to my Luxray GL LV.X, then I place Crobat G down to “Flash Bite” the active Kingdra Prime, then I 1HKO it with “Flash Impact.” He isn’t able to get anything else out, so I win the match fairly easily…GG.

2/0

Round 3 vs. Garrett Muersch with Steelix Prime/Blissey PL

Can’t say much about this match. He gets out a Belted Steelix turn 3, and I have trouble drawing energy, but I am finally able to KO it and get 2 Prizes for a 4-4 tie. But he pulls out another one, and KOs my active Luxray GL LV.X. I “Dragon Rush” his benched Uxie for a 4-3 Prize lead when time is called.

He then KOs my active Garchomp C LV.X with his active Steelix for the tie, then we exchange KOs for a 2-2 tie going into sudden death. I could KO his benched Regice with help of the Crobat G in my hand, but he attached an Expert Belt to it, and I had no way to kill it, so I scoop to his Steelix…..GG.

2/1

Round 4 vs. Kevin Kuphal with Sableye/Houndoom/Slowking

He is a Pokédad from the Chicagoland area, and was a good guy. It seemed this was a hand lock deck, because he opened with a Sableye and used a Cyrus’s Initiative, but whiffed. I eventually KO’d his Sableye, and he hit my active with his powered Houndoom. I 1HKO’d it next turn with my Garchomp C LV.X and a Crobat G drop. He was never able to recover afterward, so this match was lopsided… Sorry.

3/1

Round 5 vs. James Ballard with Gyarados

You may recognize the last name. James is Jimmy Ballard’s son. He is a good kid (and a great player too!). I don’t remember his lone start, but I started with an Ambipom G. He starts, and “Time Walks” with Azelf to get a Sableye from his prizes, then uses “Impersonate” to grab a Pokémon Collector. I draw, play my Cyrus for a Pokémon Collector, a Poké Turn, an energy, attach a Double Colorless to the Ambipom, then hit his Active for 40.

He sets up a Gyarados next turn, and KOs my Ambipom. I get 2 Prizes next turn by KOing both his active Gyarados and benched Sableye with Luxray GL LV.X and key Crobat G drops. We get down to 2-2 in prizes, and he misplays by not pulling up my Lucario GL with his Luxray GL LV.X. So I am able to take my last 2 Prizes for the win. Good match!!!

4/1

Round 6 vs. Rob Downs with Shuppet Donk

I know Rob Downs really well, and he is a tough opponent and a great guy. He starts with a lone Dunsparce, and I start with a lone Ambipom G again. He goes first, attaches an energy and hits me for 20. I Cyrus for a Pokémon Collector, SP Radar, and an energy. I SP Radar for a Luxray GL and bench it. I attach my energy to the benched Luxray GL, and pass.

At this point, I am praying he does not play a Seeker. He plays a Cyrus instead (phew), to get a Seeker, Poké Turn, and an energy. He plays his cards, and is able to KO my Ambipom, and send the Dunsparce back to his hand, promoting his Crobat G. I Collector for a Garchomp C, another Luxray GL, and an Uxie. I then also Premier Ball for a Luxray GL LV.X and level up my active. I play my cards then 1HKO his active Crobat G.

I am able to pull out my Dialga G next turn and Deafen him for a few turns to get set up. We trade prizes down to 3-3. I take another prize to get the lead 3-2 when time was called. Rob asked me if I had options to beat him, so I showed him some of my hand, and he scooped, since he was nearly empty of resources. GG Rob. Sorry.

5/1

After the match, I was certain I had made top cut, so I sorted my deck, and got ready to turn in my deck. Sure enough, standings are posted, and I am the 5th seed out of 8. After a quick 30 minute break, top cut began.

Top 8 vs. Stephen Matz with Gyarados

Game 1:

He opens with Sableye and Impersonates for a Collector, grabbing 2 Magikarp and a Regice. I Collector for 2 Luxray GL’s and a Lucario GL, then I drop my Uxie, and play my cards. Then I hit his Sableye for 40 damage with my Ambipom G active. He is able to get Gyarados out next turn, and KOs my Ambipom.

I then take 2 Prizes the following turn by 1HKOing his Gyarados with my leveled up Luxray GL, and killing his benched Sableye with Crobat G drops. Without playing an Uxie the entire game, he is able to set out another Gyarados, Expert Belt it, and 1HKO my Luxray GL. I then respond by 1HKOing his Belted Gyarados with my other Luxray GL on the bench.

He miraculously rips a Bebe’s Search, and gets out another Gyarados, Belts it, and 1HKOs my other Luxray GL. Oh, did I mention he never played an Uxie this game??? LOL! Being near out of resources, and knowing my Aaron’s Collection was prized, I scoop Game 1… Darn luck…

0/1

Game 2:

This game ended up almost exactly like Game 1, except he drops Uxie and I don’t have my Aaron’s Collection prized. When the game gets down to 3-2 in prizes in my favor, I am forced to Aaron’s 2 Luxray GL’s. So, I promote Ambipom G, and I “Tail Code” his attached Rescue Energy on his Gyarados to his benched Regice. But he hits a key heads on his Super Scoop Up (one of many this game…) and returns the Rescue Energy back to his Gyarados and KOs my Ambipom G.

I then respond by 1HKOing the Gyarados with another Luxray GL, getting the game down to 2-1 in my favor. But the Rescue Energy saves his Gyarados, and he KOs my Luxray GL for a 1-1 tie. I have a L Energy in play, and I have a Double Colorless Energy in my hand. With 10 cards left in my deck, I have to rip my Junk Arm, or one of two Premier Balls with an Uxie LV.X “Trade Off” to win… Of course, I don’t, so I scoop…

0/2

I was kind of frustrated after the match because without the key Super Scoop Up heads from Stephen, I knew that I would have probably won the match fairly easy… Oh well. But on the bright side, going 5-1 in my only City Championship of the year was pretty impressive, in my opinion. I waited for my buddy, Rob Skeffington to finish his Top 8 match, which he unfortunately lost to Josh Wittenkeller (J-Wittz). So we drove back to Rockford, and we went out for a nice Italian dinner with our good friends, Keith and Christina Emmert, winding down an awesome weekend!

Props:
Going 5-1 in my only CC of the season.
Rob Skeffington doing the same!
Jimmy Ballard for putting on another fabulous tournament!

Slops:
Losing the way I did in top 8
Not being able to play in any other Cities this season (I really thought I would win a few…)

I hope you enjoy this report. With States just around the corner, I have vowed to not judge any this season, but rather play in both the States I will be attending. I think that I could have a real shot of winning one (I hate to sound confident…). Happy testing to all, and I wish everyone the best of luck at States, and all other tournaments in the future!!!