What’s up everyone?
goodluckvarsity.comMy name is Evan Baker, and I’m a Pokémon player from Michigan and a co-founder of the Detroit-area Pokémon community known as Team Warp Point. I’m also a member of a rock band called Good Luck Varsity, which is the reason I’m writing this article. There are 4-of us in the band, and all of us are avid Pokémon players.
Over the past several years, we’ve had the privilege of touring the country 5 different times, and it isn’t uncommon for us to fill our downtime with games of Pokémon whenever and wherever we can find a table.
We’ve also been known to schedule off-days on our tours to attend Pokémon events, or even route our tours toward events. This year is no exception; the tour we’re currently on will culminate in Indianapolis at the US National Championships.
With Nationals just a few weeks away, I wanted to let everyone know about an event that will be taking place for the first time this year. On Friday night after the first day of Swiss, Good Luck Varsity will be hosting the 1st Annual Unofficial Pokémon Nationals Afterparty! We’ve rented out a VFW hall less than 2 miles from the Convention Center, and we’re bringing along two of our favorite Michigan bands, Rival Summers and PK Fire. Both bands are awesome and also have Pokémon-playing members who will be competing at Nats.
For those of you who have been to Nationals before, you know that while Indianapolis is an excellent host city, there simply isn’t much nightlife downtown for anyone under the age of 21. The mall shuts down at 9, at which point you’re left to sit in your hotel room watching reruns of Family Guy and regretting your decision to try to break the format with your Nidoqueen deck.
Hopefully, this show will be a great way for Pokémon players from all over the country to meet some new people and catch some great music as well. We’ve done our best to keep admission for the show as low as possible. At just $3 a person, it should be an affordable and fun way to unwind after a long day of competition.
You can check out the official Facebook Event Invitation HERE, and you can see which players from around the country have already confirmed their attendance. And if you’re interested in finding out more about Good Luck Varsity, you can watch the brand new music video for our song “Lakes” which was recently featured on the front page of Alternative Press:
Thanks everyone, and see you at Nats!
[Editor’s Note: I really hope everyone comes out; it’s going to be a ton of fun!]
Usually this type of music is not my cup of tea.
I just watched the Lakes video and now envy everyone attending US nationals.
This is my first nationals and this makes me even more excited! I’m in seniors, and can anyone give me tips for nats other than the UG tips?
Play a deck you’re comfortable with and have fun!
I definitely agree with Adam. It can be a little nerve-wracking walking into that convention center for the first time and seeing just how massive the tournament is. Make sure whatever deck you choose is something you know inside and out, because the added pressure of the environment has the potential to cause a lot of misplays if you aren’t able to settle in and get comfortable. Good luck!
Thanks!
@Adam- Are you going to nationals?
Yep! My flight gets in Thursday afternoon and I leave Sunday evening.
Where do you live?
Good luck to Good Luck Varsity; I think it is a great thing you are doing for the young adult crowd attending the event. By the way, I am a NJ Pokeparent who got to play two of the band members in a recent Battle Roads, and if they are as good a band as they are Pokemon players, the crowd should be in for a great concert!
know your archetype and understand how to play around certain cards.
If you play Darkai Learn how to play around “surprise” terrakion’s
If you play CMT learn how to Donk. and when to donk. Learn how much you should invest in one scary attacker vs conserving energy. and finally against darkai, try to apply enough pressure on darkrai to force them to KO one of you pokemon, then use the “surprise” terrakion.
You should always donk if you have the chance, there is no “when” to donk, unless you mean risking it.
Yeah I think he meant when you should over-extend and try to go all out for a donk and when you need to play it safe and try to set up for a long game.
Playtest ( alot) by yourself and with other people. Have people that know what they’re doing review your deck and accept their criticisms.
I haven’t been to nats but this is general info that’s good for any tournament :) hope it helps
Even though you’re in Seniors, you should test like you’re in Masters. You should play against good decks so that even if you face good decks you’re prepared. Not all Seniors are decent, but this is Nats and a good portion will be there, so prepare to face the good ones and you can beat the bad ones.
These guys are the sweetest. Everyone needs to go to this!
EDIT: I will ban anyone who does not go to this ;)
I won’t be going to Nats, so if you can find a glitch, go ahead.
Great idea! I’d love to go if I could. Wonder if there are any Brazilian bands interested in playing after our Nats next year…
Anberlin, Taking Back Sunday, Yellow Card, Good Luck Varsity.
I really hope I can make it to Nats now! Great stuff, Evan!
This is so awesome. It’s things like this why I want to go to US Nats or Worlds one day.
This is not much of an article and it should be posted elsewhere.
As for the topic, I sadly won’t be attending Nationals this year :(
Hunter will catch up to me in Nationals attended :P
How many have you gone to and what was your swiss record(s)
one. I went 5-4. One loss was getting donked, one was whiffing four flips in a row where any of them would’ve won me the game, one was vs. aggro RDL Magneboar where I could never get my tech out, and the other was against aggro RDL Magneboar where I prized my tech (Bouffalant)
EDIT: Oh yeah and I whiffed top cut. There were about 90 5-4s and I was near the very bottom, nothing I can do about that. Epic flailure (I played Donchamp)
+8 because people going to Nats think this is a cool idea and appreciated the heads up.
I don’t live in the US and won’t be going to US Nats
I’m not the biggest fan of this type of music
But I gave the article a Like. Why? Because they are doing a really cool thing setting up a gig for Pokemon Nats. I’m sure everyone who goes will enjoy it. This completely should be on the Front Page to let as many people as possible know about it.
I hope everyone involved has a brilliant time.
P.S. you don’t go 5-4 and ‘whiff’ top cut. ‘Whiffing’ is when you barely miss cut by a few points of Resistance. Not when your record keeps you way down the standings.
Well explained, as usual, baby_mario.
I think the epic failure was playing Donchamp.
That’s why another article about it came out.
Now I want to go to Nats even more than I originally wanted to, and that’s sayin’ something ‘cuz REEEAAALLY WANTED TO GO.
Loved the clip, good hard rock I’d say, from someone who’s been around the block a few times.. Anyone who gets to listen to you guys live is in for a treat. Thanks for the invite, at $3, it’s unbeatable.
Good luck with the show, I hope you get a big crowd!
Looks cool, I might come.
Awesome song!!!!!!!
i’m going… and so is my sister, mom, and close friend!
Thanks for the post, Adam!
GLV is the best ;o) You don’t want to miss this!
Not in the US, but what a heck of a plan. I’m so green with envy.
good stuff, thanks.
“sit in your hotel room watching reruns of Family Guy and regretting your decision to try to break the format with your Nidoqueen deck.” haha!
Sweet!
Can i come?