From 1-6 to Top 32: A Tale of Redemption at the World Championships

Hi! Worlds is over and done now, and the next format looms, but I thought I’d give you the rundown on my Worlds experience.

Prologue

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Losing my last game to Terrakion at last year’s Worlds left me with a record of 1-6, with my only win being against a rogue Lilligant deck. Crushed, I knew I wanted to do better. The lure of Worlds is amazing and after going once you are even more motivated to make it there again the next year. I was determined to get my invite to Worlds 2013.

I ended the 2012-2013 season with 483 CP, winning multiple Battle Roads and Cities, a single Regional, and coming in the Top 4 for another Regional to secure my invite.

Testing in Vancouver

I chose Plasma with heavy Absol as my list. I got to Vancouver a week before Worlds and many of my friends were staying at the same hotel as me. When we all got back to the hotel we spent about 3 hours a night testing out our decks. This was my Plasma list I started out testing with:

Pokémon – 12 4 Deoxys-EX 3 Kyurem PLF 2 Absol PLF 2 Thundurus EX 1 Keldeo-EX

Trainers – 36 4 Professor Juniper 4 N 3 Colress 3 Bicycle   4 Pokémon Catcher 4 Hypnotoxic Laser 3 Colress Machine 2 Float Stone 2 Switch 2 Team Plasma Ball 2 Ultra Ball 1 Computer Search   2 Virbank City Gym

Energy – 12 4 Prism 4 Plasma 3 Blend WLFM 1 W

3 Colress

Colress is just too good right? 3 Colress made sure I had alot of draw power mid to late game. The risk taken was starting with it, but with 12 Pokémon and 4 search cards meant I could usually nab 3-4 cards at the start or on T2.

3 Bicycle

I didn’t fully believe in Bicycle at first and played Skyla instead. Testing with Bicycle showed I had 15 draw outs at the start and sped up my deck entirely. It also helped a lot with N to 1 or 2 since I could draw more cards to get the win.

1 Keldeo-EX, 2 Float Stone, 2 Switch

Keldeo-EX is a huge help with Kyurem’s Blizzard Burn. I played only 1 Keldeo as it seemed to fit against all matchups bar Gothitelle. Even without Float Stone the ability to Rush In and Switch back to Kyurem proved very helpful.

2 Ultra Ball, 2 Team Plasma Ball

I was contemplating using a 3-1 split, but I found that I needed Team Plasma Ball late game when I didn’t want to discard cards.

3 Blend Energy WLFM, 1 Water Energy

The Water Energy was mainly used to help against Enhanced Hammers and Cobalion-EX’s Righteous Edge.

Thursday

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I got there early and tested on the floor with friends. Darkrai and Plasma showed a big presence in Seniors, and there was an abundance of Gothitelle techs – I even heard about Plasma decks playing 4 Audino BCR and 3 Keldeo-EX.

My friend Dan was playing Gothitelle after getting into the top 8-of UK Nationals, but after testing against Darkrai he didn’t feel Gothitelle was the play and wanted to test out Plasma. I lent him my list for a couple of matches and felt happy with it, so after lending him some of my spare Plasma cards he had the deck ready and we went into the open gaming room to test.

Friday

We went to collect our Worlds goodies and tested for the rest of the day. I ended up changing one card in my Worlds list – the Water Energy. After testing out a Blend GRPD, I felt it fit the deck better than the Water, giving Absol and Deoxys-EX 5 outs to their specific Energy requirements.

Saturday

The Report

After sitting down for the players meeting after the opening ceremony, the judge announces that Seniors and Masters were getting top 32 cut and 8 rounds of 30 minute + 3 turns.

Round 1 vs. Gabor Van Meenen (DE) w/ Darkrai

I start with Thundurus EX to his Keldeo-EX start. We roll the dice and I am pleasantly surprised to go first – something that amazingly I scarcely did the rest of the tournament. I proceed to bench down 2 Deoxys-EX and Kyurem, attach a Blend WLFM to Thundurus EX and Colress Machine onto the Kyurem. I also discarded a Blend WLFM to obtain the Deoxys-EX.

I Juniper into a Hypnotoxic Laser and other useful cards for the upcoming turns. I Raiden Knuckle for 50 + 10 poison, attaching the Blend WLFM to Kyurem. My amazing setup is hindered as my opponent draws and Enhanced Hammers away the Blend attached to Kyurem and proceeds to use N.

He draws into Absol but no Darkrai EX and just passes. I draw and attach a Prism to the Kyurem, meaning with Raiden Knuckle it will have the full Energy requirement for Blizzard Burn. I do some things, bench a Deoxys-EX and Raiden Knuckle again to put the Keldeo at 140 – perfect for the Kyurem snipe. He gets a Darkrai EX and Sableye out and uses Junk Hunt for Dark Patches.

I send Kyurem up to KO both the Sableye and Keldeo-EX, putting me at 3 Prizes. He then Dark Patches and attaches Dark Claw to the Absol, attaches a Darkness to the active and Junipers away another Keldeo-EX which would be big in the next game. He gets the Energy Switch and KOs the Kyurem with Absol’s Mind Jack.

I send up a Deoxys with a Blend GRPD and search for the Plasma Energy and Laserbank. I miss the Laserbank but hit the Plasma Energy, meaning I can attack the Absol for 70. He the proceeds to power up a Darkrai EX with Dark Claw and Catcher out a Deoxys-EX and Junipers. He hits 2 Enhanced Hammer to get rid of Deoxys-EX’s Energy, and does 110 to the Deoxys-EX and 30 to Thundurus EX.

I switch to the Thundurus EX and Catcher out the damaged Absol to KO it, putting me to 2 Prizes. He benches a Absol, attaches and N’s. He then Energy Switches and attaches a Dark Claw to Absol to take out a Deoxys-EX via Catcher. I send up Deoxys-EX but have nothing in my hand, so just hit for 70 with Helix Force. In the next few turns N and Catcher ruin me, along with Enhanced Hammer.

I was able to get a KO on Sableye, but he Enhanced Hammer spams with another one. I needed a Supporter to obtain the last Catcher and Laser to take my 1 Prize with Deoxys. I had 2 turns left before he would win. I topdeck a Colress to draw my deck to win. GG Gabor! Winning the first game put confidence in me. Time for round 2!

1-0

Round 2 vs. Alex Krekeler (US) w/ Plasma (Heavy Tornadus EX)

My opponent goes first and flips over 2 Tornadus-EX PLF, which shocked me a small bit. I started Kyurem, then started shaking when he double Colress Machines to the Tornadus EX and Team Plasma Ball for Deoxys-EX.

I was waiting for the DCE for him to donk my poor lone Kyurem, but he uses Windfall. I breathe a sigh of relief, draw and bench a Keldeo-EX. I then Colress Machine and attach a Prism Energy to Kyurem. I then Juniper into a timely Laserbank, flipping heads.

I hit the Tornadus EX for 40 + 30 poison and 30 to the other Tornadus EX. He flips tails, causing him a lot of problems. He attaches to a newly benched Thundurus EX, uses N and switches to Thundurus EX. He uses Raiden Knuckle and puts Plasma Energy onto Tornadus EX. I bench a Thundurus EX then Catcher KO his Tornadus EX with Kyurem’s Blizzard Burn.

He does another Raiden Knuckle and attaches to a Kyurem he just Benched. I missed the Catcher off juniper so just KO’d the Thundurus EX with Laserbank to go down to 2 Prizes. He finally KOs the Kyurem with his own, and I end up needing the Catcher/Laser to win to KO his other Tornadus EX with 30 on via Frost Spears.

I have the Laser in hand and topdeck Catcher to Catcher out Tornadus EX, Laserbank then do 120 + 30 poison with Thundurus EX for the game. GG Alex!

2-0

Round 3 vs. Dario Ang (SG) w/ Plasma

I start off with Kyurem but no Supporter in hand. He flips the heads to go first, starts Deoxys-EX, draws, attaches a Plasma Energy to a benched Lugia EX and passes. So it’s going to be that game. I draw, attaching a Blend WLFM and using Colress Machine to Kyurem.

I bench a Deoxys-EX and use Hypnotoxic Laser for 40 + 10 poison and 30 to the Lugia EX. He draws, attaches to Lugia EX, benches a Thundurus EX, and passes. I draw, and to my delight – a Juniper! I Ultra Ball for a Deoxys-EX and use Juniper. I get the Blend WLFM energy to KO Deoxys-EX and take my 2 Prizes. He tries to get damage with Thundurus EX and attaching to a Benched Kyurem with it but I hit the Thundurus for 150 and he attacks with Lugia to KO me straight afterward. I send up a fully powered Absol and use a timely N.

We do this for a few turns and I get down to 1 Prize, and he has KO’d the Absol and Kyurem with Lugia EX. He finally draws a Skyla for Juniper, and he passes. I draw and use another well timed N to get rid of the Juniper. My deck is low now and I need a Catcher to win. He had a Kyurem with 70 damage on it that I could Frost Spear for twice to win but the Kyurem was fully powered – and I had a Thundurus EX with 40 on.

I keep trying to KO his active with Absol and Kyurem but never get a KO. I was down to 2 cards in deck and decided I needed my last Catcher to win with 1 Prize left. I use Juniper – only to find my last Catcher prized. GG Dario!

2-1

Lunch break for an hour now. I needed to try and win out until the last round to make sure I’m in cut.

Round 4 vs. Olivier Marcant (FR) w/ Gothitelle/Accelgor

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Well, I had to go against one. He goes first and flips over Mew-EX to my Kyurem. He gets out 2 Gothita and passes. I draw, bench a Keldeo-EX and Colress Machine to the Kyurem. I Juniper, searching for the Float Stone. I miss it but get the Blend WLFM, Hypnotoxic Laser and 2 Deoxys to put his Mew-EX at 60 and 30 to a benched Gothita.

He benches a Shelmet. His Mew-EX is asleep – so he is unable to retreat it. He uses Ghetsis to get rid of a Bicycle and passes. I KO his Mew-EX and the Gothita with Kyurem and power up a benched Absol. He gets a Ultra Ball for a Accelgor, attaches a DCE, and uses N. He then decides to go ahead with a Deck and Cover since there is a Virbank in play, and hits Kyurem for 80 and retreats to a spare Gothita he just benched.

I Rush In and switch back to the Kyurem. It gets a bit fuzzy from here, but he does get a Gothitelle up but is unable to keep the lock up due to Mind Jack being able to KO Gothitelle. It ends up being on a sleep flip whether he has a shot to win – and my Keldeo-EX wakes up and I’m able to retreat for the game. GG Olivier!

3-1

I was happy about beating Gothitelle due to it being hard when they set up. Onto round 5!

Round 5 vs. Mikkel Maerkedahl (DK) w/ Plasma

This went like the usual Plasma mirror but I always had the upper hand with a Kyurem that never got KO’d. GG Mikkel!

4-1

One more round to be in with a good shot for top cut. Unfortunately, I was drawn against….

Round 6 vs. Sam Smith aka sibon (GB) w/ Darkrai

Great, this pretty much decides which UK player would get into the top cut. I start this game with a lovely Thundurus EX and 2 Deoxys-EX backing it up, while Sam starts lone Absol. I am unable to get a Kyurem off a Juniper so I Raiden Knuckle his Absol for 50 and attach a Plasma to Deoxys-EX.

Sam looks pretty nervous as he draws, attaches a Darkness Energy to Absol and uses N. We both draw – but to Sam’s dismay he is left with no Basics in his new hand of 6, and no way to obtain one. He Catchers out a Deoxys-EX and uses Hypnotoxic Laser, putting me to sleep and passes. I flip tails, meaning 2-of my 4 outs to win will be useless. I draw, bench a Kyurem and attach to it, then N to try and get the Switch.

I draw my six and miss the Switch for game, so just pass. Sam then benches a Sableye and Darkrai EX, retreats to Sableye and uses Junk Hunt. I wake up and I think I hit the Switch off my topdeck, or a Float Stone. I’m able to hit the 3rd Deoxys-EX and Laser off a Juniper, and KO the Sableye and attach an Energy via Raiden Knuckle to Kyurem. Sam then sets up from here being able to get down to 2 Prizes with Darkrai EX and Enhanced Hammers.

I am able to put pressure on with Deoxys-EX and go down to 1 Prize after taking out a Absol, Darkrai EX and 2 Sableyes. He has a Absol with 60 on after a Raiden Knuckle a few turns ago, and he needed a Catcher to win to KO a damaged benched so took the risk and Junk Hunted. I had nothing in hand after a N and needed to topdeck the Catcher/Laser off a thin deck with 2-of each. I topdeck the Catcher to Absol, and Raiden Knuckle to KO the Absol. GG Sam and well done on getting into the Top 32!

5-1

Round 7 vs. Jacob Carrasco (US) w/ Plasma

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Jacob was a really nice guy and even though whoever won this would be in top cut, we had a pretty chilled game. I got a amazing T1; Thundurus EX active and energized, 1/2 Deoxys-EX out and Kyurem with Plasma and Blend WLFM on the bench. He responds with 80 damage to my Thundurus EX but no Energy to Raiden Knuckle onto a Pokémon.

I end up losing the Kyurem and attacking with my 2 Absols, which proved extremely effective at Knocking Out his Pokémon. The game was looking close until he misses the Prism to KO one of my Absols with his, and I am able to fully stabilize and take the game. GG Jacob!

6-1

I’m in cut now, and I was literally shaking afterward. My friend Dan was at 5-2 with the same list as mine, so he only needed to win one more game to definitely be in top cut.

Round 8 vs. Alex Hedge aka daGlaceon (US) w/ Terrakion-EX/Garbodor

Go over to Alex’s article for a very in-depth report on this match; he definitely remembered more than me! He ended up in the top 8 so very well done, especially with such a clever deck!

6-2, 10th seed

10th seed at Worlds feels amazing, and I find out I’m playing against Jacob again, which means I dodge a Gothitelle or Terrakion/Garbodor in cut which I was happy about. I wish we would’ve done top cut tomorrow since I was exhausted by now, but onto the game!

Top 32 vs. Jacob Carrasco (US) w/ Plasma

Game 1

I start extremely well, but so does Jacob. I can’t remember too much about this game but it goes down to well timed N’s and Absol wars to take the game. I also learnt he had a dead card against Plasma – Darkrai EX. He had an improved matchup against Gothitelle (unfortunately he never faced any) with 2 Keldeo-EXs and Darkrai EX to free retreat with a Prism Energy.

1-0

Game 2

We spent a long time last game so time was closing in. I end up being unable to get in front of Jacob and his deck performs brilliantly and gets him the game.

1-1

Game 3

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I started out well with Kyurem doing the attacking, but Absol KO’d it. Time was then called and I was Turn 0. I used Juniper looking for the Virbank to KO his poisoned Kyurem with 40 on it. Instead I get a hand of 5 Energy and 2 other cards that weren’t Supporters. Jacob is able to KO a damage Thundurus on bench and takes the game on time!

Well done Jacob, GG and congratulations on getting Top 8!

1-2, 6-3

Conclusion

Thanks for reading and I need to give thanks to Jordan Pugh, Charles Naden Lamb, Dan Saunders, Dylan Saunders and everyone else for all helping me test and my opponents for being cool. Dan missed out on cut at 5-3 but still did well for his first Worlds. Sorry if I’ve forgotten anyone. If anyone can remember more information than me please tell me in the comments!