| Pokemon - 26 | Trainers - 30 | Energy - 4 |
| 4 - Combee AOR | 4 -Professor Sycamore | 4 - Double Colorless |
| 4 - Vespiquen AOR | 2 - N | - |
| 4 - Unown AOR | 2 - Lysandre | - |
| 4 - Klefki STS | 1 - Pokemon Ranger | - |
| 4 - Shaymin EX | - | - |
| 3 - Zorua BKT | 4 - Ultra Ball | - |
| 2 - Zoroark BKT | 4 - VS Seeker | - |
| 1 - Zoroark Break | 4 - Acro Bike | - |
| - | 2 - Revitalizer | - |
| - | 2 - Special Charge | - |
| - | 2 - Trainers Mail | - |
| - | - | - |
| - | 2 - Float Stone | - |
| - | - | - |
| - | 1 - Forest of Giant Plants | - |
I went with this deck because I feel like it can beat anything that could show up in Standard currently. My experience on PTCGO told me that the meta is completely undefined right now. I expected things like Mega Mewtwo and Mega Ray to be present... but not in huge numbers.
There were 24 masters in this tournament. here is how my day went:
Round 1: W vs Durant/Slowking/mill stuff
Round 2: L vs Mega Ray/Mega Gardevoir STS
Round 3: W vs Darkrai/Giratina
Round 4: W vs Primal Kyogre
Round 5: L vs Volcanion
I drew into energy as I needed it in round 1, so I was never really threatened.
I went second in Round 2 and on my opponent's first turn he played N and I pulled out a truly disgusting hand. 2 Revitalizer, 2 Zoroark, a DCE and Professor Sycamore. I had a Zorua active and a Klefki on the bench and drew a float stone............ So I could play the Sycamore and knowing that it would stick me with my only attackers being whatever portion of the Vespiquen line was in the deck, or wait a turn and probably be in the same position plus one Zoroark.
I went ahead and played Sycamore, and was nearly able to pull this out. My opponent was spamming Hex most of the game to prevent Miracle Lock. He played Hex and knocked out a Vespiquen to go down to 2 prizes. I promoted a Combee, leaving Klefki on bench. I evolved to Vespiquen and attached, played N to knock him down to 2 cards in hand, knocked out Mega Gard (his only pokemon with energy attached) to go down to 2 prizes myself, and crossed my fingers that he would not get outs to some combination of energy+mega turbo to power up his benched M Gardevoir. He had an out to Shaymin and was able to draw into the needed energy resources, knocking out Vespiquen, which was game, since all of my Vespiquen were now in the discard pile, along with my Revitalizer. Frustrating.
I had outs to Pokemon Ranger when I needed it in Round 4 Had kind of a clunky start, but Vespi just hits too hard in this matchup, assuming you can keep up with energy attachments.
I went first and got a decent setup in round 4, eventually pulling 3 VS Seeker off a Sycamore while Lysandre was in the discard, which would let me cherry pick KO targets assuming my opponent didn't get access to N. He didn't, so I did. Weakness+prize trade+how fast Vespi is/how slow Kyogre is makes this a matchup I have trouble imagining Primal Kyogre ever winning.
Round 5 was against the only undefeated player. I went first and got a great start in terms of dumping unown and klefki, but not in terms of setting up attackers. I had Combee active and Zorua on the bench at the end of turn 1. My opponent knocked out Combee on his first turn, finishing with baby Volcanion active and two Volcanion EX on the bench.
Based on the game I played online, and some theorymon and solitaire I have done since, I knew I HAD to knock out baby Volcanion. I couldn't do it with Zoroark, and would need forest of giant plants to get it with Vespiquen... so I started digging. I burned my deck hard this turn, but ultimately couldn't get it, finishing with Zoroark+float stone active, Combee with DCE benched, Shaymin benched, and second Combee benched. I had Vespi in hand, but couldn't get the Forest out of the deck.
I may be remembering incorrectly, but I believe I attached DCE in front of a Setup. I had a hand with Shaymin, Ultra Ball, DCE, DCE, and Special Charge. I discarded Shaymin and DCE to grab a Shaymin. played Special Charge (my second, first was discarded by Sycamore on previous turn)... So do I play down DCE knowing that my ideal will require DCE on Vespiquen, and drawing into Vespi and Forest? Or do I Setup for 5 instead of 6, knowing that if I miss it will allow me to Sky Return?
The latter is probably the play I should have made, as this Shaymin ultimately cost me the game.
After whiffing Forest, I passed, and my opponent did however many steamups are necessary to KO Zoroark.
I promoted Combee with Energy, attached DCE to the combee on the bench, evolved both to Vespi, benched my fourth Combee, and knocked out baby Volcanion.
He promoted Volcanion EX, Knocked out Vespi. (he has 3 prizes left)
I promoted other Vespi, drew an Unown, used Farewell Letter to get my damage up, and took the OHKO on Volcanion EX. (I have 3 prizes left)
He promotes another Volcanion EX, Lysandres Shaymin, gets knockout to go down to 1 prize.
I send Vespi back up, if I can't get N to allow a prayer that he can't power up his bench (can't remember what it was). After a couple of Acro Bikes I end with a hand of DCE, Sycamore, DCE and Revitalizer. Not Helpful.
It was a good game, but it really turned on whiffing on baby Volcanion early. If I had knocked it out, I would have jammed his energy. If I had Sky Returned Shaymin, I would have stayed ahead in prize trade. Little things, but this is the difference between winning a tournament and finishing 8th.
I am going to keep playing this deck. It's fun, and doesn't really have any bad matchups. Karen might blow it up, but I am skeptical that Karen will see much play. I suppose it could be clutch if you are set up and only need to take 2 or 3 more prizes, bet getting an N to 1 or 2 and getting a hand full of pokemon is rough.
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