This article was created by forum member [member]Glaceon[/member]. Thanks to Glaceon for all of your hard work! We're trying to get some content out for you guys but we're all busy thanks to the holidays. Hopefully you guys had a good time during the holidays and you're looking forward to the New Year.
Hello, this is [member]Glaceon[/member] here, and by writing this article, I am trying to help players become more organized and do better at tournaments. When going to tournaments, especially if you are going to your first one, you do not want to be the one who was late because he didn't type his list or got lost. By following these steps, tournament preparation should be a lot easier and quicker. This article also includes in game tips to help you play better. Good luck to everyone who is going to a Cities.
I recommend you begin testing the deck that you want to use at least two weeks before an event or just play lots and lots of games using the deck. By doing this, you will be more comfortable playing because you will know of and build upon previous misplays. When I do this I take note of misplays that I make so I can remember what I did wrong, how I can do better, and how I can avoid the misplay in the future. Though often the misplays are situational and the possibility of the same misplay happening multiple times is rare, keeping note of them can make you more aware of misplays in the future. The misplays to take note of are ones such as being more careful when I use Professor Juniper, or any other card that discards cards. Those kinds of misplays are the harder ones to fix because they often depend on the current state of the game, so whether it is a misplay or not will depend on the way the rest of the game turns out. Other types of misplays involve not conserving resources, for example using a Professor Elm's Training Method (PETM) to get a Vileplume and then getting Judge'd (misplay would be not waiting until the next turn to use the PETM.) An opponent would easily Judge a Truth player if the opponent knew that the Truth player had Vileplume, because if the opponent gets a Vileplume through PETM, they may be able to get a Vileplume out during the next turn.
I also write down main turning-points in the game, cards that made a difference, and the cards that did nothing for my deck. I use this method mainly for determining what cards to put in while testing techs and to decide which consistency cards are better in the deck I am using. For this, you will need to play a lot of games to get a large sample size. If I see based off of records that certain cards are not doing well or are just not working, I take them out and decide what cards should be their replacements using the same method.
When testing, it is best to play against a variety of decks so if you run into an unexpected deck at a tournament, you will know how to play against it. I tend to try and test against not only the popular decks (Eelzone, ZPST, Cake, etc.), but mainly against any deck that could give my deck a problem. This means spending time testing against decks like Durant that could really mess with my deck. Since this format is (or was) a triangle format (Magnezone/Heavy hitting>Lock>Speed>Magnezone/Heavy hitting), it is better to focus on testing against your weaknesses and bad matchups more than your favorable matchups. This means testing decks like MegaZone against ZPST more than you test it against Gothitelle (still test all matchups, but test the bad matchups more than the easily favorable matchups.)
If this type of testing does not work for you, try a slightly different approach. Instead of putting extra testing time towards improving or testing bad matchups, only test against the decks in your meta. This means not testing against decks that are not in you meta, but extensively testing the local popular decks. This works better in situations were you know your meta and what the better local players are playing, and wouldn't work as well if this is your first event, the event is far away, or if you just don't know you meta well enough to decide what decks you will see. Furthermore, test against the even or slightly unfavorable matchups more, to improve your chances of winning these matchups just by knowing them better than your opponent.
An easy way to test against a lot of decks quickly is to use an online simulator such as PlayTCG or Play! Pokémon's own online simulator, nicknamed PTCGO. PTCGO (P!P's simulator costs money to get codes, which you get from booster packs, but is said to work better, while PlayTCG is free and any HS-on card can be used in a deck). The choice is yours, but either way testing online will give you a large variety of decks and players to test against. Besides that, league is also a good place for testing, depending on the level of the players there.
When testing, try to also play against a large variety of a certain type of deck too (for example, test against MegaZone with Kingdra, MegaZone with Pachirisu, and MegaZone with Jirachi.) By doing this, you'll be better at not just playing against all kinds of decks, but also all forms of those decks.
When it comes to techs, testing your deck against a deck that already has tech for your techs can be very biased testing. By testing that way, you may want to take out a tech because a testing partner has a counter to, but is still really helpful because nobody else knows about it or has a counter to it (example: Magby. If a single Gothitelle player uses Unown Cure or Full Heal you may think Magby is bad while it [arguably] still works fine against other types of Gothitelle.) This is one type of biased testing.
Another type of biased testing is when testing, playing against only one person. In a tournament, you will play a lot of different people with very different playstyles. When testing if you play against only one person when testing against, say, TyRam, than when playing against TyRam in a tournament, you will only be used to playing against a single type of playstyle.
The final thing I do in testing is not draw mulligan cards. The testing will be even more biased if you play games based on drawing a lot of mulligan cards. If you are testing against, say, Durant, and are used to drawing a lot of mulligan cards, then it would be harder to play if your opponent doesn't mulligan. However, it's important to draw mulligans some of the time, just to understand whether or not they influence the result of the game.
If you are trying to keep a deck secret, instead of putting up walls or turning your cards over whenever someone walks by (I know this is annoying from experience), just don't play near a big crowd of people in your division. If your a Master, it doesn't matter that every Junior at the Cities knows what deck you are playing when you are trying to keep a deck secret, just as long as the other people in your division.
For ordering your deck in top cut, if you think you made it, order it before your name is announced so other people who made it will not be able to look. They won't look because after the final round it is most likely that a person who made top cut is talking with friends or trading, not walking around watching other people who may have made top cut sort their decks. If other people do see you sort, they will know your list, what your lines are, or other things that are useful not known such as secret techs. In some cases it means finding out what deck you play. If your list is known, people are will know how to better play against you, which is never a good thing.
At the event, it is also good to know where everything is. Important places that you should know the location of include the place where the pairings are, where your division sits, a close restaurant, and yes, the closest bathroom
If you are playing against a "well known cheater," be careful when bending down or searching your deck, because that is a chance for a cheater to draw extra cards. I know this is very accusing and seems like very suspicious action to do, it can happen, and I have seen it happen before. By being aware, and calling out the cheater, they may stop for good. Think about it this way: by not saying something, you yourself by keeping quiet are actually cheating. You would be violating the rules by not saying something, because this is the kind of thing that should be reported. Not to be stereotypical, but the cheating mostly goes on in the Junior division from what I have seen. If a person has not fully matured, they will do what it takes to win, even if it means breaking the rules. Be watchful just in case something like this happens, especially at a tournament.
Be quick to call stalling in a match too. If your opponent takes longer than an average amount of time to do a play, first ask them to try to play faster, and then call a judge. It does take time to make decisions, but when it is taking way to long, there is something wrong. Still be considerate, especially if you are winning, when calling a judge. Be very careful if you are playing The Truth, LostGar, or any deck that is slow.
Another thing that can be annoying is stretched out wins. This means that for example you have the win with Yanmega, but decide you would rather win using Magnezone, therefore you Rare Candy into Magnezone, attach a Lightning Energy, use a Professor Juniper, and then knock out the Defending Pokémon. Though this can be "fun", the losing player will just view it as annoying, and even bragging because it says that you are better.
For being a good loser, do not say "you got so lucky there I should have won" or do anything else to make them feel down about their win, or like they shouldn't have won. After losing an important game, though you may be mad about something that happened, making them feel bad about your loss is not right.
This is probably the best thing to do. Though you could win by sending up Zekrom and trying to get a double Pluspower or Junk Arm, it is a bit of a "win more" situation. Of course, if the player was to topdeck a Pokémon, they could just use Pokémon Communication, but if not, it is better to use Pokémon Collector in case you do not get the needed cards.
When going to a marathon, follow all of these steps, but also have multiple decks ready to use. If you are unsure of the meta, you can end up bringing a Chandelure into a meta of Durant. By have multiple decks, and especially if these decks are not similar (e.g. Durant, ZPST, The Truth, Eelzone), there is a better chance that your deck will not be having a bad matchup every other game. In some more popular marathons however, almost every deck ends up being played. For these types of metas, just find a deck that has one or two bad matchups, with the rest being even or favorable. Or ideally, find a deck with all even or better matchups. For marathons especially, it is very important to know where the events are and which days have the event (e.g missing a Cities because you go to the one that is tomorrow).
With this being my first complete competitive year playing the Pokémon TCG, I only have four or five top cuts... not enough to write a decent section about top cuts. Thanks to [mod]Celebi23[/mod] for writing up this section!
That's all for now!
-[member]Glaceon[/member]
Glaceon's Guide to Playing Well
and other Tournament Musings
and other Tournament Musings
Hello, this is [member]Glaceon[/member] here, and by writing this article, I am trying to help players become more organized and do better at tournaments. When going to tournaments, especially if you are going to your first one, you do not want to be the one who was late because he didn't type his list or got lost. By following these steps, tournament preparation should be a lot easier and quicker. This article also includes in game tips to help you play better. Good luck to everyone who is going to a Cities.
Testing
I recommend you begin testing the deck that you want to use at least two weeks before an event or just play lots and lots of games using the deck. By doing this, you will be more comfortable playing because you will know of and build upon previous misplays. When I do this I take note of misplays that I make so I can remember what I did wrong, how I can do better, and how I can avoid the misplay in the future. Though often the misplays are situational and the possibility of the same misplay happening multiple times is rare, keeping note of them can make you more aware of misplays in the future. The misplays to take note of are ones such as being more careful when I use Professor Juniper, or any other card that discards cards. Those kinds of misplays are the harder ones to fix because they often depend on the current state of the game, so whether it is a misplay or not will depend on the way the rest of the game turns out. Other types of misplays involve not conserving resources, for example using a Professor Elm's Training Method (PETM) to get a Vileplume and then getting Judge'd (misplay would be not waiting until the next turn to use the PETM.) An opponent would easily Judge a Truth player if the opponent knew that the Truth player had Vileplume, because if the opponent gets a Vileplume through PETM, they may be able to get a Vileplume out during the next turn.
I also write down main turning-points in the game, cards that made a difference, and the cards that did nothing for my deck. I use this method mainly for determining what cards to put in while testing techs and to decide which consistency cards are better in the deck I am using. For this, you will need to play a lot of games to get a large sample size. If I see based off of records that certain cards are not doing well or are just not working, I take them out and decide what cards should be their replacements using the same method.
When testing, it is best to play against a variety of decks so if you run into an unexpected deck at a tournament, you will know how to play against it. I tend to try and test against not only the popular decks (Eelzone, ZPST, Cake, etc.), but mainly against any deck that could give my deck a problem. This means spending time testing against decks like Durant that could really mess with my deck. Since this format is (or was) a triangle format (Magnezone/Heavy hitting>Lock>Speed>Magnezone/Heavy hitting), it is better to focus on testing against your weaknesses and bad matchups more than your favorable matchups. This means testing decks like MegaZone against ZPST more than you test it against Gothitelle (still test all matchups, but test the bad matchups more than the easily favorable matchups.)
If this type of testing does not work for you, try a slightly different approach. Instead of putting extra testing time towards improving or testing bad matchups, only test against the decks in your meta. This means not testing against decks that are not in you meta, but extensively testing the local popular decks. This works better in situations were you know your meta and what the better local players are playing, and wouldn't work as well if this is your first event, the event is far away, or if you just don't know you meta well enough to decide what decks you will see. Furthermore, test against the even or slightly unfavorable matchups more, to improve your chances of winning these matchups just by knowing them better than your opponent.
An easy way to test against a lot of decks quickly is to use an online simulator such as PlayTCG or Play! Pokémon's own online simulator, nicknamed PTCGO. PTCGO (P!P's simulator costs money to get codes, which you get from booster packs, but is said to work better, while PlayTCG is free and any HS-on card can be used in a deck). The choice is yours, but either way testing online will give you a large variety of decks and players to test against. Besides that, league is also a good place for testing, depending on the level of the players there.
When testing, try to also play against a large variety of a certain type of deck too (for example, test against MegaZone with Kingdra, MegaZone with Pachirisu, and MegaZone with Jirachi.) By doing this, you'll be better at not just playing against all kinds of decks, but also all forms of those decks.
When it comes to techs, testing your deck against a deck that already has tech for your techs can be very biased testing. By testing that way, you may want to take out a tech because a testing partner has a counter to, but is still really helpful because nobody else knows about it or has a counter to it (example: Magby. If a single Gothitelle player uses Unown Cure or Full Heal you may think Magby is bad while it [arguably] still works fine against other types of Gothitelle.) This is one type of biased testing.
Another type of biased testing is when testing, playing against only one person. In a tournament, you will play a lot of different people with very different playstyles. When testing if you play against only one person when testing against, say, TyRam, than when playing against TyRam in a tournament, you will only be used to playing against a single type of playstyle.
The final thing I do in testing is not draw mulligan cards. The testing will be even more biased if you play games based on drawing a lot of mulligan cards. If you are testing against, say, Durant, and are used to drawing a lot of mulligan cards, then it would be harder to play if your opponent doesn't mulligan. However, it's important to draw mulligans some of the time, just to understand whether or not they influence the result of the game.
Preparation
[*]Print out your list the night before the eventI have seen so many people be late because they have to write up their list at the tournament. It is crucial to have a list that is already typed up just in case you get caught in traffic, make a wrong turn, or take too long writing up your list. I recommend using Bebe's Search because it saves deck lists, so if you want to use the same deck, you can easily just print out the list again without having to type it up a second time. It also works for edits too, so if you want to change a few cards, just go to the editing section. If you are unsure about what deck to play, print out both lists so you can decide at the event which deck to use. Besides you list, it is also best to print out directions to the venue, unless you have been there before and are extremely comfortable with the route. Even if you have directions on your phone, printing out directions just in case could stop a potential disaster from happening.
Especially for big events, players will be very excited and stay up late testing. Though extra testing is nice, extra sleep is too. If the tournament is further away it is even worse because you'll have to wake up early. Being tired is bad because it often leads to dumb misplays. By getting a good night’s sleep, you won't be drowsy or cranky in the morning. It's sometimes a good idea to look through your list to try to memorize it before going to sleep because it is proven by studies that memorization is most effective right before going to sleep. However, you should have tested your deck enough to have the list memorized long before the day of the tournament.
[*]Get a good night's sleep
[*]Have the things you need packed upThis is another time saver. By packing up your deck, trading binder, list, or anything else you want to take, you could be stopping a major hassle in the morning. My brother has often been unable to find his deck right before a tournament, almost causing him to be late. By searching for the things that you are planning to take, it gives a few extra minutes in the morning, and could potentially stop a problem that may affect the rest of the day.
[*]Leave early for the eventsThe last reason you'd want to miss top cut because of is something that could have been easy corrected - going to the event merely ten minutes earlier. I have seen some great players in my area missing cut because they were late. I'd say leave 10-15 minutes early just in case of an issue. The farther away the place, the earlier you should leave because more distance means more possible problems. If it is your first time at a venue, it is also best to leave earlier in case you get lost.
The Subject of Snooping
By snooping, I mean looking around at what other people are playing. In a way just checking out your meta. I have seen other people do it, and I have done it before too. As long as you don't get into people's faces, I say its fine. If you find yourself going out of your way to watch matches or look at decklists, stop. Not only is it really annoying for the person whom you are trying to watch, but it will also make people not trust you. If you are simply walking and looking around, but still keeping yourself, its fine, but reaching across players to see decks isn't right. Also, looking at the Judge table to try and see decks isn't very good either. You are spying at a table to see what other people are playing. Instead, just play some test games.If you are trying to keep a deck secret, instead of putting up walls or turning your cards over whenever someone walks by (I know this is annoying from experience), just don't play near a big crowd of people in your division. If your a Master, it doesn't matter that every Junior at the Cities knows what deck you are playing when you are trying to keep a deck secret, just as long as the other people in your division.
Secret Decks
I have often played a secret deck, and by trying to keep a deck secret, it means little to no testing at the tournament. Especially if you haven't used the secret deck very much, not playing the secret deck at the tournament means giving up the chance for extra testing before playing. Keeping the deck a secret is easy until deck registration is finished to prevent last minute tech additions is fine, but not playing is not a good idea, especially if you have not tested enough. Of course, it's best to get all of your testing finished the day before the tournament. However, if you haven't tested a certain matchup at all, definitely play test games. If you want to play in a private area, fine, but by no means choose not to test an untested matchup because you want to keep a deck secret. I have played secret decks a lot, and you will only be able to keep the deck secret until the first round even if you play no test games, because your opponent will tell people or people will see it. This by no means is trying to say don't play a secret deck. Secret decks have been doing very well recently, and an example is The Truth getting second at Worlds. Nobody expected a deck like The Truth to do well. However, even though he used a secret deck, word was out about it very quickly. Do not expect word to not spread about your secret deck.Distractions while Playing
Costumes, odd noises, yelling from across the room, you name it, I've seen it. Not in the Seniors division matches, but I have seen and heard stories about distracting costumes. Do not focus on the costume. Totally ignore it. Focus mainly on the field. If you want try to judge by facial expressions if your opponent has a good hand, but some player such as myself try to work on a poker face so an opponent does not have any hints. For noises, simply ask the player to stop. It could either be unintended, a bad habit, or made with the purpose of distracting. As long as you mainly focus on the actual game, how the game is going, and in some cases how you can turn the game to make it in your favor, and not your opponent acting as Jessie, it will make it a lot easier to play and concentrate.The Clock
Most people say to be able to keep track of time, just wear a watch. This is fine, but if your opponent is behind and playing slowly, once they see the watch, they will realize how much time they most likely have and play really fast. Though a fast pace could lead to mistakes on their part, it will make it so the chance of getting the game to legally (without stalling) go to time so much lower, which is sometimes a bad thing (if you're playing a fast deck). Instead, for smaller tournaments, try to get the seat facing the clock so you can just causally look at the clock without making a big deal about it. For Battle Roads or Cities, it really will not be hard to get a set where you can see the clock. For upper level and bigger tournaments such as Nationals, you will have to just peek at your watch every once in a while to see how much time has gone past, because there is no way you will be able to view a clock on the other side of a convention center. If you have to, wear a watch, but if you do not absolutely have to have a watch, just subtly look at the clock. Organization
Staying organized is key for big events. Knowing your hotel reservations, keeping your deck and accessories safe and in hand, and knowing where to go during a tournament is very important. For overnight events, try to check in to the hotel before the tournament so you know where your room is, have a key, and even know where the hotel is. You do not want to be asking a stranger for directions at 10 PM to find you hotel. Keep the key in a safe place. A pocket is not a really safe place because a key or phone can easily slip out, and at a noisy event, not even be heard. Instead, carry a backpack or knapsack around to keep everything in. I use a mesh bag for sports and it works just fine, because I can keep my phone, iPod, mat, binder, dice, and deck all in the same place. However, there are some people who just carry around their deck and everything else in their pockets and hands. It is a bad way to carry your stuff because not only could it easy fall, be misplaced, or slip out of your pocket. The biggest problem is it is also easy to be stolen. When at the table putting your stuff down, instead of putting you backpack hanging out where it is easy for somebody to snatch an item in it and continue to casually walk by, put it under your seat. By doing this is also makes it easier for the judges to walk through the aisles so they don't have to squeeze through chairs.For ordering your deck in top cut, if you think you made it, order it before your name is announced so other people who made it will not be able to look. They won't look because after the final round it is most likely that a person who made top cut is talking with friends or trading, not walking around watching other people who may have made top cut sort their decks. If other people do see you sort, they will know your list, what your lines are, or other things that are useful not known such as secret techs. In some cases it means finding out what deck you play. If your list is known, people are will know how to better play against you, which is never a good thing.
At the event, it is also good to know where everything is. Important places that you should know the location of include the place where the pairings are, where your division sits, a close restaurant, and yes, the closest bathroom
If You See Cheating
I would like to start this section of by saying this: Do not cheat, don't even think of cheating. Cheating is unfair for your opponent, and you cheat yourself too. The old saying, "a cheater never wins" means that you will gain no skill from cheating, and that you never really won. Though the match slip shows your name with the word "win" circled next to it, you never really won at all.If you are playing against a "well known cheater," be careful when bending down or searching your deck, because that is a chance for a cheater to draw extra cards. I know this is very accusing and seems like very suspicious action to do, it can happen, and I have seen it happen before. By being aware, and calling out the cheater, they may stop for good. Think about it this way: by not saying something, you yourself by keeping quiet are actually cheating. You would be violating the rules by not saying something, because this is the kind of thing that should be reported. Not to be stereotypical, but the cheating mostly goes on in the Junior division from what I have seen. If a person has not fully matured, they will do what it takes to win, even if it means breaking the rules. Be watchful just in case something like this happens, especially at a tournament.
Be quick to call stalling in a match too. If your opponent takes longer than an average amount of time to do a play, first ask them to try to play faster, and then call a judge. It does take time to make decisions, but when it is taking way to long, there is something wrong. Still be considerate, especially if you are winning, when calling a judge. Be very careful if you are playing The Truth, LostGar, or any deck that is slow.
Sportsmanship
I would like to start this section off by saying that being a good sport does not just mean being a good loser, but also being a good winner. The loser of a match would feel bad if after you won you were to say "haha you suck" or even a slightly offensive comment. After a game, it is common courtesy to say good game or nice job, but if you say something offensive, it could even make a player quit. Would you want to hear your opponent say after the game that the game was easy and that he played a newb? Those comments are unnecessary, and you should not say that around an opponent that you just beat. If your opponent looks upset, though you would think it would be the best thing to do, talking about the game could annoy the player. Just do not talk about it. Let the losing player sign the match slip first. Seeing again on a match slip that your opponent won could also be very aggravating. Instead, just let them be the first to sign the slip.Another thing that can be annoying is stretched out wins. This means that for example you have the win with Yanmega, but decide you would rather win using Magnezone, therefore you Rare Candy into Magnezone, attach a Lightning Energy, use a Professor Juniper, and then knock out the Defending Pokémon. Though this can be "fun", the losing player will just view it as annoying, and even bragging because it says that you are better.
For being a good loser, do not say "you got so lucky there I should have won" or do anything else to make them feel down about their win, or like they shouldn't have won. After losing an important game, though you may be mad about something that happened, making them feel bad about your loss is not right.
Bringing Food to Tables
Bringing food to tables can be very annoying for other players, and is an overall pain. It is so easy for food to spill. Food and most likely drinks can get all over the table, making it harder to players around the spill to concentrate. Another problem is forgetting about the food. In one Battle Roads, I sat down and saw that there was a Coke on the floor. I reached to pick it up but then my opponent sat down and kicked it, so we had to warn other players, pick up stuff, and run to the bathroom to get paper towels. If the person with the drink would not have left the drink there, or even not have brought it, that problem never would have happened. There is a lunch break for a reason, use it. The Lunch Break is the only chance for a long period of time where you can eat while not getting in other people's way. Take advantage of it. If you do want to bring food to the table, do not put it in the aisle where somebody could trip over it, or underneath the table in an area where it could be kicked. Bringing drinks, chili, or other food that could easily spill you just should not bring. There is basically no spot where the drink is not in danger of being knocked over. Also, do not put food near other people's stuff. Spilling a Sprite is bad, but spilling a Sprite all over another person's backpack is much worse. If you cannot stand not having a drink, buy bottled sodas so you can put the cap on it and the soda will not spill.If You Lose Something
Speak to the Head Judge as fast as you can. Looking where you left it is the best thing to do, but by talking to the front desk, and finding out if they received any lost items, there is a greater chance you will get it instead of just asking people. If they do have it, be ready to take a test on what you lost because that is what the Judges must do before returning lost property. Afterwards if the Head Judge does not have, asking people if they have seen something is fine. I often lose things but find them a few seconds later in my bag, which leads me to another thing to do before talking to the Head Judge. Instead, double check to make sure you absolutely to not have the missing items. A Judge would not be happy if they spent a lot of time trying to find a missing item just to find out that the player actually had it all along. On the other side of the scenario, imagine you found something. Do not ask players around you of they lost it, unless they can name what it is. If it is a mat or something that you cannot ask questions on, give it to a Judge.Think Before You Play
To prevent misplays, think of all possible outcomes that could result in a play. When deciding think of every single possible outcome of each move you make before making it. Think of potential consequences, what your opponent can do afterwards, and how it can affect your game. Even simple things such as using a Junk Arm can have problems tied in with them. Such as using your last Junk Arm, or not having it when it is really needed because it has already been used. Certain plays can give openings too. Merely not using Outrage could affect the game a lot. In one case for me, not using outrage won me the game because I let my opponent knockout me giving me Twins access. If he would have thought through the possible and probable outcomes of knocking me out, I would not have had Twins access making it much harder for me to get out an attacker. Try to think of every single play that could now be possible or impossible. This is will make it so you will not make as many misplays, and though it will make you game a bit slower in the beginning, with time you will get used to it and make quick plays while still thinking of results from a play.
Response 1 said:
This is probably the best thing to do. Though you could win by sending up Zekrom and trying to get a double Pluspower or Junk Arm, it is a bit of a "win more" situation. Of course, if the player was to topdeck a Pokémon, they could just use Pokémon Communication, but if not, it is better to use Pokémon Collector in case you do not get the needed cards.
This is where safe is better than sorry comes into play. Though this player could get the needed cards to win that turn, the player is trying to "win more". It is a risk that only makes the game quicker. It is not worth it because the player must get out a Junk Arm allowing them to use Pokémon Catcher. All of the opponent's Junk Arm and Pokémon Catcher have been used, and even with a lot of Pluspowers, Donphan still cannot knockout Tornadus, while Donphan can knockout Zekrom with the use of only one Pluspower.Response 2 said:
The Win More Syndrome
This is when you add extra cards or do plays to add by an even larger extend. These cards are just about always not needed for the deck to be successful, and a waste of space. The plays tend to be a bit risky, and it would be better to be safe than sorry. An example of a win more play is if a player who had the win with Kyurem risked it to get out a DCL to be able to knockout different Pokémon. Totally not worth it, but still can be done. When taking out win more cards from your deck, be careful not to confuse win more cards with cards that are important to the deck. A good example of this is Rayquaza Deoxys Legend. In some decks, it can be very important and is a nice addition. However, in some decks, it is not important and the deck is good without it, an example of this would be Reshiboar. Unless your meta is full of tanking Pokémon such as Gothitelle, or somehow your deck just cannot win without RDL, RDL is unnecessary and a card used to win by a bigger amount or for "amazing and cool" finishes. This is the case where a card in a win more card. Where a deck would be just fine without a card (such as RDL), yet it is still included to win 4-0 on prizes instead of 3-0. These cards could be replaced with more important cards, better decks, or extra consistency cards. Marathons
When going to a marathon, follow all of these steps, but also have multiple decks ready to use. If you are unsure of the meta, you can end up bringing a Chandelure into a meta of Durant. By have multiple decks, and especially if these decks are not similar (e.g. Durant, ZPST, The Truth, Eelzone), there is a better chance that your deck will not be having a bad matchup every other game. In some more popular marathons however, almost every deck ends up being played. For these types of metas, just find a deck that has one or two bad matchups, with the rest being even or favorable. Or ideally, find a deck with all even or better matchups. For marathons especially, it is very important to know where the events are and which days have the event (e.g missing a Cities because you go to the one that is tomorrow).
Top Cut
With this being my first complete competitive year playing the Pokémon TCG, I only have four or five top cuts... not enough to write a decent section about top cuts. Thanks to [mod]Celebi23[/mod] for writing up this section!
Celebi23 said:
Conclusion
I hope this advice will help all the members of PokéBeach, be more successful at their Cities tournaments, especially those who will be having their first premier tournament soon. This is definitely an interesting format, to say the least, and I wish the best of luck for those going to Cities events.That's all for now!
-[member]Glaceon[/member]
