What in the World? – Predictions on the Upcoming World Championships!
Hello PokeBeach! I’m so glad to be here with you once again. It’s been great writing for you. I hope you’ve been enjoying your summer, I know I sure have! Usually, I take the summer to catch up on my sleep as well as practice Bassoon. I had the pleasure of attending a classical music festival down in Washington D.C. It was refreshing to be around fantastic, hard-working artists. I’m currently transitioning from my current city of East Lansing, Michigan to the beautiful metropolis of Cleveland, Ohio. I’m a little excited and very nervous to start graduate school down in Cleveland, but I know it’s going to be a great experience.
But enough about me, onto the article! For those of you that attended the U.S. National Championships, I hope you had a great time. For me, that was definitely one of the best weekends of Pokemon I’ve ever had. I got to meet some amazing players, sight see, party hard, and hang around with some of my closest friends. I was even able to cheer my teammates on to top 32 finishes! The tournament was a blast, and if you’ve never been to the National Championships, I cannot encourage you more to go. It is such a great time, even if you don’t do so hot in the main event. Today, I’d like to discuss how Nationals went for me as well as give some of my thoughts on the World Championships based on previous U.S. Nationals results.
Nationals Review
[cardimg name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”106″ align=”right” height=”250″ c=”none”][/cardimg]
This was my second Nationals and I had high hopes coming into the tournament. Last year, I was fortunate enough to have two byes because of my Ft. Wayne Regionals win. I went into the tournament with the epitome of all-or-nothing decks: Speed [card name=”Lugia-EX” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”108″ c=”name”]. You’ll remember last year was the year of [card name=”Pyroar” set=”Flashfire” no=”20″ c=”name”], and though I only played one on the day, I ended with an abysmal 5-4 record. This stung. I finished the season three points shy of an invite and I attribute not getting my invite to a poor Nationals showing.
This year I had a very different mindset coming into the biggest tournament of the year. I secured my invite extremely early in the season and was looking for glory in the National Championships. I wanted a deck that performed well across the board and had no auto-loss matchups. I turned to my trusty [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”] / [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”].
I ended with a 5-1-3 record after Day One, which I’m satisfied with. My 18 points were good enough for a top 128 placement and 50 Championship Points. My deck choice of Seismitoad-EX / Crobat was not overly inspired, but I felt it gave me solid matchups across the board, which is something I value in a large tournament such as Nationals. For me to feel comfortable about a deck choice, I prefer to go into the tournament as if I can win every game I play instead of choosing a risky deck with a few auto-loss matchups. Below is the list I used to make the top 128. It is also the same card-for-card list my good friend Chris Derocher used to place 22nd overall.
[decklist]
[pokemon amt=”17″]
4x [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Golbat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”32″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”Zubat” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”53″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Mewtwo-EX” set=”Black and White Black Star Promos” no=”BW45″ c=”deck2″]
[/pokemon]
[trainers amt=”37″]
4x [card name=”Professor Juniper” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”116″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”92″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”118″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”110″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”Super Scoop Up” set=”Neo Genesis” no=”98″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”Hypnotoxic Laser” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”123″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Computer Search” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”137″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”Virbank City Gym” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”126″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”Silent Lab” set=”Primal Clash” no=”140″ c=”deck2″]
[/trainers]
[energy amt=”6″]
4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Base Set” no=”96″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”Water Energy” set=”Call of Legends” no=”90″ c=”deck2″]
[/energy]
[/decklist]
Matchups
During the tournament I played against a wide variety of decks. It seems that people really exploited the interesting quirks of the format. I saw everything from [card name=”Wailord-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”38″ c=”name”] to [card name=”Primal Kyogre-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”55″ c=”name”], to [card name=”Dragonite” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”52″ c=”name”] to [card name=”Rock Guard” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”108″ c=”name”]. It was an insane amount to deal with and the people that navigated through that metagame craziness definitely deserved it.
The field included a ton of [card name=”M Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”24″ c=”name”], which caught me by surprise. My testing group had no idea Manectric would be in as many decks as it was – it was simply incredible how prevalent the card was! If you would have told me before the tournament that I’d play against two Manectric decks in nine rounds, I would have called you crazy. The card simply wasn’t on my or my testing partners’ radars. However, people saw its strengths against [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”] and [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”]-based decks.
This situation brings up a great point of emphasis for those of you looking to take your game to the next level: have testing partners from around the country! They may be able to give you the inside scoop on what people in their region are bringing to a tournament like U.S. Nationals. Andrew Mahone and I were actually told about all the Manectric hype the night before the tournament, but just dismissed it because the card hadn’t performed well the entire season.
Here are the matchups that I played during the day. I played against some strong competition and had some extremely close games which is how it should be at the National tournament. I was glad to see so many people bring their A-game.
Round 1 – [card name=”Bronzong” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY21″ c=”none”] (no [card name=”Cobalion-EX” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”93″ c=”name”], two [card name=”Aegislash-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”65″ c=”name”]) WW
Round 2 – [card name=”Landorus-EX” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”89″ c=”name”] / [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”] WW
[cardimg name=”Wailord-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”147″ align=”right” height=”250″ c=”custom”]Ending my Nats run one AZ at a time[/cardimg]
Round 3 – Top 8 Finisher Kristy Britton – [card name=”Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”23″ c=”name”] / [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”] / [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”] / [card name=”Rock Guard” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”108″ c=”name”] WL (Tie)
Round 4 – [card name=”Bronzong” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”61″ c=”name”] / [card name=”Cobalion-EX” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”93″ c=”name”] LL
Round 5 – [card name=”Primal Kyogre-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”55″ c=”name”] WL (Tie)
Round 6 – [card name=”M Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”24″ c=”name”] / [card name=”Genesect-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”11″ c=”name”] WLW
Round 7 – [card name=”Primal Groudon-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”151″ c=”name”] / [card name=”Dragonite” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”52″ c=”name”] W
Round 8 – [card name=”Wailord-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”38″ c=”name”] / [card name=”Suicune” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”20″ c=”name”] (Tie)
Round 9 – Night March – WW
I knew after round five that I would be in for a somewhat disappointing day. It is always my goal to come into these large tournaments to win, and I simply didn’t get there. I lost or tied a number of close matchups and it was a bit disheartening. However, a top 128 placement was nothing to be ashamed of. Knowing that I had a solid deck choice and decent matchups across the board made me feel good about my finish.
[cardimg name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”105″ align=”right” height=”250″ c=”custom”]Rayquaza for Worlds?[/cardimg]
Going into the tournament, I figured I would want to beat Seismitoad-EX decks and [card name=”Raichu” set=”XY” no=”43″ c=”name”] decks. I was incorrect in my assumption that Raichu would show up in large numbers – I didn’t play a single Raichu deck all day! However, it does say something pretty special about the format that I played against eight completely unique decks during the tournament. I am blown away by the creativity shown by my opponents and the deck diversity is extremely healthy for the growth of our game.
Were I to go back and change decks, I think I might have played something like [card name=”Bronzong” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY21″ c=”name”] / [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”]. This is the deck the other half of my testing group played and seemed like it would have been a strong contender, even with the high concentration of [card name=”M Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”24″ c=”name”] decks. Rayquaza-EX’s ability to swing hard and consistently makes it one of my top testing options for Worlds. However, it’s hard to be too upset with my choice. Seismitoad / Crobat took many people to the top 64 or higher and I know that with a bit more luck I could have ended up there myself.
Are you ready to take your game to the next level? In this next section, I will be giving you my predictions of the upcoming World tournament based on previous years’ U.S. Nationals results! We’ll look at the last few years of results and make a guess at what will be played at Worlds. If you’re going to the main event, you surely don’t want to miss what I have to say. Don’t be blindsided by the meta at the most prestigious event of the year. Subscribe today!
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Worlds Predictions
I hope that many of you attend Worlds this year, even if you’re not playing in the tournament! I went last year with a group of friends even though I was three (three!!!) points short of my invite. I had a great time cheering my friends on as they battled in the main event. I also loved playing in side events, meeting new trainers, hanging with old friends, and sight-seeing in downtown D.C. If you have the means to get to Boston this year for the World Championships, just do it! You’ll thank me later.
Now, for those of you playing in the tournament, you should be getting as prepared as you possibly can. Start reading card scans, testing weird decks and perfecting lists. Do not blow your shot at playing in the World Championships because you came under-prepared. Make sure you know what every card does – it could be the deciding factor in a tight game. Plus, you never know if this is your last shot at becoming World Champion. If that title alone isn’t motivation enough, think about the amazing monetary prizes for the top finishers!
If it hasn’t already, your preparation for the World Tournament should have started. In your quest to figure out what the best play is for Boston, it is a great idea to reflect on what has happened in previous tournaments. Looking back at what has done well in previous formats can give you an idea about general changes in the metagame between the two most watched tournaments of the year: U.S. Nationals and Worlds. Often, U.S. Nationals is the last major tournament before the World Championships and many people gain insight from this tournament to guide their deck choices for Worlds. In this next section, I’ll go over what has done well at U.S. Nationals over the last half decade as well as what subsequently did well at the World Tournament. Then, I’ll discuss exactly how I think this year’s World Tournament will play out.
2011 – World’s Goes Rogue
U.S. Nationals was won by Justin Sanchez, an up-and-coming 17 year old playing [card name=”Magnezone” set=”Triumphant” no=”96″ c=”name”] / [card name=”Yanmega” set=”Triumphant” no=”98″ c=”name”]. He took down U.S. Nationals’ greatest performer, Kyle “Pooka” Sucevich, who was playing [card name=”Yanmega” set=”Triumphant” no=”98″ c=”name”] / Donphan / [card name=”Zoroark” set=”Black and White Black Star Promos” no=”BW09″ c=”name”]. Their finals match is most memorable for the insane amount of Baby flips that occurred. Remember, this tournament took place during the time period Baby Pokemon like [card name=”Cleffa” set=”Call of Legends” no=”24″ c=”name”] and [card name=”Tyrogue” set=”Call of Legends” no=”36″ c=”name”] were legal.
[cardimg name=”Cleffa” set=”Call of Legends” no=”24″ align=”left” height=”250″ c=”custom”]My favorite attack ever![/cardimg]
As for Worlds that year, we saw a completely different finals matchup. While the field was heavily populated by decks like Sanchez’s Yanmega / Magnezone, we saw a previously discounted deck claim the top spot as David Cohen took home the crown with the formidable combination of [card name=”Magnezone” set=”Triumphant” no=”96″ c=”name”] and [card name=”Emboar” set=”Black and White Black Star Promos” no=”BW21″ c=”name”]. David took down Ross Cawthon’s famous [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Undaunted” no=”24″ c=”name”] / Donphan / [card name=”Reuniclus” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”126″ c=”name”] / Blissey / [card name=”Zekrom” set=”Black and White Black Star Promos” no=”BW24″ c=”name”] deck, AKA “The Truth.”
[cardimg name=”Vileplume” set=”Undaunted” no=”24″ align=”right” height=”250″ c=”custom”]Are you ready for this to be back?[/cardimg]
“The Truth” was an unbelievably inventive rogue conceived just prior to the start of the tournament. This is perhaps the best, if not the most memorable, rogue ever to advance to the final table. As I usually say to inexperienced players, it is always a great idea to come to a tournament with a deck that has at least one unexpected twist. Cawthon brought a deck that was one giant unexpected twist! He shocked a lot of people with his kooky deck and it took him deep into the tournament. Similarly, Cohen achieved the ultimate success by piloting a deck that many had deemed too slow and inconsistent for the format.
2012 – Rise of Klinklang
Klinklang was not on many people’s radars heading into U.S. Nationals this year. Many decks focused around [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”107″ c=”name”] and [card name=”Mewtwo-EX” set=”Next Destinies” no=”98″ c=”name”], and John Roberts II exploited these EX-heavy decks with his off-the-wall Klinklang deck.
Klinklang had seen moderate success at Battle Roads, but was overshadowed by decks like [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”63″ c=”name”], [card name=”Zekrom” set=”Black and White Black Star Promos” no=”BW24″ c=”name”] / [card name=”Eelektrik” set=”Noble Victories” no=”40″ c=”name”], and [card name=”Celebi” set=”Triumphant” no=”92″ c=”name”] / [card name=”Mewtwo-EX” set=”Next Destinies” no=”54″ c=”name”] / [card name=”Terrakion” set=”Noble Victories” no=”73″ c=”name”]. Klinklang’s success came from using unusual techs like [card name=”Kyogre-EX” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”26″ c=”name”] and [card name=”Groudon-EX” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”54″ c=”name”] to rack up damage on the opponent’s board and take out easy threats on their Bench like [card name=”Smeargle” set=”Undaunted” no=”8″ c=”name”], [card name=”Celebi” set=”Triumphant” no=”92″ c=”name”] and [card name=”Tynamo” set=”Noble Victories” no=”38″ c=”name”]. Though Klinklang takes a bit of setting up, once it gets rolling it’s very difficult to stop, as none of the attackers had an exploitable weakness. John Roberts II made a risky, unusual deck choice and it paid off handsomely.
In the World Tournament, it seemed that no one took much notice of Klinklang. Sure, there were players that played the deck, but it’s success paled in comparison to its U.S. Nationals run. Worlds was dominated by consistent EX-based decks like Celebi / Mewtwo / Terrakion and Darkrai / Mewtwo. In the finals of the World Tournament, Igor Costa famously beat Harrison Leven after Leven prized the one card that could have won him the game, [card name=”Shaymin” set=”Unleashed” no=”8″ c=”name”]. Leven’s and Costa’s decks both revolved around the Basics [card name=”Terrakion” set=”Noble Victories” no=”73″ c=”name”], [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”107″ c=”name”], and [card name=”Mewtwo-EX” set=”Next Destinies” no=”54″ c=”name”]. World’s didn’t bring much new to the table as many players opted to stay with more traditional decks revolving around Basic Pokemon-EX instead of clunky rogues like Klinklang.
2013 – Consistency is King
[cardimg name=”Gothitelle” set=”Emerging Powers” no=”47″ align=”left” height=”250″ c=”custom”]Item lock is always strong[/cardimg]
In 2013, three of the biggest archetypes of the time (Plasma, [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”107″ c=”name”], and [card name=”Gothitelle” set=”Emerging Powers” no=”47″ c=”name”] / [card name=”Accelgor” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”11″ c=”name”]) saw the most success at the top tables. Gothitelle / Accelgor had dominated U.S. Nationals and was the deck that ended up winning the tournament. Trainer lock slowed many decks to a crawl, and since most people hadn’t teched for Accelgor’s auto-Paralysis, the deck had an impressive showing. Three of the top 8 finishers played this lethal, frustrating combination.
In the finals of U.S. Nationals, Edmund Kuras’ Gothitelle / Accelgor deck ended up thoroughly dominating Ryan Sabelhaus’ Plasma build. It was such a one-sided affair that the crowd ended up cheering for underdog Ryan Sabelhaus with shouts of “Duskull pass” in the hopes that Edmond would draw dead with only that Pokemon Active.
World’s saw a very different format. Gothitelle / Accelgor was the deck to beat coming into the World tournament and many people teched in [card name=”Keldeo-EX” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”49″ c=”name”] to deal with the Paralysis condition that Accelgor inflicts. Because of the high amount of Keldeo-EX people had slipped into their decks, Gothitelle / Accelgor did not do well in the event. Instead, the field was heavily populated with Darkrai and Plasma decks that had answers to Gothitelle / Accelgor. In the finals of this World Championship, Jason Klaczynski’s Darkrai build took down Simon Narode’s Plasma [card name=”Lugia-EX” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”108″ c=”name”] deck. It is interesting to note the effect U.S. Nationals results had on card choices from both finalists – each ran a pair of Keldeo-EX to ensure a decent to favorable matchup against Gothitelle / Accelgor.
2014 – Lion King
[cardimg name=”Pyroar” set=”Flashfire” no=”20″ align=”right” height=”250″ c=”custom”]The Lion King![/cardimg]
U.S. Nationals 2014 had no idea what hit it. [card name=”Pyroar” set=”Flashfire” no=”20″ c=”name”] dominated the field and was led to the final tables by Michael Pramawat. For those that weren’t in the loop, Pyroar blind-sided the field when it was unleashed on the tournament. Many of the players who chose Pyroar for this tournament ended up cutting and those that weren’t prepared for the deck ended up succumbing to it. Pramawat was the Pyroar player who led the charge all the way to the finals, where his National Championship bid was thwarted by Brandon Salazar’s [card name=”Landorus-EX” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”144″ c=”name”] / [card name=”Raichu” set=”XY” no=”43″ c=”name”] / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”54″ c=”name”].
Pyroar’s huge success at U.S. Nationals prompted a metagame shift for Worlds. Many players opted to play something with Garbodor, and some players went in with [card name=”Flygon” set=”Black and White Black Star Promos” no=”BW53″ c=”name”] / [card name=”Accelgor” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”11″ c=”name”]. Because these types of decks had a positive Pyroar matchup, Pyroar saw little to no success in the World Tournament. Just as in years past, the initial shock factor of the deck had died down and people altered their deck choices to better prepare for Pyroar. Interestingly, because of the amount of Pyroar hate, two [card name=”Virizion-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”9″ c=”name”] / [card name=”Genesect-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”11″ c=”name”] decks ended up making the finals. Virizion / Genesect has an awful Pyroar matchup, but because much of the rest of the field could take down the inventive rogue, the consistent Virizion / Genesect was able to slide into the finals. Igor Costa and Andrew Estrada faced off in an epic, back-and-forth mirror match that saw Andrew Estrada, the young Canadian, take home the trophy.
2015 – Whale of a Time
[cardimg name=”Wailord-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”38″ align=”left” height=”250″ c=”custom”]HNNNG[/cardimg]
Of course, how will we ever forget [card name=”Wailord-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”38″ c=”name”]? This behemoth rogue single-handedly flipped the U.S. metagame on it’s head. Never before in the history of the game has decking the opponent out been more brutally slow than with the deck centered around Wailord-EX. Using a combination of stall cards like [card name=”Max Potion” set=”Emerging Powers” no=”94″ c=”name”] and [card name=”AZ” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”91″ c=”name”], Enrique Avila slowly grinded his team’s creative deck to a 2nd Place finish, but not before capturing the minds and hearts of trainers around the world. Wailord-EX’s rise to the top shows that even the most underrated cards can have their time in the limelight.
For as much as we want to glorify the unusual rogue, victory went to one of the most consistent decks of the season as Jason Klaczynski ended up winning U.S. Nationals with his straightforward [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”] / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”54″ c=”name”]. Seismitoad / Garbodor was a staple deck during City Championships and there was really no reason for people to dismiss it as a legitimate threat. Personally, Garbodor just wasn’t on my testing radar for Nationals. With the rise of [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”] / [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”], I figured Seismitoad / Garbodor was just a worse variant. Seismitoad / Crobat can use one [card name=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”110″ c=”name”] to get rid of Garbodor’s Tool and all of a sudden, [card name=”Golbat” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”54″ c=”name”] and Crobat can start stacking on the damage. Obviously, Klaczynski saw how prevalent Abilities were in the format and piloted Seismitoad / Garbodor to the top spot.
General Trends and Predictions for the Worlds Metagame
As a general rule, decks that come out of nowhere to make a big splash at U.S. Nationals are generally teched against at the World Tournament. 2013 and 2014 are good examples of what can happen when popular decks from U.S. Nationals can be countered easily – the unusual decks that performed well at Nationals end up making little to no impact at Worlds. The surprise factor of rogue decks from U.S. Nationals is gone by Worlds, as people either know how to play against the strategy, or alter their deck and card choices to win the matchup. I have every reason to believe the same trend will continue this year at Worlds. Wailord was the biggest surprise this year at U.S. Nationals, but I would not expect to see many people play it during the World Tournament.
For starters, Wailord should not have a good showing at Worlds because I think we may start to see [card name=”Bunnelby” set=”Primal Clash” no=”121″ c=”name”] pop up in more than one deck. One tech Bunnelby gives you such a huge advantage in the Wailord matchup – you practically cannot lose if you play your cards right. By using Bunnelby’s Burrow attack to mill opposing Wailord players, you give them a taste of their own medicine, decking them out before you do.
Secondly, Wailord opponents will know the matchup. In a tournament with so many high caliber players, no one is going to play without a perfected strategy against that deck. The advantage Wailord had at U.S. Nationals was that nobody knew quite how to play against it, especially Day One. Wailord players saw their opponents vainly draw through their entire decks to get resources when a more optimal strategy might have been to be patient and unleash attackers only when their board was optimally set up. Going into the World Tournament, every player likely will have played a handful of games with and against Wailord to find the best strategy to beat it, thus the surprise factor is completely gone. For Wailord to be successful at the World Championships, it must adapt. Additionally, it is not difficult to draw and pass with your Wailord opponent until time is called. Because it is so easy to tie against Wailord in the current 50+3 format, I just cannot see Wailord performing well again.
I would not be surprised to see some new decks emerge, similar to 2011. U.S. Nationals top 8 had seven different decks represented, which is a testament to the diversity of the card pool and the ingenuity of the players. I expect to see even more new decks at Worlds. Non-EX decks seem particularly strong at the moment as well. I would not be shocked to see a lesser played deck like [card name=”Flareon” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”12″ c=”name”], Night March, or [card name=”Medicham” set=”Primal Clash” no=”81″ c=”name”] go on to surprise people on Pokemon’s biggest stage.
[cardimg name=”Flareon” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”12″ align=”right” height=”250″ c=”custom”]Primed for success?[/cardimg]
Additionally, many competitors cling to established decks that have worked at U.S. Nationals. I’d expect to see plenty of players running card-for-card lists of Klaczynski’s Nationals-winning [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”] / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Legendary Treasures” no=”68″ c=”name”] deck. This is a deck that doesn’t have a hard counter and can beat pretty much every matchup (save [card name=”Virizion-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”9″ c=”name”] / [card name=”Genesect-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”11″ c=”name”], which should see almost no play). Pokemon has published many of the top performing lists from U.S. Nationals online and you can bet that there will be players that take these exact lists to Worlds.
Another deck I have heard people talk about through the grapevine is [card name=”Primal Kyogre-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”55″ c=”name”]. This beast of a Pokemon has a solid Seismitoad matchup, and could sneak up on quite a few people because of its unusual tricks and quirks. I am still trying this deck out and it looks to be a serious contender if Seismitoad continues its dominance.
One card that I expect to see little play is [card name=”Raichu” set=”XY” no=”43″ c=”name”]. A hyped-up card before U.S. Nationals, Raichu made little impact on the tournament with zero top 8 finishes. Raichu will continue to see little to no play because of the rise of [card name=”Aegislash-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”65″ c=”name”] and the threat of [card name=”Landorus-EX” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”89″ c=”name”]-based decks that were so popular in foreign Nationals.
Now is the time for bold predictions. We can look back on these and laugh if they’re wrong or give praise if they’re right. Making a bold prediction is always kind of fun, whether it’s a sports team you know for sure is going to win, or making a bet with a friend over a video game. Now, I’m not a betting man, but in the 2015 World Championships, I predict:
- One Virizion / Genesect will advance from Day One
- Zero decks with Wailord-EX will place in the top 16 in Day Two
- [card name=”Primal Groudon-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”86″ c=”name”] will have at least one top 4 finish
- Seismitoad-EX / Garbodor will prove too slow and only have one top 16 finish on Day Two
- Flareon will surprise a lot of people in Day One
- Because of the lack of Raichu, [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”] will win Worlds
As you prepare for Worlds, take the time to reflect on the general trends we have seen in past seasons and apply that to our current position. As uncertain as the metagame may feel, one thing will always remain the same: people will pull out all the stops in their journey to become World Champ!
Conclusion
That’s all I have for you today. I hope you enjoyed my insight on U.S. Nationals and Worlds during the last half decade. It can be tough to make accurate predictions when so much is on the line. If I can offer any advice, though, it’s don’t think too hard. You don’t want to play “Rock” because you think the best play is “Paper” so you think everyone will play “Scissors” to counter “Paper.” Go with what you know and with what has decent matchups. What I’m looking for in a deck is one that can beat just about everything, or an explosive deck that only has one truly bad matchup.
If you do happen to make it to Worlds, please say hello! I’d love to meet more of you. Again, I can’t stress enough how cool it was for me as a non-competitor to attend the Championships last year in Washington D.C. Not only did I get to participate in all the fun side events, but I got to meet new friends and watch how the tournament unfolded. It gave me the drive to want to compete this year, and kept me focused on earning that invite as early as I could. Who knows, for me, this may be the closest Worlds ever before Pokemon eventually takes its tournament overseas!
If you aren’t participating in the World Championships, it might be a good idea to pretend that you are. What I mean by that is, figure out a deck and deck list that you think could stand up to the competition at Worlds. Compare your findings to the results of Day One. Do the same metagaming for Day Two. This exercise in prediction is something I like to do for big tournaments, as I can get feedback on how good my metagaming skills are.
As always, I will be scouring the Subscribers’ Hideout, so come ask some questions about your Worlds decks. Thanks again for reading, and enjoy Worlds!
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