Battle Roads Report/Adventure of Aurasphere87.
Aurasphere87 Hello fellow OHKOers, This is Mark back with my Battle Road report for the opening to our new 2011 – 2012 season! 
Myself, accompanied by a group of friends went to the South Bend and Angola Battle Roads in Indiana. Initially I was gonna back out of going due to monetary issues. However, thanks to my great friends I was able to get things together! On the way there we got hit by traffic from the Michigan State Game and Notre Dame game. We actually got to the tournament 10 minutes late expecting game losses but we luckily got there just in time to register! PHEW!!
I played Stage One Rush, also known as “Mega Dragonzord”, which features Yanmega, Donphan, and Zoroark. I also played 2 Mew Primes as techs along with 4 Rainbow Energies for the Gothitelle match up. I had been playing this deck pretty much since Nationals and decided to stick with it due to its great coverage and excellent match ups.
As the tournament started we were informed about the new Championship Point structure and given news that Regional championships would take place twice during the season. For the record I’m very found of the championship point idea. So lets get into it!
SOUTH BEND, IN Battle Road
Round 1 vs “Pikkdogs” with Mew/Vileplume 
I wasn’t to enthused about having to play Pikkdogs round 1, let alone at all. As you may have read in his tournament report, we had played the previous weej with the same deck lists, so i knew it would be a great game! Pikkdogs goes first and is able to “See Off” a Muk very early in the game while also getting a turn 2 Vileplume out. I didn’t have an excellent start. With Zekrom on my bench Pikkdogs opted to sludge drag up the Zekrom in order to slow me down. Unfortunately for him i was lucky enough to have 3 DCE in hand to retreat each turn and take early ko’s with Yanmega Prime. I only run 3 DCE and to have the all available so early was pretty amazing. We still had a decent game but i got in front in prizes pretty early and clinched the win.
1-0
Round 2 vs Tim Luce with Reshiplosion
Tim is a player i remember from last season, I know he is a good player so i was definitely on the ball in this game. He goes first with a pretty good start. I’m able to “See Off” Jumpluff turn 1, and have a Pokemon Collector which elts me set up. I just got ahead by Catchering up Cyndaquils for easy k.o.’s and “Mass Attacking” the Reshirams with Plus Powers in order to claim victory.
2-0
Round 3 vs Bohdan with Donphan/Dragons 
I found myself playing against another friend this round. Ironically, this was the person i rode there with. Bohdan’s Deck was something a lot of people overlooked and i must say it is arguably one of the sturdiest decks in the format. His idea is to lead with Donphan Prime while accumulating damage on benched Zekrom/Reshiram so they can serve as huge HP support attackers and easily knock out the likes of Yanmega Prime and others. He goes 1st and judges my AMAZING hand. I draw pretty bad and was unable to setup early which is immensely important against his deck. To add insult to injury, my Cleffa was prized, so needless to say this game ended pretty quick. I lost a in a humiliating defeat LOL.
2-1
Round 4 vs Jeff Libersky with Don-champ with Reshiram
I go 1st FINALLY. We both open with lone Phanpy. I had the Donphan and fighting energy in my opening hand. He was able to get another Phanpy on the bench and avoid the donk. But, Me going first made the difference. I was able to Catcher up the Phanpy with energy and KO it with a Plus Power. He got a Donphan Prime out himself, but i had already set up the bench with Yanmegas. He drew extremely bad as well. So i win this one very easily.
3-1
Round 5 vs Wes Huener with Kingdra/Zoroark 
I go first and knew that getting my Zekrom out early would greatly benefit me, especially if i handled Zoroark with Donphan early. Unfortunately for him i get the “GOD” start and am able to KO 5 or 6 Horsea pretty much back to back. He used Flower Shop Lady for the 5th and 6th Horsea in case you were wondering. He never got a Kingdra up and i took this game 6-0 prizes to place me 2nd overall. Time for top 4!
Top 4 consisted of Bohdan (Donphan/dragons) Myself, Dustin Zimmerman (Stage 1 rush) and Alex Leachman (Reshiphlosion)
Semi Finals vs Dustin Zimmerman With Stage 1 Mirror
Dustin Zimmerman is an extremely cool guy representing team hovercats. We chatted a bit on Facebook. Though we had never seen each other in person or played against each other.
In Game 1 he goes first and has what i would like to described as the “Ultimate God Start”. It was as though he chose his opening hand! He steam rolled through me and i scooped 3 prizes behind to go to game 2.
In game two i chose to go first but had a not so great start. I had to “eek”, and he was able to set up quickly again. The game was extremely close this time, but he pulled it out and advanced to the finals. I was relying on Bohdan to win so i could take the 3rd place victory cup, but, he went on to lose in sudden death of game 3 by whiffing on a fighting energy when he had game. So he gets 3rd, I take fourth and Alex Leachman wins the tournament. It was an amazing run and i had high hopes for day 2!
Intermission: Between days with the boys.
Bohdan and myself had planned to crash in his car over night but we asked Pikkdogs if we could just crash in the hotel and he gladly obliged. We followed them back to the room and just ordered out for pizzas and tested against each other. We all decided to make slight to drastic changes to our list. Mine being only the inclusion of Cheren which was inspired by Dustin Zimmerman. We joked and laughed until falling asleep relatively early around 11:00 pm. We woke up extra early like at 5 am and got breakfast from the hotel. We headed out to Walmart where i wasted 2 dollars in one of those grappling vending machines trying to get a toy Sneasal and Zubat. Joe and Rob (two other Michigna players) bought Bohdan a Poncho and we set off for Angola for Battle Road 2.
ANGOLA, IN Battle Road
We arrived to discover several fellow Team Warp Point members decided to come out. So i was pretty stoked. The venue was the Pokagon Park/Resort (couldn’t be a better place to have it this tournament). The place was beautiful. Myself and Frank visited the gift shop where we bought 2 plush snakes which were worn like scarfs throughout the entire day! We entered and right off the bat i knew this would be a tougher tournament because of the arrival of all excellent players and other familiar faces that are extremely good. So here we go.
Round 1 vs Derek Watson With Cinccino/Zoroark/Ninetales
This game almost made me lose my mind…. My opponent was just coming back into the game. However he was still a decent player. I was confident in this match up as well. He went 1st and was able to get a turn 2 Cinccino and Double Colorless Energy. I struggled to get a Phanpy turn 1, and finally did after playing through several cards. Here’s the ridiculous part of this game, My opponent didn’t own any Pokemon Catcher and was using reversal instead. He flipped 4-4 on reversals through out the game, 2 of which were for KO’s on my only Phanpys in the deck. I had got behind 3 prizes and was pretty steamed. However, I started to marched back with foul play KO’s on the Cinccino’s. He was stuck a few turns with Zoroark active as well not being able to foul play for my “Foul Play”. He could of “Foul Played” for “Nasty Plot” but i suppose it didn’t cross his mind. I was able to come back to win somehow in quite possibly the most nail biting match I’d ever had. wow… 
1-o
Round 2 vs Kyle Brandon (TWP) with Kingdra/Yanmega/Magnezone
Kyle’s a good buddy and teammate so i wasn’t glad about the pairing. I had a great start and he drew dead the entire game… It was very unfortunate, at one point he had 4 Rare Candy, Kingdra and a water energy with no Horsea. I think the deciding play was his decision to allow me to choose what supporter he played turn 1 at random. I chose the left hand and got judge instead of copycat which ultimately was his downfall. He got Magnezone up eventually, but it was already far to late to make a comeback.
2-0
Round 3 vs Alex Leachman With Reshiphlosion 
Alex had won the previous days tournament so i was very anxious to see how this turned out. I started first and got to “See Off” Jumpluff and used a Pokemon Collector to set up. I go early KO’s on Cyndaquils with “Mass Attack” and Yanmega Prime. He got 1 Reshiram set up the the whole game which was taken care of with Zoroark. The play that really disgusted him was he had 1 card in hand with an active reshiram that had 2 damage counters on it. I had 5 cards in hand with Yanmega active. I Junk Armed for a catcher and played Copycat to match him with 1 card in hand. With the luckiest top deck of the day i drew a DCE and was able to attach it to a benched Zoroark and then retreat, and blue flare for the KO. It was pretty sick and he couldn’t recover after that. I took the win and told him that i know i got very lucky with that situation and he was cool about it.
3-0
Round 4 vs James Hall with Speed Zekrom/Lanturn
As we sit down he tells me that he knows that I played his auto lose because he knew i had Donphan. I tried to encourage him that anything could happen but it turned brutal. I got Donphan early and just rolled through his deck. 6-0 in prizes. This one ended super fast. 
4-0
Round 5 vs Dustin Zimmerman with Stage 1 Rush Mirror
After a Crushing defeat at Dustin’s hand the previous day i was determined to pay him back for it….. Long story short he goes first, I start with lone cleffa, he has the Zorua AND DCE and flips heads for the donk. I knew i was in top 4 for sure but was pretty mad about getting donked. To add insult to injury, he had donked Jack Iler the previous game in the exact same way. So i end the Swiss Rounds in 2nd place for the second day in a row. On to top cut.
Top cut consisted of myself and Dustin for two days in a row. Nikolas Campbell with Cinccino/Yanmega and Justin Young with Yanmega/Magnezone also joined us.
Semi Finals Vs Nikolas Campbell With Yanmega/Cinccino
Another long story short, I had a not so good start game 1. He goes first and had an amazing start, I had to “eek” and Cleffa stayed asleep for about 4 turns. He set up and we exchanged prizes, but his headstart was too big, so i lost. In game 2 I get an amazing start and chose to go first. He also sets up and we exchange prizes the entire game, but i just couldn’t get ahead in prizes and lose with 1 prize remaining.
I’m pretty bummed for taking 4th two days in a row and missing out on a victory cup(Poke ball), but I’m very proud for playing my heart out and top cutting both days!! I found myself relying on Dustin to win his game so i could place 3rd, but he ALSO whiffed for the win and lost in game 3 against Justin Young. Overall i had a blast and can’t wait to see how well I do in up coming events. I also want to give a shout out to my Broski and fellow team mate Evan Baker for winning a Battle Road that he attended elsewhere. I also commend my team for they’re hard work and effort both days. I don’t think i have ever typed this much haha but i hope you enjoyed this report and Good luck to everyone at upcoming events.
PEACE
