2018 Portland Regionals

Dates: March 24-25
Location: Oregon Convention Center, Portland, Oregon, USA
Attendance: 472 Masters
Format: Standard BRT-UPR

 Day 2 metagame analysis

Day 2 final standings
  1. Xander Pero, Espeon-GX/Garbodor
  2. Colter Decker, Espeon-GX/Garbodor
  3. Alex Hill, VikaBulu
  4. Jake Morgan, Zoroark-GX/Lucario-GX
  5. Ricky Gao, Buzzwole-GX/Lycanroc-GX
  6. Simon Narode, Sylveon-GX
  7. Hunter Butler, Quad Hoopa
  8. Caleb Gedemer, Buzzwole-GX/Lycanroc-GX
  9. Poet Larson, Zoroark-GX/Lycanroc-GX
  10. Peter Kica, VikaBulu
  11. Sam Chen, Sylveon-GX
  12. Daniel Altavilla, Quad Hoopa
  13. Joe Ruettiger, Greninja BREAK
  14. Ross Cawthon, Buzzwole-GX/Lucario-GX
  15. Samuel Hough, Buzzwole-GX/Lycanroc-GX
  16. Pablo Meza, Sylveon-GX
  17. Spencer Vanderpoel, Sylveon-GX
  18. Michael Pramawat, Lucario-GX/Lycanroc-GX
  19. Dallas Wright, Buzzwole-GX/Lycanroc-GX
  20. Drew Allen, Buzzwole-GX/Lycanroc-GX
  21. Lance Bradshaw, Fighting/Garbodor
  22. Jon Eng, Greninja BREAK
  23. Jonathan Paranada, Buzzwole-GX/Lucario-GX
  24. Hayden Cameron-Jacobus, Quad Hoopa
  25. Christopher Schemanske, Lucario-GX/3 Regirock-EX/3 Professor Kukui/Pokémon Catcher
  26. James Taylor, Zoroark-GX/Lycanroc-GX
  27. Rahul Reddy, Lucario-GX/Lycanroc-GX
  28. Ben Potter, Buzzwole-GX/Lucario-GX
  29. Xander Soriano, Espeon-GX/Garbodor
  30. Liam Williams, Buzzwole-GX/Lycanroc-GX
  31. Dejohne Umtuch, Zoroark-GX/Lucario-GX
  32. Tyler Ninomura, Buzzwole-GX/Lucario-GX

Stream
This event was streamed at https://www.twitch.tv/joshsampson with commentary from Nicholena Moon and Josh Sampson. 

 Round 1: not streamed

 Round 2: Jimmy Pendarvis (Sylveon-GX) def. Stefan Tabaco (Glaceon-GX/Garbodor/Tapu Koko/Espeon-EX/Po Town) W watch

 Round 3: Alex Koch (Passimian/Counters) def. John Healey IV (Garchomp) WW watch

 Round 4: Alex Hill (VikaBulu) def. Kian Amini (Zoroark-GX/Lucario-GX) LWW watch

 Round 5: Joey Ruettiger (Greninja BREAK) def. Michael Catron (VikaBulu) LWW watch

 Round 6: TIE - Peter Kica (VikaBulu) & Daniel Altavilla (Quad Hoopa) watch 
  • Later, Kica was given a match loss due to a pair of gameplay errors during the match (double Energy attachment and double Supporter).

 Round 7: Sam Hough (Buzzwole-GX/Lycanroc-GX) def. Jared Parker (Dusk Mane Necrozma-GX/Magnezone) WLW watch

 Round 8: Xander Pero (Espeon-GX/Garbodor) def. Liam Williams (Buzzwole-GX/Lycanroc-GX) WLW watch

 Round 9: Michael Pramawat (Lucario-GX) def. Francisco Hernandez (Zoroark-GX/Lycanroc-GX) LWW watch

 Round 10: Hunter Butler (Quad Hoopa) def. Jon Eng (Greninja BREAK) WLW watch

 Round 11: Jake Morgan (Zoroark-GX/Lucario-GX) def. Christopher Schemanske (Lucario-GX) WW watch

 Round 12: Ricky Gao (Buzzwole-GX/Lycanroc-GX) def. Simon Narode (Sylveon-GX) W watch
  • A double game loss was issued after errors from both players led to an irreversible game state. Gao won game 3 after Narode accidentally announced the wrong attack.

Round 13: not streamed

 Round 14: not streamed

 Top 8: 1-Colter Decker (Espeon-GX/Garbodor) def. 8-Caleb Gedemer (Buzzwole-GX/Lycanroc-GX) WLW watch

 Top 4: 1-Colter Decker (Espeon-GX/Garbodor) def. 3-Alex Hill (VikaBulu) WLW watch

 Finals: 2-Xander Pero (Espeon-GX/Garbodor) def. 1-Colter Decker (Espeon-GX/Garbodor) WW watch
More statistics

Complete metagame breakdown (via RK9 Labs and Christopher Schemanske)


Notes
  • Lucario-GX was legal for the first time at this event. 
  • The finals match featured a 60-card Espeon-GX/Garbodor mirror between Xander Pero (the winner) and Colter Decker. Both players worked on the deck together and tested it together the night before the event, and were consistently at the top tables throughout the weekend. The two strategically IDd at table 1 in the final Swiss round to ensure that they would not meet in Top 8. 
    • Pero's win gave him his second Regional title. (First: Dallas, 2016.) 
  • Sam Chen finished 11th, adding to an interesting streak: he had 11th-, 12th-, and 11th-place finishes, respectively, at his previous three Portland Regionals (in 2013-15)!

Decklists and analysis
(View all Day 2 decklists in text form via Limitless)

Espeon-GX/Garbodor - same 60 used by Xander Pero (1st) and Colter Decker (2nd)
Player notes:

Sam Chen, 11th - Sylveon-GX
view list on Limitless

 Player notes:
  • "The Gardevoir was very clutch not only for its GX attack, but because it can be used as an attacker to punish your opponent from loading too many energies on any given Pokemon. The 2nd Bodybuilding Dumbbells is super nice to have against Lucario decks because they don't run Field Blower, so they can never one-shot a Sylveon. However, I suspect that (1) Lucario will now play at least 1 Field Blower and (2) Lucario as a archetype will be played less because of Espeon's success and because of Zoroark's decline. If I had to do the tournament again, I would cut something for a Plumeria, just because Plumeria has a very nasty effect and it is also a good way to "thin" dead cards from your hand."

 Spencer Vanderpoel, 17th - Sylveon-GX
Player notes:
  • "Delinquent felt underwhelming"
  • "Dumbbells were surprisingly useful"

 Christopher Schemanske, 25th - Lucario-GX/Octillery/Pokémon Catcher (3 Regirock-EX, 3 Professor Kukui)

John Roberts II, 41st (bubbled Day 2 at 6-2-1) - VikaBulu
Player notes:
  • "The deck ran very well, getting out turn 2 double Vikavolt and Octillery consistently. The Mallow was a last minute inclusion that didn't really work out and I hated having the 3rd Guzma, so those are probably coming out. Besides those 2 cards, I wouldn't change anything else. Try the list out and see how quickly it sets up. If played correctly, you should be able to beat almost any deck. And yes, the draw support was sufficient and [I] wouldn't want anymore in this archetype."
    • "I know I will put in a Switch, but don't know what the other card would be. I had [Nest Ball] in my Internationals and Ft. Wayne list, and may throw it back in."
  • "...other than in the Garbodor matchup, 2 [Field Blower] was too many. In fact...at the St. Louis Regionals, I played 3 Garbodor decks and never needed a 3rd Field Blower."
  • "[Rescue Stretcher and Super Rod are] both bad in this deck. Plus you should play according to what you have prized. If I have 2 Bulu Prized, I go for a Mew and attack with that, or go into double Vikavolt and Choice Band KO a Lele to get a couple Prizes."

 Michael Catron, finished 6-3 (lost win-and-in) - Big Brain VikaBulu


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