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The limitless qualifiers (#I)

Artwork by Jaywalkings

Written by Andrew Martin

Introduction

Hello readers! Andrew here with a new article covering the latest major tournament. What? An official Pokemon TCG tournament during the pandemic? Not exactly, but a tournament with an impressive scope nonetheless. The team at Limitless TCG kicked off their online tournament series a few weeks ago with their first of four qualifier tournaments. These tournaments take place online through the Pokemon TCG Online client and allow players from all over the globe to participate. The turnout for this tournament was by and large one of the highest we’ve seen this season with over 1,000 participants. While there might have been a few hiccups along the way, Limitless has made great strides in providing a competitive outlet to players who are currently sheltered inside their homes during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

This tournament has also pushed the meta further as we reach the final weeks of the UPR-SSH format. As we await the release of the newest set, Rebel Clash, we have one more tournament remaining until we close the book on this format. In this article I am going to break down the results from the Limitless Qualifier #1 and analyze what decks performed well. Finally, I will be providing my own meta predictions and suggestions for anyone who is thinking about participating in the next qualifier happening this weekend. I will not be able to play in this one, but I will provide all of my honest opinions to help others get ready for the last tournament of UPR-SSH

Let’s go!

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April, Improvement

Gotta go fast: How to Improve Your Pace and Tie Less!

Artwork by Masae

Written by Andrew Martin
Edited by Conner LaVelle

Introduction

The phrase “time is money,” a central theme of this article, is a phrase you’ve likely heard before. Time is as important a resource as the cards in your deck, and it needs a similar level of management. In this article, I’ll be diving into ways you can improve your pacing and play faster.

One vivid memory I have of an event is from Dallas Regionals 2018. I had joined the game about a year prior and was starting to build my confidence as a player. However, that all went out the window when I discovered a huge, gaping hole in the quality of my play. I ended up tying 4 times during the event, quickly realizing that I had terrible pacing. The frustration I felt leaving the event pushed me to make a change. While I thought I had the idea of good pacing in my head, there were substantial skills I had not worked on that were going to make all the difference.

Those skills include:

  • Shuffling Faster
  • Synchronizing Movement
  • Knowing When to Scoop
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Expanded, March 2019

Intercepting the Meta with Drampa Garbodor and Sigilyph-GX

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Artwork by Canvascope

Hey everyone! Last week I was able to win the 2019 Greensboro Regional Championships using Drampa Garbodor. This deck has seen many great successes in the past but has been able to fly under the radar of most players this season. I want to share my experiences with the deck, my reason for playing it, and some advice for anyone interesting in picking up the deck for League Cups or Regionals in the future.

I originally wasn’t going to play in this event but changed my mind the day before. Nothing sounds better than trying to figure out the meta in one day, right?

After looking at what did well in Toronto, I operated on a few assumptions:

  • The meta was unlikely going to see a crazy shift due to the lack of time between tournaments.
  • PikaRom was still going to be popular due to its power, but its counters would also see play.
  • ZoroGarb would see an uptick due to results and its solid match up spread.
  • Archies was going to be a top contender for best deck in the format.
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Website

Welcome to the Sky Pillar

They say nothing is official until you put it into writing, so here we go…

Welcome to the Sky Pillar, a website that publishes free content for the Pokémon TCG.

My name is Andrew Martin and I am a competitive player from Saint Louis, Mo. I first arrived on the scene in early 2017 and haven’t looked back. It’s been an insane journey thus far and has introduced me to lots of inspiring players, parents, and fans of the Pokémon franchise. I have had the privilege to learn from so many great people, as well as my own mistakes, and I want to funnel those experiences into something that can be serviceable for other players. With that said, I’m very excited to launch this website where I can hopefully provide something of value to the community.

Continue reading Welcome to the Sky Pillar →

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