Random Stuff #55

So... Pokemon X has been taking up a lot of my time.  I've been playing for nearly 40 hours so far.  Seeing as how I got it about 10 days ago, that means that I've been playing an average of 4 hours per day.  That's a lot more than I thought, but that's because I spent a few days just sitting and playing on my 3DS, whereas I haven't been playing that much recently.  I'm still doing daily events so that I don't miss anything, but I haven't been able to do much besides that.

I didn't even get to go to locals last weekend because I was busy studying for a midterm for a class that has a lecture too early in the morning for me to attend.  I had to wake up at like 5:00 in the morning so that I could make it to the midterm on time, so that's a thing.  But, teaching myself the material over the course of the past week seemed to have paid off, though I won't know until we get the scores back.

But yeah, what I'm trying to say is that I'm still alive.  I just haven't been doing anything related to card games recently.  I still have a bunch of homework to do this week, so I won't be able to do anything related to card games until after my midterm on Friday, but after that, I should have some free time.

Unfortunately, it turns out that Team Snogal won't be getting a case of Set 11.  Since Angel Feathers are such garbage (at least in the eyes of Vanguard players), Ray was able to get most of the cards he needed to make a Zerachiel deck for free, which was the deck he was going to make from a case of Set 11.  But, since he's basically done with his deck and doesn't want to get the case anymore, none of us can.  The fourth Snogal doesn't mind much, since Tachikaze aren't exactly expensive, so he should be able to buy singles.  I don't know how Riku feels about this, but it's not like a Genovious deck would cost that much to make from singles; I guess he's spared the trouble of selling the Aqua Force RRR's he would have gotten from the case.

Aki is upset about this, since he was looking forward to playing Sweep Command Dragon.  I mean, Sweep Command Dragon is nice, but it's not going to really do that much.  I'd be more upset about not getting Cho-Ou, or however Bushiroad decides to translate it.  Cho-Ou is actually a good card that won't be thrown away as soon as Dragonic Descendant is released in Set 10.  Either way, we could always try to trade for Cho-Ou's or win them from packs.

As for me, I was planning on making two Kagero decks with the cards I would've gotten from Set 11.  Seal Dragons, of course, and a Flare Whip Dragon-based deck.  Flare Whip Dragon becomes a viable card with all of these new Seal Dragon cards, since they're all Flame Dragons.  Having a set of Flame Dragon triggers, along with Blue-Ray Dracokid and Gattling Claw Dragon, is also very helpful.  What's also nice is that I didn't need that many holos for either deck; Dauntless Drive Dragon for the Flare Whip deck, Blockade and Blockade Inferno for the Seal Dragons, and the Seal Dragon perfect guard for both decks.  Everything else is Common or Rare.

And, because of that, Ray has already been able to secure me a set of all of the Seal Dragon Commons and Rares that I need for the deck.  He's also gotten a few holos, but not many.  Anything that he fails to trade for, he will have to buy for me, since he was originally going to pay for my portion of the case of Set 11.  Either way, I get the cards I want without having to really spend anything.  The main problem is that he doesn't owe me so much money that I could have him buy a set of each of the holos I need (and a second set of Rinocross...).  I'll probably be able to only get enough for one deck.  So, I have to choose between Seal Dragons and Flare Whip.

My initial thought is that Seal Dragons would probably be more coherent and less gimmicky.  Flare Whip Dragon can really mess with people if they don't know how to add, which isn't uncommon among Vanguard players...  However, if I get Dauntless Drive Dragons instead of Blockade/Infernos, then any additional Dauntless Drive Dragons could easily be sold or traded.  It's not like people would want random RR Seal Dragon Blockades if we pull them.  So, from a more practical standpoint, it may be a better idea to make the Flare Whip Dragon deck first.

However, it depends on what cards will be available this weekend.  I'm planning on going to various card shops on Friday after I'm done with my midterm to search for Seal Dragon singles and Dauntless Drive Dragons.  So, depending on which singles they have, my decision might be made for me.  I'd be happy playing either deck.  And honestly, I could make a Flare Whip Dragon deck with any decent Grade 3 Flame Dragons.  I could just throw Blockade/Infernos in there if I can't get enough Dauntless Drive Dragons and it would work out well enough.  I suppose that the main thing is getting the perfect guards, but we'll see what happens.

I may not even play in the Vanguard tournament this Saturday, so it may not even matter.  Ray and the fourth Snogal are planning on going to the Vanguard Regional in Pasadena, which I think is a waste of time.  If they end up going, then there's not much point for Aki and I to go to locals to play Vanguard.  We'll see what happens, but I'm definitely not wasting my time going to another Vanguard Regional.  I don't remember having fun at the previous one, and it's not like anyone can win reliably in a game like Vanguard where matches are best-of-one.  If Ray and the fourth Snogal do end up going to the Regional, then Aki and I will have to figure out what to do that weekend.  The Kaijudo tournament on Sunday is an option, since I doubt I'll have any homework this weekend, but we'll see...