Recap of LAIC, Controversy, No Payouts, and Top DecksRecap of LAIC, Controversy, No Payouts, and Top Decks
The Payoff with Pete
Corey and Jared break down the LAIC Pokémon TCG event, covering controversial judge calls, prize worries, and how new cards reshaped familiar decks. They highlight surprises in the Top 8, standout rogue lists, and practical lessons for players looking to adjust their own builds.
44:33•24 Nov 2023
LAIC Shake-Up: Tord’s DQ, Prize Drama and a Wild Pokémon TCG Meta
Episode Overview
- LAIC’s Top 8 showed strong deck diversity, with multiple Gardevoir lists, Miraidon, Iron Valiant, Sablezard and Snorlax control all appearing.
- Tord’s disqualification for pace of play raises questions about how subjective timing calls can be at high-level events.
- New cards such as Iron Hands, Screamtail and Counter Catcher are strengthening existing archetypes more than creating entirely new ones.
- Hyped decks like Roaring Moon and Chien-Pao underperformed in São Paulo, highlighting the gap between online results and in-person events.
- Control and rogue strategies, including Snorlax builds and Klawf/Electrode, can still succeed when piloted well and aimed at the expected meta.
“You’ve got to control what you can control in these decks.”
Curious about how a major Pokémon tournament can shake up an entire game format? This chat between Corey and his co-host Jared breaks down the Latin America International Championships (LAIC) with a mix of stats, hot takes and plenty of laughs. Aimed at players who want to get better at the Pokémon TCG without getting buried in jargon, the pair run through a very mixed Top 8 featuring Miraidon, Iron Valiant, Gardevoir, Lost Tina, Sablezard and even Snorlax control.
They keep things relaxed and accessible, often looping back to what newer players can learn from high-level play, like tweaking old decks with just a few new cards rather than starting from scratch. They spend time on one of the weekend’s biggest talking points: Tord being disqualified for pace of play.
Jared compares it to refereeing in sports, pointing out how subjective it can feel, while Corey calls it “crazy” to toss “arguably the best player” over a judgement call rather than cheating. Another flashpoint comes from the finals, where a two-prize penalty appears to end game three, leaving both hosts slightly stunned at such an anticlimactic finish.
Meta-heads get plenty to chew on: roaring Moon flopping to 90th, Chien-Pao missing Top 8 entirely, Iron Hands reshaping decks like Miraidon, Lugia and Charizard, and why Gardevoir might quietly be the best deck again thanks to Counter Catcher and Screamtail. There’s also a fun tour of rogue ideas, from Arceus toolbox to the energy-less Klawf/Electrode build and, of course, Snorlax control finally breaking into Top 8.
Throughout, they keep bringing it back to practical lessons: “You’ve got to control what you can control in these decks,” says Jared, stressing decision-making over luck. If you enjoy competitive card games, meta chatter, and a bit of friendly moaning about judges and prize payouts, this deep dive into LAIC might be just the thing to spark your next deck idea.
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