They aren't dumb questions.
My advice is to BUY SINGLES. Always buy singles over packs: your wallet will thank you, trust me.
To improve on the Gears of Fire deck, I suggest purchasing 3-4 Volcanion-EX, 1 Hoopa-EX, 2 Shaymin-EX, 2 regular Volcanion, 4 VS Seeker, 4 Ultra Ball, and 4 Trainers...