Expanded Ancient Trait Swampert/Seismitoad EX

[Neekoh]

Heyo! This is my first time posting here but I've been lurking in the forums for a while now.

Anways, I have a friend who wants to play a deck revolving around his favourite pokemon (Mudkip and Galvantula). He's more inclined towards the former, and thus I set out to create the following:

Pokemon: 15

• 3 Mudkip (PRC)
• 1 Marshtomp (PRC)
• 3 Swampert (PRC 36/160)
• 2 Piplup (LTR)
• 1 Prinplup (DEX)
• 2 Empoleon (DEX)
• 2 Seismitoad EX (FFI)
• 1 Exeggcute (PLF)

Trainer: 34

• 1 Pokemon Fan Club
• 2 N
• 1 Colress
• 1 Lysandre
• 1 Skyla
• 1 Ghetsis
• 1 Professor Birch's Obersvations
• 1 Archie's Ace in the Hole
• 1 Xerosic
• 1 Fisherman
  
  
• 3 Rough Seas
  
  
• 1 Ultra Ball
• 2 Dive Ball
• 4 Rare Candy
• 3 Muscle Band
• 3 Ether
• 1 Energy Retrieval
• 1 Professor's Letter
• 3 VS Seeker
• 1 Super Rod
• 1 Startling Microphone

Energy: 11

• 11 Water

Pokemon Explanation:
Swampert
- My main damage dealer, dealing 40 base damage plus 30 more for each water energy attached to it. With Muscle Band, that's 180. Swampert also let's me search for any card and place it on top of my deck.

Octillery
- Draw engine. Coupled with Swampert, I can draw any card I want...as long as I have less than 5 cards in my hand when I activate its ability.

Empoleon
- Empoleon serves as the draw engine AND a secondary attacker, also patching up the Grass weakness prevalent in the deck. For one water energy, Empoleon is capable of dealing 120 damage (both players having 5 pokemon in their bench)

Manaphy EX
- This dude is here only for free retreating. My two damage dealers both have a hefty RC of 3 energies so being able to retreat for free is a must.

Exeggcute
- A reusable fodder for Empoleon's Diving Draw ability.

Seismitoad EX
- My other attacker and ideal starter. First attack lets me disrupt my opponent until Swampert is ready. His second skill hits for 130, at the cost of dealing 30 damage to two of my benched pokemon. However, with Rough Seas, I could keep healing those damage counters away.


Trainer Explanation:
Professor Sycamore/N/Ghetsis/Professor Birch's Observations
- These are for initial draw power or more disruption/tempo plays. Getting 7 cards with PBO could mean more energies to attach to Swampert. On the other hand. getting 4 will help me use Archie's Ace in the Hole

Archie's Ace in the Hole
- With conditions fulfilled, Archie lets me put either a Swampert or an Empoleon asap.

Skyla
- Skyla can be used to retrieve whatever is needed (ie. Dive Ball, Ether, Rough Seas, Startling Microphone, etc.)

Lysandre
- It let's me switch the opponent's Active Pokemon.

Pokemon Fan Club
- This is for setup. Also, If I can't evolve into Swampert, I can use this to go for a Seismitoad beatdown.

Xerosic/Startling Microphone
- Used against Garbordor who shuts down most of my deck.

Rough Seas
- Counter stadium that lets me heal 30 damage counters from each of my pokemon; synergizes with Grenade Hammer's backlash

Dive Ball/Heavy Ball/Rare Candy
- Dive Ball searches all my pokemon, whereas Heavy Ball hits Marshstomp, Swampert and Seismitoad EX.
- Rare Candy hits Empoleon and Swampert

Muscle Band
- This tool card lets me hit the magic "180" with 4 energies attached to Swampert.

Max Elixir/Energy Switch/Energy Retrieval/Professor's Letter/Super Rod/Ether
- Forms of energy manipulation.
- Max Elixir with Energy Switch to power up Swampert
- Energy Retrieval/Professor's Letter to attach both of the energies to Swampert
- Super Rod to return energies back to the deck
- Ether can be combo'd off with Swampert's Diving Search to stack a water energy on the top deck

VS Seeker
- Reuses my Supporters

Card Considerations/Observations
- Kyogre/Primal Kyogre
- Archie's Ace in the Hole/Battle Compressor
- Rare Candy/Evo Soda
- GLARING weakness to grass

I haven't played this deck at all. Actually, I haven't even bought the cards yet. I do have the majority of them, however. The card choices are all theory so far so I'm pretty sure that things won't work the way I planned them to.

Anyways, thanks for reading through all this and any help at all will be appreciated! Thank you

EDIT 1: I realized I was over the 60 deck limit and made changes accordingly.

-1 Marshtomp
-2 Remoraid
-2 Octillery
-1 Manaphy EX

+2 Piplup
+1 Prinplup
+2 Empoleon
+1 Exeggcute
----------
-2 Professor Sycamore
-1 Pokemon Fan Club

+1 Colress
+1 Professor Birch's Observations
+1 Archie's Ace in the Hole
+1 Fisherman
----------
-2 Dive Ball
-2 Heavy Ball
-1 Energy Retrieval
-2 Max Elixir
-2 Energy Switch

+4 Rare Candy
+3 Ether​

 

[Ivy_Profen]

I built a deck similar to this. I found jirachi ex to be a huge help in consistency. I do suggest the archie build. As it can give you turn 1 Swampert.

I found this deck has trouble streaming attackers due to energy constraints. Maybe palkia ex can help. As it also helps against nightmarch as you can knock out a shaymin and a joltik on the bench. That this deck would normally get steamroller by.

 

[Neekoh]

I built a deck similar to this. I found jirachi ex to be a huge help in consistency. I do suggest the archie build. As it can give you turn 1 Swampert.

I found this deck has trouble streaming attackers due to energy constraints. Maybe palkia ex can help. As it also helps against nightmarch as you can knock out a shaymin and a joltik on the bench. That this deck would normally get steamroller by.

So if I go the Archie route, that means Battle Compressors, Computer Search and Ultra Balls, right? Oh and Archie's Ace in the Hole too.

So something like:
-3 Mudkip
-2 Marshtomp
-2 Seismitoad EX
-2 Heavy Ball
-2 Pokemon Fan Club

+2 Battle Compressor
+2 Archie's Ace in the Hole
+1 Palkia EX
+1 Jirachi EX
+4 Ultra Ball
+1 Computer Search


Also, I thought I'd go for 2-2 Musharna NXD instead of 2-2 Octillery. I think I like being able to draw only the card I need and then scry than the "draw until you have 5"

 

[Ivy_Profen]

Uhh if I were going to play it.

3 palkia ex
4-1-4 Swampert
1 manaphy ex
2-2 musharna
1 empoleon diving draw
1/2 exeggutor propogate
1 Jirachi ex

While octillery is good. Musharna helps you by drawing when you have 5 cards. The basic also can put things to sleep based on flip. Empoleon also allows draw. Exeggutor helps control you discards and can be discard with empoleon to draw.

This also gives you a larger bench option for attack command. Though empoleon overall is a better pokemon to build around.

Keep in mind that I haven't tested it recently or with musharna. As the deck I built was empoleon swampert

 

[xaej806]

In your initial list, unless I've overlooked something, you're playing a 3/2/3 Swampert line with no Rare Candy? I'd also consider using DCE to get a possible t1 quacking punch if you go second. Regice/Suicune could also help in certain matchups.

 

[Neekoh]

Uhh if I were going to play it.

3 palkia ex
4-1-4 Swampert
1 manaphy ex
2-2 musharna
1 empoleon diving draw
1/2 exeggutor propogate
1 Jirachi ex

While octillery is good. Musharna helps you by drawing when you have 5 cards. The basic also can put things to sleep based on flip. Empoleon also allows draw. Exeggutor helps control you discards and can be discard with empoleon to draw.

This also gives you a larger bench option for attack command. Though empoleon overall is a better pokemon to build around.

Keep in mind that I haven't tested it recently or with musharna. As the deck I built was empoleon swampert

Oh Empoleon is sweet! Exeggcute synergizes really well with it too

I really like Empoleon in that list better than Musharna. I didn't know such a card existed haha

 

[Neekoh]

In your initial list, unless I've overlooked something, you're playing a 3/2/3 Swampert line with no Rare Candy? I'd also consider using DCE to get a possible t1 quacking punch if you go second. Regice/Suicune could also help in certain matchups.

Oh sorry! The list I had before posting was running rare candy but I eventually dropped it since it only hits Swampert and started to opt for Evo Soda instead (which I dropped as well)

I suppose the problem lies in the fact that I want to run so many cards that I end up having to cut other things.

And you are right, Suicune would be a nice tech against EXs

As for the DCE, I could cut 3 basic waters for 3 DCE since I only really need 4 energies plus Muscle Band to hit 180.

 

[Neekoh]

The original deck has been changed accordingly. I felt that I didn't really need the Sycamores, and most of the time I'm just discarding important cards. I strayed away from Palkia EX and Manaphy EX just to make exchanging easier