Anti Meta Deck Idea: Vileplume

pokedan24

Aspiring Trainer
Member
With vileplume out, any pokemon hitting for weakness only needs 50 to take out anything. We already have a few basic pokemon that can deal out 30 or 40 for just one energy (or a DCE). By boasting your attack with plus power or DE aerodactly, these pokemon will have no problem hitting the magic 50.

Rayquaza (dragon pulse) can take out any dragon threats (it doesn't even need any other power ups to take out hydregion).

Landorus EX can handle the lightning or darkness threats.

For opposing landorus and groudon, lapras (next destinies) can do 40 for a DCE (hurts itself, but it can be well worth it).

For mewtwo EX, there's always mewtwo EX, but there's another option, meloetta. For just one energy, she does 10 plus 20 more for each energy on the defending pokemon. If mewtwo has two energies (which it will have at least 2 if it's going to attack anything), you'll get the magical 50.

Vileplume himself can easily handle any grass weak pokemon (though it unfortunately costs four energies so you may want to find something else).

The basic idea is to set it up so that you can take down any threat instantly without giving your opponent any time to see it coming. With search cards like level ball, pcom, and ultra ball, this should not be too much of a problem. Either plus power, aerodactly, or both can power up the pokemon to be able to okho. And of course special energies are a must since the deck uses different types of pokemon.

I realize the idea needs a lot of work, but it could be really fun to play. It lets you think outside the box and use pokemon that you wouldn't normally use as attackers. Even something like Durant with a DCE can be used as tech against kyurem (just one need one plus power). Heck, even emolga, something normally used for call for family, can do some big damage to lightning weak pokemon. Eeveeultions could also work well (some of them have colorless attacks too). While it may not be the most successful, I could easily see vileplume as a cool rogue deck that people will try out (if they haven't already).
 
I just started playing again with my son. I have seen some other decks like this and I built one for myself to play I am very happy with. This is my set:

4 Oddish
4 Vileplume
2 Verizion
2 Terrakion
2 Lapras
1 Cobalion
1 Reshiram
1 Zekrom
2 Meloetta
2 Rayquaza

4 Blend EWSF
4 Blend PFiGD
4 Prism
2 DCE

4 Rare Candy
4 Poke Comm
3 Cheren
3 Switch
4 Plus Power
2 Revive
3 Poke Catcher
2 Heavy Ball
 
I tried out some Vileplume vairants even before BC was released becuase I thought it would be the big new anti-meta toolbox.
The problem with it is, you're just never gonna have room for everything you want in that deck.

Take a look at the list above. Consistent Pokémon line, good choice of trainer and lots of mixed energy options. But what is that?! Only 3 supporters... Yeah, that won't work unless you get the perfect starting hand and top deck everything you need for the rest of the game.

Lets say we use a 3-0-2 Vileplume line, which I'd say would be the minimum line for this deck.
With Landorus, Darkrai, Mewtwo, Keldeo and Rayquaza, that's at least 5 types you should focus on hitting for weakness. Even though you hit for 4x weakness you will need at least two attackers to be prepeared for a surdent matchup, meening you would need 10 attackers to handle those 5 types.
So a minimum of 15 Pokémon in this deck.

Lets look at a basic Trainer line.
4 Rare candy.
3 Catcher
3 Switch
4 Pluspower
1 Super rod
2 Level Ball
2 Pokemon Communication
3 Ultra Ball
1 Computer Search

That was 23 Trainers. Now we need some supporters. Since we have a lot of things we need to get throughout the game I'd say at least 10 draw supporters
and 2 Skyla.
15 Pokémon, 23 Trainers, 12 supporters = 50 cards.
10 rooms left for energy. 4 prism and 3 of each blend. 10 energies might sound decent, but remember half of the blend won't help you in most matchups. Not very nice, since special energies are only searchable with Computer Search.
And now we don't even have space for that DCE you talked about :(

One could argue that we don't need catchers since we're focusing on OHKOing there main attackers which they should have active most of the time, given us 3 spaces. But still, everything is running at a minimum. It is just not very consistent.

Not only will it require a lot of work to be succesful, but you would need to have a narrow local metagame, so you could focus on, maybe only 3 types to get the OHKOs on.
I don't see it becoming good right now, but maybe in the future if the metagame changes enough :)
 
It could be good in Juniors where there's only two or so good players to counter, otherwise, Vileplume is (for now) binder fodder.
 
As has been said, the deck is just too tight for space. Finding room for a Stage 2 toolbox is hard enough, but now you need Switch, Pluspower, excessive search to make sure you get the attackers out that you need, and a lot of clunky, unsearchable, unrecycleable special energy.

The concept is very good on paper, but in practice (having tested this deck myself), the deck requires more than it has to get the setup it needs.
 
^ agreed.
Hammetime eats this.
Catcher Eats this.
Consistency eats this.
The idea had been thought over, but its just too frail and inconsistent. And easy to work around.
 
Once your opponent sees the Oddish, it becomes the immediate target, and it's hard to really do anything once your opponent picks off all of your Oddish. You're supposed to be dealing four times as much damage, but when your Oddish are down, you're going at half the deck's speed. This is plenty of time for a consistent Darkrai or RayEels deck to get set up and tear you apart. Looking at Bernide's list, Enhanced Hammer completely destroys its viability. If Special Energy were somehow easy to get out of the Discard Pile, this may have a chance. But there isn't. With a three-Energy Retreat Cost, you're stuck when it's Catchered unless you waste your Supporter for the turn needing to Skyla into a Switch.
 
Catcher and space problems are what kills this deck's consistency. It works once it sets up but the format being flooded with so many big basics are barriers to making Plume effective.
 
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