Back for real (maybe)

Celebi23

Aspiring Trainer
Advanced Member
Member
Hey guys! I don't know if you all remember me, but I was fairly active on these forums about a year ago. I left the game during states last year, and all I know about the current format is that it's MD-on.

I have a couple specific questions. Firstly, what's the metagame? I basically just want the top decks, it doesn't matter if there's two or ten. Also, are there a couple of decks that dominate the metagame, like Empoleon and Plox a couple years ago, or is the format like last year where the main metagame was less established?

Next, I checked back a couple months ago with a thread similar to this one and I was told the current metagame was mostly Gengar, Sableye and SP. Are those decks still prominent forces, and if they are what are their common counters if any.

Third, I was wondering what the standard draw is for the metagame now. Because I remember Claydol got rotated out, so is it just Uxie, or is there a new drawing Pokemon? Also, are there any new Trainers/Supporters in every deck that I should know about?

Finally, if there's new decks that didn't exist at states last year that are viable options, could you guys give me the basic strategies for them? I don't want lists or anything, I just want to know how they work.

Quick edit with one more question- I've been reading some articles on the gym and I saw a BLG and Arceus. Are these decks part of the metagame? If so, how does Arceus work and what in the world is BLG?

Oh yeah - and I'm just stupid and forgot how the whole torunament line works. Are we in Cities, states or in between the two now?

I know I'm asking a lot, so if you can just answer one question, or all of them, it would help me out a lot in returning to the game. Thanks so much!
 
Oky, I can answer some questions.

Metagame is mostly Gyarados SF, VileGar (Vileplume UD+Gengar SF), LuxChomp, some other SP (DialgaChomp, BlazeChomp, LuxIkenChomp, etc.), Donphan Prime, MewPerior (Mew Prime+Rhyperior LV.X) and a small splattering of Machamp (Prime and SF), Sablelock, Charizard, and Regigigas, depending on the area. Others, let me know if I'm missing stuff, because I know I'm forgetting something.

Uxie is still the main drawing Pokémon, nearly every deck runs it. The only other Pokémon drawpower that's very popular is Ninetales HGSS, which is mainly used in Charizard.

We're partway through Cities. I know there are a couple still to go, but I think they're over for the most part.
 
Ooh, I can't wait to answer these :D

Okay, so first, the metagame is a few extremely fast decks. You're right, SP is still dominant, but there are only a few cards used these days. They are: Luxray GL Lv.X, Dialga G Lv.X, Garchomp C Lv.X, and Blaziken FB Lv.X. I think the combos of these are: Blaziken, Luxray, and Garchomp (BLG), Luxray and Garchomp, Blaziken and Garchomp, and Dialga and Garchomp. There aren't many counters to this deck, except Machamp (SF) and Mewtwo Lv.X (LA) A (fairly) new deck is rising in popularity called Vilegar, which uses Vileplume (UD) to lock trainer cards, and Gengar (SF) to punish the opponent for the trainers in their hand. (that they can't play) There aren't many counters to this deck either, because the main counter, Dialga G Lv.X, is shut down by Gengar Lv.X. Also a new deck is DonChamp, which uses Donphan Prime to hit fast and hard, while damaging your bench. Then, you send out Machamp Prime, hitting for 100 + 10 more damage for each damaged Pokemon on your bench. Once again, this deck has little counters.

On to your next question. Claydol was rotated, and now all people use is Uxie. But, in my opinion, I think people don't realize that Magnezone Prime works for drawpower. It's relatively easy to set up, especially in a deck that already uses Rare Candy/Broken Time-Space in a deck. As for new T/S/S, cards like Pokemon Collector and Pokemon Communication are useful, along with Professor Oak's New Theory. Another is Expert Belt.

And finally, we are nearing the end of cities. (Did I say states? I meant cities)

Hope this helped!

EDIT: Ninja'd...
And I forgot Gyarados!
 
BLG = Blaziken/Luxray/Garchomp Pretty standard SP Build with the best offensive SP Pokemon to deal with Dialga and Gyarados. Arceus isn't played a whole ton (it's maybe won a Cities..I think).

dmaster out.
 
Hey Celebi :0

The metagame decks that you are probably familiar with are Luxchomp, BLG (it's essentially Luxchomp with a Blaziken tech), Dialgachomp, Donphan, Regigigas, and Gyarados. The biggest changer here is Gyarados. Now that Felicity's Drawing has been rotated out, Gyarados must depend on either Regice or Registeel for discarding Magikarp, or by using Junk Arm. Gyarados also has runs Rescue Energy along with Pokemon Rescue to recover Gyarados. That way, both Magikarp and Gyarados returns to your hand when Gyarados gets KO'ed, allowing you to do an instant Magikarp-Gyarados play when Broken Time-Space is in play. And then comes Seeker, which allows you to pickup Pixies and heal Gyarados along with Warp Energy.

Some newer decks are Vilegar and Mewperior. Vilegar uses Gengar SF along with Vileplume UD to lock Trainers, and do high amounts of damage with Poltergeist. This deck does well against the format since many decks are Trainer-based (Gyarados, SP, etc). Spiritomb from Arceus is a staple in this deck, allowing you to setup and completely Trainer lock your opponent for the entire game. Since Vileplume locks the Vilegar player as well, Vilegar runs a Supporter engine.

Lastly is Mewperior. I wouldn't say it's tier 1 or tier 2, but it's a deck that I've been seeing a lot in Cities. By using Mew Prime's See Off attack, you throw a Rhyperior Lv.X from your deck and into the Lost Zone. Then you use Rhyperior Lv.X's Hard Crush with Mew thanks to Mew's Lost Link, which lets you use the attack of one of your Pokemon in the Lost Zone. So, since requires no Energy, you discard the top 5 cards of your deck and do 50 damage for each Energy card you discarded. Since most Mewperior decks run a Delcatty PL tech and at least 20 Energy, you can easily do 100 damage. Problem is, Mew gets KO'ed VERY easily.

I'm not sure if you are familiar with Sablelock, but it's basically an SP deck which runs Sableye SF as its starter. Then, Sableye Impersonates either Judge or Cyrus' Initiative to potentially disrupt your opponent.

@Decmaster: Actually, we are finishing up Cities. I think the last one is this weekend.
 
Your last question s answer:
Mewperior. strategy named above.
Mewsol. Strategy: Start with Absol prime TR to deal massive damage and disruption and send your pokemons into the LZ. Then, late game, use mew prime to use LZed pokemons attacks.
Yanmega Prime. Strategy: Go see the card (link below). You use judge, Giratina Let Loose and copycat. (I don t recommend this deck, it does not work as well as you want)
Tyranitar Prime. Strategy: Spread in early game and massive damage late game for game.
Scizor Prime. Strategy: wall with poke bady and special metal and tank up for game. Usually paired up with Crobat Prime.
Feraligatr and variant. Strategy: Feraligatr attach energies and attack.
Magnegatr. Strategy: attach energy to do massive damage and have good draw power.

T/S/S:
Professor Olk s New Theory (PONT)
Judge (not always but a great card)
Pokemon Communication (bebe search in trainer version and some change)
Pokemon Collector 3 basic and put into hands
Interview s question for Feraligatr
twins

There is as a starter Smeargle UD and Unown Q.
There is Steelix too.
http://pokebeach.com/scans/triumphant/91-absol.jpg
http://pokebeach.com/scans/triumphant/98-yanmega.jpg
http://pokebeach.com/scans/triumphant/97-mew.jpg
http://pokebeach.com/scans/triumphant/96-magnezone.jpg
http://pokebeach.com/scans/triumphant/89-twins.jpg
http://pokebeach.com/scans/undaunted/8-smeargle.jpg
http://pokebeach.com/scans/undaunted/84-scizor.jpg
http://pokebeach.com/scans/unleashed/87-steelix.jpg
http://pokebeach.com/scans/unleashed/88-tyranitar.jpg
 
^Those are mostly rogue except for MewPerior and maybe Tyranitar. Not meta, particularly Feraligatr, Scizor, and MewSol.
 
Tier 1:
LuxChomp
VileGar
Gyarados

Tier 1.5:
Machamp(Machamp primes amazing)
DialgaChomp(Depends on your skill level)
Sableye(Always unpredictable)
Most other Sp Varients

Tier 2
MewPerior
Steelix(Depends on the list)
Scizor(Depends on the list)
Regigias (IMO)

Uxie X is the main draw, arguably the most expensive card in the format.

Mewperior is a deck in which you use mew prime which lets you lost zone a pokemon from your deck. Its pokebody lets you use the pokemon's attacks you lost zoned. Your main target is Rhyperior X, which lets you hard crush for up to 250 damage a turn. You obviously have to play a lot of energy.

Machamp's a deck that uses SF Machamp to take quick early prizes while setting up a machamp prime. It's PokePower lets you switch the active and all the energies and put them onto machamp. Then there's a Supporter called Seeker which lets you and your opponent pick up a benched pokemon(which helps SfChamp to donk), and returns it to the hand. Which creates a loop if you have another machamp a bts and seeker in hand.

We're in cities, but that's about to end. We'll be having pre-releases and then States.
 
^Luxray GL LV.X tends to sell for more than Uxie LV.X, IIRC.
I wouldn't say Scizor is Tier 2. It's not all that popular.
 
Were still in cities untill the ninth and states comes before regional. Usually they are both held at Queen Mary in Long Beach. States I believe is in March then Regional is April
 
All that to just say, it hasn't changed much, some new cards have been added to the fun but it's the same format. It's not like other years where we get 3 or 4 top decks that get shuffled around, best bet is to check out the new set's for yourself to see what kind of effect they've had on the format, because as someone said best " it Depends on your metagame". cya
 
EVERYONE is forgetting Stallbreon. I don't know much about it, but I know you use Umbreon UD to stall while dealing decent damage with Expert Belt and Special Dark.

~SS
 
Stallbreon is metagame? I don't remember Umbreon UD becoming popular, but I do know that it is used as a tech in some decks.
 
How many cities did "stallbreon" top cut in? None! It isn't even a deck! Also, I pretty much agree with Zangoose's Tier List.
 
Uxie Donk made a return to the meta during cities. Seeker/Junk Arm help the deck's donkability immensely.
 
@Scizorliscious-Two Stallbreon players got top five in Seniors at Cities (one got first) where I live. I don't know about other divisions, but I know a lot of people who run it.

~SS
 
^lol, I never said anything about Stallbreon...
But it really isn't meta. Umbreon tends to be a tech and not run straight, but it is a slightly popular rogue, as far as rogues go.
 
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