Beat 'em or Join 'em: Dealing with Landorus-EX decks

LoneWolf2113

LoneWolf2113

Now With Sablenite!
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Ok so I've been thinking about Landorus EX decks in the new format. Really the most powerful combos I can think of are the overhyped Landorus-EX/Lucario EX decks as well as the US Nationals winning Landorus EX/Mewtwo EX/Garbodor/Raichu combo. So I'm thinking it's kind of a play the deck or beat the deck situation. As far as beating the deck goes, maybe a Mega Gengar EX/ Safeguard Suicune deck could work, hitting for weakness on both of the two attackers. As far as playing it goes, how about suggestions for those of us that don't have Landorus EXes.

Thanks for the input,
LoneWolf2113
 
Mega Gengar won't be legal for a long time, so try to use something else to counter it.

Fortunately, there are a lot of easy counters to Landorus and other Fighting types. Seismitoad EX crushes Landorus. If you hit it with Quaking Punch with a Muscle Band, they have no way to get their Landorus out of there, so it will be 2-shot every time. Beartic is also very solid against Landorus, with the added bonus of crushing Pyroar, too. With a Muscle Band, Beartic OHKOs Landorus, but you have to be wary against the Garbodor version, since if Landorus has a Float Stone on it, Beartic won't deal enough damage to OHKO it. Megaphone is helpful in that situation, though. As for Lucario, Mewtwo is an easy counter for it. Hits for weakness, and is an overall solid card that can handle pretty much anything.

The nice thing about these cards is they all only require Colorless Energy, so basically anything deck can play them (having Double Colorless in the deck would help, though). So it's basically anything that wants to beat Fighting, can, but not everything will be playing these cards. And even then, not every deck can just play 2-2 Beartic and 2 Mewtwo and auto-win against Fighting. They run a lot of different attackers, and can usually avoid being hit for weakness.
 
I kinda like Suicune and Mr.Mime (in decks that can run them). Between those, you basically force your opponent to rely on Garbodor, which can be Lysandre'd or Megaphone'd. Almost every Fighting deck runs just 2/2 Garbodor, and hardly ever are all 4 of those cards available throughout the game. That said, it's not like that makes it an auto-win, because they can still hypnotoxic laser you to death...

In general, I think almost every deck should start running Mr. Mime (sort of like how every deck did towards the end of the 2012-13 season). It really takes the edge off of Hammerhead.
 
Try Kyurem EX perhaps. That deck isn't into the OHKO business, and if they leave the Kyurem injured, it can wreak havoc all over Landorus EX.
 
Though they require their own decks, Plasma Kyurem and Empoleon destroy Landorus. For another generic counter, Keldeo EX can be good (especially in decks with rainbow energy).
 
You also have Mountain Ring as a counter stadium to prevent attacks to the bench (instead of Mr. Mime).
 
If you play DCE and Silver Bangle then Qwilfish can help against Landorous. Unfortunately it is extremely situational and easy to play around. The Fighting player can just Switch, Heal, Retreat, or drop a Garbodor. Qwilfish also requires you to play Silver Bangle and Virbank which takes up a lot of space. As a result you really can't tech it in most decks.

Poison Sting with Bangle and Weakness (100) + Poision with Virbank (30) + Counterattack Quills (20) + Poision with Virbank (30) = 180
 
Beartic FUF with a muscle band is my favourite option against landorus EX, suicune with a muscle band OHKO too , but it needs 1 W and 2 colorless.
 
Machamp The Champion said:
Fortunately, there are a lot of easy counters to Landorus and other Fighting types. Seismitoad EX crushes Landorus. If you hit it with Quaking Punch with a Muscle Band, they have no way to get their Landorus out of there,
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But, that's why I run Cassius to get Lando out of the active position. :D

I personally play 2 different decks with Landorus EX and my personal priority targets are: Kyurem (PF), Cubchoo (hopefully, before it evolves), and Seismitoad EX. Not that all 3 would be run in the same deck, but I use different strategies to counter them.

Auride said:
In general, I think almost every deck should start running Mr. Mime (sort of like how every deck did towards the end of the 2012-13 season). It really takes the edge off of Hammerhead.
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I'm starting to see more players run Mr. Mime as a deirect result of the FuF set release.
 
spartanzdude3 said:
You also have Mountain Ring as a counter stadium to prevent attacks to the bench (instead of Mr. Mime).
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Mr mime is better because you can't hit the opponents bench either with mountain ring
 
I agree with Hawk. Mr. Mime is better then mountain ring unless you just don't have a stadium to play and don't have Mr. Mime to play.
 
hawk45678 said:
spartanzdude3 said:
You also have Mountain Ring as a counter stadium to prevent attacks to the bench (instead of Mr. Mime).
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Mr mime is better because you can't hit the opponents bench either with mountain ring
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Not necessarily. In some decks, Mountain Ring will be a better option. I use Mountain Ring in my Pyroar deck for now, since I don't deal any snip damage, and it also provides a counter stadium to Virbank, which I desperately needed. They are both good in their own ways - Just don't play both in the same deck XD
 
Another advantage that Mountain Ring has over Mime is that it's more viable in decks that run Garbodor.
 
Hawlucha (the regular one, not the EX) is a neat little Pokemon that can both deal a boatload of damage to an opposing Landorus-EX and goes nicely into any fighting deck. With a Muscle Band, Strong Energy, and Fighting Stadium (or Virbank / Laser) the damage quickly adds up. Its fighting resistance coupled with only giving up one prize makes it a pain for your opponent to knock out, and it also has free retreat. Its ability ignores resistance, so it can also do a lot to an opposing Yveltal (provided Garbodor isn't around).

Another potential Landorus counter I've been experimenting with is Tornadus-EX from DRX / LTR. While its attacks aren't the strongest, they're far from horrible, and it's a beefy Pokemon with a Fighting restistance. Just look out for opposing Raichu.
 
The reason I don't like Mountain Ring is because it's Stadium. It's a lot easier to play a counter Stadium than it is to Lysandre Mr. Mime and KO it. Also, that means they can get rid of Bench protection during their turn and not leaving their turn, meaning they can hit your Bench with their attack. With Mr. Mime, even if you KO it, the Ability still prevents the 30 to the Bench.
 
Mora said:
The reason I don't like Mountain Ring is because it's Stadium. It's a lot easier to play a counter Stadium than it is to Lysandre Mr. Mime and KO it. Also, that means they can get rid of Bench protection during their turn and not leaving their turn, meaning they can hit your Bench with their attack. With Mr. Mime, even if you KO it, the Ability still prevents the 30 to the Bench.
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True, but you can't Lysandre/Catcher out Mountain Ring for an easy prize.....
 
As I probably say, it really depends on your deck. For me, the majority of decks will definitely want to run Beartic. However, you need to watch out for Float Stone as it'll cause only 40 damage instead of a knockout. Other counters could be Kyurem EX from Plasma Blast, baby Kyurem from NVI/LTR and as well as Seismitoad. Plasma decks will definitely want to put in either Plasma Beartic (damage it = dead Landy) or Plasma Vaporeon (needs the basic energy Eevee + Colress Machine + Deoxys EX = dead Landy).
 
Plasma vaporeon is potentially a very good answer to landorus in my opinion. It does 160 with gold breaker, so with muscle band it gets the ohko (or a single deoxys ex). But importantly it also has refreshing rain, which can heal up several pokemon if landorus was spreading damage. And in plasma decks, it can evolve and get powered up in a single turn for a surprise ko without having to sit on the bench for a turn like beartic. However, if you play eevee and miss a water energy, you have a pokemon that can easily be ohkod by landorus due to weakness.
 
I would post a counter instead of being negative if I didn't play this deck... The only thing with mewtwo is that on mega lucario even 100 w/ weakness doesn't OHKO and then you leave yourself open. Gengar can be KOed before it's charged if its dragged up. In the end they both have the same problem: you can't KO imeadiatly.
 
thood said:
Mora said:
The reason I don't like Mountain Ring is because it's Stadium. It's a lot easier to play a counter Stadium than it is to Lysandre Mr. Mime and KO it. Also, that means they can get rid of Bench protection during their turn and not leaving their turn, meaning they can hit your Bench with their attack. With Mr. Mime, even if you KO it, the Ability still prevents the 30 to the Bench.
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True, but you can't Lysandre/Catcher out Mountain Ring for an easy prize....
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It usually ends up being a seventh prize, or at the very least, they're wasting a turn attacking into Mr. Mime and not one of your other Pokemon. They probably both have their pros and cons though.

In Plasma decks that play Basic Water Energy, I think that Vaporeon is better than Beartic hands down. But then if you're playing Basic Water Energy, you are probably also playing Plasma Kyurem as well. Still, if you're looking for something that is better than Beartic, Vaporeon is something to look at.
 
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