Standard Built to Last (Primal Kyogre EX / M Manectric EX / Magnezone EX)

[Jake Kausler]

Pokemon: 13

• 1 Kyogre EX (XY Promos)
• 1 Primal Kyogre EX
• 1 Manectric EX
• 1 M Manectric EX
• 1 Magnezone EX
• 2 Articuno Δ-Trait
• 3 Voltorb (XY)
• 2 Electrode (RS)
• 1 Skarmory (RS)

Trainer: 34

• 1 Pokemon Fan Club
• 3 Great Ball
• 3 Professor's Letter
• 2 Mega Turbo
• 1 Energy Switch
• 3 Switch
• 2 Robo Substitute
• 2 Professor Sycamore
• 2 Professor Birch's Observations
• 1 VS Seeker
• 1 Lydandre's Trump Card
• 1 Startling Megaphone
• 1 Sparkling Robe
• 2 Weakness Policy
• 1 Head Ringer
• 1 Manectric Spirit Link
• 1 Kyogre Spirit Link
• 2 Rough Seas

Energy: 17

• 8 Water Energy
• 5 Electric Energy
• 4 Double Colorless

Strategy:

I built this deck for the long game. I wanted to build a deck with Rough Seas, so I started looking for Water and Electric types for the deck. I soon realized that Kyogre and Magnezone can do some serious crowd damage, while healing the whole time. My strategy is three-fold.

First, I designed the deck for long-lasting games. Rough Seas allows 30 HP healing per turn per Pokemon, allowing great health recovery. If one gets put out by another stadium, I have another. I also threw in two Robo Substitutes to help me set-up. The switches should help with Kyogre and its Mega, both of which have a retreat of 4, while Mega Manectric can easily switch with a zero retreat. Articuno can easily put the opponent to sleep with just one energy. Finally, if my deck is dwindling, I can play Lysandre's Trump Card and regain all my discarded cards.

Second, the deck is meant to make energy movement easy. Manectric lets me move two energies from my discard pile to my basic Pokemon, while also doing 110 damage. Electrode makes a good energy bank, as his move can let me move all the energy from him to my other Pokemon. I also have an energy switch in case things get rough, and 2 mega turbos that will let me move energy from the discard pile to my megas.

Finally, my deck can do some good damage. Mega Kyogre does 30 damage to each of the opponent's Pokemon, though it has to move two energy to another of my Pokemon. Manectric does 20 damage to the active Pokemon and a benched one, and has another attack that does 60 damage, plus another 60 if the opponent has a Pokemon tool. Magnezone does 50 damage to two of the opponent's Pokemon. Voltorb does 50 damage to the opponent if it gets knocked out.

Tell me what you think, and what I can improve. Skarmory is one Pokemon I am unsure of. I have him in there because he can help me get Pokemon (Call for Family), and also because his second attack does 30 damage, plus another 30 if there is a stadium card in play (Rough Seas).

 

[Mora]

You have a lot of one-of Pokemon, and that makes it hard for any strategy to be consistent. I would drop the Magnezone, Skarmory, and a Voltorb for a thicker Manectric line, I'd dop another 1-1 Electrode for 2 Seismitoad, and then switch to the Plasma Freeze Electrode with Magnetic Draw. The Electrode from Roaring Skies doesn't seem too great to me, and you won't be tanking anything with a 90 HP Stage 1, while the other Electrode provides some support in the form of draw.

You should also drop the Great Balls for Ultra Balls when you get a hold of them, as they are better search cards and they help get Energy in the discard pile for M Manectric's attack. You should also drop the Robo Substitutes for more Sycamore. Your deck seems to be lacking sufficient draw.

 

[Jake Kausler]

You have a lot of one-of Pokemon, and that makes it hard for any strategy to be consistent. I would drop the Magnezone, Skarmory, and a Voltorb for a thicker Manectric line, I'd dop another 1-1 Electrode for 2 Seismitoad, and then switch to the Plasma Freeze Electrode with Magnetic Draw. The Electrode from Roaring Skies doesn't seem too great to me, and you won't be tanking anything with a 90 HP Stage 1, while the other Electrode provides some support in the form of draw.

You should also drop the Great Balls for Ultra Balls when you get a hold of them, as they are better search cards and they help get Energy in the discard pile for M Manectric's attack. You should also drop the Robo Substitutes for more Sycamore. Your deck seems to be lacking sufficient draw.

Thanks! I'll do that. I still can't believe I don't have a single ultra ball in nearly 4000 cards, but whatever. I'm just now getting into real competive play (though I've been online for a while) since I'm moving to a bigger city. I'll get on eBay and get a few more singles.

 

[Darkness3827]

I agree with everything Mora said. If you are using Electrode to store tons of energy and it gets lysandre'd out and killed you are screwed unless you already have a charged up Mega Manectric to get it all back. I would also remove all of your DCE unless you are going to add Seismitoad EX. The DCE is only useful for electrode and Kyogre EX and you aren't going to attack with electrode and you are going to likely evolve Kyogre ASAP. You also can't use Mega Manectric's attack to get the DCE back as it only works on basic energy. The only reason you would keep it would be if you are adding Seimitoad EX in so you can power up Quaking Punch first turn.

Seismitoad can go either way. If you are going to put him in, you have to realize that you basically have to Quaking Punch from the first turn or he won't be much use. If you don't put him in early your opponent will already be set up and kill Seismitoad fairly quickly. The reason Seismitoad works so well is that (especially when decks only run 8-12 energy) you can't get set up at all (since you can't profs letter, or ultra ball to get energy or pokemon) so you are in most cases stuck with whatever is in your hand and if you don't have supporters to bail you out you are forced to watch as your pokemon slowly get destroyed while you hope to top card a supporter. You can't just put Seismitoad in for a couple turns mid to late game and expect game changing results. He just doesn't do enough damage. It will help slightly as you can delay the use of items, but your opponent likely won't be needing them that much by then.

Speaking of Seismitoad EX, it would help you to run more supporters. Most good decks you will face at least run Seismitoad, and a good portion of decks are based solely around Seismitoad. So you have to expect to face Seismitoad in a good portion of your games. Right now you only run 6 supporters so you could really use more. Lysandre is a must. It allows you to take out your opponents pokemon and put whichever one you want in. I would also run Skyla as you can get any trainer out which means you don't have to run as many of each trainer as you do since you can just Skyla it out if need be. As for other supporters it depends on what you want to do. You could add a Xerosic to remove tools or DCEs if you are facing Seismitoad. Flare Grunt would also be an option to remove energy. You could also run an AZ or 2 to get energy into the discard and heal damaged pokemon simultaneously. You could also go with Tierno or Battle Reporter to get extra draw, however BR will have limited use if you are going to run Plasma Freeze Electrode. There is also the incredibly powerful N card which can turn games around and Colress as well for draw. I would also add a second (if not more) VS Seeker so you can get supporters back and use them again.

I also would not run weakness policy. It is too situational (it is useless unless you face a grass or fighting deck), and even when you can use it it will only affect 1 pokemon so in all likelyhood it won't turn the tide of a battle. Also you run a multi-type deck so you can always rely on pokemon that are not weak to the type you are facing.

Similar to what Mora said I would run 2-2 of both of your Mega lines. If you take out the 3 Mora mentioned then you will only need to take out 1 more card to run 2-2 of each. You could also go with 3-3 Manectric and only 1-1 on Kyogre however Kyogre is your main damage dealer so I would not.

Another idea would be to potentially run Keldeo EX instead of Primal Kyogre. Keldeo if charged up can do major damage. Combine that with Manectric's acceleration and you can get Keldeo dealing lethal damage very quickly. Then add that with his Rush In ability and he is a constant threat.

In the end here is what I would do (assuming you make all the changes Mora suggested as well):
+ 1 To make 2-2 Mega lines (above)
+ 2 Lysandre
+ 2 Skyla
+ 2 AZ
+ 2 N
+ 1 Xerosic or Startling Megaphone (Xerosic if you are afraid of Flare Gear and/or Seismitoad, Megaphone if you are afraid of there being tons of tools out)
+ 1 Enhanced Hammer or Flare Grunt (Definitely Flare Grunt if you are not running Xerosic. If you are then go with personal preference however I would still go with Flare Grunt)
+ 1 VS Seeker
+ 1 Manectric Spirit Link (if you run 3-3 instead, run 1 more MSL)
+ 1 Kyogre Spirit Link (assuming you run 2-2)

- 2 DCE (- 4 if you don't run Seismitoad)
- 1 Electric Energy
- 2 Water Energy
- 2 Professor Birch's Observations (Coin flips always scare me, N is a better card anyway)
- 2 Weakness Policy
- 1 Switch (Don't need 3 with Skyla)
- 1 Energy Switch (little use with AZ)
- 2 Robo Substitute (Personal Preference)
- 1 Head Ringer (Too situational, especially since you only run 1)

If you don't run Seismitoad the cards I would add would be 2 of the following 4: Xerosic, Startling Megaphone, Flare Grunt, or Enhanced Hammer.

If you went with Keldeo instead of Kyogre (includes all changes above and assumes 2-2 Manectric and 2-2 Kyogre):
+ 2 Keldeo EX
+ 2 Float Stone or Muscle Band
+ 2 Water Energy

- 4 Kyogre EX/ Primal Kyogre EX
- 2 Switch

 

[Jake Kausler]

Thank you Darkness, that was incredibly helpful. I will definitely make those changes. I'm gonna look at prices in the next few days to determine exactly what Pokemon I want to run, but I want to make pretty much all the Trainer and Energy changes you mentioned. Thanks for the advice!!