Pokemon (13):
Strategy:
Hi again
So my aim for this deck was to create a deck that allows me to recycle dragonite EXs ability several times, and this result was the most interesting one for me. Though it started as a fun deck, I am interested to hear if it can become competitively viable with changes! I'm quite new to the metagame so I might say some illogical things so just correct me if I do!
So Dragonite has the ability "Bust In", which means that when it is played it can instantly move to the active position and have any amount of energy moved to it. With a good 180hp and not being weak to dragon (haha screw you druddigon) it can hopefully manage to take a hit, and allow me to retreat it to safety with another dragonite! This dragonite grabs all the energy off the last and is fresh to attack next turn. The saved dragonite can then be picked off the bench with cyclone scoop up or cassius, allowing a new Bust In next turn and avoiding any issue of filling up bench space. I also have 2 max potions if necessary to keep my bench as full, as these dragonites will have taken damage but be energyless due to Bust In.
To quickly power up Dragonite I have Virizion EX, who can give it 2 grass energy with emerald slash. It also helps dragonite by keeping its hp at a number which is hard to ohko by making it unable to be poisoned. This helps conserve my energy.
This is the main strategy of the deck.
I also added in a 2-2 magnezone line here. This is quite important because it allows me to use a cassius and also a good supporter on the same turn. For instance I can cassius, then skyla for an ultra ball and get the Dragonite back. Or I can cassius and use a sycamore on the same turn. I can also skyla for a sycamore which means that my deck will be very consistent once a magnezone comes out, with good draw power throughout. Jirachi pairs well with Cassius and also with magnezone, being able to grab me that extra supporter I need in my hand. I can then get it off the bench with cyclone or cassius and use it again later.
Magnezone also provides some interesting effects as an attacker. Virizion and Dragonite both can't deal with pyroar, or safeguard pokemon. Magnezone has the nice benefit of being able to ohko both the safeguard pokemon with a muscle band, as well as having the good effect of gyro ball which means that anything it doesn't knock out (eg. pyroar) gets pushed to the bench while I can switch in a Dragonite to start hitting their switch-in. This makes Magnezone a very safe attacker since it can power up from the bench, come in and hit their roadblock and switch out before taking damage again. The icing on the cake is that powering up Magnezone isn't going to slow down the deck much at all; Dragonite can use the great ability Bust In to take all that energy off of Magnezone once its job is done and starting punching other pokemon with it.
All the rest of the cards don't really require too much explanation, I run 3 muscle bands in order to hit harder with dragonite and aim for one hit kos. This lets him ohko regular xerneas by discarding an energy as well as aromatisse without needing to discard an energy. And 1 lysandre in order to make sure I can drag out Aromatisse in fairy decks which will be the most effective vs Dragonite I believe. I'm only running 2 switch because dragonite will be switching in almost every turn just through its ability, but it is important to be able to switch out into abomasnow if a pyroar or safeguard pokemon switches in. Also Magnezone has the decent attack Gyro Ball which means it can act as an escape rope and is less scared of being stuck in the active position unlike other supporter cards. I can always save any of my pokemon from getting stuck in the active through cassius and cyclone too (tldr use cassius for everything)
And just to repeat my decks aim: use virizion to power up a long stream of dragonites. Avoid losing prizes by using dragonite's ability to switch into the active, take the energy and then use cassius/scoop up in order to pick up the weakened dragonite (effectively healing it from damage, and preparing it to use its ability next turn again). Win by "outhealing" any deck that can't ohko your dragonites. Lots of supporting cards such as magnezone, virizion, and lysandre etc to counter various playstyles that might hamper dragonite's cycle.
Thanks for reading and all feedback is appreciated!
edits: removed a few things (such as super scoop ups) and put in a couple of cassius instead. Increased my search power with another ultra ball to try and compensate. removed the virbank and lasers in order to just bulk out the deck with more necessities.
4 Dragonite EX (Rising Fist)
2 Virizion EX
2 Magnemite
2 Magnezone (Dual Brains)
1 Jirachi EX
2 Ho-oh EX
2 Rare Candy
1 Dowsing Machine
3 Muscle Band
2 Startling Megaphone
1 Professor's Letter
4 Ultra Ball
2 Switch
4 Cassius
3 Sycamore
3 Skyla
4 N
2 Lysandre
1 Pal Pad
10 Grass
5 Lightning
Strategy:
Hi again
So my aim for this deck was to create a deck that allows me to recycle dragonite EXs ability several times, and this result was the most interesting one for me. Though it started as a fun deck, I am interested to hear if it can become competitively viable with changes! I'm quite new to the metagame so I might say some illogical things so just correct me if I do!So Dragonite has the ability "Bust In", which means that when it is played it can instantly move to the active position and have any amount of energy moved to it. With a good 180hp and not being weak to dragon (haha screw you druddigon) it can hopefully manage to take a hit, and allow me to retreat it to safety with another dragonite! This dragonite grabs all the energy off the last and is fresh to attack next turn. The saved dragonite can then be picked off the bench with cyclone scoop up or cassius, allowing a new Bust In next turn and avoiding any issue of filling up bench space. I also have 2 max potions if necessary to keep my bench as full, as these dragonites will have taken damage but be energyless due to Bust In.
To quickly power up Dragonite I have Virizion EX, who can give it 2 grass energy with emerald slash. It also helps dragonite by keeping its hp at a number which is hard to ohko by making it unable to be poisoned. This helps conserve my energy.
This is the main strategy of the deck.
I also added in a 2-2 magnezone line here. This is quite important because it allows me to use a cassius and also a good supporter on the same turn. For instance I can cassius, then skyla for an ultra ball and get the Dragonite back. Or I can cassius and use a sycamore on the same turn. I can also skyla for a sycamore which means that my deck will be very consistent once a magnezone comes out, with good draw power throughout. Jirachi pairs well with Cassius and also with magnezone, being able to grab me that extra supporter I need in my hand. I can then get it off the bench with cyclone or cassius and use it again later.
Magnezone also provides some interesting effects as an attacker. Virizion and Dragonite both can't deal with pyroar, or safeguard pokemon. Magnezone has the nice benefit of being able to ohko both the safeguard pokemon with a muscle band, as well as having the good effect of gyro ball which means that anything it doesn't knock out (eg. pyroar) gets pushed to the bench while I can switch in a Dragonite to start hitting their switch-in. This makes Magnezone a very safe attacker since it can power up from the bench, come in and hit their roadblock and switch out before taking damage again. The icing on the cake is that powering up Magnezone isn't going to slow down the deck much at all; Dragonite can use the great ability Bust In to take all that energy off of Magnezone once its job is done and starting punching other pokemon with it.
All the rest of the cards don't really require too much explanation, I run 3 muscle bands in order to hit harder with dragonite and aim for one hit kos. This lets him ohko regular xerneas by discarding an energy as well as aromatisse without needing to discard an energy. And 1 lysandre in order to make sure I can drag out Aromatisse in fairy decks which will be the most effective vs Dragonite I believe. I'm only running 2 switch because dragonite will be switching in almost every turn just through its ability, but it is important to be able to switch out into abomasnow if a pyroar or safeguard pokemon switches in. Also Magnezone has the decent attack Gyro Ball which means it can act as an escape rope and is less scared of being stuck in the active position unlike other supporter cards. I can always save any of my pokemon from getting stuck in the active through cassius and cyclone too (tldr use cassius for everything)
And just to repeat my decks aim: use virizion to power up a long stream of dragonites. Avoid losing prizes by using dragonite's ability to switch into the active, take the energy and then use cassius/scoop up in order to pick up the weakened dragonite (effectively healing it from damage, and preparing it to use its ability next turn again). Win by "outhealing" any deck that can't ohko your dragonites. Lots of supporting cards such as magnezone, virizion, and lysandre etc to counter various playstyles that might hamper dragonite's cycle.
Thanks for reading and all feedback is appreciated!
edits: removed a few things (such as super scoop ups) and put in a couple of cassius instead. Increased my search power with another ultra ball to try and compensate. removed the virbank and lasers in order to just bulk out the deck with more necessities.
