Celebi EX/Darkrai EX/ Venusaur/ Foul Play Zoroark Deck Idea

[Deck Maker Xerneas]

Hi! Tis is a deck I like to call "Black Magic" and I need feedback.
Pokemon (x22)
Zorua/Zoroark (7)
x2 Zorua (Dark Explorers)
x1 Zorua (Mc Donnald Promo)
x1 Zorua (Emerging Powers)
x1 Zoroark (Black and White)
x1 Zoroark (Dark Explorers)
x1 Zoroark (Emerging Powers)
Bulbasaur- Venusaur (6)(Entire Chain Dark Explorers)
x3 Bulbasaur
x2 Ivysaur
x1 Venusaur
Pidove-Unfezant (6)
x1 Pidove (Black and White)
x1 Pidove (Boundaries Crossed)
x1 Pidove (Next Destinies)
x2 Tranquill (Black and White)
x1 Unfezant (Black and White)
EX (2)
Darkrai EX (Dark Explorers)
Celebi EX (Boundaries Crossed)
Others (1)
Druddigon (Noble Victories)

Trainers/Supporters (18)
x3 Cilan
x3 Rocky Helmet
x2 Pokemon Communication
x2 Rescue Scarf
x2 Dark Claw
x2 Poke Ball
x2 Dark Patch
x1 N
x1 Skyla

Energies (20)
x10 Darkness Energies
x8 Grass Energies
x1 Blend Energy GRDP

Total 60

So far I figured out 3 strategies with this deck.

1. Setup: Have BOTH Celebi (Active) and Darkrai in play with celebi charged up to use wind whisk and have at least 1 darkness energy on Darkrai. Also a dark claw should be attached to darkrai.
Strategy: Use wind whisk to switch for Darkrai EX then free retreat Darkrai (with dark cloak) and bring back celebi durring your turn charge up Darkrai. Repeat this untill darkrai is fully charged then start attacking with night sphere for 110 dammage or just keep hitting and running with celebi.

2. Setup: Have Celebi EX (use if Venusaur isn't fully charged) and Venusaur (active) in play.
Strategy (with celebi): Carge Venusaur and use attacks form its other evolutions (celebi's time recall) while charging venasaur while at the same time using floral scent to set up for other strategies. When fully charged start hitting with poison powder for high damage.
Strategy (without celebi): Hit with poison powder for high damage.

3. Setup: Have Foul Play Zoroark active and fully charged.
Strategy: Hit with one of your opponent's attacks. A great counter for mewtwo ex decks.

Tell me what you think! Im pretty open to comments!

-Deck Builder Xerneas

 

[Violetwisp]

I'm sorry I have to be this critical, but unless you have an extremely casual league, this deck won't work. Not even just it probably won't, it won't. I don't even think the idea is salvageable. I'll try to critique it without a complete overhaul, but I make no promises.
=Make all Zorua the dark explorers one, with ascension. Diversity in a basic meant to evolve when none of them really can do anything (except the one with ascension, that can do something), is not needed.
=Take out the emerging powers zoroark and add one of the others.
Ok, general thing now. Whoever told you that running evolution lines like that (3-2-1) is a good idea LIED TO YOU. If it was an old cd-rom game, it lied to me too. The far better way to run evolution lines is to have 4-2-4, 3-1-3 or even 3-0-3 and run rare candy.

And, I really think at this point it's a better idea to just scrap this deck entirely, but make more general comments.
Pokemon:

CelebiEX is not an attacker. If you're ever attacking with it in any deck that uses it something has gone wrong. That said, it's not a very good card even for its ability. All an opponent needs is to night spear splash it then catcher and take an easy two prizes, and that's assuming they don't just wipe out anything that needs to evolve before it evolves.
Running any random pokemon really doesn't work either, and in general, you don't want two stage two lines in the same deck. The game right now is full of huge basics that rip things apart, I.E. MewtwoEX, DarkraiEX, KeldeoEX, and RayquazaEX. They won't let multiple stage 2s set up, they will try their hardest to not even let one set up. There will be some exceptions, like now that ditto is in the format, 1-0-1 tech lines may become viable, but try to stay away from attackers that evolve. Also, 22 pokemon is way to high. Stick with a main attacker, a supporter for that attacker, and one or two techs.

Trainers/Supporters:

Cilian is only good if you don't need anything else and can dump all the energy you get right away, so basically, only very rarely in Blastoise based decks. And you need more then 5 supporters. Right now, people usually start with 4 Professor Juniper and 4 N and add a few Sklya, Cheren or Bianca depending on personal preference.
In general, coin flips are bad. This means no poke ball. Nobody runs it. Viable search cards very depending on your deck, but the best is usually Ultra Ball. Level ball and Heavy ball are also usable in decks that they have targets in.
Oh, and EVERY deck needs at least 3 pokemon catcher, if not 4. That card is one of the cards that shaped this format. Choosing one of your opponent's pokemon to force active is too good not to use.
There is also a new type of item called an Ace Spec. You can only have one Ace Spec in your deck, but they are very powerful. Typically, the most used now is Computer Search, which allows you to search your deck for any card at the cost of two cards from your hand. The other viable one right now is Gold Potion, which simply heals 90 from your active with no drawback. There is no reason not to run an ace spec in your deck if you can get one.

Energy:
This is too much of it, and not the right kind of it.
Decks typically run 10-13 energy, some lower, some higher, depending on if and how you accelerate energy. Accelerating energy is a means of adding more then one energy per turn to your field, as you had with Dark Patch. Other common ways are Eelektrik from Noble Victories, Blastoise from Boundaries Crossed, and Ho-ohEX from Dragon's Exalted. And I'm really shocked you didn't put any Double Colorless Energy in your list. Double Colorless Energy (DCE) is a card that gives two energy with no type, and since many cards you listed had costs that didn't require many specific energy, it would fit better then most of the ones you put.

I really don't mean to sound negative, and I realize we all have to start somewhere. Try taking a look at http://www.pokebeach.com/forums/forum-bw-on-metagame-deck-discussion for the builds of the most common decks and http://www.pokebeach.com/forums/forum-new-player-help for some help getting into the game.

Best of luck
-Violet

 

[Deck Maker Xerneas]

I'm sorry I have to be this critical, but unless you have an extremely casual league, this deck won't work. Not even just it probably won't, it won't. I don't even think the idea is salvageable. I'll try to critique it without a complete overhaul, but I make no promises.
=Make all Zorua the dark explorers one, with ascension. Diversity in a basic meant to evolve when none of them really can do anything (except the one with ascension, that can do something), is not needed.
=Take out the emerging powers zoroark and add one of the others.
Ok, general thing now. Whoever told you that running evolution lines like that (3-2-1) is a good idea LIED TO YOU. If it was an old cd-rom game, it lied to me too. The far better way to run evolution lines is to have 4-2-4, 3-1-3 or even 3-0-3 and run rare candy.

And, I really think at this point it's a better idea to just scrap this deck entirely, but make more general comments.
Pokemon:

CelebiEX is not an attacker. If you're ever attacking with it in any deck that uses it something has gone wrong. That said, it's not a very good card even for its ability. All an opponent needs is to night spear splash it then catcher and take an easy two prizes, and that's assuming they don't just wipe out anything that needs to evolve before it evolves.
Running any random pokemon really doesn't work either, and in general, you don't want two stage two lines in the same deck. The game right now is full of huge basics that rip things apart, I.E. MewtwoEX, DarkraiEX, KeldeoEX, and RayquazaEX. They won't let multiple stage 2s set up, they will try their hardest to not even let one set up. There will be some exceptions, like now that ditto is in the format, 1-0-1 tech lines may become viable, but try to stay away from attackers that evolve. Also, 22 pokemon is way to high. Stick with a main attacker, a supporter for that attacker, and one or two techs.

Trainers/Supporters:

Cilian is only good if you don't need anything else and can dump all the energy you get right away, so basically, only very rarely in Blastoise based decks. And you need more then 5 supporters. Right now, people usually start with 4 Professor Juniper and 4 N and add a few Sklya, Cheren or Bianca depending on personal preference.
In general, coin flips are bad. This means no poke ball. Nobody runs it. Viable search cards very depending on your deck, but the best is usually Ultra Ball. Level ball and Heavy ball are also usable in decks that they have targets in.
Oh, and EVERY deck needs at least 3 pokemon catcher, if not 4. That card is one of the cards that shaped this format. Choosing one of your opponent's pokemon to force active is too good not to use.
There is also a new type of item called an Ace Spec. You can only have one Ace Spec in your deck, but they are very powerful. Typically, the most used now is Computer Search, which allows you to search your deck for any card at the cost of two cards from your hand. The other viable one right now is Gold Potion, which simply heals 90 from you active with no drawback. There is no reason not to run an ace spec in your deck.

Energy:
This is too much of it, and not the right kind of it.
Decks typically run 10-13 energy, some lower, some higher, depending on if and how you accelerate energy. Accelerating energy is a means of adding more then one energy per turn to your field, as you had with Dark Patch. Other common ways are Eelektrik from Noble Victories, Blastoise from Boundaries Crossed, and Ho-ohEX from Dragon's Exalted. And I'm really shocked you didn't put any Double Colorless Energy in your list. Double Colorless Energy (DCE) is a card that gives two energy with no type, and since many cards you listed had costs that didn't require many specific energy, it would fit better then most of the ones you put.

I really don't mean to sound negative, and I realize we all have to start somewhere. Try taking a look at http://www.pokebeach.com/forums/forum-bw-on-metagame-deck-discussion for the builds of the most common decks and http://www.pokebeach.com/forums/forum-new-player-help for some help getting into the game.

Best of luck
-Violet

2 things:
A. I have the worst luck for getting any ACE SPECS (I have none and boundries crossed backs are always sold out.)
B. I have the worst luck for getting any pokemon catchers.(I have none)
Thanks for the good feedback I'll try to make the other modifications listed!
-Xerneas

 

[cyndaquil2000]

I'm not sure if this has already been said, but why not play Rare Candy to support Bulbasaur chain? Then you can take out some of your Ivysaur.
Also, if you are going to play Pidove, then this is another good use of Rare Candy.
As Unfezant's 'Fly' attack is based on one coin flip, maybe playing Fliptini would be a good idea.
If you don't have Fliptini, (and decide to play it) I have the FA version which I am willing to trade. PM me if you want!

---

I really don't mean to sound negative, and I realize we all have to start somewhere. Try taking a look at http://www.pokebeach.com/forums/forum-bw-on-metagame-deck-discussion for the builds of the most common decks and http://www.pokebeach.com/forums/forum-new-player-help for some help getting into the game.

Best of luck
-Violet
[/quote]

I agree- everyone has to start somewhere in this game.
If it wasn't for a different forum who helped me develop my deck, I don't know how I would have ever been able to make decks or play pokemon competitively at all!
I agree with Violetwisp about his post, and I would not suggest running 2 Stage 2 lines- all your Pidoves and Bulbasaurs will be catcher KO'd. Also, with Landorus decks running rampage, unfezant has resistance to fighting types but will still go down pretty quick. I don't know what people play at your local league, but if they are playing decks that do not give you time to set up then you need to either: 1. Remove 1 of the stage 2 lines. 2. add in a tech to counter Raikou and Zekrom. Eels decks will destroy Unfezant (Lightning weakness), especially if the are playing Zekrom and Raikou EX. Also, even if your Unfezant was on the bench, Raikou EX could still do 100 damage, without weakness or resistance.
I hope this helps!
This is my first time trying to help someone on a forum, so always check with other members that what I'm saying is useful/correct.
hopefully the moderators will delete my post if it's rubbish!

 

[Violetwisp]

2 things:
A. I have the worst luck for getting any ACE SPECS (I have none and boundries crossed backs are always sold out.)
B. I have the worst luck for getting any pokemon catchers.(I have none)
Thanks for the good feedback I'll try to make the other modifications listed!
-Xerneas

http://www.trollandtoad.com/p908101.html
http://www.amazon.com/Pokemon-Computer-Boundaries-Crossed-Holofoil/dp/B00A40VZEG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1358526664&sr=8-1&keywords=computer+search

http://www.trollandtoad.com/p315084.html
http://www.amazon.com/Pokemon-Catcher-Black-Emerging-Powers/dp/B005SET0AY/ref=sr_1_1?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1358526678&sr=1-1&keywords=pokemon+catcher

Buying single cards is nearly always better then buying packs, unless you buy a whole box of packs or are stupidly lucky.

 

[Violetwisp]

I agree with Violetwisp about her post

HER???

hopefully the moderators will delete my post if it's rubbish!

That post is rubbish, delete it.
*is kidding, and acknowledges that the pony face on my avatar can possibly cause one to make that mistake*

 

[cyndaquil2000]

I agree with Violetwisp about her post

HER???

hopefully the moderators will delete my post if it's rubbish!

That post is rubbish, delete it.
*is kidding, and acknowledges that the pony face on my avatar can possibly cause one to make that mistake*

I have edited to say his....! I kind of didn't think and just put her! so sorry!
So should I delete the post?

 

[Violetwisp]

No, I was overreacting because I was bored and the thread was going stagnant. You did everything you were supposed to do, no reason to delete it.

 

[cyndaquil2000]

No, I was overreacting because I was bored and the thread was going stagnant. You did everything you were supposed to do, no reason to delete it.

Ok, thanks!

 

[Blah]

Keep the discussion guys. There's no need to discuss a single post in a thread meant for getting advice on a deck.