Pokémon: 14
Trainer: 40
Now that we got the list out of the way, you might be wondering: what kind of sorcery is this?
Well, long story short, I was working on a casual Tapu Koko-GX list and realized that Raikou not only did a better job at what I was working towards, but had the potential to spearhead a very fun, semi-competitive, incredibly budget list.
With that in mind, Raikou employs a simple yet risky strategy: tank through stuff with the combination of its ability (Shining Body - damage is reduced by 20 while it has (L) energy attached to it), Fighting Fury Belt and Aether Paradise Conservation Area (APCA from now on), while Electrode powers up Thunder Lance by sacrificing itself with its ability (Buzzing Thunder - knocks itself out and becomes a special (L)(L) energy that can be attached to a (L) pokémon). Counter Energy kicks in through Electrode's sacrifice and Raikou smacks a minimum of 130 dmg on a single attachment for 2HKOs or OHKOs if it survives long enough for continued Electrode sacrifices and Counter Energy attachments. By the time your opponent ends up with a single prize left or if you're fighting Gardevoir/A.Ninetales, Cobalion springs out and deals Electrode-powered vengeance with, again, a single attachment.
Before we go into strategy and meta-analysis, those who went through the list might notice some strange card choices, so I feel that they should be addressed in order to understand some nuances this deck presents:
Cobalion - while it synergizes greatly with the deck strategy, it is primarily a meta-call. In its place, you may put a number of different pokémon, according to taste (Hoopa SHL, Sudowoodo BKT and Latios SHL come to mind).
Metal Energy - when you're in that awkward position where both you and your opponent have a single prize left, which means Counter Energy loses its effect, and the llama has taken point. If you switch Cobalion around, this energy should follow whatever replacement you chose (i.e. Fighting/Strong Energy for Sudowoodo).
Shauna - This deck needs constant draw power to keep its momentum. Professor Sycamore isn't always the best early-game choice in a deck with precious resources. N becomes a tactical disruption element earlier here than in any other deck, so we don't want to waste it. Shauna to the rescue, it is. Obviously, Cynthia will take her place eventually, but that's the general gist.
Wally - Tricky two-fold purpose here. If things go well on T1 going second, you have a donk opportunity by Wally-ing Voltorb, bombing it for Raikou and attaching Counter Energy. Very satisfying and, even if Brigette keeps your opponent safe, Raikou can one-shot key meta elements like Tapu Koko, Type:Null, Registeel and Volcanion. Also, if you need an urgent damage boost and you have just set down a Voltorb, Wally provides for you. Great one-of, but I can see why one wouldn't play it.
Gladion - the deck depends on some specific cards. Once you stabilize your board and you have acquired information on what's missing on your deck (especially Counter Energy), Gladion is your boi. Even if you don't know and take a leap of faith, Gladion will give you that sweet intel. Because of those few high-profile cards, one copy of Gladion clicks.
Absence of Brigette and Tapu Lele-GX - Bench space is a bit precious when you're working down your suicide run and you're operating on a one-prize giving basis. While Lele certainly can stabilize whatever inconsistencies you might have, with so many outs to explode, it is never really core and just ends up sitting there, waiting to give your opponent 2 prizes. Since you're not running Lele, the traditional Brigette copy is less likely to show up on T1 where it is best employed. For those reasons and because this can really be a budget option, they're out. Feel free to include them at will, though.
With all that said, the deck is far from perfect.
Even with that much draw support, if it bricks, it bricks hard. It also takes a lot of investment to reach that sweet 210 dmg which is vital in the current meta. Enhanced Hammer and Xurkitree can really ruin your day. And, finally, Buzzwole/Garbodor (BKT) puts you in a bad mood without even sweating. As an extra, if you start with either Cobalion or Remoraid, it takes some work to fix that.
On the plus side, things can escalate pretty quickly once the deck straightens up. Raikou gets surprisingly tanky, with a virtual 210 hp best-case scenario, while giving away a single prize. Aside from Buzzwole variants, it can go toe-to-toe against anything right now, as long as you never slow down. And it's just a fun strategy overall.
After this wall of text, any suggestions to improve the overall concept? Some cards I tried so far include Tapu Koko-GX, Pokémon Center Lady, Skyla, Escape Rope and Timer Ball. Fire away!
- 3 Raikou (BKT)
- 1 Cobalion (STS)
- 4-4 Electrode (EVO)
- 1-1 Octillery (BKT)
Trainer: 40
- 4 N
- 4 Shauna
- 3 Professor Sycamore
- 2 Guzma
- 1 Mallow
- 1 Wally
- 1 Gladion
- 4 Nest Ball
- 4 Ultra Ball
- 3 Aether Paradise Conservation Area
- 3 Fighting Fury Belt
- 2 Evosoda
- 2 Counter Catcher
- 2 Field Blower
- 2 Enhanced Hammer
- 1 Rescue Stretcher
- 1 Special Charge
- 4 Counter Energy
- 2 Metal Energy
Now that we got the list out of the way, you might be wondering: what kind of sorcery is this?
Well, long story short, I was working on a casual Tapu Koko-GX list and realized that Raikou not only did a better job at what I was working towards, but had the potential to spearhead a very fun, semi-competitive, incredibly budget list.
With that in mind, Raikou employs a simple yet risky strategy: tank through stuff with the combination of its ability (Shining Body - damage is reduced by 20 while it has (L) energy attached to it), Fighting Fury Belt and Aether Paradise Conservation Area (APCA from now on), while Electrode powers up Thunder Lance by sacrificing itself with its ability (Buzzing Thunder - knocks itself out and becomes a special (L)(L) energy that can be attached to a (L) pokémon). Counter Energy kicks in through Electrode's sacrifice and Raikou smacks a minimum of 130 dmg on a single attachment for 2HKOs or OHKOs if it survives long enough for continued Electrode sacrifices and Counter Energy attachments. By the time your opponent ends up with a single prize left or if you're fighting Gardevoir/A.Ninetales, Cobalion springs out and deals Electrode-powered vengeance with, again, a single attachment.
Before we go into strategy and meta-analysis, those who went through the list might notice some strange card choices, so I feel that they should be addressed in order to understand some nuances this deck presents:
Cobalion - while it synergizes greatly with the deck strategy, it is primarily a meta-call. In its place, you may put a number of different pokémon, according to taste (Hoopa SHL, Sudowoodo BKT and Latios SHL come to mind).
Metal Energy - when you're in that awkward position where both you and your opponent have a single prize left, which means Counter Energy loses its effect, and the llama has taken point. If you switch Cobalion around, this energy should follow whatever replacement you chose (i.e. Fighting/Strong Energy for Sudowoodo).
Shauna - This deck needs constant draw power to keep its momentum. Professor Sycamore isn't always the best early-game choice in a deck with precious resources. N becomes a tactical disruption element earlier here than in any other deck, so we don't want to waste it. Shauna to the rescue, it is. Obviously, Cynthia will take her place eventually, but that's the general gist.
Wally - Tricky two-fold purpose here. If things go well on T1 going second, you have a donk opportunity by Wally-ing Voltorb, bombing it for Raikou and attaching Counter Energy. Very satisfying and, even if Brigette keeps your opponent safe, Raikou can one-shot key meta elements like Tapu Koko, Type:Null, Registeel and Volcanion. Also, if you need an urgent damage boost and you have just set down a Voltorb, Wally provides for you. Great one-of, but I can see why one wouldn't play it.
Gladion - the deck depends on some specific cards. Once you stabilize your board and you have acquired information on what's missing on your deck (especially Counter Energy), Gladion is your boi. Even if you don't know and take a leap of faith, Gladion will give you that sweet intel. Because of those few high-profile cards, one copy of Gladion clicks.
Absence of Brigette and Tapu Lele-GX - Bench space is a bit precious when you're working down your suicide run and you're operating on a one-prize giving basis. While Lele certainly can stabilize whatever inconsistencies you might have, with so many outs to explode, it is never really core and just ends up sitting there, waiting to give your opponent 2 prizes. Since you're not running Lele, the traditional Brigette copy is less likely to show up on T1 where it is best employed. For those reasons and because this can really be a budget option, they're out. Feel free to include them at will, though.
With all that said, the deck is far from perfect.
Even with that much draw support, if it bricks, it bricks hard. It also takes a lot of investment to reach that sweet 210 dmg which is vital in the current meta. Enhanced Hammer and Xurkitree can really ruin your day. And, finally, Buzzwole/Garbodor (BKT) puts you in a bad mood without even sweating. As an extra, if you start with either Cobalion or Remoraid, it takes some work to fix that.
On the plus side, things can escalate pretty quickly once the deck straightens up. Raikou gets surprisingly tanky, with a virtual 210 hp best-case scenario, while giving away a single prize. Aside from Buzzwole variants, it can go toe-to-toe against anything right now, as long as you never slow down. And it's just a fun strategy overall.
After this wall of text, any suggestions to improve the overall concept? Some cards I tried so far include Tapu Koko-GX, Pokémon Center Lady, Skyla, Escape Rope and Timer Ball. Fire away!
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