Darkrai-EX / Giratina-EX / Garbodor

I have been running this deck ever since the new rotation happened and it has gotten me 1st or 2nd place at every tournament I've gone to. I do not fell the need the run garb because I barley ever get it out and it is just a Lysander shot with high retreat (if you don't have float stone attached obviously) and you don't run physic energy to attack, so I just took it out. Here is what I run I believe the hydreigon ex is very important if you face carbink, regice, jolteon ex, ect.



Pokémon 12 Trainers 35 Energy 13
------------ ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3x Darkrai ex breakpoint ----------------- 4x ultra ball ------------------ 9x dark energy
2x Giratina ex ancient origins ------------- 4x vs seeker ---------------- 4x double dragon energy
1x Hydreigon ex roaring skies ------------- 4x trainers' mail
1x Hoopa ex ancient origins ---------------- 4x max elixir
2x shaymin ex roaring skies ----------------- 2x fighting fury belt
1x yveltal break through (fright night) -------2x float stone
2x yveltal stem siege (oblivion wing) --------- 1x super rod
1x special charge
4x professor sycamore
2x N
2x Lysander
1x pokemon ranger
1x hex maniac
2x reverse valley
1x parallel city
 
I was just thinking about trying to add Hydreigon-Ex last night... I'll give this a shot for sure. Thanks!
 
What I keep wondering though, and this may be dragging this thread off-topic, but isn't Geomancy Xerneas and Xerneas-BREAK the better implementation of this deck's strategy? It's a non-EX, it gets you two energies from the deck instead of one from discard (and it uses any energy so you could also run DCE). Energy acceleration and attack is done with the same Pokémon so you don't need to switch. Weakness to metal is a bit of a bummer and you cannot really fit in fright-night...
 
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ZackPlonk said:
Didn't work too well. Just saving the 4 slots, adding 1 or 2 Hex Maniacs and extra energy yielded better results for me.
Volcanion is a huge pain without Garb though :/
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I ran my dark dragons deck with hydreigon in the Jolteon era, but that was before mega gardevoir and other megas became so popular. Now you are better off running garbodor to help cover volcanion, Yveltal box and greninja better. Bisharp does help the fairies matchup a little but is otherwise less useful.
 
ZackPlonk said:
What I keep wondering though, and this may be dragging this thread off-topic, but isn't Geomancy Xerneas and Xerneas-BREAK the better implementation of this deck's strategy? It's a non-EX, it gets you two energies from the deck instead of one from discard (and it uses any energy so you could also run DCE). Energy acceleration and attack is done with the same Pokémon so you don't need to switch. Weakness to metal is a bit of a bummer and you cannot really fit in fright-night...
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Two things to think about right now with Xerneas BREAK is that 1. Scizor is on the rise, and 2. No Fighting Fury Belt. With only 150 health vs a max of 220 with Darkrai, there really isn't much of a comparison in my opinion. Xerneas BREAK is a great deck, but it can't build up as fast as Darkrai. I can turn 1 Darkrai if I go second, and turn 2 if I go first. Also, with Giratina it is really easy to build extra power with DDE.
 
Higliphics said:
Two things to think about right now with Xerneas BREAK is that 1. Scizor is on the rise, and 2. No Fighting Fury Belt. With only 150 health vs a max of 220 with Darkrai, there really isn't much of a comparison in my opinion. Xerneas BREAK is a great deck, but it can't build up as fast as Darkrai. I can turn 1 Darkrai if I go second, and turn 2 if I go first. Also, with Giratina it is really easy to build extra power with DDE.
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Not sure we're talking about the same Xerneas-BREAK approach. I'd user Giratina/Hydregion (or Latios) and DDE as well. I just feel like it sets up more quickly then Darkrei because you get the energies on the board so much more quickly. On the other hand, you are not dealing damage while doing so. You may also end up switching out the attacker because you used your attachments for the DDE...

From an aesthetics POV, I like the dark approach much much more :)
 
Jeebers 1337 said:
Pokémon 12 Trainers 35 Energy 13
------------ ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3x Darkrai ex breakpoint ----------------- 4x ultra ball ------------------ 9x dark energy
2x Giratina ex ancient origins ------------- 4x vs seeker ---------------- 4x double dragon energy
1x Hydreigon ex roaring skies ------------- 4x trainers' mail
1x Hoopa ex ancient origins ---------------- 4x max elixir
2x shaymin ex roaring skies ----------------- 2x fighting fury belt
1x yveltal break through (fright night) -------2x float stone
2x yveltal stem siege (oblivion wing) --------- 1x super rod
1x special charge
4x professor sycamore
2x N
2x Lysander
1x pokemon ranger
1x hex maniac
2x reverse valley
1x parallel city
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I run something similar to this, but without Super Rod, Special Charge, or Reverse Valley. I use 2 Ninja Boy and Parallel City only. Ninja Boy has been extremely helpful in this deck since it has been legal. I have won many Expanded tournaments due to this deck and see that it can stand on its own in a format not made for it.
 
For regionals in the UK, I am thinking of running Mega Mewtwo or Mega Rayquaza and I can say as a runner of one of these decks I am more scared of Giratina than anything else. From a Mega Mewtwo prospective seeing Giratina terrifies me.
 
Who is running Olympia in this deck? I've been running it for nearly a month now, and that card alone has won me many games. If you haven't tried it, I highly recommend trying it out, its definitely worth it!

EDIT: Someone please fix the tier label on this forum. Darkrai Giratina is unarguably a tier one deck. On another note, Speed Rayquaza is still listed as Tier 1, which I feel its a title the deck doesnt deserve.
 
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The deck is really great and has answers to most top meta decks right now, however it's an autoloss vs mGardevoir (the Primal Clash one) and in my league we have lots of people playing that deck so I have to settle with something else isntead :<
 
Jeebers 1337 said:
I have been running this deck ever since the new rotation happened and it has gotten me 1st or 2nd place at every tournament I've gone to. I do not fell the need the run garb because I barley ever get it out and it is just a Lysander shot with high retreat (if you don't have float stone attached obviously) and you don't run physic energy to attack, so I just took it out. Here is what I run I believe the hydreigon ex is very important if you face carbink, regice, jolteon ex, ect.



Pokémon 12 Trainers 35 Energy 13
------------ ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3x Darkrai ex breakpoint ----------------- 4x ultra ball ------------------ 9x dark energy
2x Giratina ex ancient origins ------------- 4x vs seeker ---------------- 4x double dragon energy
1x Hydreigon ex roaring skies ------------- 4x trainers' mail
1x Hoopa ex ancient origins ---------------- 4x max elixir
2x shaymin ex roaring skies ----------------- 2x fighting fury belt
1x yveltal break through (fright night) -------2x float stone
2x yveltal stem siege (oblivion wing) --------- 1x super rod
1x special charge
4x professor sycamore
2x N
2x Lysander
1x pokemon ranger
1x hex maniac
2x reverse valley
1x parallel city
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How dos this version hold up against Volcanion?
 
scottied89 said:
How dos this version hold up against Volcanion?
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I think that you need the Garbs for Volcanion like really bad. Early you can use Giratina to lock a Volcanion EX (3retreat) in active -sure the could use switch/rope/olympia- and late you use your Darkrai EX to kill everything.
Garbodor along with Parallel City (-20DMG on opponent's side) is really good against that deck. IDK about that list tho.
 
Pokémon - 12
1 Hydreigon-EX
2 Darkrai-EX BKP 74
2 Giratina-EX AOR 57
2 Garbodor BKP 57
2 Trubbish BKP 56
1 Yveltal GEN rc16
2 Shaymin-EX ROS 77
1 Hoopa-EX AOR 36
Trainer Cards - 34
3 Professor Sycamore BKP 107
2 N FAC 105
1 Lysandre FLF 104 1 Hex
1 Brocks Grit
4 Ultra Ball
4 Max Elixir BKP 102
4 VS Seeker PHF 109
3 Trainers' Mail ROS 92
2 Enhanced Hammer PHF 94
1 Special Charge
3 Fighting Fury Belt BKP 99
3 Float Stone BKT 137
2 Parallel City BKT 145
Energy - 13
9 Basic { Darkness } Energy GEN 81
4 Double Dragon Energy ROS 97
What do you guys think of this version? I am hoping it could work for indiana?
 
Evader said:
I think that you need the Garbs for Volcanion like really bad. Early you can use Giratina to lock a Volcanion EX (3retreat) in active -sure the could use switch/rope/olympia- and late you use your Darkrai EX to kill everything.
Garbodor along with Parallel City (-20DMG on opponent's side) is really good against that deck. IDK about that list tho.
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I agree with you. I run Giratina, Darkrai and Garb but Volcanion is literally my biggest enemy. I can't beat it. would anyone like to make suggestions on helping me?
 
scottied89 said:
I agree with you. I run Giratina, Darkrai and Garb but Volcanion is literally my biggest enemy. I can't beat it. would anyone like to make suggestions on helping me?
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So far this is how every match up I had with Volcanion decks went:
Opponent gets 2-4 Prizes really early and fast but can't end the game.

My suggestions:
- Set Up your Giratina early (that's why I'm a fan of 4xDouble Dragon).
- Set Up your Garbodor asap. I sometimes even Ninja Boy HoopaEX for a Trubbish and go from there.
- Giratina with a FFB is still able to take down a Shaymin for 2 sweet prizes at any point of the game.
- Try to keep your Parallel City in play for as long as possible (Giratina helps a lot with the lock!). I prefer to use the -20DMG side on my opponent so that baby Volcanion deals no damage (Garb+Parallel city) and even VolcanionEX will have a bad time with the numbers.
- You can use a Lysandre for a VolcanionEX with fury belt and no energy, or for a VolcanionEX that doesn't hold a float stone as long as you're going to attack with Giratina and tool lock it on active place. However you should know that almost all Volcanion decks use switch or escape rope so this strategy could destroy your game if done at the wrong time (using this you might reset VolcanionEX's Volcanic hit).
- Be ready to lose a Garbodor at any time. VolcanionEX is no Greninja, it can 1hko Garb even with parallel city in play so try to have one extra line in your deck at any time to bring it out asap (or just have it ready in your bench, however Parallel City might limit you with this).
- Use Darkrai in late game to 1hko things.
 
Evader said:
So far this is how every match up I had with Volcanion decks went:
Opponent gets 2-4 Prizes really early and fast but can't end the game.

My suggestions:
- Set Up your Giratina early (that's why I'm a fan of 4xDouble Dragon).
- Set Up your Garbodor asap. I sometimes even Ninja Boy HoopaEX for a Trubbish and go from there.
- Giratina with a FFB is still able to take down a Shaymin for 2 sweet prizes at any point of the game.
- Try to keep your Parallel City in play for as long as possible (Giratina helps a lot with the lock!). I prefer to use the -20DMG side on my opponent so that baby Volcanion deals no damage (Garb+Parallel city) and even VolcanionEX will have a bad time with the numbers.
- You can use a Lysandre for a VolcanionEX with fury belt and no energy, or for a VolcanionEX that doesn't hold a float stone as long as you're going to attack with Giratina and tool lock it on active place. However you should know that almost all Volcanion decks use switch or escape rope so this strategy could destroy your game if done at the wrong time (using this you might reset VolcanionEX's Volcanic hit).
- Be ready to lose a Garbodor at any time. VolcanionEX is no Greninja, it can 1hko Garb even with parallel city in play so try to have one extra line in your deck at any time to bring it out asap (or just have it ready in your bench, however Parallel City might limit you with this).
- Use Darkrai in late game to 1hko things.
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Thanks so much for the advice this very helpful. I never though of the ninja boy combo to get right into Garb. I will definitely try this out asap.
 
scottied89 said:
How dos this version hold up against Volcanion?
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I usually get lucky but near the end of the game I have lysanders for the volcanian ex. One game he had a Flareon ex with 9 energy on it and could one shot it, I did and he ran out of energy. So you could use garb I just took it out because 90% of the games I played I never got it fully evoled with an item.
 
I am returning to pokemon from a year break. I am planning on building some version of this deck.
I checked de Liverpool list that doesent run Darkrai ex. Is Darkrai Ex a must have? Or can the deck survive with energy denial and Giratina's lock?
Thanks!
 
lichink said:
I am returning to pokemon from a year break. I am planning on building some version of this deck.
I checked de Liverpool list that doesent run Darkrai ex. Is Darkrai Ex a must have? Or can the deck survive with energy denial and Giratina's lock?
Thanks!
Click to expand...

This deck revolves around Darkrai-ex and his attack "Dark Pulse". He is going to be your high damage hitter, while using Giratina-ex to slow down your opponent and maybe take the occasional Shaymin-ex knockout (with FFB). The reason is because of the Double Dragon Energy (DDE)... which counts as 2 darkness energy for the sake of Darkrai-ex's attack. So 2 DDE + 2 dark energies (for Dark pulse) = 20 + (20*6) = 140... and it just increases from there.

Removing Darkrai-ex would not be a good idea because many of the meta decks don't require a lot of energy (greninja/MGard/Xerneas Break/M Scizor...) and while there are a few decks that use special energy (M Mewtwo/Xerneas Break/Mega Ray...) the giratina's lock on that wouldn't be as impactful with remaining decks in the current Meta. I primarily find myself using Giratina more so to prevent Megas damaging me, stadiums, and tools (specifically FFB and Float Stone).
 
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