Discussion Double Theme Decks

[OVERGRO]

Hey folks! I was recently looking at theme decks to try and get a young family member into the game, and remembered how it was a fun activity to double up on theme decks as a cheap way to get a slightly more competitive (or at least more fun than the plain theme deck anyways) for play at home.

Do you ever do this? What are your fave doubled decks? Should we create deck lists for new ones as they come out?

 

[NaganadelIsBeast]

I think Mach Strike could be good. Probably something like this. (This is from only cards from double theme deck.)


##Pokemon: 22
4 Gible
4 Gabite
4 Garchomp
3 Riolu
2 Lucario
2 Solrock
1 Spiritomb

##Trainers: 26
4 Cynthia
4 Nest Ball
4 Timer Ball
2 Pal Pad
2 Professor Kukui
2 Rescue Stretcher
2 Escape Rope
2 Looker
2 Hau
2 Escape Board

##Energy: 12
12 Fighting

This is probably one of the most optimal lists from double Mach Strike. Hau and Looker are there to add more pure draw Supporters, Solrock is for early draw if you don’t want to Asencion. Spiritomb is mostly for retuning Cynthias but you can stall a little bit if you need. I can give a competitive list if you want. Bye.

 

[rewster1]

From 2x Tropical Takedown cards only:

Pokemon 16
4× Alolan Exeggutor
4× Exeggcute
3× Alolan Sandslash
3× Alolan Sandshrew
2× Oricorio

Trainers 30
1× Energy Loto
1× Energy Retrieval
2× Escape Rope
2× Field Blower
2× Lillie
4× Hau
4× Nest Ball
4× Professor Kukui
2× Rescue Stretcher
4× Sophocles
4× Ultra Ball

Energy 14
6× Grass Energy
2× Darkness Energy
2× Fighting Energy
2× Psychic Energy
2× Water Energy

It's a bit off the optimal shuckle net ball version of alolan eggs, but it could still work. Onboard draw with sandslash is less than ideal but better than nothing, double field blower is nice in the current meta, and you have a couple discard options beyond retreat energy to set up your main attacker. Worst flaw is easily lack of a stadium. Printing off some proxies would make it much more competitive for casual play. Even going down to 1 of all the wrong energies and adding a few more in makes it more consistent.

 

[OVERGRO]

@rewster1 and @NaganadelIsBeast those are awesome ideas! Really shows how you can learn to make some cheap decks but with some good variety (not the usual "got it from Youtube" budget decks).

Probably good if you're a casual player on PTCGO too, because then you probably have some extra draw supporters and stadiums lying around you can throw in and see how it goes.

 

[rewster1]

One of the reasons I love alolan eggs online is that it's so easy to get nearly all of your cards from theme decks (meaning you can use coins rather than trading)... zebstrika, shuckle, sightseer, cynthia, etc. Baby turtonator is another possibility, with naganadel from storm caller thrown in.
Still a handful of cards to get elsewhere, like net balls for eggs and treasures for turt, but you are nearly there already and those aren't deal breakers.

One I want to try next is spread with baby blaziken and welder.

 

[FourteenAlmonds]

I've always been a huge fan of Swampert, so here's my list...

Spoiler

****** Pokémon Trading Card Game Deck List ******

##Pokémon - 17

* 2 Slugma CES 23
* 2 Magcargo CES 24
* 2 Frost Rotom UPR 41
* 4 Mudkip CES 33
* 4 Marshtomp CES 34
* 3 Swampert CES 35

##Trainer Cards - 29

* 2 Rescue Stretcher GRI 130
* 2 Switch CES 147
* 2 Timer Ball SUM 134
* 2 Tate & Liza CES 148
* 1 Lure Ball CES 138
* 4 Nest Ball SUM 123
* 2 Apricorn Maker CES 124
* 2 Copycat CES 127
* 2 Ultra Ball SUM 135
* 2 Lillie UPR 125
* 2 Escape Rope BUS 114
* 2 Professor Kukui SUM 128
* 2 The Masked Royal CES 139
* 2 Hau CES 132

##Energy - 14

* 14 Water Energy 3

Total Cards - 60

****** Deck List Generated by the Pokémon TCG Online www.pokemon.com/TCGO ******

It can be a little slow, but against other theme deck-based decks it should be fine. I've done some mild testing against the bots and it usually plays by sacrificing the first prize and sweeping from there. It has a lot of supporters and ball search, so it rarely bricks unless you get none of them in your opening hand (all you have to do is pretty much get Marshtomp+Magcargo by turn 2-3), but I guess that's just how most decks operate.

 

[OVERGRO]

Hey everyone, sorry I haven't been able to keep up with this, but would people be interested in maybe running a Double Theme Deck tournament? I could organize! I think it would be a cool and relatively balanced (I think) format.

 

[rewster1]

No worries. I think a double theme tourney would be great fun, although I'd have to see if I could find time for it. I usually play ladder at work because I can quit if I have to. I may just go ahead and build a 2X storm caller deck to see what I can come up with.

 

[OVERGRO]

Good news folks, I've started up a tournament for the Double Theme Deck format! You can join here!

 

[rewster1]

Good news folks, I've started up a tournament for the Double Theme Deck format! You can join here!

Not sure what happened but that link no longer works.

Also I have to say your idea (to have it include any decks you can get in the shop) made me spend a couple hours throughout today looking through old theme decks as far back as ptcgo goes in the shop (before anyone else bothers, Black and White has horrendous decks, don't bother there). Before this I was only familiar with theme decks from SM on.
I found a couple interesting HGSS era decks... I even bought a couple daybreaks with coins because espeon and muk both have great one energy attacks, and dodrio fixes retreat for muk. I doubt it would stand up to relentless flame or whatever, but, it was fun to play against the terrible deck manager "test deck" trainers. It even drew pretty well, thanks to having 4 sage's riddles, and thinning with that energy finding supporter.

And XY has some very interesting decks... shadow stitching greninja with royal flash slowking? Stand in zoroark with creep show gengar?

But I think I may need to rethink my plan of using storm caller... it looks like anyone could easily put up to 8 switching cards in a double theme deck (CEC theme decks).

 

[OVERGRO]

Not sure what happened but that link no longer works.

This link should work: https://www.pokebeach.com/forums/threads/double-theme-deck-tournament.151425/

Sorry about the confusion! I accidentally made the thread twice and one of the copies was deleted (at my request). Tournament still up and running!

I totally agree with the rest of your comment too, @rewster1. There's a lot of interesting, unexpected stuff that can come out of this format just waiting to be discovered and taken advantage of!