Standard Electrode-Gx/Counter Box

[Laurier_Ex]

I managed to get my hands on 2 copies of Electrode-Gx. So, i was finally able to build a Counter Box deck for standard. It is the best Counter deck i built so far so i figured people would be interested in the deck list.


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

##Pokémon - 14

* 1 Guzzlord-GX CIN (Mew copies Glutton-Gx for the finishing move)
* 1 Mr. Mime GEN (Protects Mew from bench damage)
* 4 Buzzwole FLI (Main attacker)
* 1 Shaymin SLG (Backup attacker)
* 3 Mew FCO (Backup attacker)
* 2 Voltorb CES (His attack can paralyze and can be copied by Mew)
* 2 Electrode-GX (Charge me up!)


##Trainer Cards - 37

* 1 Beast Ball CES (Making sure Guzzlord is not prized)
* 4 Professor Sycamore STS (Thin this deck quick!)
* 2 Rescue Stretcher GRI (Once discarded Guzzlord-Gx and Electrode-Gx are within reach)
* 3 Choice Band GRI (Extra damage)
* 1 Pal Pad UPR (Get those precious Guzma back)
* 1 Lillie SUM (Why not?)
* 1 Counter Catcher CIN (Can come in handy)
* 2 Tate & Liza CES (Flexibility, i like it)
* 1 Shrine of Punishment CES (Extra damage)
* 2 Nest Ball SUM (Bench me up Scotty)
* 4 Ultra Ball FCO (Thin some more)
* 2 Guzma BUS (Get over here)
* 1 N NVI (A counter deck with no N would hardly be a counter deck)
* 2 Energy Loto GRI (Find the energies quickly)
* 4 Acro Bike CES (Thin some more)
* 2 Float Stone BKT (Staple)
* 1 Enhanced Hammer GRI (Bash and Mash)
* 2 Sophocles BUS (Thin some more)
* 1 Field Blower GRI (I hate you Garbodor)

##Energy - 9

* 1 Beast Energy {*} FLI 117
* 4 Rainbow Energy SUM 137
* 4 Counter Energy CIN 100

Total Cards - 60

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


The deck plays Baby Buzzwole as the star attacker. He hits Zoroark-Gx for weakness and he can pull 120dmg with Sledgehammer with a single energy attachment. Mew FCO is the backup attacker. He also hits for the same amount granted he copies Buzzwole but hits psychic weakness (now we cover the 2 best weakness type). I added 1 copy of Shaymin SLG since he can be useful against Lycanroc-Gx.

The idea here is to stream Buzzwole and Mew and take 2-3 prize card with those pokemon on the front line. You need to quickly go through the deck (hence so many deck thinners and discarding supporters) to discard Counter Energy and get ready to setup Electrode-Gx. You need to setup Electrode-Gx before your opponent takes his 4th prize card. Once you are ready and have 3-4 prizes left, bench Guzzlord-Gx, use Extra Energy Bomb to charge Mew FCO and copy Glutton-Gx for the game.

The deck is very consistent because it plays more than average deck thinners and draw Supporters.Playing around Counter Energy and your opponents prizes can be tricky but once you get the hang of it, you can beat a lot of meta decks. In fact Mr Mime makes it good against spread decks, Buzzwole makes it good against Zoroark-Gx decks and Mew can also OHKO a lot of meta pokemon weak to psychic. Garbodor or Muck with Ability lock can destroy the deck obviously.

Let me know what you think and if you have any ideas to improve the deck.

 

[VioletValkyrie]

This is certainly a unique concept for a deck, most counter decks are. However, I do have a lot to say about your concept, mainly that I disagree with it. Allow me a few moments for my thoughts.

Pokémon:
➤ I'll say, I like the idea for Guzzlord-GX. Using Glutton GX to close a game is certainly entertaining. However, you have very few ways of reliably setting this up, the pieces don't fit together. You require an Electrode-GX, your one copy of Guzzlord-GX, a Mew, and the required energy to Extra Energy Bomb into. The concept of taking four prizes to close the game is also very unreliable, and if the prizes on the board aren't set up just right, you can't take advantage of Counter Energy to fuel Glutton GX.
➤ Mr. Mime isn't needed, as bench sniping is not very popular in the current meta. You'll have at least a turn or two to be able to keep Mew on the bench safely if you don't use Mr. Mime, so it'll sit there taking up bench space when not required, and therefore not serving a purpose.
➤ 4 Buzzwole is fine on paper. Though, in concept it's quite strange. It seems like the only reason you play this as an attacker is to directly counter Zoroark-GX. Why not just play a Buzzwole-GX build? That and the clause for Sledgehammer definitely gets in your way when you're burning prizes on the board to attach energy with Electrode. If your opponent ever takes a knockout, you've shot yourself in the foot and won't be able to use Sledgehammer to its fullest potential.
➤ I like the idea of Shaymin SLG as well. The ability to take a knockout on retaliation is really nice. The thing is, nothing in the format is weak to Grass, and retaliation knockouts were only popular when they came in a type that an important attacker in the format was weak to. (See Terrakion NVI against Darkrai-EX DEX) Shaymin can't do as well as the previous retaliation knockouts we've had in the game, and you're sitting there playing a 2HKO game against most of the meta. When you're playing a counter deck.

The rest is fine. Counter Energy/Mew is great and quite flexible, and while Electrode-GX may not be all it's hyped up for, Counter Energy is a great partner for it and a 2-2 line of Electrode-GX is fine.

Trainer Cards:
➤ A count of 1 Beast Ball may be too light. A reminder that you can also grab Buzzwole with it if you need another attacker, and that it's an unfortunate trap to prize your single Beast Ball.
➤ "1 Lillie SUM (Why not?)" I really don't like this. "Why not" is a terrible idea to play a specific card, and often means that you can simply drop the card(s) from your list and use the deck space freed by it to optimize the list. If you want to play Supporters still, you have better options in a deck like this. Hell, consider Ninja Boy, even. Never play a card because you can, play your cards for reasons.
➤ I think if you're playing an Electrode engine it should be heavily considered to raise your Counter Catcher count to at least 2, possibly 3. You have a lot more uses for a free call-up switch than any other engine in the format.
➤ While Tate and Liza is flexible, it's only considered for post-rotation as the current format has such better options for either of the two effects you'd play this card for. You have free switches with Float Stone (which you already play) and a shuffle-draw of 6 rather than 5 by playing Cynthia. You're only playing an obsolete card. Play Cynthia, since you have Float Stone for free switches, and you get better draw.
➤ Shrine of Punishment is a fantastic card that you should certainly be playing more than one copy of. Not only dealing damage but being able to be played as a counter-Stadium that directly hinders your opponent is wonderful.
➤ "1 N NVI (A counter deck with no N would hardly be a counter deck)" Then play more N! You're hardly playing any, and therefore this hardly makes this a counter deck. N is a wonderful card that allows for consistent hand disruption and can make or break the late-game, especially when you're giving your opponent prizes off of Extra Energy Bomb.
➤ You have so much better options for drawing cards in the current format, both as items and supporters. Playing these cards like Acro Bike just makes it seem like you aren't aware of the better options you have in the current format, especially Supporters. There are very strong cards if you're looking for draw Supporters, and I'm going to go over what I said with Tate and Liza where you're just playing obsolete cards.
➤ I'm sad to say that Sophocles sounds like a good idea to discard Energy from your hand, but it really doesn't work, and you have better options. I tried playing this with Darkrai-GX when that card came out, and it was not a consistent draw engine at all, playing fourteen energy in that deck. Since you're playing nine, one of which you can't even discard, drop Sophocles.

We'll go over a few Trainer Cards after I discuss Energy, since you'll then know my basis for them.

Energy:
➤ Rainbow Energy is... okay? It gets the job done but it feels like you're just slowing down the deck when you compare it to Counter Energy, especially paired with Electrode.
➤ The main thing that stuck out to me is you're playing an Ultra Beast deck that gives your opponent prizes and you're not playing Beast Ring. It's an incredible card that should be considered, enough to completely shift your Energy engine from Special to include basic Fighting Energy (if you plan to play Buzzwole) or basic Darkness Energy (if you're brave enough to try Guzzlord) because this gives you (while possibly clunky) dual-synergy attachments from the deck in the mid-game and from the discard in the late-game. Drop your Rainbows and play basic energy, then fit in Beast Ring and your mid-game is definitely going to be more consistent.
➤ Because of this, you can drop Energy Loto. You already have your energy search from Beast Ring, and therefore don't need a less consistent card.

Everything considered, to close, I think you have good ideas, but you're just not making good deck concepts. Buzzwole works better with its GX, especially if you want to counter Zoroark-GX as that deck has multiple attackers that can easily knockout Zoroark-GX. Electrode-GX has better options such as Xerneas BREAK, and while the Guzzlord idea is nice, it just doesn't pull through.

I will say, though, reading your post definitely gave me a laugh, I like how you format your lists. Good luck with this one!
Hope this helps! @Laurier_Ex

 

[AuraJackle]

Hoo boy valkyrie I'm sorry to say you just made really long post that hes going to completely think is wrong because he believes hes the greatest deck builder ever

 

[VioletValkyrie]

Hoo boy valkyrie I'm sorry to say you just made really long post that hes going to completely think is wrong because he believes hes the greatest deck builder ever

I make my posts to give proper criticism and state my thoughts, they just end up being longer than most.
Well, I believe those who ask for advice in Deck Garage shouldn't disregard the criticism that's given to them. That being said, the OP should be the one to say that for themselves.

 

[Laurier_Ex]

I make my posts to give proper criticism and state my thoughts, they just end up being longer than most.
Well, I believe those who ask for advice in Deck Garage shouldn't disregard the criticism that's given to them. That being said, the OP should be the one to say that for themselves.

Thank you for posting comments. Making a counter deck is not easy to say the least and will obviously almost always be worse than most other decks. That is inherently related to the fact that you need to play from behind. Being a decent counter deck makes it by no means a very good deck nevertheless. Playing something else than 1 prize attackers makes me rely suspicious given the fact that you cannot loose too much prizes but maybe Buzzwole-Gx could get the early job done using Max Elixir and some Basic Energy. Regarding N, i wo9uld like to play more copies but like i have said, you really got to dig quickly if you want some Energy in the discard for Electrode-Gx. Playing more energies and basic ones could possibly be helpful and solve part of the problem.

 

[Laurier_Ex]

Hoo boy valkyrie I'm sorry to say you just made really long post that hes going to completely think is wrong because he believes hes the greatest deck builder ever

I am not afraid of sharing my opinion and i am opened to criticism. Some people like to play popular decks. I prefer being innovative and make my own personal decks.

I get that you refer to the Ninja Box deck i made and yes i have been hard on most people commenting the deck because it is a very very very good deck and it just about as optimal as it can be. People posted things about the deck having no clue of how it worked and why it is so powerful. After playing thousands of game with the deck, i can say without a doubt that it is competitive (it was better a few expansions ago but it is still very strong). You bragged about how Jirachi (Stradust) would ruin the deck last time you posted in my Ninja Box thread and you where totally wrong because you overlooked the fact that i could play around it easily. And you expect me to give you credit for what you have posted?

I believe I have created a deck (Ninja Box) very unique and powerful but people wont recognize it and give me credit for it. And if you are like those other non believers make a expanded deck and try your luck against me. I will prove you how good a deck builder I am. If not do not waste your time posting bullshit around and try to convince me the deck is bad when its not. And no, not all decks i make are good decks so do not try to make people believe your lies and presumptions about me.