Garchomp/Altaria/Terrakion EX

[silver116]

Hey guys! Just recently I pre-ordered four Garchomp online and decided to come up with my list for the next format. Here's the list and please offer your advice/speculation.

4-2-4 Garchomp
4-3 Altaria
3 Terrakion EX
=20

4x Professor Juniper
3x N
3 Bianca
=8

4x Ultra Ball
4x Pokemon Catcher
3x Rare Candy
3x Switch
2x Random Receiver
1x Super Rod
= 17

8x Fighting
3x Water
4x Blend Energy WLFM
=15

The Strategy:

The main goal here is to utilize both gabite's and garchomp's attacks while boosting them with altaria. Terrakion is there as a tech and as a great counter to all lighting decks out there. Some possible techs are tool scrapper, sableye, and de-evolution spray. The list is kinda tight though. That's it and I'd appreciate your feedback!

 

[Milky]

One thing jumps out to me and that is the incorrect use of Gabite. 4-4-4 Garchomp and 4-4 Altaria is needed to swarm Garchomp, and Level Ball is still necessary to get back Gible early game and to search for Swablu, amongst the only Pokemon that can't be searched out by half deck Gabite's Dragon Call.

Bianca is a highly situational supporter, and in mot instances inferior to Cheren. The most you can squeeze out of Bianca is 1-2 cards more than Cheren through the use of Ultra Ball, which this deck does not run.

If you're going to run that much energy, don't use special energy. Run 9 Fighting and 5 Water. That seems to be the magic number for this deck, through my friend's testing. Blend energy is bad because of Hammers/Unpowered Garchomps, the fact that it can't be accelerated and that it can't be retrieved from the discard.

Regarding your question about if it will be the BDIF, that spot goes to Hydreigon Darkrai and ZekEels w/ techs, the way the meta is looking right now.

Here's a list:

Pokemon:
4-4-4 Garchomp
4-4 Altaria
=20

Trainers:
4 Catcher
3 Rare Candy
3 Pokemon Communication
3 Level Ball
4 Random Receiver
1 Super Rod

4 Professor Juniper
4 N
=26

Energy:
9 Fighting Energy {F}
5 Water Energy {W}
=14

When making this list, I forgot to include Terrakion because I'm an idiot. Feel free to remove and to add for any changes in the Pokemon Area. Well, actually, it's just an optimized version for testing against RayEels only. If we were testing against ZekEels/Hydreigon Darkrai we'd include it. It's also great energy acceleration, powering up its second attack in one move. Personally, if I wanted to put in Terrakion I'd take out the Cheren, increase RR count to 4 and add in 2, possibly removing one other card for a third.

Switch is unnecessary when all your Pokemon have 1 retreat cost. Either run Skyarrow Birdge and just attach 1 energy to Altaria to get it out of the active or just pay the retreat cost. Dragons are so frail they won't be alive for long, really.

EDIT: HOLY SHIT. JUST FORGOT TO ADD CATCHER. Call me stupid.

 

[Puff-Sun]

Hmmm, that list looks good, except I'd take out 1-1 Altaria and 1 Garchomp for 3 errakion. I'd also take out a Communication for a Mewtwo EX, just because it makes your matchup against Mex/Accelgor/Gothitelle/Gardevoir/etc. from easy loss to pretty even, and it helps your Zeels matchup as well.

 

[Milky]

Hmmm, that list looks good, except I'd take out 1-1 Altaria and 1 Garchomp for 3 errakion. I'd also take out a Communication for a Mewtwo EX, just because it makes your matchup against Mex/Accelgor/Gothitelle/Gardevoir/etc. from easy loss to pretty even, and it helps your Zeels matchup as well.

Mewtwo EX is only effective in decks with energy acceleration like ZekEels, ReshiBoar, Darkrai etc. Terrakion EX's energy acceleration isn't enough to warrant the use of Mewtwo EX, which is another thing I forgot to mention.

This deck can't afford to lose two prizes at once, because it'll fall far behind in the prize trade. Silver, please run 3 Terrakion instead of Terrakion EX, because Rayquaza EX says hay dere.

 

[Puff-Sun]

Rayquaza? You're worried about Rayquaza? As soon as you show your Gibles, no one in their right mind is going to drop a Rayquaza for fear of Garchomps. And Mewtwo is effective in other things, just not as effective. Here it would be mostly used to tech around something that can smash you pretty easily otherwise: Accelgor variants.

 

[Flys Gone 2071]

There is no need of water energies in this deck as the point is to use garchomp's first attack. Terrakion EX needs 3 energies so it doesn't fit here. 4-3-4 Garchomp is needed at least if not 4-4-4. Emolga is needed to search your basics. No need for RR is better more supporters. This deck should run 2 super rod always.

-3 Terrakion EX
-3 Water energies
-2 RR

+1 Gabite
+2 Emolga
+1 N
+2 Cheren
+1 Super rod
+(1 extra space for another gabite, altaria or another Emolga)

You should use only dragon call gabite which doesn't have good attacks.

 

[Milky]

Don't run Emolga. Run Level Ball and use the Dragon Call Gabite. All basics now searchable. You also run enough Pokemon to make Pk Comm viable.

Have you even tested this deck? It is seldom used, but Garchomp's second attack can be a life saver. Sometimes the extra damage output is needed in clutch situations.

Only 1 super rod is necessary. Also, run 2 more Cheren on top of his list? Your suggestions are based on the OP list so really? 12 inconsistent supporters? May as well run 8 supporters and 4 RR.

You've got the incorrect reason for Terrakion EX not fitting in here. Garchomp Altaria is a deck which focuses on hitting hard for very little energy and only giving up one prize in the process. When you offer 2 prizes for grabs, decks which normally have a bad (considered by the community) matchup like RayEels, you improve the matchup on their side.

Terrakion is good, but don't run the EX.

People just love their cruddy Retaliate. It's great if your opponent is dumb enough t knock out your active or has a plan to revenge Terrakion, but Land Crush is a lot more useful.

There was an amazing thread on here about RR vs. Supporters. Please go take a look at it.