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Garchomp / Altaria

R

rathy Aro

Aspiring Trainer
Member
I should start out by saying, that as far as I'm concerned this deck, doesn't really work. It was absolutely monstrous when it was able to get going, but it seems too susceptible to getting the basics eaten by catcher. Losing some swablu to catcher is fine, but when my gibles get ko'd before I have a change to evolve it, it becomes difficult to do anything.

I'm just about to give up on the deck and assume stage 1 + stage 2 is too slow in this meta, but I'm open to some suggestions before I scrap it. I'm thinking I could use some basic to help me set up, but I'm not familiar enough with these sets to know what could help. Or maybe if I could get out gibles faster than they could be catchered I'd stand a chance, but I'm not sure how to do that without pokemon collector or roseanne's research (the good ol' days).

edit: I just noticed in all my complaining about catcher, I forgot to put some in this deck.... Yeah, this needs to be reworked on so many levels.
Pokemon 19
  • 4 Gible drx
  • 2 Gabite drx (to help tutor dragons)
  • 4 Garchomp drx
  • 3 Swablu drx
  • 3 Altaria bwp
  • 3 Emolga
Trainers 32
  • 2 Professor Juniper
  • 4 N
  • 3 Colress
  • 4 Skyla
  • 3 energy search
  • 4 Rare Candy
  • 3 Ultra Ball
  • 2 Max Potion
  • 2 Switch
  • 2 Silver Bangle
  • 2 Catcher
  • 1 Computer Search
Energy 9
  • 6 Fighting
  • 3 Water Energy
Strategy
Get out Swablu's to buff Garchomp and have Garchomp go to town. Mewtwo is for 7th prize.
 
RE: Garchomp/Altaria

4-4 Altaria seems too large, I would suggest 3-3 or even 2-2 line. Also remember to add the card number if there is a pokemon with more than one card, then label the number of the card as well. I assume that these cards are from Dragons Exalted, so please abbreviate them as DRX. Also, N needs to be at 4, while Colress can be cut to 2. Skylas are a personal choice, but I like 2, however 4 is fine as well. Max Potion has me a bit confused as you have no way of moving energy, or consistently getting it back into your hand or your deck. Also, since most pokemon have one retreat cost, Skyarrow is useful in this deck. Think of adding Double Colorless Energy (DCE) if you want to run Mewtwo.

Final Changes:

Additions:
+2 Skyarrow Bridge
+2 Float Stone (For Mewtwo)
+2 N
+1 Mewtwo EX
+2 DCE
+1 Water Energy

Departures:
-1 Colress
-2 Swablu (DRX)
-2 Altaria (DRX Ability)
-2 Max Potion
-2 Switch
-1 Skyla
 
RE: Garchomp/Altaria

All the retreat costs except mewtwo are 1, so float stones and sky arrows feel a bit wasted. I ran max altarias because I want as many as possible on the bench at once. I wouldn't be able to get even 2 on the bench running 2-2. The max potions have worked fine because garchomp only needs an energy to attack. Mewtwo is in there just to make getting the last prize more difficult, I'd rather drop him than run double colorless and float stone just for him. I figure putting 2 energies on him wouldn't be a big deal. I could see an argument to drop him, but its a 1 of and I don't run many basics as is.

Wait sky arrow when I'm not attacking with any basics (except mewtwo)?
 
RE: Garchomp/Altaria

Yeah, I read Skyarrow wrong. Anyways. If you do want to run max Altaria, then expect for them to be catchered (Which is a good trainer to add) up often. I suspect you want to use Dragonblade which hits for 100 for (W)(F). So, Three Max Potions means a possible 6 energy gone into the discard. I think that a 3-3 line is the best, as you don't need to hit for 180, (if you do get them all out), as Garchomp has enough HP to withstand most attacks. I would max out N though, as disrupting your opponents hand while not discarding in the process could be game changing.
 
RE: Garchomp/Altaria

Yeah, I made it 3-3. I don't mind discarding the energy, if I can recover to an attack quickly. If it becomes a problem, i'll drop max potion count. I also maxed out N, more so because Juniper can be really rough at 4.
 
RE: Garchomp/Altaria

Also, since most pokemon have one retreat cost, Skyarrow is useful in this deck.
Click to expand...

I actually would not recommend Skyarrow Bridge in this deck because the main attacker does not benefit from it. Emolga also has free retreat so it wouldn't really help there either.

If you have any Blend Energy, I'd recommend running them so you can use Garchomp's attacks easier.

I also would cut 1 Emolga because it becomes a useless card later in the game. 2 is plenty. This can help you fit in another Professor Juniper because Garchomp only works well if you can get it out quickly.
 
RE: Garchomp/Altaria

I was staying away from blend energies, because I have no way to tutor them, but skyla->energy search lets me pick up anything i need. I'm surpised you suggest fewer emolga's, because starting emolga, has been the only way I felt comfortable about my starts aside from just getting a really lucky hand.

I've been wondering about Juniper. I've noticed she's popular, but back when she came out I never liked her and playing her now, I see why. I end up throwing away so many resources, when my hand isn't ideal, but Juniper is the only draw I have in hand. I'm tempted to have Juniper at 1 or 0 in favor of Cherem or maybe just replace it with random recievers. For example, I was in a game, where I was drawing dead, with a juniper in hand and 3 rare candies. I bit the bullet just to see what would happen and with no chance to pick up rare candies, I got stomped. I don't know that waiting around for a better draw option would have been much better.

edit: I kinda gave up on this deck. I think altaria is too hard to get set up, because of how vulnerable swablu is ohko's via catcher/genesect ex. The best case is nice (you can ohko every ex on 2 energy), but its hard to reach. I'm welcome to suggestions to replace altaria.
 
RE: Garchomp/Altaria

Skyla is a bad card, Juniper is a good card. Skyla searches for one card only while you need to set up as quickly as you can. You need everything, fast. Juniper and N are the way to go, with a Colress tech that is useful after the first turns. But during the set up, you don't want Skyla. You want N, or even better: Juniper. You also need 2-3 Super Rods to rescue your cards. You only have 4 attackers, Junipers and an effect that discards the top two cards of your deck.

-3 Skyla (or -4)
-2 Colress
-2 Switch
-2 Max Potion
-1 Rare Candy
-3 Energy Search
-2 W Energy
-2 Ultra Ball
+4 Level Ball
+2 Juniper
+2 Super Rod
+1 Gabite
+2 Random Reciever (or +3)
+2 Catcher
+1 Tool Scrapper
+3 WLFM Energy

WLFM is the way to go and there is no way around it. 1 Water Energy that can be Super Roded is ok, though. You decide if you run 3WLFM/1W or just 4 WLFM, but everything else is just bad.

Changes to the list in the opening post.
 
RE: Garchomp/Altaria

Teal said:
Skyla is a bad card, Juniper is a good card. Skyla searches for one card only while you need to set up as quickly as you can. You need everything, fast. Juniper and N are the way to go, with a Colress tech that is useful after the first turns. But during the set up, you don't want Skyla. You want N, or even better: Juniper. You also need 2-3 Super Rods to rescue your cards. You only have 4 attackers, Junipers and an effect that discards the top two cards of your deck.

-3 Skyla (or -4)
-2 Colress
-2 Switch
-2 Max Potion
-1 Rare Candy
-3 Energy Search
-2 W Energy
-2 Ultra Ball
+4 Level Ball
+2 Juniper
+2 Super Rod
+1 Gabite
+2 Random Reciever (or +3)
+2 Catcher
+1 Tool Scrapper
+3 WLFM Energy

WLFM is the way to go and there is no way around it. 1 Water Energy that can be Super Roded is ok, though. You decide if you run 3WLFM/1W or just 4 WLFM, but everything else is just bad.

Changes to the list in the opening post.
Click to expand...
Skyla, which can tutor every thing in your deck is a bad card? It helps set up and it allows you to respond much better to situations. If you need scrapper at that moment or bangle, you can choose with skyla. That card is just way too powerful and its never a dead draw. I see where you're coming from though, I could try maxing out juniper and N and seeing what happens. I've definitely felt the need for super rods, just hadn't been able to fit them.

I guess you think blend is better because you don't like Skyla, thus there's no picking up energy search. I suppose if you drop Skyla and rely soley on raw draw, blend energies are a good idea.

Some questions though. Why level ball over ultra ball? Ultraball gets me anything and the fact that it minuses my hand isn't a big deal if i'm running so much hand refresh. Also why, +1 gabite? Is it because he can potentially tutor up garchomp/altaria?

Thanks for all the advice so far everyone.
 
RE: Garchomp/Altaria

This deck does not need Ultra Ball after turn 2. Gabite is the reason this deck works. It sets you up. Skyla would be good if it didn't waste your supporter for the turn. In the first turns (those game-deciding turns) you need to set up as fast as possible, so you need to max raw draw power.

I have been playing Garchomp Altaria for over half a year... of course things have changed during the time and I did not copy&paste you my list. I took your take on it but replaced the stuff that can just be done better.

PS: I run 4-4-4 Garchomp. Gabite is just that good.
 
RE: Garchomp/Altaria

Teal said:
This deck does not need Ultra Ball after turn 2. Gabite is the reason this deck works. It sets you up. Skyla would be good if it didn't waste your supporter for the turn. In the first turns (those game-deciding turns) you need to set up as fast as possible, so you need to max raw draw power.

I have been playing Garchomp Altaria for over half a year... of course things have changed during the time and I did not copy&paste you my list. I took your take on it but replaced the stuff that can just be done better.

PS: I run 4-4-4 Garchomp. Gabite is just that good.
Click to expand...

Oh cool, I didn't know anyone else runs it, I guess that means it can work. Well like I said, I'll try out your changes. Could I see your list? I'm curious what you're take was on it. 4-4-4 garchomp actually sounds cool, I'd try it.
 
RE: Garchomp/Altaria

My list is pre Plasma Blast so it is outdated so I can't be bothered to write it up. P:
 
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