Garchomp: Another Look at the DERAILED Hype Train
Hello everyone! For those of you who don’t know me, I’m The Fallen One. I used to write a lot of articles back in the DP-on era, mostly about rogue decks that I felt deserved a second glance (except about Unown.dec…but we don’t talk about that one). Today, I’m bringing you an article presenting another look at a deck that many felt was going to sweep Battle Roads last year after having success in Japan.
So without further ado, let’s take a look at this failed deck for the NXD-on era.
Table of Contents
I. Garchomp: Dissecting the Evolution Line
II. Pokemon to Consider
a. The Flying Cotton Balls of Doom
b. Starters: Why You Should Ditch the Squirrel
c. The Not-So-Secret Techs
III. Trainers, Supporters, and…Stadiums?
a. Items
b. Supporters
c. Stadiums
IV. A Brief Glance at Energy
V. Bare Bones: The Skeleton List
VI. Theoretical Matchups
VII. Ending Thoughts
I. Garchomp: Dissecting the Evolution Line
This would be cooler if 5ban graphics didn’t do the art. Just saying.
Of course we’re going to go over this card first, since it’s the centerpiece of the deck. Many of you should know what it can do, given the scan is right up there, but let’s take a look at some pros and cons:
Pros:
• 140 HP
• High damaging attacks for 1-2 Energy
• Can discard special energies
• Can 2HKO anything in the format
• Not an EX pokemon
• Not a Plasma pokemon
•It’s a Dragoooon
Cons:
• It’s a Stage 2
• Its highest damaging attack causes a discard
• Can be OHKO’d by some EX attackers
• It can be ability dependent
Were you expecting more cons? I don’t blame you, given the decks poor success rate. But you can see why the card got hyped up so much last year. It’s fast, it’s hard hitting…almost like a mini-EX. I’ll go into some detail of a few of the pros and cons that this card has, in case you’re scratching your head in disbelief.
140 HP
People love how Plasma Kyurem has 130 HP, and for a good reason. HP values above 100 become harder and harder to OHKO, especially around the 130-160 range for non-EX pokemon. Most popular decks can only 2HKO you or need to go to extreme lengths to OHKO you. Genesect needs G-Booster to OHKO you. Landorus has to discard its energy to OHKO you. Keldeo needs 5 Water Energy to OHKO you. Of course, under Darkrai’s normal setup with LaserBank and Dark Claw…yeah, they can OHKO you no problem. I’ll go into more detail about that when I discuss that matchup.
Hard hitting attacks at a low cost/Can 2HKO anything in the format
This is a no-brainer, honestly. These are EX-level damaging attacks for incredibly cheap energy costs. Dragonblade can guarantee you a 2HKO on every single card in NXD-on, although you should be sparing with its use. Don’t worry, we’ll get into some help later so that you can use more Mach Cuts to set up the KO with Dragonblade, rather than relying only on that attack to kill things while you sacrifice your deck.
Discarding Special Energy
This really only helps you in certain matchups, but discarding special energies can swing certain matchups (I’m looking at you, TDK) to even or favorable. Enhanced Hammer is a popular tech in some decks because of how you can limit your opponent’s resources for a turn. Mach Cut does that AND puts some damage on the board for only one energy.
Not an EX
Here’s one of the head-scratchers. Aren’t EX’s the best cards to play right now? Well…yes. They have ridiculous HP, Damage output, speed, and support. But, Garchomp now has two strengths it can capitalize given its high HP and damage output: prize trades and Silver Bangle. I’ve already mentioned how Garchomp can 2HKO every single card in the format, including EX’s. You can take 2 prizes at a time vs. any EX deck, while they can only trade back one. This means that you only need 3 KO’s to win, while they need 6.
I will discuss Silver Bangle later, but it is one of the new tools that this format has to offer such a strong attacker as Garchomp.
Not a Team Plasma Pokemon
Perhaps another head scratcher, this one may not be so obvious to some players. Silver Mirror was printed in Plasma Blast, which prevents damage and effects done to the pokemon it is attached to by your opponent’s Team Plasma pokemon. Garchomp doesn’t even have to worry about getting tool-walled.
Just looking at the card itself and not knowing anything about Garchomp’s evolution line, you may be wondering why I listed “Ability dependent” as one of its cons. Well, that’s when we get into the Stage 1 part of the evolution line, Gabite.
Rawr.
There’s only thing you’re going to care about when it comes to this card: Dragon Call. This ability lets you fetch any Dragon pokemon from your deck, at no cost to you. This is why Garchomp is known for its consistency, if nothing else. There’s only so much search power a deck can have due to a 60-card limit, so having some of that search power packed into the evolution line of your main attacker is a huge bonus. I say it’s a bonus and not a necessity, because if you build your list right you won’t even need Dragon Call to get Garchomps out on the field. Gabite is still a huge boost in consistency, and if you’re not running at least 3 of these, you either have the tightest chomp list in the world, or you don’t know the strength of this card.
Oh, and there’s Gible, but there’s nothing special about it…except if you go first, Sand Attack isn’t a bad opening move vs. some decks…just saying.
So, that’s Garchomp in all of its glory! Sure, it’s a great card and has a consistent evolution line…but why was this deck hyped so much? It’s still a stage 2 and doesn’t do that much damage compared to something like Darkrai or Keldeo. Well, the answer to that lies in the next section…the fluffy part of FluffyChomp!
II. Pokemon to Consider
a. The Flying Cotton Balls of Doom
[10:37] * Altaria now plays: DragonForce – Through the Fire and Flames
Altaria is legendary for its status as the worst Dragon in the game. It resembles a cloud-bird more than it does a dragon, but nevertheless…
Fight Song is the reason you want this cotton ball in your deck, and in high numbers. Every Altaria on the field boosts attacks from your Dragon pokemon by 20 damage. With two Altaria on the field, Garchomp does 100 damage with Mach Cut and 140 damage with Dragonblade. I already feel that Chomp has very good damage output by itself, but it starts hitting some crazy numbers with Altaria on the field. And because Altaria is a dragon, you can search it out with Dragon Call. Funny how that works, huh?
The main issue Altaria has (besides being a Stage 1) is that it has low HP. When most EX’s are hitting 70+ damage without even really thinking, it can be hard to consider Altaria a good bench-sitter…especially with Night Spear and Frost Spear flying everywhere. This is a huge detriment, but actually I’d rather have my opponent catcher-ko an Altaria rather than kill my active Garchomp. Why? Because every turn they waste on killing the fluffies, I get another free turn to attack and hit hard with Chomp. There are other ways to keep your Fluffies on the field safe and happy, and I’ll get into those later.
b. Starters: Why You Should Ditch the Squirrel
Given such a setup-heavy deck, a starter is more than a little tempting to use in this deck. It provides a less donk-able start, as well as the ability to set up fluidly your next turn given a half-decent hand. I’ll go into detail with 3 different starters, starting with the old staple starter for this deck…and why it’s not a good idea anymore.
Hello, Pikachu clone #73
This seems like the ideal starter, doesn’t it? It was, up until recently. There weren’t many decks that can hit 70 damage T1, Lightning wasn’t a popular type, and the free retreat meant you could save Emolga for later if you needed to get a setup going again. Call for Family is very powerful in FluffyChomp, getting you 2 additional basics on the field that you can evolve next turn. Well, that was then, and right now there’s a card called Thundurus EX roaming the metagame. It hits you for 60 damage with weakness, and that’s before they bench a Deoxys or use Hypnotoxic Laser. If you don’t go first while you have this active, you’re going to give up a free prize vs. TDK. If you do go first, it’s going to die next turn anyway. I don’t like using this starter anymore because I only have a 50% chance vs. a huge metagame deck to actually start before I give up a free prize and start off Turn 2 with a 1-prize deficit. Sorry, Emolga, TPCi decided to clip your wings.
So when constructing my own FluffyChomp deck, I found that there are two other starters that you can consider.
Shaymin – Boundaries Crossed #10
This is an oft-overlooked card, mostly because Emolga was simply superior. Now, I think that Shaymin can fill the niche that Emolga had. It has the same HP value, but fire decks are very uncommon. You have to sacrifice an energy to retreat it, but that’s not a terrible sacrifice given the setup it gives you. In fact, if you run switch, you can even use level ball to get this out of the deck, switch to it, and call for family turn one even if you didn’t start with it. Unfortunately, 70 HP is still within donk range for certain decks, but it’s very uncommon.
Kangaskhan – Plasma Blast #71
Look at that meaty 100 hp. This is considerably harder to OHKO turn one…I’m fairly sure that only Darkrai has a chance at that. There are two noticeable downsides to this card that Shaymin doesn’t have: It can’t be searched with level ball, and it has a retreat cost of 2. So unless you want to sacrifice a switch or two energy to get it out of there, you’re kind of stuck with it. Not to mention you’d have to start with it, or use ultra ball (if you run it) for a decent start.
So, in my opinion, Shaymin is probably your best option for this deck. Kanga isn’t awful, but you probably shouldn’t be running Emolga in this format. But, I’ll let you in on a secret: FluffyChomp doesn’t need a starter. Some lists aren’t even running starters anymore. While Call for Family is a great start for this deck, it isn’t completely necessary to get the ball rolling. If you feel like you can risk not having an “ideal” start, you can skip starters entirely.
c. The Not-So-Secret Techs
I’m just going to put this out here: Consistency > Techs. If you have a consistent list, that is good enough forBattle Roads League Challenges or City Championships. Techs should come second, and you have to be careful about what you take out to put these cards in.
Mr. Mime – Plasma Freeze #47
Another 70 HP tech for this deck? Gee, I’m really pushing the envelope, aren’t I? Well, Mime is a bit different. So long as it’s on the field, you don’t have to worry about the extra damage from Night Spear or Frost Spear. The only way your fluffies can be ko’d is by Pokemon Catcher into a 70+ damage attack. Mime doesn’t normally survive on the field for very long, but it at least will force a Darkrai player to play more carefully instead of blindly night-spearing away.
Haxorus – Plasma Blast #69
Yeah, I had to bring this one up. For one Fighting and one Metal, you can KO any plasma pokemon. In a deck that already uses fighting energy (and presumably blend WLFM) and rare candy, it’s an interesting option. However, I will caution against it. You’re going to have to run a 2-0-2 line minimum so that you can actually get it out on the field when you need it. That’s 4 slots you could be using on more generally useful cards. Haxorus is nice, yes, but it only pads two matchups that you already have near-even footing with.
Jirachi EX – Plasma Blast #60
I’ve actually seen this pop up in a few lists online, and I can see why. It has 90 HP, so it’s searchable by Level Ball. It grabs a supporter just through a bench drop, which you can then use. It’s good for when you have a dead hand other than a level ball, so you can grab something like N and get a new hand entirely. Unfortunately, it only has 90 HP on an EX. Basically, you’re trading a supporter for two prize cards, in a deck that capitalizes on being able to draw more prizes on fewer KO’s than its opponent. Something like Mime will make it so that your opponent has to “waste” a catcher to kill it, but honestly…I would consider that a good trade for your opponent.
Cobalion EX – Plasma Storm #93
This isn’t the best tech, but in a Plasma-heavy format it isn’t necessarily the worst idea. You can start attacking T1 and discarding special energies, while you get your bench set up. This means you’ll have to run more metal energy, so that may be a deterrent for many players. Low damage output without more energy attached can also be a reason you might not want to play this. I’d consider this a metagame-specific tech.
Landorus EX – Boundaries Crossed #89
This might be a bit more of an all-around tech as a starting attacker than Cobalion EX is. Landorus isn’t nearly the threat he used to be, but putting 30 active damage and 30 bench damage Turn 1 can set up some OHKO’s from Garchomp later on. This is a card that can help greatly with your Darkrai matchup, as a Hammerhead will put a Darkrai at 120 HP, which is a very easy number for Garchomp to hit with Altaria and/or Silver Bangle. A high retreat cost, giving up 2 prizes, and weakness to Keldeo EX as well as Kyurem are potential cons to consider.
Stunfisk – Dragons Exalted #70
Stunfisk! Think of this as a non-ex version of Landorus. It has less HP, but it also gives up one less prize. The lightning resistance means it’s good against a Thundurus EX start, which can be a huge pain to this deck. Its first attack does 20-20 instead of 30-30, but it’s still really good for a starting attack vs. Fighting-weak decks. With Silver Bangle, it can put some serious hurt on Darkrai and Thundurus. In fact, after hitting with Muddy Water they’re in range for a KO with Rumble and Silver Bangle.
Teching your deck out will always be based on your area’s metagame. If there’s a lot of Darkrais, consider using Mime and Landorus EX. Don’t use Lando if there’s just as many Keldeo decks out there. It’s simple enough, since Garchomp doesn’t actually have a real need for any secondary attackers.
III. Trainers, Supporters, and…Stadiums?
Pokemon are a big deal in a deck, but a deck can’t run if its TSS line isn’t up to par. I won’t be discussing staples like Catcher, Rare Candy, N, or Juniper here, since you should be running those in high numbers anyway. Now, let’s dive right in!
a. Items
The spammable trainer cards! Just…watch out for Zebstrika and Dragonite.
Level Ball
The ability to fish out any pokemon with 90 HP or less is a big deal in a deck where 3/4 of the pokemon in the list have those values. You should be running 3-4 of these, no questions asked.
Super Rod
It’s reprinted in Dragon Vault, and is one of the reasons why Garchomp is still viable. Given your consistent search engine and the probability that many Altarias and Chomps will die in a single match, you’re going to want 2 of these as a standard count.
Silver Bangle
Remember when I said that I would discuss this later? Silver Bangle is probably the best tool for non-EX attackers in the format. You gain an additional 30 damage vs. the behemoths that are dominating the format. Combined with Altaria, Chomp can hit some interesting thresholds. I’ve listed some HP values that you’re going to want to hit and the resources for Dragonblade to OHKO. Mach Cut can hit some of these values with more resources on the field.
100 HP (Absol PLF, Garbodor DRX) – No resources required
120 HP (Weak EX upper threshold) – Silver Bangle or One Altaria
130 HP (Kyurem PLF) – Two Altaria
170 HP (Keldeo EX, Genesect EX, etc.) – Two Altaria and Silver Bangle
180 HP Dragon EX (Black Kyurem EX) – No resources required; Silver Bangle for Mach Cut
In other words, Garchomp can KO any 170 HP EX as long as there are two Altaria on the field and it has Bangle attached. This isn’t a terrible feat to accomplish, but you may not see it every game. EX’s that have 170 HP include Keldeo, Genesect, Virizion, Mewtwo, Thundurus, and Deoxys. Unfortunately, you are not going to hit the critical 180 HP threshold (unless it’s a Dragon EX) that Darkrai is sitting at without additional help (e.g. a third altaria). However, 2-3 Bangle is probably a good idea with an EX-heavy format.
Ultra Ball
Level Ball works on most of your deck, but if you get ability locked…it’s nice to have a backup search for that Garchomp. This usually works as a one-of, but if you run any techs that have more than 90 HP, you’re going to want to search them out with 2-3 Ultra Ball.
Tool Scrapper
Your Garbodor counter. Actually, believe it or not, Garbodor isn’t that much of a detriment to your deck. It stops your Fluffies and Gabites from doing their job, but it actually doesn’t slow down your setup that much. Ultra Ball is usually enough to cover for you in a T2 Garbotoxin. Of course, this can still be a good card as a 1-of, just for those pesky Float Stones and Dark Claws floating around.
Switch
Most of the pokemon you have only have a retreat cost of one, but it’s nice to have 1-2 Switch to get you out of a bad Hypnotoxic flip, or if you have a high-retreat tech that you want to get onto the bench without sacrificing any energy.
Max Potion
Here’s an item tech that you can run in small numbers (1-2). Chomp has high HP and can attack for only one energy, so throwing in max potion isn’t a bad idea. Most decks can only 2HKO you anyway, so if they miss the OHKO you can force another attack out of them before that Chomp goes down.
Hypnotoxic Laser
Another item you can run in small counts. I’d have recommended PlusPower, but it got rotated out of the format. Hypnotoxic lets you hit that extra 10 damage in situations where you might want it. This allows you to hit that extra 10 damage to OHKO Darkrai, or to OHKO Plasma Kyurem with only one Altaria on the field. On a side note, if they have Virbank City Gym out, you can actually OHKO Darkrai with Dragonblade if you only have a Silver Bangle and one Altaria on the field.
Computer Search OR Dowsing Machine
You can only choose one Ace Spec card, so here are your two best options. It’s really up to your playstyle and list. Computer Search is better for early game, Dowsing Machine is better for late game. Dowsing Machine also allows you to loosen up your item line, since you can potentially get an extra use from certain items. Comp Search is better if you use nothing but drawing/hand refresh supporters, Dowsing Machine is better if you have Skyla to search your deck.
b. Supporters
I’ve already discussed that you should be running N and Professor Juniper in high numbers. They’re the most powerful drawing cards in the format, and should be treated with the respect that position in the game demands. This section only covers 4 cards, so it’s a bit of a break from the Item section.
Colress
This is an amazing drawing supporter in decks that have a heavy setup or high bench count. Starting with it sucks, so I’d cap this card at 2-3. It’s an amazing supporter in this deck.
Iris
Yeah…I went there. I think that this card has potential, especially in non-EX decks, but you shouldn’t go out of your way to fit it in this deck. You have other ways to boost your power (Altaria and Bangle, namely), and drawing into this supporter early game or when you really need that N or Juniper to get out of a dead hand just sucks. This deck does maximize the damage potential of this deck, because there will be situations where your opponent has taken 5 prize cards. An extra 50 damage can be the difference between winning and losing.
Skyla OR Bianca
This is where it comes down to playstyle. Do you want extra drawing power or extra search power? Do you really love Skyla or do you really hate her? If you’re using Computer Search, I’d go with Bianca as Computer Search is superior to Skyla in most situations. If you’re using Dowsing Machine, you might find the extra search power from Skyla better than the drawing power. Again, this choice is all up to your personal taste and playstyle here.
c. …Stadiums?
Stadiums aren’t quite what they used to be back in the ex era, but there are two potential choices for you to put in your FluffyChomp list, if you think you have the room.
Tropical Beach
Yeah, this accursed stadium is the first on the list. It’s really good for setup decks, and if you have any you might find this replaces having a Starter very nicely. Of course, getting your hands on even 2 of these might be too much. Which is why we move on to…
"We secretly hope that your pokemon are injured so that we stay in business."
Also known as one of the worst stadiums ever to be printed (in my humble opinion), Pokemon Center is your ticket to swinging those matches where they’re hurting your bench. While 20 damage might not seem that much, it turns the 3HKO from spear damage on Altaria to a 7HKO. Not bad at all. Plus, if you play this smartly you can beat-out Tropical Beach or Virbank City drops and have this guy in play. This is also a decent replacement for Mr. Mime, if you don’t want to risk the odd Mime start.
So there’s your Items, Supporters, and Stadiums that you may want to consider. This isn’t a full list of cards that could work in this deck, of course. If you have a card that you feel that works well, then I encourage that you test it out.
IV. A Brief Glance at Energy
Yeah, you’re going to want energy to attack. So here’s what you’re going to want to run.
Fighting Energy
Garchomp absolutely needs this to attack, so this should be your main basic energy. Running water is basically pointless, because you should also be running a max count of…
Blend Energy WLFM
Not only does this count to your cost for Dragonblade, it can also work for Mach Cut. This is basically a no-brainer. You can even attack with Altaria if you use this…although it’s not really recommended.
V. Bare Bones: The Skeleton List
We’ve gone over cards you might want to run, so I’m providing a skeleton list. There are a couple spots that need to be filled in, but I will warn you…just slapping some cards from the article above into the remaining spots and saying “okay let’s play this” might not get you very far. Some of these numbers are very loose and can be cut down or increased, especially if you want to fit in certain techs. It’s best to test a little bit to get a feel for what you think the deck needs.
Pokemon:
4 Garchomp
3 Gabite (Dragon Call)
4 Gible
3 Altaria
3 Swablu
1 Mr. Mime
Trainers:
4 Juniper
4 N
2 Colress
1 Computer Search
4 Level Ball
4 Pokemon Catcher
3 Rare Candy
3 Silver Bangle
2 Super Rod
2 Switch
Energy:
7 Fighting Energy
4 Blend WLFM
Total: 58
Two free slots and full counts of certain cards you might want to cut down on. Again, I don’t necessarily recommend all of these numbers. This is just a starting point for you.
VI. Theoretical Matchups
By “theoretical”, I mean that these matchups are nearly purely theorymon and not from extensive testing, so you should take this with a grain of salt. This is just a general idea of what you should expect going into these matches. As is to be expected, you have a better chance against these decks if you go first.
I am not going to cover every single deck that you might face, just ones that are considered very threatening at the moment or that you might need to know.
Glossary of matchup ratios. You-Them.
Favorable: 60-40 or greater
Slightly Favorable: 55-45 to 60-40
Evenish: 45-55 to 55-45
Slightly Unfavorable: 45-55 to 40-60
Unfavorable: 40-60 or less
Darkrai EX Variants: Unfavorable
This is your worst matchup. This deck has the easiest chance to OHKO you, since all they need is Dark Claw and LaserBank to do so. They also can put some hurt on fluffies, or just outright kill them. While this is your worst matchup, it’s techable against. Mr. Mime, Pokemon Center, Landorus EX, etc. This is a matchup where I’d consider Laser over Max Potion.
Keldeo EX/Blastoise/Black Kyurem EX: Slightly Unfavorable to Unfavorable
Another toughy, and this matchup is basically impossible to tech against for this deck. If they run more Black Kyurem EX than Keldeo EX and make the mistake of dropping any against you, you have an easier time taking prizes. Keldeo can’t OHKO you unless it has 5 water energy on it, and you can at least 2HKO back under most circumstances. Keep in mind that if you have 2 Altaria and Bangle, you can OHKO a Keldeo with Dragonblade. If they don’t drop down the energy to OHKO you, you can also max potion off the damage.
Virizion EX/Genesect EX: Evenish
You should be just as fast in setting up as them, if not faster. They have no tools to OHKO your Chomps other than G-Booster, and it’s hard to pull that off in consecutive turns. Mime helps with the bench damage from Megalo Cannon (while Pokemon Center completely mitigates the damage), and you can OHKO all of their EX pokemon given the right circumstances.
Thundurus EX/Deoxys EX/Kyurem PLF: Evenish to Slightly Favorable
They can set up faster than you, but you can starve them of resources with Mach Cut. This is huge because if you get set up just in time, you can prevent them from using Blizzard Burn the entire match. Mr. Mime further mitigates the damage you can take from this matchup, so they’ll have a very hard time KO’ing your Garchomps while you 2HKO everything they throw at you. Max Potion the damage from Frost Spears for extra shenanigans.
Zebstrika/Garbodor: Evenish to Slightly Favorable
Honestly, the trainer and ability lock doesn’t hurt you as much as being able to OHKO their entire deck hurts them. If you go first and set up T2, you can about guarantee the win.
On a side note, if Gothitellle – Emerging Powers #47 gets reprinted in Legendary Treasures, Gothitelle/Accelgor is a hard matchup for this deck. You can’t really tech very well against it other than the odd Audino – Boundaries Crossed #126 in small numbers. Your best hope in that matchup is to outspeed them. In fact, that might be your only hope.
VII. Closing Thoughts
So as it turns out, with Gothitelle being slotted for a reprint, Garchomp might not get the blaze of glory to wreck the format that it’s been dreaming of. However, I think for the time being and in future formats for this season it has a solid spot. It might not be BDIF, or even a Tier 2 deck, but it’s a solid deck that you can usually expect to go even with. You could even try and use it to scout out your format before you go and build something like Flareon to counter your local metagame. The possibilities aren’t endless, but I think that this deck deserves more recognition than it’s received in recent months. Try it out, see what you think, and most importantly…try to have fun.
Hello everyone! For those of you who don’t know me, I’m The Fallen One. I used to write a lot of articles back in the DP-on era, mostly about rogue decks that I felt deserved a second glance (except about Unown.dec…but we don’t talk about that one). Today, I’m bringing you an article presenting another look at a deck that many felt was going to sweep Battle Roads last year after having success in Japan.
So without further ado, let’s take a look at this failed deck for the NXD-on era.
Table of Contents
I. Garchomp: Dissecting the Evolution Line
II. Pokemon to Consider
a. The Flying Cotton Balls of Doom
b. Starters: Why You Should Ditch the Squirrel
c. The Not-So-Secret Techs
III. Trainers, Supporters, and…Stadiums?
a. Items
b. Supporters
c. Stadiums
IV. A Brief Glance at Energy
V. Bare Bones: The Skeleton List
VI. Theoretical Matchups
VII. Ending Thoughts
I. Garchomp: Dissecting the Evolution Line
This would be cooler if 5ban graphics didn’t do the art. Just saying.
Of course we’re going to go over this card first, since it’s the centerpiece of the deck. Many of you should know what it can do, given the scan is right up there, but let’s take a look at some pros and cons:
Pros:
• 140 HP
• High damaging attacks for 1-2 Energy
• Can discard special energies
• Can 2HKO anything in the format
• Not an EX pokemon
• Not a Plasma pokemon
•
Cons:
• It’s a Stage 2
• Its highest damaging attack causes a discard
• Can be OHKO’d by some EX attackers
• It can be ability dependent
Were you expecting more cons? I don’t blame you, given the decks poor success rate. But you can see why the card got hyped up so much last year. It’s fast, it’s hard hitting…almost like a mini-EX. I’ll go into some detail of a few of the pros and cons that this card has, in case you’re scratching your head in disbelief.
140 HP
People love how Plasma Kyurem has 130 HP, and for a good reason. HP values above 100 become harder and harder to OHKO, especially around the 130-160 range for non-EX pokemon. Most popular decks can only 2HKO you or need to go to extreme lengths to OHKO you. Genesect needs G-Booster to OHKO you. Landorus has to discard its energy to OHKO you. Keldeo needs 5 Water Energy to OHKO you. Of course, under Darkrai’s normal setup with LaserBank and Dark Claw…yeah, they can OHKO you no problem. I’ll go into more detail about that when I discuss that matchup.
Hard hitting attacks at a low cost/Can 2HKO anything in the format
This is a no-brainer, honestly. These are EX-level damaging attacks for incredibly cheap energy costs. Dragonblade can guarantee you a 2HKO on every single card in NXD-on, although you should be sparing with its use. Don’t worry, we’ll get into some help later so that you can use more Mach Cuts to set up the KO with Dragonblade, rather than relying only on that attack to kill things while you sacrifice your deck.
Discarding Special Energy
This really only helps you in certain matchups, but discarding special energies can swing certain matchups (I’m looking at you, TDK) to even or favorable. Enhanced Hammer is a popular tech in some decks because of how you can limit your opponent’s resources for a turn. Mach Cut does that AND puts some damage on the board for only one energy.
Not an EX
Here’s one of the head-scratchers. Aren’t EX’s the best cards to play right now? Well…yes. They have ridiculous HP, Damage output, speed, and support. But, Garchomp now has two strengths it can capitalize given its high HP and damage output: prize trades and Silver Bangle. I’ve already mentioned how Garchomp can 2HKO every single card in the format, including EX’s. You can take 2 prizes at a time vs. any EX deck, while they can only trade back one. This means that you only need 3 KO’s to win, while they need 6.
I will discuss Silver Bangle later, but it is one of the new tools that this format has to offer such a strong attacker as Garchomp.
Not a Team Plasma Pokemon
Perhaps another head scratcher, this one may not be so obvious to some players. Silver Mirror was printed in Plasma Blast, which prevents damage and effects done to the pokemon it is attached to by your opponent’s Team Plasma pokemon. Garchomp doesn’t even have to worry about getting tool-walled.
Just looking at the card itself and not knowing anything about Garchomp’s evolution line, you may be wondering why I listed “Ability dependent” as one of its cons. Well, that’s when we get into the Stage 1 part of the evolution line, Gabite.
Rawr.
There’s only thing you’re going to care about when it comes to this card: Dragon Call. This ability lets you fetch any Dragon pokemon from your deck, at no cost to you. This is why Garchomp is known for its consistency, if nothing else. There’s only so much search power a deck can have due to a 60-card limit, so having some of that search power packed into the evolution line of your main attacker is a huge bonus. I say it’s a bonus and not a necessity, because if you build your list right you won’t even need Dragon Call to get Garchomps out on the field. Gabite is still a huge boost in consistency, and if you’re not running at least 3 of these, you either have the tightest chomp list in the world, or you don’t know the strength of this card.
Oh, and there’s Gible, but there’s nothing special about it…except if you go first, Sand Attack isn’t a bad opening move vs. some decks…just saying.
So, that’s Garchomp in all of its glory! Sure, it’s a great card and has a consistent evolution line…but why was this deck hyped so much? It’s still a stage 2 and doesn’t do that much damage compared to something like Darkrai or Keldeo. Well, the answer to that lies in the next section…the fluffy part of FluffyChomp!
II. Pokemon to Consider
a. The Flying Cotton Balls of Doom
[10:37] * Altaria now plays: DragonForce – Through the Fire and Flames
Altaria is legendary for its status as the worst Dragon in the game. It resembles a cloud-bird more than it does a dragon, but nevertheless…
Fight Song is the reason you want this cotton ball in your deck, and in high numbers. Every Altaria on the field boosts attacks from your Dragon pokemon by 20 damage. With two Altaria on the field, Garchomp does 100 damage with Mach Cut and 140 damage with Dragonblade. I already feel that Chomp has very good damage output by itself, but it starts hitting some crazy numbers with Altaria on the field. And because Altaria is a dragon, you can search it out with Dragon Call. Funny how that works, huh?
The main issue Altaria has (besides being a Stage 1) is that it has low HP. When most EX’s are hitting 70+ damage without even really thinking, it can be hard to consider Altaria a good bench-sitter…especially with Night Spear and Frost Spear flying everywhere. This is a huge detriment, but actually I’d rather have my opponent catcher-ko an Altaria rather than kill my active Garchomp. Why? Because every turn they waste on killing the fluffies, I get another free turn to attack and hit hard with Chomp. There are other ways to keep your Fluffies on the field safe and happy, and I’ll get into those later.
b. Starters: Why You Should Ditch the Squirrel
Given such a setup-heavy deck, a starter is more than a little tempting to use in this deck. It provides a less donk-able start, as well as the ability to set up fluidly your next turn given a half-decent hand. I’ll go into detail with 3 different starters, starting with the old staple starter for this deck…and why it’s not a good idea anymore.
Hello, Pikachu clone #73
This seems like the ideal starter, doesn’t it? It was, up until recently. There weren’t many decks that can hit 70 damage T1, Lightning wasn’t a popular type, and the free retreat meant you could save Emolga for later if you needed to get a setup going again. Call for Family is very powerful in FluffyChomp, getting you 2 additional basics on the field that you can evolve next turn. Well, that was then, and right now there’s a card called Thundurus EX roaming the metagame. It hits you for 60 damage with weakness, and that’s before they bench a Deoxys or use Hypnotoxic Laser. If you don’t go first while you have this active, you’re going to give up a free prize vs. TDK. If you do go first, it’s going to die next turn anyway. I don’t like using this starter anymore because I only have a 50% chance vs. a huge metagame deck to actually start before I give up a free prize and start off Turn 2 with a 1-prize deficit. Sorry, Emolga, TPCi decided to clip your wings.
So when constructing my own FluffyChomp deck, I found that there are two other starters that you can consider.
Shaymin – Boundaries Crossed #10
This is an oft-overlooked card, mostly because Emolga was simply superior. Now, I think that Shaymin can fill the niche that Emolga had. It has the same HP value, but fire decks are very uncommon. You have to sacrifice an energy to retreat it, but that’s not a terrible sacrifice given the setup it gives you. In fact, if you run switch, you can even use level ball to get this out of the deck, switch to it, and call for family turn one even if you didn’t start with it. Unfortunately, 70 HP is still within donk range for certain decks, but it’s very uncommon.
Kangaskhan – Plasma Blast #71
Look at that meaty 100 hp. This is considerably harder to OHKO turn one…I’m fairly sure that only Darkrai has a chance at that. There are two noticeable downsides to this card that Shaymin doesn’t have: It can’t be searched with level ball, and it has a retreat cost of 2. So unless you want to sacrifice a switch or two energy to get it out of there, you’re kind of stuck with it. Not to mention you’d have to start with it, or use ultra ball (if you run it) for a decent start.
So, in my opinion, Shaymin is probably your best option for this deck. Kanga isn’t awful, but you probably shouldn’t be running Emolga in this format. But, I’ll let you in on a secret: FluffyChomp doesn’t need a starter. Some lists aren’t even running starters anymore. While Call for Family is a great start for this deck, it isn’t completely necessary to get the ball rolling. If you feel like you can risk not having an “ideal” start, you can skip starters entirely.
c. The Not-So-Secret Techs
I’m just going to put this out here: Consistency > Techs. If you have a consistent list, that is good enough for
Mr. Mime – Plasma Freeze #47
Another 70 HP tech for this deck? Gee, I’m really pushing the envelope, aren’t I? Well, Mime is a bit different. So long as it’s on the field, you don’t have to worry about the extra damage from Night Spear or Frost Spear. The only way your fluffies can be ko’d is by Pokemon Catcher into a 70+ damage attack. Mime doesn’t normally survive on the field for very long, but it at least will force a Darkrai player to play more carefully instead of blindly night-spearing away.
Haxorus – Plasma Blast #69
Yeah, I had to bring this one up. For one Fighting and one Metal, you can KO any plasma pokemon. In a deck that already uses fighting energy (and presumably blend WLFM) and rare candy, it’s an interesting option. However, I will caution against it. You’re going to have to run a 2-0-2 line minimum so that you can actually get it out on the field when you need it. That’s 4 slots you could be using on more generally useful cards. Haxorus is nice, yes, but it only pads two matchups that you already have near-even footing with.
Jirachi EX – Plasma Blast #60
I’ve actually seen this pop up in a few lists online, and I can see why. It has 90 HP, so it’s searchable by Level Ball. It grabs a supporter just through a bench drop, which you can then use. It’s good for when you have a dead hand other than a level ball, so you can grab something like N and get a new hand entirely. Unfortunately, it only has 90 HP on an EX. Basically, you’re trading a supporter for two prize cards, in a deck that capitalizes on being able to draw more prizes on fewer KO’s than its opponent. Something like Mime will make it so that your opponent has to “waste” a catcher to kill it, but honestly…I would consider that a good trade for your opponent.
Cobalion EX – Plasma Storm #93
This isn’t the best tech, but in a Plasma-heavy format it isn’t necessarily the worst idea. You can start attacking T1 and discarding special energies, while you get your bench set up. This means you’ll have to run more metal energy, so that may be a deterrent for many players. Low damage output without more energy attached can also be a reason you might not want to play this. I’d consider this a metagame-specific tech.
Landorus EX – Boundaries Crossed #89
This might be a bit more of an all-around tech as a starting attacker than Cobalion EX is. Landorus isn’t nearly the threat he used to be, but putting 30 active damage and 30 bench damage Turn 1 can set up some OHKO’s from Garchomp later on. This is a card that can help greatly with your Darkrai matchup, as a Hammerhead will put a Darkrai at 120 HP, which is a very easy number for Garchomp to hit with Altaria and/or Silver Bangle. A high retreat cost, giving up 2 prizes, and weakness to Keldeo EX as well as Kyurem are potential cons to consider.
Stunfisk – Dragons Exalted #70
Stunfisk! Think of this as a non-ex version of Landorus. It has less HP, but it also gives up one less prize. The lightning resistance means it’s good against a Thundurus EX start, which can be a huge pain to this deck. Its first attack does 20-20 instead of 30-30, but it’s still really good for a starting attack vs. Fighting-weak decks. With Silver Bangle, it can put some serious hurt on Darkrai and Thundurus. In fact, after hitting with Muddy Water they’re in range for a KO with Rumble and Silver Bangle.
Teching your deck out will always be based on your area’s metagame. If there’s a lot of Darkrais, consider using Mime and Landorus EX. Don’t use Lando if there’s just as many Keldeo decks out there. It’s simple enough, since Garchomp doesn’t actually have a real need for any secondary attackers.
III. Trainers, Supporters, and…Stadiums?
Pokemon are a big deal in a deck, but a deck can’t run if its TSS line isn’t up to par. I won’t be discussing staples like Catcher, Rare Candy, N, or Juniper here, since you should be running those in high numbers anyway. Now, let’s dive right in!
a. Items
The spammable trainer cards! Just…watch out for Zebstrika and Dragonite.
Level Ball
The ability to fish out any pokemon with 90 HP or less is a big deal in a deck where 3/4 of the pokemon in the list have those values. You should be running 3-4 of these, no questions asked.
Super Rod
It’s reprinted in Dragon Vault, and is one of the reasons why Garchomp is still viable. Given your consistent search engine and the probability that many Altarias and Chomps will die in a single match, you’re going to want 2 of these as a standard count.
Silver Bangle
Remember when I said that I would discuss this later? Silver Bangle is probably the best tool for non-EX attackers in the format. You gain an additional 30 damage vs. the behemoths that are dominating the format. Combined with Altaria, Chomp can hit some interesting thresholds. I’ve listed some HP values that you’re going to want to hit and the resources for Dragonblade to OHKO. Mach Cut can hit some of these values with more resources on the field.
100 HP (Absol PLF, Garbodor DRX) – No resources required
120 HP (Weak EX upper threshold) – Silver Bangle or One Altaria
130 HP (Kyurem PLF) – Two Altaria
170 HP (Keldeo EX, Genesect EX, etc.) – Two Altaria and Silver Bangle
180 HP Dragon EX (Black Kyurem EX) – No resources required; Silver Bangle for Mach Cut
In other words, Garchomp can KO any 170 HP EX as long as there are two Altaria on the field and it has Bangle attached. This isn’t a terrible feat to accomplish, but you may not see it every game. EX’s that have 170 HP include Keldeo, Genesect, Virizion, Mewtwo, Thundurus, and Deoxys. Unfortunately, you are not going to hit the critical 180 HP threshold (unless it’s a Dragon EX) that Darkrai is sitting at without additional help (e.g. a third altaria). However, 2-3 Bangle is probably a good idea with an EX-heavy format.
Ultra Ball
Level Ball works on most of your deck, but if you get ability locked…it’s nice to have a backup search for that Garchomp. This usually works as a one-of, but if you run any techs that have more than 90 HP, you’re going to want to search them out with 2-3 Ultra Ball.
Tool Scrapper
Your Garbodor counter. Actually, believe it or not, Garbodor isn’t that much of a detriment to your deck. It stops your Fluffies and Gabites from doing their job, but it actually doesn’t slow down your setup that much. Ultra Ball is usually enough to cover for you in a T2 Garbotoxin. Of course, this can still be a good card as a 1-of, just for those pesky Float Stones and Dark Claws floating around.
Switch
Most of the pokemon you have only have a retreat cost of one, but it’s nice to have 1-2 Switch to get you out of a bad Hypnotoxic flip, or if you have a high-retreat tech that you want to get onto the bench without sacrificing any energy.
Max Potion
Here’s an item tech that you can run in small numbers (1-2). Chomp has high HP and can attack for only one energy, so throwing in max potion isn’t a bad idea. Most decks can only 2HKO you anyway, so if they miss the OHKO you can force another attack out of them before that Chomp goes down.
Hypnotoxic Laser
Another item you can run in small counts. I’d have recommended PlusPower, but it got rotated out of the format. Hypnotoxic lets you hit that extra 10 damage in situations where you might want it. This allows you to hit that extra 10 damage to OHKO Darkrai, or to OHKO Plasma Kyurem with only one Altaria on the field. On a side note, if they have Virbank City Gym out, you can actually OHKO Darkrai with Dragonblade if you only have a Silver Bangle and one Altaria on the field.
Computer Search OR Dowsing Machine
You can only choose one Ace Spec card, so here are your two best options. It’s really up to your playstyle and list. Computer Search is better for early game, Dowsing Machine is better for late game. Dowsing Machine also allows you to loosen up your item line, since you can potentially get an extra use from certain items. Comp Search is better if you use nothing but drawing/hand refresh supporters, Dowsing Machine is better if you have Skyla to search your deck.
b. Supporters
I’ve already discussed that you should be running N and Professor Juniper in high numbers. They’re the most powerful drawing cards in the format, and should be treated with the respect that position in the game demands. This section only covers 4 cards, so it’s a bit of a break from the Item section.
Colress
This is an amazing drawing supporter in decks that have a heavy setup or high bench count. Starting with it sucks, so I’d cap this card at 2-3. It’s an amazing supporter in this deck.
Iris
Yeah…I went there. I think that this card has potential, especially in non-EX decks, but you shouldn’t go out of your way to fit it in this deck. You have other ways to boost your power (Altaria and Bangle, namely), and drawing into this supporter early game or when you really need that N or Juniper to get out of a dead hand just sucks. This deck does maximize the damage potential of this deck, because there will be situations where your opponent has taken 5 prize cards. An extra 50 damage can be the difference between winning and losing.
Skyla OR Bianca
This is where it comes down to playstyle. Do you want extra drawing power or extra search power? Do you really love Skyla or do you really hate her? If you’re using Computer Search, I’d go with Bianca as Computer Search is superior to Skyla in most situations. If you’re using Dowsing Machine, you might find the extra search power from Skyla better than the drawing power. Again, this choice is all up to your personal taste and playstyle here.
c. …Stadiums?
Stadiums aren’t quite what they used to be back in the ex era, but there are two potential choices for you to put in your FluffyChomp list, if you think you have the room.
Tropical Beach
Yeah, this accursed stadium is the first on the list. It’s really good for setup decks, and if you have any you might find this replaces having a Starter very nicely. Of course, getting your hands on even 2 of these might be too much. Which is why we move on to…
"We secretly hope that your pokemon are injured so that we stay in business."
Also known as one of the worst stadiums ever to be printed (in my humble opinion), Pokemon Center is your ticket to swinging those matches where they’re hurting your bench. While 20 damage might not seem that much, it turns the 3HKO from spear damage on Altaria to a 7HKO. Not bad at all. Plus, if you play this smartly you can beat-out Tropical Beach or Virbank City drops and have this guy in play. This is also a decent replacement for Mr. Mime, if you don’t want to risk the odd Mime start.
So there’s your Items, Supporters, and Stadiums that you may want to consider. This isn’t a full list of cards that could work in this deck, of course. If you have a card that you feel that works well, then I encourage that you test it out.
IV. A Brief Glance at Energy
Yeah, you’re going to want energy to attack. So here’s what you’re going to want to run.
Fighting Energy
Garchomp absolutely needs this to attack, so this should be your main basic energy. Running water is basically pointless, because you should also be running a max count of…
Blend Energy WLFM
Not only does this count to your cost for Dragonblade, it can also work for Mach Cut. This is basically a no-brainer. You can even attack with Altaria if you use this…although it’s not really recommended.
V. Bare Bones: The Skeleton List
We’ve gone over cards you might want to run, so I’m providing a skeleton list. There are a couple spots that need to be filled in, but I will warn you…just slapping some cards from the article above into the remaining spots and saying “okay let’s play this” might not get you very far. Some of these numbers are very loose and can be cut down or increased, especially if you want to fit in certain techs. It’s best to test a little bit to get a feel for what you think the deck needs.
Pokemon:
4 Garchomp
3 Gabite (Dragon Call)
4 Gible
3 Altaria
3 Swablu
1 Mr. Mime
Trainers:
4 Juniper
4 N
2 Colress
1 Computer Search
4 Level Ball
4 Pokemon Catcher
3 Rare Candy
3 Silver Bangle
2 Super Rod
2 Switch
Energy:
7 Fighting Energy
4 Blend WLFM
Total: 58
Two free slots and full counts of certain cards you might want to cut down on. Again, I don’t necessarily recommend all of these numbers. This is just a starting point for you.
VI. Theoretical Matchups
By “theoretical”, I mean that these matchups are nearly purely theorymon and not from extensive testing, so you should take this with a grain of salt. This is just a general idea of what you should expect going into these matches. As is to be expected, you have a better chance against these decks if you go first.
I am not going to cover every single deck that you might face, just ones that are considered very threatening at the moment or that you might need to know.
Glossary of matchup ratios. You-Them.
Favorable: 60-40 or greater
Slightly Favorable: 55-45 to 60-40
Evenish: 45-55 to 55-45
Slightly Unfavorable: 45-55 to 40-60
Unfavorable: 40-60 or less
Darkrai EX Variants: Unfavorable
This is your worst matchup. This deck has the easiest chance to OHKO you, since all they need is Dark Claw and LaserBank to do so. They also can put some hurt on fluffies, or just outright kill them. While this is your worst matchup, it’s techable against. Mr. Mime, Pokemon Center, Landorus EX, etc. This is a matchup where I’d consider Laser over Max Potion.
Keldeo EX/Blastoise/Black Kyurem EX: Slightly Unfavorable to Unfavorable
Another toughy, and this matchup is basically impossible to tech against for this deck. If they run more Black Kyurem EX than Keldeo EX and make the mistake of dropping any against you, you have an easier time taking prizes. Keldeo can’t OHKO you unless it has 5 water energy on it, and you can at least 2HKO back under most circumstances. Keep in mind that if you have 2 Altaria and Bangle, you can OHKO a Keldeo with Dragonblade. If they don’t drop down the energy to OHKO you, you can also max potion off the damage.
Virizion EX/Genesect EX: Evenish
You should be just as fast in setting up as them, if not faster. They have no tools to OHKO your Chomps other than G-Booster, and it’s hard to pull that off in consecutive turns. Mime helps with the bench damage from Megalo Cannon (while Pokemon Center completely mitigates the damage), and you can OHKO all of their EX pokemon given the right circumstances.
Thundurus EX/Deoxys EX/Kyurem PLF: Evenish to Slightly Favorable
They can set up faster than you, but you can starve them of resources with Mach Cut. This is huge because if you get set up just in time, you can prevent them from using Blizzard Burn the entire match. Mr. Mime further mitigates the damage you can take from this matchup, so they’ll have a very hard time KO’ing your Garchomps while you 2HKO everything they throw at you. Max Potion the damage from Frost Spears for extra shenanigans.
Zebstrika/Garbodor: Evenish to Slightly Favorable
Honestly, the trainer and ability lock doesn’t hurt you as much as being able to OHKO their entire deck hurts them. If you go first and set up T2, you can about guarantee the win.
On a side note, if Gothitellle – Emerging Powers #47 gets reprinted in Legendary Treasures, Gothitelle/Accelgor is a hard matchup for this deck. You can’t really tech very well against it other than the odd Audino – Boundaries Crossed #126 in small numbers. Your best hope in that matchup is to outspeed them. In fact, that might be your only hope.
VII. Closing Thoughts
So as it turns out, with Gothitelle being slotted for a reprint, Garchomp might not get the blaze of glory to wreck the format that it’s been dreaming of. However, I think for the time being and in future formats for this season it has a solid spot. It might not be BDIF, or even a Tier 2 deck, but it’s a solid deck that you can usually expect to go even with. You could even try and use it to scout out your format before you go and build something like Flareon to counter your local metagame. The possibilities aren’t endless, but I think that this deck deserves more recognition than it’s received in recent months. Try it out, see what you think, and most importantly…try to have fun.
