Help Good Expanded Deck

The Golden Mewtwo

The Golden Mewtwo

Currently crying because I'm a 16 year old senior
Member
hi, I am having trouble deciding on a good expanded deck, I was thinking greninja break now that a lot of the counters are gone or noivern gx because rainbow road is really the only counter, can I have some help? I want to go to virginia reigonals so I need a good expanded deck, maybe dark dragons of turbo darkrai?
 
If you want to see a good expanded deck in action, you can had me on Pokemon TCGO (Laurier_ex). I will show you a unique deck that as a chance to win against any type of deck. I made it 19 wins/1 loss out of 20 games before Burning Shadows. I would say It as an easy 65%/70% win rate on the long run but you need to have a lot of knowledge and practice because this deck is only for advanced players and you will find yourself loosing a lot by bad decision making if you are not up to the task. I would tweak it a bit depending on what you are foreseeing as your opponent for the tournament.

I tweaked this deck over the last year to make it a top tier deck. It has a different engine than the usual 4 Sycamore/ 3 N drawing engine and this deck is rather expensive to make to be honest. You got a way out against almost everything coming at you given that you do not get a card you need prized or dead draw too much. One last thing, you will not find this deck somewhere on the internet except here in the deck garage. No one runs it but me so it is not recognized as a deck and this is one advantage you would have since no one really knows how to play against it.

P.S: It as a very favorable matchup against greninja, Darkrai and Nightmarch.
 
Laurier_Ex said:
It is an odd list that does not seem to reflect the current meta. I do not see any Gardevoir/Metagross/Gollispod for exemple. I doubt you would encounter half of those decks in the tournament.
Click to expand...

That was an article about the expanded format, which is way more broader than standard.
 
I suggest you play Marshadow GX with Seismitoad EX. Include damage increases and disruptive cards. Sure, I would be slower as you would us strong energy on Marshadow, but it would be very dangerous.
 
I know this is super original, but just play Trevenant. It's cheap and easy to make and it's extremely powerful now that Necrozma is a thing.
 
I would go with Darkrai, almost exclusively because I despise Night March, but also because there are so many Night March counters in the form of Seismitoad-EX, Oricorio, Giratina-EX, Greninja BREAK, Karen, even Bronzong BREAK. Darkrai has many more favourable matchups, and it got such a massive buff with its new GX incarnation having recently been printed.
 
BDIF

Beats Gardevoir and NineTails with Magearna and Glaceon
Beats Nightmarch with Jolteon and Karen
Beast Vespiquen with Glaceon and Karen
Beats Volcanion and Darkrai unless they have Pokemon Ranger or Tortunator with Shell
Beats Greninja with Glaceon and Giratina
Beats most deck that cannot OHKO with Tauros and Machamp

To beat the deck you need to have Basic and Evolved attackers or else you get screwed by Jolteon/Glaceon and you need to take OHKO. Decks like Tapu Bulu or MetaGross for exemple stand a chance. Against Metagross you could still use Latias but it is not the most convenient attacker.


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

##Pokémon - 19

* 1 Drampa-GX GRI 115
* 2 Shaymin-EX ROS 77
* 1 Tauros-GX SUM 100
* 1 Latias-EX PLF 85
* 1 Comfey GRI 93
* 1 Machamp-EX AOR 90
* 1 Marshadow-GX BUS 80
* 1 Leafeon-EX GEN 10
* 1 Electrike PRC 60
* 1 Jolteon-EX GEN 28
* 1 Magearna-EX STS 110
* 1 Giratina PR-XY XY184
* 1 Mew-EX LTR 139
* 2 Tapu Lele-GX GRI 60
* 2 Unown AOR 30
* 1 Glaceon-EX FAC 20

##Trainer Cards - 29

* 1 Fighting Fury Belt BKP 99
* 1 Mallow GRI 127
* 2 Rescue Stretcher GRI 130
* 1 Lillie SUM 147
* 1 Parallel City BKT 145
* 1 Scramble Switch PLS 129
* 2 Choice Band GRI 121
* 1 Colress PLS 135
* 1 Karen PR-XY XY177
* 4 Ninja Boy STS 103
* 1 Battle Compressor Team Flare Gear PHF 92
* 4 Ultra Ball FAC 113
* 1 Sophocles BUS 123
* 3 VS Seeker ROS 110
* 1 Field Blower GRI 163
* 2 Trainers' Mail ROS 92
* 1 Lysandre FLF 104
* 1 Sky Field ROS 89

##Energy - 12

* 4 Rainbow Energy SUM 137
* 4 Prism Energy NXD 93
* 4 Double Colorless Energy SUM 136

Total Cards - 60

****** Deck List Generated by the Pokémon TCG Online www.pokemon.com/TCGO ******
 
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joffreyspikes said:
I would go with Darkrai, almost exclusively because I despise Night March, but also because there are so many Night March counters in the form of Seismitoad-EX, Oricorio, Giratina-EX, Greninja BREAK, Karen, even Bronzong BREAK. Darkrai has many more favourable matchups, and it got such a massive buff with its new GX incarnation having recently been printed.
Click to expand...

This is a valid point, but it begs the question: if there are so many counters to Night March, then why do people still play it?

The short version is that the only bad matchups are against decks with multiple counters. You lock down Items then slam the Night march player with Karen, and that player is hurting. The catch is that you've got to nail such a combo at the right time. Just with Karen usage alone, I learned - thanks to grinding away at the special 24 Ticket Tournaments on the PTCGO the last two days - if you do it too soon, the Night March player can adapt. I learned this running Night March.

Darkrai-EX/GX decks require the Night March player have a slow start while the Darkrai-EX/GX player does not. Night March can give up two single Prize attackers per Darkrai-EX or Darkrai-GX. A single Marshadow-GX can power through up to two Fighting Weak Pokémon-GX with relative ease if you don't have your Energy spread out amongst your attackers. That's before considering Focus Sash.

I am not saying the other decks are bad, I'm just saying that Night March is far from dead. Edit: Speaking of not writing checks one's butt cannot cash, I should be careful, as my own experiences are - of course - hardly conclusive either.
 
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I would personally suggest Seismitoad EX/Garbodor. The ability lock and item lock is deadly. Plus I run the Hypnotoxic Lasers/Virbank City Gym version which can up your damage output a lot. I hope this helps. Tell me if you want to see my deck list.
 
Laurier_Ex said:
BDIF

To beat the deck you need to have Basic and Evolved attackers or else you get screwed by Jolteon/Glaceon and you need to take OHKO. Decks like Tapu Bulu or MetaGross for exemple stand a chance. Against Metagross you could still use Latias but it is not the most convenient attacker.
...
Click to expand...
I'm not trying to be harsh, but any deck that plays Lele can have an attacker that runs over Glaceon. Jolteon does complicate things a bit, but... this feels gimmicky to me.

I'm curious how the matchup goes against the Expanded Firebox deck I'm starting to do some videos over...


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

##Pokémon - 14

* 1 Shaymin-EX ROS 77
* 2 Ho-Oh-GX BUS 21
* 1 Salandit GRI 15
* 1 Salazzle-GX BUS 25
* 2 Turtonator-GX GRI 131
* 2 Volcanion STS 25
* 2 Tapu Lele-GX GRI 60
* 3 Volcanion-EX STS 107

##Trainer Cards - 32

* 4 Professor Sycamore STS 114
* 1 Computer Search BCR 137
* 1 Acerola BUS 142
* 2 Scorched Earth PRC 138
* 1 Colress PLS 135
* 3 Blacksmith FLF 88
* 4 Ultra Ball SUM 161
* 2 Battle Compressor Team Flare Gear PHF 92
* 2 Float Stone BKT 137
* 2 Guzma BUS 115
* 2 Fighting Fury Belt BKP 99
* 1 Kiawe BUS 116
* 1 N NVI 101
* 2 Field Blower GRI 125
* 4 VS Seeker PHF 109

##Energy - 14

* 14 Fire Energy 2

Total Cards - 60

****** Deck List Generated by the Pokémon TCG Online www.pokemon.com/TCGO ******
 
JGB146 said:
I'm not trying to be harsh, but any deck that plays Lele can have an attacker that runs over Glaceon. Jolteon does complicate things a bit, but... this feels gimmicky to me.

I'm curious how the matchup goes against the Expanded Firebox deck I'm starting to do some videos over...


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

##Pokémon - 14

* 1 Shaymin-EX ROS 77
* 2 Ho-Oh-GX BUS 21
* 1 Salandit GRI 15
* 1 Salazzle-GX BUS 25
* 2 Turtonator-GX GRI 131
* 2 Volcanion STS 25
* 2 Tapu Lele-GX GRI 60
* 3 Volcanion-EX STS 107

##Trainer Cards - 32

* 4 Professor Sycamore STS 114
* 1 Computer Search BCR 137
* 1 Acerola BUS 142
* 2 Scorched Earth PRC 138
* 1 Colress PLS 135
* 3 Blacksmith FLF 88
* 4 Ultra Ball SUM 161
* 2 Battle Compressor Team Flare Gear PHF 92
* 2 Float Stone BKT 137
* 2 Guzma BUS 115
* 2 Fighting Fury Belt BKP 99
* 1 Kiawe BUS 116
* 1 N NVI 101
* 2 Field Blower GRI 125
* 4 VS Seeker PHF 109

##Energy - 14

* 14 Fire Energy 2

Total Cards - 60

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

I guess you would have the upper hand if you can take OHKO. If you don't, Tauros and Machamp would still be a threat.

Stalling with Jolteon and Glaceon would probably be hard to do between Shell Trap and since you have both Basic and evolved attackers (you have only 1 evolved attacker so Jolteon could work quite well if it does not get caught). If Jolteon gets damaged by Shell trap, a Ninja Boy into Tauros or Machamp would do the trick.

This being said, next booster will include Hoopa which will be immuned to both Ex and GX. A card that will most likely find its way into my deck and could help my deck further. The matchup would still be a hard one. I think the matchup would probably be between 40-60% win chance. It is not a one sided battle. Your deck can definetly handle mine and looks pretty good.

One of the advantage i am having with Ninja Boy is that i do not auto loose against a lot of decks, there is almost always a way out of any situation. Lele is definetly a pokemon that gives me trouble from time to time because it forces me to leave stall mode and Ninja Boy into another pokemon for the counter attack (and since Lele as no weakness it is most likely Tauros/Machamp/Marshadow or Drampa if conditions allow).

My deck seems Gimmicky but after tweaking it for a whole year, it as proven to be a top tier contender. There are so many tricks that can be achieved from the deck you cannot glance every aspect unless you seriously take some time to play it. Heck i have been playing for over a year and i still find myself loosing because of decision making from time to time.
 
So I just recently got into Expanded myself and have been trying out a few different decks and have found that Trevenant has been the most consistent.

Darkrai is a very fun deck to play, but is expensive.

I played a Golisopod GX/Seismitoad EX deck that seemed to work well, but haven't playtested it enough to really give a definite recommendation on yet.

I personally would stay away from Night March. Out of all the games I've played against, I haven't lost to it yet. I see it's appeal, but I just don't care for it.
 
Night March is a good deck but it has a high skill ceiling these days, you have to be very careful with how you use compressors/puzzles of time because Karen can erase your progress very quickly, or Oricorio can come in and wipe all of the Joltiks off your bench. Same with Vespiquen/Flareon, it's a dangerous deck with Karen around.

A lot of people have said Trevenant is the best overall deck in expanded atm but none of them made top 8 at Ft. Wayne. Doesn't mean it's a bad deck, but it has consistency problems. I also don't find it very enjoyable to play.

Fire/Dark Turbo are both good decks. I've seen a lot of people running water turbo as well using an aqua patch/elixir/compressor engine instead of the classic Archie's/Blastoise, it seems good too. Interestingly none of these decks use just one attacker, Dark has a lot of builds between all of the Yveltals and different Darkrais that all have situational uses (and some slightly less turbo variants run Seismitoad), Fire has Ho-oh, Turt and both Volcanions, water runs Lapras, Keldeo, Seismitoad and Articuno.

Then there are the 'field exploding' decks, Mega-Rayquaza and Rainbow Road. RR isn't really consistent enough to go the distance for a tournament, has to depend on coinflips to stream attackers via ho-oh/energy switch while Megaray is very consistent but uses a two prize attacker and is ridiculously vulnerable to Necrozma in Trev decks.

I'd advise against Noivern, it's frankly a worse Toad now that all of the grass decks except Vespiquen are dead. Toad/Bats is still pretty good too. Greninja has consistency issues but it lost all of its worst matchups except Garb/Golisopod which is imo the best expanded garb variant.
 
Night March just won Ft. Wayne, beating out Volc deck with 2(3?) main deck Karen. Wow
 
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