Discussion How I'd play Gyarados-GX: Celebi + Magikarp EVO

Lanstar

Lanstar

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I noticed many players point the biggest problem of Gyarados-GX: It requires a heavy attack cost for its main moves. However, I think I found a clever workaround for this: Make it use its Pre-evolution's attack instead!

124046_200w.jpg


http://www.pokebeach.com/2017/07/most-shining-legends-cards-set-list
Shining-Celebi-SM3Plus-1-149x200.jpg.pagespeed.ce.sblH3oRINv.jpg

It is simple as this: Use Shining Celebi's ability from Shining Legends to access the powerful move from this particular Magikarp from evolutions. With this, you have a 240 HP tank that makes players more cautious about attacking it, in fear of retaliation damage. And if opponents decided not to attack, Gyarados can instead use the GX move to discard energy, and stall even more as you add energy to it.

I'm not sure if this is super-competitive, but it is another trick about this card that I haven't seen many people think about. What do you all think of this?
 
Nice idea, it's definitely a way to play Gyarados without using it's mediocre attacks/attack cost. You could play things like Po Town and rainbow energy to put damage counters on your gyarados early.
 
Clever idea. Most decks can't one-shot Gyarados-GX anyway, so Shining Celebi + Flail is super powerful. In either case, Gyarados needs a strong partner to stall while it gets set up on the bench. Maybe Ninetales? Palkia-EX? Energy disruption? This combo, while awesome, back fires if they attack with Lele or teched Espeon-EX.
 
I mean that could an a part of your deck sure, but I don't think you should retreat from Gyarados' attacks just because they cost a lot. Doing 200 and deleting stadiums is nothing to scoff at, and the high energy cost is really a big problem only against Gardevoir IMO.

And 10x the number of damage counters of Gyarados is a slow build. They could easily, once they know what you're up to, aim for a light hit first and then a heavy hit to get the KO. There are also plenty of decks that aim for 2 shots anyway and you won't be making enough head way on them to justify being two prizes behind all the time.

D2B2WIN1 said:
Clever idea. Most decks can't one-shot Gyarados-GX anyway, so Shining Celebi + Flail is super powerful. In either case, Gyarados needs a strong partner to stall while it gets set up on the bench. Maybe Ninetales? Palkia-EX? Energy disruption? This combo, while awesome, back fires if they attack with Lele or teched Espeon-EX.
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Palkia EX is probably best for it's ability to energize Gyarados. As I said above while I think Celebi helps this deck out I don't think it should be built around this concept.
 
Seems like a legitimate combo! Would be great since Gyarados's other attacks cost so much, you could use this to ward people off from attacking it while you set it up. Here's what I would play:

Pokémon (14):

3x Gyarados-GX
4x Magikarp EVO
2x Shining Celebi SHL
3x Tapu-Lele-GX
1x Glaceon-EX (It's good to stall with since you need lots of time to set up)
1x Manaphy SHL (Even though it doesn't help Flail, you really want Gyarados to be as tanky as possible)

Trainers (35):

4x Sycamore
3x N
3x Lusamine (It recovers Stadium cards and acts as a slow VS Seeker, so if you can find the space for a fourth, add it)
1x Team Flare Grunt
1x Brigette
2x Guzma
2x Lana (Same reason as Manaphy)
4x Ultra Ball
2x Field Blower
2x Aqua Patch
1x Super Rod
3x Choice Band
3x Float Stone
4x Brooklet Hill (Where's my Rough Seas :()

Energy (11):

7x Water Energy
4x Double Colorless Energy
 
SceptileSquad said:
Nice idea, it's definitely a way to play Gyarados without using it's mediocre attacks/attack cost. You could play things like Po Town and rainbow energy to put damage counters on your gyarados early.
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I think if you po town. They can easily espron-ex you down to first form for knock out
It is a great play but fear devolutions.
 
Seng vang said:
I think if you po town. They can easily espron-ex you down to first form for knock out
It is a great play but fear devolutions.
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because Magikarp only has 30 hp, spread decks + Espeon-EX will automatically win. Po town is a faster way of getting damage onto your gyarados.
 
Lanstar said:
I noticed many players point the biggest problem of Gyarados-GX: It requires a heavy attack cost for its main moves. However, I think I found a clever workaround for this: Make it use its Pre-evolution's attack instead!

124046_200w.jpg


http://www.pokebeach.com/2017/07/most-shining-legends-cards-set-list
Shining-Celebi-SM3Plus-1-149x200.jpg.pagespeed.ce.sblH3oRINv.jpg

It is simple as this: Use Shining Celebi's ability from Shining Legends to access the powerful move from this particular Magikarp from evolutions. With this, you have a 240 HP tank that makes players more cautious about attacking it, in fear of retaliation damage. And if opponents decided not to attack, Gyarados can instead use the GX move to discard energy, and stall even more as you add energy to it.

I'm not sure if this is super-competitive, but it is another trick about this card that I haven't seen many people think about. What do you all think of this?
Click to expand...
Reminds me of Mega Glalie EX with Heavy Boots which, by the way, deals more damage;)
 
TeamAqua4Life #HEYNICK said:
Reminds me of Mega Glalie EX with Heavy Boots which, by the way, deals more damage;)
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The issue with Mega Glalie is getting the energy, the link, and everything else set up all in advance. In this deck idea, you only need one energy to give Gyarados the ability to attack, as well as discourage opponents from attacking as you develop the more powerful 5-energy attack.

Also, yeah... The curse of Gyarados is it can easily lose to devolution - a very common strategy as of late. -_-
 
Lanstar said:
The issue with Mega Glalie is getting the energy, the link, and everything else set up all in advance. In this deck idea, you only need one energy to give Gyarados the ability to attack, as well as discourage opponents from attacking as you develop the more powerful 5-energy attack.

Also, yeah... The curse of Gyarados is it can easily lose to devolution - a very common strategy as of late. -_-
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You have no idea how I run Glalie with Sylveon GX then:cool:
 
Honestly in a format where every other deck is playing promo Koko and a good number have teched in Espeon EX I'd roll with the CRI magikarp to prevent them all getting KOd immediately.... Gyarados GX honestly seems too slow and clunky for me tho and way to susceptible to devolution
 
As everyone has said, the main issue with this deck is Espeon-EX destroys it and a lot of people are running it. It will be a fun casual deck but I don't see it going anywhere at a high level. You absolutely have to play it this way for it to be effective though imo, without omega barrier you can't play this like Primal Groudon.

Honestly I'm more excited for the return of Gyarados AT in expanded, the new Magikarp isn't useful with the new Gyarados but it's perfect in expanded since counter placement isn't as big of a deal with FOGP being banned. Espeon-GX can donk you still but I don't see many people playing it in expanded.
 
Let me think... For Espeon-EX, the best way to counteract it would be to use items that block attack effects, like Bent Spoon or Magearna-EX + Rainbow energy. If there was a water energy Variant of Magearna-EX, it would be even nicer.
 
Lanstar said:
Let me think... For Espeon-EX, the best way to counteract it would be to use items that block attack effects, like Bent Spoon or Magearna-EX + Rainbow energy. If there was a water energy Variant of Magearna-EX, it would be even nicer.
Click to expand...

You can play rainbow energy with Magearna, not only is it a one energy attack but it's an extra damage counter which actually HELPS you. Rainbow energy means you can tech in other attackers as well. You could play Tapu Koko, Drampa-GX and DCE.
 
SceptileSquad said:
You can play rainbow energy with Magearna, not only is it a one energy attack but it's an extra damage counter which actually HELPS you. Rainbow energy means you can tech in other attackers as well. You could play Tapu Koko, Drampa-GX and DCE.
Click to expand...

The problem I have with Rainbow is that you're going to want to play DCE too and that's a ton of special energy to rely on when Kartana GX is coming out in the same set.
 
This idea seems similar to the Charizard GX + Shining Celebi + Radiant Collection Charmander deck. Same concept, except charmander's attack does 20x the amount of damage counters but requires a coin flip, so Victini is also useful. Sounds like the Gyarados version would be easier to abuse though since it requires less pieces, is a Stage 1 instead of Stage 2, and doesn't need coin flips.
 
Add in Bodybuilding Dummbells.

A 280 HP Stage 1 that has the potential to KO everything in one hit with 270 damage is nothing to scoff at
 
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