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Expanded M Alakazam & Friends

acerizzo13

acerizzo13

Reniart Gniripsa
Member
I'm helping my buddy make a deck and he likes M Alakazam. In building and playing this deck we have noticed there are 3 good partners: Wobbufett, Bats, and Espeon GX, and we usually try it with any 2 of them. What we don't know is which 2 are the best. Additionally while I have built another deck for him he may want to try to run this deck during Standard Tournaments. Is it functional without Dimension Valley, which we both recognize as a hard crutch for the deck, and mystery energy (though there is Altar of the Moone soon).

Expanded:

Pokemon= 21
4-3 M Alakazam
3 Wobbufett
4-4-3 Crobat

Energy: 10
6 Psychic
4 Mystery

Supporters= 10
4 Sycamore
2 N
1 Lysandre
1 Olympia
1 Brock's Grit
1 AZ

Stadiums=4
4 Dimension Valley

Items= 15
3 Spirit Link
3 Super Scoop Up
3 Ultra Ball
4 VS Seeker
1 Switch
1 Prof Letter

With Espeon GX
-4-4-3 Bats
-1 AZ
-3 Super Scoop Up

+3-3 Espeon GX
+3 Trainers Mail
+1 Energy Switch
+2 Field Blower
+2 Psychic Energy
+1 Absol

In Standard Post Gur

-4 Dimension Valley
-4 Mystery Energy
-3 Scoop Up
-1 AZ

+3 Altar of the Moone
+5 Psychic
+2 Choice Band
+2 Idk Timer Ball or Something

Again, my basic question is this, what do you think is best in both Expanded and Standard between any 2 of Wobbufett, Bats and Espeon GX? I've been leaning back towards Espeon, but my buddy has been playing Bats for a little while.
 
Standard: Wobb is definitely your best bet as Crobat isn't legal in standard. I've Beene testing with a mega Zam and decidueye deck, but it isn't very clunky and tends to take too long to setup. Zams place is definitely in expanded.

Expanded: I would say run purely with bats, wobb makes the deck take longer to setup and and too hard to get around if I can't pull a float stone. I typically run a 3-3 line of zams And 3-3-3 line of bats and that's plenty, I also run hoopa and shaymin to help with speed and setting up zams before sycamore in hopes of drawing mega zam. This usually works pretty well honestly. I also run skyla as an important tech for getting certain items, sometimes you need dimension valley to attack, skyla, sometimes you need a spirit link to attack with mega zam, skyla. It's a very useful tech in this's deck and I highly recommend it. Other than that, super scoop ups and AZ works well especially with my version because sometimes you get stuck and can pick shaymin up for 5-6 cards which is nice.
 
Magmarco said:
Standard: Wobb is definitely your best bet as Crobat isn't legal in standard. I've Beene testing with a mega Zam and decidueye deck, but it isn't very clunky and tends to take too long to setup. Zams place is definitely in expanded.

Expanded: I would say run purely with bats, wobb makes the deck take longer to setup and and too hard to get around if I can't pull a float stone. I typically run a 3-3 line of zams And 3-3-3 line of bats and that's plenty, I also run hoopa and shaymin to help with speed and setting up zams before sycamore in hopes of drawing mega zam. This usually works pretty well honestly. I also run skyla as an important tech for getting certain items, sometimes you need dimension valley to attack, skyla, sometimes you need a spirit link to attack with mega zam, skyla. It's a very useful tech in this's deck and I highly recommend it. Other than that, super scoop ups and AZ works well especially with my version because sometimes you get stuck and can pick shaymin up for 5-6 cards which is nice.
Click to expand...

My bad on the bats, I thought the Legacy Evolution box was a reprint not a cash grab, feelsbatsman. Almost certainly going to only play it Expanded, but I'm thinking if we do try it standard the Wobb and Espeon would be good. It actually worked really well with Espeon until it played Volcanion or anything with Rough Seas. I was also writing the deck off memory so it may have a 1 of Skyla, but I'll be certain to add it if it doesn't. Will certainly playtest 1 of Hoopa and Shaymin each, I believe they were in there a while back but the deck was taken apart and recreated recently.

As for Wobbufett, I want to know, purely curious here not criticizing, why you wouldn't play it in Expanded. It is the best start this deck has to offer and has access to Mystery Energy. It is good against Shaymin, Volcanion, Decidueye, Plume, and hits M Mewtwo for weakness. I know bats can be clunky but with enough play testing and the use of Nest, Timer, Level and/or Repeat Ball I'm optimistic that it could be smoothed out. Additionally with having Wobb and Bats can beat some decks without ever making M Alakazam the active. By lowering to 3-3 Zam, and 3-3-3 Bats it makes room for 3 Wobb so I believe you are arguing that the room made for them should instead go to Hoopa, Shaymin and an additional trainer. Really curious here because I have played only a few games of this deck, if you don't mind replying with your deck list and your reasonings I would appreciate it. I do really appreciate your suggestions.
 
I think the main question is how competitive your buddy wants to be. If he wants to be competitive against top players, he probably shouldn't run this at all.

HOWEVER!!!!

I honestly think the best partner for Alakazam in standard is...Decidueye?!?!? Yup. I said it :) Another good option might be the new Tapu Koko (not the GX), but I prefer Decidueye and have played and built a deck based on this concept, so I at least have a good idea what I am talking about. Up front. It is a fun deck that competes. It is *not* going to win you a tournament. This is a *very* different approach to Alakazam. Alakazam's ability is gravy. The goal is to set up a M Alakazam and take KOs and leave the dirty work of pinging up to 60 damage to Decidueye.

If your buddy has the cards to run this, have him kick it around a bit. I don't have my exact list, but this is surprising, relatively fast, and fairly reliable. It also hits like a truck and many players won't know how to counter it at all. The real issue with the deck is bench space. But basically by the end of T1, you want to have 2 full Decidueyes (or at least 1 + a partial) and 1 Alakazam down. If you can start something other than Alakazam, do so. Rowlett is perfect because it only gives up one prize. The rest of your bench can go to a Lele and a Shaymin. T1 set up is pretty huge for this one, so don't go all conservative either :) This isn't Deciplume where you can force your opponent to a crawl :D

Pokemon - 19
4 Rowlett
3 Dartrix
3 Decidueye GX
3 Alakazam EX
3 M Alakazam EX
2 Shaymin EX
1 Tapu Lele GX

Trainers - 32
4 Professor Sycamore
3 N
2 Lysandre
1 Hex Maniac

4 VS Seeker
4 Ultra Ball
2 Trainer's Mail
2 Mega Turbo
1 Field Blower

4 Forest of Giant Plants

3 Alakazam Spirit Link
2 Float Stone

Energy - 9
5 Psychic
4 Double Colorless Energy

Edit: I also forgot to mention that this is one of the few decks where even if you don't get the spirit link onto Alakazam, it isn't a waste to slap the Mega down. As long as you have 2 Decidueyes up, you still ended up doing 40 damage with the owls, another 20 to the active, and another 30 to a benched pokemon. The 70 damage to a benched pokemon is enough to set up a next turn Shaymin KO alone.
 
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As a Mega Alakazam player, I'd like to recommend Espeon-GX over bats.
The GX attack sets you up for sweeping with Zam, and gives you an alternative attacker (this helps vs things like Yveltal, M Mewtwo, and walls; such as Giratina and Regice).

Like @Fayld said, the ability is gravy.
It's better to focus on how insanely snowball-y Zen Force is.
With that said, anything with healing/damage prevention, such as Rough Seas is... a Rough match-up.

P.S. Don't forget your Ace Spec in expanded~
 
Ecourts said:
As a Mega Alakazam player, I'd like to recommend Espeon-GX over bats.
The GX attack sets you up for sweeping with Zam, and gives you an alternative attacker (this helps vs things like Yveltal, M Mewtwo, and walls; such as Giratina and Regice).

Like @Fayld said, the ability is gravy.
It's better to focus on how insanely snowball-y Zen Force is.
With that said, anything with healing/damage prevention, such as Rough Seas is... a Rough match-up.

P.S. Don't forget your Ace Spec in expanded~
Click to expand...
I feel like having Dimension Valley is such a huge positive over Forest of Giant Plants that I would tend to agree with you. Do you run Wobbufett? How is the Volcanion Matchup? Scoop Up Cyclone for Ace Spec, cause I never actually got comp search but I have the rest.[/QUOTE]
 
To be clear, my deck list is for standard play. If you play expanded you would be better off with bats, espeon, or even Trevenant break. That said, i think this deck is stronger if you can't use dimension valley.
 
acerizzo13 said:
I feel like having Dimension Valley is such a huge positive over Forest of Giant Plants that I would tend to agree with you. Do you run Wobbufett? How is the Volcanion Matchup? Scoop Up Cyclone for Ace Spec, cause I never actually got comp search but I have the rest.
Click to expand...

I do not run Wob, as the attack is basically a weaker version of M Zam's, and you don't have any spare bench space; you really want to have all your Alakazams out.
Your board will probably be something like: 3-4 Alakazams | 1-2 Espeons | Hoopa and/or Shaymin

While Wob's ability and attack both synergize with the deck, it never did enough for me to warrant a spot.
The deck is more about snowballing, than it is about denying your opponent's set-up.

Volcanion match-up... is not tooo bad.
I'd say it's in Volcanion's favor.
Espeon's Psychic will hit a Volcanion-EX for 150 (since it needs 3 energy to attack), which will kill if it has no belt, and has been hit with Zam's ability.
But, Volcanion-EX in expanded has Keldeo, so it can attack for 130 consistently; which will kill any of your mons with a 2-3 Steam-Ups.
Basically, you'll both be getting KOs, their's are just easier to pull-off.

Sidenote:
For Standard play, I like to run Parallel City. Limit my opponent's bench to 3, and potentially get a cheesy finish with the GX attack.
It also helps reduce damage from a lot of popular decks: Decidueye | Lapras | Volcanion | Rayquaza, etc.
Obviously, I haven't playtested the Altar stadium, but... not sure if the retreat is neccessary... we'll see!

Sidenote pt. 2:
Super Scoop Up was announced as a re-print, so... we'll have that again in standard soon~
Combined with Acerola, I can see this being a somewhat decent rogue deck!
 
I played Mega Alakazam a long time ago, I think the best option right now is Espeon GX, but both Gengar and Bats work.
 
acerizzo13 said:
Oh shoot, I forgot about Gengar. Did that promo box put in back in Standard?
Click to expand...
No, sadly it did not.

Gengar is good. I ran that before EspeonGX was printed.
Also, Gerngar-EX is weak to dark, so that's something to be aware of.
 
acerizzo13 said:
Oh shoot, I forgot about Gengar. Did that promo box put in back in Standard?
Click to expand...
It used to work well, you use the standard Mega Alakazam build with Devolution Spray, and evolve on the bench, Lysandre the benched one you put the damage counters on, and take an easy OHKO.
 
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