Standard M Sceptile EX / Malamar EX / Zoroark

[michael koenig]

Pokémon (14)

• 3 Sceptile EX
• 3 M Sceptile EX
• 2 Malamar EX
• 2 Zorua (Breakthrough)
• 2 Zoroark (Breakthrough)
• 2 Shaymin EX

Trainers/Supporters/Stadiums (33)

• 3 Professor Sycamore
• 2 Professor Birch's Observations
• 2 Lysandre
• 4 VS Seeker
• 4 Ultra Ball
• 3 Sceptile Spirit Link
• 3 Trainers' Mail
• 2 Trick Coin
• 2 Professor's Letter
• 2 Energy Retrieval
• 2 Float Stone
• 1 Switch
• 3 Shrine of Memories

Energy (13)

• 7 Grass Energy
• 3 Darkness Energy
• 3 DCE

Strategy:

Get M Sceptile out and juiced up. Have Malamar on the bench to put opponent to sleep and have M Sceptile have the option of attack with the shrine of memories the regular EX attack for 130 w/ opponent asleep or the MSceptile attack for 100 and attaching energy from hand/heal. Have Zoroark to act like Keldeo moving for free damaged pokemon so they can be healed by the MSceptile attack. Use Malamar and Zoroark as secondary attackers.

I have been using a similar deck like this in League but obviously without the Zoroark line/floats but with a Hoopa(which I am ditching. there is nothing worse than starting with a Hoopa) and 3 switches. In the above deck I trimmed the supporters and added the trainers mail.

I am also toying withthe idea of ditching the Malamars all together and putting in 3 Yveltal EX instead and changing the stadiums to probably shadow circle and changing the energy ratio to 6 grass/4 dark.

Any input would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Asmer]

If you decide to play Yveltal EX, play the 1 Hoopa EX as well. Yes, it is terrible to start with him, but his ability is still worth it in a deck with so many EX Pokemon. From there, you can also add in Zoroark BREAK (the extra HP is nice) and/or Baby Yveltal (even as a 1-of, the extra acceleration and guarantee Darkness Energy on Yveltal EX is worth it). Overall, a solid idea.

 

[thelosh19]

Oh man. This deck is my nemesis. I tried to make this deck consistent before Breakthrough, and all i found was that it lost to M Manectric so badly. Its not particularly fast or hard hitting. Its healing capabilities are limited because so many other decks can overpower it and OHKO the pokemon.

I have no real issues at all with the list. I agree with Asmer that a Zoroark BREAK might be a very nice inclusion. Malamar should be in this deck over yveltal ex. If you are gonna play Yveltal EX, play a deck focused around it. It is too good to be a tech. The other thing that might be nice, is a line of Octillery. Think about the situation you get into with this deck.

You are going to have a hand overloaded with tools and other items at somepoint. If you are lucky enough to play that hand down to something like 3 energy, 1 item and a pokemon, you attack with M Sceptile and attach the energy. Then Octillery for a few cards. might be an added boost in consistency it needs.

 

[Ivy_Profen]

I think you might need more grass to really take advantage of jagged saber. I'm currently running 9 Grass and 3 dark. I use to have less. But I always ended up having them all on my pokemon. Not being able to fully heal enough times.
8 and 3 might be okay. Because even if you run recovery cards. You may not draw into them when you need them.

 

[ToToLaw]

1. Since Jagged Saber requires 2 G energies, drawing D energy on hand are undesirable most of the time, plus Malamar EX shouldn't be an attacker in normal situation, Zoroark use DCE only, would be be better if the energy split into 9 G and 2 raindow energy?

2. Why energy Retrieval? Now that you have Zoroark with Float stone, M sceptile EX does not retreat, substitute them with energy switch. When M sceptile got injured move another M sceptile EX to active with the help of Zoroark, then Jagged Saber to heal, energy switch to allocate the energy.

Just my 2 cents, i think it needs lots of testing

 

[dwarfstar]

1. Since Jagged Saber requires 2 G energies, drawing D energy on hand are undesirable most of the time, plus Malamar EX shouldn't be an attacker in normal situation, Zoroark use DCE only, would be be better if the energy split into 9 G and 2 raindow energy?

2. Why energy Retrieval? Now that you have Zoroark with Float stone, M sceptile EX does not retreat, substitute them with energy switch. When M sceptile got injured move another M sceptile EX to active with the help of Zoroark, then Jagged Saber to heal, energy switch to allocate the energy.

Just my 2 cents, i think it needs lots of testing

Jagged Saber actually runs off [G][C], not [G][G], so better to use the basic energies. Energy Retrieval is still important enough to be worth having in the deck in case you don't have access to any more [G] through normal drawing, so if Energy Switch is going in there, it should replace one of the Energy Retrieval, not both. (My primary deck is Sceptile/Giratina, and I've done a fair bit of testing with this.)

 

[ToToLaw]

Jagged Saber actually runs off [G][C], not [G][G], so better to use the basic energies. Energy Retrieval is still important enough to be worth having in the deck in case you don't have access to any more [G] through normal drawing, so if Energy Switch is going in there, it should replace one of the Energy Retrieval, not both. (My primary deck is Sceptile/Giratina, and I've done a fair bit of testing with this.)

oh my bad, it should be the basic Sceptile Ex which runs GG, thanks for pointing that out. I have tried to build M sceptile/Giratina before, but it's inconsistent, do you got a thread for your deck?

 

[asdjklghty]

oh my bad, it should be the basic Sceptile Ex which runs GG, thanks for pointing that out. I have tried to build M sceptile/Giratina before, but it's inconsistent, do you got a thread for your deck?

I don't see much synergy with those 2 cards. If you want to accelerate energy onto Giratina, it's better to use 2 DDE, Bronzong or Xerneas.

 

[poke4trade]

Pokémon (14)

• 3 Sceptile EX
• 3 M Sceptile EX
• 2 Malamar EX
• 2 Zorua (Breakthrough)
• 2 Zoroark (Breakthrough)
• 2 Shaymin EX

Trainers/Supporters/Stadiums (33)

• 3 Professor Sycamore
• 2 Professor Birch's Observations
• 2 Lysandre
• 4 VS Seeker
• 4 Ultra Ball
• 3 Sceptile Spirit Link
• 3 Trainers' Mail
• 2 Trick Coin
• 2 Professor's Letter
• 2 Energy Retrieval
• 2 Float Stone
• 1 Switch
• 3 Shrine of Memories

Energy (13)

• 7 Grass Energy
• 3 Darkness Energy
• 3 DCE

Strategy:

Get M Sceptile out and juiced up. Have Malamar on the bench to put opponent to sleep and have M Sceptile have the option of attack with the shrine of memories the regular EX attack for 130 w/ opponent asleep or the MSceptile attack for 100 and attaching energy from hand/heal. Have Zoroark to act like Keldeo moving for free damaged pokemon so they can be healed by the MSceptile attack. Use Malamar and Zoroark as secondary attackers.

I have been using a similar deck like this in League but obviously without the Zoroark line/floats but with a Hoopa(which I am ditching. there is nothing worse than starting with a Hoopa) and 3 switches. In the above deck I trimmed the supporters and added the trainers mail.

I am also toying withthe idea of ditching the Malamars all together and putting in 3 Yveltal EX instead and changing the stadiums to probably shadow circle and changing the energy ratio to 6 grass/4 dark.

Any input would be greatly appreciated.

Great Idea! So here are my thoughts about the deck and the way I sort of perceive M Sceptile.
Basically, M Sceptiles attack allows you to do 100 points of damage and heal all damage to a bench pokemon with a 2 energy attachment from your hand.

My idea is that the deck wants the player to do a standard retreat on M Sceptile.
Once the energy is in the discard the deck can pull it out of the discard and heal the wounded M Sceptile as the fresh M Sceptile attack in the active.

In the pass, this was sort of hard to pull off in standard because the energy cards weren't always there. However, we have fisherman now. The card allows the deck to put 4 energy cards into your hand.

I like Zorak, but I think Darkness energy can make the deck a bit inconsistent. What I think the deck lacks is a consistent hard hitter that jells with the decks energy selection. Though Malamar is nice to play with sleep, I believe I would go with 2x Lugia EX in its stead. By going with LugiaEX, you allow for a grass energy setup from M Sceptile into the the Switch with Zorak on next turn. That would free up some deck space with trick coin and professor letters to play a one off of fisherman and Giovanni and a 3 by Forest of giant plants. The deck could loose energy retrieval for a battle compressor.

Just a different approach...