So I've been tweaking my deck around based on play experience, and I think I've found a good balance. So here's my deck as it stands:
Total Trainers: 24
Total Energy: 16
Total: 60
Strategy:
In play tests, this deck has a very good win rate, although I would like to try it out against more high-caliber tournament decks. This has also been through some phases. It used to have Professor Sycamores, but I found very few situations where those were useful, so I scrapped them for other cards. I also earn Prize Cards too fast for N to be useful. I would like to replace two of the Metang with Rare Candies (SM) to improve the efficiency of getting my Metagross out quickly. Bridgette could be useful for getting more basics out fast if I could fit it in there somewhere, and if you have suggestions for how I can get trainers out fast, I'll take those into consideration.
Based on experience, Metagross is pretty much the bedrock of my deck's strategy, and Espeon is, in many cases, hilariously good. If I had to drop Pokémon, the only ones I'd be willing to drop are Necrozma (my least consistent GX) and Latios. As far as replacements go, Tapu Lele GX would be a good one since it can fix many problems (like the aforementioned Trainer Card issue), but I'm kind of hesitant to drop a lot of money on it since its so expensive, so only suggest it if you think its impact on this deck would be nothing short of explosive and I can maybe find a way to make it work. Otherwise, suggest a cheaper alternative if possible.
- 4 Metagross GX (GR)
- 4 Metang (GR)
- 4 Beldum (GR)
- 2 Espeon GX (SM)
- 2 Eevee (SM)
- 1 Necrozma GX (BSH)
- 1 Oricorio (GR)
- 1 Latios (SL)
- 1 Alolan Vulpix (GR)
- 4 Ultra Ball (SL)
- 3 Wishful Baton (BSH)
- 3 Field Blower (GR)
- 2 Nest Ball (GR)
- 2 Switch (GR)
- 2 Pokémon Catcher (SM)
- 1 Super Scoop Up (BSH)
- 1 Max Potion (GR)
- 2 Guzma (BSH)
- 2 Olivia (BS)
- 2 Altar of the Sunne (BSH)
- 10 Psychic Energy
- 6 Steel Energy
Total Trainers: 24
Total Energy: 16
Total: 60
Strategy:
- Metagross GX is the main battery engine in this deck, with its ability Geotech System allowing for easy energy retrieval. With four active, you can also pay the retreat cost (3) then fill it back up immediately as needed to use Giga Hammer, which also gets around its every-other-turn limitation. Its GX attack allows for finding five cards, which is great to patch up bad draws.
- Espeon GX is the primary damage dealer. Psychic does big damage depending on the opponent's Pokémon based on their energy count. It can also confuse the active Pokémon, potentially forcing retreats. Its GX attack can snipe weak Pokémon on the bench.
- Necrozma is an alternative damage deal that doesn't need to evolve, can be found with Nest Ball, and has a powerful attack which is best used with several Metagross in play.
- Vulpix helps find Pokémon early in the game, and only has one energy retreat. Latios is best used early in the game as a general attacker who can hit the bench with Break Through.
- Oricorio helps get energy out faster. This can be combined with Super Scoop Up to reuse this ability, if possible.
- Balls help find Pokémon, of course.
- Wishful Baton is useful for energy conservation, and all my most powerful attacks only ask for three energy each, making it that much more useful. It becomes extremely powerful if Necrozma is present.
- Field Blower deals with tools and stadiums, and helps against Garbodor.
- Switch allows free switch, perfect if all my Metagross aren't in yet. Pokémon catcher potentially allows for forcing the opponent's active Pokémon out. Guzma does both at once, best used if a healthy Espeon or Metagross is on the bench.
- Max Potion patches up damage, and the energy cost is negated by Geotech system.
- Olivia gets my GX evolutions out quicker.
- Finally, Altar of the Sunne helps with matchups against Fire decks and also gets rid of the opposing Stadium card.
In play tests, this deck has a very good win rate, although I would like to try it out against more high-caliber tournament decks. This has also been through some phases. It used to have Professor Sycamores, but I found very few situations where those were useful, so I scrapped them for other cards. I also earn Prize Cards too fast for N to be useful. I would like to replace two of the Metang with Rare Candies (SM) to improve the efficiency of getting my Metagross out quickly. Bridgette could be useful for getting more basics out fast if I could fit it in there somewhere, and if you have suggestions for how I can get trainers out fast, I'll take those into consideration.
Based on experience, Metagross is pretty much the bedrock of my deck's strategy, and Espeon is, in many cases, hilariously good. If I had to drop Pokémon, the only ones I'd be willing to drop are Necrozma (my least consistent GX) and Latios. As far as replacements go, Tapu Lele GX would be a good one since it can fix many problems (like the aforementioned Trainer Card issue), but I'm kind of hesitant to drop a lot of money on it since its so expensive, so only suggest it if you think its impact on this deck would be nothing short of explosive and I can maybe find a way to make it work. Otherwise, suggest a cheaper alternative if possible.
