New & Powerful: Dragonair SM is the New Blastoise?

BattleDragon

BattleDragon

Aspiring Trainer
Member
With the release of Sun and Moon and many great GXs, along with cards like Passimian, one card got COMPLETELY overlooked.

Dragonair - Stage 1
1 Colorless: During your next turn, you may attach as many energies as you like to your Pokemon.

This one prize Pokemon allows you to set up the most ridiculous strategy you want, but so far I've only witnessed a Darkrai/Giratina build, though I did horribly lose to it. Problem is Darkrai takes to long to OHKO megas, so I'm asking for your help to find an alternate wincon and help me build a decklist. No card in standard, or in the future sets should be overlooked, and I'm open to ideas. As we figure something out, I'll make the first decklist.

What I've figured out so far
This works with SPECIAL energies too!
Discard strategies are tough... maybe Burning Energy?
Can't normally hit more than 8 energies by turn 2.
Maybe just Tapu Lele or Darkrai?
Wailord? Lol.
Giratina is AMAZING with this.

What are YOUR ideas?
 
The problem with Dragonair is that it is an attack so you need to get it active and will likely have to sacrifice a prize card for 1 turn of unlimited energy. Blastoise could at least be gotten through Archie's, and you only needed it to be on the bench to get the effect. It also applies the turn you get it out. Other cards like Xerneas and Yveltal give just as much benefit but are basics. All of those factors make Dragonair seem too slow for not enough benefit, because how much energy will you ever have in your hand during one turn? Running 4 max Elixir seems like it will give just as much benefit far more consistently than running 2-2 Dragonair and you don't have to sac a prize for it. As for what it might be successful in, almost all decks benefit from energy acceleration so you would just have to find a deck that has space for it and no better acceleration option, but none come to mind. It is useful if you are terrified of Vileplume though, so maybe it can help there, but it feels like a liability in all other matchups.
 
Moved from the Deck Garage to the PTCG Competitive Play as the Deck Garage is for posting your full 60-card decklists. ~bbninjas
 
Not so sure about your points @Darkness3827

Sure Dragonair takes up an attack and prize, but as slow as the standard meta is it should work fine, especially with large EX/GX attackers the one prize doesn't actually matter.

Additionally, while Dragonair might take up a turn and a prize card, its the same with Baby Yveltal and Xerneas, and Dragonair actually does supply a lot more energy. A Double Dragon Energy and Energy Retrieval make a lot more energy fit in your hand (plus the obvious drawing a second hand with Professor Sycamore)

Also, the deck wouldn't be splashing a 2-2 Dragonair line instead of Max Elixers. It would potentially run some Max Elixers, but the deck would actually be based on Dragonair's ability to flood your side of the table with energies, similar to how Archie's Blastoise was based on Blastoise powering the water/normal toolbox, and possibly running Max Elixers.

Blastoise also showed difficulty against the meta (Item Lock, Night March), but was still a fun deck.

To be honest, comparing Wally's Dragonair to Archie's Blastoise is just like comparing Seismitoad-EX to Vileplume. They're different, but both viable.

This isn't going to be tier 1 deck, but that doesn't mean it's not a fun/good deck worth building.
 
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Darkness3827 said:
The problem with Dragonair is that it is an attack so you need to get it active and will likely have to sacrifice a prize card for 1 turn of unlimited energy. Blastoise could at least be gotten through Archie's, and you only needed it to be on the bench to get the effect. It also applies the turn you get it out. Other cards like Xerneas and Yveltal give just as much benefit but are basics. All of those factors make Dragonair seem too slow for not enough benefit, because how much energy will you ever have in your hand during one turn? Running 4 max Elixir seems like it will give just as much benefit far more consistently than running 2-2 Dragonair and you don't have to sac a prize for it. As for what it might be successful in, almost all decks benefit from energy acceleration so you would just have to find a deck that has space for it and no better acceleration option, but none come to mind. It is useful if you are terrified of Vileplume though, so maybe it can help there, but it feels like a liability in all other matchups.
Click to expand...
I actually have a lot of experience with Dragonair, and me and my friend have been testing it since release. We've found that Xerneas BREAK is the best option with it, as you don't mind losing the prize race, and with his list we were able to hit 200+ turn 3 and on. The whole thing is pretty broken, because with regirock (Omega Barrier) you can stack fairy and dces, and hit for stupidly high numbers, and the opponent can't lysandre, which guarantees a lot of damage. You also have resistance to dark, making it very difficult for them to ohko you, and along with the prize trade, there is a favorable matchup against most dark decks, 2hko decks and ohko decks with 2-prize attackers. JUST REALIZED IM RANTING
 
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