Plasma Variants (Thundurus EX / Deoxys EX)

Plasma Decks Viability Now

I was just wondering how viable decks like TDK and Speed Lugia (mainly Lugia) are still.

With the re-release of Enhanced Hammer, the special energy will be discarded more often. Aegislash EX blocks special energy attackers. I use a counter and have Victini EX in my Speed Lugia Deck with Victory piece to OHKO the Aegislash EX.

These decks won't die completely but are Plasma decks like Lugia and TDK still viable in the competitive scene. Would like to know if my 2 Leafeon PLF and 1 Glaceon PLF is enough to help counter the decks Lugia EX struggles with. Leafeon for Seismitoad EX and Glaceon for Pyroar. I don't see Pyroar as a big problem though. (I can always Lysandre around it). Victini EX is to help against metal (needed counter) and help against VirGen (very popular deck ATM).

So what are you thoughts on the viability of these plasma decks? Do they have the room for techs?
 
RE: Plasma Decks Viability Now

I think Lugia is still viable. Pooka tried it in expanded where plus power is legal and it's crazy good. The Pyroar and Aegislash problem can be solved with a couple Lysandre and VS Seeker. I'd even experiment with that whistle card (Pokemon Flute reprint). It's probably weaker in standard though.

I think TDK is still viable, probably more so than Lugia since it's a non EX and uses more basic energy. Eeveelutions such as Vaporon and Leafeon could be nice techs and secondary attackers. I'd also throw in Keldeo/Float Stone because the retreat costs can be a real pain.
 
RE: Plasma Decks Viability Now

pokedan24 said:
I think Lugia is still viable. Pooka tried it in expanded where plus power is legal and it's crazy good. The Pyroar and Aegislash problem can be solved with a couple Lysandre and VS Seeker. I'd even experiment with that whistle card (Pokemon Flute reprint). It's probably weaker in standard though.

I think TDK is still viable, probably more so than Lugia since it's a non EX and uses more basic energy. Eeveelutions such as Vaporon and Leafeon could be nice techs and secondary attackers. I'd also throw in Keldeo/Float Stone because the retreat costs can be a real pain.
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I have Glaceon PLF which can give my Lugia EXs and Deoxys EXs free retreat if I need to. I am also using LTC to get all the plasma energy back into my deck.
 
Has anyone who went to cities/regionals tested this out? I really want to know how this is doing in standard because I went and ordered all the EXs :D
 
Today at Cities I played against someone who had an interesting Plasma build. It didn't have Thundurus-EX in it to reduce vulnerability to Donphan, and instead relied on high counts of Shadow Triad to recycle Plasma Energy and Lysandre's Trump card. He also ran two Seismitoad-EX. The deck seemed to be primarily Lugia-EX oriented, but Kyurem PLF showed its ugly face too (ugly for me, i was playing Donphan). It was definitely interesting, but I was able to win with help from Lysandre and VS seeker to neutralize threats early.
 
My Little Keldeo said:
Today at Cities I played against someone who had an interesting Plasma build. It didn't have Thundurus-EX in it to reduce vulnerability to Donphan, and instead relied on high counts of Shadow Triad to recycle Plasma Energy and Lysandre's Trump card. He also ran two Seismitoad-EX. The deck seemed to be primarily Lugia-EX oriented, but Kyurem PLF showed its ugly face too (ugly for me, i was playing Donphan). It was definitely interesting, but I was able to win with help from Lysandre and VS seeker to neutralize threats early.
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That's crazy, I was just thinking about putting Seismitoad in this deck!
Let me explain.

First things first, this deck gets shut down 100% by Seismitoad at this point. You can't power up anything with Colress Machine, and you can't spam Plasma Ball for benching Deoxys.
If you run Seismitoad in Speed Lugia, you can try and send it in on his Seismitoad and put him in the same situation until his Seismitoad is either gone or damaged. In the process of this, you have time to set up Lugia on the bench with Junipers and Ns. You have the advantage since you take the prizes in this situation.

Against other decks is when it's true purpose shines. The main problems of this deck in the format in my opinion are:
-Hammers
-VS Seeker to Lysandre to not being able to properly power up your Lugia
-Not really having something you can send in while powering up Lugia in the beginning of the game.
-Being unable to get ohkos on M Manectricwith Plasma Gale

Seismitoad gets rid of all the problems I listed. Honestly, this might just work out. I'm gonna playtest around with it for a bit and see how it does.

I don't agree with Triad over Thundurus. The good thing about Thundurus is Knuckle while attaching energies and using CM. Using your supporter for the turn and your energy attachment for a turn just to get back a Plasma Energy to your hand isn't fast enough.

It's true that using Thundurus against Donphan is pretty much impossible. That's why we're running Trump Card, it allows us to get back Plasma Energy. You even get back your Colress Machines.

Edit: I used pretty much exactly the deck I've been using up till now, and I just added 1 Seismitoad. I actually won against Seismitoad/Garbodor. It works pretty much the way I explained. It's really good.
 
My Little Keldeo said:
Today at Cities I played against someone who had an interesting Plasma build. It didn't have Thundurus-EX in it to reduce vulnerability to Donphan, and instead relied on high counts of Shadow Triad to recycle Plasma Energy and Lysandre's Trump card. He also ran two Seismitoad-EX. The deck seemed to be primarily Lugia-EX oriented, but Kyurem PLF showed its ugly face too (ugly for me, i was playing Donphan). It was definitely interesting, but I was able to win with help from Lysandre and VS seeker to neutralize threats early.
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Haha. Very interesting. I was thinking about the same deck a while ago but I also want to run eevee eves in mine so I decide not to use Seismitoad EX. But thinking about it, I really should add 1-2 of Seismitoad EX in my deck because this deck can slow other Seismitoad Decks that give this deck trouble. I also played Shadow Triad. I would add Kyurem except Eevee Evos are really effective for countering different decks.
 
Plasma seems dead at the moment, but I wonder if Garbodor/Kyurem/Leafeon could be any good. It would be all one prize attackers so it would have an advantage while still being able to set up strategic KOs. With laser bank and bangle, you could still hit 180 with Blizzard Burn. Leafeon is an amazing 1 energy attacker. I made up a list on BB's search and while it's pretty tight, it's manageable.
 
I think plasma decks are still very good. I dont know if it should be as low as tier 3 especially since Pyroar decks and donphan decks are seeing reduced play. There are not very many decks that plasma has a bad matchup to right now.
 
Yesterday, I played against someone using a Thundurus/Lugia deck with bats instead of the usual Deoxys. I thought it was genius for a lot of reasons. Mainly that by playing bats, you can still put things in range of a Lugia KO, but you also have some non EX, non Basic, and Non Plasma Pokemon that can deal with Safeguarders, Pyroar, and other walls. They also have colorless attacks so you don't have to run rainbow/multiple types, but can still attack with everything. It would require some more deck space, but I think it would be worth it in the end.
 
I'd like to see a decklist of what a up to date speed lugia or tdk deck would look like. Would also love a basic energy list for tdk. I absolutely love plasma but can't find a way to make a viable list. I hope someone would help. I haven't played the game for a year and a half which was when I played tdk and was also was when deoxys were 40 dollars a copy xD. Thanks!
 
I'm currently playing this list.
Pokémon: 9
  • 4 Deoxys EX
  • 2 Thundurus EX
  • 3 Kyurem PLF
Trainers: 38
  • 4 Professor Juniper
  • 4 Shauna
  • 2 Colress
  • 2 Lysandre
  • 2 Switch
  • 3 Muscle Band
  • 4 Colress Machine
  • 2 Team Plasma Ball
  • 2 Ultra Ball
  • 1 Startling Megaphone
  • 1 Dowsing Machine or Scramble Switch (can't decide
  • 1 Max Potion (It's really good in healing damage on Thundurus)
  • 3 Pokemon Catcher
  • 4 Hypnotoxic Laser
  • 3 Virbank City Gym
Energy: 13
  • 4 Plasma
  • 4 Rainbow
  • 3 Water
Critique and suggestions are greatly appreciated. :)
 
Anyone tried Lugia EX/Shaymin EX version? I think it might work quite well, use skyfield, Shaymin EX to draw/colress machine to put energy/Lysandre Jirachi EX or Shaymin EX(or any low HP EX)->target whistle->Lysandre again. I don't have Shaymin EX yet, so I can't test it right now.
 
The problem with Shamin EX is the bench space. You'd have to run skyfield so that you can fit in the Deoxys, Lugia, and Shaymin EX on the bench. This would eliminate Frozen city, which in my opinion is a crucial part of the deck for this format (if you were to run the deck) because it only benefits you.
I think 1 Shaymin is a good idea because the set-up is very good, the damage is negated when Shaymin goes back to your hand, AND because he sets up Lugia EX KOes. But a whole deck revolving around Shaymin I dislike.
 
No way this deck can run Shaymin-EX. Team Plasma based decks are too based off of deoxys bench space;

Running stadiums > frozen city is just too risky. There is 101 more things you can run. And even honestly, Plasma is dead in this meta. If Battle Compressor didn't revive the deck (YOU GUARANTEE AN ENERGY EACH TURN WITH RAIDEN KNUCKLE) and it saw no play during states, the deck is down the gutter.

With seismitoad-ex based decks
Raiden knuckle 2-3 shotting M Rayquaza-ex
Pyroar
Exeggcutor
V/G
And even yveltal can beat it,
the deck just isn't well received. Kyurem can be played in Kyogre, which is a generally better deck.
 
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