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Expanded Poison Lock Toxicroak/Dragalge

jessalakasam

jessalakasam

Floette is love Floette is life
Member
Pokemon-19
  • 2x Celebi EX BRC
  • 2x Skrelp FLF
  • 2x Draglage FLF
  • 4x Croagunk SS
  • 4x Toxicroak SS
  • 2x Shaymin EX ROS
  • 2x Mienfoo
  • 2x Mienshao
Trainers-31
  • 4x VS Seeker
  • 1x Ninja Boy
  • 2x Lysandre
  • 2x Sycamore
  • 4x N
  • 1x Special Charge
  • 4x Virbank City Gym
  • 2x Battle Compressor
  • 2x Hypnotoxic Laser
  • 1x Karen (if she's in SS, if not replace with Pokemon Rangers)
  • x Trainers' Mail
  • 2x Muscle Band
  • 3x Ultra Ball
  • 1x Lysandre
  • 2x Startling Megaphone
Energy-10
  • 3x Strong Energy
  • 7x Fighting Energy

Strategy:
Use Ariados to poison your opponents, Attack with croagunks attack (through Celebi EX) as well as Virbank to do a ton of damage meanwhile, your opponent can't attack you due to Toxicroak's ability. (Let's hope he doesn't get banned ;))
Translations:
Croagunk – Fighting – HP60
Basic Pokemon

[C] Better Poison: If your opponent’s Active Pokemon is Poisoned, put 3 more damage counters on that Pokemon between turns.

Weakness: Psychic (x2)
Resistance: none
Retreat: 1


Toxicroak – Fighting – HP90
Stage 1 – Evolves from Croagunk

Ability: Poisonous Enzyme
If your opponent’s Active Pokemon is Poisoned, this Pokemon can’t be affected by damage from attacks.

[F][C] Poison Jab: 50 damage. Flip a coin. If heads, your opponent’s Active Pokemon is now Poisoned.

Weakness: Psychic (x2)
Resistance: none
Retreat: 2

Ninja Boy – Trainer
Supporter

Search your deck for a Basic Pokemon and switch it with 1 of your Basic Pokemon in play. (Any cards attached to that Pokemon, damage counters, Special Conditions, and effects on it are now on the new Pokemon.) Shuffle the first Basic Pokemon into your deck.

You may play only 1 Supporter card per turn (before your attack).


Karen – Trainer
Supporter

Each player shuffles all Pokemon in his or her discard pile into his or her deck.

You may play only 1 Supporter card during your turn (before your attack).
 
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You can always add the Croagunk (or whatever his name is) from XY11 Set. Yeah it's a fighting type but the colorless attack is (C) adding 3 more damage counters between turns. And Toxicroak for its ability, prevent all damage from your opponents Pokemon if it's poisoned.
 
Oops, just seen the Croagunk ba haha when I seen Toxicroak I was thinking of the EX. My apologies.
 
I just woken up, defiantly derp on my part. XD I'd honestly add Toxicroak EX to the deck though!
 
Take the 2-2 line off, three fighting energy or three strong energy and the sparkling robe, add 1 Hypnotic Laser, 2 Toxicroak EX, 1 Sycamore and 3 Double Colorless energy
 
Consider getting rid of the Ariados line, because you should probably only be using one or the other (between that, Toxicroak, and Dragalge). Swap that Ariados line out for 2 more Hypnotoxic Laser and 2 Pokémon EX of some kind (Landorus EX, Lucario EX, or Zygarde EX). Since you're doing this, you'll also want to replace those Sparkling Robe for Float Stone, or maybe Fighting Fury Band.

Additionally, I would probably just 2-2 or 3-3 the Toxicroak line, then +1 more EX for good measure, and spot something like {Victory Star} Victini to cover for [Poison Jab]. Virizion EX, Chaos Tower, and the suite are a pretty big thing, so you don't want to rely on Toxicroak too heavily. Diversify your strategy to help better cover you in these very common game scenarios.

This deck with Zygarde reminds me of Magellan from One Piece, but my impression of this deck would be entirely different from what you've got here, since I believe in an entirely optimized deck structure development than the mainstream style you're using. If you'd like to check it out, you can just click on the link in my signature.

Looking over your deck list, I also just got the premonition that that Toxicroak EX is going to have some special potential with [Better Poison] Croagunk and Ninja Boy. I can't wait to check that out when the new set arrives.
 
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ReapThaWhirlwind said:
Consider getting rid of the Ariados line, because you should probably only be using one or the other (between that, Toxicroak, and Dragalge). Swap that Ariados line out for 2 more Hypnotoxic Laser and 2 Pokémon EX of some kind (Landorus EX, Lucario EX, or Zygarde EX). Since you're doing this, you'll also want to replace those Sparkling Robe for Float Stone, or maybe Fighting Fury Band.

Additionally, I would probably just 2-2 or 3-3 the Toxicroak line, then +1 more EX for good measure, and spot something like {Victory Star} Victini to cover for [Poison Jab]. Virizion EX, Chaos Tower, and the suite are a pretty big thing, so you don't want to rely on Toxicroak too heavily. Diversify your strategy to help better cover you in these very common game scenarios.

This deck with Zygarde reminds me of Magellan from One Piece, but my impression of this deck would be entirely different from what you've got here, since I believe in an entirely optimized deck structure development than the mainstream style you're using. If you'd like to check it out, you can just click on the link in my signature.

Looking over your deck list, I also just got the premonition that that Toxicroak EX is going to have some special potential with [Better Poison] Croagunk and Ninja Boy. I can't wait to check that out when the new set arrives.
Click to expand...
1. The point of this deck is Toxicroak, adding EXs just ruins it. Additionally VirGen isn't common in.expanded, only Legacy
 
Removing Poison is very common. There are various ways to easily get around Toxicroak's ability. All you have to do is retreat, and you know how popular Float Stone is, right? You're working around 3 Stage 1 Pokémon with no where near the support that would be needed to piece them altogether fast enough. You should be looking at like 4 Balls and 3 Evosoda in the least—which of you don't have any at all. It's not likely to come together in time. You'll want to concentrate your strategy around Evolution chain building instead—if you'd like to wing it as it is.

And even then, it can be too easy to sweep Toxicroak in the exchange, because his HP is very low, and there are a number of popular attacks (and cards) out there that remove abilities and effects. In addition to that, there's no telling how many Toxicroak you'll actually be able to put together in time.

You see? Your strategy is too narrow and that begets a broadside vulnerability. This is why I recommended to diversify your strategy here. The deck can still work as you intend. Having a specific card as the centerpiece doesn't necessarily mean that you have explicitly concentrate the number of copies to 4. That doesn't actually work for all cards, because they're not all inclined towards handling the natural game pressure well enough to rely on 4 copies of them.

For Stage 1's especially, you'll always want to back up your offensive lead with another offensive Stage 1 Pokémon, or an offensive collection of Basic Pokémon (including Pokémon EX)—of which you don't have any at all. Primary strategy is fine, but you always want an escape plan, just in case you need it.

Think about that.
 
ReapThaWhirlwind said:
Removing Poison is very common. There are various ways to easily get around Toxicroak's ability. All you have to do is retreat, and you know how popular Float Stone is, right? You're working around 3 Stage 1 Pokémon with no where near the support that would be needed to piece them altogether fast enough. You should be looking at like 4 Balls and 3 Evosoda in the least—which of you don't have any at all. It's not likely to come together in time. You'll want to concentrate your strategy around Evolution chain building instead—if you'd like to wing it as it is.

And even then, it can be too easy to sweep Toxicroak in the exchange, because his HP is very low, and there are a number of popular attacks (and cards) out there that remove abilities and effects. In addition to that, there's no telling how many Toxicroak you'll actually be able to put together in time.

You see? Your strategy is too narrow and that begets a broadside vulnerability. This is why I recommended to diversify your strategy here. The deck can still work as you intend. Having a specific card as the centerpiece doesn't necessarily mean that you have explicitly concentrate the number of copies to 4. That doesn't actually work for all cards, because they're not all inclined towards handling the natural game pressure well enough to rely on 4 copies of them.

For Stage 1's especially, you'll always want to back up your offensive lead with another offensive Stage 1 Pokémon, or an offensive collection of Basic Pokémon (including Pokémon EX)—of which you don't have any at all. Primary strategy is fine, but you always want an escape plan, just in case you need it.

Think about that.
Click to expand...
You clearly don't know what Flashfire Dragalge does
 
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I understand the nature of Dragalge, preventing Poisoned Pokémon from being able to retreat. However, what you're looking at here is an immense overhead without any physical support for patching together three different Stage 1 Pokémon, at the same time. And even when you do, anything that removes effects and abilities (not only Special Conditions) would ace your Active Toxicroak, and then begin to ravage your other scare and crucial resources (Ariados/Dragalge).

You don't have nearly enough draw support or evolution line development support to bridge the gap here if one of your wings collapse. Lysandre (previously unmentioned) is another prime technique you can expect to face. This deck doesn't look like it would survive more than one of those, taking out your Ariados. That's a single card ace over your entire strategy.

It's not like your deck has not grounds, but that if you we're to put this together as you have it, you'd need to support the evolution line development immensely (whereas here you have next to nothing in support of that—expecting it all to come together naturally).

Please don't take this too personally. I'm not trying to run your deck down, I'm just trying to explain the importance of consistency, diversity, and the line that needs to be tread between the two.

You can't rely on Ariados for Poison, and the single flip of a coin for [Poison Jab] isn't very reliable either. So you'll want a third-party source for keeping the poison heat on your opponent (hence two more Hypnotoxic Laser), or you'd want to increase the probability of [Poison Jab] from 50% to 75% success with {Victory Star} Victini.

Without Victini, you have a 1:2 chance of failing. But with that extra flip of the coin, you only have a 1:4 chance of failing. That is a dramatic boost in the odds, doubling your chances for success, and that is why I always use {Victory Star} Victini (or Trick Coin) to buff my crucial coin flip effects.

Since Toxicroak as 90HP, that qualifies your deck it make explicit use of Level Ball, which coincides with {Victory Star} Victini as well. The two would go hand-in-hand. However, you've got none. No balls at all. I don't know how you expect this deck together, but I can't image how with only 6 card advantage Supporters that you would be able to pull that off.

You have a 3:10 chance of not getting either card in your hand. And although that might seem good, that's actually pretty bad when it comes to something as important as the flow of the cards. At the very least, you only want a 1:10 chance of not getting a card advantage Supporter in your opening hand. That would be with 8 copies in your deck.

This is the minimum I go by, and it's always alongside incorporating a number of Item cards that lesser the stress between Supporters, and directly retrieve select cards I need to help thin the contents of my deck and further lessen my dependency on Supporters. This has proven to be the minimum requirement to generate a successful flow of the cards, and for this reason, I strongly encourage you to think it over and adjust your strategy so that you're covering your broadside, and supporting the general foundation of what you're doing.
 
ReapThaWhirlwind said:
I understand the nature of Dragalge, preventing Poisoned Pokémon from being able to retreat. However, what you're looking at here is an immense overhead without any physical support for patching together three different Stage 1 Pokémon, at the same time. And even when you do, anything that removes effects and abilities (not only Special Conditions) would ace your Active Toxicroak, and then begin to ravage your other scare and crucial resources (Ariados/Dragalge).

You don't have nearly enough draw support or evolution line development support to bridge the gap here if one of your wings collapse. Lysandre (previously unmentioned) is another prime technique you can expect to face. This deck doesn't look like it would survive more than one of those, taking out your Ariados. That's a single card ace over your entire strategy.

It's not like your deck has not grounds, but that if you we're to put this together as you have it, you'd need to support the evolution line development immensely (whereas here you have next to nothing in support of that—expecting it all to come together naturally).

Please don't take this too personally. I'm not trying to run your deck down, I'm just trying to explain the importance of consistency, diversity, and the line that needs to be tread between the two.

You can't rely on Ariados for Poison, and the single flip of a coin for [Poison Jab] isn't very reliable either. So you'll want a third-party source for keeping the poison heat on your opponent (hence two more Hypnotoxic Laser), or you'd want to increase the probability of [Poison Jab] from 50% to 75% success with {Victory Star} Victini.

Without Victini, you have a 1:2 chance of failing. But with that extra flip of the coin, you only have a 1:4 chance of failing. That is a dramatic boost in the odds, doubling your chances for success, and that is why I always use {Victory Star} Victini (or Trick Coin) to buff my crucial coin flip effects.

Since Toxicroak as 90HP, that qualifies your deck it make explicit use of Level Ball, which coincides with {Victory Star} Victini as well. The two would go hand-in-hand. However, you've got none. No balls at all. I don't know how you expect this deck together, but I can't image how with only 6 card advantage Supporters that you would be able to pull that off.

You have a 3:10 chance of not getting either card in your hand. And although that might seem good, that's actually pretty bad when it comes to something as important as the flow of the cards. At the very least, you only want a 1:10 chance of not getting a card advantage Supporter in your opening hand. That would be with 8 copies in your deck.

This is the minimum I go by, and it's always alongside incorporating a number of Item cards that lesser the stress between Supporters, and directly retrieve select cards I need to help thin the contents of my deck and further lessen my dependency on Supporters. This has proven to be the minimum requirement to generate a successful flow of the cards, and for this reason, I strongly encourage you to think it over and adjust your strategy so that you're covering your broadside, and supporting the general foundation of what you're doing.
Click to expand...
You made me realize that I forgot to add Ultra Balls O_O
 
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