Standard Raichu/ Yveltal (Now Raichu/ Mega Rayquaza)

[DKQuagmire]

I haven't played the TCG since the XY pre-release, and having attended 2 SM pre-releases already and discovering that that there's a league right in my own town, i'm ready to get back into competitive.
I had some cards from metal tins and an elite trainer box from roaring skies so i was able to build this last minute deck to use at my local league. Its really sloppy and build using only cards that I own, plus a Rayquaza ex/ Keldeo ex deck box combo I bought in the shop, but it came first place and got me a 1st place Volcarona holo card ^__^

Please help me to make this deck better with any suggestions:

#15
3 Pikachu (XY Base. Nuzzle/ Quick Attack)
2 Raichu (XY Base. Circle Circuit)
4 Yveltal (League promo. Oblivion Wing)
3 Shaymin EX (Roaring Skies)
1 Rayquaza EX (Roaring skies. Intensifying Burn)
1 Mega Rayquaza EX (Roaring Skies. Emerald Brake)
1 Mew EX (Versatile. the print is 2012, and I believe its from Dragons exhausted, but I know it got a reprint recently)

#16
4 N
4 Professor Sycamore
1 Lysandre
1 Wally
1 Team Mates
1 Pokemon Fan Club
4 VS Seeker

#20
4 Trainers Mail
4 Sky Field
1 Rayquaza Spirit Link
4 Ultra Ball
2 Level Ball
2 Float Stone
1 Switch
1 Escape Rope
1 Super Rod

#09
4 Double Colourless Energy
5 Darkness Energy


I won my matches by using Raichu mostly. If and whenever possible I would attempt to get a turn 1 mega Rayquaza out using its delta evolution ancient trait. But with only 1 in my collection I usually ended up having to find my single copy of spirit link to evolve it. However with trainers mail and Shaymin digging through my deck and 4 sycamore, I never had any trouble finding what I wanted. My first attack was usually Yveltal's oblivion wing to soften up the opponent and get back dark energy I would of discarded with ultra ball and sycamore. Then if I drew one of my 4 switching cards I could then go into Raichu. Mew EX did absolutely nothing.

I played against 2 Volcanion decks. 1 Kingrda/Magnezone deck and 1 Gardevoir deck. The only deck that put up a fight was Gardevoir, where the fairy types had resistance to Yveltal, and we both had 4 stadiums so it became an all out stadium war.

 

[swaginator5000]

I would recommend dropping the rays and mew ex either for a thicker raichu line or also dropping the raichus aswell for 4 darkrai ex (breakpoint) to pair with the yvetals

 

[DKQuagmire]

I would recommend dropping the rays and mew ex either for a thicker raichu line or also dropping the raichus aswell for 4 darkrai ex (breakpoint) to pair with the yvetals

I have taken some advice from other players, and I have decided to drop the Yveltals, and instead invest in a speed/ turbo Mega Rayquaza deck. I understand that Parallel city is a thing, but no one at my local league plays the card. The only stadiums I see are Fairy garden, Rough seas and Scorched earth. If they do, that's why I have included Dragonite EX. I have also been contemplating on putting in Brocks grit to recycle my EX's should sky field get bumped, or even Karen, just to screw around with Vespiquen players. My deck now looks like this at the moment.


#18
2-2 Raichu (Circle Circuit)
4 Shaymin EX
1 Rayquaza EX (Dragon Roaring skies)
2 Rayquaza EX (Colourless Roaring skies)
3 Mega Rayquaza EX Colourless (Roaring skies)
2 Hoopa EX
1 Magearna EX
1 Dragonite EX

#13
4 Sycamore
2 N
2 Lysandre
1 Team Mates
4 VS Seeker

#20
4 Ultra ball
3 Trainers Mail
3 Mega Turbo
4 Sky field
3 Rayquaza Spirit Link
1 Switch
1 Escape rope
1 Super rod

#09
5 Metal Energy
4 DCE

 

[xaej806]

I have taken some advice from other players, and I have decided to drop the Yveltals, and instead invest in a speed/ turbo Mega Rayquaza deck. I understand that Parallel city is a thing, but no one at my local league plays the card. The only stadiums I see are Fairy garden, Rough seas and Scorched earth. If they do, that's why I have included Dragonite EX. I have also been contemplating on putting in Brocks grit to recycle my EX's should sky field get bumped, or even Karen, just to screw around with Vespiquen players. My deck now looks like this at the moment.


#18
2-2 Raichu (Circle Circuit)
4 Shaymin EX
1 Rayquaza EX (Dragon Roaring skies)
2 Rayquaza EX (Colourless Roaring skies)
3 Mega Rayquaza EX Colourless (Roaring skies)
2 Hoopa EX
1 Magearna EX
1 Dragonite EX

#13
4 Sycamore
2 N
2 Lysandre
1 Team Mates
4 VS Seeker

#20
4 Ultra ball
3 Trainers Mail
3 Mega Turbo
4 Sky field
3 Rayquaza Spirit Link
1 Switch
1 Escape rope
1 Super rod

#09
5 Metal Energy
4 DCE

Deck list is looking good! I have no doubt you'll see success with it as it is now.

Here are some additional ideas:

-Rattata EVO. An unusual play for Rayquaza, but one I think deserves some merit. While most benched Pokemon serve as 30 extra damage for Ray (or 20 for Raichu), Rattata can actually serve as 70 extra damage for Ray (or 60 for Raichu) as dropping him can trash an opposing Fighting Fury Belt (worth 40 damage) and he counts as a bench sitter.

-Hex Maniac. A mainstay in Rayquaza decks, Hex Maniac can thoroughly disrupt opponents early, stops annoying abilities like Fright Night (Yveltal), Giant Water Shuriken (Greninja), & others, and can serve as a wall against Volcanions potentially one-shotting you. It's easy for this deck to abuse utility supporters like this, since so much of your draw power comes from Shaymin-EX.

-Olympia. You have some fat bench sitters like Hoopa & Dragonite. You do currently play switch cards, but this one is VS Seeker-able, giving you a little more flexibility once it's in your discard pile. You don't want to lose a game because you can't move your Dragonite/Hoopa they Lysandred, and as a deck that burns through cards so quickly, a clever opponent may see an opening for this move and try to deck you. Particularly if you were otherwise winning the game.

-Magearna promo. A good non-ex attacker who hits things like Glaceon-EX (which you are currently rather vulnerable to), Regice, and Gardevoir-EX for weakness.

-Acrobike. Another speed-based item card to help you get where you're trying to go, and can put valuabe metal energy & supporter cards in the discard pile.

-Special Charge. Sometimes you're going to need to recycle your DCE's, especially since energy disruption is growing in popularity.

Obviously you aren't going to find room to fit everything, and some decisions will come down to playtesting. How many games did you find X valuable in? How many games did you find Y valuable in? How did X affect your worst matchups? How did Y affect your worst matchups? Etc, etc.

Nevertheless, hope my ideas help you!

 

[DKQuagmire]

Thank you for the reply. I pretty much burned all my spare cash away on buying Shaymin and the extra rays online however. I never thought to buy Hex Maniac, Olympia or Special charge though. Those 3 cards I don't actually own, but I would love to make room for. Since they're trainers, maybe someone at my local league will offer to trade them away to me. The deck space might mean sacrificing a Sycamore, (with 4 Shaymin, loosing 1 Sycamore isn't a big deal) and maybe a basic energy and one of my switching cards, but that's all I can think off for now.
I had thought of including a 1-1 Zoroark line to help with retreating, but I would need to include float stone if I intend to play that. Maybe Olympia could help with that instead.
I looked into Magearna promo. Not sure how i'm going to get my hands on it, but I like the concept. If its doing 20 X the number of different types on the bench, then at most its doing around 60 damage (Colourless, Psychic and Electric). Double for weakness which is a KO on Regice. As for Glaceon EX, it looks like a 2hko.
As for Rattata, i'm the proud owner of a reverse holo one, and would love to find an excuse to play one. In fact, it was in my original deck before I swapped it for Mew, at the last minute.

If anyone has any other ideas on what i should take out and add please let me know.

 

[xaej806]

Thank you for the reply. I pretty much burned all my spare cash away on buying Shaymin and the extra rays online however. I never thought to buy Hex Maniac, Olympia or Special charge though. Those 3 cards I don't actually own, but I would love to make room for. Since they're trainers, maybe someone at my local league will offer to trade them away to me. The deck space might mean sacrificing a Sycamore, (with 4 Shaymin, loosing 1 Sycamore isn't a big deal) and maybe a basic energy and one of my switching cards, but that's all I can think off for now.
I had thought of including a 1-1 Zoroark line to help with retreating, but I would need to include float stone if I intend to play that. Maybe Olympia could help with that instead.
I looked into Magearna promo. Not sure how i'm going to get my hands on it, but I like the concept. If its doing 20 X the number of different types on the bench, then at most its doing around 60 damage (Colourless, Psychic and Electric). Double for weakness which is a KO on Regice. As for Glaceon EX, it looks like a 2hko.
As for Rattata, i'm the proud owner of a reverse holo one, and would love to find an excuse to play one. In fact, it was in my original deck before I swapped it for Mew, at the last minute.

If anyone has any other ideas on what i should take out and add please let me know.

Just want to correct one thing here.

-Magearna Promo's damage is based off the number of types on your opponent's bench, not yours. All the same, 3 is still what you'll get a good portion of the time, just figured I'd clarify.

As for Zoroark, I don't really think he's needed with Olympia & Ropes, and dark isn't a weakness you need to worry about hitting at this time, so I'd skip on him for now.

I'm not a huge fan of dropping a basic energy, but there isn't really much of anywhere else to find the room, so I'd be OK with it. If you do drop a basic energy, I think you can pretty safely go to 2 Mega Turbos as well. Then test it. If it doesn't work out, you can always go back.

I'd try:

-1 Switch
-1 Basic Metal
-1 Mega Turbo

+1 Hex Maniac
+1 Olympia OR Escape Rope
+1 Special Charge

And see how it runs from there. Realistically, you probably won't be able to fit tech Pokemon like Magearna/Rattata/whoever else while playing Raichu. I think you're kind of committed to Raichu as that secondary attacker, which is perfectly fine.