Discussion Special Energies.... Can we feel safe using them?
- Thread starter Firewyn
- Start date
I don't think you should really consider that. Only 'meta' deck I think will run this is Quad Sylveon GX, but most of the times they have me for a couple of turns, but then I draw a Sycamore or something and will be able to beat them eventually.
Only real 'thread' IMO is for example Drampa GX's first attack. But Drampa itself uses DCE as well most of the times...
Only real 'thread' IMO is for example Drampa GX's first attack. But Drampa itself uses DCE as well most of the times...
Kartana GX and Mismagius are going to be adding more special energy threat, and I assume are part of the cause of your concern.
If we're talking about literally right now, just after rotation, then no. There is nothing to worry about.
After Crimson Invasion, I would steer clear of special energy decks a little more until people really figure out the validity/frequency/power of Kartana GX & Mismagius. People will be testing them so you will be running into them, probably more so online than locally, and in my honest opinion there's no reason to not tech in Kartana GX into Metagross GX, and Mismagius/Garbodor is a deck under discussion at the moment.
I am personally switching out of Gardevoir GX by Crimson Invasion as special energy denial is something I believe will slow Gardevoir GX enough, not to mention Steel in general. Something like Mismagius/Garbodor locks Gardevoir GX out of both secret spring and special energies, and Kartana GX can detach DCEs to make it even harder to have a chance against Metagross GX, with or without weakness policy. You just won't be hitting your numbers before they do.
I personally don't see Gardevoir GX being the go to deck in the very near future. It's not going to get any worse, but there are going to be more and more decks that are good to run as well. But I could be completely wrong, and that's totally okay.
If we're talking about literally right now, just after rotation, then no. There is nothing to worry about.
After Crimson Invasion, I would steer clear of special energy decks a little more until people really figure out the validity/frequency/power of Kartana GX & Mismagius. People will be testing them so you will be running into them, probably more so online than locally, and in my honest opinion there's no reason to not tech in Kartana GX into Metagross GX, and Mismagius/Garbodor is a deck under discussion at the moment.
I am personally switching out of Gardevoir GX by Crimson Invasion as special energy denial is something I believe will slow Gardevoir GX enough, not to mention Steel in general. Something like Mismagius/Garbodor locks Gardevoir GX out of both secret spring and special energies, and Kartana GX can detach DCEs to make it even harder to have a chance against Metagross GX, with or without weakness policy. You just won't be hitting your numbers before they do.
I personally don't see Gardevoir GX being the go to deck in the very near future. It's not going to get any worse, but there are going to be more and more decks that are good to run as well. But I could be completely wrong, and that's totally okay.
There is a difference between being aware of how easily something is countered and not playing it at all.
Special Energy cards are already very easy to counter; Enhanced Hammer is not a new card. Prior to rotation, we had to worry about Vileplume (XY: Ancient Origins 3/98) and its Ability in Standard, and multiple forms of Item lock in Expanded, and in both Garbodor (SM: Guardians Rising 51/145) and its "Trashalanche" attack. This made Enhanced Hammer less appealing. In Standard, now it is down to Garbodor, and more decks have either high enough or low enough HP attackers that Trashalanche isn't quite as scary. In Expanded, while Vileplume lacks Forest of Giant Plants due to the latter being banned, there are still many forms of Item lock but other anti-Special Energy strategies to consider.
While they don't specify Special Energy, we must consider general Energy removing tactics as well because it is not as easy to reclaim Special Energy from the discard or search it from the deck as it is basic Energy cards. Basic Energy has cards like Brock's Grit, Energy Recycler, Energy Retrieval, Professor's Letter, and Super Rod (and a few more in Expanded). Most of these aren't heavily used, but they exist (and some work with Pokémon and not just Energy, a bonus). Special Energy requires Energy Loto (which works with basic Energy as well) or the rare, coveted general search (like Computer Search) to fetch them directly from your deck. We have Puzzle of Time and Special Charge to reclaim them from the discard, and believe me that is pretty amazing; the only time it has been easier to reclaim Special Energy from the discard is when Lysandre's Trump Card wasn't banned. XP
Still, adding two Special Energy directly from discard to hand requires Puzzle of Time, but two basic Energy requires only Energy Retrieval or Starmie (XY: Evolutions 31/108). So Crushing Hammer, Plumeria, Team Flare Grunt, and Team Skull Grunt still hit Special Energy cards harder than basic Energy cards. I can't believe I almost left off that Special Energy must obey the 4 Copy Rule, while basic Energy are only restricted by a deck needing at least one Pokémon capable of being your opening Active. I wouldn't recommend it, but you could run a single Basic Pokémon with 59 basic Energy cards if you wished.
Yes, yes, that is rather long and probably seems unnecessary, but the ultimate point is that Kartana-GX is just tipping the scales. It is already a complicated mess when one should or should not rely upon Special Energy cards!
Special Energy cards are already very easy to counter; Enhanced Hammer is not a new card. Prior to rotation, we had to worry about Vileplume (XY: Ancient Origins 3/98) and its Ability in Standard, and multiple forms of Item lock in Expanded, and in both Garbodor (SM: Guardians Rising 51/145) and its "Trashalanche" attack. This made Enhanced Hammer less appealing. In Standard, now it is down to Garbodor, and more decks have either high enough or low enough HP attackers that Trashalanche isn't quite as scary. In Expanded, while Vileplume lacks Forest of Giant Plants due to the latter being banned, there are still many forms of Item lock but other anti-Special Energy strategies to consider.
While they don't specify Special Energy, we must consider general Energy removing tactics as well because it is not as easy to reclaim Special Energy from the discard or search it from the deck as it is basic Energy cards. Basic Energy has cards like Brock's Grit, Energy Recycler, Energy Retrieval, Professor's Letter, and Super Rod (and a few more in Expanded). Most of these aren't heavily used, but they exist (and some work with Pokémon and not just Energy, a bonus). Special Energy requires Energy Loto (which works with basic Energy as well) or the rare, coveted general search (like Computer Search) to fetch them directly from your deck. We have Puzzle of Time and Special Charge to reclaim them from the discard, and believe me that is pretty amazing; the only time it has been easier to reclaim Special Energy from the discard is when Lysandre's Trump Card wasn't banned. XP
Still, adding two Special Energy directly from discard to hand requires Puzzle of Time, but two basic Energy requires only Energy Retrieval or Starmie (XY: Evolutions 31/108). So Crushing Hammer, Plumeria, Team Flare Grunt, and Team Skull Grunt still hit Special Energy cards harder than basic Energy cards. I can't believe I almost left off that Special Energy must obey the 4 Copy Rule, while basic Energy are only restricted by a deck needing at least one Pokémon capable of being your opening Active. I wouldn't recommend it, but you could run a single Basic Pokémon with 59 basic Energy cards if you wished.
Yes, yes, that is rather long and probably seems unnecessary, but the ultimate point is that Kartana-GX is just tipping the scales. It is already a complicated mess when one should or should not rely upon Special Energy cards!
I play in expanded and my deck is composed exclusively of special energy. There are ways to avoid special energies from being discarded and there is the new Shining Mew that will help accelerate special energy. Kartana is not something i fear that much. Mismagius concerns me a bit more but since it is level 2, unless it is played with Wally, i will still have the time needed in order to attach the energy i need to get rolling. I doubt i will have to completely abandon my deck because those 2 pokemon come into play. I had a response before to Giratina Ex and i will find a response to Mismagius or Kartana if it becomes a problem.