All right, lets face it. This batch of State Championships are going to be some of the hardest, if not weirdest we have seen in a while. Not only are old decks returning, but all new powerful cards, as well as an entirely new win condition make an appearance. Add those with our already incredible rotation, and you have some potent combinations. Seeing as this site has a lot of newer players(trust me, just look at some of the posts on here), I figured I would take my time to write an article to try to educate the masses on just what could show. I understand that there are already threads with deck discussions and lists for most of these decks, but those are just basic lists. I am writing this article because it gives a much more comprehensive, detailed look at the deck, its main cards, its strategy, and its techs, AS WELL AS a basic list. Therefore, I feel that this article is a qualified article, and that it is all right that I am writing it.
I will provide lists for the decks, but they will probably just be the most basic, because netdecking ruins creativity, and the entire point of this is to educate on how to make your own lists, to suit your metas, and your playing styles, not just copy mine. NOTE: I HAVE NOT, NOR DO I ADMIT THAT THESE LISTS PROVIDED ARE THE BEST THEY CAN BE. DO NOT POST ON THIS ARTICLE ABOUT STRANGE THINGS WITH THESE LISTS. THIS IS SIMPLY A BASE, OR A SKELETON LIST, FOR NEWER PLAYERS TO IDENTIFY. PLEASE KEEP THIS ARTICLE FREE OF DECK DISCUSSION. THERE ARE OTHER FORUMS FOR THAT. THANK YOU.
With each deck, I will be talking about the main combo cards, as well as a few staple tech cards. At the end of the article, I will talk briefly about just overall tech cards that you could or should expect to see from deck to deck. Multiple decks will be covered here, so this could be a long one. Lets get started.
Deck #1: Gengar prime(Lostgar).
Probably one of, if not THE most hyped card of the season. Is it the hype truly worth it? Only time can truly tell. Even if it doesn't live up to the hype, it still just looks like a great card. What makes it so good?
Gengar prime comes with two attacks, a Poke-body, 130 HP, a X2 weakness to dark, a -20 resistance to colorless, and no retreat cost. Just at first glance, those stats look great. Combine these with a great Lv.X, and you have yourself one menacing pokemon
Gengar prime has two attacks. Its second attack, Cursed Droplets, places four damage counters on any of your opponents pokemon in any way you like. This is a fairly decent attack. Spread one damage counter to four pokemon, then use the X for Compound pain, and attempt to take multiple prizes. Use the four damage counters on an Uxie, and two shot it. All in all, it is a decent attack. Not one you should be charging for constantly, but still a solid fallback option.
Gengar prime's body is a devastating one. Simply put, if Gengar prime is active, and an opponent's pokemon is knocked out while it is, the pokemon that was knocked out goes to the lost zone, instead of the discard. The remaining cards attached to it go to the discard as normal, but that pokemon is removed from play. If an Uxie gets knocked out while he is active, it is lost for the rest of the game, possibly ruining your opponent's chances at drawing. If you are able to finish off a main attacker with Gengar prime, or use some sort of power to do so while he is active, then that pokemon goes away for the rest of the game. Truly, this body is one that should be feared, especially if your side of the board starts to get cluttered with damage. If this is the case, react quickly, as things may turn out very bad for you.
Despite the positives of these attacks and stats, these aren't what made Gengar prime so hyped. Gengar's first attack, Hurl into Darkness, is unlike anything previously seen.
Wow. This single attack is what makes Gengar prime currently worth $40. For a single psychic, you could remove a pokemon in your opponent's hand from play. There is plenty to talk about this attack as well.
The shear ability to choose your opponent's Pokemon and remove them from the game is unbelievable, and can ruin your opponent's entire strategy. Lv. X's beware, this card can keep you out of the game for good. Add to the fact that if you have multiple psychic, you can remove entire evolution lines? The thought of drawing random Pokemon from your deck with a common Uxie Set-up now becomes a huge problem, if you happen to be playing this deck. Any slip-ups, and Lostgar(as many players are dubbing it) will quickly take advantage of it, possibly stopping your game strategy in its tracks.
However, these attacks alone don't win you games. Expecting to take six prizes with Cursed Droplets? Good luck. Remember that win condition I previously mentioned? That win condition happens to work wonderfully with Gengar prime, and is what makes the deck such a good deck.
(will add a higher quality scan when it is up)
Lost World, a newly released Stadium to the U.S, contains an all new win condition. If your opponent has six or more pokemon in the Lost Zone, you can simply declare victory. The Lost Zone, a previously unexplored area of the game, has suddenly become one of the fast ways to win, coming in quickly behind Donk decks.
Getting pokemon into the Lost Zone would normally be difficult. Palkia G Lv.X's poke-power, while good, is slow to set up in some games, and doesn't always work. Giratina Lv.X's attack is expensive, and does low damage. If only there was a card that could easily put Pokemon into the Lost Zone-oh wait! There is! Yes, this is the card that makes Gengar prime as good as it is. After a few turns of using Hurl into Darkness, if you are lucky, will enable you to win the game quickly. The more energy on Gengar, the greater potential you have of winning using Lost Zone. Pokemon-heavy decks will definitely need to tweak their lists, as Gengar will have great match ups against them.
Even with this incredible combo, Gengar still can't win on its own. Like every deck, Gengar needs some techs:
Palkia G Lv.X: This was one of the first three Pokemon to incorporate the Lost Zone into the game. Taking the form of a power, Palkia G Lv.X's Lost Cyclone Poke-power allows both players to choose three pokemon on their bench. The remaining pokemon go into the Lost Zone. Originally paired with the Pixie pokemon; Azelf, Mesprit and Uxie, Palkia G is a very good tech for Gengar. This Lv. X allows you to possibly Lost Cyclone, and then Hurl into Darkness in the same turn, nabbing you a good few pokemon in the Lost Zone. This card also allows you to win with Lost World, even if you can't seem to get a Gengar going. Players should always be on the watch, and keep small bench sizes, as Palkia can wreak havoc on unprepared players and decks.
Mr. Mime TM: Similar to the promo Noctowl we received a year ago, Mr. Mime has a very similar power. The only difference between the two is you must reveal your hand as well. Usually, this isn't a big deal, because you are usually in control of players, and seeing your hand and potential ability to bring out a fresh one the moment one of your's dies can strike fear in your opponent. Using this as a tech to look at your opponent's hand before attacking is a great idea, it allows you to make plays accordingly depending on what is in their hand. If they have 10 cards in hand, but no pokemon, you just wasted an attack, but using Mr. Mime will allow you to see what you are getting into before you go through with it.
Spiritomb TM: Having trouble getting pokemon into the Lost Zone with Gengar? Sick of dealing with your opponent having a small hand? Well, you won't have this problem anymore with Spiritomb! Using Spiritomb's handy Poke-power forces your opponent to shuffle his hand into his deck, and draw a fresh six cards. Normally, you wouldn't want your opponent getting an entirely new hand, but the chances of them drawing pokemon are a lot higher, allowing you to continue your destruction of their hand. Trainers can do a lot, but without Pokemon to finish up the trainer's command, there is nothing they can do. A tech that should be used in every Gengar, it allows you to possibly get plenty of new pokemon into the Lost Zone.
Seeker: A very, very obvious card for Gengar, but I feel I should talk about it anyways. Seeker is a Super Scoop up that always flips heads, and it works for both players, but only on their benches. Play Seeker, and both players pick up a Pokemon. When played with Gengar, you ensure that at least one pokemon(if they picked up an Uxie, for example) will be in your opponent's hand, allowing you to put a pokemon in the Lost Zone. Added onto that special effect, you can pick up your own Uxie, and draw more cards.
Mesprit LA: A pokemon with the ability to put your opponent in a one-turn power lockdown is definitely one that is good. While the power only activates the turn you play it, it can be reused. If you run Seeker, you can make your opponent pick up a pokemon, and you pick up your own Mesprit, dropping it again, keeping your opponent in a power lock.
Staraptor FB: Staraptor FB Lv.X is a great tech for Gengar, for a single reason. You can use it to search out supporters from your deck, like Twins, or PONT, or a Collector. This increases the consistency of your deck a lot, and is a definite recommendation for the deck, if you have the chance.
Mew(prime): A special prime that has a very peculiar body and attack, this tech has been talked about as a tech in Gengar, as a tech primarily for the mirror. If one of your Gengars is put into the Lost Zone, you can send up a Mew and use Hurl into Darkness, thanks to its body.
Ditto: Another tech used primarily for mirrors, Ditto does just that. If an enemy Gengar is harassing you, send up this guy if you can't get an actual Gengar set up, and get the same effect, as long as their Gengar is active. Adding Rainbow energy with Ditto allows for a range of enemy attacks that can be copies, like Take out(Machamp SF), Dragon Steam/Pump(Kingdras), Mass attack(Jumpluff), Shadow Room(Gengar SF), and many more. A very versatile tech, and definitely worth a slot in a deck.
Vileplume:
Ah, Vileplume. A card made incredibly popular in Vilegar(Vileplume and Gengar SF), this card can be a tech for Lostgar. Running Vileplume obviously cuts off your supply to trainers, but it is truly a punishing lock that you can put your opponent in. Removing their pokemon from play AND getting rid of their ability to play trainers? That IS mean.
These are just a few of the many techs you could try. Gengar is a great card, no one is doubting that. Like every deck though, Gengar can be beaten, and there will be decks that are created just to beat Gengar. It may not live up to the hype, and even if it doesn't, you should still be prepared. When you think of decks that you can encounter at States, this should be the first deck that comes to your mind when making a list. Keep it low on pokemon, and you just might make it out of this match up alive.
As promised earlier, here is a basic example of what a Lostgar(Gengar prime/Lost World) list would look like:
3-3-3-1 Gengar (SF-SF/SF/TM-Prime)
2-1 Uxie
1 Unown Q
1 Azelf
2-1 Palkia G
1 Mesprit
1 Spiritomb ( TM )
2-1 Staraptor FB
= 23 pokemon
2 Warp energy
2 Rescue energy
6 Psychic
= 10 energy
3 Pokemon Collector
3 Bebes Search
3 Broken Time Space
3 Rare candy
1 Palmer's Contribution
4 Seeker
3 Twins
2 Pokemon Communication
1 Luxury ball
2 Lost World
2 PONT(Professor Oak's New Theory)
= 27 t/s/s
This list seems to be a fairly standard list, using BTS(Broken Time Space) and Rare candy to quickly evolve Gengar, Twins for when they kill a Gengar(seeing as you won't be taking many prizes), and Staraptor FB and Palkia G there to support you for consistency, or for additional Lost Zone. Feel free to use this list as a skeleton, or don't use it at all! However, in my personal opinion, if you copy this list card for card, you should not expect to win States.
~~
Deck #2: Luxchomp(and BLG)
Since the Platinum set was released, there wasn't a single person prepared for the popularity and greatness that would turn out to be SP. A deck that is so good that has made players quit the game surely can't exist, yet it has for the last two years. Out of all the SP decks that are released, there are only a select few that emerge on the top, and stay there. Luxchomp, and its cousin BLG are a prime example of a deck that has dominated, and continues to dominated formats across the world, and with good reason. Being one of the fastest, most versatile deck comes with its privileged, getting the title of BDIF(Best deck in format) by many. So what makes it so good? Lets find out.
Garchomp C Lv. X. 110 HP. Free retreat. X2 weakness to colorless. A single attack and a single poke-power. Unless you have been living under a rock since August 2010, you should know everything about this card. When you hear the word meta, one of the first cards that should come to your mind is this one. I won't go to in depth about this card, as 99% of people should know what it does, and why it is good.
The ability to do a solid 80 damage snipe anywhere on the field is one of the best attacks in the game. Once a good attack, it gained a near-mythical status thanks to Double Colorless Energy. Drop an Energy-gain and a DCE on Garchomp, and you have a simple, powerful attack. It can one-shot most Stage 1 forms of evolution pokemon, as well as being able to kill any pixies.
Add onto this the ability to heal any and all damage on any of your SP pokemon by simply leveling up Garchomp and using his poke-power Healing Breath(a power that will be discussed later in this article), and you have yourself one of the best Lv. Xs ever created.
~
Luxray GL Lv.X. Have you ever asked someone how expensive it would be to make a Luxchomp deck? Most people will go into the 100s, and you probably wonder why. Simply put, this card is the sole reason for the high price of the deck. Alone, this card is worth anywhere from $75-$90, on any given site.
110 HP, X2 weakness to fighting, -20 resistance to steel, free retreat, and electric typing can't make this card worth so much. A single attack, and a poke-power. At first glance, anyone would wonder just why this card is so good. Upon closer inspection, you can see just why.
Any old player remembers the card Gust of Wind. You know, that trainer that lets you pick one of your opponent's pokemon and switch it to their active spot(sadly renamed Pokemon Catcher, thanks to Black and White). Luxray GL Lv.X's power is almost a word for word reprint of Gust of Wind, which it is what makes it so good. Being able to pull up any pokemon your opponent has is wonderful. See a pokemon with a big retreat? Pull it up to the active spot and retreat to Garchomp and stall while you take cheap prizes. See a weakened pokemon that retreated away and is trying to get a few moments of peace before returning to the fight? Send up Luxray, and yank it back up to the active spot.
Combine this one-of-a-kind power with Flash Impact, Luxray GL Lv.X's only attack, and you have the ability to take swift and easy "chump" prizes. For a lightning and a colorless, you do 60 damage, with a 30 damage whiplash on any of your pokemon, something that can be healed off later, thanks to Garchomp C Lv.X's poke-power. 60 damage doesn't seem like much, but with starters like Sableye and Spiritomb having only that much, and the Pixies having only 10 more, you can quickly pull them up and clean them off the board, taking a prize in the process. Add Crobat G drops to kill off the Pixies, or any pokemon that you are just short of killing.
~~
(for BLG only)
BLG is called BLG for a reason: Blaziken, Luxray, Garchomp. This is very close to Luxchomp, so both often use the same techs. BLG is more geared towards disruption, as well as the added bonus of type advantage, thanks to Blaziken's fire type.
Blaziken comes with 110 HP, just like the other Lv. Xs in this deck. Fire type, one retreat cost, a body, X2 weakness to water, and a single attack allow Blaziken to fit so nicely into this deck.
Blaziken's body, Burning Spirit, combos with the basic form of this pokemon. The basic has an attack called Luring Flame, which chooses one of your opponent's benched pokemon, and switch them with their active, burning them. Then, the body adds 40 from attacks to all burned pokemon, be it yours or your opponents. This allows you to pull up big pokemon, burn them, then the next turn hit them for a lot of damage, using Blaziken Lv. X's attack, Jet Shoot.
While Jet Shoot is a powerful attack, it does have a severe draw back that you must be aware of. While it puts out a solid 80 damage for a single fire and a colorless energy, it has a serious recoil factor. The turn after you use Blaziken Lv.X's Jet Shoot, any attack done to the active Blaziken Lv.X is increased by 40. For example: If there is an enemy Azelf active, and I use Jet Shoot to kill it, and they bring up an Uxie Lv.X. They use Zen Blade to attack me, which normally does 60 damage, but thanks to Jet Shoot's recoil of 40 extra damage, Zen Blade will do 100.
This attack makes Blaziken an incredible fragile pokemon. While the damage output on it is incredible, you must be cautious about when you use it, because chances are, you will be trading a prize for a prize with this Blaziken. Generally, save Jet Shoot for knocking out big defensive pokemon, like Steelix or Dialga(with special metals attached), killing pokemon with an Expert belt attached to them, or just putting that giant enemy pokemon out of its misery. You should save it for those situations, as in most matchups, Blaziken can and will be killed in return. Save Jet Shoot on pixies for Luxray or Garchomp, and leave most of the 80 damage attacks to Garchomp, thanks to his snipe. Besides the drawbacks, Jet Shoot is a powerful attack, and one that both you and your opponent should definitely be aware of.
Luxchomp and BLG are common examples of decks that perform well, and have consistently done so. Using one of the most powerful card engines in the game, the Cyrus engine, these SP have made a bold statement, and have been difficult for any deck to topple.
~It all starts with Cyrus's Conspiracy. This is the staple card behind all SP and their success. When you play it, you can search your deck for another supporter, a basic energy, and an SP tool card(all of which will be covered shortly). That supporter you grab can be another Cyrus's Conspiracy, allowing you to start something called the Cyrus chain, which is basically a four-turn chain of you using Cyrus to get Cyrus, and continue on with your SPs powerful domination and control of the game. You can grab any supporter in your deck though; Pokemon Collector, Bebes Search, Aarons Collection, or even stray ones like Looker's Investigation, PONT, or Copycat are all game. Cyrus's Conspiracy is complimented by four simple SP tools.
1. Energy-Gain: Energy-Gain is the first of the four tools. Attaching Energy-Gain to an SP pokemon allows their attack costs to drop by a colorless energy. Attacks that previously needed a fire and a colorless now only need a fire(in the case of Blaziken FB Lv.X's Jet Shoot). This tool allows you to pull off quick kills, while running lower amounts of energy, and still doing lots of damage. This card, combined with DCE(Double Colorless energy), allows you to use Garchomp C. Lv.X's Dragon Rush attack, and do an 80 snipe. That alone makes E-gain(Energy-Gain) a staple, because of the caliber of that single attack. It works wonders with any SP pokemon though, and is needed, in at least three copies, in any SP deck.
2.Power Spray: Power Spray is next. Being the most controversial SP trainer, Power Spray does exactly what you would think: Spray, or stop enemy Poke-powers. Previously, Mesprit's Psychic Bind Poke-Power, or Gardevoir's amazing Psychic Lock attack were the only things that locked powers(in the meta, anyways) in the modified format. Power Spray was released, and changed everything. If you have three SP pokemon on your field, you may play Power-Spray, blocking one of your opponent's powers on their turn. If they play Uxie and use Set-Up and try to draw cards, you can spray it, and it stops them, leaving a useless Uxie on their bench. This card alone has changed how people use powers, with them now using them more carefully, or even using "bait powers", to make you spray them so they can put that extra 10 damage, or draw those crucial cards. Power Spray is another must, in at least three copies in any main-stream SP deck.
3.Poketurn: The third SP tool card is Poketurn. As the most expensive of the SP tool bunch, it proves that it is the best. When you play it, you pick up one of your SP pokemon, and return it, as well as all cards attached to it, to your hand. Energy-Gains, energy, technical machines, anything. All of it goes right back into your hand, free of charge. Think of it as a Super Scoop Up, or a Seeker, that always flips heads for ANY SP pokemon. Obvious combos are using a Bright Look(Luxray GL Lv.X) to pull up a pokemon, then Poketurn Luxray. Use Flash Bite(Crobat G) for that extra 10, then pull it back to your hand. Drop a Garchomp C Lv.X and use Healing Breath, clearing your board of damage before returning it back to the hand. The combinations are endless, but one thing is certain: Poketurn is a MUST, in four copies.
4.SP Radar: The fourth and final SP tool, SP Radar acts as the search card. Energy-Gain is for attacking, Poketurn is for healing, Power Spray is for disruption, and SP Radar is definitely for the search. Almost a word for word reprint of the staple Bebes Search supporter card, SP Radar forces you to put a card back on top of your deck to search out a pokemon. The great thing about it is that it is a trainer, and can be grabbed along with Cyrus's Conspiracy, so you can get a pokemon from Cyrus, all in a single turn. The downside about it(if there hardly is one), is that it can be blocked by trainer lock, as well as the fact that it ONLY grabs SP. Sorry Uxie, no cheap draws yet. Seeing as it is a trainer, you should still run it with Bebes search, in the off chance you run into a trainer lock deck.
~5~Aaron's Collection: Not so much an SP tool, but still needing mention. Aaron's Collection is your primary recovery. When you play this supporter, you can search your discard for any combination of two SP pokemon, or basic energy. This means you can grab that crucial lightning energy again, or grab some SP pokemon. You can even grab SP Lv.X, like Luxray GL Lv.X or Garchomp C Lv.X! At least one copy is a must.
One of the things about Luxchomp and BLG that makes them so great is their ability to disrupt, and their ability to tech out for various metas. What kind of techs can you commonly see among them, and what are some popular options?
In Luxchomp, there are two kinds of "techs". There are the normal techs that you can put in to counter your meta, and there are "staple techs". These are not so much as staples, but are not as important as the main pokemon. There are generally five "staple techs", and I will discuss them below, followed by the actual techs for the meta.
Bronzong G: Not so much a tech as much as a staple, Bronzong should find a way in any SP deck. Used only for its Galactic Switch poke-power, Bronzong G keeps energy on the field, and allows you to "attach" two energy a turn, allowing you to power up your SP pokemon in a single turn, as well as helping charge up some non-SP pokemon in a turn, like Uxie X, or Drifblim.
Crobat G: Another staple SP pokemon, Crobat G is used in any deck, be it non-SP or SP. Simply put, his poke-power is in the deck to nudge those pokemon that are just 10 HP off into a one-hit KO range. Combined with a free retreat cost, Crobat is essential for using Luxray to kill of pixies with Flash Impact, killing pokemon like Regice, Bronzong G or Ninetails with a Garchomp C snipe, or using it to one-shot Gyrados(belted or non), or Machamp. Crobat is essential, and make sure you fit at least one in any list of SP, and in some cases, even non-SP.
Ambipom G: An SP card that has dipped in and out of the public eye for sometime, Ambipom is a solid SP tech. For a single energy, you can move an energy attached to the active pokemon away to one of their benched pokemon. Use Tail-Code(what the attack is called) to move a Double Colorless to a benched Azelf. Move a special metal or dark from a big attacker to one of the benched pokemon. Ambipom's second attack, Snap Attack, does 60 damage for two colorless, but will decrease in damage to 20 if the defending pokemon has energy on it. Use Ambipom to kill enemy Garchomp C Lv.Xs if they use a DCE(Double Colorless) and an E-gain(Energy gain) with your own Double after a snipe. Ambipom can even donk, if you are lucky.
Dragonite FB: The fourth SP staple tech, Dragonite is a pokemon that gained popularity very quickly, and held it tightly. Used for Mach Blow, Dragonite has the ability to one shot 98% of all basic SP, as well as Garchomp C Lv.X. Mach blow does 20 damage normally, but will instead do 80 damage if the defending pokemon is a pokemon SP. for three colorless energy, or a DCE and an E-gain, you can do some serious damage. A card that is very easy to get(it was a league promo!), but is incredibly good. Needed as a one-of in any SP deck.
Lucario GL: The final staple SP pokemon, Lucario GL is used solely for his body. The body turns all weaknesses on the field of all pokemon to X2, instead of what they normally are. Why would you want this to happen to your pokemon? Well, all SP pokemon have an X2 weakness to things anyways, so this just balances the odds. Lucario is used as an assistant to your pokemon. Use Luxray GL Lv.X with Lucario GL to OHKO(One-Hit-Knock-Out) a Gyrados(with a Crobat G Flash-Bite, of course) for a single, or two prizes(if they have an Expert Belt). Use Uxie Lv.X's Zen Blade, with Crobat G and Lucario GL to kill a Take-Out Machamp, which would otherwise cause you serious damage. Lucario is also a must have, and is only used in situations where you can add double weakness for knock-outs in one hit.
Aside from the staple cards, Luxchomp and BLG often have room for some techs.
Drifblim FB: Drifblim is one of those odd-ball SP tech pokemon. For a psychic and two colorless energy, you can do 40 damage to any pokemon on the field. The weird part about Drifblim, is that he is the only pokemon to apply weakness and resistance to benched pokemon, who would otherwise be free from that. This allows Drifblim to kill off pokemon like Uxie and Azelf, as well as causing serious damage to pokemon like Vileplume and Nidoqueen. As an added bonus, Drifblim gains an extra 40 HP if your opponent has taken at least three prizes, turning Drifblim into a tank.
Drifblim(UD): This Drifblim is another tech. For a psychic and a colorless, he does 60 damage, with a 20 recoil. People first looked at this card as the "cheapman's" counter to Machamp. If you cannot afford an Uxie Lv.X, and do not have room for the Toxitank engine(will be discussed in a moment), Drifblim is a strong option that can be used. Aside from the ability to counter Machamp, Drifblim is a good counter to many other things as well. For three colorless energy, you can return Drifblim and all cards attached to it back to your deck. However, you choose the defending pokemon as well, and do the same thing. This can be an effective way to counter pokemon that tank, like Steelix or Dialga, as well as getting rid of stall cards, like Mewtwo Lv.X. They lose a big pokemon, but you still have your own pokemon which can score quick knockouts while they struggle to set up once more.
Promocroak: Toxicroak G promo, commonly referred to as Promocroak, is a tech that is really on-the-fence. Some players love Promocroak, and always fit him into their builds, while others hate him, and would rather run trainers or other pokemon. For a single psychic and a colorless(or an E-gain!), he does 20 damage, with a catch. If one of your pokemon was knocked out last turn, he instead does 60 damage, plus poison. This makes Promocroak the perfect revenge KO pokemon, and probably why his attack is called Revenge Poison. Added with this attack is a power that is a built in Super-Scoop Up. You have the chance of getting him out of the active spot, even without using a Poketurn, returning all the cards attached to him as well. He has to be active to use this power, but he isn't that bad of a starter because of this, even under trainer lock.
Smeargle: Smeargle is a newer tech for SP, and it is used as a tech for consistency. Add Unown Q to this pokemon, and whenever one of your own pokemon die, you can send him up to the active spot, use one of your opponent's supporters, then retreat back and use your own, getting in two supporters a turn. A great pokemon to start with, if they have a Pokemon Collector or other good supporter in their hand.
Toxicroak PT&Skuntank G: Toxitank is a "group tech" that is a well known one. Using Toxicroak G and Skuntank G, you poison your opponent and do some major damage. The reason for the resurgence of this tech is that with Unown G out of the format, Machamp was free to run rampant, and be able to one-shot an entire SP deck, with the ability to win the game in exactly 6 turns. Toxitank changes that entire plan, however. Besides the fact that it can one-shot a Machamp with a Lucario GL, even without Crobat G(thanks to the poison from Toxicroak's attack), Toxicroak's body prevents it from taking any effects of enemy attacks, except straight damage. That means that Machamp cannot use Take-out to kill Toxicroak(and therefore, not do the 40 damage), and must rely on Hurricane Punch(or other pokemon) to kill it. Toxicroak's attack, which normally does 20 damage, will do 40 more damage, if the defending pokemon is poisoned. Combo this with Skuntank G's power, which poisoned both active pokemon that aren't SP if you control a stadium in play, and you can easily do 70 damage, or 130 on an enemy Machamp(with Lucario GL). Because you need stadiums in play, this allows you to run certain stadiums in your deck that benefit SP, but not evolution pokemon, like Snowpoint Temple(gives all basic pokemon +20 HP), or Galactic's HQ(which puts two damage counters on any pokemon that is evolved from the hand, each and every time they do it). Use Toxitank as another cheap counter to Machamp, as well as having a counter to pokemon that are weak to psychic. Skuntank adds that added disruption factor of poison to any of your opponent's pokemon.
Dialga G Lv.X: Aside from having a deck built specifically for it, Dialga has been seen teched in Luxchomp builds, as a counter to Vileplume(to free you from the trainer lock), and get rid of annoying healing bodies like Nidoqueen. Surprisingly, Dialga also counters "the rogue". What this means is that usually when you encounter a rogue, they use some sort of weird body, which helps them. This allows you to shut it off, and counter the entire rogue's strategy(in some cases). Prime examples of this would be Ampharos or Monarchy(Nidoqueen and Nidoking).
Honchkrow G: Honchkrow G is one that is used in various decks, if they have room. Not a bad card, Honchkrow G is usually used for his first attack, which searches your deck in any combination of two SP tool cards, or stadium cards. This can search you out some early Poketurns or Powersprays(for example), or get a stadium like Snowpoint Temple.
Below, I will provide two basic lists. One for BLG, and the other for Luxchomp. NOTE: BOTH LISTS USE UXIE LV.X. IF YOU DON'T HAVE ONE OR CAN'T GET ONE, FEEL FREE TO SUB IN DRIFBLIM, TOXITANK, OR NON AT ALL.
Luxchomp:
2-2 Garchomp C Lv.X
2-1 Luxray GL Lv.X
2-1 Uxie Lv.X
1-1 Dialga G Lv.X
1 Azelf
1 Lucario GL
1 Unown Q
1 Dragonite FB
1 Promocroak
1 Ambipom G
1 Bronzong G
1 Crobat G
1 Smeargle
= 21 pokemon
4 Double Colorless energy
3 Electric energy
1 Psychic energy
3 Call energy
2 Warp energy
= 13 energy
4 Cyrus's Conspiracy
4 Poketurn
4 Energy-Gain
3 Power Spray
3 SP radar
3 Pokemon Collector
2 Aaron's Collection
1 Bebe's Search
1 Pokemon Communication
1 Premier Ball
= 26 t/s/s
A fairly standard list, using the Dialga G Lv.X tech as a counter to Vileplume, with Warp Energy to get it back to the bench.
~~
BLG:
2-2 Garchomp C Lv.X
2-1 Luxray GL Lv.X
2-1 Blaziken FB Lv.X
2-1 Uxie Lv.X
1 Azelf
1 Unown Q
1 Smeargle
1 Dragonite FB
1 Lucario GL
1 Bronzong G
1 Crobat G
1 Promocroak
1 Ambipom G
= 22 pokemon
4 Double Colorless Energy
3 Electric energy
1 Psychic energy
2 Fire energy
3 Call energy
= 13 energy
4 Cyrus' Conspiracy
4 Poketurn
4 Energy-Gain
3 Power Spray
3 SP Radar
3 Pokemon Collector
1 Bebe's Search
2 Aaron's Collection
1 Pokemon Communication
= 25 t/s/s
As you can see, both lists are fairly similar. In my honest opinion, I like BLG more than Luxchomp, but Luxchomp is definitely the more consistent of the two.
~
Deck #3: Vilegar
Vilegar is the other Gengar deck that is in format. Obviously not getting as much hype as Lostgar, Vilegar is still a great deck, and one of the few that puts up a punishing lock unparallel to any other deck.
Vilegar's primary strategy is this: set up a full-game trainer lock, and then use Gengar SF to attack, doing lots and lots of damage. Just how does this combo work? Vilegar uses three primary cards: Gengar SF, Spiritomb AR, and Vileplume UD, all of which will be covered below.
Gengar SF is the main hitter of the deck. 110 HP, free retreat, -20 resistance to colorless, and a +30 weakness to dark. Stat-wise, Gengar doesn't have much going for it. Gengar also comes with two attacks, and a poke-power, all of which are incredible.
Gengar's first attack, Shadow Room, puts three damage counters on any of your opponent's pokemon, for a single psychic energy. If the pokemon you choose has a poke-power though, Shadow Room puts SIX damage counters instead! That puts pokemon like Uxie and Azelf within 10 damage of being knocked out, or cuts the HP of an enemy Gengar by half. An attack that can get you quick knock-outs(and even cheap donks), this is an attack that is a good fall-back for when you can't do any substantial damage, or knock out big pokemon that have powers. However, attaching Expert Belt does not put 8 damage counters on an active pokemon(if they have powers), because they are damage counters, not damage, therefore no resistance, weakness, or any other effects are applied.
Gengar's second attack, Poltergeist, is the main attack of the deck. For a psychic and a colorless, this attack does 30X the number of trainers, supporters and stadiums in your opponent's hand. This would normally be a risky attack, as you can't guarantee there will be those trainers there, but with Vileplume, you permanently lock them in their hand(from being played), so you can ensure that major damage can be done, without risking it. You would be surprised as even the biggest hitters fall to the might of this attack.
Gengar also comes with a very controversial power, and one that has stirred plenty of anger among players. The power is called Fainting Spell. Simply put, if Gengar is killed with damage(not poison, damage counters, or powers), you get to flip a coin. If it's heads, the defending pokemon is knocked out as well. That means you can take a prize, and then you get to attack on your turn as well. This single power can turn the game around entirely. If they have an Expert Belt, and you flip heads, you get to take two prizes as well! This adds to the incredible ability that this power brings to the table. There are ways to get around this, however. Using a status condition(like poison or burn), using a poke-body(one that does damage in between turns, like Bronzong MD for example, or using a "hide attack"(like Uxie's Psychic Restore, or Shuppet's Fade Out) all get around this power. Despite this, it is still a power that is irritating to have to deal with, and one that you should always be prepared to deal with.
Using Poltergeist, you want to ensure that there are trainers there. Vileplume ensures that trainers(not supporters and stadiums) stay in the hand for you to do damage with.
Vileplume is the support of the deck, used primarily for, and only for, its poke-body.
Vileplume comes in at 120 HP, with a two retreat cost, an X2 weakness to psychic, a poke-body, and a sub-par attack. Seeing as Vileplume's attack isn't really good at all, because of its high cost, and the fact that you don't run any grass energy, I will not cover it at all. Instead, I will cover it for its body, and only that.
Vileplume's body is just like that of Spiritomb's. When it is in play, neither player can play trainers. That means SP players cannot play their Poke-turns, SP radars, Power Sprays, or Energy-Gains. Speed decks cannot play their rare candies or communications. Gyrados cannot play its junk arms. Not a single trainer can be played the entire game. This can lock up decks tightly, and force a brutal match for your opponent. The unique(and admittedly best) part of Vileplume's body, is that UNLIKE Spiritomb, you do not have to be active to take advantage of it. That means Vileplume can just sit there on the bench, locking trainers, while you are off slugging with Gengar.
Vileplume does have its drawbacks though. It comes with a two retreat cost, which may be costly to retreat, and sometimes, you can't even do it. Luxray GL Lv.X's Bright Look and Blaziken FB's Luring Flame can all cause problems for you and your Vileplume if you are not prepared to deal with them. Add to that fact that Vileplume is in one-shot range from pokemon like Uxie Lv.X, or Drifblim(UD), and Vileplume can be removed from the game rather quickly, if you manage to get it pulled up to the active spot. Dialga G Lv.X also shuts off Vileplume's body, rendering it useless. Despite these drawbacks, Vileplume has shown that it is an amazing tech, and one that can be a pain to deal with.
As I mentioned earlier, Vileplume's body is just like Spiritomb(AR)'s. Lets look at that card as well.
Spiritomb is the definite starter for this deck. Using his body, you stop both players from playing trainers. This doesn't effect you at all(seeing as you won't be running any), and yet it stalls your opponents set up. At first they are staring at a Spiritomb and a few basics, and just a few turns later, they are under the full game lock, wondering just what to do. Spiritomb comes with this body, as well as two attacks.
Spiritomb's body is just like Vileplume's. The only downside is that you must be active to use it. This is unfortunate, but this grants Spiritomb the proper name of starter, even more so than before. You won't be running trainers, so this won't effect you at all.
Spiritomb's second attack, Will-O-Wisp, is awful, and won't be used at all. Therefore, I won't cover it at all. What I WILL cover is Spiritomb's first attack, Darkness Grace.
Darkness Grace costs 0 energy to use(a new feature added into the DP-era of cards), and allows you to search your deck for an evolution of one of the pokemon on your bench, and put it on that pokemon. If you do, you must put a damage counter on Spiritomb. With only 60 HP, these extra damage counters may add up, but in doing so, you prepare yourself for revenge KOs, and allow yourself to get set-up easily. This attack is simply amazing. By taking away your ability to use trainers, you are instead granted the ability to evolve your pokemon multiple times a turn, even without a Broken Time-Space. This attack and the body make Spiritomb as valuable as it is today.
Some would think that Spiritomb is a pricey card to obtain, but it is actually fairly cheap! This is because P!P(Play! Pokemon) recently released it as the first card of its second season of promos. That means all you have to do to get them is just play at a local league!
Like SP, Vilegar(what this deck is commonly referred to as) runs a set of techs, and a set of "staple techs". I will be covering some of both below. Vilegar also runs a set of supporters to assist it, so I will cover those first.
1: #1 on the list is Pokemon Collector. Like any deck in this format, Pokemon Collector is a staple. Use it to grab three basic pokemon. Stuck with a lone Spiritomb active? Just play Collector, grab a Gastly, an Oddish, and an Uxie, and start evolving away, and get set-up! There isn't much else to this card, it is very simple and self-explanatory. Three is the BARE minimum for this card. Don't have three? Try your very hardest to get some, or at least borrow some for a tourney. Running any less is unacceptable.
2: Bebe's Search is next. Again, I will not go into depth much. This is going to be your primary source of getting evolved forms(as Collector can't get them, and you aren't going to be attacking with Spiritomb the ENTIRE game you know...). Put a card from your hand back and grab a pokemon. This can be a Lv.X, or just an evolved form. You can even grab basics with this as well, but try to save those for Collector, if possible.
3: Palmer's Contribution is a very common staple supporter. Its the simple recovery of any evolution deck now. Play it, and choose any combination up to five of pokemon and basic energy, and shuffle them back into the grab. Grab a Gengar line, the Lv.X, and a psychic energy. Grab a Gengar line, an Uxie and an Unown Q. Whatever you grab, know that this is your recovery, so make it count. Rescue energy should limit the amount of Gengars you would take, but it is still a necessity.
4: Professor Oak's New Theory, more commonly referred to as PONT, is a supporter that came out with Pokemon Collector. Interestingly enough, PONT was thought of as a "bad" card by a lot of players, that is until Yuta Komatsuda, the 2010 World Champion took the Masters title with Luxchomp, strangely running three PONT in his deck. Now, PONT is a staple card in Vilegar. Used as a way to get rid of a bad hand to keep up your lock, Vilegar NEEDS PONT. Often times, you will see a player have few cards in his hand, draw, evolve a pokemon, then play PONT, and get a fresh six, while you are still struggling to get going. Very good, and very useful, PONT is a definite must, in at least two copies.
5: Broken Time-Space is the fourth "staple" trainer, and the stadium that is used in this deck. Broken Time-Space(or BTS, as most call it), is used to give this very, very slow deck some much needed speed. Use it to play down an entire Gengar line after it dies and you recovered it with Rescue Energy. Use it to get a turn one Vileplume. Use it to your advantage. If your opponent runs some as well, and you play your own, then you clog their hand even more, despite the fact that you give them the advantage of using it. It doesn't need to be in the deck, but it is strongly advised that you put it in to give this deck the speed to keep up.
6Copycat is a supporter that was reprinted in the HGSS set we had. Why would Copycat be useful in this deck? Well, while you are locking your opponent the entire game, their hand probably would get pretty big. Take advantage of this massive hand by playing Copycat, and getting your own massive hand of your own. Add insult to injury with this card.
7: Twins is the final "staple trainer" used in Vilegar. You can play Twins whenever you are down on prizes, which helps at any point in the game. Specifically though, if you get a Spiritomb and any other basic start(basic meaning one that you can Darkness Grace to evolve), then you automatically get use of Twins. Because whenever Spiritomb dies, you are down on prizes, and get the ability to use Twins. Besides that fact, Twins can bring you back into the game with some much needed cards, like energy, or Gengars, or BTS's, or other useful cards.
As I said before, Vilegar runs a certain amount of "staple techs". There are very few of them, but I feel they should still be covered.
In Vilegar, it is very practical, and sometimes essential to run a healing pokemon. This is for a few reasons. Reason number one is that if a deck comes around that spreads a lot of damage, they can clear your board clean, and there isn't much you can do about it. Number two is that whatever small damage decks can do to Gengar under the lock can be healed away to make the Gengar seem even bigger and more threatening than ever. The third(and final reason) is it just gives Gengar(especially when it is Lv.X'd) that tank factor, which is just a pain in the butt to deal with.
#1: Nidoqueen RR. Nidoqueen RR is the first healing tech. Ran as a 1-1-1 line(usually), Nidoqueen is set up after you have a Gengar and a Vileplume set up. Sitting on the bench the entire game, Nidoqueen will just heal away, clearing any damage from your bench within turns, and healing Gengars quickly. In difficult situations, Nidoqueen can even take advantage of the psychic energy in the deck and use them to attack, if need be.
#2: Blissey PT is the second healing tech. Blissey is a lot less common, and a lot less popular than Nidoqueen, but still good. For a simple discard from your hand, Blissey heals 20 damage from one of your pokemon. A small amount of healing compared to what Nidoqueen can do, Blissey serves a second purpose. In the Vilegar mirror match, Blissey can discard stadiums or supporters, lessening the amount of damage an enemy Poltergeist would do. In matches against Lostgar, Blissey can discard pokemon, lessening the amount of pokemon a Gengar prime could Hurl into Darkness.
These two cards are the healing pokemon you should test between. Others have been tried, but either of these two seem to work most effectively. Besides these two, there are definitely other techs that can be put into lists.
Spiritomb ( TM ): Like in Lostgar, this Spiritomb is a possible option for a single reason. Shuffle your opponents hand into their deck, and give them a fresh six cards, hoping that their new hand is full of trainers, supporters or stadiums for you to use as damage.
Black Belt: A supporter with similar effects of Twins. Instead of searching out two cards from the deck, Black Belt simply adds an extra 40 damage onto whatever attack you do that turn. That means that a Poltergeist could go from 60 damage to 100 damage all in a single turn. This card is a viable option, but since you should be doing plenty of damage anyways, it isn't really needed. Still, it is a viable option, just in case.
Seeker: Seeker is another tech supporter you can run. Use it to re-use one-of poke-powers, like Spiritomb ( TM ), Mesprit, Crobat, Uxie, or any others. Or, use Seeker as a means of instantly healing all damage from a Gengar and putting down a fresh one. Multiple uses. If you can fit in the space, I would advise doing it.
Mr.Mime(CoL): Mr.Mime is another tech option, just like Spiritomb, that is from Lostgar. Use Mr.Mime to look at both hands, and count the trainer before you attack, as well as seeing if your opponent has any counter attacks or tricks up their sleeve.
Smeargle(UD): A tech used for consistency, Smeargle is here to mooch your opponent's supporters, as well as your own. This is very helpful in the mirror, as well as against SP, because you can use their own Cyrus's Conspiracy against them. Smeargle helps against any deck, really.
Ditto: Another tech that is used in the mirror, or against other Gengar decks. Send up Ditto and copy one of an enemy pokemon's attacks(like Shadow Room, for example), without getting any negatives about the pokemon. Copy their HP as well, but don't formulate game plans with him, because he can't copy bodies or powers. Still, Ditto is a useful competent tech for the mirror, and one that any Vilegar player could/should watch out for.
Mesprit: Mesprit is in here to add a crippling component to the already brutal trainer lock. A simple Mesprit drop can halt your opponent's "turn clock" by a turn, essentially putting you one step ahead. In a format like this, powers and trainers are essential. Lock both of them, in a single turn, and you are going to have a problem. Also, if you run Seeker, you can play Mesprit and when you play Seeker, keep dropping Mesprit to ensure the lock just keeps on going.
Slowking HGSS: This is a tech that many have started to use. This tech, which was previously thought of as just weird and for collection purposes only, now has a strong place in this deck. Use it to look at the top three cards of your opponents deck, choose useless cards like trainers or stadiums, and put them on top of your opponents deck. The next turn they draw, its another trainer that they cant use, and that is more damage for you! Definitely a tech that should be used if you want to get angry opponents as well, this is definitely a strong tech.
Crobat G: Crobat G is an obvious tech for any Gengar deck. Many however, do not use it in Vilegar. The reason that it is in here is because if you are having trouble getting lots of energy and can only do Shadow Room, or the opponent just doesn't have any trainers in their hand, this lone Crobat G, when dropped, will allow you to one shot pixies with Shadow Room, and still take prizes. Combo with Seeker, and you can kill off all low HP pokemon on the field.
Rescue energy: More staple than tech, Rescue energy is here for two simple reasons. The first is to provide extra colorless energy for attaching. The second, more obvious one, is that if you attach a rescue and a psychic energy to Gengar and start Poltergeisting, then watch as that Gengar dies, you get the pleasure of picking it up(discarding all cards attaching to it), and returning it back to your hand. Next turn, if you have BTS down, you can return the entire line back down onto the field, continuing your purple onslaught. Very useful, a must in this deck.
Warp energy: Another staple energy for this deck, Warp energy is one, more common, more effective way to deal with the high retreat costs of Vileplume, and Nidoqueen or Blissey. If something with a heavy retreat cost gets dragged active, just attach a warp energy and send it back to the bench. Besides that function, you can use it to help charge a Poltergeist.
Dodrio SV: Not a tech I would prefer over Warp energy, but Dodrio is a tech that many have experimented with to deal with the retreat costs of Vileplume or other heavy-retreat cost pokemon. With this pokemon on your bench, there isn't a pokemon in your deck that can't be retreated for free or with a single energy. This is a free prize for Luxray as well, so be cautious.
Lostgar: I know, I know. You are probably thinking to yourself that I am crazy for suggesting this as a tech. It has its own deck, so why tech it in here? Well, with Vilegar, you can run a 3-3-3-1 Gengar line using all Fainting Spell Gengar, but a lot of people have been opting for a 3-3-2/1-1 Gengar line, using one of the other Gengar's as a tech for their third Gengar. Use this Gengar as a way to get rid of pesky Lv.X or evolution pokemon sitting in your opponents hand, just waiting to be played. Or, if need be, use it to put four damage counters anywhere, and then use Shadow Room the next turn for some quick prizes.
Cursegar(or Gengar AR): Cursegar is a card that used to have a lot of popularity last season, but died out due to Claydol. Well, this Gengar is back, making a tech appearance in Vilegar. This Gengar definitely does the most solid, non-luck based damage out of the three, as well as coming with a neat disruption power, to move damage counters away and get some early spread going. It does have a rather hefty energy cost, but it can be worth your while to run it.
Use caution when choosing your techs with this deck, as it is very pokemon heavy. Make sure your Spiritomb, Gengar, Vileplume and healer lines are all in check before you start throwing in the techs. Techs are good, but if you run to many, that defeats the point of using them. Some Vilegar decks don't have room for any techs(besides a healer) and still do fine. Others have plenty of room. This is a deck that is completely up for interpretation however you like.
Vilegar has many positives going for it. Besides the fact that it is one of the cheaper decks to make(Spiritombs, Uxies, and Azelfs are league promos), it is also one of the easier decks to play. Combine this with the fact that Vilegar is still a good deck that can shred through a deck if not prepared, Vilegar is a great option for states, if you just cannot decide on a deck. Without further ado, the list!
Vilegar:
3-3-3-1 Gengar
4 Spiritomb
2-2-2 Vileplume
1-1-1 Nidoqueen
2 Uxie
1 Unown Q
1 Azelf
1 Smeargle
= 28 pokemon
4 Warp energy
3 Rescue energy
6 Psychic energy
= 12 energy
3 Pokemon Collector
3 Bebe's Search
3 PONT
1 Palmer's Contribution
3 Twins
3 Broken Time-Space
1 Professor Elm's Training Method
2 Copycat
= 20 t/s/s
As I said before, this list is just basic. Edit it as you please. This deck is simple, easy to make, yet still a very good deck. Just watch out, as you do run a lot of pokemon.
This will conclude the end of part 1. Part 2 is right below, with the next set of decks! Keep reading!
~~
I will provide lists for the decks, but they will probably just be the most basic, because netdecking ruins creativity, and the entire point of this is to educate on how to make your own lists, to suit your metas, and your playing styles, not just copy mine. NOTE: I HAVE NOT, NOR DO I ADMIT THAT THESE LISTS PROVIDED ARE THE BEST THEY CAN BE. DO NOT POST ON THIS ARTICLE ABOUT STRANGE THINGS WITH THESE LISTS. THIS IS SIMPLY A BASE, OR A SKELETON LIST, FOR NEWER PLAYERS TO IDENTIFY. PLEASE KEEP THIS ARTICLE FREE OF DECK DISCUSSION. THERE ARE OTHER FORUMS FOR THAT. THANK YOU.
With each deck, I will be talking about the main combo cards, as well as a few staple tech cards. At the end of the article, I will talk briefly about just overall tech cards that you could or should expect to see from deck to deck. Multiple decks will be covered here, so this could be a long one. Lets get started.
Deck #1: Gengar prime(Lostgar).
Probably one of, if not THE most hyped card of the season. Is it the hype truly worth it? Only time can truly tell. Even if it doesn't live up to the hype, it still just looks like a great card. What makes it so good?
Gengar prime comes with two attacks, a Poke-body, 130 HP, a X2 weakness to dark, a -20 resistance to colorless, and no retreat cost. Just at first glance, those stats look great. Combine these with a great Lv.X, and you have yourself one menacing pokemon
Gengar prime has two attacks. Its second attack, Cursed Droplets, places four damage counters on any of your opponents pokemon in any way you like. This is a fairly decent attack. Spread one damage counter to four pokemon, then use the X for Compound pain, and attempt to take multiple prizes. Use the four damage counters on an Uxie, and two shot it. All in all, it is a decent attack. Not one you should be charging for constantly, but still a solid fallback option.
Gengar prime's body is a devastating one. Simply put, if Gengar prime is active, and an opponent's pokemon is knocked out while it is, the pokemon that was knocked out goes to the lost zone, instead of the discard. The remaining cards attached to it go to the discard as normal, but that pokemon is removed from play. If an Uxie gets knocked out while he is active, it is lost for the rest of the game, possibly ruining your opponent's chances at drawing. If you are able to finish off a main attacker with Gengar prime, or use some sort of power to do so while he is active, then that pokemon goes away for the rest of the game. Truly, this body is one that should be feared, especially if your side of the board starts to get cluttered with damage. If this is the case, react quickly, as things may turn out very bad for you.
Despite the positives of these attacks and stats, these aren't what made Gengar prime so hyped. Gengar's first attack, Hurl into Darkness, is unlike anything previously seen.
Wow. This single attack is what makes Gengar prime currently worth $40. For a single psychic, you could remove a pokemon in your opponent's hand from play. There is plenty to talk about this attack as well.
The shear ability to choose your opponent's Pokemon and remove them from the game is unbelievable, and can ruin your opponent's entire strategy. Lv. X's beware, this card can keep you out of the game for good. Add to the fact that if you have multiple psychic, you can remove entire evolution lines? The thought of drawing random Pokemon from your deck with a common Uxie Set-up now becomes a huge problem, if you happen to be playing this deck. Any slip-ups, and Lostgar(as many players are dubbing it) will quickly take advantage of it, possibly stopping your game strategy in its tracks.
However, these attacks alone don't win you games. Expecting to take six prizes with Cursed Droplets? Good luck. Remember that win condition I previously mentioned? That win condition happens to work wonderfully with Gengar prime, and is what makes the deck such a good deck.
(will add a higher quality scan when it is up)
Lost World, a newly released Stadium to the U.S, contains an all new win condition. If your opponent has six or more pokemon in the Lost Zone, you can simply declare victory. The Lost Zone, a previously unexplored area of the game, has suddenly become one of the fast ways to win, coming in quickly behind Donk decks.
Getting pokemon into the Lost Zone would normally be difficult. Palkia G Lv.X's poke-power, while good, is slow to set up in some games, and doesn't always work. Giratina Lv.X's attack is expensive, and does low damage. If only there was a card that could easily put Pokemon into the Lost Zone-oh wait! There is! Yes, this is the card that makes Gengar prime as good as it is. After a few turns of using Hurl into Darkness, if you are lucky, will enable you to win the game quickly. The more energy on Gengar, the greater potential you have of winning using Lost Zone. Pokemon-heavy decks will definitely need to tweak their lists, as Gengar will have great match ups against them.
Even with this incredible combo, Gengar still can't win on its own. Like every deck, Gengar needs some techs:
Palkia G Lv.X: This was one of the first three Pokemon to incorporate the Lost Zone into the game. Taking the form of a power, Palkia G Lv.X's Lost Cyclone Poke-power allows both players to choose three pokemon on their bench. The remaining pokemon go into the Lost Zone. Originally paired with the Pixie pokemon; Azelf, Mesprit and Uxie, Palkia G is a very good tech for Gengar. This Lv. X allows you to possibly Lost Cyclone, and then Hurl into Darkness in the same turn, nabbing you a good few pokemon in the Lost Zone. This card also allows you to win with Lost World, even if you can't seem to get a Gengar going. Players should always be on the watch, and keep small bench sizes, as Palkia can wreak havoc on unprepared players and decks.
Mr. Mime TM: Similar to the promo Noctowl we received a year ago, Mr. Mime has a very similar power. The only difference between the two is you must reveal your hand as well. Usually, this isn't a big deal, because you are usually in control of players, and seeing your hand and potential ability to bring out a fresh one the moment one of your's dies can strike fear in your opponent. Using this as a tech to look at your opponent's hand before attacking is a great idea, it allows you to make plays accordingly depending on what is in their hand. If they have 10 cards in hand, but no pokemon, you just wasted an attack, but using Mr. Mime will allow you to see what you are getting into before you go through with it.
Spiritomb TM: Having trouble getting pokemon into the Lost Zone with Gengar? Sick of dealing with your opponent having a small hand? Well, you won't have this problem anymore with Spiritomb! Using Spiritomb's handy Poke-power forces your opponent to shuffle his hand into his deck, and draw a fresh six cards. Normally, you wouldn't want your opponent getting an entirely new hand, but the chances of them drawing pokemon are a lot higher, allowing you to continue your destruction of their hand. Trainers can do a lot, but without Pokemon to finish up the trainer's command, there is nothing they can do. A tech that should be used in every Gengar, it allows you to possibly get plenty of new pokemon into the Lost Zone.
Seeker: A very, very obvious card for Gengar, but I feel I should talk about it anyways. Seeker is a Super Scoop up that always flips heads, and it works for both players, but only on their benches. Play Seeker, and both players pick up a Pokemon. When played with Gengar, you ensure that at least one pokemon(if they picked up an Uxie, for example) will be in your opponent's hand, allowing you to put a pokemon in the Lost Zone. Added onto that special effect, you can pick up your own Uxie, and draw more cards.
Mesprit LA: A pokemon with the ability to put your opponent in a one-turn power lockdown is definitely one that is good. While the power only activates the turn you play it, it can be reused. If you run Seeker, you can make your opponent pick up a pokemon, and you pick up your own Mesprit, dropping it again, keeping your opponent in a power lock.
Staraptor FB: Staraptor FB Lv.X is a great tech for Gengar, for a single reason. You can use it to search out supporters from your deck, like Twins, or PONT, or a Collector. This increases the consistency of your deck a lot, and is a definite recommendation for the deck, if you have the chance.
Mew(prime): A special prime that has a very peculiar body and attack, this tech has been talked about as a tech in Gengar, as a tech primarily for the mirror. If one of your Gengars is put into the Lost Zone, you can send up a Mew and use Hurl into Darkness, thanks to its body.
Ditto: Another tech used primarily for mirrors, Ditto does just that. If an enemy Gengar is harassing you, send up this guy if you can't get an actual Gengar set up, and get the same effect, as long as their Gengar is active. Adding Rainbow energy with Ditto allows for a range of enemy attacks that can be copies, like Take out(Machamp SF), Dragon Steam/Pump(Kingdras), Mass attack(Jumpluff), Shadow Room(Gengar SF), and many more. A very versatile tech, and definitely worth a slot in a deck.
Vileplume:
Ah, Vileplume. A card made incredibly popular in Vilegar(Vileplume and Gengar SF), this card can be a tech for Lostgar. Running Vileplume obviously cuts off your supply to trainers, but it is truly a punishing lock that you can put your opponent in. Removing their pokemon from play AND getting rid of their ability to play trainers? That IS mean.
These are just a few of the many techs you could try. Gengar is a great card, no one is doubting that. Like every deck though, Gengar can be beaten, and there will be decks that are created just to beat Gengar. It may not live up to the hype, and even if it doesn't, you should still be prepared. When you think of decks that you can encounter at States, this should be the first deck that comes to your mind when making a list. Keep it low on pokemon, and you just might make it out of this match up alive.
As promised earlier, here is a basic example of what a Lostgar(Gengar prime/Lost World) list would look like:
3-3-3-1 Gengar (SF-SF/SF/TM-Prime)
2-1 Uxie
1 Unown Q
1 Azelf
2-1 Palkia G
1 Mesprit
1 Spiritomb ( TM )
2-1 Staraptor FB
= 23 pokemon
2 Warp energy
2 Rescue energy
6 Psychic
= 10 energy
3 Pokemon Collector
3 Bebes Search
3 Broken Time Space
3 Rare candy
1 Palmer's Contribution
4 Seeker
3 Twins
2 Pokemon Communication
1 Luxury ball
2 Lost World
2 PONT(Professor Oak's New Theory)
= 27 t/s/s
This list seems to be a fairly standard list, using BTS(Broken Time Space) and Rare candy to quickly evolve Gengar, Twins for when they kill a Gengar(seeing as you won't be taking many prizes), and Staraptor FB and Palkia G there to support you for consistency, or for additional Lost Zone. Feel free to use this list as a skeleton, or don't use it at all! However, in my personal opinion, if you copy this list card for card, you should not expect to win States.
~~
Deck #2: Luxchomp(and BLG)
Since the Platinum set was released, there wasn't a single person prepared for the popularity and greatness that would turn out to be SP. A deck that is so good that has made players quit the game surely can't exist, yet it has for the last two years. Out of all the SP decks that are released, there are only a select few that emerge on the top, and stay there. Luxchomp, and its cousin BLG are a prime example of a deck that has dominated, and continues to dominated formats across the world, and with good reason. Being one of the fastest, most versatile deck comes with its privileged, getting the title of BDIF(Best deck in format) by many. So what makes it so good? Lets find out.
Garchomp C Lv. X. 110 HP. Free retreat. X2 weakness to colorless. A single attack and a single poke-power. Unless you have been living under a rock since August 2010, you should know everything about this card. When you hear the word meta, one of the first cards that should come to your mind is this one. I won't go to in depth about this card, as 99% of people should know what it does, and why it is good.
The ability to do a solid 80 damage snipe anywhere on the field is one of the best attacks in the game. Once a good attack, it gained a near-mythical status thanks to Double Colorless Energy. Drop an Energy-gain and a DCE on Garchomp, and you have a simple, powerful attack. It can one-shot most Stage 1 forms of evolution pokemon, as well as being able to kill any pixies.
Add onto this the ability to heal any and all damage on any of your SP pokemon by simply leveling up Garchomp and using his poke-power Healing Breath(a power that will be discussed later in this article), and you have yourself one of the best Lv. Xs ever created.
~
Luxray GL Lv.X. Have you ever asked someone how expensive it would be to make a Luxchomp deck? Most people will go into the 100s, and you probably wonder why. Simply put, this card is the sole reason for the high price of the deck. Alone, this card is worth anywhere from $75-$90, on any given site.
110 HP, X2 weakness to fighting, -20 resistance to steel, free retreat, and electric typing can't make this card worth so much. A single attack, and a poke-power. At first glance, anyone would wonder just why this card is so good. Upon closer inspection, you can see just why.
Any old player remembers the card Gust of Wind. You know, that trainer that lets you pick one of your opponent's pokemon and switch it to their active spot(sadly renamed Pokemon Catcher, thanks to Black and White). Luxray GL Lv.X's power is almost a word for word reprint of Gust of Wind, which it is what makes it so good. Being able to pull up any pokemon your opponent has is wonderful. See a pokemon with a big retreat? Pull it up to the active spot and retreat to Garchomp and stall while you take cheap prizes. See a weakened pokemon that retreated away and is trying to get a few moments of peace before returning to the fight? Send up Luxray, and yank it back up to the active spot.
Combine this one-of-a-kind power with Flash Impact, Luxray GL Lv.X's only attack, and you have the ability to take swift and easy "chump" prizes. For a lightning and a colorless, you do 60 damage, with a 30 damage whiplash on any of your pokemon, something that can be healed off later, thanks to Garchomp C Lv.X's poke-power. 60 damage doesn't seem like much, but with starters like Sableye and Spiritomb having only that much, and the Pixies having only 10 more, you can quickly pull them up and clean them off the board, taking a prize in the process. Add Crobat G drops to kill off the Pixies, or any pokemon that you are just short of killing.
~~
(for BLG only)
BLG is called BLG for a reason: Blaziken, Luxray, Garchomp. This is very close to Luxchomp, so both often use the same techs. BLG is more geared towards disruption, as well as the added bonus of type advantage, thanks to Blaziken's fire type.
Blaziken comes with 110 HP, just like the other Lv. Xs in this deck. Fire type, one retreat cost, a body, X2 weakness to water, and a single attack allow Blaziken to fit so nicely into this deck.
Blaziken's body, Burning Spirit, combos with the basic form of this pokemon. The basic has an attack called Luring Flame, which chooses one of your opponent's benched pokemon, and switch them with their active, burning them. Then, the body adds 40 from attacks to all burned pokemon, be it yours or your opponents. This allows you to pull up big pokemon, burn them, then the next turn hit them for a lot of damage, using Blaziken Lv. X's attack, Jet Shoot.
While Jet Shoot is a powerful attack, it does have a severe draw back that you must be aware of. While it puts out a solid 80 damage for a single fire and a colorless energy, it has a serious recoil factor. The turn after you use Blaziken Lv.X's Jet Shoot, any attack done to the active Blaziken Lv.X is increased by 40. For example: If there is an enemy Azelf active, and I use Jet Shoot to kill it, and they bring up an Uxie Lv.X. They use Zen Blade to attack me, which normally does 60 damage, but thanks to Jet Shoot's recoil of 40 extra damage, Zen Blade will do 100.
This attack makes Blaziken an incredible fragile pokemon. While the damage output on it is incredible, you must be cautious about when you use it, because chances are, you will be trading a prize for a prize with this Blaziken. Generally, save Jet Shoot for knocking out big defensive pokemon, like Steelix or Dialga(with special metals attached), killing pokemon with an Expert belt attached to them, or just putting that giant enemy pokemon out of its misery. You should save it for those situations, as in most matchups, Blaziken can and will be killed in return. Save Jet Shoot on pixies for Luxray or Garchomp, and leave most of the 80 damage attacks to Garchomp, thanks to his snipe. Besides the drawbacks, Jet Shoot is a powerful attack, and one that both you and your opponent should definitely be aware of.
Luxchomp and BLG are common examples of decks that perform well, and have consistently done so. Using one of the most powerful card engines in the game, the Cyrus engine, these SP have made a bold statement, and have been difficult for any deck to topple.
~It all starts with Cyrus's Conspiracy. This is the staple card behind all SP and their success. When you play it, you can search your deck for another supporter, a basic energy, and an SP tool card(all of which will be covered shortly). That supporter you grab can be another Cyrus's Conspiracy, allowing you to start something called the Cyrus chain, which is basically a four-turn chain of you using Cyrus to get Cyrus, and continue on with your SPs powerful domination and control of the game. You can grab any supporter in your deck though; Pokemon Collector, Bebes Search, Aarons Collection, or even stray ones like Looker's Investigation, PONT, or Copycat are all game. Cyrus's Conspiracy is complimented by four simple SP tools.
1. Energy-Gain: Energy-Gain is the first of the four tools. Attaching Energy-Gain to an SP pokemon allows their attack costs to drop by a colorless energy. Attacks that previously needed a fire and a colorless now only need a fire(in the case of Blaziken FB Lv.X's Jet Shoot). This tool allows you to pull off quick kills, while running lower amounts of energy, and still doing lots of damage. This card, combined with DCE(Double Colorless energy), allows you to use Garchomp C. Lv.X's Dragon Rush attack, and do an 80 snipe. That alone makes E-gain(Energy-Gain) a staple, because of the caliber of that single attack. It works wonders with any SP pokemon though, and is needed, in at least three copies, in any SP deck.
2.Power Spray: Power Spray is next. Being the most controversial SP trainer, Power Spray does exactly what you would think: Spray, or stop enemy Poke-powers. Previously, Mesprit's Psychic Bind Poke-Power, or Gardevoir's amazing Psychic Lock attack were the only things that locked powers(in the meta, anyways) in the modified format. Power Spray was released, and changed everything. If you have three SP pokemon on your field, you may play Power-Spray, blocking one of your opponent's powers on their turn. If they play Uxie and use Set-Up and try to draw cards, you can spray it, and it stops them, leaving a useless Uxie on their bench. This card alone has changed how people use powers, with them now using them more carefully, or even using "bait powers", to make you spray them so they can put that extra 10 damage, or draw those crucial cards. Power Spray is another must, in at least three copies in any main-stream SP deck.
3.Poketurn: The third SP tool card is Poketurn. As the most expensive of the SP tool bunch, it proves that it is the best. When you play it, you pick up one of your SP pokemon, and return it, as well as all cards attached to it, to your hand. Energy-Gains, energy, technical machines, anything. All of it goes right back into your hand, free of charge. Think of it as a Super Scoop Up, or a Seeker, that always flips heads for ANY SP pokemon. Obvious combos are using a Bright Look(Luxray GL Lv.X) to pull up a pokemon, then Poketurn Luxray. Use Flash Bite(Crobat G) for that extra 10, then pull it back to your hand. Drop a Garchomp C Lv.X and use Healing Breath, clearing your board of damage before returning it back to the hand. The combinations are endless, but one thing is certain: Poketurn is a MUST, in four copies.
4.SP Radar: The fourth and final SP tool, SP Radar acts as the search card. Energy-Gain is for attacking, Poketurn is for healing, Power Spray is for disruption, and SP Radar is definitely for the search. Almost a word for word reprint of the staple Bebes Search supporter card, SP Radar forces you to put a card back on top of your deck to search out a pokemon. The great thing about it is that it is a trainer, and can be grabbed along with Cyrus's Conspiracy, so you can get a pokemon from Cyrus, all in a single turn. The downside about it(if there hardly is one), is that it can be blocked by trainer lock, as well as the fact that it ONLY grabs SP. Sorry Uxie, no cheap draws yet. Seeing as it is a trainer, you should still run it with Bebes search, in the off chance you run into a trainer lock deck.
~5~Aaron's Collection: Not so much an SP tool, but still needing mention. Aaron's Collection is your primary recovery. When you play this supporter, you can search your discard for any combination of two SP pokemon, or basic energy. This means you can grab that crucial lightning energy again, or grab some SP pokemon. You can even grab SP Lv.X, like Luxray GL Lv.X or Garchomp C Lv.X! At least one copy is a must.
One of the things about Luxchomp and BLG that makes them so great is their ability to disrupt, and their ability to tech out for various metas. What kind of techs can you commonly see among them, and what are some popular options?
In Luxchomp, there are two kinds of "techs". There are the normal techs that you can put in to counter your meta, and there are "staple techs". These are not so much as staples, but are not as important as the main pokemon. There are generally five "staple techs", and I will discuss them below, followed by the actual techs for the meta.
Bronzong G: Not so much a tech as much as a staple, Bronzong should find a way in any SP deck. Used only for its Galactic Switch poke-power, Bronzong G keeps energy on the field, and allows you to "attach" two energy a turn, allowing you to power up your SP pokemon in a single turn, as well as helping charge up some non-SP pokemon in a turn, like Uxie X, or Drifblim.
Crobat G: Another staple SP pokemon, Crobat G is used in any deck, be it non-SP or SP. Simply put, his poke-power is in the deck to nudge those pokemon that are just 10 HP off into a one-hit KO range. Combined with a free retreat cost, Crobat is essential for using Luxray to kill of pixies with Flash Impact, killing pokemon like Regice, Bronzong G or Ninetails with a Garchomp C snipe, or using it to one-shot Gyrados(belted or non), or Machamp. Crobat is essential, and make sure you fit at least one in any list of SP, and in some cases, even non-SP.
Ambipom G: An SP card that has dipped in and out of the public eye for sometime, Ambipom is a solid SP tech. For a single energy, you can move an energy attached to the active pokemon away to one of their benched pokemon. Use Tail-Code(what the attack is called) to move a Double Colorless to a benched Azelf. Move a special metal or dark from a big attacker to one of the benched pokemon. Ambipom's second attack, Snap Attack, does 60 damage for two colorless, but will decrease in damage to 20 if the defending pokemon has energy on it. Use Ambipom to kill enemy Garchomp C Lv.Xs if they use a DCE(Double Colorless) and an E-gain(Energy gain) with your own Double after a snipe. Ambipom can even donk, if you are lucky.
Dragonite FB: The fourth SP staple tech, Dragonite is a pokemon that gained popularity very quickly, and held it tightly. Used for Mach Blow, Dragonite has the ability to one shot 98% of all basic SP, as well as Garchomp C Lv.X. Mach blow does 20 damage normally, but will instead do 80 damage if the defending pokemon is a pokemon SP. for three colorless energy, or a DCE and an E-gain, you can do some serious damage. A card that is very easy to get(it was a league promo!), but is incredibly good. Needed as a one-of in any SP deck.
Lucario GL: The final staple SP pokemon, Lucario GL is used solely for his body. The body turns all weaknesses on the field of all pokemon to X2, instead of what they normally are. Why would you want this to happen to your pokemon? Well, all SP pokemon have an X2 weakness to things anyways, so this just balances the odds. Lucario is used as an assistant to your pokemon. Use Luxray GL Lv.X with Lucario GL to OHKO(One-Hit-Knock-Out) a Gyrados(with a Crobat G Flash-Bite, of course) for a single, or two prizes(if they have an Expert Belt). Use Uxie Lv.X's Zen Blade, with Crobat G and Lucario GL to kill a Take-Out Machamp, which would otherwise cause you serious damage. Lucario is also a must have, and is only used in situations where you can add double weakness for knock-outs in one hit.
Aside from the staple cards, Luxchomp and BLG often have room for some techs.
Drifblim FB: Drifblim is one of those odd-ball SP tech pokemon. For a psychic and two colorless energy, you can do 40 damage to any pokemon on the field. The weird part about Drifblim, is that he is the only pokemon to apply weakness and resistance to benched pokemon, who would otherwise be free from that. This allows Drifblim to kill off pokemon like Uxie and Azelf, as well as causing serious damage to pokemon like Vileplume and Nidoqueen. As an added bonus, Drifblim gains an extra 40 HP if your opponent has taken at least three prizes, turning Drifblim into a tank.
Drifblim(UD): This Drifblim is another tech. For a psychic and a colorless, he does 60 damage, with a 20 recoil. People first looked at this card as the "cheapman's" counter to Machamp. If you cannot afford an Uxie Lv.X, and do not have room for the Toxitank engine(will be discussed in a moment), Drifblim is a strong option that can be used. Aside from the ability to counter Machamp, Drifblim is a good counter to many other things as well. For three colorless energy, you can return Drifblim and all cards attached to it back to your deck. However, you choose the defending pokemon as well, and do the same thing. This can be an effective way to counter pokemon that tank, like Steelix or Dialga, as well as getting rid of stall cards, like Mewtwo Lv.X. They lose a big pokemon, but you still have your own pokemon which can score quick knockouts while they struggle to set up once more.
Promocroak: Toxicroak G promo, commonly referred to as Promocroak, is a tech that is really on-the-fence. Some players love Promocroak, and always fit him into their builds, while others hate him, and would rather run trainers or other pokemon. For a single psychic and a colorless(or an E-gain!), he does 20 damage, with a catch. If one of your pokemon was knocked out last turn, he instead does 60 damage, plus poison. This makes Promocroak the perfect revenge KO pokemon, and probably why his attack is called Revenge Poison. Added with this attack is a power that is a built in Super-Scoop Up. You have the chance of getting him out of the active spot, even without using a Poketurn, returning all the cards attached to him as well. He has to be active to use this power, but he isn't that bad of a starter because of this, even under trainer lock.
Smeargle: Smeargle is a newer tech for SP, and it is used as a tech for consistency. Add Unown Q to this pokemon, and whenever one of your own pokemon die, you can send him up to the active spot, use one of your opponent's supporters, then retreat back and use your own, getting in two supporters a turn. A great pokemon to start with, if they have a Pokemon Collector or other good supporter in their hand.
Toxicroak PT&Skuntank G: Toxitank is a "group tech" that is a well known one. Using Toxicroak G and Skuntank G, you poison your opponent and do some major damage. The reason for the resurgence of this tech is that with Unown G out of the format, Machamp was free to run rampant, and be able to one-shot an entire SP deck, with the ability to win the game in exactly 6 turns. Toxitank changes that entire plan, however. Besides the fact that it can one-shot a Machamp with a Lucario GL, even without Crobat G(thanks to the poison from Toxicroak's attack), Toxicroak's body prevents it from taking any effects of enemy attacks, except straight damage. That means that Machamp cannot use Take-out to kill Toxicroak(and therefore, not do the 40 damage), and must rely on Hurricane Punch(or other pokemon) to kill it. Toxicroak's attack, which normally does 20 damage, will do 40 more damage, if the defending pokemon is poisoned. Combo this with Skuntank G's power, which poisoned both active pokemon that aren't SP if you control a stadium in play, and you can easily do 70 damage, or 130 on an enemy Machamp(with Lucario GL). Because you need stadiums in play, this allows you to run certain stadiums in your deck that benefit SP, but not evolution pokemon, like Snowpoint Temple(gives all basic pokemon +20 HP), or Galactic's HQ(which puts two damage counters on any pokemon that is evolved from the hand, each and every time they do it). Use Toxitank as another cheap counter to Machamp, as well as having a counter to pokemon that are weak to psychic. Skuntank adds that added disruption factor of poison to any of your opponent's pokemon.
Dialga G Lv.X: Aside from having a deck built specifically for it, Dialga has been seen teched in Luxchomp builds, as a counter to Vileplume(to free you from the trainer lock), and get rid of annoying healing bodies like Nidoqueen. Surprisingly, Dialga also counters "the rogue". What this means is that usually when you encounter a rogue, they use some sort of weird body, which helps them. This allows you to shut it off, and counter the entire rogue's strategy(in some cases). Prime examples of this would be Ampharos or Monarchy(Nidoqueen and Nidoking).
Honchkrow G: Honchkrow G is one that is used in various decks, if they have room. Not a bad card, Honchkrow G is usually used for his first attack, which searches your deck in any combination of two SP tool cards, or stadium cards. This can search you out some early Poketurns or Powersprays(for example), or get a stadium like Snowpoint Temple.
Below, I will provide two basic lists. One for BLG, and the other for Luxchomp. NOTE: BOTH LISTS USE UXIE LV.X. IF YOU DON'T HAVE ONE OR CAN'T GET ONE, FEEL FREE TO SUB IN DRIFBLIM, TOXITANK, OR NON AT ALL.
Luxchomp:
2-2 Garchomp C Lv.X
2-1 Luxray GL Lv.X
2-1 Uxie Lv.X
1-1 Dialga G Lv.X
1 Azelf
1 Lucario GL
1 Unown Q
1 Dragonite FB
1 Promocroak
1 Ambipom G
1 Bronzong G
1 Crobat G
1 Smeargle
= 21 pokemon
4 Double Colorless energy
3 Electric energy
1 Psychic energy
3 Call energy
2 Warp energy
= 13 energy
4 Cyrus's Conspiracy
4 Poketurn
4 Energy-Gain
3 Power Spray
3 SP radar
3 Pokemon Collector
2 Aaron's Collection
1 Bebe's Search
1 Pokemon Communication
1 Premier Ball
= 26 t/s/s
A fairly standard list, using the Dialga G Lv.X tech as a counter to Vileplume, with Warp Energy to get it back to the bench.
~~
BLG:
2-2 Garchomp C Lv.X
2-1 Luxray GL Lv.X
2-1 Blaziken FB Lv.X
2-1 Uxie Lv.X
1 Azelf
1 Unown Q
1 Smeargle
1 Dragonite FB
1 Lucario GL
1 Bronzong G
1 Crobat G
1 Promocroak
1 Ambipom G
= 22 pokemon
4 Double Colorless Energy
3 Electric energy
1 Psychic energy
2 Fire energy
3 Call energy
= 13 energy
4 Cyrus' Conspiracy
4 Poketurn
4 Energy-Gain
3 Power Spray
3 SP Radar
3 Pokemon Collector
1 Bebe's Search
2 Aaron's Collection
1 Pokemon Communication
= 25 t/s/s
As you can see, both lists are fairly similar. In my honest opinion, I like BLG more than Luxchomp, but Luxchomp is definitely the more consistent of the two.
~
Deck #3: Vilegar
Vilegar is the other Gengar deck that is in format. Obviously not getting as much hype as Lostgar, Vilegar is still a great deck, and one of the few that puts up a punishing lock unparallel to any other deck.
Vilegar's primary strategy is this: set up a full-game trainer lock, and then use Gengar SF to attack, doing lots and lots of damage. Just how does this combo work? Vilegar uses three primary cards: Gengar SF, Spiritomb AR, and Vileplume UD, all of which will be covered below.
Gengar SF is the main hitter of the deck. 110 HP, free retreat, -20 resistance to colorless, and a +30 weakness to dark. Stat-wise, Gengar doesn't have much going for it. Gengar also comes with two attacks, and a poke-power, all of which are incredible.
Gengar's first attack, Shadow Room, puts three damage counters on any of your opponent's pokemon, for a single psychic energy. If the pokemon you choose has a poke-power though, Shadow Room puts SIX damage counters instead! That puts pokemon like Uxie and Azelf within 10 damage of being knocked out, or cuts the HP of an enemy Gengar by half. An attack that can get you quick knock-outs(and even cheap donks), this is an attack that is a good fall-back for when you can't do any substantial damage, or knock out big pokemon that have powers. However, attaching Expert Belt does not put 8 damage counters on an active pokemon(if they have powers), because they are damage counters, not damage, therefore no resistance, weakness, or any other effects are applied.
Gengar's second attack, Poltergeist, is the main attack of the deck. For a psychic and a colorless, this attack does 30X the number of trainers, supporters and stadiums in your opponent's hand. This would normally be a risky attack, as you can't guarantee there will be those trainers there, but with Vileplume, you permanently lock them in their hand(from being played), so you can ensure that major damage can be done, without risking it. You would be surprised as even the biggest hitters fall to the might of this attack.
Gengar also comes with a very controversial power, and one that has stirred plenty of anger among players. The power is called Fainting Spell. Simply put, if Gengar is killed with damage(not poison, damage counters, or powers), you get to flip a coin. If it's heads, the defending pokemon is knocked out as well. That means you can take a prize, and then you get to attack on your turn as well. This single power can turn the game around entirely. If they have an Expert Belt, and you flip heads, you get to take two prizes as well! This adds to the incredible ability that this power brings to the table. There are ways to get around this, however. Using a status condition(like poison or burn), using a poke-body(one that does damage in between turns, like Bronzong MD for example, or using a "hide attack"(like Uxie's Psychic Restore, or Shuppet's Fade Out) all get around this power. Despite this, it is still a power that is irritating to have to deal with, and one that you should always be prepared to deal with.
Using Poltergeist, you want to ensure that there are trainers there. Vileplume ensures that trainers(not supporters and stadiums) stay in the hand for you to do damage with.
Vileplume is the support of the deck, used primarily for, and only for, its poke-body.
Vileplume comes in at 120 HP, with a two retreat cost, an X2 weakness to psychic, a poke-body, and a sub-par attack. Seeing as Vileplume's attack isn't really good at all, because of its high cost, and the fact that you don't run any grass energy, I will not cover it at all. Instead, I will cover it for its body, and only that.
Vileplume's body is just like that of Spiritomb's. When it is in play, neither player can play trainers. That means SP players cannot play their Poke-turns, SP radars, Power Sprays, or Energy-Gains. Speed decks cannot play their rare candies or communications. Gyrados cannot play its junk arms. Not a single trainer can be played the entire game. This can lock up decks tightly, and force a brutal match for your opponent. The unique(and admittedly best) part of Vileplume's body, is that UNLIKE Spiritomb, you do not have to be active to take advantage of it. That means Vileplume can just sit there on the bench, locking trainers, while you are off slugging with Gengar.
Vileplume does have its drawbacks though. It comes with a two retreat cost, which may be costly to retreat, and sometimes, you can't even do it. Luxray GL Lv.X's Bright Look and Blaziken FB's Luring Flame can all cause problems for you and your Vileplume if you are not prepared to deal with them. Add to that fact that Vileplume is in one-shot range from pokemon like Uxie Lv.X, or Drifblim(UD), and Vileplume can be removed from the game rather quickly, if you manage to get it pulled up to the active spot. Dialga G Lv.X also shuts off Vileplume's body, rendering it useless. Despite these drawbacks, Vileplume has shown that it is an amazing tech, and one that can be a pain to deal with.
As I mentioned earlier, Vileplume's body is just like Spiritomb(AR)'s. Lets look at that card as well.
Spiritomb is the definite starter for this deck. Using his body, you stop both players from playing trainers. This doesn't effect you at all(seeing as you won't be running any), and yet it stalls your opponents set up. At first they are staring at a Spiritomb and a few basics, and just a few turns later, they are under the full game lock, wondering just what to do. Spiritomb comes with this body, as well as two attacks.
Spiritomb's body is just like Vileplume's. The only downside is that you must be active to use it. This is unfortunate, but this grants Spiritomb the proper name of starter, even more so than before. You won't be running trainers, so this won't effect you at all.
Spiritomb's second attack, Will-O-Wisp, is awful, and won't be used at all. Therefore, I won't cover it at all. What I WILL cover is Spiritomb's first attack, Darkness Grace.
Darkness Grace costs 0 energy to use(a new feature added into the DP-era of cards), and allows you to search your deck for an evolution of one of the pokemon on your bench, and put it on that pokemon. If you do, you must put a damage counter on Spiritomb. With only 60 HP, these extra damage counters may add up, but in doing so, you prepare yourself for revenge KOs, and allow yourself to get set-up easily. This attack is simply amazing. By taking away your ability to use trainers, you are instead granted the ability to evolve your pokemon multiple times a turn, even without a Broken Time-Space. This attack and the body make Spiritomb as valuable as it is today.
Some would think that Spiritomb is a pricey card to obtain, but it is actually fairly cheap! This is because P!P(Play! Pokemon) recently released it as the first card of its second season of promos. That means all you have to do to get them is just play at a local league!
Like SP, Vilegar(what this deck is commonly referred to as) runs a set of techs, and a set of "staple techs". I will be covering some of both below. Vilegar also runs a set of supporters to assist it, so I will cover those first.
1: #1 on the list is Pokemon Collector. Like any deck in this format, Pokemon Collector is a staple. Use it to grab three basic pokemon. Stuck with a lone Spiritomb active? Just play Collector, grab a Gastly, an Oddish, and an Uxie, and start evolving away, and get set-up! There isn't much else to this card, it is very simple and self-explanatory. Three is the BARE minimum for this card. Don't have three? Try your very hardest to get some, or at least borrow some for a tourney. Running any less is unacceptable.
2: Bebe's Search is next. Again, I will not go into depth much. This is going to be your primary source of getting evolved forms(as Collector can't get them, and you aren't going to be attacking with Spiritomb the ENTIRE game you know...). Put a card from your hand back and grab a pokemon. This can be a Lv.X, or just an evolved form. You can even grab basics with this as well, but try to save those for Collector, if possible.
3: Palmer's Contribution is a very common staple supporter. Its the simple recovery of any evolution deck now. Play it, and choose any combination up to five of pokemon and basic energy, and shuffle them back into the grab. Grab a Gengar line, the Lv.X, and a psychic energy. Grab a Gengar line, an Uxie and an Unown Q. Whatever you grab, know that this is your recovery, so make it count. Rescue energy should limit the amount of Gengars you would take, but it is still a necessity.
4: Professor Oak's New Theory, more commonly referred to as PONT, is a supporter that came out with Pokemon Collector. Interestingly enough, PONT was thought of as a "bad" card by a lot of players, that is until Yuta Komatsuda, the 2010 World Champion took the Masters title with Luxchomp, strangely running three PONT in his deck. Now, PONT is a staple card in Vilegar. Used as a way to get rid of a bad hand to keep up your lock, Vilegar NEEDS PONT. Often times, you will see a player have few cards in his hand, draw, evolve a pokemon, then play PONT, and get a fresh six, while you are still struggling to get going. Very good, and very useful, PONT is a definite must, in at least two copies.
5: Broken Time-Space is the fourth "staple" trainer, and the stadium that is used in this deck. Broken Time-Space(or BTS, as most call it), is used to give this very, very slow deck some much needed speed. Use it to play down an entire Gengar line after it dies and you recovered it with Rescue Energy. Use it to get a turn one Vileplume. Use it to your advantage. If your opponent runs some as well, and you play your own, then you clog their hand even more, despite the fact that you give them the advantage of using it. It doesn't need to be in the deck, but it is strongly advised that you put it in to give this deck the speed to keep up.
6Copycat is a supporter that was reprinted in the HGSS set we had. Why would Copycat be useful in this deck? Well, while you are locking your opponent the entire game, their hand probably would get pretty big. Take advantage of this massive hand by playing Copycat, and getting your own massive hand of your own. Add insult to injury with this card.
7: Twins is the final "staple trainer" used in Vilegar. You can play Twins whenever you are down on prizes, which helps at any point in the game. Specifically though, if you get a Spiritomb and any other basic start(basic meaning one that you can Darkness Grace to evolve), then you automatically get use of Twins. Because whenever Spiritomb dies, you are down on prizes, and get the ability to use Twins. Besides that fact, Twins can bring you back into the game with some much needed cards, like energy, or Gengars, or BTS's, or other useful cards.
As I said before, Vilegar runs a certain amount of "staple techs". There are very few of them, but I feel they should still be covered.
In Vilegar, it is very practical, and sometimes essential to run a healing pokemon. This is for a few reasons. Reason number one is that if a deck comes around that spreads a lot of damage, they can clear your board clean, and there isn't much you can do about it. Number two is that whatever small damage decks can do to Gengar under the lock can be healed away to make the Gengar seem even bigger and more threatening than ever. The third(and final reason) is it just gives Gengar(especially when it is Lv.X'd) that tank factor, which is just a pain in the butt to deal with.
#1: Nidoqueen RR. Nidoqueen RR is the first healing tech. Ran as a 1-1-1 line(usually), Nidoqueen is set up after you have a Gengar and a Vileplume set up. Sitting on the bench the entire game, Nidoqueen will just heal away, clearing any damage from your bench within turns, and healing Gengars quickly. In difficult situations, Nidoqueen can even take advantage of the psychic energy in the deck and use them to attack, if need be.
#2: Blissey PT is the second healing tech. Blissey is a lot less common, and a lot less popular than Nidoqueen, but still good. For a simple discard from your hand, Blissey heals 20 damage from one of your pokemon. A small amount of healing compared to what Nidoqueen can do, Blissey serves a second purpose. In the Vilegar mirror match, Blissey can discard stadiums or supporters, lessening the amount of damage an enemy Poltergeist would do. In matches against Lostgar, Blissey can discard pokemon, lessening the amount of pokemon a Gengar prime could Hurl into Darkness.
These two cards are the healing pokemon you should test between. Others have been tried, but either of these two seem to work most effectively. Besides these two, there are definitely other techs that can be put into lists.
Spiritomb ( TM ): Like in Lostgar, this Spiritomb is a possible option for a single reason. Shuffle your opponents hand into their deck, and give them a fresh six cards, hoping that their new hand is full of trainers, supporters or stadiums for you to use as damage.
Black Belt: A supporter with similar effects of Twins. Instead of searching out two cards from the deck, Black Belt simply adds an extra 40 damage onto whatever attack you do that turn. That means that a Poltergeist could go from 60 damage to 100 damage all in a single turn. This card is a viable option, but since you should be doing plenty of damage anyways, it isn't really needed. Still, it is a viable option, just in case.
Seeker: Seeker is another tech supporter you can run. Use it to re-use one-of poke-powers, like Spiritomb ( TM ), Mesprit, Crobat, Uxie, or any others. Or, use Seeker as a means of instantly healing all damage from a Gengar and putting down a fresh one. Multiple uses. If you can fit in the space, I would advise doing it.
Mr.Mime(CoL): Mr.Mime is another tech option, just like Spiritomb, that is from Lostgar. Use Mr.Mime to look at both hands, and count the trainer before you attack, as well as seeing if your opponent has any counter attacks or tricks up their sleeve.
Smeargle(UD): A tech used for consistency, Smeargle is here to mooch your opponent's supporters, as well as your own. This is very helpful in the mirror, as well as against SP, because you can use their own Cyrus's Conspiracy against them. Smeargle helps against any deck, really.
Ditto: Another tech that is used in the mirror, or against other Gengar decks. Send up Ditto and copy one of an enemy pokemon's attacks(like Shadow Room, for example), without getting any negatives about the pokemon. Copy their HP as well, but don't formulate game plans with him, because he can't copy bodies or powers. Still, Ditto is a useful competent tech for the mirror, and one that any Vilegar player could/should watch out for.
Mesprit: Mesprit is in here to add a crippling component to the already brutal trainer lock. A simple Mesprit drop can halt your opponent's "turn clock" by a turn, essentially putting you one step ahead. In a format like this, powers and trainers are essential. Lock both of them, in a single turn, and you are going to have a problem. Also, if you run Seeker, you can play Mesprit and when you play Seeker, keep dropping Mesprit to ensure the lock just keeps on going.
Slowking HGSS: This is a tech that many have started to use. This tech, which was previously thought of as just weird and for collection purposes only, now has a strong place in this deck. Use it to look at the top three cards of your opponents deck, choose useless cards like trainers or stadiums, and put them on top of your opponents deck. The next turn they draw, its another trainer that they cant use, and that is more damage for you! Definitely a tech that should be used if you want to get angry opponents as well, this is definitely a strong tech.
Crobat G: Crobat G is an obvious tech for any Gengar deck. Many however, do not use it in Vilegar. The reason that it is in here is because if you are having trouble getting lots of energy and can only do Shadow Room, or the opponent just doesn't have any trainers in their hand, this lone Crobat G, when dropped, will allow you to one shot pixies with Shadow Room, and still take prizes. Combo with Seeker, and you can kill off all low HP pokemon on the field.
Rescue energy: More staple than tech, Rescue energy is here for two simple reasons. The first is to provide extra colorless energy for attaching. The second, more obvious one, is that if you attach a rescue and a psychic energy to Gengar and start Poltergeisting, then watch as that Gengar dies, you get the pleasure of picking it up(discarding all cards attaching to it), and returning it back to your hand. Next turn, if you have BTS down, you can return the entire line back down onto the field, continuing your purple onslaught. Very useful, a must in this deck.
Warp energy: Another staple energy for this deck, Warp energy is one, more common, more effective way to deal with the high retreat costs of Vileplume, and Nidoqueen or Blissey. If something with a heavy retreat cost gets dragged active, just attach a warp energy and send it back to the bench. Besides that function, you can use it to help charge a Poltergeist.
Dodrio SV: Not a tech I would prefer over Warp energy, but Dodrio is a tech that many have experimented with to deal with the retreat costs of Vileplume or other heavy-retreat cost pokemon. With this pokemon on your bench, there isn't a pokemon in your deck that can't be retreated for free or with a single energy. This is a free prize for Luxray as well, so be cautious.
Lostgar: I know, I know. You are probably thinking to yourself that I am crazy for suggesting this as a tech. It has its own deck, so why tech it in here? Well, with Vilegar, you can run a 3-3-3-1 Gengar line using all Fainting Spell Gengar, but a lot of people have been opting for a 3-3-2/1-1 Gengar line, using one of the other Gengar's as a tech for their third Gengar. Use this Gengar as a way to get rid of pesky Lv.X or evolution pokemon sitting in your opponents hand, just waiting to be played. Or, if need be, use it to put four damage counters anywhere, and then use Shadow Room the next turn for some quick prizes.
Cursegar(or Gengar AR): Cursegar is a card that used to have a lot of popularity last season, but died out due to Claydol. Well, this Gengar is back, making a tech appearance in Vilegar. This Gengar definitely does the most solid, non-luck based damage out of the three, as well as coming with a neat disruption power, to move damage counters away and get some early spread going. It does have a rather hefty energy cost, but it can be worth your while to run it.
Use caution when choosing your techs with this deck, as it is very pokemon heavy. Make sure your Spiritomb, Gengar, Vileplume and healer lines are all in check before you start throwing in the techs. Techs are good, but if you run to many, that defeats the point of using them. Some Vilegar decks don't have room for any techs(besides a healer) and still do fine. Others have plenty of room. This is a deck that is completely up for interpretation however you like.
Vilegar has many positives going for it. Besides the fact that it is one of the cheaper decks to make(Spiritombs, Uxies, and Azelfs are league promos), it is also one of the easier decks to play. Combine this with the fact that Vilegar is still a good deck that can shred through a deck if not prepared, Vilegar is a great option for states, if you just cannot decide on a deck. Without further ado, the list!
Vilegar:
3-3-3-1 Gengar
4 Spiritomb
2-2-2 Vileplume
1-1-1 Nidoqueen
2 Uxie
1 Unown Q
1 Azelf
1 Smeargle
= 28 pokemon
4 Warp energy
3 Rescue energy
6 Psychic energy
= 12 energy
3 Pokemon Collector
3 Bebe's Search
3 PONT
1 Palmer's Contribution
3 Twins
3 Broken Time-Space
1 Professor Elm's Training Method
2 Copycat
= 20 t/s/s
As I said before, this list is just basic. Edit it as you please. This deck is simple, easy to make, yet still a very good deck. Just watch out, as you do run a lot of pokemon.
This will conclude the end of part 1. Part 2 is right below, with the next set of decks! Keep reading!
~~
.
