Pokemon (16):
Bill's Maintenance:
Energy (14):
Altaria GX's main appeal is in the fact that it has a repeatable immunity attack for EX and GX pokemon. This can, and in theory often will, give it an upper hand against the majority of the meta. In addition, It also has a secondary attack that can ignore SHL Hoopa's ability and one-shot it with a baby altaria on the bench.
Reasons NOT to play this deck
200 Hp is... not a fun number to hit. Most decks competent enough to counter Zoroark can probably deal with it, but that's only if it can get past the attack, or just not be a GX... Too bad Guzma's a thing, as that particular aspect kind of ruins everything, especially considering the general frailty of the baby Altarias. That, and the list as it stands does not have a super great draw power, and I am having a hard time deciding what auxiliary draw support to pair with the obvious play set of Cynthia, hence the collection provided in the slot. Pokemon search is also fairly Item heavy, but in a world where Trashalanche is surprisingly absent, I'm not super concerned.
Why this works:
To sum, I like this. Not as much as Rayquaza/Vikavolt, but I like this. I am really interested to see how dragons take over the meta and how the fairy support set will affect this particular archetype, which uses the fairy energy.
- Swablu (DRM) (4)
Swablu – Colorless – HP60
Basic Pokemon
[C] Collect: Draw a card.
[C][C] Peck: 20 damage.
Weakness: Lightning (x2)
Resistance: Fighting (-20)
Retreat: 1
Basic Pokemon
[C] Collect: Draw a card.
[C][C] Peck: 20 damage.
Weakness: Lightning (x2)
Resistance: Fighting (-20)
Retreat: 1
- Altaria (DRM) (3)
Altaria – Dragon – HP80
Stage 1 – Evolves from Swablu
Ability: Fight Song
Your [N] Pokemon’s attacks do 20 more damage to your opponent’s Active Pokemon (before applying Weakness and Resistance).
[C][C] Pierce: 20 damage.
Weakness: Dairy (x2)
Resistance: none
Retreat: 1
Stage 1 – Evolves from Swablu
Ability: Fight Song
Your [N] Pokemon’s attacks do 20 more damage to your opponent’s Active Pokemon (before applying Weakness and Resistance).
[C][C] Pierce: 20 damage.
Weakness: Dairy (x2)
Resistance: none
Retreat: 1
- Altaria GX (3)
Altaria-GX – Dragon – HP200
Stage 1 – Evolves from Swablu
[Y][C] Bright Tone: 50 damage. During your opponent’s next turn, this Pokemon can’t be damaged by attacks from your opponent’s Pokemon-GX and Pokemon-EX.
[W][Y][C] Sonic Edge: 110 damage. This attack’s damage isn’t affected by effects on your opponent’s Active Pokemon.
[Y][C] Euphoria GX: Your opponent’s Active Pokemon is now Asleep. Heal all damage from all of your Pokemon in play. (You can’t use more than 1 GX attack in a game.)
When your Pokemon-GX is Knocked Out, your opponent takes 2 Prize cards.
Weakness: Fairy (x2)
Resistance: none
Retreat: 1
Stage 1 – Evolves from Swablu
[Y][C] Bright Tone: 50 damage. During your opponent’s next turn, this Pokemon can’t be damaged by attacks from your opponent’s Pokemon-GX and Pokemon-EX.
[W][Y][C] Sonic Edge: 110 damage. This attack’s damage isn’t affected by effects on your opponent’s Active Pokemon.
[Y][C] Euphoria GX: Your opponent’s Active Pokemon is now Asleep. Heal all damage from all of your Pokemon in play. (You can’t use more than 1 GX attack in a game.)
When your Pokemon-GX is Knocked Out, your opponent takes 2 Prize cards.
Weakness: Fairy (x2)
Resistance: none
Retreat: 1
- Tapu Lele GX (2)
- Latios Prism (1)
Latios Prism Star – Dragon – HP140
Basic Pokemon
You can’t have more than 1 Prism Star card with the same name in your deck. If a Prism Star card would go to the discard pile, put it in the Lost Zone instead.
[C][C] Dragon Fleet: 50x damage. This attack does 50 damage times the number of [N] Evolution Pokemon you have in play.
Weakness: Fairy (x2)
Resistance: none
Retreat: 1
Basic Pokemon
You can’t have more than 1 Prism Star card with the same name in your deck. If a Prism Star card would go to the discard pile, put it in the Lost Zone instead.
[C][C] Dragon Fleet: 50x damage. This attack does 50 damage times the number of [N] Evolution Pokemon you have in play.
Weakness: Fairy (x2)
Resistance: none
Retreat: 1
- Deoxys (atk) (2)
Deoxys – Psychic – HP120
Basic Pokemon
[C][C] Psychic: 20+ damage. This attack does 20 more damage for each Energy attached to your opponent’s Active Pokemon.
[P][P][C] Power Blast: 120 damage. Discard 1 Energy from this Pokemon.
Weakness: Psychic (x2)
Resistance: none
Retreat: 1
Basic Pokemon
[C][C] Psychic: 20+ damage. This attack does 20 more damage for each Energy attached to your opponent’s Active Pokemon.
[P][P][C] Power Blast: 120 damage. Discard 1 Energy from this Pokemon.
Weakness: Psychic (x2)
Resistance: none
Retreat: 1
- Oranguru (1)
- Cynthia (4)
- Mysterious Treasure (4)
- Ultra Ball (4)
- Nest Ball (3)
- Guzma (3)
- Lance Prism (1)
Lance Prism Star – Trainer
Supporter
You can’t have more than 1 Prism Star card of the same name in your deck. If a Prism Star card would go to the discard pile, put it into the Lost Zone instead.
You can only play this card if 1 of your Pokemon was Knocked Out during your opponent’s last turn.
Search your deck for 2 [N] Pokemon and put them onto your Bench. Then, shuffle your deck.
You may play only 1 Supporter card during your turn (before your attack).
Supporter
You can’t have more than 1 Prism Star card of the same name in your deck. If a Prism Star card would go to the discard pile, put it into the Lost Zone instead.
You can only play this card if 1 of your Pokemon was Knocked Out during your opponent’s last turn.
Search your deck for 2 [N] Pokemon and put them onto your Bench. Then, shuffle your deck.
You may play only 1 Supporter card during your turn (before your attack).
- Choice Band (2)
- Escape Board (3)
- Zinnia (1)
Zinnia – Trainer
Supporter
You can only play this card if 1 of your Pokemon was Knocked Out during your opponent’s last turn.
Attach up to 2 basic Energy cards from your hand to 1 of your [N] Pokemon.
You may play only 1 Supporter card during your turn (before your attack).
Supporter
You can only play this card if 1 of your Pokemon was Knocked Out during your opponent’s last turn.
Attach up to 2 basic Energy cards from your hand to 1 of your [N] Pokemon.
You may play only 1 Supporter card during your turn (before your attack).
- Field Blower (2)
- Copycat/Judge/Bill’s Maintenance (3)
Copycat – Trainer
Supporter
Shuffle your hand into your deck. Then, draw a number of cards equal to the number of cards in your opponent’s hand.
You may play only 1 Supporter card during your turn (before your attack).
Supporter
Shuffle your hand into your deck. Then, draw a number of cards equal to the number of cards in your opponent’s hand.
You may play only 1 Supporter card during your turn (before your attack).
Bill’s Maintenance – Trainer
Supporter
If you have any cards in your hand, shuffle 1 of them into your deck, then draw 3 cards. (If you can’t shuffle a card into your deck, you can’t play this card.)
You may play only 1 Supporter card during your turn (before your attack).
Supporter
If you have any cards in your hand, shuffle 1 of them into your deck, then draw 3 cards. (If you can’t shuffle a card into your deck, you can’t play this card.)
You may play only 1 Supporter card during your turn (before your attack).
- Fairy (8)
- Water (3)
- DCE (3)
Altaria GX's main appeal is in the fact that it has a repeatable immunity attack for EX and GX pokemon. This can, and in theory often will, give it an upper hand against the majority of the meta. In addition, It also has a secondary attack that can ignore SHL Hoopa's ability and one-shot it with a baby altaria on the bench.
Reasons NOT to play this deck
200 Hp is... not a fun number to hit. Most decks competent enough to counter Zoroark can probably deal with it, but that's only if it can get past the attack, or just not be a GX... Too bad Guzma's a thing, as that particular aspect kind of ruins everything, especially considering the general frailty of the baby Altarias. That, and the list as it stands does not have a super great draw power, and I am having a hard time deciding what auxiliary draw support to pair with the obvious play set of Cynthia, hence the collection provided in the slot. Pokemon search is also fairly Item heavy, but in a world where Trashalanche is surprisingly absent, I'm not super concerned.
Why this works:
Pokemon:
Trainers:
Energy:
Starting with Pokemon, Specifically the headliner: Altaria GX. Streaming Bright Tone is very important. Luckily, it only costs two energy. Also luckily, it won't be a super large hassle to ramp up the admittedly mediocre 50 damage, thanks to the baby Altaria from Dragon Storm/Majesty. Now, you may notice I have 6 Stage 1 pokemon for the same evolutionary line. That is because I can use Lance Prism Star, once a Deoxys or something is knocked out, to get out the extras. Speaking of the deoxys, It is present to play as a harder Swole counter than just walling, since it can hit my frail bench sitters. Latios is meant to be more explosive once I get set up, since it can Blow up to 200 damage with two of each Altarias, excluding the modifiers from them and choice band. Truely lethal in a pinch, which is why I like it.
Now onto trainers, Escape board is there to provide free retreat to the baby altarias or the big ones, since they all have one retreat, reduced to zero by the board. Eleven item-based search cards seems like enough, but it may be too specified, I don't know. Three Guzma over four exists to allow for more supplementary draw support, since the wall effect does not lend itself kindly to Guzma switching, although the aforementioned low retreat helps. The tool split is the way it is to allow for certain cards like latios and Altaria gx to hit big numbers while having three boards allows for a fairly fluid system or getting things where I want them. Not perfect, but doable and acceptable. One copy of Zinnia exists to fully charge a front-lining pokemon in a pinch, like some knockout that came out of nowhere from a baby Hoenn Starter (Swampert, Sceptile, Blaziken) or even a Garchomp. Two field blowers are pretty standard, and are able to get rid of things like choice band. As for the other draw support, I really am torn equally between the three options. One provides disruption, one is situationally brilliant, and the other is consistent and provides a means to draw decently and preserve things for later, a great way to save resources.
Finally, energy. 8 Fairy and three water should be decent enough to keep the altarias afloat in most if not all situations. You cannot use DCE with them, but you can with the 1-to-2-offs, which is why they are there, but not maxed in count. Water is also not super necessary or adding to the GX wall tactic, but it can be used to blow up a Lele or something with a Choice Band and two Altarias.
To sum, I like this. Not as much as Rayquaza/Vikavolt, but I like this. I am really interested to see how dragons take over the meta and how the fairy support set will affect this particular archetype, which uses the fairy energy.
