I've been out of the game for a few months with college work to focus on, as I'm reading around here and trying to make my own predictions about what deck to focus on for the post-rotation metagame, I find my thoughts keep coming back to Alakazam and Mega-Kazam. It seems pretty damn awesome to me, and it doesn't hurt that he's been a long time fave of mine. now if only Mawile/Whimsicott/Volcarona would get some designer's love already
I guess this thread is to get a grip on other people's thoughts on these cards. See what I'm overlooking, and how I can fix it.
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People are predicting a meta with a lot of focus on Mewtwo & it's Mega. These ones in particular:
With a colourless attack that is quite over-powered, Mewtwo could become the Toad or Rayqueza of this format, with dozens of different approaches to it's build depending on what else raises in popularity. Especially with Nightmarch out of the picture, not many other things hit Psychic so hard. But that plays well for Alakazam too. Building any deck that can hit this for weakness might be a good way to start thinking about what is worth playing in the upcoming Standard format. Alakazam does just that. On the flipside, while Alakazam is of course, also weak to Psychic, it is notable that M-Mewtwo's fearful Infinity attack does not hit for weakness.
At 160 and 210 HP respectively, regular Mewtwo-EX needs three or four energy attachments to take out Alakazam-EX or it's Mega, while M-Mewtwo needs five energy attachments between you, or seven for the Mega. They are some pretty steep costs considering firstly, Alakazam is a low cost attacker even with the removal of Dimension Valley from the meta, and secondly, regular Alakazam will punish those attachments happening on the bench behind any wall.
If the meta at large is going to be focused around Mewtwo, the right Alakazam build ought have a favourable match-up here, along with pretty good chances against many other decks.
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All well and good. Mewtwo is gonna be everywhere and Alakazam is a great counter. But apart from the trouble that low-to-no energy decks like the aforementioned Greninja/Yanmega decks, why is everyone writing Alakazam off already then? The Season hasn't even begun.
Mostly due to one factor - Garbodor.
Of course Alakazam is a deck that pivots on being able to freely use it's abilities, and Garbodor shuts that right down. And how do you stop a problem like that? With Xerosic, and Startling Megaphone moving out of standard, we're left with little to no valid options for removing the tools of the opponent. This has led many (including myself) to expect a significant chunk of the metagame to be based around Garbodor decks, and needing to work around Garbodor decks. And I still do think that and it will be. It is going to be a big player in a lot of decks, make no mistake about that. And we will all have to figure out how to get around the trash bag king.
With no way to remove tools, we'll be reduced to either having decks that need no abilities to function, sniping at it on the bench from afar (except without abilities to do that awks), or using Lysandre to pull up Garb, and taking it out before it can float stone retreat home.
There is a card that was released in the same set as Alakazam, that hits for a perfect 50 - doubled to 100 thanks to weakness - that also synergises well with Alakazam in other ways - in Grumpig.
Most people looked at this card and assumed it was designed with helping topple Night March in mind except, well that really doesn't make sense when you think about it. So now think about it with an Alakazam build in mind. Its second attack stops Garbodor dead in its tracks, freeing up your abilities. Meanwhile, it's first attack is custom made to pull up an EX card from discard to the bench, and set it up so M-Kazam can hit it for 100 additional damage onto the 30 it will have. That's Shaymin or Manaphy range. Or, you can do 30 with Grumpig, plus 20 or 30 from an Alakazam evolution, and that's every-card-in-the-game range. It'd take two turns of course, but you get two prizes.
I fully believe this card was designed to be Alakazam's partner-in-crime, and nothing to do with Night March at all.
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There is a second partner to Alakazam I want to touch on, and it's not the obvious Generations Golbat reprint. (Although of course, he could be a way to build a Kazam deck)
Az has left the format. But Devolution Spray serves our purposes to the same ends, and without using a Supporter. Using Weavile's ability means with just one M-Kazam, and just one Spirit Link, it's possible to evolve up to four Alakazams in one turn. That's 20/40/60/80 damage to the active. As well as 30/60/90/120! damage to the bench. And that bench damage can be spread around to suit your needs be it piling on a Shaymin, polishing off some weak or injured, or just setting it up so your opponent's card are within killing distance for M-Kazam.
But why stop there? How many times have you wished you could make a Mega bulkier but for those damned Spirit Links occupying the tool slot? The deck can be tweaked to bring in Float Stones, Heavy Vests, Spoons, whatever future tools become important. Plus you can pass these tools around as needed. Once you have a Float Stone in play, it becomes everyone's Float Stone.
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I don't particularly have a conclusion here. I guess if you've read this far I'd like to know if you have other concerns apart from the trashbag about why Alakazam has no place in the Meta.
I'm also interested in other thoughts people might have approaching a Kazam build.
Other options I'm experimenting with include Golbat, Team Magma's Base (
Tell me what you think.
Sample current build:
Sidenote: Don't search for Alakazam on dA with the filters turned off or you're gonna have a bad time o.o Credit where it's due: Thumb taken from here: http://jakerichmond.deviantart.com/art/Alakazam-194584904
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