Discussion Thoughts on Salamence-EX

Nyora

Nyora

A Cat
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The new Salamecne-EX card is pretty good right? Btw if you don't know what it's used for it has [F][C][C] for 10+ and 50+ for each of your opponent's EX in play. It is a Dragon so it takes DDE which is cool in darkrai/Tina but post SM will it be any good? I'd assume it might become a card in some decks, but not really used at all. I know in the current format it's really good, but post SM with GX and high HP amounts and some energy hate, is it really that good?
 
Right now it's a big factor in Darkrai/Giratina Decks. In fact, yesterday I got too see one in action during the San Jose Regionals and it took down a Yveltal Deck no sweat. This is not a card to underestimate.
 
Anthony Orosco said:
Right now it's a big factor in Darkrai/Giratina Decks. In fact, yesterday I got too see one in action during the San Jose Regionals and it took down a Yveltal Deck no sweat. This is not a card to underestimate.
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yes I know first hand I didn't expect it and got destroyed but what about post SM with less and less EXs being good if any GX are good?
 
Well EXs won't fully rotate until 2018 unless TPCi decides to rotate from XY 5 up to SM 1 but I highly doubt it since that will leave only about 3-4 sets legal. EXs won't be plentiful after rotation in 2017 but still.
 
rainyman123 said:
Btw if you don't know what it's used for it has [F][C][C] for 10+ and 50+ for each of your opponent's EX in play.
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Not to nitpick, but in common shorthand it would be [RCC] or [R][C][C]. "F" usually stands for "Fighting", we don't use vowels (for whatever reason), so "Fire" got stuck using "R". Obviously though I get what you meant.

Having been more focused on Legacy Format, I hadn't noticed that Standard/Expanded were becoming really Pokémon-EX heavy. I mean until recently I was mostly using decks like Vespiquen and/or Night March, so I was used to having just one or two Pokémon-EX in play at a time. When I first saw the card, I mostly thought of the semi-recent decks that weren't so Pokémon-EX heavy (what I just said plus Trevenant BREAK, Greninja BREAK, and a few others). Yeah, that was a brain fail on my part. As long as your opponent has at least two Pokémon-EX in play, you'll get a good 110 damage out of it, and most decks will have that many in play if they have a decent (or better) setup. For want of something better to play I've gone back to the well known Maxie's Yveltal deck for Expanded play, where I usually have more like three to five Pokémon-EX in play... Salamance-EX gonna wreck me if it shows up. XD

rainyman123 said:
yes I know first hand I didn't expect it and got destroyed but what about post SM with less and less EXs being good if any GX are good?
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What @Anthony Orosco is trying to get at is that
  • Pokémon-EX are not Pokémon-GX (which you seem to know)
  • But Pokémon-EX are still going to be a major part of the metagame.
So Salamence-EX will have a few more match-ups where it isn't hitting quite as hard, there should be plenty of decks that will at worst run one less Pokémon-EX to make room for an additional Pokémon-GX, or not bother with the newer mechanic at all.
 
I think it's a one-of in every Volcanion deck, surprised that hasn't been brought up yet. I don't like how it depends on what your opponent's playing (like against Greninja it's useless) but if they have three EXs in play, that's 160 for three Energy. Fighting Fury Belt bumps that to 170. While you don't have access to Steam Up, that's enough for an OHKO on just about any EX. Against other Volcanion decks, that'll swing the mirror in your favor pretty quickly when they usually three Volcanion-EX and a Hoopa/Shaymin on the board.

Just a thought.
 
@Serperior

Hmm... of course an opponent's Fighting Fury Belt can counter that approach. For a Volcanion-EX deck, I assume it is a back up plan in case the other player can shut down your Abilities. It might get around the issue of telegraphing your tactics, at least. I haven't had much luck when I test Volcanion-EX builds, so do the ones that work use Max Elixir or not? I am guessing they do, so not only could use try and power up Salamence-EX in a single turn, but in doing so your opponent cannot attempt to reduce the number of Pokémon-EX on his/her side of the field.

The thing is, I label that as a "back up" because its a Volcanion-EX deck; the Fire Type Basics within it can hit just as hard (or harder) just as fast (or faster) while Abilities still function.
 
Putting it with Volcanion's probably not a bad idea. Steam up won't help it but considering 75% of decks I face have EX's it's probably not going to be a dead card too often. And Volcanion needs something to give it a boost. I play Yveltal Garb a lot and I absolutely own Volcanion. Adding Salamence will undoubtedly make Volcanion more competitive against Yveltal.
 
IT would be great in volcanion. You really need something to fight off mewtwo in case that Garbodor is grabbed quickly. It can also fight off various other deck like yveltal and such.
 
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