Expanded Trying to build Zekrom-EX / Eels

[RoboSensei]

Hey there, just signed up here looking for a decent way to improve an in-progress build of one of the first deck's I ever saw back in 2012 - Zekrom-EX / Eelektrik.

I've been playing for a long time, but am pretty weak in the field of making my own deck, I usually just steal decklists off of YellowSwellow, DarkIntegral or google.

So without further ado, let's get on with this horrid list;

Pokemon - 17
3 Zekrom-EX (NXD 97/99)
2 Zekrom (BW 114/114)
4 Tynamo (NVI 38/101)
4 Eelektrik (NVI 40/101)
2 Keldeo-EX (BCR 49/149)
1 Jirachi-EX (PLB 60/101)
1 Mewtwo-EX (NXD 54/99)

Trainers - 31

Supporters -17
1 Pokemon Collector (HS 97/123)
3 Professor Oak's New Theory (HS 101/123)
1 Lysandre (AOR 78/98)
4 Professor Juniper (DEX 98/108)
2 Skyla (BKT 148/162)
2 Bianca (LTR 109/113)
2 Colress (PLS 118/135)
2 N (BW100)

Items -14
2 Battle Compressor Team Flare Gear (PHF 92/119)
4 Ultra Ball (ROS 93/108)
2 Float Stone (BKT 137/162)
3 Level Ball (AOR 76/98)
2 Pokemon Catcher (BKP 105/122)
1 Computer Search (BCR 137/149)

Energy - 12
8 Lightning Energy
4 Double Colorless Energy (NXD 92/99)

The deck's goal is to get up in running a few turns in with a turn 1 DCE attachment on a Zekrom-EX, then use Keldeo-EX to Rush In, Dynamotor twice, Float Stone into the benched Zekrom-EX and start dealing 150 turn after turn while cycling between Keldeo-EXs and Zekrom-EXs to get the energies flowing. Mewtwo-EX is in there for a counter to just slap in a DCE or double Dynamotor it to take out opposing Psychics I know this is Expanded and not Legacy, where we can still use current meta cards like Shaymin-EX, VS Seeker and Trainers' Mail, but I want the deck to mostly run on a Legacy-like engine.

I'm open for all sorts of feedback.

 

[LovelyBuns]

Hi! I absolutely love any eels build so I'd be happy to help out

Supporters:

- 1x Skyla
- 2x Bianca
- 1x Colress
- 1x PONT
- 1x Juniper

Trainers:

- 2x Catcher

Pokemon:

- 1x Eelektrik
- 1x Zekrom

I think there's too many supporters in the deck... Which can give you really weird hands when you draw.

Catcher can be unreliable and a waste of a card if you don't land heads.

Take a Zekrom out as it'll only be used as a backup attacker, so one is enough.

I think you'll only need 2 Eels on bench at a time with this deck as Zekrom-EX is charged by a DCE and two eels.

What to add:

Supporters:
+ 1x Lysandre (Catcher alternative)

Trainers:
+ 4x VS Seeker
+ 3x Acro Bike

Pokemon:
+ 1x Smeargle (UD)

VS seeker is an amazing card in the deck! It also combos of with battle compressor which can help you search out for crucial for supporters that you need, such as Lysandre and Skyla. Also helps with the consistency and allows you to play less supporters

Acro bike is a great card in this deck, where you can both add cards to your hand and discard those energies you need for eels! It also works as a way to discard supporters for VS seeker and speed up the deck if your trying to look for something.

Smeargle is an amazing card that works well with Keldeo! It gives you another use of a supporter and lets you see your opponents hand. It can be easily retreated back with Keldeo's Rush-In. The only downside is they may have a supporter in their hand that you don't really need...

Possible other cards?

Fighting Fury Belt
Keeps your Mewtwo and Zekrom alive and stronger! With a +40HP and 10 more attack.

Shaymin (UL)
You can make clutch plays with mewtwo by letting you freely move around energies when it's placed down.

Skyarrow Bridge
It give all basics one less cost to retreat! So just incase you don't get that float stone + Keldeo combo off.

Junk Arm
An amazing card especially in this deck! It lets you search out for item cards that you really need from your discard while discarding electric energies at the same time.

That's all! I think my adjustments may not be the best, so just stick to whatever feels just right

 

[RoboSensei]

Hi! I absolutely love any eels build so I'd be happy to help out

Supporters:

- 1x Skyla
- 2x Bianca
- 1x Colress
- 1x PONT
- 1x Juniper

Trainers:

- 2x Catcher

Pokemon:

- 1x Eelektrik
- 1x Zekrom

I think there's too many supporters in the deck... Which can give you really weird hands when you draw.

Catcher can be unreliable and a waste of a card if you don't land heads.

Take a Zekrom out as it'll only be used as a backup attacker, so one is enough.

I think you'll only need 2 Eels on bench at a time with this deck as Zekrom-EX is charged by a DCE and two eels.

What to add:

Supporters:
+ 1x Lysandre (Catcher alternative)

Trainers:
+ 4x VS Seeker
+ 3x Acro Bike

Pokemon:
+ 1x Smeargle (UD)

VS seeker is an amazing card in the deck! It also combos of with battle compressor which can help you search out for crucial for supporters that you need, such as Lysandre and Skyla. Also helps with the consistency and allows you to play less supporters

Acro bike is a great card in this deck, where you can both add cards to your hand and discard those energies you need for eels! It also works as a way to discard supporters for VS seeker and speed up the deck if your trying to look for something.

Smeargle is an amazing card that works well with Keldeo! It gives you another use of a supporter and lets you see your opponents hand. It can be easily retreated back with Keldeo's Rush-In. The only downside is they may have a supporter in their hand that you don't really need...

Possible other cards?

Fighting Fury Belt
Keeps your Mewtwo and Zekrom alive and stronger! With a +40HP and 10 more attack.

Shaymin (UL)
You can make clutch plays with mewtwo by letting you freely move around energies when it's placed down.

Skyarrow Bridge
It give all basics one less cost to retreat! So just incase you don't get that float stone + Keldeo combo off.

Junk Arm
An amazing card especially in this deck! It lets you search out for item cards that you really need from your discard while discarding electric energies at the same time.

That's all! I think my adjustments may not be the best, so just stick to whatever feels just right

Thanks for this. I've been pondering the fact that there's too many supporters as well. Even debating taking out the Jirachi-EX just for this. I was trying to stay away from making it too meta with the VS Seekers and such, considering I still need about 20 more to finish off the rest of my decks I'm considering removing anything from HS-CoL and replacing them with Expanded alternatives (such as Fan Club instead of Collector and whatnot) in case I decide to take this to an Expanded tournament. Or If I went full Legacy, then I'd take out all of the XY cards such as Compressor and Lysandre, (hence the catchers) which is why 90% of the deck is B&W sets.

In addition to these changes, I see that the cards removed totaled to 10 and cards added came to 9, But I'll work it out.
To replace the Remaining PONTs in the deck, should I go with more copies of N? Or possibly add in Shauna or even Professor Birch's Observations? I'll turn the Collector into a Fan club to take care of that conversion.

Does the number of Keldeo-EXs and other trainers / supporters seem alright?

Thanks again for all the feedback anyone can give me

 

[LovelyBuns]

I must've counted 10 sorry! I'd reckon go expanded instead of legacy because there's a lot of better supports out there for the deck.

Pokemon - 13
2 Zekrom-EX (NXD 97/99)
1 Raikou (BKT)
4 Tynamo (NVI 38/101)
3 Eelektrik (NVI 40/101)
1 Mewtwo-EX (NXD 54/99)
2 Emolga (DRX)
Trainers - 34

Supporters -10
1 Pokemon Fan Club (GEN)
2 Lysandre (AOR 78/98)
3 Professor Juniper (DEX 98/108)
1 Colress (PLS 118/135)
3 N (BW100)

Items - 24
2 Battle Compressor Team Flare Gear (PHF 92/119)
4 VS Seeker (PHF)
4 Ultra Ball (ROS 93/108)
3 Fightning Fury Belt (BKP)
3 Level Ball (AOR 76/98)
3 Acro Bike (PRC)
3 Escape Rope/Switch
1 Super Rod (NVI)
1 Special Charge (STS)
1 Computer Search (BCR 137/149)



Energy - 12
8 Lightning Energy
4 Double Colorless Energy (NXD 92/99)

I actually the Keldeo-EX is kinda hard to pull out with the float stone...

How about give switch/escape rope + Emolga a try? Not only does Swtich let you Dynamotor stuff you need, you can go into Emolga which has free retreat. Emolga is a great card in these kind of decks as a starter as it fills your bench with Tynamo/Zekrom that you need!

Raikou was added because I feel it's a better alternative to Zekrom + it basically has an evolite attached to it with any lightning energy. The attack is also colorless too so it's also easily charged with a DCE.

Super Rod is in there to reshuffle any Tynamo or Eelektrik + energies that you need just in case all of them are in the discard.

I might make changes on this later! But it seems pretty solid to me at the moment. Another consideration could be to run Energy Switches

 

[RoboSensei]

I must've counted 10 sorry! I'd reckon go expanded instead of legacy because there's a lot of better supports out there for the deck.

Pokemon - 13
2 Zekrom-EX (NXD 97/99)
1 Raikou (BKT)
4 Tynamo (NVI 38/101)
3 Eelektrik (NVI 40/101)
1 Mewtwo-EX (NXD 54/99)
2 Emolga (DRX)
Trainers - 34

Supporters -10
1 Pokemon Fan Club (GEN)
2 Lysandre (AOR 78/98)
3 Professor Juniper (DEX 98/108)
1 Colress (PLS 118/135)
3 N (BW100)

Items - 24
2 Battle Compressor Team Flare Gear (PHF 92/119)
4 VS Seeker (PHF)
4 Ultra Ball (ROS 93/108)
3 Fightning Fury Belt (BKP)
3 Level Ball (AOR 76/98)
3 Acro Bike (PRC)
3 Escape Rope/Switch
1 Super Rod (NVI)
1 Special Charge (STS)
1 Computer Search (BCR 137/149)



Energy - 12
8 Lightning Energy
4 Double Colorless Energy (NXD 92/99)

I actually the Keldeo-EX is kinda hard to pull out with the float stone...

How about give switch/escape rope + Emolga a try? Not only does Swtich let you Dynamotor stuff you need, you can go into Emolga which has free retreat. Emolga is a great card in these kind of decks as a starter as it fills your bench with Tynamo/Zekrom that you need!

Raikou was added because I feel it's a better alternative to Zekrom + it basically has an evolite attached to it with any lightning energy. The attack is also colorless too so it's also easily charged with a DCE.

Super Rod is in there to reshuffle any Tynamo or Eelektrik + energies that you need just in case all of them are in the discard.

I might make changes on this later! But it seems pretty solid to me at the moment. Another consideration could be to run Energy Switches

I do think Emolga is a nice option, but using Switches / Ropes instead of Keldeo just seems to risky to me, on the occasion I won't have a switch card when I need one and I don't want to have to VS Seeker into Skyla if I desperately need to dig it out.

Also having only 2 compared to 3 Zekrom-EX seems odd to me, given the circumstance of a double prized attacker, or even a single one of them prized for that matter.

Concerning the Jirachi, I think I'll remove it and replace the PONTS with 4 Trainers' Mail to further dig for the crucial cards.

Yes, Raikou does have a colorless attack, but his damage output is reliant on his attachments of Lightning Energy, leaving with only a 70 attack if there's a DCE involved. Also given that I don't own any of said Raikou, I'll stick with one copy of Zekrom for now.

I'm reworking it a bit...

Okay, here's my current workings

Pokemon - 14
3 Zekrom-EX
2 Keldeo-EX
1 Mewtwo-EX
1 Zekrom
4 Tynamo
3 Eelektrik

Supporters - 11
1 Fan Club
4 Juniper
2 Lysandre
2 N
1 Colress
1 Skyla

Items - 23
4 Trainers' Mail
4 VS Seeker
2 Float Stone
3 Level Ball
4 Ultra Ball
3 Acro Bike
2 Battle Compressor
1 Computer Search

Energy - 12
8 Lightning Energy
4 DCE

Gonna try fitting 3 Fighting Fury Belts in somehow then I think I'm rolling...
I know I can ditch 1 Juniper at least.

 

[LovelyBuns]

I do think Emolga is a nice option, but using Switches / Ropes instead of Keldeo just seems to risky to me, on the occasion I won't have a switch card when I need one and I don't want to have to VS Seeker into Skyla if I desperately need to dig it out.

Also having only 2 compared to 3 Zekrom-EX seems odd to me, given the circumstance of a double prized attacker, or even a single one of them prized for that matter.

Concerning the Jirachi, I think I'll remove it and replace the PONTS with 4 Trainers' Mail to further dig for the crucial cards.

Yes, Raikou does have a colorless attack, but his damage output is reliant on his attachments of Lightning Energy, leaving with only a 70 attack if there's a DCE involved. Also given that I don't own any of said Raikou, I'll stick with one copy of Zekrom for now.

I'm reworking it a bit...

No worries! I actually wouldn't run Skyla in my opnion and the switches are there to bypasses tool scrapper or starling megaphone because it's an expanded format

Trainers' Mail is a nice card! running 2-4 in a deck is a nice addition which I forgot about.

Zekrom-EX can be left at either 2-3x. I think it should be at two as they're searchable via Emolga or Ultra Ball while also having Mewtwo as another attacker. Also scared that drawing into them after benching one may make it a dead card in hand?

The DCE on the Raikou is on the very optional occasion as it should be charged with mainly electric energies. Zekrom does awesome output damage too however the 40 damage on itself can be pretty scary, so usually it'll end up with a trade with your opponent.

If you were to throw Keldeo back in, then definitely run Skyla to search for float stones but I think the trouble with Keldeo is it takes up a spot on your bench where it'd be already filled with eels and attackers + Emolga. However the Emolga can work with the Keldeo as it does have free retreat!

Everyone has their own play styles so you don't have to go with my kind of build