Expanded Turbo Darkrai

[Avi Kessler]

****** Pokémon Trading Card Game Deck List ******

##Pokémon - 11

* 2 Shaymin-EX ROS 77-Draw support that does not count a the supporter for your turn. Reuseable through scoop up cyclone.
* 3 Darkrai-EX BKP 74-Main attacker. Get as many energies on the field as possible, then use dark pulse to hit for a lot of damage multiple turns in a row.
* 3 Darkrai-GX BUS 88-Discard through battle compressor, ultra ball, and professor sycamore, then use restoration to get out even more energies.
* 1 Yveltal PR-XY XY06-Get extra energies out of the discard pile and onto your pokemon for extra damage with dark pulse. You can even use darkness blade for anything immune to ex or gx pokemon.
* 1 Yveltal-EX PR-XY XY150a-Can make use of extra energies to power up dark pulse. Backup attacker.
* 1 Hoopa-EX AOR 89-This is good for any deck that runs a lot of ex pokemon.

##Trainer Cards - 35

* 1 Lysandre AOR 78-Target whichever pokemon you like.
* 1 Guzma BUS 115-Same reason as Lysandre.
* 3 Professor Sycamore BKP 107-Big draw support. Helps to discard Darkrai gx, energy, and other supporters to use later with vs seeker.
* 1 Cynthia UPR 119-Shuffle draw. Useful for when there aren't many benched pokemon and for late in the game.
* 1 Colress PLS 118-Big shuffle draw. Useful in the beginning/middle of the game as you will most likely have 8 pokemon on your bench.
* 4 Trainers' Mail ROS 92-Finds you trainer cards when you are stuck. Helps to get set up well consistently.
* 4 Ultra Ball DEX 102-Searches out any pokemon you need. Helps to get darkrai gx and energies in the discard pile. Combos with shaymin and hoopa.
* 3 Battle Compressor Team Flare Gear PHF 92-Discard darkrai gx, energies, supporters and anything else you don't need.
* 4 Max Elixir BKP 102-Helps to power up dark pulse faster. Allows you to attack with darkrai ex on turn 1 (if you are going second).
* 1 Fighting Fury Belt BKP 99-Extra hp for any pokemon that needs it.
* 1 Scoop Up Cyclone PLB 95-Allows you to reuse shaymins or pick up damaged pokemon.
* 2 Dark Patch DEX 93-Helps to power up dark pulse.
* 1 Muscle Band XY 121-Extra damage if you don't have enough energies for a OHKO.
* 4 VS Seeker PHF 109-Reuse supporters.
* 1 Exp. Share PRC 128-If one of your pokemon gets KO'd you don't have to attach an additional energy
* 2 Sky Field ROS 89-Extra bench space is necessary for darkrai gx.
* 1 Altar of the Moone GRI 117-Free retreat to swap out attackers. You can use this to discard your own sky field, allowing to discard shaymins and/or hoopas that are on your bench.

##Energy - 14

* 14 Darkness Energy Energy 7-A lot of energy is neccesary to get OHKO's on bulky ex or gx pokemon.

Total Cards - 60

****** Deck List Generated by the Pokémon TCG Online www.pokemon.com/TCGO ******




Any suggestions?

 

[Kietharr]

You should consider a Darkrai Prism Star since it's effectively another out to get energies on your board quickly though the attack is cost prohibitive and risks getting a lot of dark energy knocked off your board. I'd run Computer Search in this deck over SUC if you have one since it's another way to toss dark energy into discard to be brought back up by Darkrai GX. I'd drop a Sycamore for a second Colress.

I don't really like muscle band here since the biggest threats to this deck sit at multiples of 3 while Dark Pulse attacks at a multiple of 2, and muscle band adds damage that keeps you on that x20 scale which means you need one extra energy over a choice band to get the KO on the base 190 and 210hp cards. FFB and Choice Band let you hit multiples of 3 for Zoroark and Buzzwole in particular, so I prefer them for this deck. FFB is kind of weak imo due to the fact that Zoroak runs puzzles and will always outlast your tool cards with blowers, but if they fail to find a blower it will save your darkrai from getting OHKO'd by a banded full power riotous beating for a turn. But if they remove it the next turn, they KO your darkrai, then can attack for a potential second KO.

Hypnotoxic Lasers are a third option which I think are better for the deck, they let you hit the multiples of 3 and also provide a path for a Dead End-GX, which you currently lack. I think that Darkrai lists really need to take advantage of that move as a way to threaten KOs even when energy counts on your side of the field are low.

I'd drop Altar of the Moone for a field blower, which can be used to the same effect in donking your own stadium to dump hoopa/shaymin while also giving you a way to shut off Garbotoxin, which is very necessary for this deck since it disrupts your energy and draw engines especially if they get it out early. One Darkrai-EX DEX could also be a value inclusion depending on how much vespiquen/flareon or night march you're seeing.

 

[Avi Kessler]

You should consider a Darkrai Prism Star since it's effectively another out to get energies on your board quickly though the attack is cost prohibitive and risks getting a lot of dark energy knocked off your board. I'd run Computer Search in this deck over SUC if you have one since it's another way to toss dark energy into discard to be brought back up by Darkrai GX. I'd drop a Sycamore for a second Colress.

I don't really like muscle band here since the biggest threats to this deck sit at multiples of 3 while Dark Pulse attacks at a multiple of 2, and muscle band adds damage that keeps you on that x20 scale which means you need one extra energy over a choice band to get the KO on the base 190 and 210hp cards. FFB and Choice Band let you hit multiples of 3 for Zoroark and Buzzwole in particular, so I prefer them for this deck. FFB is kind of weak imo due to the fact that Zoroak runs puzzles and will always outlast your tool cards with blowers, but if they fail to find a blower it will save your darkrai from getting OHKO'd by a banded full power riotous beating for a turn. But if they remove it the next turn, they KO your darkrai, then can attack for a potential second KO.

Hypnotoxic Lasers are a third option which I think are better for the deck, they let you hit the multiples of 3 and also provide a path for a Dead End-GX, which you currently lack. I think that Darkrai lists really need to take advantage of that move as a way to threaten KOs even when energy counts on your side of the field are low.

I'd drop Altar of the Moone for a field blower, which can be used to the same effect in donking your own stadium to dump hoopa/shaymin while also giving you a way to shut off Garbotoxin, which is very necessary for this deck since it disrupts your energy and draw engines especially if they get it out early. One Darkrai-EX DEX could also be a value inclusion depending on how much vespiquen/flareon or night march you're seeing.

thanks. I integrated some of the suggested cards into my deck

 

[VioletValkyrie]

Nice to see one of my personal favourite decks getting some love. Here's the list I've been playing semi-seriously when I get the chance to play Expanded, and finished Top 4 in a League Cup last quarter with. I'll explain my thinking for cards you may not be playing, or playing different amounts of.

Spoiler

x1 Darkrai EX DEX [You gain free retreat by playing this, it's way more consistent free retreat than Altar of the Moone, plus Night Spear is and will always be fantastic.]
x3 Darkrai EX BKP
x3 Darkrai GX
x1 Hoopa EX
x1 Malamar EX [A niche card I'm fond of. Attach an energy to it and instantly pull a Dead End GX to close a game or apply pressure. You have a GX attack, use it.]
x1 Marshadow GX [Matchup dependant. Used for taking easier OHKOs on cards like Darkrai EX/GX, Drampa GX, or Zoroark GX by pushing weakness.]
x1 Oricorio GRI 56 [Helps reap the Night March matchup, which is already terrible for you.]
x2 Shaymin EX ROS
x1 Sudowoodo GRI 66 [If you're playing Sky Field it can be fun to force and 8-4 bench limit. Helps with decks that try to take advantage of Sky Field.]
x1 Yveltal GEN RC16 [If you're wondering, it's the same as the XY print, just with better art.]

x3 Battle Compressor
x4 Dark Patch [Seriously, this is the butter for the deck's bread. You can't afford to play any less than four.]
x1 Dowsing Machine [Preferred over Scoop Up Cyclone due to how fast the deck can burn through resources, allowing you a safety net and an Ace Spec that's useful in more situations. Can close out the game in situations Cyclone cannot.]
x1 Field Blower [Relieves offensive pressure of Choice Band, defensive pressure of cards like Fighting Fury Belt or Bodybuilding Dumbbells, and can save active stalls by removing float stones, or helps save a play from Garbotoxin.]
x2 Fighting Fury Belt
x3 Max Elixir [This card can be a less consistent way of attaching than Dark Patch, but I play three due to a lack of space.]
x4 Ultra Ball
x4 VS Seeker
x1 Colress
x1 Guzma
x1 Hex Maniac [Helps lock Zoroark decks from using trade and setting up, removes a Shaymin or Tapu Lele play, and allows a safety net from an offensive play for your opponent's next turn.]
x1 Lysandre
x2 N [Preferred over Cynthia even post-ULP due to the ability to disrupt your opponent's hand.]
x2 Professor Juniper
x2 Sky Field

x13 Darkness Energy [I find fourteen to be too heavy in some cases.]

 

[VioletValkyrie]

On the topic of cards you are playing that I'm not, here are my thoughts.
➤ Yveltal-EX
Due to newer Pokémon-GX having higher HP totals without requiring astronomical energy costs, Yveltal-EX will be able to 2HKO at best, but feels absolutely worthless in some matchups at worst, and can be easily punished for two prizes due to its unfortunate low damage output and low HP total in comparison.
➤ Cynthia
Shuffle draw is more used to shuffle back in resources you want to conserve and/or don't want to discard. This deck is quick, and its engine is built to sacrifice resources for speed in some cases. This isn't the kind of deck to be mindful of how many of a certain resource you need in your deck. You draw the most you can and draw it quickly.Colress and N are better shuffle draw options due to the potential high cap of 16 with Colress, and N able to disrupt your opponent's hand.
➤ Trainers' Mail
I believe this card benefits the deck, but the amount of space required to play four copies take up space to play other cards you'd rather play, or a higher count of cards you need. See for example, the count of only 2 Dark Patch. With the deck's draw engine being so quick on Turn One or Two, when you most need those cards you'll be searching for with this card, you'll be better off going drawing through your deck rather than hoping an Ultra Ball is on the top four cards of your deck.
➤ Scoop Up Cyclone
For your Ace Spec choice I believe this card is very unorthodox. Your reasoning seems to be to pick up Shaymin or damaged attackers, but I believe the format to have better options through terms of supporter choice, as you could play AZ for Shaymin, and Acerola for attackers, and have a more reliable way of playing them through VS Seeker. Again, as the deck's engine is built off speed, I believe a highly defensive card such as Scoop Up Cyclone dedicates and Ace Spec slot to slowing the deck down and making its engine flow worse.
➤ Tools (Muscle Band, Exp. Share)
I believe Muscle Band to be outshined by Fighting Fury Belt. With the rate you can attach energy, it's unlikely you'll need 20 more damage and can't play something like a Max Elixir or Dark Patch to gain it that way. Fighting Fury Belt allows a more awkward number of X+10 to be hit without having to devote to attaching too many energy, while giving attackers a much needed +40 HP.Exp. Share devotes a Pokémon's tool slot to being strictly support-based. It saves an energy that would have been discarded otherwise, but if the deck relies on Darkrai-GX's Restoration ability or Dark Patch to attach energy that you purposely discard, this card can potentially slow you down and prevent you from attaching another tool to an attacker that would benefit you in a better way.
➤ Altar of the Moone
This card is played for having to pay less to retreat, when Darkrai-EX from Dark Explorers completely eliminates retreat cost and fits into the deck so much better, giving a potentially strong secondary attack with strong spread capabilities able to finish off a knock out you had just failed to claim, or in the most extreme of circumstances, taking four prizes with a single attack. Darkrai-EX consistently gives you better, completely free, retreat options without the fear of a Stadium card or Field Blower rendering you completely unable to retreat, while also giving you a capable attacker. There is no reason to play this card at all.

 

[gumball51321]

No DEX Darkrai-EX? It's so much easier to grab and more effective than Altar of the Moone. Also, play 4 Dark Patch. You NEED 4 Max Elixir/4 Dark Patch for Turbo Dark so you can get a bunch of energy in play ASAP. I would also suggest Hex Maniac, since without it, Zoroark, Night March, and Gardy are all autolosses.