Standard Volcanion with Houndoom?

[Thad]

Here Is an Idea I had for Volcanion variant... Needs some work i think but dont know what

##Pokémon - 9

* 2 Houndoom-EX BKT 153
* 4 Volcanion STS 25
* 3 Volcanion-EX PR-XY XY173

##Trainer Cards - 39

* 3 Trainers' Mail ROS 92
* 1 Switch EVO 88
* 2 Professor's Letter BKT 146
* 1 Pokémon Ranger STS 113
* 1 Super Rod BKT 149
* 2 Lysandre AOR 78
* 3 Professor Sycamore BKP 107
* 2 Nest Ball SUM 123
* 1 Escape Rope PLS 120
* 1 Fisherman BKT 136
* 3 Max Elixir BKP 102
* 3 Fighting Fury Belt BKP 99
* 3 N FAC 105
* 2 Scorched Earth PRC 138
* 3 Float Stone BKT 137
* 2 Dive Ball PRC 125
* 2 Energy Retrieval SUM 116
* 4 VS Seeker PHF 109

##Energy - 12

* 12 Fire Energy XYEnergy 4

Total Cards - 60

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

 

[TuxedoBlack]

A few thoughts for your consideration:

• If you don't have your Float Stones available (e.g., you are Item-locked) to facilitate multiple Volcanic Heat attacks, then you could easily lose a turn by not attacking. I'd suggest replacing 1 Float Stone with an Olympia.
• Secondly, Scorched Earth alone will not be "fast enough" to get R energy into your discard pile, especially early game. Plus, your opponent will, most likely counter your Stadiums too. Ultra Balls can help with the discarding of R energy, in addition to searching for needed Pokémon. I'd suggest replacing 3 of your current Dive and Nest Balls with Ultra Balls.
• What is your deck strategy? Why no Hoopa EX or Shaymin EX?
• Why Houndoom EX? This would be an interesting starter since you could just mill your opponent's deck while building up your bench Pokémon... If that is part of yor plan, then have you considered also running Tauros GX and Ninja Boy? The starting Houndoom EX, which may be quite wounded after a few turns of milling,could be Ninja Boy'd to the Tauros GX which could then KO a major threat.

I hope you find these comments helpful.

 

[Thad]

I Updated the deck after play testing the first build
Added the 4 ultra balls, Olympia, Shaymin and Hoopa and removed one trainers mail one float all the other balls because was not fast enough and some turns didnt get the balls i wanted. Houndoom is and secondary baby volcanion. Was gonna use steam up on him every once n a while but cant find a place to add tauros because everything pretty much gets used


##Pokémon - 10

* 1 Shaymin-EX ROS 77
* 2 Houndoom-EX BKT 153
* 3 Volcanion STS 25
* 1 Hoopa-EX AOR 89
* 3 Volcanion-EX PR-XY XY173

##Trainer Cards - 38

* 2 Trainers' Mail ROS 92
* 1 Switch EVO 88
* 2 Professor's Letter BKT 146
* 1 Pokémon Ranger STS 113
* 1 Super Rod BKT 149
* 2 Lysandre AOR 78
* 3 Professor Sycamore BKP 107
* 2 Scorched Earth PRC 138
* 4 Ultra Ball SUM 135
* 1 Escape Rope PLS 120
* 1 Fisherman BKT 136
* 3 Max Elixir BKP 102
* 3 Fighting Fury Belt BKP 99
* 3 N FAC 105
* 2 Float Stone BKT 137
* 1 Olympia GEN 66
* 2 Energy Retrieval SUM 116
* 4 VS Seeker PHF 109

##Energy - 12

* 12 Fire Energy XYEnergy 4

Total Cards - 60

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

 

[Fayld]

I Updated the deck after play testing the first build
Added the 4 ultra balls, Olympia, Shaymin and Hoopa and removed one trainers mail one float all the other balls because was not fast enough and some turns didnt get the balls i wanted. Houndoom is and secondary baby volcanion. Was gonna use steam up on him every once n a while but cant find a place to add tauros because everything pretty much gets used


##Pokémon - 10

* 1 Shaymin-EX ROS 77
* 2 Houndoom-EX BKT 153
* 3 Volcanion STS 25
* 1 Hoopa-EX AOR 89
* 3 Volcanion-EX PR-XY XY173

##Trainer Cards - 38

* 2 Trainers' Mail ROS 92
* 1 Switch EVO 88
* 2 Professor's Letter BKT 146
* 1 Pokémon Ranger STS 113
* 1 Super Rod BKT 149
* 2 Lysandre AOR 78
* 3 Professor Sycamore BKP 107
* 2 Scorched Earth PRC 138
* 4 Ultra Ball SUM 135
* 1 Escape Rope PLS 120
* 1 Fisherman BKT 136
* 3 Max Elixir BKP 102
* 3 Fighting Fury Belt BKP 99
* 3 N FAC 105
* 2 Float Stone BKT 137
* 1 Olympia GEN 66
* 2 Energy Retrieval SUM 116
* 4 VS Seeker PHF 109

##Energy - 12

* 12 Fire Energy XYEnergy 4

Total Cards - 60

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

I am guessing TuxedoBlack (who I am 99% certain has played far more games with Volcanion than I have) will agree with this. I would suggest dumping the two Professor's letters for 2 more Shaymin (if you have them) or 1 Shaymin + 1 Trainer's Mail. I would also dump both Scorched Earth and 1 baby volcanion for 2 Sky Field and 1 Parallel City. That allows for super fast set up + a Hoopa / Shaymin / Mega Ray "buy a turn or two" stadium. Houndoom EX fills a similar role as baby volcanion in this deck, so I think you can get away with only two of them.

Like I said though, I play the deck but I don't play it as a primary deck. Others with more experience can give you a more nuanced view on what works and doesn't in the deck. I do have a buddy who plays a Houndoom variant of Volcanion with some success, but I can't say I know the ins and outs of his particular list. Personally, I love me some Tauros GX in my volcanion variant, but I wouldn't push that on anyone since it is truly a personal taste rather than being any more or less effective than other options.

Anyway, hope that helps

 

[Thad]

I am guessing TuxedoBlack (who I am 99% certain has played far more games with Volcanion than I have) will agree with this. I would suggest dumping the two Professor's letters for 2 more Shaymin (if you have them) or 1 Shaymin + 1 Trainer's Mail. I would also dump both Scorched Earth and 1 baby volcanion for 2 Sky Field and 1 Parallel City. That allows for super fast set up + a Hoopa / Shaymin / Mega Ray "buy a turn or two" stadium. Houndoom EX fills a similar role as baby volcanion in this deck, so I think you can get away with only two of them.

Like I said though, I play the deck but I don't play it as a primary deck. Others with more experience can give you a more nuanced view on what works and doesn't in the deck. I do have a buddy who plays a Houndoom variant of Volcanion with some success, but I can't say I know the ins and outs of his particular list. Personally, I love me some Tauros GX in my volcanion variant, but I wouldn't push that on anyone since it is truly a personal taste rather than being any more or less effective than other options.

Anyway, hope that helps

Can you send me the list you play with tauros an the list your friend plays with houndoom

 

[Fayld]

Can you send me the list you play with tauros an the list your friend plays with houndoom

I don't actually have my buddy's list. Not even sure he still has it built TBH .

Here is my list. It is fairly standard with the exception that I include two alternate attackers (Entei + Tauros GX) and only use 2 baby volcanions. Also, keep in mind that I play this deck for kicks. It isn't as streamlined as some other lists, but it is pretty good

Pokémon - 12

4 Volcanion-EX PR-XY XY173
3 Shaymin-EX ROS 77
2 Volcanion STS 25
1 Tauros-GX SUM 100
1 Entei AOR 14
1 Hoopa-EX PR-XY XY71

Trainer Cards - 37

4 Professor Sycamore
2 N
2 Lysandre
1 Olympia
1 Fisherman
1 Pokémon Ranger

4 Ultra Ball
4 VS Seeker
3 Trainers' Mail
3 Energy Retrieval
3 Max Elixir
2 Escape Rope

2 Fighting Fury Belt
2 Float Stone

2 Sky Field
1 Parallel City

Energy - 11

11 Fire Energy Energy 2

 

[TuxedoBlack]

I'm finding Tauros GX to be a real beast... so much so that I've teched 1 into 3 different decks. For the Volcanion deck mirror matches, I've found it to be quite helpful.

Secondly, from my experience in watching (and playing against) one of our best senior players in the area play her Volcanion deck (my particular deck is based off of her build), it's all about "setup speed." Typically, she'll have her bench set T1 with 3 Volcanion EXs 2 Shaymin EXs, a Flareon EX, etc. Her strategy is to overwhelm opponents early and start taking prizes T1/T2. From my perspective in running a Volcanion deck, being "agressive" seems to be the best approach; but after you do setup (using Skyfield Stadium(s)), you still may want to get the now unneeded Shaymin EXs and Hoopa EX(s) off your bench. Parallel City helps a great deal in this regard.

In my case, 4 Volcanion are preferred since that is the deck's best starter, IMO.

In cases where Volcanion EX may likely be a starter (e.g., in Expanded format play), this can work well too since one can utilize Blacksmith for energy acceleration attachment.

The Houndoom EX tech is interesting. Although I don't play it, I can see it being useful mid-to-late game, especially when you combo it with Delinquent. Early game, assuming you're not playing against a W deck (or the mirror), it would perhaps be useful for opponent's deck milling purposes "only." But, you could also lose 2 prizes early.

Lastly, Decidueye-Vilplume is getting a lot of hype right now. The player who took 2nd place at a recent Regional tournament beat 4 Volcanion EX decks along his way in that tounament... So, plan carefully.

 

[CarolinaDyrty]

i tried this. it didnt play well, if only volcanion ex helped out evolved pokemon mega houndoom would be a beast. im trying a volcanion deck too but i think im oging to go with flareon ex as a main attacker once powered his base attack 1s 110, with 2 volcanions thats 170 with 3 200 and with 4 230. if you have a fighting fury belt on, that adds another 10 to all attacks. more than enough to knock out most and if you kkeep adding energy past the basic 3 required thats another 20

 

[Thad]

i tried this. it didnt play well, if only volcanion ex helped out evolved pokemon mega houndoom would be a beast. im trying a volcanion deck too but i think im oging to go with flareon ex as a main attacker once powered his base attack 1s 110, with 2 volcanions thats 170 with 3 200 and with 4 230. if you have a fighting fury belt on, that adds another 10 to all attacks. more than enough to knock out most and if you kkeep adding energy past the basic 3 required thats another 20

I figure it's more like an alternative to flareon...well for me anyways until my man's terminator the fire turle is released. I figured it won't be as good as regular volcanion making the deck lol