Alt. Format XY-On: Ariados / Doublade / Tauros

[Lanstar]

I've been testing this in PTCG Online doing modifications throughout as I play, and I'm quite surprised how good it is.

Pokemon: 15

• 3 Honedge (Primal Clash)
• 1 Honedge (XY Base)
• 4 Doublade (Primal Clash)
• 2 Spinarak
• 2 Ariados
• 1 Bunnelby (AT)
  
• 2 Tauros

Trainers/Supporters/Stadiums: 36

• 4 Professor Sycamore
• 4 Professor Birch's Observations
• 2 Teammates
  
• 2 Wally
  
• 1 Lysandre
• 1 Xerosic
• 1 Team Flare Grunt

• 4 Level Ball
• 2 Crushing Hammer
• 1 Enhanced Hammer
  
• 2 Switch
• 4 VS Seeker
• 1 Sacred Ash
• 4 Trick Coin

• 3 Steel Shelter

Energy: 9

• 4 Double Colorless Energy
• 5 Metal Energy

Strategy:

This is a wondrous rogue deck that basically has a OHKO strategy: Use Doublade's False Swipe to cut opposing Pokemon's HP down to 10, and with Ariado's Poisoning ability used beforehand, you get a quick knockout on the same turn!

Note, however, that the deck also has many energy removing cards - ones that can help target decks like like Raichu, Vespiquen, and Night March. This can help quite a lot against Non-EX decks, which quite often don't put much energy in their decks in the first place. I've won many matches just by taking all the energy out in this way instead of merely attacking.

Now, Tauros? Why that card?! Basically, not all Pokemon are affected by Poisonous Nest - Grass types, and Theta Stop users, etc. So I wanted to put in a Non-EX with decent HP and a low energy cost attack to finish those Pokemon if I must. Tauros fitted that description quite well - 1 energy for 30 damage, and 110 HP. Spinda might also work, too. Tauros also has a second attack that has Synergy with Ariados and trick coin if there is a need to use it.

Very gimmicky, no doubt, but really fun and budget friendly. Any feedback is welcome!

 

[TheStrictNein]

Have you considered Baby Yvetal as a replacement for Tauros and switching to Basic Dark energy? It's 1 for 30 without a drawback like Tauros and 130 HP.

It sounds like you're never planning to use Doublade's second attack so why bother with Metal Energy? Baby Yveltal also allows you to bring some energy back into play to stream Doublade's more easily. Plus, he's the perfect Night March counter, countering both Pumpkaboo and Joltik pretty successfully.

 

[Thunder Crown]

I've been messing with this deck as well, you may consider using 2-2 Forretress Flashfire to get that extra 10 damage on Steel and Grass types. List looks solid, but why Steel Shelter? Doublade is going to get KO-ed by pretty much everything, and Wally + Forest of Giant Plants means T1 Doublade and Ariados. Silent Lab is also a good tech. The only that is going to stop you is Theta Stop, which you can tech in some basic attackers like Spinda (which can also take Forretress's place), which can finish off everything you would need to. Some of these suggestions are vague, but in the end what works best for you is what you should go with .

 

[Lanstar]

I was thinking Yveltal at one time. But the reason for the steel energy is I did not want my Honedge to be completely defenseless at the start, as metal sound could be useful. I might try to risk that, though.

I do admit, though: Steel Shelter might be overboard protection... Though the Forest could be overboard just to get a single Ariados out, too. But I will test it out as well.

There were other techs I was considering for this deck. I was wondering about putting in Aegislash (Primal Clash) as a way to finish off the Ariados-Immune Pokemon and protect itself as well. Another idea was kind of ridiculous: Use Ponyta so that it's Agility move could wall out opponents after the knockout. I'm not sure what could work, though...

Thank you for your ideas!