Standard XY-On: M Gallade EX / Gourgeist

[griffin]

I'm new to competitive Pokemon TCG, and I decided to go big and create a psychic deck all on my own using my somewhat strategic thinking. I'm not finished with it and am asking for some editing, whether it be on the Pokemon/trainers etc. It's a
Mega Gallade/Gourgeis deck. My plan (hopefully) is to use Gourgeis and eerie voice for a couple turns then spirit Scream, then switch to M Gallade to use Unwavering Blade.If you counted up the numbers of selected cards so far it isn't exactly 60 and that's because I don't really know if i need to add more or less.Please give me some advice on how to clean up/ excel my deck even further. This is my deck so far:

Pokemon:

• 3 Gallade EX 34/108
• 3 M Gallade EX 35/108
• 2 Hoopa EX 36/98
• 2 Gengar EX 34/119
• 2 Mega Gengar EX 35/119
• 3 Pumpkaboo 56/146
• 3 Gourgeist 57/146
• Toxicroak EX 41/106

Trainers/Supporters/Stadiums:

• 3 Team Flare Grunt 129/146
• 2 Professor Sycamore 101/119
• 2 Lysandre 90/106
• 3 Gallade Spirit Link 83/108
• 3 Pal Pad 92/106
• 2 VS Seeker 109/119
• 3 Steven 90/108
• 3 Dimension Valley 93/119
• 2 Enhanced Hammer 94/119
• 2 Red Card 124/146
• 3 Ultra Ball 93/108

Strategy:

My strategy is to use Gourgeis and eerie voice for a couple turns then spirit scream, then switch to M Gallade to use Unwavering Blade.

 

[bbninjas]

First and foremostly... you're missing Energy! In PTCG you have to have Energy to actually attack. Secondly, I think your only attack of Gourgeist's you really want to be using is its single energy attack.

-1 Hoopa-EX (I don't really think two is necessary)
-2 Gengar-EX (This doesn't actually help your strategy, so why should you use it?)
-2 M-Gengar-EX (see above)
-1 Toxicroak-EX (Not really worth it.)
-3 Team Flare Grunt (This doesn't help your strategy either. Besides, you are going to want to be drawing cards with Supporters more often than not.
-3 Pal Pad (Just use VS Seeker. Much better.)
-3 Steven (Not that great either. Use draw supporters to get more supporters and Professor's Letter if you want energy.)
-1 Enhanced Hammer (You don't really need 2)
-2 Red Card (Use this spot for consistency)
+8 Psychic Energy (So you can actually attack ).
+2 Professor Sycamore (To draw cards)
+4 Shauna/Professor Birch (Also to draw cards)
+2 Evosada (A nice alternative to Ultra Ball)
+1 VS Seeker (3 is good)
+1 Shaymin-EX (Great draw Pokemon, a bit like Hoopa)

 

[griffin]

First and foremostly... you're missing Energy! In PTCG you have to have Energy to actually attack. Secondly, I think your only attack of Gourgeist's you really want to be using is its single energy attack.

-1 Hoopa-EX (I don't really think two is necessary)
-2 Gengar-EX (This doesn't actually help your strategy, so why should you use it?)
-2 M-Gengar-EX (see above)
-1 Toxicroak-EX (Not really worth it.)
-3 Team Flare Grunt (This doesn't help your strategy either. Besides, you are going to want to be drawing cards with Supporters more often than not.
-3 Pal Pad (Just use VS Seeker. Much better.)
-3 Steven (Not that great either. Use draw supporters to get more supporters and Professor's Letter if you want energy.)
-1 Enhanced Hammer (You don't really need 2)
-2 Red Card (Use this spot for consistency)
+8 Psychic Energy (So you can actually attack ).
+2 Professor Sycamore (To draw cards)
+4 Shauna/Professor Birch (Also to draw cards)
+2 Evosada (A nice alternative to Ultra Ball)
+1 VS Seeker (3 is good)
+1 Shaymin-EX (Great draw Pokemon, a bit like Hoopa)

I know I need energies that's why I said my deck wasn't complete. I was trying to leave around 8-10 spots open for energies. I knew I was going a little overboard with Hoopa but I just wanted to see what someone would say. Also do you think it would be at any length necessary to counter an item lock deck like seismetoad/garbador?

Also. I thought it would be nice to use toxicroaks triple poison with gourgeist as an attack strategy against decks that might have abilities like safeguard to prevent EXs from attacking.

Although toxicroak is an EX so maybe that's a flaw. Unless it doesn't count Damage from poison.

 

[TuxedoBlack]

Gallade-Gourgeist is a great combo. I too have been running my version of this deck for a while now and it's proving to be a solid deck. Following are some thoughts for your consideration:

Focus, focus, focus the deck more; i.e., do you really need Mega Gengar EX, especially without the Spirit Links? Secondly, you need initial attackers that are "fast" to setup and utilize minimum energy attachments (i.e., 0-1) in order to buy some time early game and help set the stage for M Gallade EX later.

Why only run 3 Pumpkaboo? This is undoubtedly one of the best starters for the deck, can Confuse the Defending Pokemon which is quite helpful at times, and absolutely critical to the execution of the spread strategy setup for Mega Gallade EX's Unwavering Blade attack. I would suggest you run 4 of these Pokemon.

For the times I ran Hoopa EX in my deck, I found it was more of a "nice to have" tech and just not useful beyond getting some other EX Pokemon into play faster. The energy cost to fuel its 1 only attack was too expensive and inefficient for its damage output. So, I removed it completely for other techs.

There are currently only 2 card-draw Supporters in your current deck list ; this is completely insufficient to support good deck operations, imo.

Why no Level Balls and/or Pokemon Fan Club to help get the Pumpkaboos out faster?

IMO, I would suggest the following deck changes for your consideration:

-2 M Gengar EX - not really providing any incremental value to the deck, especially without its Spirit Links
-1 Hoopa EX - 2 are excessive

-3 Team Glare Grunt - not critical enough to the success of the deck's strategy
-3 Pal Pad - not "fast" enough vs. VS Seeker
-3 Steven - not "strong" enough card-draw support
-2 Enhanced Hammer - not critical enough to the success of the deck's strategy
-2 Red Card - not critical enough to the success of the deck's strategy

+1 Gengar EX - additional, 1-energy attacking starter
+1 Toxicroak EX - additional, 1-energy attacking starter
+1 Pumpkaboo - 4th Basic of a critical line

+2 Professor Sycamore - more card-draw support
+3 Professor Birch's Observation - more card-draw support
+3 Shauna - more card-draw support
+2 Level Ball - to help setup your Pumpkabos faster
+1 Pokemon Fan Club - to help setup your ench faster
+1 Sacred Ash - to recover and recycle discarded Pokemon
+1 Dimension Valley - needed to help win the Stadium war and provide needed the less C energy cost for your attackers (e.g., Toxicroak EX)
+1 Trainer's Mail - to help draw into Trainers
+1 Professor's Letter - to help get needed Basic energy

For energy, I'd suggest

4 Mystery
7 Psychic

I hope you find these comments helpful.

 

[bbninjas]

I know I need energies that's why I said my deck wasn't complete. I was trying to leave around 8-10 spots open for energies. I knew I was going a little overboard with Hoopa but I just wanted to see what someone would say. Also do you think it would be at any length necessary to counter an item lock deck like seismetoad/garbador?

Toad/Garb won't exist in XY-on, so you probably don't need any counters

Also. I thought it would be nice to use toxicroaks triple poison with gourgeist as an attack strategy against decks that might have abilities like safeguard to prevent EXs from attacking.

Safeguards also won't exist, bar Beautifly, which more likely than not you'll be able to kill anyways with Gourgiest.

 

[Nonomiya]

Since i m a newbie running on similar deck, may i ask why gourgeist?... why not forretress instead which is a much easier opt to spread damage?

 

[Ivy_Profen]

I think that it's not forretress because it does nothing once it comes out. Gourgeist can still contribute if need be. It also can completely wreck any one pokemon for 2 energy.

 

[Nonomiya]

I guess i understand that having plan B is always nice, but i still think it would slow down the set up quite badly.... in forretress mode, you can start swinging unwavering blade as soon as turn 2 after evolving forretress to spread the damage before attacking with dimension valley on the field...quick enough to take out stage 1's decks, while damaging their bench before they'd start to wreak havoc the field... while with gourgeist you can hardly be that quick...

If you still want your plan B with gourgeist, you can still have some slot for it with only having 3-3 forretress line and 2-1 gourgeist line

Of course this is just a newbie opinion, feel free to correct me as im sure i can learn a thing or two from your opinions

 

[TuxedoBlack]

At the end of the day, it boils down to playing style, imo. When you consider all 3 attacks of Pumpkaboo and Gourgeist, these Pokemon both offer an array of options that no other "setup" Pokemon has. Forretress' Thorn Tempest can be nullified by an opponent's starting with or having an active Wobbuffet wide the Bide Barricade Ability. Hex Maniac can also temporarily stop Thorn Tempest.

Further, consider match-ups where opponents play Pokemon like Mega Groudon EX or use Rough Seas. I've found Gourgeist to be far more effective in those situations.