Sunday, March 11, 2012

Vileplume Reuniclus Kyurem - GoldenrodTVStation

3-2-2 VilePlume
3-2-1 Reuniclus
3-1-2 Ampharos Prime
3-2 Bronzong Heal Block
2 Kyurem
1 Reshiram EX 
Pichu x 1
Cleffa x 1 
Pokemon = 29


Communication x 3
Pokemon Collector x 3
Rare Candy x 3
PONT x 4
Juniper x 2
Cheren x 2
Catcher x 2
Eviolite x 1
T/S/S = 20

DCE x 3
Fire x 6
Rescue Energy x 2 
Energy = 11

Strategy
The vileplume/reuniclus combination slows your opponent down by preventing them from using trainers and moving off damage counters forces them to KO you in one shot.  Ampharos prime puts damage on your opponent whenever they attach energy from their hand to their pokemon, helping to get KO's easier.  Kyurem is your main attacker, spreading the damage around the field.  Reshiram EX is a powerful attacker with a high HP meaning while it's on the bench it can hold a lot of damage.  Pichu is to help set the deck up as fast as possible (hopefully to ensure a turn 2 vileplume).

Pokemon Analysis
Focusing on rare candy and communication will easily get you a vileplume without having to manually evolve, so a  3-1-2 line should be fine.  Reuniclus should only be set up once vileplume is out, so a 2-2-2 line should be fine.  That allows you to lose one solosis and decreases the likelyhood that your reuniclus is prized.  Ampharos will likely be set up after vileplume, so I'd run a 2-2-2 line as well.  I don't think you need bronzong since very few decks run anything that heal.  Kyurem is your main attacker, so you'll need 4 of them.  If you're going to run a EX, I'd run shaymin or regigigas.  Shaymin can be a great late game attacker, easily KOing pokemon once your opponent has taken several prizes. Regigigas does more depending on the damage on it, similar to outrage.  I'd drop the cleffa just to make room for some of my suggestions.  A single reshiram as you main attacker just isn't going to work.

Energy Analysis
Since all of your attackers are basics, 4 prism would be a great addition.  You'll need water energy to spread with kyurem, so I'd add in 6 of them. Drop the fire and rescue energies.

T/S/S Analysis
3 communication and 4 candy should get your vileplume out fast (and possibly an ampharos too).  I'd drop the catcher and eviolite since you can only use them before vileplume is up.  Sage's training is a great card for this deck since it helps you get rid of your trainers after vileplume is up.  2-3 of them should work. 1 flower shop will give you a bit of recovery. The most important addition is going to be 4 twins. You'll be behind most of the game since it takes so long to get 3 stage 2 pokemon going with kyurem.  But with twins to help you get set up, you have a chance.  1 cilan will help you get those basic energy out for kyurem if you struggle drawing into them.  

Overall
You'll find that getting 3 stage 2 pokemon up is going to be very difficult and slow.  But if you play it right, you may be able to get it all working.  I'd focus on getting the vileplume out first, then building up your bench while you spread with kyurem.  If you find that you're still not doing well, drop the ampharos prime and 1 rare candy, adding in more draw support (elm, juniper, cheren, pont).

Eelktross Cobalion Cincinno and more - SuperWildfire28

3 thundurus 
2 zekrom 
4-3-3 electross  
3 cobalion 
3 durant 
2 ability druddigon 
2-1 cinccino BW 
2 tyrogue 
Pokemon = 27

3 N 
2 juniper 
1 twins 
3 cheren 
1 skyarrow 
1 eviolite 
1 rocky helmet 
3 super rod 
3 switch 
2 catcher 
1 heavy ball 
T/S/S = 21

11 electric energy 
6 metal energy 
Energy = 17

Strategy
This deck has a little bit of everything.  It has the energy acceleration of eelektrik, discard/disruption of durant, retaliation hitters like coballion and druddigon, and speed hitters like thundurus, tyrogue and cincinno.

Pokemon Analysis
This deck has so much of everything that it doesn't flow well with each other.  First, I'd drop the two tyrogue.  There's not much of a reason to run them since cleffa's aren't played as much.  Energy acceleration is very important in this format, so keeping the eel line in is first.  Eelectross isn't as useful as the stage 1, so I'd only include one of it (its attack is good against chandelure decks).  Zekrom and thundurus work well with eels, so they're also good to keep.  I'd say drop the metal pokemon so you can focus only on lightning.  Cincinno and druddigon aren't bad and work well with eels.  I'd add in another cincinno to make it a 2-2 line.

Energy Analysis
17 is too much energy, so I'd aim for around 12-13.  Dropping the metal and adding some DCE for druddigon, cincinno and zekrom will be perfect.  

Trainer/Supporter Analysis
You'll need 4 collector to ensure your bench gets set up fast early in the game.  You aren't able to recover from a bad N (or a N where you have few prizes) so I'd drop it completely and add 2 more juniper and 4 PONT.  You only need one super rod for recover after adding 4 junk arm to be able to reuse any trainer.  You should only need 1 switch as well.  You can afford to pay a retreat cost since you can recover energy with eelektrik, so I'd drop the skyarrow.  Adding 2-3 level ball will help you search for your evolutions.  If you have any more room in the deck, a plus power or two would make a great addition.

Overall
Once you decide on a specific strategy for your deck rather than running 8 different types of pokemon, you should find that you're able to set up much easier and faster.  Good luck!   

Magnezone Eelektrik - DragonFlare2000

3-2-3 Magnezone prime 
3-3 Elektrik 
2-2 Zoroark foul play 
2 Zekrom EX 
2 Zekrom 
Pokemon = 22

4 Pokemon communication 
3 Rare candy 
3 Junk Arm 
2 Switch 
2 Pokemon catcher 
2 Plus power 
1 Super rod 
3 Pokemon collector 
3 Sage's training 
2 N 
T/S/S = 25

11 Electric energy 
2 DCE 
Energy = 13

Strategy
Magnezone is the draw power as well as heavy hitter to KO EX's in one hit.  Eelektrik is the energy acceleration, attaching lightning energy from the discard pile to the bench.  Zekrom and Zekrom EX are hard hitters, letting you take prizes before lost burning too many energy with magnezone.  

Pokemon Analysis
I'd drop the zoroark so that you can run a couple of thundurus (an ideal starting pokemon since it can search out energy while helping to power up the bench).  This will give you a few more spaces for other cards too.  You may also want to consider a mewtwo EX to counter other mewtwos.  4 zekroms, especially 2 EX, may not be needed, especially with Thundurus as another attacker.  That would give you more room for a few more supporters. I'd also consider a cleffa to get you out of a bad hand, especially early in the game.

Energy Analysis
Since you have 2 zekrom EX I'd consider running more DCE.  Running 14 energy wouldn't be bad if you have the room.

Trainer/Supporter Analysis
I'd drop a communication for a heavy ball so you can search out Magnezone and Zekrom EX.  1 more junk arm will help you get those lightning into the discard pile for eelektrik.  1 more collector will ensure that you get the collector on the first turn.  I'd like to see more N as well, ideally 4.  To make room for these cards, I'd drop at least one, if not both, plus power.  You could also probably drop another communication.

Overall
It looks like you have a great deck for states and should do well.  Good luck!

Friday, March 9, 2012

Celebi Mewtwo - zanderson257

2 Mewtwo EX 
1 Shaymin EX 
1 Regigigas EX
4 Celebi Prime
2 Tornadus
1 Shaymin UL
Pokemon = 11


10 Grass
4 DCE
Energy = 14


3 Skyarrow Bridge 
2 Eviolite
4 Pokemon Catcher
4 Junk Arm
1 Lost Remover
4 Dual Ball
1 SUPER ROD
2 Switch
2 Pokegear 3.0
4 PONT
4 N
3 Professor Juniper
1 cheren
T/S/S = 35

Strategy
The starter in this deck is celebi, which lets you attach one more energy from your hand per turn.  This helps power up Mewtwo on the bench.  With the use of skyarrow, you get free retreat with celebi, meaning that you don't have to rely on a switch or lose the energy to get back to the mewtwo.  Tornadus is a great attacker for this deck as well since it can push an energy back to the bench while attacking.  You also don't lose two prizes when it gets KO'd like you do with a Mewtwo.

Pokemon Analysis
I'd suggest swapping the Regigigas EX out for another tornadus.  Tornadus is often the preferred attacker since you don't lose two prize cards when it's KO'd.  It's free retreat with skyarrow easily allows it to get out of the way and still save a DCE that may be attached to it.

Energy Analysis
What you have looks great, but if you find you need one more card in the deck for something else, you'll probably be safe going down to 13 energy.

Trainer/Supporter Analysis
Most of your list looks great, but I wonder where the collectors are.  Since everything in this deck is basic, a collector essentially gives you whatever you need (as far as pokemon of course). Dual ball is great, but too flippy to leave collector out completely.  To make room for it, I'd drop 2 dual ball and 2 N.  Since you can't exactly live off the field or recover from a bad N (like Magnezone or Reshiram decks), relying too heavily on N could hurt you just as much, if not worse, than your opponent.  Everything else looks great!

Overall
You have a well built deck already, so I don't really have many suggestions to make to it.  I hope what I did offer helps you out a bit!  Good luck at States!

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Blastoise Feraligatr - Astrotreign

3-2-3 Feraligatr Prime
2-1-2 Blastoise 
2-1 Lanturn Prime
1- Smeargle
1- Cleffa
1- Suicune
Pokemon = 19

2- Engineer's Adjustments
2- Switch
2- Broken Time Space
2- Life Herb
2- Prof. Elm's Research
3- Bebe's Search
4- Interviewer's Questions
4- Pokemon Communication
1- Pokemon Rescue
1- Super Scoop Up
1- Energy Returner
1- Luxury Ball
Trainers/Supporters = 25

1- Double Colourless
2- Rainbow
2- Electric
11- Water
Energies = 16

Strategy
Feraligatr attaches as many water energy as you like from your hand to your pokemon each turn making it easy to power up blastoise.  Blastoise snipes for 100, but forces you to return two energy back to your hand.  Without DCE it would be impossible to keep blastoise going, if Feraligatr wasn't there to keep it going. Lanturn prime is a great addition since it has a different type, meaning that it won't fall as easily to lightning pokemon.

Pokemon Analysis
I'd increase your blastoise to 3-2-3 since it's your main attacker.  While lanturn is a great attacker, kyurem would be an ideal starter, spreading damage around the field while you build up your stage 2 pokemon.  2-3 kyurem should suffice. This also sets up the field for blastoise to KO anything on the field.  I'd also drop the suicune and smeargle to help make room.

Energy Analysis
Now that lanturn is no longer in the deck you can do straight to water energy and DCE.  16 energy is a bit much, but 10 water and 3 DCE should do the job.

Trainer/Supporter Analysis
You have quite a few cards in here that have been rotated out, making the deck illegal for tournament play.  So I'm going to suggest the following trainers/supporters instead, all of which are legal.  4 collector to fill up the bench.  3-4 PONT, 2-3 N, 2-3 cheren and 2-3 juniper for draw power.  2 cilan to search out energy.  1 super rod for recovery.  4 communication to search out pokemon.  4 rare candy to evolve.  4 junk arm to reuse any trainers.  2 catcher to bring up benched pokemon (this is more to stall while blastoise attacks around it).  2 switch to get pokemon that are catcher'd up out of the active position.  1 fisherman and 1 energy retrieval to get energy back from the discard pile.

Overall
Blastgatr will forever remain one of my favorite decks since it was the first deck I built, the first deck I made top cut with and has one of my favorite pokemon, Blastoise, in it.  It's good to see other people still play it and I hope that one day when the meta isn't so much lightning that this deck will be able to perform better.  As it is, even the best build will struggle in today's format.  But it's still a fun deck!

Crobat Roserade - CNevor

2-2 leafeon
3-1-3 crobat
2-1-2 leavanny
2-2 roserade
2 celebi 
Pokemon = 21


4 cheren
1 professor juniper
4 professor oak's new theory
2 pokémon catcher
1 junk arm
2 dual ball
1 energy retrieval
1 super rod
3 rare candy
4 Pokémon communication
3 max potion
T/S/S = 26


6 psychic
6 grass 
Energy = 12

Strategy
The basic strategy of the deck is to inflict as many special conditions as possible on the active pokemon.  This allows leafeon to hit harder, makes it more difficult for your opponent to attack as well as stay alive.  Roserade applies conditions from the bench, crobat adds them while it attacks, and leafeon can either put your opponent to sleep or attack for 30x the number of special conditions affecting the opposing pokemon. Leavanny is an additional attacker.

Pokemon Analysis
Leafeon and Crobat are your big attackers so I'd increase their lines to 4-4 and 3-2-3.  Amoongus is another pokemon that can inflict conditions from the bench, so I'd add a 2-2 line in.  To make room for these additions, I'd drop the leavanny and celebi.   Celebi just isn't strong enough and another stage 2 pokemon is going to make this deck much slower.  I'd even consider dropping crobat (or reducing it to 2-1-2) and adding in a espeon prime (great mewtwo counter).

Energy Analysis
Roserade can inflict both conditions from the bench if you use rainbow energy so I'd add in 4 of them.  To make room, I'd decrease your psychic and grass energy to 4 each.

Trainer/Supporter Analysis
You'll need 4 collector to get a full bench early in the game (which means you can drop the dual ball).  Many pokemon can easily one shot your pokemon, so I'd drop the max potion to make room for them.  You'll need seeker and super scoop up to reuse your amoongus and the energy from roserade (2-3 of each).  If you decide to reduce the crobat line you can also reduce the rare candy. I'd increase your juniper to 3-4 for a litle more draw power.  Increasing your junk arm to 4 will let you reuse anything.  I'd add in 1 switch in case something on the bench is catcher'd up to stall. Since you have super rod you can drop the energy retrieval (with 12 energy you shouldn't need that much recovery).

Overall
This is an interesting status condition deck who's biggest problem is that a lot of it's pokemon don't have much HP.  Those that do are still easily one shot by many of the powerful EX's in the format.  If you find that you're often behind on prizes, adding a few twins should help you catch up.    



Emboar Reshiram - CheezPuffz12

2 reshiram ex 
2 reshiram 
3-1-2 emboar 
1 shucke
2-2 darmaxitan
1 cleffa 
1 flip 
Pokemon = 17


6 draw supporters
3 collector 
3 junk arm 
3 rare candy
2 eviolite 
2 energy retrieval 
2 fisherman
1 max potion
1 super rod 
1 revive 
1 cilan 
2 catcher
2 communication 
2 switch 
T/S/S = 31


10 fire
2 dce 
Energy = 12

Strategy
This is a new version of the old reshiboar deck.  With cilan, ability emboar is much easier to keep working.  Emboar keeps a steady flow of energy  to pokemon which the different reshirams are the main attacker.  Victini is to replip to avoid damage from reshiram EX's attack as well as to reflip the darmanitan (which is a mewtwo counter).

Pokemon Analysis
I feel that mewtwo is a stronger mewtwo counter since it can be set up in one turn while darmanitan must evolve, meaning that it can be catcher'd up before it can be used.  However, since mewtwo's are so expensive, darmanitan is a good alternative.  (Exchanging darmanitan for 1 mewtwo would also give you 3 more spaces in the deck for other cards). Since ability emboar is the energy acceleration of the deck, I'd increase it to 3-2-3 or higher.  I'd also increase your fliptini since it will be something that can easily be catcher'd and KO'd.  I'd drop the shuckle since you don't have any way of getting the energy off of shuckle to be used for another pokemon.

Energy Analysis
What you have now should work.  You may want to consider swapping one fire for an additional DCE (mainly because of lost remover), but other than that, I have no other suggestions to make on this section.

Trainer/Supporter Analysis
I'd max out your collector and junk arm to 4 each.  I'd drop 1 fisherman, 1 energy retrieval and the max potion.  For your draw supporters I'd suggest 4 PONT and 2 Juniper.  If you can find more room in the deck, 2-3 cheren would also speed it up.  

Overall
I'm curious to see is reshiboar decks will make a comeback with the release of Reshiram EX.  You already have a well build deck, so I hope my suggestions help.