Talking Toad: A Comprehensive Discussion of Seismitoad-EX
Disclaimer
Today it was announced that [card name=”Lysandre’s Trump Card” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”99″ c=”name”] will be banned from the Pokemon Trading Card game on June 15th of this year. This announcement was incredibly surprising to me, as I am sure it has been for all of us. The following article was written before this announcement; the information below does not reflect the recent ban. I am not sure exactly how the loss of Lysandre’s Trump Card will affect the game in its entirety, but I’m sure that it will be very impactful. Even with this announcement, a lot of this article still applies to the current format, especially if you’re playing in any tournaments before June 15th.
Introduction
Hello, PokeBeach! My name is Alexander Miles McNeill, but you may know me by my online handle, Alex(charm)ander. I have been involved in the Pokemon Trading Card Game since I was a child. In third grade a friend of mine showed me the [card name=”Charizard” set=”Base Set” no=”4″ c=”set”] he had brought to school. He approached me as I was leaving the school restroom; we find the things that inspire us in many different places, and for me, it was in a bathroom. Shortly after, when I was seven years old, my father bought me a pack of the [set name=”Jungle”] expansion from a local neighborhood garage sale. It wasn’t until I was 19, in 2009, that I began to play the game competitively. Over the last six years, I have amassed a great deal of tournament success. My name is not widely known due to my lack of online presence, but I have been very active in the Pacific Northwest. I look forward to traveling more in the future and seeing what the rest of the Pokemon world has to offer. If you see me at an event, feel free to come up and say “Hi.” I love meeting fellow Trainers!
Today we are discussing everyone’s (okay, not everyone’s) favorite frog, [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”]. Seismitoad is the malignant tumor of our current format. It slows games down and Item locks your opponent out of their resources, often finding ways to come back from sometimes the most formative and aggressive opposition. Games often result in a long, painful, and disgusting defeat for the opponent… And I love it!
Breaking Down the Battle Toad
[cardimg name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”106″ align=”right” height=”250″ c=”custom”]Does this look like the face of mercy to you?[/cardimg]
I don’t need to sell this to you, it practically sells itself. [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”] is the most efficient Item locking Pokemon card that has ever existed. It completely outclasses cards like [card name=”Dialga G” set=”Platinum” no=”7″ c=”name”] and [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Undaunted” no=”24″ c=”from”]. It boasts the maximum HP of all commonly played EXs. The high Retreat Cost becomes negligible when the sustainability of [card name=”Super Scoop Up” set=”Furious Fists” no=”100″ c=”name”] is factored in. Seismitoad-EX can be removed from the Active position and instantly replaced in a single turn. The most significant factor that leads to the wide-spread viability of Seismitoad-EX is that its attack cost allows it to Quaking Punch for a single [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”XY” no=”130″ c=”name”]. Although the damage output is low, the added effect of disallowing your opponent to play Item cards from their hand is well worth it. There are damage modifiers available in order to help this deck succeed against fast, aggressive decks, however. The combination of [card name=”Hypnotoxic Laser” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”123″ c=”name”] and [card name=”Virbank City Gym” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”126″ c=”name”] do double-duty by offering exponential damage growth as well as the added benefit of possible disruption from the Sleep condition. [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”name”] is indispensable in allowing Seismitoad-EX to deliver a 2HKO on an opponent’s Pokemon-EX.
An important tip when playing this deck it to constantly keep track of your order of operations. With so many card interactions happening on your own field each turn, it is easy to get lost and make mistakes regarding the order in which you play cards. For example, if you have committed yourself using a [card name=”Lysandre’s Trump Card” set=”Phantom Forces” no”99″ c=”name”], it is often wise to use your remaining [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”name”]s to net yourself Supporters from your discard that may serve you well in the next turn. Cards like [card name=”Team Flare Grunt” set=”XY” no=”129″ c=”name”] and [card name=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”110″ c=”name”] are valuable disruption cards and Seismitoad-EX decks reward players who think ahead. Once Lysandre’s Trump Card has been played, the VS Seekers are returned to the player’s deck to be used again. Remember this also applies when playing [card name=”Crushing Hammer” set=”Legendary Treasures” no=”111″ c=”name”] or [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”94″ c=”name”]. It is often advantageous to play them before committing your Supporter play for the turn to a Team Flare Grunt or Xerosic.
Mega Pokemon are all the rage at the moment. Boasting HP numbers over 200, these monstrous beasts can be a hassle for the relatively low numbers output from Quaking Punch. Seismitoad-EX does have one advantage, however. When a Pokemon-EX Mega Evolves, that player’s turn ends immediately unless a Spirit Link card is attached to that Pokemon. Because Spirit Link cards are Items, they are affected by Quaking Punch. If the Seismitoad player can get an Item lock engaged before a Spirit Link card hits the field, it will assuredly buy them an extra turn.
In order to maintain the vitality of Seismitoad-EX during long arduous games, each variant contains a handful of recovery cards. [card name=”Super Scoop Up” set=”Furious Fists” no=”100″ c=”name”], [card name=”Scoop Up Cyclone” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”95″ c=”name”], and [card name=”Cassius” set=”XY” no=”115″ c=”name”] are the optimal choices. Each one will remove Seismitoad-EX from play to either the player’s hand or deck respectively. The player can then either Bench Seismitoad-EX again or promote a new Seismitoad-EX. This maneuver is a cure-all for damage, Special Conditions, and malicious effects. [card name=”Lysandre’s Trump Card” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”99″ c=”name”] can be used repeatedly through VS Seeker in order to recycle the entire deck multiple times. In some cases, this card can do double-duty as a disruption tech.
Seismitoad-EX decks employ a variety of disruption cards to accompany the Item lock. Choices like Crushing Hammer, Enhanced Hammer, Team Flare Grunt, Xerosic, and (a personal favorite) [card name=”Head Ringer” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”97″ c=”name”]. Each of these cards can remove Energy from the opponent’s field, slowing their setup and limiting attacks. Xerosic has the added benefit of giving players the choice of choosing either a Special Energy or a Tool card; this is a great card for trapping [card name=”Keldeo-EX” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”49″ c=”name”] into the Active position.
[card name=”Jirachi-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”60″ c=”name”] serves as a very important niche card in any Seismitoad deck. Its Stellar Guidance Ability allows the player to put any Supporter card from that player’s deck into their hand. This can benefit the player early game by getting them out of a bad hand with [card name=”Professor Juniper” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”98″ c=”name”] or by putting down some early pressure with Team Flare Grunt. Super Scoop Up, Scoop Up Cyclone, and Cassius make it possible to chain this Ability or surprise the opponent with it in the middle of the game.
Community Reception
[card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”] has a bad reputation for its ability to create long games in which the opponent can do nothing but watch everything go down in flames. As a result, many people have deemed it a card that hinders creativity in deck building, rewards punishment, and is generally no fun. I am inclined to disagree. Seismitoad is a challenging and unique deck that takes skill and patience to play and succeeds with careful forethought.
In the time it took me to write this article, I played 30 games on the Pokemon Trading Card Game Online with the exact Tastytoad list mention below, and won 23 of those games, 14 of which my opponent quit before the match was finished. That is roughly 50% of the total games that my opponent did not finish. Although I personally enjoy Seismitoad-EX, many find it frustrating to play against, and I can understand why. Beating Seismitoad-EX not only takes careful playing, but also concise deck building. However, poor draws and bad luck can make it impossible to come back from.
Although it can be egregious to play against, Seismitoad-EX is not the murderer of creativity that so many have labeled it as. Every format that I have been a part of has had one or two dominant decks. Each one had room for individual creativity, as do Seismitoad decks. The way decks grow and fade away is very organic, and each one is a representation of a community. Some mechanics may not work in the current climate. If we dwell for too long on a single mechanic, we can give ourselves tunnel vision and miss out on other opportunities.
Seismitoad Variants
Tastytoad
[cardimg name=”Slurpuff” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”69″ align=”right” height=”250″ c=”custom”]”It looks like a Jigglypuff drove into the side of a candy store”. -Ian Watts[/cardimg]
Easily my favorite go-to build for the furious frog is the Tastytoad combination. This variant uses [card name=”Slurpuff” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”69″ c=”name”] to provide consistent card draw, freeing up your Supporter play that turn for disruption cards like [card name=”Team Flare Grunt” set=”XY” no=”129″ c=”name”] or recovery cards like [card name=”Cassius” set=”XY” no=”115″ c=”name”]. Sheer disruption meets flawless consistency.
Slurpuff
Slurpuff is the bread and butter of this variant. “Tasting”, Slurpuff’s Ability, allows the player to draw one card every turn. This Ability does stack, meaning that a card can be drawn for every Slurpuff in play. As a bonus, if Slurpuff is in the Active position when the Ability is used, the user draws two cards instead of one. In desperate situations, the player can use a Super Scoop Up to remove an Active Slurpuff after activating “Tastings” and replace it with another Slurpuff and use the Ability again for a total of four cards. The player can then evolve a Benched Swirlix if available, and activate the Ability yet again. Through the use of [card name=”Float Stone” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”99″ c=”name”] the Seismitoad player can then Retreat into a Seismitoad-EX and continue attacking,
Without the draw power offered by Slurpuff, Seismitoad-EX would not fulfill the job it needs to do. By relinquishing Seismitoad-EX from its reliance on Supporter-based draw, Slurpuff gives the player the flexibility of using disruption Supporters consecutively turn after turn without the concern of losing momentum later in the match.
[decklist]
[pokemon amt=”12″]
4x [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Slurpuff” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”69″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”Swirlix” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”68″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Jirachi-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”60″ c=”deck2″]
[/pokemon]
[trainers amt=”44″]
4x [card name=”Professor Juniper” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”116″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”Team Flare Grunt” set=”XY” no=”129″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”92″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”110″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Cassius” set=”XY” no=”115″ c=deck2″]
1x [card name=”Lysandre’s Trump Card” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”99″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”Crushing Hammer” set=”Emerging Powers” no=”92″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”Hypnotoxic Laser” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”123″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”Acro Bike” set=”Primal Clash” no=”122″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Super Scoop Up” set=”Furious Fists” no=”100″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”99″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”Head Ringer” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”97″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”94″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Scoop Up Cyclone” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”95″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”Virbank City Gym” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”126″ c=”deck2″]
[/trainers]
[energy amt=”4″]
4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”XY” no=”130″ c=”deck2″]
[/energy]
[/decklist]
Victini-EX
I want to quickly discuss a tech that came across my desktop at the hands of Jacob Van Wagner, a good friend of mine for many years. This year he won the Winter Regional Championships in Oregon with Tastytoad. He deserves a place in this article because he piloted a very unique list with a [card name=”Victini-EX” set=”Legendary Treasures” no=”24″ c=”name”] tech and Fire Energy. Victini-EX is a perfect answer to [card name=”Virizion-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”9″ c=”name”] / [card name=”Genesect-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”11″ c=”name”], easily the most difficult match up for any Seismitoad-EX variant. In a meta where this deck is an issue, I sincerely suggest you test Victini-EX in your Seismitoad list.
Seismitoad / Garbodor
[cardimg name=”Garbodor” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”54″ align=”right” height=”250″ c=”custom”]My personal favorite version of this card.[/cardimg]
This variant of Seismitoad is very similar to Tastytoad, except that it give up the extra draw for a second level of disruption. When playing this variant, one must be more careful with their Supporter plays in order to maintain a safe ratio of draw power to disruption.
Garbodor’s Ability, “Garbotoxin”, states that the player must attach a Tool to Garbodor for the Ability to function. Once the player has done so, all other Abilities on both player’s fields are disabled except for “Garbotoxin”. While under Item lock, the opponent will have very few options for removing a Tool attached to Garbodor. Xerosic becomes a commodity for the opponent when having to choose between discarding a Tool on Garbodor or a Double Colorless Energy on Seismitoad EX.
With Garbodor being able to shut down all Abilities in play, you prevent your opponent from doing something their deck may need to perform. Popular Abilities include [card name=”Keldeo-EX” set=”Legendary Treasures” no=”45″ c=”name”]’s “Rush In”, [card name=”Aromatisse” set=”XY” no=”93″ c=”name”]’s “Fairy Transfer”, and [card name=”Exeggcute” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”4″ c=”name”]’s “Propagation”. Of the three Seismitoad variants discussed in this article, this variant is especially good at countering [card name=”Virizion-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”9″ c=”name”].
[decklist]
[pokemon amt=”10″]
4x [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Trubbish” set=”Legendary Treasures” no=”67″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Legendary Treasures” no=”68″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Jirachi-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”60″ c=”deck2″]
[/pokemon]
[trainers amt=”46″]
4x [card name=”Professor Juniper” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”116″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”92″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”118″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Wally” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”94″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Team Flare Grunt” set=”XY” no=”129″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”110″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Cassius” set=”XY” no=”115″ c=deck2″]
1x [card name=”Lysandre’s Trump Card” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”99″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”Crushing Hammer” set=”Emerging Powers” no=”92″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”Hypnotoxic Laser” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”123″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”Acro Bike” set=”Primal Clash” no=”122″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”99″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Super Scoop Up” set=”Furious Fists” no=”100″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”Head Ringer” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”97″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”94″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Scoop Up Cyclone” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”95″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”Virbank City Gym” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”126″ c=”deck2″]
[/trainers]
[energy amt=”4″]
4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”XY” no=”130″ c=”deck2″]
[/energy]
[/decklist]
Seismitoad / Bats
[cardimg name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ align=”right” height=”250″ c=”custom”]”This is bat country!”[/cardimg]
Because the 4-4-3 line of Crobat takes up so much space, this variant gives up much of its disruption for a significantly increased damage output. Many players will find that it is not as necessary to disbar their opponent from Energy as [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”] will get Knock Outs much quicker with the help of [card name=”Golbat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”32″ c=”name”] and [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”]. Furthermore, because both Pokemon can target the opponent’s Bench support, Pokemon are far more vulnerable to Knock Outs, making increased Energy disruption somewhat of an overkill.
Crobat
Crobat’s Ability, “Surprise Bite”, puts 3 damage counters on an opponent’s Pokemon every time it is played from the hand to evolve. With multiple Golbat and Crobat in the deck, this damage adds up fast and can quickly become overwhelming; increasing Seismitoad’s damage and Knocking Out support Pokemon on the opponent’s Bench.
Golbat
Golbat is essentially a baby Crobat. Its Ability “Sneaky Bite” allows the player to place 20 damage on an opponent’s Pokemon. It is a great boost to Seismitoad-EX’s low damage output.
[decklist]
[pokemon amt=”16″]
4x [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”Zubat” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”53″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”Golbat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”32″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Jirachi-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”60″ c=”deck2″]
[/pokemon]
[trainers amt=”40″]
4x [card name=”Professor Juniper” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”116″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”92″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Team Flare Grunt” set=”XY” no=”129″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”110″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”AZ” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”91″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Lysandre’s Trump Card” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”99″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”Crushing Hammer” set=”Emerging Powers” no=”92″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”Hypnotoxic Laser” set=”Plasma Storm” no”123″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”Acro Bike” set=”Primal Clash” no=”122″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Super Scoop Up” set=”Furious Fists” no=”100″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”Repeat Ball” set=”Primal Clash” no=”136″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”99″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”Head Ringer” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”97″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”94″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Scoop Up Cyclone” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”95″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”Virbank City Gym” set=”Plasma Storm” no”126″ c=”deck2″]
[/trainers]
[energy amt=”4″]
4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”XY” no=”130″ c=”deck2″]
[/energy]
[/decklist]
Seismitoad as a Tech
As stated earlier in this article, one of the most attractive features of [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”] is the ability to initiate an Item lock for the cost of one [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”XY” no=”130″ c=”name”]. The prevalence of Double Colorless Energy allows for an innate flexibility in decks that do not center their focus on Item lock, giving those decks depth and alternate strategies. For example, in nearly any deck, the combination of [card name=”Lysandre’s Trump Card” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”99″ c=”name”] followed by a Quaking Punch can instantly win a match against Night March or [card name=”Flareon” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”12″ c=”name”] based decks. Without the ability to return Pokemon to their discard pile, these Pokemon’s damage output is often capped well below any threatening numbers for the remainder of the game.
A surprise Item lock mid game could be unexpected enough to turn the tables or put the final nail in the opponent’s coffin. Even if things are just looking bleak, Seismitoad-EX is a great tech to buy a player a couple of extra turns to pull something together.
Matchups
To give validity to my predictions and suggestions for each match up, I played multiple games with [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”] decks against each one. Below directly reflects my findings from personal experience.
Mirror Match
Because there are several unique variants of [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”] decks, mirror matches can be surprisingly unpredictable at times. Among Seismitoad variants it’s a delicate rock-paper-scissors game. Tastytoad has an advantage against Seismitoad / Bats in that it has more space for consistent disruption. Seismitoad / Garbodor disables the use of Tastings, [card name=”Slurpuff” set=”phantom forces” no=”69″ c=”name”]’s draw power, forcing the Tastytoad player to rely on what little Supporter-based draw is available. Lastly, Toad / Bats in the ideal situation can Knock Out the Seismitoad / Garbodor player’s [card name=”Trubbish” set=”legendary treasures” no=”67″ c=”name”] before it has a chance to evolve and with a decent start will Item lock the use of Tools before they come into play, rendering Garbodor useless.
Seismitoad-EX mirror matches are awkward, however. The sheer amount of disruption being dished out on both sides can make the game tilt back and forth very rapidly until one of the players has completely failed to access their resources and like an insect in the clutches of the Toad’s jaw, they accept their fate.
Rayquaza / Shaymin
[cardimg name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”105″ align=”right” height=”250″ c=”custom”]”For the Scale.”[/cardimg]
The young upstart [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”] is still relatively fresh in our format. My practice against this deck is still somewhat limited, but every match thus far has gone one of two ways: Either the Rayquaza deck gets a roaring start and the game is decided in two or three turns, or I Item lock them before they get enough Energy onto [card name=”Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”75″ c=”name”]. Eventually, their hand size increases and they cannot use [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”]’s Set Up Ability. For the rest of the game, it is a matter of keeping as many Energy off of their board as possible, usually resulting in a game where I am the solitary attacking player. For either deck, the final outcome is decided by the coin flip at the beginning of the game as much as anything else.
Yveltal
[card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”] is aggressive and under the right circumstances, it can achieve a huge early advantage. A skilled Yveltal player will return the basic Dark Energy you discard from their Pokemon to their Bench with [card name=”Yveltal” set=”XY” no=”78″ c=”name”]’s Oblivion Wing. In this instance, the trick is to use [card name=”Lysandre’s Trump Card” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”99″ c=”name”] early and make an attempt to force the Energy back into your opponent’s deck. Eventually, the Seismitoad player can force something Active by removing the Energy attached to it, thus disabling the use of [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”63″ c=”name”]’s Dark Cloak Ability. With just a couple of turns without threat of an attack, the Seismitoad player’s hand size should be large enough to maintain consistent recovery and disruption for the remainder of the game, achieving back-to-back two hit Knock Outs through the use of [card name=”Hypnotoxic Laser” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”123″ c=”name”] and [card name=”Virbank City Gym” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”126″ c=”name”].
In the event the Seismitoad player has [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Legendary Treasures” no=”68″ c=”name”] in their deck, trapping a Pokemon Active becomes a non-issue. [card name=”Keldeo-EX” set=”Legendary Treasures” no=”45″ c=”name”] and Darkrai-EX are great Pokemon to trap in the Active position because of their high retreat and attack costs. This ensures that Seismitoad-EX is safer for several turns and the only way for the opponent to remove them from the Active position would be to waste their Energy attachment for the turn in order to retreat. The strategy of trapping heavy Pokemon in the Active position can be repeated through the use of [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”name”] and [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”name”]. Ideally, the Seismitoad player will time the Poison damage from Hypnotoxic Laser to Knock Out the opponent’s Active Pokemon going into the Seismitoad player’s turn.
Virizion / Genesect
[cardimg name=”Virizion-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”9″ align=”right” height=”250″ c=”custom”]Your worst nightmare.[/cardimg]
[card name=”Virizion-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”9″ c=”name”] / [card name=”Genesect-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”11″ c=”name”] is by far the most difficult matchup for any [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”] variant. The deck is incredibly consistent, aggressive, and most concerning, Grass-type, meaning every attack delivers a devastating amount of damage. Virizion-EX’s Verdant Wind Ability nullifies the effects of Special Conditions to all Pokemon with Grass Energy attached to them, making [card name=”Hypnotoxic Laser” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”123″ c=”name”] redundant. Genesect’s Red Signal Ability can force the Seismitoad player to switch their Active, either to Knock Out a Seismitoad from the Bench or to bring up a Pokemon that cannot attack or retreat, in some cases breaking the Item lock. If all of this was not enough, Virizion-EX has a Resistance to Water, bringing Seismitoad-EX’s base damage against it down to 10. The only way to have a chance against this deck is to vehemently force as much Energy off of your opponent’s board throughout the entire game and target Virizion-EX with [card name=”Head Ringer” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”97″ c=”name”] before it can attack. [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Legendary Treasures” no=”68″ c=”name”] variants of Seismitoad have the best chance against this deck because Garbodor can disable both of the aforementioned Abilities. With Garbodor in play, the Seismitoad player regains full access to Hypnotoxic Laser. With enough positive flips, Hypnotoxic Laser can be game-breaking in this matchup.
Night March
Night March decks are a cake walk to beat, because they rely so heavily on Items to get the majority of their Pokemon into their discard to attack for large numbers. [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”] is the perfect hard counter. Even with an ideal start, it is rare that the Night March player will achieve a one hit Knock Out on Seismitoad-EX. The Seismitoad player then needs to [card name=”Lysandre’s Trump Card” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”99″ c=”name”] and Quaking Punch, and the opponent will be hard pressed to discard enough Night Marchers without being able to play [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”name”] or [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”93″ c=”name”].
Occasionally, the Night March player will take advantage of [card name=”Mew-EX” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”46″ c=”name”]’s Ability Versatile to use a Quaking Punch of their own, but if the Seismitoad player remains resolute in their Item lock, they will be victorious.
This matchup is no harder for Seismitoad / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Legendary Treasures” no=”68″ c=”name”] or Seismitoad / Bats. Garbodor can disable Mew-EX’s Ability with Garbotoxin, hindering the deck even further, and Seismitoad / Bats can use [card name=”Golbat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”32″ c=”name”] and [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”]’s Abilities Sneaky Bite and Surprise Bite respectively to Knock Out Night March Pokemon on the Bench until all of them are in the discard, making it impossible for the Night March player to attack.
Flareon
Similar to Night March decks, [card name=”Flareon” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”12″ c=”name”] decks require the player to amass a discard pile full of Pokemon in order to hit peak damage numbers. The same strategy of [card name=”Lysandre’s Trump Card” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”99″ c=”name”] plus Quaking Punch in a single turn can be the death knell for the Flareon player. One exception, however, is [card name=”Leafeon” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”11″ c=”name”], a Grass-type tech most Flareon players take advantage of to abuse [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”]’s Weakness. Leafeon’s Energy Crush attack does 20 damage times the amount of Energy on the opponent’s side of the field, multiplied by two when factoring in Seismitoad-EX’s Grass Weakness. To avoid being Knocked Out in one hit, keep all but one Energy off the field at any time throughout the match. The Seismitoad player, through a combination of Knocking Out [card name=”Eevee” set=”Furious Fists” no=”80″ c=”name”]s and disruption, hopefully keeps Leafeon from coming into play. If Leafeon does manage to come into play, the Seismitoad player will need to remain defensive, relying on Hypnotoxic Laser and recovery cards while maintaining the Item lock in order to successfully Knock Out Leafeon. Because Leafeon only has 100 HP, this is especially easy to achieve if the Seismitoad player runs Crobat.
Primal Kyogre-EX
[cardimg name=”Primal Kyogre-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”149″ align=”right” height=”250″ c=”custom”]”But it’s ORCA!” -Bori Cser[/cardimg]
[card name=”Primal Kyogre-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”55″ c=”name”] can be a fierce opponent for many, but [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”] decks have a distinctive resistance against some of the strongest factors that make Kyogre an appealing deck. Primal Kyogre-EX’s attack Tidal Storm does a base 150 damage and 30 damage to all Benched Pokemon-EX on the opponent’s field. Furthermore, it has an Ancient Trait called α Growth that allows the player to attach two Energies per turn to it instead of one. Because Kyogre needs to Mega Evolve and has a high attack cost, Quaking Punch is great at slowing it down and keeping it at bay.
With an efficient and early Item lock, the Seismitoad player has several turns before an imminent attack is a threat. [card name=”Hypnotoxic Laser” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”123″ c=”name”] can accrue significant damage over time to an Active [card name=”Kyogre-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”54″ c=”name”] while the Seismitoad player focuses on Energy restriction. [card name=”Head Ringer” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”97″ c=”name”] is perfect for increasing Primal Kyogre-EX’s attack cost to an odd number, making it awkward to achieve. In some cases the opponent may try to use [card name=”Keldeo-EX” set=”Legendary Treasures” no=”45″ c=”name”] to Rush In and switch Keldeo-EX with the Active Pokemon, removing any Special Conditions on it. In the event that the opponent managed to get a [card name=”Float Stone” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”99″ c=”name”] on Keldeo-EX before Item lock was induced, [card name=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”110″ c=”name”] will be needed in order to keep Keldeo-EX from retreating. Once that Keldeo is Active without a way to retreat, it is stuck there and offers up two easy Prizes.
If the Kyogre player attempts to use [card name=”Suicune” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”20″ c=”name”] with the Safeguard Ability, Hypnotoxic Laser can be used with [card name=”Virbank City Gym” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”126″ c=”name”] in order to grant a Knock Out in two turns. Both Keldeo-EX and Suicune become inert if the Seismitoad player runs [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Legendary Treasures” no=”68″ c=”name”]. Garbodor shuts off both Pokemon’s Abilities, making them no longer a threat.
Regardless of whether or not the Seismitoad player does everything successfully, Primal Kyogre-EX may still become powered up and begin attacking. By this point, there should be enough recovery cards in the Seismitoad player’s hand to recover from the initial attack. Most Kyogre players run [card name=”Rough Seas” set=”Primal Clash” no=”137″ c=”name”], which allows both players to heal 30 damage from all Water and Lightning Pokemon each turn. Seismitoad players can piggyback off of this card in order to heal all spread damage from Primal Kyogre-EX. The combination of the healing Ability from Rough Seas and cards like [card name=”Super Scoop Up” set=”Furious Fists” no=”100″ c=”name”] and [card name=”Scoop Up Cyclone” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”95″ c=”name”] can completely reset the damage from the opponent’s previous turn several times in a row.
Primal Groudon-EX
[card name=”Primal Groudon-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”86″ c=”name”] can quickly become a formidable force if the [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”] underestimates it. Even with their naturally slow set up, Primal Groudon-EX cannot be targeted by any Trainers because of its Ancient Trait, Ω Barrier. This means that Primal Groudon-EX cannot be targeted by [card name=”Crushing Hammer” set=”Kalos Starter Set” no=”34″ c=”name”], [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”94″ c=”name”], [card name=”Team Flare Grunt” set=”XY” no=”129″ c=”name”], [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”name”], or anything of the sort. Once it is all set up, Primal Groudon-EX will continuously do 200 damage each turn with Gaia Volcano, as long as a Stadium card is in play.
The Seismitoad player has a couple of options. They can target [card name=”Groudon-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”85″ c=”name”] before it Mega Evolves by bringing it Active, removing as many Energy as possible, and consistently doing damage, or they can focus on getting fast Knock Outs off of support cards like [card name=”Landorus” set=”Furious Fists” no=”58″ c=”name”]. [card name=”Head Ringer” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”97″ c=”name”] can in the least buy the Seismitoad player an extra turn. This match up is much easier with the [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”], as Sneaky and Surprise Bite can damage a Primal Groudon-EX being built up on the Bench. Whatever happens in this matchup, aim for Pokemon that have little to no Energy attached and high Retreat Costs with Lysandre, and hope for the best.
Donphan
Another fairly easy matchup for the Seismitoad player. Because [card name=”Donphan” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”72″ c=”name”] relies so heavily on Trainers to function, even their initial setup becomes lackluster. Focus on removing Energy from Donphan, and Wreck will never become an issue. Lysandre is key in this matchup in order to get around defensive cards in the Active position while simultaneously Knocking Out [card name=”Phanpy” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”71″ c=”name”] and Donphan. OHKOs against Donphan become realistic much quicker if the Seismitoad player is running [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”] and [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Legendary Treasures” no=”68″ c=”name”] will shut down the opponent’s Safeguard Abilities.
Fairies
[cardimg name=”Aromatisse” set=”XY” no=”93″ align=”right” height=”250″ c=”custom”]Totes adorbs.[/cardimg]
A match against decks that run [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”106″ c=”name”] and [card name=”Aromatisse” set=”XY” no=”93″ c=”name”] are decided early. [card name=”Aromatisse” set=”XY” no=”93″ c=”name”]’s Fairy Transfer Ability allows the Fairy player to move as many Fairy Energy from one Pokemon to another as many times as they would like during a single turn. If an Item lock can be started and maintained early, the Fairy player will be unable to use [card name=”Max Potion” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”121″ c=”name”] to heal their Pokemon. Discard as many Fairy Energy off of your opponent’s Pokemon as quickly as possible, and since Aromatisse can move them, it matters very little which Pokemon the [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”] player chooses to target.
[card name=”Garbodor” set=”Legendary Treasures” no=”68″ c=”name”] is a great addition for this matchup, especially if the opponent runs [card name=”Xerneas” set=”XY” no=”96″ c=”name”]. Xerneas’ Geomancy attack allows the Fairy player to attach two Fairy Energy from their deck to two different Benched Pokemon. If Garbotoxin is Active, Aromatisse cannot move them and it becomes an uphill battle to get enough Energy required to attack while under fire from [card name=”Crushing Hammer” set=”Kalos Starter Set” no=”34″ c=”name”]. Similarly, [card name=”Golbat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”32″ c=”name”] and [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”] can do enough damage to Knock Out a [card name=”Spritzee” set=”XY” no=”92″ c=”name”] or Aromatisse before Fairy Transfer becomes an issue.
Metal
Metal decks use [card name=”Bronzong” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”61″ c=”name”]’s Metal Links Ability to attach a basic Metal Energy from the discard to one of their Benched Pokemon. Each Bronzong can attach one Metal Energy from the discard each turn, so when several Bronzong are in play, the opponent has an endless stream of Energy from the discard to the Bench.
[card name=”Garbodor” set=”Legendary Treasures” no=”68″ c=”name”] variants of [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”] decks have the easiest time against Metal decks because Garbotoxin shuts off Metal Links. The high attack costs of most Metal Type Pokemon make it incredibly hard to consistently attack under both Ability and Item lock. Seismitoad decks that run [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”] can Surprise Bite the opponent’s [card name=”Bronzor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”60″ c=”name”] and Bronzong, ideally Knocking Out enough of them to put a halt to the stream of Energy to the Bench.
Regardless of the Seismitoad variant, this matchup is different from others. For every Energy the Seismitoad player discards with Crushing Hammer or [card name=”Team Flare Grunt” set=”XY” no=”129″ c=”name”], that Energy is re-purposed from the discard onto the Bench. Seismitoad players need to be careful, discarding only [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”111″ c=”name”] and basic Metal Energy from an Active Pokemon. [card name=”Head Ringer” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”97″ c=”name”] will put in a lot of work in this matchup by increasing the already high attack costs of Metal Pokemon. If the Seismitoad player can Item lock the opponent’s Items with Quaking Punch before their discard is filled with Energy or if the Seismitoad player can use [card name=”Lysandre’s Trump Card” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”99″ c=”name”] when the opponent still has a significant quantity of basic Metal Energy in the discard, the game is all but won.
The situation may arise where the opponent may attempt to stall with [card name=”Aegislash-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”65″ c=”name”]. Aegislash’s Ability, “Mighty Shield”, prevents Aegislash from taking damage from Pokemon that have Special Energy attached to them. Although this is a nonissue for Garbodor variants, nearly all Seismitoad decks exclusively run Special Energy. The Seismitoad player will need to either switch Aegislash with a Benched Pokemon and trap it with the use of [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”name”], or Poison it through the use of [card name=”Hypnotoxic Laser” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”123″ c=”name”]. Some Metal deck players will run [card name=”Steel Shelter” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”105″ c=”name”], which prevents Metal Pokemon from being affected by Special Conditions. Replace Steel Shelter with [card name=”Virbank City Gym” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”126″ c=”name”] as soon as possible and use Lysandre’s Trump Card to keep recycling them.
Exeggutor
[cardimg name=”Exeggutor” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”5″ align=”right” height=”250″ c=”custom”]The Id, Ego, and Superego[/cardimg]
I genuinely despise this matchup. Both decks are Trainer lock decks of different kinds. Where Seismitoad Trainer locks Items, [card name=”Exeggutor” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”5″ c=”name”] Trainer locks Supporters, completely removing both consistency and disruption effects from your deck. This can be especially impactful for either player in the first few turns of the game. Exeggutor decks are techy and can hold a lot of surprises. Generally speaking, the player that gets up their Trainer lock first and maintains it will win. Tastytoad variants have the best chance of survival because of their reliance on Pokemon-based draw. Digging into your deck does not require the use of Supporters, so the player still has a chance of getting back Energy and [card name=”Crushing Hammer” set=”Kalos Starter Set” no=”34″ c=”name”]. A few clutch heads flips on Crushing Hammer could be enough to break Exeggutor’s Supporter lock for a turn or two, and bring the Seismitoad player just the right amount of momentum.
Post-Rotation
It is still very early to place our bets on rotation. Many are saying that it will likely be XY-on. Regardless of what the final decision may be, [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”]’s future does not look bright. The likely loss of [card name=”Hypnotoxic Laser” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”123″ c=”name”] and [card name=”Virbank City Gym” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”126″ c=”name”] reduce the damage output that Seismitoad needs to go head to head with most other Pokemon-EX, because of their high HP. With the focus on Mega Pokemon getting stronger, this factor is only multiplied. Seismitoad-EX will likely see play as a niche tech in many decks, but will lose its ability to be the primary focus of any competitive deck.
Conclusion
[card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”] is an incredibly nuanced card that favors those with a sharp mind. The deck is easy to pick up but difficult to master. Cards like [card name=”Slurpuff” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”69″ c=”name”], [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Legendary Treasures” no=”68″ c=”name”], and [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”] give each variant a unique playstyle. I encourage players to find their own combinations. Recently, a Seismitoad deck that included [card name=”Magcargo” set=”Primal Clash” no=”24″ c=”name”] with Ω Barrier made top cut at the Spring Regional Championships, and many players are taking interest in [card name=”Crawdaunt” set=”Primal Clash” no=”92″ c=”name”] with the Unruly Claw Ability.
I wholeheartedly appreciate you taking your time to read my article. May it serve you well playing Seismitoad-EX or finding ways to counter it. Good luck, Trainer!