XY-On in Gotham City – Batman and Poison Ivy
What’s up, PokeBeach? Welcome to my second article! I hope you’ve all had a great summer and I hope everyone who went to Worlds had a fun time. I know I did! I’m still coming down from the great time I had out in Boston and although it wasn’t perfect ($40 each day for parking?!), it was still a blast and I know the Post-Worlds Depression will be settling in soon. In order to stay focused and avoid feeling down, I decided to start playtesting for XY-On as soon as the rotation was announced right here on PokeBeach! This way I can keep up with the game and be ready when new sets are released and older sets are rotated out of format. Now I’ll always have new decks and ideas to work on and test out as well as the playing the current meta.
Today we will be taking a look at two very similar decks for the new format, their individual strengths and weaknesses, their positive and negative matchups, possible tech cards, and ultimately which of the two decks I feel is the better option. But first, I wanted to talk a bit about the new forms of draw support in XY-On. The 2016 rotation is coming up in just a few days, and with some very important cards leaving the format, we’re going to have to change up the way we build our decks, especially the draw support.
I’d also like to take a minute to tell you just how epic a PokeBeach Premium Membership is! Not only do you gain full access to the entirety of the content in every PokeBeach Premium Article, but you also get to hang out in the Subscriber’s Secret Hideout, where you can get deck advice from some of the game’s very best players! That way, whether you are up against your rival, Team Rocket, or the mighty Mewtwo itself, you can always be ready!
Shaymin-EX and Sky Field
[cardimg name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ align=”left” height=”250″ c=”custom”][/cardimg]
Let’s talk about one very important card for XY-On: [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”]. This card is even more important in XY-On than it’s been since it was released in [set name=”Roaring Skies”]. This is primarily due to the fact that we are losing two of our biggest draw Supporters, [card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”118″ c=”name”] and [card name=”N” set=”Black and White Black Star Promos” no=”BW100″ c=”name”]. This leaves us with [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”XY” no=”122″ c=”name”] as our main draw Supporter and a combination of [card name=”Shauna” set=”XY” no=”127″ c=”name”], [card name=”Professor Birch’s Observations” set=”Primal Clash” no=”134″ c=”name”], and Ace Trainer as our secondary options. Realistically, Shauna and Professor Birch’s Observations would be tertiary choices at best, while Ace Trainer doesn’t even belong on the list in my opinion, due to the fact that you can only use it if you are behind on Prizes. This means players will have to look elsewhere for draw power, and Shaymin-EX is the best form available.
[cardimg name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ align=”right” height=”250″ c=”custom”][/cardimg]
This will also make [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”name”] a very important card in the game, as it will allow players to put down several copies of Shaymin-EX and draw their cards consistently without having to worry about running out of Bench space. Having eight slots on your Bench offers much more utility for multiple copies of Shaymin-EX as well as other Bench-sitting Pokemon being run specifically for their Abilities. However, it will become more difficult to play other Stadium cards if Sky Field becomes as important as I think it will be in the Standard format. This will mean that it could be difficult to take full advantage of other powerful Stadiums like [card name=”Silent Lab” set=”Primal Clash” no=”140″ c=”name”], [card name=”Dimension Valley” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”93″ c=”name”], or [card name=”Rough Seas” set=”Primal Clash” no=”137″ c=”name”] in a lot of decks. For this reason, players may turn to [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”36″ c=”name”] or the newly-released Hex Maniac in order to lock down the Abilities of their opponent’s Pokemon.
Other Forms of Draw Power
Since the re-introduction of Pokemon-EX in [set name=”Next Destinies”], we have been in a format with primarily Supporter-based draw power. [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”] has begun to change that, and other cards such as [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”name”], [card name=”Acro Bike” set=”Primal Clash” no=”122″ c=”name”], and [card name=”Roller Skates” set=”XY” no=”125″ c=”name”] can also be used to pull extra cards from the deck without needing to use a Supporter. While I believe all of these cards are good in their own way(s), I don’t believe they are always necessary, or that they will be necessary in the XY-On format. After all, [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”name”] is still able to recycle [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”XY” no=”122″ c=”name”] when needed, and you can even pull it from the deck with the help of [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”name”]. Professor Sycamore does force you to discard your hand, however, which isn’t always the most desirable of things. For that reason, it will probably be a good idea to run at least one Supporter card that allows you to shuffle your hand into your deck and draw a new hand. We currently have two options for this effect: [card name=”Shauna” set=”XY” no=”127″ c=”name”] and [card name=”Professor Birch’s Observations” set=”Primal Clash” no=”134″ c=”name”]. Shauna lets you shuffle back your hand in exchange for five new cards, while Professor Birch’s Observations allows you to flip a coin after shuffling back your hand, getting you seven cards on a heads flip versus four on a tails flip. This averages out at five and a half cards from Professor Birch’s Observations against five from Shauna. With that reasoning, I believe Professor Birch’s Observations is the way to go.
Ace Trainer
The third and final option for shuffle-draw Supporters in the Ancient Origins format belongs to Ace Trainer, a brand-new Supporter card that forces both players to shuffle their hands back into their decks, then you draw six cards while your opponent draws just three. So why wouldn’t we just play this card instead of [card name=”Shauna” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”104″ c=”name”] or [card name=”Professor Birch’s Observations” set=”Primal Clash” no=”134″ c=”name”]? Well, Ace Trainer requires you to be behind on Prizes in order to use it, thus limiting its potential. For that reason alone, I believe that this is not a replacement for [card name=”N” set=”Black and White Black Star Promos” no=”BW100″ c=”name”]. In fact, it’s not even close. N has been a solid play at almost any time in the game (unless you are way ahead on Prizes), while Ace Trainer can only be played when you’re behind. Draw power is always at a premium, but especially during the first couple turns of the game, when you probably won’t be able to play Ace Trainer at all. Although I really liked this card at first, after further testing I feel that this card is better off left in the binder or at home, as [card name=”Teammates” set=”Primal Clash” no=”141″ c=”name”] seems to be the superior comeback Supporter when your Pokemon are KO’d.
Meet the Hex Maniac
In what might be able to pass as a relative of the Joker, we have received another brand-new Supporter card in the form of Hex Maniac. At first glance, she doesn’t seem all that powerful, but after a bit of playtesting, I believe Hex Maniac is the second best card in Ancient Origins (behind Forest of Giant Plants). Her effect is simple yet powerful: Until the end of your opponent’s next turn, she shuts down all Pokemon Abilities on the field, in both players’ hands, and in both players’ discard piles. By doing this, Hex Maniac offers players a unique way to overcome cards they might typically struggle with, whether it be [card name=”Aegislash-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”65″ c=”name”], [card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”name”], opposing [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”] lines, or perhaps the newly-released Vileplume card. She does have one last (or should I say first) trick up her sleeve, and that is to play her on the very first turn. If you play Hex Maniac on the first turn, especially if you get to go first, you can deny your opponent access to [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”]’s Set Up Ability, which can put your opponent behind by a full turn to begin the game. With Shaymin-EX being such an important card in the XY-On meta, Hex Maniac’s ability to lock down Pokemon Abilities through your opponent’s turn becomes that much more powerful! Of course, she isn’t [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”name”] or [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”XY” no=”122″ c=”name”], but she is very versatile and seems like a great card to play a single copy of in most decks.
Taking Advantage of the New Format
With all of this reasoning being put into place, it leaves one theme wide open for play and very difficult to counter: the [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”] line we received in [set name=”Phantom Forces”]. I say this for a few reasons. [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”36″ c=”name”] cannot block the Abilities of other Psychic Pokemon and [card name=”Silent Lab” set=”Primal Clash” no=”140″ c=”name”] is only able to take away the Abilities of Basic Pokemon, while [card name=”Golbat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”32″ c=”name”] and Crobat are Stage 1 and Stage 2 Psychic Pokemon respectively. [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”name”] will make it easier to fit more Crobat lines onto the Bench, while Shaymin-EX offers a low HP Pokemon-EX which can easily be picked off in a turn or two by a Crobat player. Today we will look at two decks that run the Crobat line, each one with a different main attacker. The first will feature [card name=”Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”23″ c=”name”] (named Batman for Crobat and Manectric-EX’s names) and the second will feature the newly-released Sceptile-EX and Ariados (named for Batman’s plant-based adversary, Poison Ivy).
Finally, it’s time to dive into the fictional Gotham City, where we can find two very real and very similar decks that are ready to play in the upcoming XY-On Standard format. I will provide lists for both decks, discuss their strengths and weaknesses in-depth, analyze their matchups, and list some additional options to include in each deck. With XY-On right around the corner, getting a step up on the competition with tournament-level deck lists is a great way to start off the season. To kick things off, let’s meet everyone’s favorite nighttime vigilante: Batman!
[premium]
Batman (Manectric-EX / Crobat)
[decklist]
[pokemon amt=”19″]
4x [card name=”Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”23″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”Golbat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”32″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”Zubat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”31″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″]
[/pokemon]
[trainers amt=”33″]
4x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”XY” no=”122″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Professor Birch’s Observations” set=”Primal Clash” no=”134″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”AZ” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”91″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”Super Scoop Up” set=”Furious Fists” no=”100″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Flashfire” no=”99″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”Repeat Ball” set=”Primal Clash” no=”136″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”Head Ringer” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”97″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Sacred Ash” set=”Flashfire” no=”96″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”deck2″]
[/trainers]
[energy amt=”8″]
8x [card name=”Lightning Energy” set=”XY” no=”135″ c=”deck2″]
[/energy]
[/decklist]
The Advantages of Batman
[cardimg name=”Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”23″ align=”right” height=”250″ c=”custom”][/cardimg]
[card name=”Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”23″ c=”name”] / [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”] is a very similar deck to the [card name=”Landorus-EX” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”89″ c=”name”] / [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”] deck that has seen play throughout the better part of the 2014-2015 season. Although Manectric-EX’s attacks are generally less powerful than the ridiculous damage output that Landorus-EX, [card name=”Lucario-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”54″ c=”name”], or [card name=”Hawlucha” set=”Furious Fists” no=”63″ c=”name”] can produce, the Lightning Puppy does have some excellent abilities to offer. The difference between Manectric-EX and Landorus-EX is that Manectric-EX deals 10 less damage to each Pokemon. However, Manectric-EX offers a much more accessible second attack, which, when combined with Overrun and the Abilities of [card name=”Golbat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”32″ c=”name”] and [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”], can easily score OHKOs on even the biggest Pokemon-EX.
Just like the Caped Crusader, the Pokemon TCG version of Batman utilizes a wide variety of gadgets and tricks to overtake its opponent. [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”name”] will add extra damage onto your attacks, allowing you to score a KO with a pair of Overruns or a single Assault Laser, especially when combined with the Golbat’s Sneaky Bite Ability and Crobat’s Surprise Bite Ability. [card name=”Super Scoop Up” set=”Furious Fists” no=”100″ c=”name”] and [card name=”AZ” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”91″ c=”name”] will allow you to play your Crobat lines down even more often, which means even more damage from their Abilities – wherever you want it! [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”] can refill your hand with goodies each time you play it onto your Bench, keeping your arsenal full and ready to unleash when necessary. Batman has even gotten his hands on one of the Joker’s weapons, the headache-inducing [card name=”Head Ringer” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”97″ c=”name”]. This also adds 60 more damage to Manectric-EX’s Assault Laser attack! Each of these tricks can and will help you when playing this deck, while various tech options can be included to further increase your odds of ultimately taking down whichever foe happens to be sitting across the table from you.
The Dark Knight’s Vulnerability
As most everyone knows, Batman does not possess any real superpowers. Ironically, his Pokemon TCG counterpart also lacks the power to OHKO big Pokemon-EX without a bit of assistance… unless you are hitting your opponent for Weakness. The lower damage output means that you will need to combine your cards together in order to score KOs, even if it requires multiple turns to do so. This is important to be aware of, especially if you are up against something like a Mega Pokemon-EX, as those tend to have a ton of HP and very powerful attacks to boot. Fortunately, Batman can be played with a rather large variety of tech cards, which should help you prepare your deck for the meta you expect to be playing in.
Matchups
M Rayquaza-EX / Bronzong
The green serpent from the roaring skies of the Pokemon world provides a pretty favorable matchup for Batman, offering a very inviting Weakness of Lightning for your four copies of [card name=”Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”23″ c=”name”] to prey on. As for the Metal half of the deck, Manectric-EX just happens to have a Resistance to Metal-types! [card name=”Aegislash-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”65″ c=”name”]’s Mighty Shield Ability is useless against this deck, as we play a whopping zero Special Energy cards. In addition, [card name=”Bronzong” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”61″ c=”name”] and [card name=”Altaria” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”74″ c=”name”] offer low HP targets for your [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”] lines to target down with ease. Of course, you could always take this deck down the old-fashioned way, too: simply cherry-picking [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”] off of your opponent’s board.
Vespiquen, Night March, and Raichu
[cardimg name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ align=”right” height=”250″ c=”custom”][/cardimg]
A few very similar decks that run almost entirely off of non-EX Pokemon with very low HP, neither Vespiquen, Night March, nor Raichu poses much of a threat to the world’s greatest detective. While they can deal a lot of damage very quickly, which could overwhelm your [card name=”Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”23″ c=”name”]s, these matches can be played almost exclusively with your [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”] lines, using the Abilities of [card name=”Golbat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”32″ c=”name”] and Crobat as well as their attacks! Since each Golbat and Crobat only gives up one Prize, your opponent will have to score six separate KOs in order to win, while a failed attempt at one-shotting one of your Bats could easily turn into a [card name=”Super Scoop Up” set=”Furious Fists” no=”100″ c=”name”] or [card name=”AZ” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”91″ c=”name”] restoring your Pokemon’s HP and allowing you to reuse its Abilities once again! Simply put, if you can get a few copies of [card name=”Zubat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”31″ c=”name”] on the board early, you should be set for these matchups.
Primal Groudon-EX
Believe it or not, there is one 240 HP Mega Pokemon-EX that Batman can take down with relative ease: [card name=”Primal Groudon-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”86″ c=”name”]. This deck typically sits behind [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”36″ c=”name”] while Primal Groudon-EX is being charged up. While Wobbuffet will deny you access to [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”]’s Set Up Ability, a good detective must remember that this Ability also applies to his or her opponent. This means neither player can use Shaymin-EX to draw extra cards while Wobbuffet is Active, so the Groudon player probably isn’t running any copies of Shaymin-EX to draw cards more quickly. Meanwhile, [card name=”Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”23″ c=”name”] and your [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”] lines can continue to chip away at Primal Groudon-EX’s HP while it is on the Bench, making it much easier to KO when it becomes your opponent’s Active Pokemon and completely removing the threat of your opponent’s [card name=”Focus Sash” set=”Furious Fists” no=”91″ c=”name”].
Seismitoad-EX / Crobat
Our beloved Caped Crusader is not the biggest fan of [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”], but it definitely isn’t the worst matchup for Batman to have to deal with. In all honesty, this matchup is very close to 50 / 50 and could definitely swing in Batman’s favor with the new rotation. The absence of the [card name=”Hypnotoxic Laser” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”123″ c=”name”] / [card name=”Virbank City Gym” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”126″ c=”name”] combo will leave the Seismitoad-EX variant of this deck with a much lower damage output, while Assault Laser can continue to hit for 120 damage and bring down multiple copies of Seismitoad-EX with relative ease. The trouble here comes if you draw into a hand of Item cards and get locked into them without a Supporter or a [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”] to draw extra cards. Also note that [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”] / [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”] decks are likely to start running multiple copies of [card name=”Silent Lab” set=”Primal Clash” no=”140″ c=”name”] now that both Hypnotoxic Laser and [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”54″ c=”name”] will have rotated out of format. A slow start could spell defeat, but otherwise this matchup is actually fairly winnable.
M Manectric-EX
[card name=”Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”23″ c=”name”]’s big brother, [card name=”M Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”24″ c=”name”], is a very formidable foe for Batman to take on. With 210 HP, M Manectric-EX won’t go down quickly. Throw in [card name=”Rough Seas” set=”Primal Clash” no=”137″ c=”name”] and this becomes a pretty tough Pokemon to take down, especially when it’s hitting for 110 damage each turn while simultaneously charging up another Pokemon on your opponent’s Bench! M Manectric-EX has a large variety of potential partners, and many of them could wreak havoc on our comic book hero. While an [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”] or Lugia-EX might not pose much of a threat due to Manectric-EX’s low Energy costs, a [card name=”Lucario-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”54″ c=”name”], [card name=”Articuno” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”17″ c=”name”] or even something crazy like a [card name=”Charizard-EX” set=”Flashfire” no=”12″ c=”name”] could become a serious problem when combined with the mighty M Manectric-EX’s Energy acceleration ability. Fortunately, if your opponent uses a [card name=”Manectric Spirit Link” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”100″ c=”name”] to evolve into M Manectric-EX, you will be hitting for 120 damage per turn, meaning that Rough Seas still won’t be enough to keep you from taking out a Mega Evolved Puppy in two shots, so this is definitely good news. Like the [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”] matchup, a fast start can save you here.
Primal Kyogre-EX
This is the matchup that hurts Batman the most, perhaps because his swimming skills aren’t quite up to par with the Ancient Blue Whale. Besides besting Batman at swimming, [card name=”Primal Kyogre-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”55″ c=”name”] comes in with an enormous 240 HP and an attack that comes awfully close to taking down Manectric-EX in one shot. Throw in the Bench damage dealt by Primal Kyogre-EX and you’ve got a real monster on your hands. Manectric-EX will have a tough time keeping up with the damage dealt by Primal Kyogre-EX most of the time, with [card name=”Rough Seas” set=”Primal Clash” no=”137″ c=”name”] capable of throwing off the math of the Batman deck. This is where your [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”name”]s and [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”] lines really matter – it’ll make you able to deal at least 270 damage in two turns. (30 HP will likely be healed with Rough Seas.) Kyogre players will also likely be packing [card name=”Hard Charm” set=”XY” no=”119″ c=”name”], which means you’ll need to deal 310 damage instead of just 270 over two turns. That’s a lot of damage for just two Prizes! I believe this is Batman’s worst matchup. Fortunately, if Primal Kyogre-EX is big in your area, DC fans can turn to a different character from their beloved comic book universe. Introducing…
Poison Ivy (Sceptile-EX / Ariados / Crobat)
The List
[decklist]
[pokemon amt=”21″]
2x [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Golbat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”32″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Zubat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”31″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″]
[/pokemon]
[trainers amt=”31″]
4x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”XY” no=”122″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Professor Birch’s Observations” set=”Primal Clash” no=”134″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”AZ” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”91″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Super Scoop Up” set=”Furious Fists” no=”100″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Flashfire” no=”99″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”Repeat Ball” set=”Primal Clash” no=”136″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Level Ball” set=”Next Destinies” no=”89″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Sacred Ash” set=”Flashfire” no=”96″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”deck2″]
[/trainers]
[energy amt=”8″]
8x [card name=”Grass Energy” set=”XY” no=”132″ c=”deck2″]
[/energy]
[/decklist]
The Appeal of Poison Ivy
[cardimg name=”Golbat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”32″ align=”right” height=”250″ c=”custom”]Even Batman’s enemies rely on Bats![/cardimg]
Meet Pamela Lillian Isley – better known as Poison Ivy – and her lethal arsenal of plant-based weaponry. She joins us in the combined form of Sceptile-EX and Ariados. Of course, her residence remains trademarked by the swarm of [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”], [card name=”Golbat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”32″ c=”name”], and [card name=”Zubat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”31″ c=”name”] that are roaming around her, and, with the release of Ancient Origins, it appears she has escaped from Arkham Asylum. Sceptile-EX works in a similar manner to [card name=”Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”23″ c=”name”], dealing 60 damage for two Energy with a condition that can add quite a bit of extra damage to its attack. This time, instead of requiring a Pokemon Tool to be attached to your opponent’s Active Pokemon, Sceptile-EX deals an additional 70 damage if your opponent’s Active Pokemon is affected by a Special Condition. This is where Ariados comes into play – Ariados has an Ability which inflicts Poison to both Active Pokemon, with the exception of Grass Pokemon. Ultimately, Sceptile-EX ends up dealing 10 more damage than the previous deck’s [card name=”Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”23″ c=”name”], plus additional damage from Poison!
Ivy’s Imperfections
Unfortunately, Poison Ivy requires a bit more of a setup to reach her full potential than our dear Dark Knight. While the Batman deck relies only on [card name=”Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”23″ c=”name”] and the [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”] line to attack and deal damage, Poison Ivy requires a second Evolution line: Ariados. This means you’ll need room on your Bench for Spinarak / Ariados as well as your Crobat lines, Sceptile-EX, and however many copies of [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”] you end up needing in order to set up (no pun intended) your board. Alternatively, you can gain the extra damage from Sceptile-EX’s Unseen Claw attack through the use of its Sleep Poison attack, which deals 10 damage for one Grass Energy and allows you to flip a coin. If the flip is heads, your opponent’s Active Pokemon becomes both Asleep and Poisoned. However, not only would you need to hit the heads flip with Sleep Poison, but your opponent’s Active Pokemon would have to remain affected by at least one Special Condition on your next turn in order to take advantage of this with Unseen Claw. With this being the case, Ariados is clearly the more efficient way to go, at least for Standard format. [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”name”] is definitely helpful while you are trying to get your Pokemon into play, allowing you to bench an extra three Pokemon in order to complete your setup and giving you the option to simply discard your Shaymin-EXs if your opponent plays down a different Stadium card. The only other drawback here is that Sceptile-EX is unable to snipe your opponent’s Benched Pokemon, which Manectric-EX can do via its first attack, Overrun.
Matchups
Seismitoad-EX / Crobat
Ms. Isley certainly doesn’t fear the mighty [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”], largely due to Seismitoad’s Grass Weakness. The Item lock provided by Seismitoad-EX’s Quaking Punch can be frustrating, but you’ll realize that Ivy can function just fine without her Item cards, as long as you don’t draw a hand full of Items. Just make sure to get a pair of Spinaraks down early, as Ariados is a very easy target for opposing [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”] lines to bring down. This will turn your OHKO on Seismitoad-EX into 2HKOs and allow the Seismitoad-EX player to catch up and possibly control the pace of the game.
Primal Kyogre-EX
While Batman struggles with the mighty Whale, Poison Ivy can take quick advantage of [card name=”Primal Kyogre-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”55″ c=”name”]’s Weakness to Grass Pokemon, exploiting said Weakness with an attack that can deal up to 260 damage at once! That’s enough to KO the Whale even with a [card name=”Hard Charm” set=”XY” no=”119″ c=”name”] attached, which makes this matchup much more favorable than it was for the vigilante superhero. There isn’t much more to say about this matchup, as your [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”] line becomes much less necessary here.
Primal Groudon-EX
Just like its ancient cousin, this Mammoth Pokemon from prehistoric times is also Weak to Grass Pokemon. However, [card name=”Primal Groudon-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”86″ c=”name”] likes to chill on the Bench for a while before entering the Active arena and while it’s there, only your [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”] lines will be able to touch it. However, even if you manage to get no Crobat or [card name=”Golbat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”32″ c=”name”] into play, Sceptile-EX can still take out the enormous Primal Groudon-EX with a single attack, and the Poison from Ariados can even allow it to work around the incredibly annoying [card name=”Focus Sash” set=”Furious Fists” no=”91″ c=”name”]!
Vespiquen, Night March, and Raichu
These matchups are nearly identical for Poison Ivy as they are for Batman, as your Crobat lines can pick off whatever they want, allowing you to control the board. Bear in mind, however, that Poison Ivy carries a thinner line of Bats, meaning you’ll need to manage these resources more carefully. It is also important to note that both Vespiquen and [card name=”Raichu” set=”XY” no=”43″ c=”name”] can take advantage of Flareon to hit your Sceptile-EX for Weakness, which could spell trouble. Finally, remember that Vespiquen is also a Grass Pokemon, meaning it is immune to Ariados’ Poison Nest Ability. These are all still very positive matchups, but they will take a bit more effort for Poison Ivy to deal with than Batman.
M Manectric-EX
The Mega-Evolved Lightning Puppy provides a tough matchup for Poison Ivy, largely due to the fact that it can heal itself with a variety of different Trainer cards while simultaneously dealing significant damage each turn and accelerating Energy cards from the discard pile. That said, Batman could also take advantage of [card name=”Rough Seas” set=”Primal Clash” no=”137″ c=”name”], while Poison Ivy is unable to do so. While [card name=”M Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”24″ c=”name”] is unlikely to find a Fire Pokemon as a reliable partner, it won’t need to find one to win. You’re going to need Ariados on the Bench when you launch Sceptile-EX’s Unseen Claw attack, a [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”name”], and at least 60 damage worth of Abilities from [card name=”Golbat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”32″ c=”name”] and [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”], which will allow you to take down a M Manectric-EX in a single turn. If you can’t accomplish this, you could always try to take out your opponent’s [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”]s as an alternative way of winning.
M Rayquaza-EX / Bronzong and Dialga / Bronzong
This is probably Batman’s favorite matchup, but our Gotham City Siren has a tougher time with [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”] than she does any other matchup (excluding rogue Fire decks.) Sceptile-EX is also very vulnerable to standard Metal decks running [card name=”Dialga-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”62″ c=”name”], which can OHKO it with a [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”name”] attached. M Rayquaza-EX’s 220 HP is usually too much for Sceptile-EX to overcome, then throw in the fact that M Rayquaza-EX can deal a massive 240 damage per turn and you’re looking at a near auto-loss. For the record, auto-losses aren’t good. However, every deck has a bad matchup or two and this is the one that really rattles poor little Poison Ivy. Perhaps this is the Pokemon TCG’s way of punishing Pamela Isley for escaping from Arkham Asylum or maybe Batman decided to send the sky’s guardian after her because he was too busy with the Joker. In any case, this is the matchup Sceptile-EX doesn’t want to see.
Possible Tech Cards
Exp. Share and Energy Switch
[cardimg name=”Exp. Share” set=”Primal Clash” no=”128″ align=”right” height=”250″ c=”custom”]Exp. Share can help stream attackers[/cardimg]
[card name=”Exp. Share” set=”Primal Clash” no=”128″ c=”name”] and [card name=”Energy Switch” set=”Furious Fists” no=”89″ c=”name”] are two Item cards that could easily be added to either Batman or Poison Ivy. However, you wouldn’t want to add more than one of them to the deck, as they both serve the same purpose: conserving your Energy cards so you can continue to stream attackers throughout the game. Personally, I like Exp. Share for this, which can be played along with a single copy of [card name=”Tool Retriever” set=”Furious Fists” no=”101″ c=”name”] if you want to use [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”name”] on your attacker after it absorbs Energy from a previously KO’d attacker. Since both [card name=”Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”23″ c=”name”] and Sceptile-EX require two Energy to use their big attacks, you won’t be able to charge either of them up in a single turn. This is where Exp. Share and Energy Switch really shine the most: keeping your Energy on the board and allowing you to stream big attacks instead of having to wait a turn and potentially taking a big hit before you can lay down a big hit. Energy Switch relies on you being able to switch out or retreat your Pokemon or take a turn of using a less powerful attack if you want to gain its benefit. Exp. Share requires a Pokemon with Energy attached to it to be KO’d by your opponent’s attack in order to work. Either one can work and each one has its own requirements that can play into whether you decide to use them or not.
Silent Lab
Okay, so this card (and the next one) are mainly for the Batman deck, as Poison Ivy can’t really use them all that effectively, if at all. Due to the necessity of the Ariados line, Ivy is dependent on [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”name”] as her Stadium card. Batman, however, can take advantage of [card name=”Silent Lab” set=”Primal Clash” no=”140″ c=”name”] after setting up, which can cripple an opponent trying to draw cards off of [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”] or use any other variety of Abilities coming from his or her Basic Pokemon. Just remember that Silent Lab also shuts down your own Shaymin-EX, so make sure you have your board set up before you attempt to lock your opponent’s Pokemon in Arkham Asylum by using this card.
Flash Energy
The new Special Energy card that Lightning Pokemon received in Ancient Origins is often overlooked and dismissed as unnecessary, largely due to the fact that both [card name=”Landorus-EX” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”89″ c=”name”] and [card name=”Donphan” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”72″ c=”name”] will be rotating out of format. However, Batman can call on his Justice League ally, the Flash, to help out in a pinch! Flash Energy can only be attached to Lightning Pokemon, provides one Lightning Energy, and has a very simple effect: it removes the Weakness from the Pokemon it is attached to. This allows Flash Energy to provide a protective force against Fighting types like [card name=”Lucario-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”54″ c=”name”], [card name=”Dugtrio” set=”XY” no=”59″ c=”name”], or even [card name=”Hawlucha” set=”Furious Fists” no=”63″ c=”name”] in the event of a [card name=”Silent Lab” set=”Primal Clash” no=”140″ c=”name”] or Hex Maniac. It also helps that Fighting-based decks are typically aggressive, and do not tend to run cards that discard their opponent’s Energy cards. Even with some of the more popular Fighting Pokemon rotating out, this card still seems more useful than the HM that the Flash gave us back in First Gen!
Herbal Energy
Poison Ivy can use [card name=”Herbal Energy” set=”Furious Fists” no=”103″ c=”name”] to her advantage, allowing her to heal 30 damage from one of her Grass Pokemon upon attaching this card. How relevant this card is in the Poison Ivy deck depends almost entirely on whether or not OHKOs remain commonplace in the Pokemon TCG. Given that Ivy’s worst matchup comes against a massive OHKO deck in the form of [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”], this card may not be as powerful for Sceptile-EX as Flash Energy could be for [card name=”Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”23″ c=”name”]. The Sceptile-EX deck is also much more pressed for space, meaning you will have less room for tech cards and will need to focus more on the core list.
Conclusion
With [card name=”Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”23″ c=”name”] fighting for the Justice League and Sceptile-EX on the side of Injustice, which side is more powerful in our beloved Pokemon TCG? In my personal opinion, the answer here is Batman. Manectric-EX has more options for tech cards, more space to work with for a more consistent deck list, and a better field of matchups overall than Sceptile-EX does. On top of that, both of these Pokemon have similar Mega Evolutions, and once again, I believe that [card name=”M Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”24″ c=”name”] is the superior choice over M Sceptile-EX. I also believe that decks based around [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”] and [card name=”Primal Kyogre-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”55″ c=”name”] may see a little less play if Vespiquen lives up to its hype. If not, we could see these decks make yet another comeback, which could invite Poison Ivy comfortably into the format. But until then, I think Batman is definitely the [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”] variant of choice for XY-On.
I hope you enjoyed my article and I look forward to hearing from you! I’ll be back soon with more material for you guys to read! Also, catch up with me in the Subscriber’s Secret Hideout for deck advice!
Until then, cheers!
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