A Cover on a Deck — Three Accelgor Variants for Expanded

By: Alex Koch · Posted Posted onSep 21, 2016 at 1:48 PM · 0 Comments

Hello everyone! I’m back at you with my first article of the new season! Today I’ll be going over [card name=”Accelgor” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”11″ c=”from”][/card], a card that just refuses to die. With Evolutions not offering a whole lot of new competitive cards, these decks will keep their spots under the “viable” label for Expanded tournaments around the globe!

My roommates and I have a cat. More accurately, it’s my roommate Carrie’s cat, and Grady and I just look at it when he walks into the room. He knows one trick. If you point at him and shout, “be a cat,” he’ll do it every time. We call him Finn, named after the main character from the show Adventure Time. He likes laundry, meowing at closed doors, and sitting on the top of my desk chair.

My girlfriend has a dog. Quite possibly one of the most unique dogs I’ve ever encountered. He’s one of those dogs that has a big personality and lets it shine through whenever you come home. Eli is his name, and quite simply, he’s a goober. I just got home from hanging out with Karla, and as we were snuggling up and watching TV, I took out a bowl of popcorn. Eli proceeded to sit there and give me the best puppy-dog eyes any animal has ever given me. He’s always good for a solid laugh.

[cardimg name=”Lillipup” set=”XY” no=”108″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

So why tell you about the animals in my life? Well as I sat here, listening to my normal pump up writing songs (Battleflag by Pigeonhead) I couldn’t think of a great way to give you some sort of intro into my article this go around. Usually I have some sort of sports analogy, but I definitely over use that. Instead, I wanted Finn and Eli to be representations of two mentalities going into large tournaments.

The first, Finn, is the reliable, consistent pick. While it may be less fun, and kind of boring at times, you know it will always be a good option to get you far in the tournament. The second, Eli, is wild, crazy, and unpredictable. Even if it doesn’t get you to the top, at least you know it’ll be a fun journey. Every so often, the “Eli” decks out there will break out for a deep run, and you’ll end up winning a tournament with man’s best friend at your side. I’ve always been more of a dog person, so that’s why today’s topic is going to be  [card name=”Accelgor” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”11″ c=”name”][/card]!

A Primer on Accelgor

Well let’s start off this party by taking a look at what exactly [card name=”Accelgor” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”11″ c=”name”][/card] can do, and the magic numbers it can hit! Accelgor is a 90 HP, Stage 1 Grass-type Pokemon. The amount of HP it has means it can be searched out by [card name=”Level Ball” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card]. Its first attack, Hammer In, costs one Grass Energy and deals 20 damage. That’s not as exciting as its second attack, Deck and Cover which deals 50 damage and Paralyzes and Poisons the opponent’s Active Pokemon. The draw back to this is that Accelgor must then be shuffled back into the deck. The Weakness to Fire almost never comes into play, but the free Retreat it boasts sure does.

So basically, the best way to play this card is with some form of disruption, specifically Pokemon that gain power from being in the Active position. The three that I’ll be pairing with Accelgor today are [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC11″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Stoutland” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card]. We have some things to cover beforehand though.

Magic Numbers

This is always a fun exercise to do with your decks. Go through your entire deck and see if you can deal every amount of damage from 10 to 180! If you can’t it’s no big deal, but there is a way for [card name=”Accelgor” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”11″ c=”name”][/card] to deal every amount of damage in that range! Keep in mind I might be hitting some of these numbers with Poison. We’re looking at the damage the defending Pokemon will have on your turn following the turn Accelgor attacked. There will be multiple ways to achieve some numbers. Let’s take a look.

• 0 – Accelgor attacks into a [card name=”Glaceon-EX” set=”Fates Collide” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] with a Grass Energy attatched and a [card name=”Virizion-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”9″ c=”name”][/card] on the Bench or a [card name=”Sparkling Robe” set=”Furious Fists” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card].
• 10 – Accelgor attacks into a [card name=”Glaceon-EX” set=”Fates Collide” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] which then switches to your opponent’s Bench on their turn
• 20 – Accelgor attacks into a [card name=”Glaceon-EX” set=”Fates Collide” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card]. Poison damage brings it to 20 between turns.
• 30 – There are no Grass resistant Pokemon in the current format. In fact, there haven’t been any in a good long while. So the way you get 30 is by using Deck and Cover with [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card] in play, and the defending Pokemon has a Grass Energy / [card name=”Virizion-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”9″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Sparkling Robe” set=”Furious Fists” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card], or [card name=”Chaos Tower” set=”Fates Collide” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card].
• 40 – Accelgor attacks with [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card] in play. The defending Pokemon switches to the’ Bench during its turn.
• 50 – Accelgor attacks into a Pokemon with [card name=”Virizion-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”9″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Sparkling Robe” set=”Furious Fists” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card], or [card name=”Chaos Tower” set=”Fates Collide” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card].
• 60 – Accelgor attacks. The defending Pokemon switches to the Bench.
• 70 – Accelgor attacks. This one is an easy one.
• 80 – Accelgor attacks a Pokemon-EX with [card name=”Silver Bangle” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”88″ c=”name”][/card] attached. That Pokemon has [card name=”Virizion-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”9″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Sparkling Robe” set=”Furious Fists” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Chaos Tower” set=”Fates Collide” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card].
• 90 – Accelgor attacks with a [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] attached and the Poision ticks twice.
• 100 – Accelgor attacks with a [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Virbank City Gym” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”126″ c=”name”][/card] in play. That Pokemon finds safety on its’ Bench.
• 110 – Accelgor attacks a Pokemon-EX with [card name=”Silver Bangle” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”88″ c=”name”][/card] attached and [card name=”Virbank City Gym” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”126″ c=”name”][/card] in play. This can also be achieved without the use of Silver Bangle when the defending Pokemon can’t get to the Bench. This one is extremely important, I’ll go over why in a bit.
• 120 – Accelgor attacks a Pokemon with a Grass Weakness. Poison ticks between turns.
• 130 – Accelgor attacks a Grass-weak Pokemon with [card name=”Virbank City Gym” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”126″ c=”name”][/card] in play.
• 140 – Accelgor attacks a Grass-weak Pokemon with [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] attached. The defending Pokemon has a [card name=”Virizion-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”9″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Sparkling Robe” set=”Furious Fists” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Chaos Tower” set=”Fates Collide” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card] deal going on.
• 150 – Accelgor attacks a Grass-weak Pokemon with [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] attached. That Pokemon then gets to the Bench.
• 160 – Accelgor attacks a Grass-weak Pokemon-EX with [card name=”Silver Bangle” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”88″ c=”name”][/card] and they have a [card name=”Virizion-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”9″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Sparkling Robe” set=”Furious Fists” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card], or [card name=”Chaos Tower” set=”Fates Collide” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card] in play.
• 170 – Accelgor attacks with a [card name=”Silver Bangle” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”88″ c=”name”][/card] against a Grass-weak Pokemon-EX that manages to get to the Bench.
• 180 – Accelgor attacks with a Silver Bangle against a Grass-weak Pokemon-EX. Poison ticks between turns.

So as you can tell, [card name=”Accelgor” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”11″ c=”name”][/card] has ways of achieving every number from 0 to 180. While a lot of Pokemon are capable of doing so, Accelgor can do it all with relative ease, which is surprising for a Pokemon that doesn’t damage modify itself like [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY150″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Mewtwo-EX” set=”Next Destinies” no=”54″ c=”name”][/card] can. The Poison damage makes all the difference.

Now I did point out the 110 damage scenario because of how notable it is. What 110 HP Pokemon can you think of that is found in nearly every deck? Yep, our good buddy [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card]. One of the big strategy points of Accelgor based decks is to take Poison Knock Outs coming from your opponent’s turn into yours. With the paralyzation factor, this ensures that your Pokemon are less likely to get Knocked Out. Barring a [card name=”Switch” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”AZ” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Pokémon Center Lady” set=”Flashfire” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card], counter Stadium, and similar things, if you [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card] up a Shaymin-EX and Deck and Cover into it with a [card name=”Virbank City Gym” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”126″ c=”name”][/card] in play, you’re going to take an easy two Prizes, and then still have control of the board.

Knowing the limits of Accelgor and being able to count numbers and have at least one or two turns of the game taking a KO coming into your turn is what makes Accelgor such a dangerous card. It’s what makes a good Accelgor player in the first place. When practicing this deck, make sure to keep an eye on this key factor.

As a quick aside here, there is one correct Shelmet to play. All four printed Shelmet all have 60 HP, a Fire Weakness, and three Retreat. So with no difference in those three factors, we then have to turn to the attacks. Most Accelgor decks don’t run Grass Energy, so [card name=”Shelmet” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”7″ c=”from”][/card] becomes the only one with a relevant attack that we can use.

Stadium Cards

So moving on to partners for [card name=”Accelgor” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”11″ c=”name”][/card]. I did list out the three Pokemon I plan to talk about early, and I’m getting there, but first I have to talk about Stadium possibilities. While most of the magic numbers are hit because of [card name=”Virbank City Gym” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”126″ c=”name”][/card], it isn’t always the go to pick for Accelgor players. In fact, there are quite a few different Stadiums that Accelgor benefits off of.

[premium]

Virbank City Gym

[cardimg name=”Virbank City Gym” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”126″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

As mentioned before, [card name=”Virbank City Gym” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”126″ c=”name”][/card] is the way to go to hit good damage numbers, most notably on [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card]. Without this Stadium in your deck, you’re still always in a good position to win, it just takes some specific combos out of your bag of tricks. Since so many decks run Shaymin-EX, this will always remain the number one choice for Accelgor players. As a general rule of thumb if you’re not playing [card name=”Dusknoir” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”63″ c=”name”][/card], you should be playing Virbank City Gym.

Tropical Beach

Next on the list is the Stadium that brings slow decks into the fold. If some of you remember, Accelgor used to be paired with [card name=”Gothitelle” set=”Emerging Powers” no=”47″ c=”name”][/card] for Item-lock. Back in those days, you had to play three or four [card name=”Tropical Beach” set=”Black and White Black Star Promos” no=”BW28″ c=”name”][/card] to get the deck going in the slow parts of the early game. Once you established a lock, usually with [card name=”Dusknoir” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”63″ c=”name”][/card], you were almost unstoppable. These days, almost every deck is much faster and don’t require the use of Tropical Beach. However, it still remains the best option in all Accelgor decks that opt to play Dusknoir.

Forest of Giant Plants

Now we’re moving on to the less played Stadiums that are just outclassed by the first two on the list. Don’t get me wrong, these options are amazing, there are just always better choices you can make. [card name=”Forest of Giant Plants” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] allows you to get a fast turn one lock if that tickles your fancy. I would generally throw this one into the [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC11″ c=”name”][/card] version, since the Pokemon you switch into can be set up by merely benching it. It makes the deck a bit more speedy. It also alleviates the worry of always needing multiple [card name=”Shelmet” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”7″ c=”name”][/card] benched in case of a [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card] KO play.

Silent Lab

This card is really mainly used to counter Accelgor’s biggest foes: [card name=”Virizion-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”9″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Keldeo-EX” set=”Legendary Treasures” no=”45″ c=”name”][/card]. Both of these cards can very easily break the soft lock you’re trying to establish by playing Accelgor in the first place. [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC11″ c=”name”][/card] doesn’t shut off Virizion-EX right away, so even that version could use the help of Silent Lab. You’re more likely to see this card as a one-of tech in the [card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Stoutland” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card] versions to help deal with certain matchups. It’s not going to save any games, but it’s going to gain you a turn or two of free Deck and Covers against the likes of Virizion-EX and Keldeo-EX. You’ll see this card paired with versions that play [card name=”Dusknoir” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”63″ c=”name”][/card], since the damage of [card name=”Virbank City Gym” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”126″ c=”name”][/card] isn’t heavily used.

Sky Field

And last but not least, [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card] is a great Stadium to include in decks that require a lot of set up. Accelgor decks generally tend to run out of Bench space fairly quickly, seeing as they need a lot of moving parts to make them work. This especially rings true with any build that plays [card name=”Dusknoir” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”63″ c=”name”][/card]. Sky Field allows you to play a higher count of [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] without having to worry about benching too many to get the flow of the deck working. There are usually better options than Sky Field, but if you’re worried about your early game, then this is the way to go.

Some Stadiums that I won’t discuss but deserve honorable mentions are [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Mountain Ring” set=”Furious Fists” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Faded Town” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”73″ c=”name”][/card].

Other Commonly Played Cards

One last section before I dive into some lists here. Here I’m going to talk about a lot of the common cards you see in most [card name=”Accelgor” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”11″ c=”name”][/card] lists. I’ll go ahead and leave out the obvious cards like [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Fates Collide” no=”113″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card], since those should be inclusions in almost every single list anyway.

Dusknoir BCR

[cardimg name=”Dusknoir” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”104″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Now, I know I’ve talked about it a lot, but we’re finally to the point where I can really harp on this guy. The whole idea behind [card name=”Dusknoir” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”63″ c=”name”][/card] is to get the combination of cards that result in a permanent lock. The idea becomes one in which you pin some useless Pokemon into the Active position, and use Deck and Cover every turn of the game. Oh wait, that sounds like the strategy you employ in every [card name=”Accelgor” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”11″ c=”name”][/card] game. Well with Dusknoir, the fact of KOing something in the Active goes away. Without Dusknoir, you’re resigned to giving you opponent a free turn of attacking if you score a Knock Out going into their turn. If you can’t get that perfect situation of Poison lock coming back into your turn, you essentially give them a free Prize, or at least a chance at one. Dusknoir keeps it so that once you establish that lock, you’ll only lose it if you miss a [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Fates Collide” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card] or attacker. The big issue that a lot of people face with Dusknoir, is that it’s not easily put into decks. You’re generally going to either need to find space for the 2-1-2 line and [card name=”Rare Candy” set=”Primal Clash” no=”135″ c=”name”][/card], or risk never hitting it and having something prized with a thin 1-1-1 line or 1-0-1 line. You have to decide if it’s worth the risk of inconsistency.

Musharna BCR

When it comes down to it at the end stages of the game, Accelgor’s goal becomes that of drawing into [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Fates Collide” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card]. When [card name=”Accelgor” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”11″ c=”name”][/card] first came out way back when, someone told me that the goal of the deck was to have nothing but Double Colorless Energy and [card name=”Mew-EX” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”46″ c=”name”][/card] left in your deck. This was a lot harder back then since there wasn’t cards like [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card]. You had to set up a [card name=”Gothitelle” set=”Emerging Powers” no=”47″ c=”name”][/card], a Stage 2. The basic concept still remains the same; it’s best to have nothing but Double Colorless Energy and attackers left in your deck. If you can manage to discard all of the cards in your deck using [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Fates Collide” no=”113″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card] and still be left with those cards, odds are you’re going to win. But when you get into that situation, you’re only allowed one top deck. This is where [card name=”Musharna” set=”Next Destinies” no=”59″ c=”name”][/card] comes in as a way to give you low hand counts opportunities to grow. The reason you favor Musharna over the likes of [card name=”Octillery” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card] is because your hand size might be larger than five at that stage of the game. Plus, you get the added benefit of [card name=”Munna” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”68″ c=”name”][/card] as a soft lock option in the early stages of the game. Whatever you choose, you should almost always have a Bench sitter of some sort to help draw cards.

Mew-EX

This card has changed so much over the course of its life. In terms of [card name=”Accelgor” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”11″ c=”name”][/card], when it first came on the scene, you played three or four copies, and a 3-2 or 2-2 line of [card name=”Accelgor” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”11″ c=”name”][/card]. That’s because there wasn’t cards like [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card] that could easily break Item-lock and drag up the Accelgor from the Bench. Instead, you could save on room and play a high copy of [card name=”Mew-EX” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”46″ c=”name”][/card], only requiring one turn and two cards of set up, rather than two turns and three cards of set up every turn. Plus, you save space on your list by not having to play the high counts of Accelgor. Today, we see less and less Mew-EX because of Lysandre. You want to always have at least two [card name=”Accelgor” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”11″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Shelmet” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”7″ c=”name”][/card] in play so that you never run into the risk of having to spend an extra turn to evolve before you attack. We’re trying to lock them fast and early here, so you can’t spend time mid game without the lock. I think no matter what the build or who you pair Accelgor with, at least two copies of Mew-EX is highly advised.

Float Stone

Now, this may seem like an obvious inclusion to put in Accelgor lists to retreat the wall you Deck and Cover into, and you’re right, it is obvious. But anything less then four copies is just flat wrong. I usually don’t go as far as saying anyone’s idea is wrong. Everyone has their own reasons for playing the counts of cards that they do, and I can’t tell you that your opinion is wrong. However, this is one of the exceptions to the rule. Just as important as keeping Double Colorless Energy flowing is the ability to retreat your Active Pokemon to keep Deck and Covering every single turn. If at any point you can’t do that, you’re losing out on turns of the lock, and therefore putting yourself at risk of falling behind in the Prize-trade. Seriously, do yourself a favor and keep the count at four.

Silver Bangle

There is a debate to be had on the topic of [card name=”Silver Bangle” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”88″ c=”name”][/card] versus [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card]. In days past, I would say Muscle Band was the way to go, since it would work wonders against both Pokemon-EX and non-EX Pokemon. But ever since Roaring Skies came out, and this card named [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] was put into everything, I give the edge to Silver Bangle. I did touch on the fact that with [card name=”Virbank City Gym” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”126″ c=”name”][/card] in play, you can score easy Knock Outs against Shaymin-EX. Well, Silver Bangle give you those two Prizes instantly instead of making you hold your breath hoping your opponent doesn’t drop an [card name=”AZ” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card]. It also give you access to easy one shots on [card name=”Keldeo-EX” set=”Legendary Treasures” no=”45″ c=”name”][/card] with the 80 damage from Deck and Cover being doubled, and then Poison KOing them between turns. At least one copy of Silver Bangle is always really nice to have.

Accelgor / Wobbuffet

Finally the moment you’ve all been waiting for, lists! I’m going to start with probably the most common and best pairing with Accelgor in today’s format: Wobbuffet!

[decklist name=”Accelgor/Wobbuffet” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Accelgor” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”11″][pokemon amt=”19″]4x [card name=”Accelgor” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”11″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Shelmet” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”7″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”36″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Musharna” set=”Next Destinies” no=”59″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Munna” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”68″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Mew-EX” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”46″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”35″]4x [card name=”Professor Juniper” set=”Black and White” no=”101″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”118″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”AZ” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”91″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”110″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Level Ball” set=”Next Destinies” no=”89″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Sacred Ash” set=”Flashfire” no=”96″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Silver Bangle” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”88″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Computer Search” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Virbank City Gym” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”126″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”4″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”6″]4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Next Destinies” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Mystery Energy” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”112″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

First thing is first, credit is due to Ross Cawthon, as he piloted this deck to a Top 8 finish at Madison Regional Championships this last season. His list and the one above are off by two cards. I took out [card name=”Teammates” set=”Primal Clash” no=”141″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Ghetsis” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”101″ c=”name”][/card] for a fourth [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Fates Collide” no=”113″ c=”name”][/card] and a third [card name=”Level Ball” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card]. Firstly, I didn’t really much like the Ghetsis in the list. I know it won him some games during his run, and it can definitely steal some games if you play it correctly, but I’ve never been able to get behind the card. If I’m playing Ghetsis on my first turn, I better have a [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC11″ c=”name”][/card] in the Active and a [card name=”Shelmet” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”7″ c=”name”][/card] or two on the Bench and ready to go. The amount of times I found myself in this situation, even without Ghetsis, was not as high as I would like it to be. Teammates was a card I really enjoyed to help search out my Double Colorless Energy in a pinch. However, if it didn’t find its way to the discard pile within the first three or four turns, the card was all but useless. I understand the game changing power the card brings a deck that relies heavily on Double Colorless Energy, but I would rather opt in for some more early game consistency. I did quickly state before that by the end of the game, your list should be filled with nothing but Double Colorless Energy and Mew-EX. A fourth copy of Ultra Ball helps pitch unneeded cards during the mid stages of the game. The third Level Ball also ensures that you’re drawing into your [card name=”Accelgor” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”11″ c=”name”][/card] early enough to keep the lock up.

[cardimg name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”36″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

The benefits of [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC11″ c=”name”][/card] are massive. If you’ve never played a deck utilizing this card before, I highly suggest doing it. Being able to shut down one of the most dynamic cards in the game, [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card], is massive. Not only that, but you take away one of the biggest threats to Accelgor in the form of [card name=”Keldeo-EX” set=”Legendary Treasures” no=”45″ c=”name”][/card] (and by extension, [card name=”Zoroark” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card]). Crippling your opponent’s set up and taking away an out to paralyzation is sometimes all you need to win games. Sure, cards like [card name=”AZ” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] will still keep your opponent in the game, but if they burn their Supporter for the turn on these types of plays, they won’t be able to draw extra cards because of Bide Barricade. Your opponent will have a real hard time deciding between grabbing that AZ or Professor Juniper with the lone VS Seeker in their hand.

Card Choices

I had a quick conversation with some of the PokeBeach writers the other night about how this list and this deck does in our current format. When asked for a list, I said to go take a look at Ross’ list. I said this to them that night, and I will say it now, his list is as close to perfect as you’ll get. I don’t believe in the concept of a perfect deck list, seeing how everyone plays and prefers different things. Let’s dive into some reasons why cards are played. Mind you these are my thoughts on the list and how I play it.

Shaymin-EX

This is an odd Pokemon to start this list off with. This card is like butter, it goes in everything. Most people would say that it’s crazy to play a deck with only one [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] in it. I made day two at the U.S. National Championships with one Shaymin-EX, and Ross made Top 8 with one copy. The reason you can get away with this is because of the massive amount of search and draw support in the deck, paired with the draw engine of [card name=”Musharna” set=”Next Destinies” no=”59″ c=”name”][/card]. I’m not saying Musharna is better then Shaymin-EX, but the two together are helpful. Also, I don’t know if you knew this, but you can’t activate Set Up when [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC11″ c=”name”][/card] is Active, so that’s another reason not to rely on it for draw Support. But the biggest reason of them all is the Prize-trade. It can sometimes be hard to keep up with the speed and HP of some of the bigger hitters in the format, and falling behind to decks like that can be hard to recover from. Playing from behind puts you into a position of having to take Knock Outs coming back into your turn.  [card name=”Mew-EX” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”46″ c=”name”][/card] rarely stays on the field for more than a turn, but Shaymin-EX can be a liability in the long run of a game if you’re not able to [card name=”AZ” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] or Sky Return it. That’s a lot of words to say that in a deck like this, one Shaymin-EX is totally fine.

4-4 Accelgor and Two Mew-EX

I’ve already hinted at this concept twice, but I would be doing you a disservice if I didn’t repeat it here. [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card] is a thing that’s in format, and you don’t want your opponent to pick off your lone copy of [card name=”Accelgor” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”11″ c=”name”][/card] on the field. That’s why it’s important to play a higher count of Accelgor and sacrifice the space in your deck. Also, more copies of [card name=”Mew-EX” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”46″ c=”name”][/card] means more chance for a Prize-race to go sour in the favor of you opponent. We still will play the two copies of Mew-EX for the late game however. It’s still super strong to be able to leave your Accelgor on the field for as many turns as possible while you set up your deck (and yeah, set up your deck meaning pitching everything else to get it to the [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Fates Collide” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card] / Mew-EX / [card name=”Musharna” set=”Next Destinies” no=”59″ c=”name”][/card] combo). Plus, added bonus, it gives you an easy Knock Out on opposing [card name=”Hoopa-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY71″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Mewtwo-EX” set=”Next Destinies” no=”54″ c=”name”][/card], both common Pokemon in the Expanded metagame, because of type coverage.

Xerosic

Now, [card name=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”110″ c=”name”][/card] might seem like an odd inclusion in this deck, since it doesn’t really help you against a lot of the Tool cards in the format. What Xerosic does, however, is give your deck the only out to [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card]’s Chaos Wheel. Sure, [card name=”Pokémon Ranger” set=”Steam Siege” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card] also accomplishes this goal, but against decks like [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] that can easily fit in a [card name=”Keldeo-EX” set=”Legendary Treasures” no=”45″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card], Pokemon Ranger does you no good if they can get out of Paralysis so easily. Instead of preventing them from attacking by using Status Conditions, prevent them from attacking by getting rid of their Energy. It’s a soft solution to a big problem, but it can work. Xerosic is also just a flat out good card. If you’re a fan of the program, you know about my love for this card and how it needs to be in every single deck ever for all time. So if that’s not a reason enough, I don’t know what is. As a side note on Giratina-EX, it really wouldn’t hurt the deck at all to throw in a couple copies of [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card]. That applies to every version of [card name=”Accelgor” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”11″ c=”name”][/card]. It’s probably too situational to be that good though.

Mystery Energy

Now this was probably the best thing about the list. I don’t know if it was originally Ross who thought of this idea, but I think it’s ingenious. It’s amazing for so many reasons, but two of the biggest ones are as follows. The first is the retreating factor and being limited to only four copies of [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card]. Generally speaking, during the course of the game, you’re going to spend a Float Stone protecting [card name=”Musharna” set=”Next Destinies” no=”59″ c=”name”][/card] and a Float Stone on your first [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC11″ c=”name”][/card]. That means if you pitched one early, or have one prized, you can be in a real world of hurt in terms of retreating your wall. [card name=”Mystery Energy” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”112″ c=”name”][/card] gives you that fifth and sixth option for retreating. It’s fitting, seeing as how six Prizes is what you need to win the game. Another reason is Item-lock. [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] are both very common in Expanded. Early locks and keep a Wobbuffet stuck in the Active spot for too many turns while your opponent gets all ready to wail on you. I tested this deck against Grady the other day. He was playing [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] / Bats and didn’t know about the Mystery Energy. If I didn’t play the card, he would have easily won the game, batting and Quaking me to death. He played around the fact that I pitched two Float Stone early and had a third attached to Musharna. The moment that Mystery Energy hit the field is when the game turned back into my favor. Mystery Energy is well worth the two spots in the deck.

You could also play cards like [card name=”Special Charge” set=”Steam Siege” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Eco Arm” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”71″ c=”name”][/card] to satisfy this retreating need, but I’ll go more into that in a bit.

Accelgor / Trevenant

So let’s say you aren’t a big fan of locking Abilities and you prefer taking away your opponent’s Item cards. Here is a current list, modeled slightly after Ross’, for [card name=”Accelgor” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”11″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card].

[decklist name=”Accelgor/Trevenant” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Accelgor” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”11″][pokemon amt=”22″]4x [card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Phantump” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”64″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Accelgor” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”11″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Shelmet” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”7″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Mew-EX” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”46″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Octillery” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”33″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Remoraid” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”32″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”34″]4x [card name=”Professor Juniper” set=”Black and White” no=”101″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”118″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”AZ” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”91″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”110″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Level Ball” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”76″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Eco Arm” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”71″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Sacred Ash” set=”Flashfire” no=”96″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Silver Bangle” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”88″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Computer Search” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]3x [card name=”Virbank City Gym” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”126″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”3″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”4″]4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Next Destinies” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

Now if you notice, there are quite a bit of similarities between this list and the last one. The first is that the Supporter counts are exactly the same. I don’t really think there is much need to deviate from this line, seeing as how well it works in decks like this. I can’t find any reason to justify changing it slightly, so it stays the same. The biggest change is the [card name=”Accelgor” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”11″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Mew-EX” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”46″ c=”name”][/card] counts from 4-4 and two to the 3-3 and three. This is because it’s harder to hit the [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card] Knock Out on an Accelgor under Item-lock, seeing how all of your opponent’s [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] become useless. Other cards had to be cut to make room for the Trevenant line, most notably [card name=”Mystery Energy” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”112″ c=”name”][/card]. While it does act as another way to retreat Trevenant, it also has to be discarded afterward, so I decided not to play it to make room.

Card Choices

Octillery

[cardimg name=”Octillery” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”33″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

When testing this version of the deck, I decided to try something different and go with [card name=”Octillery” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card]. Sure, at times it can be difficult to reduce your hand size to less than five to take advantage of Abyssal Hand. However, at the late game I find it quite easy to get this accomplished. I know I said before that [card name=”Musharna” set=”Next Destinies” no=”59″ c=”name”][/card] is a better way to go about Benched draw power, and while that may be true, I want to at least show you that you aren’t limited to one type of Bench sitter. Octillery can actually be used because Bide Barricade would normally shut it off in the [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC11″ c=”name”][/card] version. When I was first throwing this list together, I didn’t think I would have room for the full 2-2 line, but surprisingly I did. So if you ever feel tight on space elsewhere in the deck, you could cut down to a smaller line. Without access to [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card], your opponent isn’t generally blowing through their deck as quickly.

Eco Arm

With the lack of [card name=”Mystery Energy” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”112″ c=”name”][/card] in the deck, [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] are now worth their weight in gold. It’s very easy to run out of this important Tool card, so that’s why we play a copy of [card name=”Eco Arm” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”71″ c=”name”][/card] to make sure we recycle correctly. [card name=”AZ” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] has a lot less of an impact in this deck due to the nature of evolving and not being able to throw your wall right back down onto the field. If you wanted to, there are a few other options to consider. The first is [card name=”Olympia” set=”Generations” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card]. Late game you’re going to be hurting big time for resources such as extra Trevenant and Float Stone. Olympia solves both of your problems by being able to keep your wall on the field and still get out of the Active. Another idea is putting in a [card name=”Keldeo-EX” set=”Legendary Treasures” no=”45″ c=”name”][/card]. While it does leave a Pokemon-EX on the Bench, and while it does take up Bench space that you don’t really have, it solves your problem of having to hit [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] turn in and turn out. If you’re not worried about Bench space as much as you should be, then you could ever drop to three Float Stone to have an extra space of room for more cool things!

Remember, this version of the deck plays very similar to [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC11″ c=”name”][/card], it’s just a bit more inconsistent. While the lock can be more powerful and game changing, it’s a lot harder to get and keep. You could consider playing a Mystery Energy or two, even with the draw back of having to discard to retreat. This is so that you would have easier access to Ascension without having to burn a [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Fates Collide” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card]. You could also throw in a [card name=”Trevenant BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card] alongside those [card name=”Mystery Energy” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”112″ c=”name”][/card] to gain access to Silent Fear in the Night March matchup. It may be the more inconsistent version, but there are a lot off cool little ways to steer this deck.

Accelgor / Stoutland

Even with all of that, you may be thinking to yourself, “Hey Alex, that’s great and all, but I want something more fun and way more lock based.” Well my friends, you have come to the right place. Feast your eyes on [card name=”Accelgor” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”11″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Stoutland” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”88″ c=”name”][/card].

[decklist name=”Accelgor/Stoutland” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Accelgor” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”11″][pokemon amt=”23″]3x [card name=”Stoutland” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”122″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Herdier” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”87″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]3x [card name=”Lillipup” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”120″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Accelgor” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”11″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Shelmet” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”7″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Dusknoir” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”63″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Dusclops” set=”Flashfire” no=”39″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Duskull” set=”Flashfire” no=”38″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]3x [card name=”Mew-EX” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”46″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”33″]3x [card name=”Professor Juniper” set=”Black and White” no=”101″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”118″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Level Ball” set=”Next Destinies” no=”89″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Rare Candy” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”100″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Pokémon Communication” set=”Black and White” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Sacred Ash” set=”Flashfire” no=”96″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Dowsing Machine” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”128″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]3x [card name=”Tropical Beach” set=”Black and White Black Star Promos” no=”BW28″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”3″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”4″]4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Next Destinies” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

Yeah, I know, that list is kickin. It goes against a lot of what I said already, so I apologize if I seem like I’m back tracking here. The reason for that is that you need room for so much stuff. Let’s say, for example, that I were to stay true to the Pokemon count and Supporter count of the past lists. Or better yet, compare it to the [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC11″ c=”name”][/card] list. We would have to cut four Pokemon to bring it to the 19 Wobbuffet had, and cut four from the Item and Stadium section to make room for Supporters. That is going to be a lot harder, since we need room for stuff like [card name=”Rare Candy” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”85″ c=”name”][/card] and more search. We need all of the searching cards in this deck because there are so many moving parts. You could probably change up a few things here and there to attempt to get the turn two [card name=”Stoutland” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card] faster, and while that may in fact be the way to go, you’re going to lose out of establishing the lock.

[cardimg name=”Stoutland” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”122″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

But besides the glaring consistency issues a deck like this brings, it actually has one of the best locks in the game. With Stoutland, the only common out for your opponent to gain access to Supporters comes in the form of [card name=”Escape Rope” set=”Primal Clash” no=”127″ c=”name”][/card], and even then, if you have two Stoutland out, they won’t be able to easily counter you. [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card], two common cards that get around things like [card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card], don’t work in this situation. The draw power that you do give your opponent access to is [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card]. Even so, if their hand gets all muddled up with Supporters, they won’t be able to draw into things like Energy off of a Set Up. [card name=”Dusknoir” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”63″ c=”name”][/card] is included to make sure that your opponent will be unable to attack for a majority of the game.

This build can definitely be adjusted to be a bit more consistent to what you want to achieve. At the end of the day, I went with the above version to illustrate how many moving parts this deck includes. You could easily shave down the Dusknoir line to make room for more Supporters and consistency. Or even better yet, get rid of it completely to boost consistency. In this scenario, you’re going to have to hit that turn two Stoutland, or you’ll be in a world of hurt quickly. If I were to drop the 2-2-2 Dusknoir line, I would definitely throw in at least three or four more Supporters, a fourth [card name=”Lillipup” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”120″ c=”name”][/card], and another consistency card of some sort.

There isn’t a whole lot to talk about in terms of cards for this list that I haven’t already been over. The one drastic change is the switch from [card name=”Computer Search” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] to [card name=”Dowsing Machine” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”128″ c=”name”][/card]. The reason for this is the super low counts of important cards like [card name=”Rare Candy” set=”Primal Clash” no=”135″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card]. If I manage to take this deck to the late game, I want to make sure I have an out for anything that may come in my direction. If you’re looking at going for the turn two Stoutland and making this list more consistent, then I definitely recommend playing Computer Search. Also, as an aside, [card name=”Winona” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”96″ c=”name”][/card] is really kinda cool in a deck like this, don’t sleep on that card. Playing this deck made me want to build a Stoutland deck that just uses Stoutland and that’s it. I haven’t quite ironed it out, otherwise I would show it to you. I’m just sparking your interest.

Recap

Each build blocks a different style of play and different cards, so knowing which one is best for you is important. [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC11″ c=”name”][/card] will block [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Keldeo-EX” set=”Legendary Treasures” no=”45″ c=”name”][/card] and most other Ability using Pokemon. It’s the easiest to set up, but softest lock. [card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] will block [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Switch” set=”Kalos Starter Set” no=”38″ c=”name”][/card], and any other Item used to get Pokemon out of the Active. It’s fairly easy to set up, and can easily steal games early. [card name=”Stoutland” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card] will block [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card], and all Supporter cards. It’s quite difficult to get working, but once you do, you almost never lose.

I hope this gave you a bit more insight on a card that will never die and that you should always be prepared for. Let me know if you have any questions! I’ll be happy to answer them! If not, I’ll see all of you crazy kids in Arizona for the first Regional Championship of the year!

Until  next time,

Alex

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