Surfing the Swamp — Exploring Empoleon / Swampert in Standard

I traveled to Ohio recently for some League Cup events. After I finished my first round I saw something that caught my eye: someone was playing [card name=”Empoleon” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”34″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Swampert” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”35″ c=”name”][/card]. I was in awe as they had established a huge field of multiple Stage 2 Pokemon, and were evening making use of [card name=”Super Boost Energy Prism Star” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”136″ c=”name”][/card]. I love fun decks, but I love decks that are fun and competitively viable even more. I watched the game progress a little more as the Empoleon / Swampert player dominated. I was completely intrigued, and couldn’t wait to brew my own list and get to testing it. In a format filled with linear strategies, one-hit Knock Outs, and lots of luck; I figured this would be an amazing deck. This is the first article I’ve seen written on the deck in question and I feel it’s a kept secret right now. I hope you enjoy learning about something that could soon be popping into the hands of an opponent near you.

Interlude

When I build a deck, especially something brand-new, I like to take as little outside bias from other players’ lists as possible. With this in mind, I scrolled through my entire collection online, searching for the best cards in this deck. I came to a few original thoughts:

• Pokemon-GX are very weak in this deck, avoid playing them
  • [card name=”Lapras-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”35″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] should be the only considerations, if any.
• [card name=”Timer Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”134″ c=”name”][/card] is very strong in this deck, and [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”135″ c=”name”][/card] might not even be needed
• While Basic Pokemon are important for damage output, we need to find a balance between them and the important Pokemon in the deck to avoid clogged hands throughout the game

This is the most consistent build I have at the moment. Another idea I am trying right now is a [card name=”Plusle” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card]-based engine, because Draw for Everybody serves as [card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”118″ c=”name”][/card] as an attack, and a fine way to set up. I believe [card name=”Alolan Vulpix” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”21″ c=”name”][/card] is better because of its [card name=”Brooklet Hill” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”120″ c=”name”][/card] synergy. I’ll delve into the interesting deck choices.

[decklist name=”.” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Alolan Vulpix” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”21″][pokemon amt=”19″]4x [card name=”Empoleon” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”34″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Prinplup” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”33″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]4x [card name=”Piplup” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”32″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Swampert” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”35″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Marshtomp” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”34″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]3x [card name=”Mudkip” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”33″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Alolan Vulpix” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”21″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”32″]4x [card name=”Cynthia” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”119″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Tate & Liza” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”148″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Professor Kukui” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”128″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Rare Candy” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”142″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Shining Legends” no=”68″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Timer Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”134″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Nest Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”123″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Pal Pad” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”132″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Aqua Patch” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”119″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]3x [card name=”Brooklet Hill” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”120″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”9″]4x [card name=”Water Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”93″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Counter Energy” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”100″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]1x [card name=”Super Boost Energy Prism Star” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”136″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

Explanations

[cardimg name=”Empoleon” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”34″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Four Piplup, Three Prinplup, and Four Empoleon

This is the optimal line for [card name=”Empoleon” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”34″ c=”name”][/card]. A strong base of four [card name=”Piplup” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”32″ c=”name”][/card] is a must as your main attacker will be difficult to solidify some games, so having extra Piplup ready to battle will be necessary so you don’t run out. Clever opponents will target them down before you can get Empoleon out, ruining your setup. Three [card name=”Prinplup” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card] is nice because by default this deck has “six” [card name=”Rare Candy” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”142″ c=”name”][/card] targets: four Empoleon and two [card name=”Swampert” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”35″ c=”name”][/card]. You need the Stage 1 to supplement your setup and give you other paths to getting multiple Empoleon into play. I’ve found that landing one in your Prizes is brutal; using three copies is essential for success. Four Empoleon is critical, as drawing into it as well as a Rare Candy is a difficult task, so having as many Empoleon as you can play is necessary. It’s your main attacker, so you want as many out as possible, further stressing the need to play multiple copies.

Three Mudkip, One Marshtomp, and Two Swampert

Three [card name=”Mudkip” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card] is good for consistency, and the [card name=”Marshtomp” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”34″ c=”name”][/card] assists you in setting up a second Swampert without having to burn a Rare Candy on it, leaving you to focus your Rare Candy use on Empoleon. Achieving a field with two Swampert is difficult, but once you have that setup it will be extremely difficult for your opponent to win. Swampert is your only draw power, and its attack is strong too, giving you a way to take two-hit Knock Outs in a pinch. You can even power it up in one turn with [card name=”Super Boost Energy Prism Star” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”136″ c=”name”][/card] if the option presents itself!

One Tapu Lele-GX and One Alolan Vulpix

I started off without a Tapu Lele-GX and slowly moved towards playing one. I don’t like putting it down, and starting it is even worse. This deck garners some of its strength from not attacking with Pokemon-GX, so having a Tapu Lele-GX as a sitting duck on the field is unfortunate. However, the way it brings extra consistency to the deck is worth it, providing Alolan Vulpix and Ultra Ball as a way to fetch an out to a Supporter card. The aforementioned Alolan Vulpix is critical to setup, using Beacon to fetch Stage 2 Pokemon that you can use Rare Candy into, or grab more Basic Pokemon. The options are endless, and it deserves a spot in the deck with the Brooklet Hill engine providing a way to snag it from the deck.

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Four Cynthia

The best draw Supporter in the game right now, a setup deck like this requires the maximum allotment of copies to furnish a consistent strategy until the very end of a game. In a format lacking of many draw options, [card name=”Cynthia” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”119″ c=”name”][/card] presents this Stage 2 behemoth of a deck with a consistent way to draw more cards.

Two Guzma

This deck needs to set up more than anything, but once you’re good to go then cards like [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] get better and better. In a deck with one-hit Knock Out potential, having a few Guzma to finish games off is super important. It also serves as a way to get your Swampert out of the Active, since its big Retreat Cost is a problem. I like a lower count of Guzma because [card name=”Pal Pad” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”132″ c=”name”][/card] can replenish them for later if you desire.

One Tate & Liza

The switch effect is the biggest part about playing [card name=”Tate & Liza” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”148″ c=”name”][/card]; doubling as a draw Supporter is an added bonus. When you’re playing a deck with so many big Pokemon, you want as many ways to switch around as possible without sacrificing consistency. This card accomplishes both of those tasks at once, making it a great choice.

One Professor Kukui

[cardimg name=”Professor Kukui” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”128″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

When your opponent limits their Bench, [card name=”Professor Kukui” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”128″ c=”name”][/card] steps in to push your damage up to the necessary numbers for one-hit Knock Outs. More would be great, but cutting down on the tech Supporter cards gives you more space for Pal Pad, which gives you more ways to get the Supporter of your choosing.

Four Rare Candy

This deck has a lot of Stage 2 Pokemon, so you’re going to want a lot of Rare Candy to get that out.

Three Ultra Ball

I started with zero [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”135″ c=”name”][/card], I kid you not. I bolstered my [card name=”Brooklet Hill” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”120″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Nest Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Timer Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”134″ c=”name”][/card] counts to the max, but I found that a [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] was needed in this deck for better functionality. All of a sudden, I was snipping away at other cards to fit as many Ultra Ball in as possible. Three has been a happy medium between the deck not really wanting to play the card and still having access to it to snag a Tapu Lele-GX. On the flipside, you can also discard Water Energy with this to activate a potential [card name=”Aqua Patch” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”119″ c=”name”][/card].

Three Timer Ball

Timer Ball can put a Stage 2 into your hand immediately. This is even better if you have a Rare Candy in hand to put that newly found Stage 2 Pokemon into play! The risk of getting two tails and failing the search can be frightening, but with limiting options past the use of Timer Ball, there is little choice but to embrace it.

Three Nest Ball

Finding as many [card name=”Piplup” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”32″ c=”name”][/card] as you can starting off is crucial. Using one of these and a Brooklet Hill in the same turn means two more Basic Water-type Pokemon for your Bench, and that’s something I’d deem as a success. Without [card name=”Brigette” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”134″ c=”name”][/card] in the format, playing more ways to get your Basic Pokemon is a must.

Three Choice Band

Let’s familiarize ourselves with Total Command: it does 20 times the number of both players’ Bench Pokemon. When both Bench sizes are full at five, a [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] pushes your Total Command damage output to 230. At seven Bench Pokemon total, a Choice Band moves things to 170. With eight Bench Pokemon, 190 with a Choice Band! Playing four would be nice if you had the space. Professor Kukui is included for a reason itself, so having a higher count of Choice Band only makes sense itself.

Two Pal Pad

With limited space and a lot of tech Supporters, Pal Pad works wonders. [card name=”Swampert” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”35″ c=”name”][/card] and its Power Draw Ability allows you to reliably fly through your deck to where you’re consistently drawing into the Supporters that you put back.

Two Aqua Patch

You can power up an [card name=”Empoleon” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”34″ c=”name”][/card] with a [card name=”Counter Energy” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”100″ c=”name”][/card] in one bout when activated, but sometimes you’ll need something a little more for games you’re winning. Aqua Patch isn’t integral to this deck, but it gives you a much-needed method of powering up multiple Empoleon (or even Swampert) in one push. Two is a great count since you will almost never have to spend them early, and you can draw into them with Power Draw once your setup is complete.

One Rescue Stretcher

I started with one [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”name”][/card], went to two, and then back down to one. I found that more [card name=”Prinplup” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card] was better just to find them immediately and avoid issues with Prizes. You have such thick lines of your important Pokemon already that extra recovery is less important. It’s definitely nice to have, but just unnecessary, making one the optimal play.

Three Brooklet Hill

More search for Basic Pokemon is desirable, and Brooklet Hill serves that purpose each turn it stays in play. With most decks not playing a way to discard Stadium cards, or if they are in a low count, you will likely get multiple uses out of each of your Brooklet Hill.

Four Water Energy

These are instrumental in activating Aqua Patch, and you’ll need some Basic Energy to get things working in games where Counter Energy and [card name=”Super Boost Energy Prism Star” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”136″ c=”name”][/card] don’t come to fruition. I started with a much higher count, seven, and have worked all the way down to four. I like to play as few Energy as possible in my decks and for this one especially I see it best to play a lower count since Counter Energy works so well in it, fulfilling your entire attack cost requirement in one pop.

Four Counter Energy

I’ve talked about these a lot already, but they’re nice when you’re behind on Prizes, which it will be for most of the beginning of the game. Once you climb ahead, Counter Energy is still purposeful as it fills the Colorless Energy requirement in the attack cost of Empoleon. You’ll then just be a Water Energy away from attacking with Total Command!

One Super Boost Energy Prism Star

[cardimg name=”Super Boost Energy Prism Star” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”136″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

This boosted Energy card works well in this deck in a variety of ways. Not only will you be able to power up Total Command in one move, you can also use Empoleon to Whirlpool, a not-so-shabby attack itself, or power up Swampert and its Hydro Pump in one dash. Speaking of Swampert, Hydro Pump clocks in at 160 damage thanks to Super Boost Energy Prism Star providing whatever type of Energy you like, so you’re a Choice Band away from doing 190, an important number in today’s game.

Options

Lapras-GX

Collect would be the only reason to play [card name=”Lapras-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”35″ c=”name”][/card], unless you played a higher count of [card name=”Aqua Patch” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”119″ c=”name”][/card] in hopes of using one of its other attacks. Collect is quite strong in a setup deck like this, though, as it provides you with an avenue of drawing obscene numbers of cards, giving you better chances of pushing out [card name=”Rare Candy” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”129″ c=”name”][/card] plays.

Plusle

Draw for Everybody draws a card for every Pokemon on the Bench in play; you can top out at a draw of ten. This can boost your consistency early by a significant margin, and give you another single Prize setup Pokemon to work behind. [card name=”Plusle” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card], unlike [card name=”Alolan Vulpix” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”21″ c=”name”][/card], does take a Colorless Energy to attack, so it’s a little weaker by design, but offers a higher ceiling as far as output is concerned. It’s worth a shot, although my early efforts in trying it have been futile.

Tapu Koko

Flying Flip is usable with a Counter Energy, and provides some much-needed damage supplementation to set up Knock Outs. Similar to [card name=”Professor Kukui” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”128″ c=”name”][/card], the 20 damage spread can put larger HP Pokemon into range of being taken out with Total Command. The idea behind Tapu Koko is to punish your opponent for limiting their Bench, giving you a way to do 20 damage as a way to “replace” one of the Bench Pokemon on your opponent’s side of things. I’m not a huge fan of this, as without [card name=”Double Colorless” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”136″ c=”name”][/card] you must wait for your opponent to activate your Counter Energy, which can be a waste of time if your opponent uses that opening to target down some of your more important Pokemon like [card name=”Piplup” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”32″ c=”name”][/card], ignoring Tapu Koko altogether.

“Ball” Discussion

The set of three [card name=”Nest Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Timer Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”134″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”135″ c=”name”][/card] might seem strange; that’s because it is — and I’m still working on that count. I’ve tinkered with four Nest Ball, four Timer Ball, and no Ultra Ball whatsoever. Ultra Ball ended up making the cut with the addition of [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card]. You could improve the deck’s consistency by adding more Supporter cards, but then the use of Ultra Ball would be unnecessary, as I have no difficulty setting up my Stage 2 Pokemon without it. Again, it was only added as a means of fetching a Tapu Lele-GX from the deck. Ultra Ball doesn’t fit the mold with almost all of your cards being valuable and not wanting to be discarded. [card name=”Great Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”119″ c=”name”][/card] is another consideration here, and while its randomness is noted, it could be the next-best thing if you opt for maxed counts of Nest Ball and Timer Ball and are looking for something else.

Supporter Discussion

Here’s where we venture into strange territory again. The low draw Supporter count in this list is not desirable, but space is tough to find. I’m not sure four [card name=”Cynthia” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”119″ c=”name”][/card] and one Tate & Liza is enough to make things work as I’d like. While Professor Kukui draws cards, I don’t consider it a “draw Supporter”, so it’s not to be taken into account; it’s only played for its tech support in added damage to attacks. I could see a larger count of Tate & Liza with less of a focus on Tapu Lele-GX and Ultra Ball.

Matchups with Strengths and Weaknesses

Malamar / Necrozma-GX: Slightly Favorable

Most [card name=”Malamar” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] decks are favorable for this deck. Malamar thrives with a large Bench, so your Total Command should reliably one-shot any Pokemon your opponent puts down. [card name=”Necrozma-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”63″ c=”name”][/card] can one-shot your Pokemon, but with a two Prize bounty, you’ll be ahead on the trade in no time. Most of your losses come from setup issues, not necessarily the matchup. This is one where you also have more time to set up, since Malamar can be slower at times. Watch out for Moon’s Eclipse GX because it can force you to have a [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] on your next turn if you want to take another Knock Out and get closer to winning.

Malamar / Ultra Necrozma-GX: Favorable

Much of the same carries over from the previous matchup to this one, as Malamar generally executes the same sort of strategy, no matter the matchup. [card name=”Ultra Necrozma-GX” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”95″ c=”name”][/card], like Necrozma-GX, can one-shot your Pokemon, but it comes at a greater cost, requiring a Metal Energy to even attack and is harder to stream. This taken into account, it’s a more favorable matchup, which is really no matter because I’d personally not mind facing either.

Rayquaza-GX / Vikavolt: Even

[cardimg name=”Vikavolt” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”52″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Your setup has everything to do with this one. Your opponent’s deck will have a large Bench so [card name=”Empoleon” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”34″ c=”name”][/card] will be doing lots of damage very easily and efficiently. While [card name=”Vikavolt” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”52″ c=”name”][/card] can stream attackers quickly, you have a better late game with a higher power ceiling. [card name=”Counter Energy” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”100″ c=”name”][/card] also helps power your strategy as you can use it to catch up when you fall behind. [card name=”Rayquaza-GX” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] can target down some of your pre-Evolutions before they can become Stage 2 Pokemon early on, which is troubling, but if you stick with it you can get there. This is a trade between behemoths. Hope you can get the better setup!

Zoroark-GX / Golisopod-GX: Even

This version of [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] is much more linear than other variants. [card name=”Golisopod-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”17″ c=”name”][/card] can be annoying because it can one-shot your [card name=”Swampert” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”35″ c=”name”][/card], impeding your strategy, but your opponent will need to be clever to realize that’s a bit of your Achilles’ heel, so that’s not guaranteed to happen. Most Zoroark-GX decks run on a large Bench of Pokemon, so you should be cruising to one-hit Knock Outs in no time. Professor Kukui steps in to finish Knock Outs if your opponent decides to limit his or her Bench. Again, this comes down to much of your setup. I want to call to mind that Tapu Koko is nice against Zoroark-GX decks once Counter Energy is online and your opponent tries to limit their Bench, so it’s something to consider.

Zoroark-GX / Lycanroc-GX: Slightly Unfavorable

This one is challenging because of [card name=”Lycanroc-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] and its Bloodthirsty Eyes. It can push up your Pokemon that are weak before becoming Stage 2 Pokemon and KO them before you can do anything. Your opponent can limit their Bench as well with the pressure they’ll be putting on with rushing down your Pokemon while you’re trying to set up. You can still win with the great typing of Total Command in combination with [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] and Professor Kukui for one-hit Knock Outs. Don’t forget you can two-shot as well, and your opponent will have to do the same. The issue rests with [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”124″ c=”name”][/card] for your Counter Energy and/or [card name=”Super Boost Energy Prism Star” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”136″ c=”name”][/card] as well as Guzma for your Pokemon chilling on the Bench that are able to be taken down in one attack.

Conclusion

Empoleon / Swampert is a fun rogue deck that has a competitive glimmer. I’ve been testing it frequently for upcoming events, and it’s something I’ll have on my mind when it comes to making a deck decision. I hope you enjoyed reading this article, and if there’s anything you think I missed and would like to ask me about, feel free to reach out in the Subscribers’ Hideout. See you later, good luck, and take care!

~Caleb

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