Water Works! Updates on NagQuag and SlowDuck for Knoxville
[cardimg name=”Slowpoke and Psyduck-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”35″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
Hello everyone! This is Grant Manley once again. This time I’ll be going over some very underrated decks that I’ve been working on. Most of the main meta decks feel horrible to play for me. I have never really considered playing anything like [card name=”Mewtwo and Mew-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”71″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Reshiram and Charizard-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] recently. Aside from [card name=”Pidgeotto” set=”Team Up” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Malamar” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card], I’ve also been playing some games with the format’s two under appreciated Water decks. I think that both [card name=”Quagsire” set=”Dragon Majesty” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Slowpoke and Psyduck-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”35″ c=”name”][/card] deserve more attention than they’ve been getting thus far, and I believe they can do well in a competitive setting. In fact, Quagsire took two Top 16 spots at the recent Atlantic City Regional.
As for SlowDuck, Pokebeach staff member Sam VerNooy wrote an article about his 9th place Open run with the deck not too long ago. Since then, I have played and updated the list a little bit. However, the deck has not been played at events. I seriously considered it for my League Cups, but I always default to Malamar because of the popularity of [card name=”Blacephalon-GX” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”52″ c=”name”][/card] in my area, which I believe to be a bad matchup for SlowDuck despite the latter’s type advantage. Anyway, let’s take a look at these decks and see why they deserve to see competitive play.
Quagsire
[decklist name=”NagQuag” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Quagsire” set=”Dragon Majesty” no=”26″][pokemon amt=”25″]3x [card name=”Quagsire” set=”Dragon Majesty” no=”26″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Quagsire” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”97″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]3x [card name=”Wooper” set=”Dragon Majesty” no=”25″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Wooper” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”96″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Naganadel” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”108″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]1x [card name=”Poipole” set=”Unified Minds” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]3x [card name=”Poipole” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”55″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Ditto Prism Star” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”154″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]3x [card name=”Keldeo-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”47″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Zebstrika” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”82″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Blitzle” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”81″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Dedenne-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”57″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Volcanion Prism Star” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”31″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Espeon and Deoxys-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”72″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”24″]4x [card name=”Lillie” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”125″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Cynthia” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”119″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Acro Bike” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”123″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Pokémon Communication” set=”Team Up” no=”152″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Pokégear 3.0″ set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”182″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Mysterious Treasure” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”113″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Viridian Forest” set=”Team Up” no=”156″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”11″]1x [card name=”Psychic Energy” set=”XY” no=”136″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]10x [card name=”Water Energy” set=”XY” no=”134″ c=”deck2″ amt=”10″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
The first thing that I want to emphasize about this deck is that [card name=”Espeon and Deoxys-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”72″ c=”name”][/card] is an option, not a requirement. While Espeon and Deoxys is certainly a very good card, it can be a bit difficult to set up and requires two deck spots, both of which are cards that make the deck a bit more clunky than it already is. Espeon and Deoxys is a tech for Malamar. With it, the deck can usually beat Malamar variants that don’t have [card name=”Latios-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card]. However, against Malamar decks with Latios, they can use Clear Vision GX and win anyway. While Espeon and Deoxys can be used as a closer in every matchup, it is a bit unreliable. If you expect most Malamar decks to play Latios, I don’t think Espeon and Deoxys is worth playing, so it’s a bit of a meta call. Without Espeon and Deoxys, we can build the deck a bit differently.
With the Psychic Energy in the deck, I opted for one copy of the new [card name=”Poipole” set=”Unified Minds” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card], which can also be a great finisher that doesn’t require six Energy. It’s totally reasonable to choose not to run Espeon and Deoxys though. If you go that route, I would recommend adding either a [card name=”Pokégear 3.0″ set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”182″ c=”name”][/card] or an [card name=”Erika’s Hospitality” set=”Team Up” no=”140″ c=”name”][/card] in one of the spots, and either another [card name=”Mysterious Treasure” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”113″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Viridian Forest” set=”Team Up” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card], or one of the aforementioned two cards in the other spot left by Espeon and Deoxys and the Psychic Energy. Of course, the Poipole would also have to be reverted to a more usable one.
All of that said, I currently have Espeon and Deoxys because it’s a powerful finisher. The Top 8 Malamar list that Michael Catron list used at Atlantic City did not run Latios, so it’s a reasonable assumption that many will follow. This makes Espeon and Deoxys an effective counter to Malamar. In fact, the only list that actually runs Latios is my Cup list. While I’ve seen consistent success at lower level competitions with it, Latios in Malamar has yet to see that big stage spotlight.
1 Zebstrika
Now let’s talk about [card name=”Zebstrika” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”82″ c=”name”][/card]. I’m honestly a little surprised that I have yet to see another Quagsire list playing Zebstrika. Zebstrika adds loads of consistency to the deck. Having that extra draw power goes a long way in letting you find all the pieces you need to attack or just set up more Pokemon. I will say that you won’t use Zebstrika in every game, as you don’t want to go out of your way to set it up. Early game Communications are often best used for Wooper and Quagsire. However, if you already have one Zebstrika piece in hand, Communication for the other piece is great value. It isn’t uncommon to draw into Blitzle, Ditto, or even Zebstrika on your first turn. If you do, that makes it easy to set up the line and get it going for the rest of the game. After Turn 1, most cards in this deck are immediately playable or disposable, making Sprint’s downside unimportant.
I actually tried out a 2-2 line of Zebstrika for awhile, just to increase the odds of drawing into them early game. However, I found this heavy of a line to be excessive. The excess pieces were useless later in the game, and most other cards you can play in the spots have better value overall.
1 Fighting-type Quagsire
[cardimg name=”Quagsire” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”97″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
To be honest, running only three Water-type [card name=”Quagsire” set=”Dragon Majesty” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card] hurts a lot. I would love to run four of the Water-type and one Fighting-type, but unfortunately we must choose. I believe that the [card name=”Quagsire” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card] from Unbroken Bonds is a necessary evil. With some [card name=”Pikachu and Zekrom-GX” set=”Team Up” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card] decks running [card name=”Power Plant” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”183″ c=”name”][/card], we cannot rely on [card name=”Keldeo-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”47″ c=”name”][/card] for that matchup anymore. Quagsire OHKO’s a Pikachu and Zekrom easily. If you get it set up early enough, it can potentially deny or delay a full-power Tag Bolt GX. While the PikaRom with Power Plant matchup is still rough, Quagsire offers the deck a fighting chance with a quick response option to PikaRom’s aggressiveness. If Quagsire can scoop up three Prizes in one shot, that leaves only three more Prizes to be taken at any time, and with any other combination of attackers.
[card name=”Onix” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] is another consideration, but I believe it is slightly inferior for two reasons. First, the four-Energy requirement, while only one more than Quagsire, makes a huge difference early-game. It’s much harder to use Onix than Quagsire if you’re trying to take out a Pikachu and Zekrom as early as Turn 2 or Turn 3. Additionally, Onix sort of takes an extra deck slot. If I was playing Onix, I would be absolutely compelled to play four Water-type Quagsire, which is an extra spot overall. The only reason I’m not already doing so is because the Fighting Quagsire takes that spot, as running five Quagsire is obviously not allowed.
3 Keldeo-GX
[card name=”Keldeo-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”47″ c=”name”][/card] may not be quite as disruptive as it was at the beginning of this format, but it can still win some matchups on it’s own. In particular, both Azul’s Atlantic City winning Mewthree list and two of the Top 8 PikaRom lists cannot fight through multiple Keldeo. Keldeo can also find itself useful in certain situations against [card name=”Reshiram and Charizard-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] variants. Its GX attack can potentially be devastating against PikaRom as well, though they can play around it most of the time.
Matchups
Against Mewtwo and Mew, the matchup really depends on the opponent’s list. Some lists only have Double Blaze GX as an answer to Keldeo-GX. Past that, they are powerless against Keldeo’s Ability. However, you have to be cautious because a surprise [card name=”Turtonator” set=”Dragon Majesty” no=”50″ c=”name”][/card] can cause issues. Tord’s Cologne winning Mewtwo list has a few answers to Keldeo, so that matchup is not easy. That said, they are forced to find their one-of Water Energy to use Greninja-GX, which could prove difficult if you refrain from playing down Viridian Forest. Additionally, they must use [card name=”Weakness Guard Energy” set=”Unified Minds” no=”213″ c=”name”][/card] to avoid being OHKO’d by Naganadel’s Turning Point turn. You are forced to play somewhat normally against this variant, and cannot rely on Keldeo alone to defend the entire game.
Similarly, the PikaRom matchup also depends on the opponent’s list. Multiple Power Plants make the matchup unfavorable, even with Quagsire. That said, Quagsire can definitely win with favorable draws. It’s not an auto-loss by any means. Against lists with no Power Plant, multiple Keldeo-GX can slowly fight through PikaRom, as they have very limited options to respond. I haven’t tested against lists with one Power Plant, but this is likely the closest matchup, where Quagsire will be most useful.
People have been saying that Ability ReshiZard stomps Quagsire, but I’ve found this to be untrue. With average draws, Quagsire trades one for one at worst against Ability ReshiZard. Additionally, Quagsire easily OHKO’s [card name=”Heatran-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”25″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Reshiram and Charizard-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”194″ c=”name”][/card], drastically swinging the Prize trade when that deck inevitably runs out of single-Prize attackers. [card name=”Ninetales” set=”Team Up” no=”16″ c=”name”][/card] is the reason why ReshiZard even has a chance, and that’s only because it can disrupt Quagsire’s set up. I personally don’t think Ninetales is that big of a deal, as they are taking one Prize per turn regardless. Quagsire is fine as long as the deck draws decently. The matchup is definitely favored for Quagsire.
One of the neatest things about Quagsire is that it completely obliterates Pidgeotto Control. I’d even go so far as to say that it’s the only deck that can consistently beat Pidgeotto. While I don’t think Pidgeotto, or control in general, will ever be extremely popular at a Regional, having an auto-win against it is certainly nice.
Quagsire is also extremely favored against [card name=”Blacephalon-GX” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”52″ c=”name”][/card] . Blacephalon’s linear strategy makes it very vulnerable to one-Prize attacking decks like Quagsire, which straight-up wins the Prize trade every time. The same more or less goes for Green’s ReshiZard, which is almost as much of an auto-win as Pidgeotto.
I’ve already talked about the Malamar matchup a little bit. With Espeon and Deoxys, it’s favored against the no-Latios version and unfavored against the Latios version. Without Espeon and Deoxys, the Malamar matchup is very bad.
Finally, the [card name=”Gardevoir and Sylveon-GX” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”130″ c=”name”][/card] matchup has traditionally been very unfavorable for Quagsire. However, some lists are cutting back on the healing cards, which makes the matchup a bit more reasonable for Quagsire. Just don’t use Keldeo in this matchup, as their four Power Plants renders it useless.
Overall
Overall, Quagsire’s matchups are very good. With so many popular decks in the format right now, it would be hard to expect a better matchup spread. Quagsire is also more consistent than people give it credit for. Despite its solid finishes at Atlantic City, it seems to have taken on the bad reputation that Malamar previously had. It doesn’t take bad matchups to any of the extremely popular Tier 1 decks, but it does have some relevant auto-wins. Its matchups against Tier 1 are contentious at worst and very favorable at best, again depending on the specific list a given opponent is running.
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Slowpoke & Psyduck
[decklist name=”SlowDuck” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Mew” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”76″][pokemon amt=”13″]3x [card name=”Slowpoke and Psyduck-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”35″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]4x [card name=”Lapras” set=”Unified Minds” no=”36″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Dragonite” set=”Team Up” no=”119″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Jirachi” set=”Team Up” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Hoopa” set=”Unified Minds” no=”140″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Mew” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”76″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”39″]4x [card name=”Steven’s Resolve” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”145″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Misty’s Favor” set=”Unified Minds” no=”202″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Pokémon Fan Club” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”133″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Lt. Surge’s Strategy” set=”Hidden Fates” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Coach Trainer” set=”Unified Minds” no=”192″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Lusamine” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”96″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Lance Prism Star” set=”Dragon Majesty” no=”61″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Bill’s Analysis” set=”Hidden Fates” no=”51″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Lana” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”150″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Pokémon Center Lady” set=”Hidden Fates” no=”64″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Custom Catcher” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”171″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Switch” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”147″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Reset Stamp” set=”Unified Minds” no=”206″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Cherish Ball” set=”Unified Minds” no=”191″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Stealthy Hood” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”186″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Pokémon Communication” set=”Team Up” no=”152″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Viridian Forest” set=”Team Up” no=”156″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Lysandre Labs” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”111″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Power Plant” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”183″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”2″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”8″]8x [card name=”Water Energy” set=”XY” no=”134″ c=”deck2″ amt=”8″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
This list is similar to Sam’s Open list because it was already refined and close to optimal. I have made quite a few changes here and there based on my testing and on how the meta has developed in the past couple of months. This deck is criminally underrated and extremely powerful in the current Tag Team meta. It demolishes most Tag Teams and Malamar, and it can be a fantastic rogue play for any tournament.
[cardimg name=”Lapras” set=”Unified Minds” no=”36″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
The general strategy of this deck is to sit behind one or two single-Prize Pokemon while you set up [card name=”Slowpoke and Psyduck-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”35″ c=”name”][/card], and then swoop in and OHKO Tag Teams with Ditch and Splash. The actual game plan varies depending on the matchup. For an in-depth explanation of how to play the deck (and for other important information), I recommend reading Sam’s article that was posted a few weeks ago. This deck has one of the most ridiculously insane engines I’ve ever seen. [card name=”Lapras” set=”Unified Minds” no=”36″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Dragonite” set=”Team Up” no=”119″ c=”name”][/card] work magnificently to give you full control over your myriad of Supporters, and they help this deck abuse [card name=”Lt. Surge’s Strategy” set=”Hidden Fates” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] to its full potential. While Reset Stamp and [card name=”Judge” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”108″ c=”name”][/card] are annoying at times due to this deck requiring a large hand of specific cards, it’s still easy to recover from them thanks to the insane Abilities printed on the cards that this deck uses.
2 Jirachi
Two [card name=”Jirachi” set=”Team Up” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] with no [card name=”Escape Board” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card] may seem a bit random. Jirachi’s purpose is simply to use a Stellar Wish or two before it goes down. If you happen to start with it, that’s just a bonus. It simply sits in the Active position while you build up your attackers. I was a bit skeptical of this use of Jirachi at first, but it just works!
1 Hoopa, 1 Lysandre Labs
The Malamar matchup is a joke with these two cards. [card name=”Lusamine” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”96″ c=”name”][/card] allows for infinite uses of [card name=”Lysandre Labs” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”111″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Hoopa” set=”Unified Minds” no=”140″ c=”name”][/card] takes two easy Prizes. [card name=”Lana” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”150″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Pokémon Center Lady” set=”Hidden Fates” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card] can heal off any residual damage to ensure that [card name=”Giratina” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card] must attack twice to bring Hoopa down. In other matchups, Hoopa can deal some damage while you are setting up behind it. This is helpful against [card name=”Mewtwo and Mew-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”71″ c=”name”][/card] and even [card name=”Pikachu and Zekrom-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM168″ c=”name”][/card]. Not only does Hoopa apply pressure, but it makes it much easier for Slowpoke & Psyduck to take a OHKO, especially off a Reset Stamp. Hoopa’s ability to attack through an opposing Latios-GX’s Tag Purge may be useful from time to time.
1 Mew
Mew protects Slowpoke & Psyduck from snipe attacks while it is setting up. The most notable examples are Tag Bolt GX and Venom Shot from Mewtwo and Mew. I am not completely sure that the Mew is needed, but I think it is a solid inclusion that is worth the spot.
0 Dragonite from Unified Minds
The [card name=”Dragonite” set=”Unified Minds” no=”151″ c=”name”][/card] from Unified Minds was useless for me in testing. The only use I can see for it is if you want to attack with [card name=”Lapras” set=”Unified Minds” no=”36″ c=”name”][/card], which is only relevant against Blacephalon and maybe against Ability ReshiZard. Either way, it’s still difficult to attack with Lapras, and I think the Blacephalon matchup would still be unfavorable anyway.
3 Pokemon Fan Club
[card name=”Pokémon Fan Club” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”133″ c=”name”][/card] is honestly a rather bad card, but it is a necessary evil in this deck. It simply searches out whatever Basic Pokemon you need at the time, and is best used early on. If you don’t start with Jirachi, you may want to find one with Fan Club. Fan Club is definitely useful, but it is a rather weak Supporter that we only play because we have no choice. Later on, it is an easy choice to discard with Ditch and Splash.
1 Bill’s Analysis
The seemingly random copy of [card name=”Bill’s Analysis” set=”Team Up” no=”133″ c=”name”][/card] is actually incredibly useful in piecing together [card name=”Custom Catcher” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”171″ c=”name”][/card] plays at critical junctures during the mid- or late-game. It can also find Reset Stamp or Power Plant at important times, and acts as a solid overall consistency card.
1 Lana, 1 Pokemon Center Lady
[cardimg name=”Lana” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”117″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
These cards are much better than [card name=”Great Potion” set=”Unified Minds” no=”198″ c=”name”][/card], in part because of their synergy with the Supporter-based engine of this deck. Lana can heal multiple Pokemon at once, while Pokemon Center Lady heals Special Conditions and a bit more damage. These cards are absolutely devastating against Malamar. They can also combat Mewtwo and Mew’s Tag Purge if they go with that route, because they buy more time for you to spam Power Plant. Pokemon Center Lady is also an easy answer to [card name=”Raichu and Alolan Raichu-GX” set=”Unified Minds” no=”54″ c=”name”][/card]’s Tandem Shock.
1 Stealthy Hood
The one copy of [card name=”Stealthy Hood” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”186″ c=”name”][/card] completely swings the Ability ReshiZard matchup. After you get it with [card name=”Steven’s Resolve” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card], they cannot use Ninetales to eliminate a Slowpoke & Psyduck while it’s charging up. Since they do not run hand disruption, you can put Hood on your first Slowpoke & Psyduck and build up your hand. When it’s time to start attacking, you then put down the second Slowpoke & Psyduck and start attaching Energy to that. This way, the opponent gets no value out of Ninetales.
1 Pokemon Communication
Even though this list only runs 13 Pokemon, [card name=”Pokémon Communication” set=”Team Up” no=”152″ c=”name”][/card] is still a decent search card. The main reason for including it is so that we can put [card name=”Dragonite” set=”Team Up” no=”119″ c=”name”][/card] back into the deck for [card name=”Lance Prism Star” set=”Dragon Majesty” no=”61″ c=”name”][/card], just in case we accidentally draw into one of our two Dragonite.
1 Viridian Forest
I think [card name=”Viridian Forest” set=”Team Up” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card] is better than [card name=”Energy Spinner” set=”Unbroken Bonds” no=”170″ c=”name”][/card]. Viridian Forest offers the potential for multiple uses. It’s also a counter-Stadium. When possible, I discard [card name=”Misty’s Favor” set=”Unified Minds” no=”202″ c=”name”][/card] with Viridian, just to get it back with Lapras’s Ability. The discard effect is usually painless. The only thing that Energy Spinner has going in its favor is if you open with it while going second, which does not happen often.
2 Power Plant
Even though [card name=”Lusamine” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”96″ c=”name”][/card] allows infinite uses of Power Plant with only one copy, the card is just too strong and it is needed against Mewtwo & Mew. Running two copies makes them easier to draw into, minimizes the damage in the event one is prized, and we aren’t forced to immediately use Lusamine if one is discarded and the other one is in hand.
Matchups
Mewtwo & Mew is a decent matchup, but they can certainly win. I’d say it’s about 55-45 in SlowDuck’s favor. Mewtwo & Mew has plenty of options and early aggression, not to mention Tag Purge. However, they are crippled by infinite Power Plants, especially combined with late-game Reset Stamps. If they try to spam Tag Purge with Mewtwo & Mew, you can easily wait it out with healing cards and infinite Power Plants. If they use Tag Purge with the Latios itself, you must evaluate the board and how to use Custom Catchers. If two Custom Catcher plays can win you the game, go for that. If not, you are forced to do a quad Custom Catcher play to KO the Latios. If you Custom Catcher Latios to the Bench and Custom Catcher it back to the Active in the same turn, Tag Purge’s effect gets erased and Slowpoke & Psyduck can KO it.
PikaRom is a favorable matchup. The plan is to set up as normal and take out two Tag Teams with two attacks. Things get a bit dicey if multiple well-timed Judges leave you with bad hands, but PikaRom just doesn’t have a lot of options to beat SlowDuck. They also suffer against Reset Stamp, as they need combos to deal with Slowpoke & Psyduck.
I more or less went over the Ability ReshiZard matchup when discussing Stealthy Hood. Go with that strategy, and be careful to evaluate which Pokemon to take out with Custom Catcher, as they do have options to OHKO Slowpoke & Psyduck. This matchup is favorable, but still losable.
Unfortunately, SlowDuck has no options against Pidgeotto Control. This matchup is an auto-loss, and you will never get the chance to use Lance Prism Star or Dragonite.
Blacephalon-GX / Naganadel seems like a terrible matchup. I have not tested it and have no desire to. They win the prize trade every time, and require so little resources to do so that not even Reset Stamp is a reliable option against them.
Green’s ReshiZard is a very favorable matchup. They can win maybe 20 to 30 percent of the time. There’s not much to say here. Reset Stamps and Custom Catchers are important for both sides in the matchup.
The Malamar matchup is completely free as long as you don’t prize anything crucial. Hoopa, Lysandre Labs, and the healing cards absolutely demolish Malamar. If they do go in with Latios-GX at the right time, you must use the quad Custom Catcher play to KO it. If a Custom Catcher is prized, they win. One thing to note is that this matchup is alright even if Hoopa is prized, but it’s terribly difficult if Lysandre Labs is prized.
GardEon is another matchup that I haven’t tested. It seems just as easy as Malamar in theory. They just don’t have options to beat Slowduck. While they can disrupt the hand, Slowduck trades evenly at worst in a battle of 2HKO’s, and will usually hit the OHKO at some point to win the Prize trade. I don’t see GardEon ever winning. Even if they pull off the trump card, the six-Energy Magical Miracle-GX, Lapras, Dragonite, and / or Jirachi can easily bail you out.
Conclusion
That’s all I have for now! Thanks so much for reading! I hope this article shed some light on these two underrated Water-type decks for you. By the way, the fact that these decks are both Water-type is completely coincidental. They just happen to be the two decks I’ve been working on and considering the most. To be completely transparent, I know I won’t be personally playing Quagsire at Knoxville. The deck is definitely good, it’s just not something I see myself playing at a Regional over Malamar, which is a similar-style deck that I have a much higher affinity with. SlowDuck is something that has always been at the back of my mind as a potential play. Its matchups are solid and it’s very consistent. I am considering SlowDuck and you should too!
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