Green Eggs and Toad — Expanded Seismitoad Variants, Exeggutor’s Return, and Gameplay Tips
Hey there, PokeBeach readers! I’m thrilled to be writing for you again. This time, I’m trying something totally different. My past few articles have all been about dissecting one individual deck, so I’ve decided to write about three separate topics for this article. Since all of my previous articles were geared towards competitive players who already play the game at a high proficiency level, this one will be at the opposite end of the spectrum for my first topic — gameplay mechanics. Some of these mechanics may seem simple, while others are complex and are sometimes misplayed by even the top players in the game, including myself. The second topic is a comparison of two decks, centered around one of my favorite cards ever — [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card]. While Seismitoad has always thrived with [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card], the release of Sun and Moon has introduced what many believe is the best partner for Seismitoad, Decidueye-GX. I’ll provide my lists for each variant, the pros and cons of each deck, as well as discuss which Toad variant I personally prefer.
My last topic will be the first part of a three part series which will take part in my upcoming articles. In this section, I’m going to be talking about a deck I’m super excited to try out in Expanded with Sun and Moon — [card name=”Exeggutor” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”5″ c=”name”][/card] / Decidueye-GX. This part of the series will include my initial draft and explanations as to why I play some of the cards. Stay tuned for my future articles, where I’ll be posting my updated list, discussing the changes I’ve made and going through the matchup knowledge I’ve acquired. If the deck ends up being as good as I believe it can be, I might even end up playing it for Collinsville Regionals. By posting my updated list each time, it will give you an inside look as to how I build and perfect a list over time.
Gameplay Mechanics
[cardimg name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”100″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
Whether you’re one of the top players in the game or just starting out, every single one of us goes through certain gameplay mechanics throughout the course of a game. Some take the best courses of action, others not so much. A significant amount of the difference between the best and the rest comes from how well these gameplay mechanics are played. Often times, players will put themselves at small disadvantages from playing cards in the incorrect order. For example, someone plays [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”100″ c=”name”][/card] before playing an [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card]. While they may end up getting the card they needed off that Trainers’ Mail, they didn’t play that sequence as well as it could have been played. These instances occur many times during a game, eventually cascading into larger and larger disadvantages. Thus, everyone can gain from knowing the correct sequence to use with specific cards or card combinations. Of course, gameplay mechanics entail much more than only the proper sequence to play cards; I will discuss several of the most important ones. Improving in these areas of your gameplay is one of the easiest ways to improve as a player.
Sequencing Trainer Cards
Let’s start off with something that I touched upon in my earlier example. There are many Items that should be played in a specific order to maximize the success rates of other Item cards. For instance, let’s say you have a hand of seven cards, with an [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”110″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”100″ c=”name”][/card] in it. The objective of this turn is to hit a [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card] off of your Trainers’ Mail, as you need to hit this Max Elixir to win the game. You haven’t had the opportunity to look through your deck yet. The first action you are going to want to take with your hand is use the Battle Compressor. While you could play [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card] first, getting rid of two of the other three cards in your hand, Battle Compressor surely takes priority. This is because Battle Compressor allows you to look through your deck without requiring that you discard anything. If you Ultra Ball away one of your [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] and find out the other one is Prized, for example, you could potentially be screwed. Therefore, by playing Battle Compressor first, you know not to discard the important resource with your [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card]. After using Battle Compressor (which also targeted a Supporter for the VS Seeker), you should Ultra Ball two of the other three cards in your hand for your Pokemon. If that Pokemon isn’t [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card], you can put it down immediately. If it is Shaymin-EX, play the Trainers’ Mail prior to you playing down the Shaymin-EX. By playing the Trainers’ Mail before you play Shaymin-EX, you draw into one more card, giving you a higher chance of seeing your coveted Max Elixir. After all this, you still have the VS Seeker available to use a Supporter if you still have not seen your Max Elixir. By playing your hand this way, you’ve given yourself the highest odds of achieving your goal for that turn. That’s just one example of sequencing, and there are tons of other different possibilities where perfecting your sequencing can be the difference between a win and a loss.
Many Trainer sequences may not be obvious right away when you first start playing. The more you play and encounter these sequences, the less thought you will need to put into these plays. This will allow you to fully concentrate on strategy and card probabilities.
Fully Utilizing Max Elixir
Wait a second, [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card] does more than just allow you to attach an Energy you find in the top six cards of your deck to one of your Benched Pokemon? The answer is yes. Always look at all six of the cards you are allowed from Max Elixir. Do not stop when you hit an Energy, especially if you haven’t been able to search your deck during the game yet. This may seem unimportant, but it’s an excellent habit to get into. It will absolutely benefit you in some games. You might see a crucial one-of that you play in the deck with that Max Elixir, giving you valuable Prize card information without needing to look through your deck. Also, when you first begin a game and do get the opportunity to search through your deck, it is hard to remember everything and some things you may forget to look for. Max Elixir provides limited search potential that could find what you had forgotten earlier.
Playing Against Delinquent
[cardimg name=”Delinquent” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”98″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
When you know your opponent plays [card name=”Delinquent” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”98″ c=”name”][/card], or can infer they play it based on their deck choice, such as [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Sableye” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”62″ c=”name”][/card], you never want to give them the opportunity to stick you with a zero card hand. Against Seismitoad, if one of your Items doesn’t 100% have to be played before Item-lock comes into play, consider holding onto it if you would otherwise have a three card hand. That way, once the opponent plays Delinquent, you can get rid of the Item and keep the one important card in your hand, likely a [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”Steam Siege” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”101″ c=”name”][/card].
Keep in mind not to overextend to go for a play when it won’t give you the win. This can easily leave your tempo wrecked by a Delinquent. It’s more important to guarantee multiple attacks in a row than to overextend for something and then be unable to follow up with another attacker once that one is gone. When you are used to being an aggressive player it can be difficult to make decisions like this, but there is always a time and a place for it. In Expanded, you need to be wary of Delinquent right away on turn one, thanks to [card name=”Jirachi-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”98″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card]. In Standard, you should always try to play around this, especially once Delinquent hits the discard pile. Prior to that, while you more than likely will not be punished for lowering your hand to three, you should always try to play around it unless you absolutely need to use more cards to pick up a crucial Knock Out.
Thinning Your Deck Versus Saving Your Outs
This concept is quite simple, and can be done starting on the first turn of the game. [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”101″ c=”name”][/card] is a format defining card, so you will almost always have your hand disrupted at least once per game. That being said, you’re going to want to start discarding cards that will not be needed for that matchup as soon as you possibly can. For example, if you’re playing the Giratina Promo and you play against [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”144″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Maxie’s Hidden Ball Trick” set=”Primal Clash” no=”158″ c=”name”][/card], you’re going to want to discard the Giratina Promo right away, as its Ability will be of no use to you in this matchup. The last thing you want to happen is to be N’d late game and draw into the Giratina when you need a particular card to win the game. Whenever you aren’t discarding cards for strategy purposes, like Battle Compressing a Maxie’s Hidden Ball Trick, [card name=”Gallade” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”84″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Archeops” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”110″ c=”name”][/card], prioritize getting rid of cards that will have the least amount of impact on that game.
There are also times where you don’t want to be thinning your deck. When playing around [card name=”Delinquent” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”98″ c=”name”][/card], for example, sometimes it is better to keep cards in your hand rather than using them to put more cards into your discard pile. If the opponent Delinquents you into a horrible hand, you’re going to want to draw into a powerful resource.
Another time you want to hold onto your resources is before you are shuffling your hand into your deck. For example, if you have a [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”100″ c=”name”][/card] as well as an N in your hand, unless you need a specific card off of the Trainers’ Mail that turn, it is better to hold that Trainers’ Mail and shuffle it back into your deck. This allows you to conserve your resources for later, as you’re giving yourself another draw out to future N.
Finally, one of the most prominent situations where unnecessary thinning occurs is when a [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] is played when it does not need to be. If you are playing a Mega deck, and you have the ability to [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”Steam Siege” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card] right away or Shaymin-EX for a few more cards that you don’t necessarily need at the time, you should discard your Shaymin-EX rather than play it. The main reason for this is because you could draw into resources you can’t play immediately and would then have to discard them with the Sycamore. Now, let’s say you draw three Megas on turn one, prior to using the Sycamore. You can’t play them, and now suddenly you’re unable to get a new hand because discarding the Megas would likely mean a game loss. You obviously don’t want to thin too aggressively here. The best option would be to use a Shaymin. Always keep in mind before you play a Shaymin, that it’s a free two Prizes for your opponent to take at any point during the game. That being said, you have to make sure that each Shaymin-EX you play is used for a specific purpose; don’t play it because you can, or you’ll be punished for it. This is another mistake that happens all the time by players that are used to being as aggressive as possible.
Taking a Cheap Prize Versus Softening Up the Main Attacker
[cardimg name=”M Scizor-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”77″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
Let’s say that you can hit your opponent’s [card name=”M Scizor-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”120″ c=”name”][/card] for 120 damage, or you can Knock Out a [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] on the opponent’s Bench. The opponent has no [card name=”Scizor-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”119″ c=”name”][/card] on the Bench and hasn’t shown the ability to power-up anything else yet. Do you take the free Prizes, or do you just attack the Active? Hopefully everyone chose to attack the Mega Scizor instead of taking the free Prizes. Those free Prizes are going to be available to you all game, so unless you’re taking that Knock Out to win the game, you should take out your opponent’s threats first and foremost. By taking the easy Knock Out, you’re giving them a free turn to attack you without their attacker taking damage, turning it from a favorable trade into an unfavorable exchange. To properly make these decisions you must forecast the opponent’s plays and tactics to the best of your ability. Always be thinking about what their next move is going to be.
Taking Advantage of Free Retreat
This is another easy mechanic to utilize, but one still worth mentioning for readers just starting the TCG. If your Pokemon is Knocked Out and you have a Pokemon with free Retreat on your Bench, send it to the Active position to start the turn. This gives you the flexibility to retreat into whatever you want to for that turn. If you send up a Pokemon with a Retreat Cost, however, you’re forced to commit resources in order to get it out of the Active position so one of your other Pokemon can attack. Unless you’re absolutely certain you’re going to attack with that Pokemon, always send up your free retreater if it is on your Bench; there are always unexpected resources that you have the potential of drawing into that will help pull off a certain plays. I’m sure we have all made this mistake in the past.
The New Seismitoad-EX Era
Ever since the Japanese scans of Decidueye-GX leaked, people have been deeming it as [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card]’s newest partner, leaving [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card] to the wayside. I asked this question in a Facebook group, and boy did these results surprise me! When I asked this question, I knew Seismitoad / Decidueye would end up with more votes, but not 94% of the votes!
At the time this article was written, Sun and Moon was not officially released yet; therefore, I have not had access to these cards on PTCGO. Thus, I have been unable to thoroughly test any of the lists Travis Nunlist and I have drafted. While I still feel confident that these lists are tournament ready, especially my Toad / Bats list, these are subject to change as I begin to test them more frequently.
While Toad / Decidueye and Toad / [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card] seem like similar decks, the decks are rather quite different. Surprisingly, the difference doesn’t come from the swap between Decidueye and Crobat, as both lines take up the same amount of deck space. The biggest difference is that you don’t have [card name=”Super Scoop Up” set=”Majestic Dawn” no=”87″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Silent Lab” set=”Primal Clash” no=”140″ c=”name”][/card] in Decidueye. While you lose a significant portion of your lock cards, Toad / Decidueye uses all of this free space to make the deck hit significantly harder. Let’s take a look at our [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] / Decidueye-GX list!
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Seismitoad-EX / Decidueye-GX
[decklist name=”ss” amt=”60″ caption=”sss” cname=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″][pokemon amt=”16″]3x [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x Decidueye-GX (SM #12)3x Dartrix (SM #10)4x Rowlet (SM #9)1x [card name=”Jirachi-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Lugia-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”68″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”36″]4x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”118″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”AZ” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”91″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Delinquent” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”98″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Team Flare Grunt” set=”Generations” no=”73″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”110″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x Team Skull Grunt (SM #133)1x [card name=”Ghetsis” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”101″ 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=”Fates Collide” no=”113″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Hypnotoxic Laser” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”123″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Tool Scrapper” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”116″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ 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=”Forest of Giant Plants” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”74″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”8″]4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”90″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Grass Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”91″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
Seismitoad-EX / Decidueye-GX Pros
Donks
[card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card] / Decidueye has a much better chance of donking the opponent than Seismitoad / [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card] does. With [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Hypnotoxic Laser” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Lugia-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card] and Decidueye-GX, you have the ability to hit up to 130 damage if you get all three Decidueye-GX into play. Even one Decidueye-GX combined with Muscle Band and Hypnotoxic Laser has an impressive output of 90 damage, which is enough to Knock Out [card name=”Jirachi-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Froakie” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”38″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Sableye” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”62″ c=”name”][/card], Decidueye and [card name=”Tynamo” set=”Noble Victories” no=”38″ c=”name”][/card]. You don’t really think of Seismitoad-EX decks as donk decks, but this deck certainly has the ability to.
Extra Damage Output
In [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card], you have to hit [card name=”Super Scoop Up” set=”Majestic Dawn” no=”87″ c=”name”][/card] somewhere in the mid-to-late game to continue placing extra damage, while with Decidueye, once it’s out in play, it will be doing a [card name=”Golbat” set=”Generations” no=”31″ c=”name”][/card] worth of damage every single turn. You also have [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] in this deck instead of [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card], giving you 10 more damage per attack. This consistent extra damage means Seismitoad / Decidueye will be hitting much harder throughout the course of the game as compared to Seismitoad / Bats. In essence, this will provide you access to Knock Outs that Toad / Bats never would have had the opportunity for. Speed can translate into power in many matchups. Often it is a matter of time before the opponent manages to rid their board of liabilities. Make it your goal to take these Pokemon out before your opponent manages to remove them from play.
Decidueye-GX
Decidueye‘s Razor Leaf attack is quite an effective attack against [card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Primal Groudon-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card] and the mirror. Depending on the matchup, it’s either able to one-shot or two-shot these threats. Decidueye can even OHKO a Primal Groudon-EX if it has a [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card]! You can also OHKO a [card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] before it BREAK evolves. By running Grass Energy to go along with this guy, a lot of previously close and scary matchups become a lot less sinister.
Hollow Hunt GX
This attack is incredibly good! Being able to get back three cards from your discard should almost always provide you with a game-winning hand if saved until the end of the game. Hollow Hunt can also bail you out of a dead hand. This attack has countless possibilities! I don’t think I need to discuss this attack too much more; Decidueye-GX is obviously a powerful card.
Seismitoad-EX / Decidueye-GX Cons
Everything Gives Up Two Prizes
Yes, everything is extremely beefy. Without [card name=”Super Scoop Up” set=”Majestic Dawn” no=”87″ c=”name”][/card], it makes it much easier for opponents to be able to trade two-shots with your Toads, even if they have [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card]. Besides Rowlett and Dartrix, you’re going to be giving up Prize cards in bunches. You usually won’t have any Basics or Stage 1 Pokemon in play by mid game, having evolved them all up to Decidueye by then to deal more damage. This makes stalling much more difficult, giving this deck a thinner margin for error than Toad / Bats. Without having Super Scoop Up as an option, you have a much smaller margin for error. One misplay could end up costing you two Prizes, or potentially more.
Retreat Costs
There are two [card name=”Float Stone” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] in the list, and nothing in this deck has a free Retreat Cost. This makes getting the turn one Quaking Punch much more difficult than with Toad / Bats, where you’re almost always going to start with either a [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card] or a [card name=”Zubat” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card]. This also makes you much more susceptible to [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card] breaking the Item-lock. The difference in mobility is something that really shouldn’t be overlooked.
Requires More Resources
[cardimg name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”106″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
Getting multiple Decidueye into play requires a lot of resources (on top of only getting a Quaking Punch going), while Toad / Bats doesn’t rely on nearly as much to get their Bats evolved early. In fact, it’s often better to hold off on evolving all of your Bats to save that damage for an important Knock Out later in the game. All of the resources that Toad / Decidueye expends on its Owl line are resources that aren’t being put towards getting an early Quaking Punch if you don’t start with Toad, making it much more difficult to achieve a desired board state early in the game.
Damage is Telegraphed
One thing that I haven’t heard anyone talking about when comparing the two decks is that your opponent can prepare much more easily for Decidueye‘s damage. Because Decidueye is already in play, your opponent is more likely to take that damage into their calculations for further turns. There is no easy way for the opponent to do this against [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card] / Bats. The opponent needs to keep track of cards that are not yet in play, while also not knowing how many Bats you have available to you. Thus, your opponent is much more likely to mess up their damage calculations against Bats, giving you free Prizes due to these misplays.
Not a Complete Lock
As a result of the past three cons, this deck is not as much of a lock as Toad / Bats is. I’ve touched upon this a lot already and there is much more to come about this topic in the Toad / Bats section, so I’ll leave it at this: your opponent has a greater chance of actually getting to play a real game of Pokemon against you if you’re playing Toad / Decidueye.
Seismitoad-EX / Bats
[decklist name=”ss” amt=”60″ caption=”sss” cname=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″][pokemon amt=”17″]3x [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]4x [card name=”Golbat” set=”Generations” no=”31″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Zubat” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”53″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]1x [card name=”Jirachi-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x Giratina (XY Black Star Promo #XY184)1x [card name=”Lugia-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”68″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”36″]3x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”118″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”AZ” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”91″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Ghetsis” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”101″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Team Flare Grunt” set=”Generations” no=”73″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”110″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Delinquent” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”98″ 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=”Fates Collide” no=”113″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Hypnotoxic Laser” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”123″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Super Scoop Up” set=”Furious Fists” no=”100″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Tool Scrapper” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”116″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ 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=”Silent Lab” set=”Primal Clash” no=”140″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”7″]4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”90″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Water Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”93″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
As you can see, almost nothing has changed since I last posted my list. All of the changes have only been a difference of swapping out techs. This Giratina Promo slot is flexible, and might end up becoming a Team Skull Grunt, [card name=”Special Charge” set=”Steam Siege” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Primal Clash” no=”162″ c=”name”][/card], or another [card name=”Water Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] depending on how testing against specific decks goes and what I expect the meta to be. Let’s get into the pros and cons of this Toad variant.
Seismitoad-EX / Bats Pros
Super Scoop Up
There are three huge advantages the [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card] variant has over Decidueye, and [card name=”Super Scoop Up” set=”Majestic Dawn” no=”87″ c=”name”][/card] is the most important one. Super Scoop Up is one of the biggest components of maintaining a perfect lock. It allows you to get unwanted Pokemon such as [card name=”Lugia-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Jirachi-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”98″ c=”name”][/card] off the board entirely, eliminating [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card] as a stall tactic. It also denies the opponent Prizes by fully healing a beefy [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card] with a [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] attached, or adds additional damage with your Bats. Having the option to Super Scoop Up Bats is great for being able to take Knock Outs when you want them. I could honestly stop writing this section right now and leave Super Scoop Up as the only pro of this variant, and I should have convinced everyone as to which deck is better (at least in my opinion).
Silent Lab
Here is the second huge advantage the [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card] variant has over Decidueye. [card name=”Silent Lab” set=”Primal Clash” no=”140″ c=”name”][/card] plus [card name=”Ghetsis” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] on turn one is the second most deadly combination in Expanded! [card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] starting [card name=”Phantump” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card] and using [card name=”Wally” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card] is the most devastating play. Nonetheless, [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card] / Decidueye doesn’t even play Silent Lab! Sure, some lists may play a split of [card name=”Forest of Giant Plants” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] and Silent Lab, but this decreases the consistency, and I believe that is the incorrect way to run the deck. Silent Lab takes away any [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Hoopa-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Jirachi-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”98″ c=”name”][/card] outs, including an [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card] top deck. If the opponent doesn’t have a Supporter or a way to bump your Stadium in order to use one of the aforementioned Pokemon, they just lost the game on turn one. It’s that simple. Silent Lab doesn’t affect Toad / Bats much either; if you go first, you don’t need to retreat [card name=”Zubat” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] and your initial Jirachi can go for Ghetsis. With this deck, you are able to work around not having access to Shaymin-EX better than most other decks. This is due to the low amount of resources it needs to keep going. In matchups where you need Giratina, such as [card name=”Carbink BREAK” set=”Fates Collide” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card], simply don’t play your Stadium cards down at all.
[cardimg name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
Free Retreat
Having free Retreat on your Bat line is extremely important and is a luxury that the Decidueye variant is unable to offer. This is extremely advantageous in two main ways. First, it improves your odds of getting a turn one Quaking Punch off, as seven of your 11 Pokemon become good starters compared to three out of nine in [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card] / Decidueye. Secondly, it takes away [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card] as an out to Item-lock because the opponent can’t stick any of your Bats in the Active postition. If they manage to get [card name=”Jirachi-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”98″ c=”name”][/card] Active, you have [card name=”Water Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Super Scoop Up” set=”Majestic Dawn” no=”87″ c=”name”][/card] to move it.
Your Bats having free Retreat is also helpful when your opponent finally manages to take a Knock Out and you don’t yet have another Seismitoad ready on the Bench. Now you can dig for needed resources during this turn and effortlessly retreat into the newly powered-up Toad.
Fighting Fury Belt
The Tool of choice is still [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] in [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card]. This card makes Toad incredibly beefy, and the only thing that will be Knocking Out Seismitoad will be something hitting it for Weakness. Fighting Fury Belt works incredibly well with [card name=”Super Scoop Up” set=”Majestic Dawn” no=”87″ c=”name”][/card] in preventing the opponent from taking Prizes. Fighting Fury Belt gives you similar bulkiness to what Decidueye provides, only on a more important attacker.
Water Energy
Grenade Hammer! I love this attack, as it often throws your opponent off guard. Combined with all of your extra damage, Grenade Hammer can nuke an unsuspecting threat if it’s safe to break Item-lock. It also does a great job at finishing the game. I almost think Grenade Hammer is better than Razor Leaf and Hollow Hunt GX, but that might be too ambitious. Either way, running Water Energy is a huge bonus, and something that I’m sure people will be missing a lot more than they believe.
Seismitoad-EX / Bats Cons
More Flip Reliant
Whenever you have cards like [card name=”Super Scoop Up” set=”Majestic Dawn” no=”87″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Hypnotoxic Laser” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] playing crucial roles in your deck’s strategy, you’ll always be leaving a good amount of your tournament to chance. This means that while this deck has a higher upside when all the flips are going your way, it also has the possibility of cratering when the flips simply aren’t working.
Worse Matchups
While Decidueye fixes many of [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card]’s poor and spotty matchups, Toad / [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card] still has the same matchup spread that it previously did. Its [card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Primal Groudon-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card] matchups are close, [card name=”Sableye” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”62″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] becme closer due to Team Skull Grunt, and you will now struggle against Seismitoad / Decidueye, on top of still having a poor [card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] matchup.
The Verdict
So, now that we’ve looked at both decks, which deck do I prefer? If it wasn’t already obvious, I still like [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card] a lot more, as I think [card name=”Silent Lab” set=”Primal Clash” no=”140″ c=”name”][/card], free Retreat and [card name=”Super Scoop Up” set=”Majestic Dawn” no=”87″ c=”name”][/card] are more valuable to achieving a perfect lock deck. Unless Decidueye-GX‘s damage ends up being incredibly oppressive, which I do not believe it will, I think Crobat will end up being the better partner for Seismitoad, even with its slightly worse matchups.
Eggs 2.0 — Part One
Prior to the release of [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] in the spring of 2015, [card name=”Exeggutor” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”5″ c=”name”][/card] was one of, if not the best deck in the format. Through [card name=”Crushing Hammer” set=”Emerging Powers” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Lysandre’s Trump Card” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Red Card” set=”XY” no=”124″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Hypnotoxic Laser” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Life Dew” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card] and Blockade, Exeggutor left opponents absolutely crippled. It left the opponent unable to attack, and even when they did, unable to take Prizes. While we’ve lost Lysandre’s Trump Card since then, I think this deck has gained a few different tricks that might be able to bring it back into the metagame. Without further ado, let’s check out my first take at Eggs 2.0.
[decklist name=”ss” amt=”51″ caption=”sss” cname=”Exeggutor” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”5″][pokemon amt=”21″]4x [card name=”Exeggutor” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”5″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Exeggcute” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”4″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x Decidueye-GX (SM #12)3x Dartrix (SM #10)3x Rowlet (SM #9)1x Alolan Muk (SM #58)1x Alolan Grimer (SM #57)1x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Jirachi-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”34″]3x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x Team Skull Grunt (SM #133)1x [card name=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”110″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Ghetsis” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”101″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Team Flare Grunt” set=”Generations” no=”73″ 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=”Fates Collide” no=”113″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Crushing Hammer” set=”Generations” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ 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=”Forest of Giant Plants” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”74″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”5″]5x [card name=”Grass Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”91″ c=”deck2″ amt=”5″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
This list probably looks weird, and it’s probably going to need work, but that’s totally fine for the purpose of this series. It doesn’t matter where I start as long as I’m constantly critiquing and improving the list. With that said, the two weaknesses I’m trying to fix with this iteration of the deck is its [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] vulnerability and how slow the deck is without the use of Lysandre’s Trump Card. I’ll explain how I’m attempting this below.
Card Choices
3-3-3 Decidueye-GX
I’d love to run a fourth Basic if I could, but space in this deck is too tight due to all the different Pokemon lines it plays. With three Decidueye in play plus [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card], your Blockade will be doing 90 damage. That’s 30 more damage per turn than the previous Eggs variant could dish out per turn, and this extra damage is part of our attempt to fix one of this deck’s biggest issues, decking out. Without [card name=”Lysandre’s Trump Card” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card], Eggs has trouble dishing out enough damage to take six Prizes before all of its resources are gone. Decidueye will help speed up the process of taking these Knock Outs, hopefully providing enough oomph needed to take the Prizes before decking out occurs.
1-1 Alolan Muk
Now this is probably the weirdest thing in the list, and I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if it ends up being replaced immediately. Regardless, it is something I really want to try. Another problem with [card name=”Exeggutor” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”5″ c=”name”][/card] is that [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] gives your opponent the ability to draw through their deck without Supporters. In comes Alolan Muk, and this may be the perfect deck for it. Alolan Muk is perfect because it allows you to use Decidueye’s Ability while still shutting off Shaymin, something [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] can’t offer. The biggest drawback of Muk is that it shuts off your own [card name=”Exeggcute” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”4″ c=”name”][/card], which is what’s making me consider if it’s worth playing Muk at all. While Muk’s flaw of limiting your own Eggs may end up being a large downfall, it’s an avenue worth exploring. There is no harm in trying a new strategy once, no matter how wacky it may be.
One Hex Maniac
This card is only in here for [card name=”Archeops” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”110″ c=”name”][/card]. Archeops would shut down this deck completely if it weren’t for [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card]. Of course, Hex Maniac proves helpful in many more situations too.
One Float Stone
This is only in here so I can retreat a non-[card name=”Exeggcute” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”4″ c=”name”][/card] starter. Once I start using Blockade, the opponent can’t effectively use [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Escape Rope” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”120″ c=”name”][/card] is easily played around by setting up another Exeggutor on the Bench.
Three Forest of Giant Plants
Three [card name=”Forest of Giant Plants” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] basically ensures that you’ll be getting an Blockade off turn one if you go second. It also allows you to get your Decidueye line out as consistently and early as possible, allowing you to start getting that extra pressure on early.
So, that’s the list I’ll be starting with. It’s certainly not perfect, but over the course of the next two articles I hope it gets quite close. My next articles will go into greater detail of card counts, matchups and strategy. Now you have the baseline from which I am starting. Stay tuned for how this list evolves, it will be a great learning point.
Conclusion
Thank you all for reading my article today! I hope that you were able to benefit from at least one of these sections. If you liked my writing or have any comments or questions, please let me know in the Subscriber’s Hideout. I’m always trying to improve as a writer, and any constructive feedback is highly appreciated. Be sure to check out my stream as well at twitch.tv/organsman if you want to see me testing these and many other deck lists in preparation for Collinsville Regionals.
See you next time!
-Eric Gansman
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