Hi everybody! I usually don't come here since I only play with decks made by me and I don't like to reveal my deck ideas. However, I’m writing this article to show you how to beat not only G&G/PLOX but also every other deck in this format.
Since I failed my only opportunity to attend worlds I’m revealing my deck and strategy that was supposed to wreck havoc in Florida. Since it has proven to be such a good deck, in order to preserve the need for creativity in this game I’m only posting this now so no one has time to playtest with this deck for worlds and take all the credit from me for designing this deck)
In a format dominated by PLOX and G&G fast psychic decks is the best choice for big tournaments. So, tcg players were blessed with the Turn 2 Banette deck that would bring an end to the reining duo of Gallade and Gardevoir. However, Banette falls apart when facing new decks like Leafeon/Magmortar and EmpoZong. But these last two still can’t throw Gardilade out of their throne. However, they proven to be worthy opponents to PLOX. Even so pokémon tcg has become nothing more than a rock-paper-scissors game… That’s when red face paint decks arrive!
Decks like good old Arithmetic bring a new hope to defeat the unstoppable monsters of today’s metagame! Arithmetic gained popularity due to its success making it an archetype but it faded quickly…
Now, this forum is full of posts/threads complaining about how broken PLOX is and many demand that Gallade and Gardevoir should be banned or at least there should be some kind of restriction for these cards… The dialogue goes like this:
“Man, PLOX is so broken! Let’s riot against it!”
“I dunno… Flygon EX delta and Banette are great counters… Why don’t we play it or at least tech it against PLOX?”
“That could work! But let’s just keep complaining… It’s much more fun!”
Anyway, the deck I built back then was very good in the metagame during Portuguese Nationals (it was in May so PLOX was already BDIF) but it is still awesome in this metagame. Now without further ado I give one of my most successful rogue decks:
SPEED FLYGON
This is the list I used at nats:
Author: João Lopes (Kwaiser)
Date: 10th May 2008
Format: HP-GE
Deck: Speed Flygon
Pokémons: 25
3 Flygon EX delta DF
2 Flygon delta HP
1 Flygon SW
2 Vibrava SW
4 Trapinch delta HP
2 Rayquasa EX delta DF
1 Mew* delta DF
3 Baltoy GE
3 Claydol GE
4 Holon’s Castform
Trainers: 28
4 Rare Candy
2 Warp Point
2 Windstorm
1 Night Maintenance
3 Steven’s Advice
3 Team Galatic’s Wagger
4 Pokédex Handy910is
4 Dual Ball
3 Master Ball
1 Time-Space Distortion
1 Lake Boundary
Energy: 7
4 Delta Rainbow Energy
2 Fighting Energy
1 Psychic Energy
I have always used the fishing engine in my many decks (though I only started playing about one and a half years ago, I’ve built A LOT of decks) but I didn’t use this engine when I was running R-Gon and since I don’t use R-Gon since last summer, I never tested that deck with this super fast engine. The result was this very list which as proven to be a very good deck when I tested it at league (not bad for a deck built only in 5 min, huh?)
Let’s proceed to the deck analysis.
Strategy
The strategy of this deck is abusing Claydol’s Poké-Power combined with lots of trainer cards instead of supporters, before your opponent has any chance of response (e.g. Psychic Lock). Then, built a lot of Flygons on the field: the ideal T2(with some luck)/T3 field is 1 Flygon ex delta active, 2 Flygon delta benched, 2 Claydol benched and 1 Trapinch delta benched waiting to evolve next turn.
The deck is basically a T2Flygon deck but it as a lot of damage spreading and control plays in it. Rayquasa ex delta is a great late game sniper or an early attacker after your opponent knocks your castform out (which is a bad starter in this deck).
Mew* delta is a great surprise finisher thanks to Flygon delta.
The pokémon in this deck take advantage from the weakness of each main pokémon in every deck in the metagame. Lake boundary enhances that advantage.
Now let’s take a look at each card individually.
Flygon EX delta
Your main attacker and also the reason I created this deck. This guy is a tank, a BIG tank. With 150HP and no weakness makes Flygon EX delta very hard to knock out. Also, its typing makes matches against G&G and PLOX a lot easier.
Its Poké-Body, Sand Damage, spread damage very fast since in this deck you have it active T2/T3 or even T1 if you go second. So, your opponent should have none or only one or two evolved pokémon in his bench letting Flygon lay damage counters like mad!
Its attack has a lot of synergy with its Body: besides hitting for a lot, it spreads even more damage leading to easy wins on the early turns of the game or letting you make you finishing move easier in the late game.
Flygon delta
Your energy charger. Besides Vibrava and Flygon SW, every pokémon in this deck his delta(holon’s castform will be used only for providing energy) making the whole deck chargeable by its Poké-power. But that’s not all, with double resistance(the fighting resistance is quite usefull against Gallade) and a good attack, this pokémon can be a solid backup hitter.
Flygon SW
I never liked this card but I threw it in for testing…Then I saw its true power! This card is a great backup hitter! Before playing this card, charge Trapinch with 2 energy using Flygon delta. Then, make a surprise attack with Flygon SW!
This guy is also great when one of your pokémon is KO’ed: thanks to its body, it damages your opponent’s active pokémon between turns, so, when your active pokemon is KO’ed you put this guy in, trigger its body (10 damage), next turn attach a fighting energy and attack (10+80=90 damage) and between turns trigger its body again (10+80+10=100 damage for 3 energy with no drawbacks!).
Also a great Blissey counter since it OHKOs it using the process above (100+30(weakness) =130 damage).
Vibrava SW
For evolving Trapinch AND to spread damage. In the early turns of the game it’s a good idea to start spreading damage with Vibrava’s Sand Wind attack while charging it to attack next turn as a Flygon EX delta or a Flygon SW. Those damage counters you landed on your opponent’s pokémon will enable much more damage spread with Flygon EX delta (through Sand Damage and Psychic Pulse) and faster KO’s with Flygon SW.
Trapinch HP
This is the best Trapinch: good hp, good weakness, increases the number of cards you draw with Castform and has a very usefull attack. Traping your opponent’s starter/weak pokémon with Big Bite can win games.
Rayquasa EX delta
The sniper. This guy can hit the bench for a lot of damage! Plus, its attacks are cheap in the late game and Flygon delta makes them even cheaper! Since there’s so much damage spread in this deck, Rayquasa can score KO’s easily.
No weakness and high HP makes this legendary dragon hard to defeat.
Mew* delta
A very good finisher. Being able to charge quickly with Flygon delta and with every type of energy attached to (thanks to Holon’s Castform and Delta rainbow Energy) this guy can copy every attack your opponent’s pokémon have and score an easy KO.
The main reason this guy is in this deck is because of Magmortar. With 4 energy attached it kills Magmortar (Flame Blast for 80+30 due to weakness=110) and its lv.X form (80*2=160). But copying Blaziken’s Flame Kick, Gardevoir’s Psychic Lock, Magmortar lv.X’s Flame Buster and, of course, Gallade’s Psychic Cut and Sonic Blade.
Rainbow Wave is also good against G&G/PLOX in the first turns of the game for easy KO’s in the late game.
Baltoy GE
Psychic Balance can help you if you’re stuck with it as active Pokémon…
Claydol GE
This is one of the best cards ever! Cosmic Power let’s you draw like mad! In this deck you’ll be always drawing 5/6 cards and out of those new cards there will be at least 4 trainers you can use right away! This is the reason why this deck is so fast.
Holon’s Castform
This guy is in ONLY to provide energy! As strange as it seems you DO NOT want to start with this guy, it will slow down your set up big time! You’ll have to play with this deck to find out…
Also, this guy increases the energy count as it multiples 4 energy cards by 3 (you attach castform and return one energy card to your hand so it has turned your energy card into to energy card. Next turn you can attach that energy card so holon’s catform has just turned one energy into 3). Therefore, thanks to our little friend this deck has 15 “energy cards” (4*3=12 +3(the remaining energy cards) =15).
Rare Candy
Everybody knows what this does… In this deck you’ll be playing Rare Candy to get Claydol in turn 1 so you can start playing trainer after trainer right from the start
Warp Point
Good when you want to save a pokémon, switch out, or get an easier KO
Windstorm
Back then Cessation Crystal was still used but since nobody plays it now you can take this card out
Night Maintenance/TSD
To get your pokémon/energy back of course…
Steven’s Advice
Let’s you draw tons of cards! Plus it works well with claydol since you’ll be with only six cards in your hand so you’ll be able to play it always.
TGW
To force your opponent getting rid of the cards he just searched out (with bebe’s, furret…) and to get you a new hand.
Pokédex/Dual Ball/Master Ball
Using these trainers instead of more supporters makes this really fast. Dual Ball is in instead Great Ball because it put the new basic pokémon in your hand instead of putting them on the bench (Holon’s Castform)
Lake Boundary
As you’ll be taking advantage from weakness, why don’t you take a little more? This card isn’t always needed but it let’s Flygon EX delta OHKO Gallade and that can make a difference against PLOX.
Delta Rainbow Energy
Free rainbow energy for almost every pokemon in this deck
Fighting Energy
To provide energy and power up Flygon’s attack.
Psychic Energy
To provide energy and also for Mew*’s Rainbow Wave (against PLOX only).
Matchups
G&G (Gallade beatdown) – 95/5
I’m not kidding about this one! The only chance for the G&G player is that you have really bad luck in your opening hand. By the time they set up you will have 1 or 2 Flygons ready to attack! They OHKO the first flygon but that’s as far as they can get…
G&G (PLOX) – 80/20
This completely destroys PLOX with ease! However, a bad start and a awful opening hand can make this match way harder… The thing you should watch out for is Dusknoir. Other than that only Bring Down can be a problem. You are way faster than them so Psychic Lock does little difference (even though this deck is based onpoké-powers)
EmpoZong – 80/20
Another easy matchup. You are faster than them in every way – even in damage spread! Rayquaza is your best buddy in this matchup.
EmpoStar– 65/35
This one is harder but still a good matchup. Omaster is the big threat here but once again Rayquaza will make them cry. Rayquaza is also your best starter.
Leafeon variants - 60/40
They are fast but you are faster! High hp makes this one a hard matchup but since you spread a lot. You’ll have a hard time winning this one but you win.
Eveelutions – 55/45
The hardest matchup. However, you are still faster and they can’t take advantage from weakness since you don’t have any.
Magmortar variants – 70/30
Never lost against it and now nobody plays it. Still, this match is pretty easy. Mew* lols at Magmortar.
Garchomp variants – 65/35
No weakness says it all. The only thing you should worry about is Restore but Sand Damage and Rayquaza make him pay for bringing his friends back to life. You start with Rayquaza you should have no problems winning this one.
Banette – 65/35
Flygon OHKOs Banette and spreads in the process. Rayquasa grabs some free prizes aiming at Lunatone and Claydol. You are as fast as they are. Do I need to say more?
These matchups are tested and I would like to see if I could pull out a good performance at worlds but that opportunity got cut off at Nationals when I lost my final match to our new national champion. Ironically, he was playing PLOX... A bad hand, lack of sleep and a fatal mistake in the end (forgot about bring down and I KO’ed his only basic pokémon on the field) cost me the only trip that PUSA gives to Portugal…
If I went to worlds I would make some changes of course: I would take away 1 Mew*, and 2 Windstorm to add another Lake Boundary, another Steven’s Advice and another Master Ball since there’s no fire pokémon around and nobody plays Cessation Crystal anymore. I tested it at league with these changes and the deck is even faster this way.
I hope you enjoyed this article and I also hope that those players who think that PLOX is broken and do nothing than complaining, realize that it is very easy to counter…You just need to think for a while…
João Lopes
Since I failed my only opportunity to attend worlds I’m revealing my deck and strategy that was supposed to wreck havoc in Florida. Since it has proven to be such a good deck, in order to preserve the need for creativity in this game I’m only posting this now so no one has time to playtest with this deck for worlds and take all the credit from me for designing this deck)
In a format dominated by PLOX and G&G fast psychic decks is the best choice for big tournaments. So, tcg players were blessed with the Turn 2 Banette deck that would bring an end to the reining duo of Gallade and Gardevoir. However, Banette falls apart when facing new decks like Leafeon/Magmortar and EmpoZong. But these last two still can’t throw Gardilade out of their throne. However, they proven to be worthy opponents to PLOX. Even so pokémon tcg has become nothing more than a rock-paper-scissors game… That’s when red face paint decks arrive!
Decks like good old Arithmetic bring a new hope to defeat the unstoppable monsters of today’s metagame! Arithmetic gained popularity due to its success making it an archetype but it faded quickly…
Now, this forum is full of posts/threads complaining about how broken PLOX is and many demand that Gallade and Gardevoir should be banned or at least there should be some kind of restriction for these cards… The dialogue goes like this:
“Man, PLOX is so broken! Let’s riot against it!”
“I dunno… Flygon EX delta and Banette are great counters… Why don’t we play it or at least tech it against PLOX?”
“That could work! But let’s just keep complaining… It’s much more fun!”
Anyway, the deck I built back then was very good in the metagame during Portuguese Nationals (it was in May so PLOX was already BDIF) but it is still awesome in this metagame. Now without further ado I give one of my most successful rogue decks:
SPEED FLYGON
This is the list I used at nats:
Author: João Lopes (Kwaiser)
Date: 10th May 2008
Format: HP-GE
Deck: Speed Flygon
Pokémons: 25
3 Flygon EX delta DF
2 Flygon delta HP
1 Flygon SW
2 Vibrava SW
4 Trapinch delta HP
2 Rayquasa EX delta DF
1 Mew* delta DF
3 Baltoy GE
3 Claydol GE
4 Holon’s Castform
Trainers: 28
4 Rare Candy
2 Warp Point
2 Windstorm
1 Night Maintenance
3 Steven’s Advice
3 Team Galatic’s Wagger
4 Pokédex Handy910is
4 Dual Ball
3 Master Ball
1 Time-Space Distortion
1 Lake Boundary
Energy: 7
4 Delta Rainbow Energy
2 Fighting Energy
1 Psychic Energy
I have always used the fishing engine in my many decks (though I only started playing about one and a half years ago, I’ve built A LOT of decks) but I didn’t use this engine when I was running R-Gon and since I don’t use R-Gon since last summer, I never tested that deck with this super fast engine. The result was this very list which as proven to be a very good deck when I tested it at league (not bad for a deck built only in 5 min, huh?)
Let’s proceed to the deck analysis.
Strategy
The strategy of this deck is abusing Claydol’s Poké-Power combined with lots of trainer cards instead of supporters, before your opponent has any chance of response (e.g. Psychic Lock). Then, built a lot of Flygons on the field: the ideal T2(with some luck)/T3 field is 1 Flygon ex delta active, 2 Flygon delta benched, 2 Claydol benched and 1 Trapinch delta benched waiting to evolve next turn.
The deck is basically a T2Flygon deck but it as a lot of damage spreading and control plays in it. Rayquasa ex delta is a great late game sniper or an early attacker after your opponent knocks your castform out (which is a bad starter in this deck).
Mew* delta is a great surprise finisher thanks to Flygon delta.
The pokémon in this deck take advantage from the weakness of each main pokémon in every deck in the metagame. Lake boundary enhances that advantage.
Now let’s take a look at each card individually.
Flygon EX delta
Your main attacker and also the reason I created this deck. This guy is a tank, a BIG tank. With 150HP and no weakness makes Flygon EX delta very hard to knock out. Also, its typing makes matches against G&G and PLOX a lot easier.
Its Poké-Body, Sand Damage, spread damage very fast since in this deck you have it active T2/T3 or even T1 if you go second. So, your opponent should have none or only one or two evolved pokémon in his bench letting Flygon lay damage counters like mad!
Its attack has a lot of synergy with its Body: besides hitting for a lot, it spreads even more damage leading to easy wins on the early turns of the game or letting you make you finishing move easier in the late game.
Flygon delta
Your energy charger. Besides Vibrava and Flygon SW, every pokémon in this deck his delta(holon’s castform will be used only for providing energy) making the whole deck chargeable by its Poké-power. But that’s not all, with double resistance(the fighting resistance is quite usefull against Gallade) and a good attack, this pokémon can be a solid backup hitter.
Flygon SW
I never liked this card but I threw it in for testing…Then I saw its true power! This card is a great backup hitter! Before playing this card, charge Trapinch with 2 energy using Flygon delta. Then, make a surprise attack with Flygon SW!
This guy is also great when one of your pokémon is KO’ed: thanks to its body, it damages your opponent’s active pokémon between turns, so, when your active pokemon is KO’ed you put this guy in, trigger its body (10 damage), next turn attach a fighting energy and attack (10+80=90 damage) and between turns trigger its body again (10+80+10=100 damage for 3 energy with no drawbacks!).
Also a great Blissey counter since it OHKOs it using the process above (100+30(weakness) =130 damage).
Vibrava SW
For evolving Trapinch AND to spread damage. In the early turns of the game it’s a good idea to start spreading damage with Vibrava’s Sand Wind attack while charging it to attack next turn as a Flygon EX delta or a Flygon SW. Those damage counters you landed on your opponent’s pokémon will enable much more damage spread with Flygon EX delta (through Sand Damage and Psychic Pulse) and faster KO’s with Flygon SW.
Trapinch HP
This is the best Trapinch: good hp, good weakness, increases the number of cards you draw with Castform and has a very usefull attack. Traping your opponent’s starter/weak pokémon with Big Bite can win games.
Rayquasa EX delta
The sniper. This guy can hit the bench for a lot of damage! Plus, its attacks are cheap in the late game and Flygon delta makes them even cheaper! Since there’s so much damage spread in this deck, Rayquasa can score KO’s easily.
No weakness and high HP makes this legendary dragon hard to defeat.
Mew* delta
A very good finisher. Being able to charge quickly with Flygon delta and with every type of energy attached to (thanks to Holon’s Castform and Delta rainbow Energy) this guy can copy every attack your opponent’s pokémon have and score an easy KO.
The main reason this guy is in this deck is because of Magmortar. With 4 energy attached it kills Magmortar (Flame Blast for 80+30 due to weakness=110) and its lv.X form (80*2=160). But copying Blaziken’s Flame Kick, Gardevoir’s Psychic Lock, Magmortar lv.X’s Flame Buster and, of course, Gallade’s Psychic Cut and Sonic Blade.
Rainbow Wave is also good against G&G/PLOX in the first turns of the game for easy KO’s in the late game.
Baltoy GE
Psychic Balance can help you if you’re stuck with it as active Pokémon…
Claydol GE
This is one of the best cards ever! Cosmic Power let’s you draw like mad! In this deck you’ll be always drawing 5/6 cards and out of those new cards there will be at least 4 trainers you can use right away! This is the reason why this deck is so fast.
Holon’s Castform
This guy is in ONLY to provide energy! As strange as it seems you DO NOT want to start with this guy, it will slow down your set up big time! You’ll have to play with this deck to find out…
Also, this guy increases the energy count as it multiples 4 energy cards by 3 (you attach castform and return one energy card to your hand so it has turned your energy card into to energy card. Next turn you can attach that energy card so holon’s catform has just turned one energy into 3). Therefore, thanks to our little friend this deck has 15 “energy cards” (4*3=12 +3(the remaining energy cards) =15).
Rare Candy
Everybody knows what this does… In this deck you’ll be playing Rare Candy to get Claydol in turn 1 so you can start playing trainer after trainer right from the start
Warp Point
Good when you want to save a pokémon, switch out, or get an easier KO
Windstorm
Back then Cessation Crystal was still used but since nobody plays it now you can take this card out
Night Maintenance/TSD
To get your pokémon/energy back of course…
Steven’s Advice
Let’s you draw tons of cards! Plus it works well with claydol since you’ll be with only six cards in your hand so you’ll be able to play it always.
TGW
To force your opponent getting rid of the cards he just searched out (with bebe’s, furret…) and to get you a new hand.
Pokédex/Dual Ball/Master Ball
Using these trainers instead of more supporters makes this really fast. Dual Ball is in instead Great Ball because it put the new basic pokémon in your hand instead of putting them on the bench (Holon’s Castform)
Lake Boundary
As you’ll be taking advantage from weakness, why don’t you take a little more? This card isn’t always needed but it let’s Flygon EX delta OHKO Gallade and that can make a difference against PLOX.
Delta Rainbow Energy
Free rainbow energy for almost every pokemon in this deck
Fighting Energy
To provide energy and power up Flygon’s attack.
Psychic Energy
To provide energy and also for Mew*’s Rainbow Wave (against PLOX only).
Matchups
G&G (Gallade beatdown) – 95/5
I’m not kidding about this one! The only chance for the G&G player is that you have really bad luck in your opening hand. By the time they set up you will have 1 or 2 Flygons ready to attack! They OHKO the first flygon but that’s as far as they can get…
G&G (PLOX) – 80/20
This completely destroys PLOX with ease! However, a bad start and a awful opening hand can make this match way harder… The thing you should watch out for is Dusknoir. Other than that only Bring Down can be a problem. You are way faster than them so Psychic Lock does little difference (even though this deck is based onpoké-powers)
EmpoZong – 80/20
Another easy matchup. You are faster than them in every way – even in damage spread! Rayquaza is your best buddy in this matchup.
EmpoStar– 65/35
This one is harder but still a good matchup. Omaster is the big threat here but once again Rayquaza will make them cry. Rayquaza is also your best starter.
Leafeon variants - 60/40
They are fast but you are faster! High hp makes this one a hard matchup but since you spread a lot. You’ll have a hard time winning this one but you win.
Eveelutions – 55/45
The hardest matchup. However, you are still faster and they can’t take advantage from weakness since you don’t have any.
Magmortar variants – 70/30
Never lost against it and now nobody plays it. Still, this match is pretty easy. Mew* lols at Magmortar.
Garchomp variants – 65/35
No weakness says it all. The only thing you should worry about is Restore but Sand Damage and Rayquaza make him pay for bringing his friends back to life. You start with Rayquaza you should have no problems winning this one.
Banette – 65/35
Flygon OHKOs Banette and spreads in the process. Rayquasa grabs some free prizes aiming at Lunatone and Claydol. You are as fast as they are. Do I need to say more?
These matchups are tested and I would like to see if I could pull out a good performance at worlds but that opportunity got cut off at Nationals when I lost my final match to our new national champion. Ironically, he was playing PLOX... A bad hand, lack of sleep and a fatal mistake in the end (forgot about bring down and I KO’ed his only basic pokémon on the field) cost me the only trip that PUSA gives to Portugal…
If I went to worlds I would make some changes of course: I would take away 1 Mew*, and 2 Windstorm to add another Lake Boundary, another Steven’s Advice and another Master Ball since there’s no fire pokémon around and nobody plays Cessation Crystal anymore. I tested it at league with these changes and the deck is even faster this way.
I hope you enjoyed this article and I also hope that those players who think that PLOX is broken and do nothing than complaining, realize that it is very easy to counter…You just need to think for a while…
João Lopes
