The List:
4 Terrakion NV
2 Zekrom BW
2 Voltorb UD
2 Electrode Prime UD
1 Shaymin UL
1 Smeargle UD
Pokemon total: 12
5 Fighting Energy
4 Prism Energy
3 Lightning Energy
2 Rainbow Energy
Energy total: 14
4 Junk Arm
4 Dual Ball
3 Pokemon Catcher
3 Switch
2 Eviolite
2 Pluspower
2 Exp. Share
2 Level Ball
1 Super Rod
1 Random Receiver
4 Professor Oak’s New Theory
3 Professor Juniper
3 N
I/S/S total: 34
The Strategy:
During testing, I found that this list could get T2 Electrode at least 60% of the time. With 14 energies, the average Energymite returns approximately 1.6+ energies, not counting for the deck thinning if one uses a shuffle-draw supporter in the first few turns which increases this number. In any case, a single energy is all one needs to get the T2 Land Crush, which devastates all Darkrai/Zekeel variants. Against Zekeel and Darkrai decks, getting 2 or more energies on Energymite usually automatically wins the game (barring Tornadus EX) since from that point forward, I can easily stream Land Crush.
Nonetheless, during early testing, most of my games went something like this: Land Crush almost the entire meta for weakness, get down to 2-4 prizes, then get walled by an Eviolited Tornadus EX, at which point I had a near auto-loss. Some fighting variants teched Ruins of Alph, but this is really a sub-standard strategy: Land Crush is still only a 3HKO on an Eviolited Tornadus EX. Although this seems like a "favourable" prize trade, this does not take into account that the Terrakion player has to commit 5 energies (4 with Exp. Share) to the cause (since you must Land Crush at least once) while the Tornadus EX player usually only has to commit 2. This loss of tempo usually leads to a Mewtwo EX being built up to sweep the remaining Terrakions.
Although I had made top 2 at a Battle Road with this deck without Zekrom and with 14 fighting energies (I didn't have enough time to play in the final because I wanted to go to a second Battle Road later in the day), I felt uncomfortable with a poor matchup against such a widely played card.
The Zekrom/Shaymin/Special Energies combo was my solution, which completely reverses the situation and punishes careless Tornadus EX drops. This was particularly effective against people who I had not previously played against. I would hold back on attaching electric energies in my early game while using solely Terrakions - this would usually cause an Eviolited Tornadus EX (or even better, two of them) to be played. At this point, I drop an Eviolited Zekrom, Celebration Wind a couple Prisms and Rainbows over, switch, and Bolt Strike for 2 (sometimes 4) quick prizes.
If Shaymin was not available, I would drop a Zekrom with an energy and an Exp. Share attached, to threaten a retaliatory Bolt Strike if a Terrakion was knocked out, and Outrage if Zekrom was catchered - both of which are serious issues for Tornadus EX.
Freed from the shackles of Exp. Share (seriously, look at the card & tell me that thing looks comfortable), I could use Eviolite (usually meant for Zekrom) on Terrakion as well, making the big guy safe from Pluspower Bolt Strikes and X-Balls - a luxury not available in typical Quad Terrakion lists.
Sone Exp. Shares were still necessary to keep the energies from Energymite on the board. Shaymin was also sometimes used for this purpose, moving energies from a damaged Terrakion to a fresh one, followed by Switch.
Although I don’t run Skyarrow Bridge, I found that others ran it enough to add in a Smeargle of my own - I almost always only used it when the Bridge was out. In any case, I ran 3 switches.
I will post my Swiss, T32, and T16 match reviews later today.
4 Terrakion NV
2 Zekrom BW
2 Voltorb UD
2 Electrode Prime UD
1 Shaymin UL
1 Smeargle UD
Pokemon total: 12
5 Fighting Energy
4 Prism Energy
3 Lightning Energy
2 Rainbow Energy
Energy total: 14
4 Junk Arm
4 Dual Ball
3 Pokemon Catcher
3 Switch
2 Eviolite
2 Pluspower
2 Exp. Share
2 Level Ball
1 Super Rod
1 Random Receiver
4 Professor Oak’s New Theory
3 Professor Juniper
3 N
I/S/S total: 34
The Strategy:
During testing, I found that this list could get T2 Electrode at least 60% of the time. With 14 energies, the average Energymite returns approximately 1.6+ energies, not counting for the deck thinning if one uses a shuffle-draw supporter in the first few turns which increases this number. In any case, a single energy is all one needs to get the T2 Land Crush, which devastates all Darkrai/Zekeel variants. Against Zekeel and Darkrai decks, getting 2 or more energies on Energymite usually automatically wins the game (barring Tornadus EX) since from that point forward, I can easily stream Land Crush.
Nonetheless, during early testing, most of my games went something like this: Land Crush almost the entire meta for weakness, get down to 2-4 prizes, then get walled by an Eviolited Tornadus EX, at which point I had a near auto-loss. Some fighting variants teched Ruins of Alph, but this is really a sub-standard strategy: Land Crush is still only a 3HKO on an Eviolited Tornadus EX. Although this seems like a "favourable" prize trade, this does not take into account that the Terrakion player has to commit 5 energies (4 with Exp. Share) to the cause (since you must Land Crush at least once) while the Tornadus EX player usually only has to commit 2. This loss of tempo usually leads to a Mewtwo EX being built up to sweep the remaining Terrakions.
Although I had made top 2 at a Battle Road with this deck without Zekrom and with 14 fighting energies (I didn't have enough time to play in the final because I wanted to go to a second Battle Road later in the day), I felt uncomfortable with a poor matchup against such a widely played card.
The Zekrom/Shaymin/Special Energies combo was my solution, which completely reverses the situation and punishes careless Tornadus EX drops. This was particularly effective against people who I had not previously played against. I would hold back on attaching electric energies in my early game while using solely Terrakions - this would usually cause an Eviolited Tornadus EX (or even better, two of them) to be played. At this point, I drop an Eviolited Zekrom, Celebration Wind a couple Prisms and Rainbows over, switch, and Bolt Strike for 2 (sometimes 4) quick prizes.
If Shaymin was not available, I would drop a Zekrom with an energy and an Exp. Share attached, to threaten a retaliatory Bolt Strike if a Terrakion was knocked out, and Outrage if Zekrom was catchered - both of which are serious issues for Tornadus EX.
Freed from the shackles of Exp. Share (seriously, look at the card & tell me that thing looks comfortable), I could use Eviolite (usually meant for Zekrom) on Terrakion as well, making the big guy safe from Pluspower Bolt Strikes and X-Balls - a luxury not available in typical Quad Terrakion lists.
Sone Exp. Shares were still necessary to keep the energies from Energymite on the board. Shaymin was also sometimes used for this purpose, moving energies from a damaged Terrakion to a fresh one, followed by Switch.
Although I don’t run Skyarrow Bridge, I found that others ran it enough to add in a Smeargle of my own - I almost always only used it when the Bridge was out. In any case, I ran 3 switches.
I will post my Swiss, T32, and T16 match reviews later today.
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