BCR-on: Dragonite-EX

[Walrusaurus]

Dragonite-EX seems like a good surprise attacker, but it's awkward Energy costs limit what decks it can be used in. So how about it in a tank deck? Here's how it works:

1. Your Dragonite gets damaged.
2. Bench a Dragonite and use it's Ability to switch it with your damaged Dragonite, and move all the Energy to it.
3. Super Scoop Up/Cassius away the damaged Dragonite.
4. Start attacking with the clean one, and rinse and repeat everytime your Dragonite is damaged.

How can you handle things that can KO Dragonite? Remember they can't use Laser if you have Virizion-EX.

Yveltal-EX needs 5 Energy/4 with a Muscle Band to KO a Dragonite, or even more if you discarded with Jet Shoot. Yveltal can be easily revenge KO'd with the new Dedenne.
Mewtwo-EX can one shot it like Yveltal can, but it's much harder for it to do it.
Genesect-EX can G Booster it, but you can try to solve that with Spiritomb LTR.
Rayquaza-EX is rotated out, and Blastoise decks are on the decline, so you won't need to worry about Black Kyurem-EX PLS too often.
Fairy decks lose Prism and M Kangaskhan variants are dead with all the new Fighting Pokemon, so you won't need to worry about Xerneas/-EX too often.
You'll have to worry about Fighting Variants, though.

So now that you know the strategy, here's my list:

11 Pokémon:
4 Dragonite-EX
4 Virizion-EX
1 Dedenne FFI
1 Spiritomb LTR
1 Mewtwo-EX

37 Trainers:
4 Professor Juniper/Sycamore
4 N
4 Skyla
1 Colress
2 Lysandre
1 Pal Pad

4 Ultra Ball
1 Escape Rope
1 Switch
2 Hard Charm
3 Muscle Band
2 Startling Megaphone
4 Super Scoop Up
1 Scoop Up Cyclone
1 Professor's Letter
1 Energy Retrieval ('cause this deck can have Energy problems)

12 Energy:
9 Grass
4 Lightning
-------------------


Other ideas:
Altaria BCR is also another thing you could use if you want to take OHKO's with Dragonite.
You can use Electrode for more drawpower to compensate for the use of Cassius and Lysandre.
Milotic can help put Energy in play.
Life Dew makes the game last longer, and can help if you are using Milotic.
Jirachi-EX is great for consistency. I'm considering it ATM.
I'll add Beartic FFI if Pyroar proves to be popular in BCR-on.

I found out this deck has a really good Seismitoad-EX matchup as long as they don't run a hardcore Virizion counter like Victini-EX or Charizard-EX (I have yet to test against those yet).

So this is just my take on a Dragonite-EX deck. I would like to see your thoughts on my list, or your ideas on how to use Dragonite, or what to use with it. Do you think Dragonite-EX can make a competitively viable deck?

Thank you.

 

[TuxedoBlack]

Given that Dragonite requires GGL for its attack, why not just use a "simpler" deck approach; e.g.,

-4 Milotic and WEAK Feebas (definitely don't ever want to start with this Poké);
-2 Electrode and WEAK Voltorb (definitely don't ever want to start with this Poké);
-1 Spiritomb - not sure if this Poké is worth a card slot given its very limited use;

+1-2 Virizion EX to start for energy attachment acceleration and status condition protection;
+2 Dedenne to start with Call for Family; and
+3-4 Other cards: techs, draw, etc.

 

[Walrusaurus]

Given that Dragonite requires GGL for its attack, why not just use a "simpler" deck approach; e.g.,

-4 Milotic and WEAK Feebas (definitely don't ever want to start with this Poké);
-2 Electrode and WEAK Voltorb (definitely don't ever want to start with this Poké);
-1 Spiritomb - not sure if this Poké is worth a card slot given its very limited use;

+1-2 Virizion EX to start for energy attachment acceleration and status condition protection;
+2 Dedenne to start with Call for Family; and
+3-4 Other cards: techs, draw, etc.

Yeah, a simpler approah should be better, but I believe I should keep the Spiritomb as a tech card because Virizion/Genesect is still a pretty big deck.
I'm not sure about having so much Dedenne either; Using Call for Family to put a Dragonite on your Bench isn't good because I want to Bench it from my hand to use it's Ability. I only use it as an Yveltal-EX counter.

So how about this:
-2 Milotic FLF
-2 Feebas FLF
-1 Voltorb XY
-1 Electrode PLF

+1 Virizion-EX
+1 Dedenne FUF
+1 Cassius
+1 Hard Charm
+1 Skyla
+1 Grass Energy

Thanks for the advice.

 

[DaveTheWaveTCG]

How does this deck handle Pyroar? Do you just accept the autoloss?

 

[Walrusaurus]

How does this deck handle Pyroar? Do you just accept the autoloss?

Right now- yes. I don't know how I can tech in any Pyroar counters without destroying this deck's consistency. Remember Dragonite cannot move Special Energy with "Bust In". Not being able to use Rainbow Energy really limits my options. The most usable counter would seem to be Giratina-EX, but that is getting rotated.

If I'm missing something or you have any ideas for a counter, that would be appreciated.

 

[Scizor Master CLR]

Maybe you can run a 1-1 Abomasnow PLB tech? It's a water type that needs grass energy to attack and can OHKO Pyroar with a Muscle Band on. It helps that it doesn't get OHKOed back by a new Proar (unless they have a Muscle Band + Laser or Laserbank).

 

[Walrusaurus]

Maybe you can run a 1-1 Abomasnow PLB tech? It's a water type that needs grass energy to attack and can OHKO Pyroar with a Muscle Band on. It helps that it doesn't get OHKOed back by a new Proar (unless they have a Muscle Band + Laser or Laserbank).

That's a good idea, but I'm a bit skeptical on how worth it a 1-1 line really is, considering the Pyroar decks at US Nationals all ran 4-4 Pyroar, but on the other hand I don't have much space to put in more Abomasnow, and I don't want to ruin my chances in other match ups. I'll try it out, (when the scans are uploaded on PlayTCG, that is), but if it isn't enough to win the Pyroar match, I'll would either cut it all together and just accept the loss, or I'll try to thicken the line.

How about this:
-1 Cassius
-1 Dedenne FUF

+1 Snover PLB
+1 Abomasnow PLB

Thanks for the idea.

 

[Scizor Master CLR]

That's a good idea, but I'm a bit skeptical on how worth it a 1-1 line really is, considering the Pyroar decks at US Nationals all ran 4-4 Pyroar, but on the other hand I don't have much space to put in more Abomasnow, and I don't want to ruin my chances in other match ups. I'll try it out, (when the scans are uploaded on PlayTCG, that is), but if it isn't enough to win the Pyroar match, I'll would either cut it all together and just accept the loss, or I'll try to thicken the line.

How about this:
-1 Cassius
-1 Dedenne FUF

+1 Snover PLB
+1 Abomasnow


Thanks for the idea.

No problem. I think Pyroar will only increase in popularity and you will end up having to run a 2-2 line to deal with them. If it comes to that I think you could fit them in by removing 1 Virizion EX (since it's just going to be a bench sitter) and 1 grass energy (since they will be getting recycled continuously anyway). This is all theorymon, of course, but it's something you can keep in mind if it ever comes to that. This looks like it could be a fun deck.

 

[TuxedoBlack]

In your play-testing, are you finding that you will expend most/all of your energy resources before game end? It seems to me that that you may need way(s) to recover discarded energy in order to reuse them. So, I'd suggest you you consider adding Energy Retrieval/Superior ER to your deck.

Have just the 1 Colress, 4 Ns and 4 Professor Junipers provided you sufficient card-draw support? Seems insufficient (even though you have 2 Pal Pads). Plus, given your 4 Skylas, 1 Cassius and 1 Lysandre, it seems that you might have Supporter "clashes" a few times too. Have you considered play-testing Bicycle to compliment your Supporter-based card draw capability?

Are the Super Scoop Ups (SSUs) really that helpful? If a good player is running a deck and can not 1HKO your Dragonites, he/she may then only inflict a small amount of damage in order to get that wounded Dragon into KO range with some follow-up attack. So, would you use a SSU then when it has only 30 damage, for example? You may need to...

I am currently play-testing a new, proxied Furious Fists Fighting deck; so, you may want to consider adding a Mewtwo EX too.

 

[AnJaFrIv]

In your play-testing, are you finding that you will expend most/all of your energy resources before game end? It seems to me that that you may need way(s) to recover discarded energy in order to reuse them. So, I'd suggest you you consider adding Energy Retrieval/Superior ER to your deck.

Have just the 1 Colress, 4 Ns and 4 Professor Junipers provided you sufficient card-draw support? Seems insufficient (even though you have 2 Pal Pads). Plus, given your 4 Skylas, 1 Cassius and 1 Lysandre, it seems that you might have Supporter "clashes" a few times too. Have you considered play-testing Bicycle to compliment your Supporter-based card draw capability?

Are the Super Scoop Ups (SSUs) really that helpful? If a good player is running a deck and can not 1HKO your Dragonites, he/she may then only inflict a small amount of damage in order to get that wounded Dragon into KO range with some follow-up attack. So, would you use a SSU then when it has only 30 damage, for example? You may need to...

I am currently play-testing a new, proxied Furious Fists Fighting deck; so, you may want to consider adding a Mewtwo EX too.

and roller skates for that matter, although those aren't ideal a heads after a supporter can give you a lot of options, so they might be worth adding

 

[TuxedoBlack]

For a Pyroar counter, checkout the new FF Beartic; its first attack (for CC energy cost) can 1HKO Pyroars. And since Beartic has 130 HP, a revenge KO by an opponent's Pyroar will be difficult.

 

[Walrusaurus]

So I've done a little testing on PlayTCG. I have found myself consistently getting T2 Emerald Slashes onto another Virizion, and then Busting in T3 with Dragonite. Replacing Dragonites hasn't been hard either and I'm usually able to manage it for the whole game. I've played 2 normal games and 2 solitaire games.

I won against a Landorus-EX/Mewtwo-EX deck (not sure exactly what's in it), because my opponent couldn't manage to KO me and I got a turn 3 KO on a Mewtwo with Jet Sonic (Emerald Slash sets up KO's nicely).

I also won against a NXD-on TDK variant. Doesn't really count though because I'm playing a BCR-on deck, but it showed off my consistency.

In my solitaire games, I lost to my Fighting deck and my Genesect/Virzion/Raichu deck. I got set up both games but Genesect Red Signal'd my Spiritomb and the Fighting deck KO'd me with M Lucario. This deck can't handle OHKO's.

Of course these were only 4 games, so this doesn't mean too much, but I just wanted to share what I was experiencing. I'll playtest more soon and see if I consistently lose against Fighting and Genesect. If I do, I'm going to have to try out Mewtwo/DCE or maybe put another Spiritomb in.

 

[darkslayertypez]

I've tested this deck quite a bit, not yours exactly, but if you want optimal speed your best off not running that many techs. Energy switches could be useful since you could move energies off a low hp pokemon, same with switches, etc. What gets me with the deck is the low energy count, it doesn't have room for many techs really, I like and sort of hate the deck in a way. It's good but seismitoad ex makes it a nuisance and garbodor etc. Altaria seems great in theory but its just taking up space. Just my thoughts on it as of now.

 

[Walrusaurus]

I've tested this deck quite a bit, not yours exactly, but if you want optimal speed your best off not running that many techs.

That's probably a good idea. 1-1 Beartic wouldn't be able to handle a real Pyroar deck. I not sure about how popular Pyroar will be, and if it is unpopular, I should be able to get away with 0 techs against it.

A Mewtwo-EX (M Lucario-EX can one-shot Dragonite) and an Energy Switch seem like a good way to use those 2 new slots.

It's good but seismitoad ex makes it a nuisance and garbodor etc.

A Hard Charmed Virizion-EX is really hard for Seismitoad-EX to deal with.

Thanks for the input.