DonChamp Article-Please DO NOT POST

[Dragon Strife]

A DECK BUILT FOR A CHAMPION!​

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Title: Donchamp
Article by: Justin Ratliffe (Dragon Strife/N)
Format: MD-TR
Last event: City Championships
Date Article made: 1/19/11​

Hello, it's me, Justin Ratliffe(just call me Justin or Dragon Strife. It really doesn't matter(P.S. If you really wanna be nice, you can also call me N.)) I have come to tell you all about this deck that well, most of the games I've played, it pwns. Now, I'm not very known, I wouldn't say I'm known at all. The highest I've gotten in a tournement was probably 6th place. So, I was at least 2 away from top cut. I don't play with all those really famous decks like, Luxchomp, I have played VileGar and have my own VileGar deck, but also like gyarados and such. So, I am hoping that I can show people that those aren't the only decks out there that are good.

THE DECK​

Pokemon=19:

3x Machop-Stormfront
2x Machoke-Triumphant
1x Machoke-Stormfront
3x Machamp(prime)-Triumphant

3x Phanpy-HGSS
2x Donphan(prime)-HGSS

2x Uxie-Legends Awakened
2x Sudowoodo-Unleashed
1x Azelf-Legends Awakened

T:S:S=21:

4x Pokemon Collector-HGSS
4x Expert Belt-Arceus
1x Department Store Girl-Arceus
4x Professor Elm's training method-HGSS
2x Poke-radar-Legends Awakened
2x Professor Oak's New Theory-HGSS
1x Junk arm-Triumphant
2x Broken Time Space-Platinum
1x Twins-Triumphant

Energy=20:

4x Rescue Energy-Triumphant
16x Fighting Energy-Basic

The Breakdown​

Machop-StormFront:
This Machop I mostly just put in to evolve into Machamp Prime. Now, you may be asking, Jee, Why did he put the stromfront one in instead of the Trimphant one? Well, I thought that too. I like the attacks on the Triumphant one, but, this one has really low energy costing attacks which makes it so I can attack earlier than later.

Machoke-StormFront & Triumphant:
These are practically the same use as Machop, but I put in one of the Stormfront one, and two of the Triumphant ones because I both like knuckle down, strength, steady punch, and brick break. All great attacks, and cost all the same.

Machamp(prime)-Triumphant
This is the main card in this deck besides Donphan(prime). This card not only has amazing brutal attacks, but its Poke-Power Fighting Tag makes it so if I have a lot of energy attached to my active, I can move them all to Machamp, and then switch it with my active. Machamp has the attack Crushing Punch, which can make it so if they have any special energy, like, special dark, RESCUE, warp, anything! You can take it right off and discard it so if you knock them out next turn, they can't rescue it back, and such. Now, Its Champ Buster is EXTREMELY brutal. With this deck, since Champ Buster does 100 damage +10 for each pokemon on your bench with damage counters, you can do so much damage. I know some of you are thinking, "But why would I ever want to damage my bench, or how would I damage my bench intentially?"" Well, with Donphan Prime is your answer to LIFE! Donphan Prime's earthquake for only one energy does 60(80 if belted) to the defending, and 10 to all of your bench. After using Earthquake, it is time for your Machamp Prime to shine. When you have Machamp prime on your bench, you can just Fighting tag all the energy off Donphan or whoever is your active, and on to Machamp and switch it up, then do Champ Buster for up to 160 damage!

Phanpy-HGSS:

This phanpy is very useful not only for the fact that it evolves into Donphan Prime, but its flail is extremely fun when you have an expert belt attached to it and have damage counters on it. With flail and having an expert belt on it you can do up to 100 damage . . . with a phanpy!

Donphan(prime)-HGSS

Now, Donphan Prime is . . . well, beast. Literally. This card is now only extremely useful in this deck, but also is a huge wall defense. With already 120 HP, its already a pretty decent blocker. But, its Exo-Skeleton poke-body makes it so all damage done to it is reduced by 20 damage. So this card can take damage like nobodies business! Besides the amazing advantage of it being able to take hits easily, its got great attacks that costs so little energy. First off, for one :fighting: you can do Earthquake for 60 damage (80 if belted) to the defending, and 10 damage to the bench. Now this may seem like a disadvantage, but like how explained before, it is an advantage. Once you use earthquake and damage your bench, you send up Machamp Prime and do up to 160 damage (180 if belted) with champ buster. Now, Donphan also has the attack heavy impact for :fighting::fighting::fighting:, which has no special effects but it does 90 damage so, it's pretty awesome.

Uxie-Legends Awakened

This card is in here only for the pure fact that it's a draw engine. Basic structure of this card is to do this: Got small hand, put down uxie, and draw up to 7. That is it.

Sudowoodo-Unleashed

This card is in this deck because not only is it brutal because of its push over, that does 20x tthe number of :fighting: energy attached to it, but also since it has 90 HP, it's a great card for taking hits on your bench, without it being knocked out so easily.

Azelf-Legends Awakened

This card only has one purpose just like uxie. This one is for if you know something you need(that is a pokemon) that you know is not in your deck or discard pile, you can search in prize cards, if you find it, you can take it, and replace that card with a card from your hand.

Pokemon Collector-HGSS

This card is extremely useful because it lets you take 3 basics from your deck and put them into your hand. Anywhere from Phanpy, to machop and uxie, and sudowoodo and azelf! This is a fantastic card to have.

Expert Belt(=D)-Arceus

This is one of the mmooossstttt important cards in this deck out of all the T:S:S! This card allows you to do 20 more damage and get +20 HP to your pokemon that you attach it to. Now, this only disadvantage to this card is that when that pokemon is knocked out, your opponent takes one more prize card. this card works with every pokemon in this deck so well.

Department Store Girl-Arceus

This card is in here because it allows you to search for 3 pokemon tool cards and put them into your hand. So, Department Store Girl=3 Expert Belts.

Professor Elm's Training Method-HGSS

This card is very useful because with it you can get out anything from donphans, to machamp prime and machokes.

Poke-Radar-Legends Awakened

This card is mostly a filler but it can be useful because you can look at the top 5 cards of your deck and choose any pokemon you find there and put them into your hand.

Professor Oak's New theory-HGSS

This card is useful if you really need a new hand and want to restock on cards, because you can shuffle your hand into the deck and draw 6 cards.

Junk arm-Triumphant

This card is mostly in here just in case a expert belt is in your discard pile and you need it. You can just discard 2 cards from your hand and get back that expert belt.

Broken Time Space-Platinum

This card is very useful because in one turn you can go from tiny little machop, to machamp prime in one full swoop. Also say you put down a Phanpy this turn, and you a Donphan in your hand and you really want to evolve it(there's an app for that), well with this card, you can.

Twins-Triumphant

this deck is only in here if your opponent has less prizes then you do (which won't happen a lot you hope, but just in case) and you need some help. You just slap this down and search for 2 of any cards you want which can help a lot.

Rescue Energy-Triumphant

This card is really useful because if you have a pokemon such as, donphan. If it gets knocked out, you can bring it back to your hand(everything but everything attached to it).

TESTING

So, for this deck I have played against a few other decks and saw how it did against them.

These are the deck I have played so far against:

Charizard Deck:

This match is quite interesting. When I was battling this deck, it really depends on the set-up that your opponent gets, and also what you get. Like, an example would be that when I was playing this deck, the person playing the charizard deck got a really good hand, but only a vulpix as his basic. Now on my side, I was able to phanpy-Broken Time Space-donphan-e-belt-:fighting: energy all in one tur and donk him. But, another game with him, he pulled a great set-up and was able to donk me even when I got a really good hand. So, against a charizard deck, it really depends on the set-up on each side.

GyraPlume:

This deck. . .oh this deck. When I was playing against this deck, it was brutal. I got an amazing set-up and everything. But, this deck just kept on swiping my pokemon! I couldn't belt at all because of the Plume, he got out the Plume super fast using a spiritomb, and did up to 90 damage every turn with his gyrados. So, in the end, against this deck. . . you would need a REALLY good set-up and them a bad set-up in order to win.

KingGatr:

This is a deck that my mom made herself(yes my mom plays pokemon) and so against this deck, I would say I won brutally. I always got fantastic set-ups, she would take a few prizes here andd there, but mostly it was an utter donk.

Punch, Kick, Knock-outFighting deck)

So, about a month or two ago, I got my best friend into pokemon and this was the second deck he made, and if I do say so myself, it is pretty awesome. He went away 2-3 at cities, which is pretty awesome for a dude only playing for 2 months or so. This deck against that deck, I would say same outcome like KingGatr. He would get out awesome cards, but that donphan and Machamp would just knock em' down.

CurseGar:

This one s a real toughy. CurseGar being an all sychic: deck and your Machamps being X2 weak makes it extremely difficult. Since I was playing my CurseGar against this deck, I could tell that they can mostly just snipe your pixies and everything for easy knock-outs. So I would say this could be a little un-favorable.

Add Ins/Take outs:

-2 Poke Radar -1 Junk Arm= +3 Seeker

Worked/Didn't Work/Don't Know Yet

-1 Twins -1 Department Store Girl -2 Sudowoodo -2 :fighting: = +2 Trapinch +2 Vibrava +2 Flygon

Worked/Did not work/Don't Know

CLOSING​

So, all together, I hope since you got to the end I hope you found that this deck was good. I am really proud of this deck so if you decide to build this deck yourself, that's great! If not, that's fine too. Thanks for reading and goodbye.

Signing off,

N.

 

[SPIRE_FAN]

i like the sudowoodo tech's. Nice man

 

[Dragon Strife]

Why thank you very much

 

[Tylertyphlosion]

No REAL matchups?
Just red face paint matchups?
Sudowoodo... I still see this as a HUGE waste of space.

 

[Dragon Strife]

I have battled against CurseGar and GyraPlume so, I would say those are some pretty decent match-ups. Also, If you go back to the part called Add Ins/Take outs you can see I took out the Sudowoodo

 

[MrMeches]

No REAL matchups?
Just red face powder matchups?
Sudowoodo... I still see this as a HUGE waste of space.

There is a reason for this. Many articles in the past 'Theorymoned' matchups and did not have real time testing against them. PokeGym would prefer players to have actual testing understanding so that the reader gets a Natural and Real feel for the deck as listed by the writer. This also allows for readers to understand fully what it has worked against and what it has not. Meta is a HUGE factor in deck testing, so the writer needs to reflect their own meta which may or may not work in each individual players areas.

Hopefully, all future articles will provide this same thought process to give a better understanding of the writer's perspective and reduce the 'flaming' of the matchup sections.

Enjoy and test it in YOUR area. Come back here and give some insight to your findings! That is the REAL purpose of articles. Get players to build something they may not have thought of and play it in areas all around!

 

[Blitzer]

This article doesn't really benefit the readers is what I would say. The list isn't great, as I don't believe that 16 fighting energy are necessary.
2 BTS? That isnt a great idea, 4 should be a staple.

No rare candy, at least 3 please.

And I don't like the decks that you posted you played against. Fighting.dec shouldn't really be a testing partner as it doesn't really exemplify how it would perform against the meta decks.

 

[amphachu]

This.......This is worse than my Umbreon/Garchomp article... You need to add in the SF Machamp to beat SP, and also take out the Elms, Radars, Department Store Girl, some Expert Belts, Sudowoodo, for better cards such as Bebe's Search Pokemon Communications, another BTS, Rare Candy, and other cards to make it all around better. Also, there are WAY too many energy. Cut it down to 8 Fighting, and add in a Palmer's Contibution for recovery. So many changes need to be made, and so many more top tier decks that need to get tested against, since you have shone none.

 

[Tylertyphlosion]

Good to hear Da' Fish!


And for any further testing, I would suggest RedShark to you Dragon Strife, it is a great way to battle many different decks and players.
The sudowoodo tech to me just wastes 2 spaces that could be used for something else.
I personally love Donchamp with Champ Prime rather than Champ SF.
I would suggest -2 Expert Belt as 3 KO's on belted pokemon is 6 prizes for them.
Another suggestion is 4 Seeker.
Fighting Tag away your active Champ, Seeker it up to fully heal and then lay it right back down with BTS out.
I also suggest adding in at least 1 more BTS for T1 Donphan or Champ.
Maybe some Rare Candy unless your area is FULL of VileGar.
I would take out the department Store Girl, it just increases the prizes they take.
Run 1 Luxury Ball and a Palmers rather than the PokeRadar.

Just some suggestions

 

[Dragon Strife]

This article doesn't really benefit the readers is what I would say. The list isn't great, as I don't believe that 16 fighting energy are necessary.
2 BTS? That isnt a great idea, 4 should be a staple.

No rare candy, at least 3 please.

And I don't like the decks that you posted you played against. Fighting.dec shouldn't really be a testing partner as it doesn't really exemplify how it would perform against the meta decks.

I see your point, but I have played with rare candy in this deck, and I almost never used it.

This deck really does need 16 :fighting: energy.

Now, The BTS I have 3 in this deck, also I don't have 4 BTS. Sorry, but not every pokemon player has 4 BTS.

 

[Blitzer]

It doesnt matter if you don't HAVE 4 bts. They would make the list better, and Deck articles are supposed to have powerful lists. The article should have the best possible cards in the list even if the list isnt yours card for card.

 

[Jaeger]

This is going to be brutal...

 

[Blitzer]

Here is a list that I have tested and you should to,

Redshark 3.80 Deck List
Date: Wed Jan 19 21:28:57 2011

Name: Donphan Machamp
Comments:

TOTAL CARDS: 60

POKEMON: 19
Level-Up: 1
1 : Uxie LV.X, LA-146
Stage 2: 2
1 : Machamp (Prime), TM-95
1 : Machamp, SF-20
Stage 1: 5
1 : Machoke, SF-41
4 : Donphan (Prime), GS-107
Basic: 11
1 : Azelf, LA-19
2 : Machop, SF-64
4 : Phanpy, GS-77
2 : Uxie, LA-43
1 : Unown Q, MD-49
1 : Chatot, MD-55

TRAINERS: 33
Trainers: 20
4 : Pokemon Communication, GS-98
4 : Poke Drawer +, SF-89
3 : Rare Candy, UL-82
4 : Junk Arm, TM-87
4 : Pokedex Handy 910is, PL-114
1 : Luxury Ball, SF-86
Supporters: 9
4 : Bebe's Search, RR-89
2 : Seeker, TM-88
3 : Pokemon Collector, GS-97
Stadiums: 4
4 : Broken Time-Space, PL-104

ENERGY: 8
Special Energy: 2
2 : Double Colorless Energy, GS-103
Basic Energy: 6
6 : Fighting Energy, GS-120

 

[Dragon Strife]

This.......This is worse than my Umbreon/Garchomp article... You need to add in the SF Machamp to beat SP, and also take out the Elms, Radars, Department Store Girl, some Expert Belts, Sudowoodo, for better cards such as Bebe's Search Pokemon Communications, another BTS, Rare Candy, and other cards to make it all around better. Also, there are WAY too many energy. Cut it down to 8 Fighting, and add in a Palmer's Contibution for recovery. So many changes need to be made, and so many more top tier decks that need to get tested against, since you have shone none.

Okay, so unlike most people I don't have Machamp Sf and don't find it useful in this deck. If you read the Add Ins/Take outs section maybe you would see I took out the sudowoodo, Department Store Girl, and radars. Also, this deck needs 16 Fighting energy(actually 14 because I took out 2 figthing energy, hence said in add ins/take outs). I have 3 BTS in the deck, I don't have 4 for all who wants to know. So sorry. I was contemplating putting in some palmer's, but I don't really know yet. Far as the Match ups go, Not to many people play "Big" decks around my league, and I built this deck after Cities so I had no way of playing it against any big decks besides a GyaPlume and CurseGar. I might Possibly take out some Professor Elm's and 1 E-belt and replace it with Palmer's and others. As far as rare candies go, I played them in this deck, and I almost never used them, and also there are a lot of VileGar players around my area I found out after playing cities so I probably won't put them in besides.

Thanks for recommending things though ^^.

 

[Raen]

I'm going to just say it straight: this is a bad list, and in truth, I don't feel the article as a whole is of the quality that should be required to be on the front page.

In order to be constructive rather than just critical, let me offer suggestions as well, along with reasoning behind each suggestion.

First, I'll focus on the Machamp line. I can think of two good options here: Either run a 3-2-3 (1 SF Champ and 2 Primes, or other way around depending on meta), or run a 4-2-4 line, with 2 SF Champs and 2 Primes. The SF champs are very important; they donk well, takes less energy than the Prime, and most importantly, they runs through SP, which is prevalent in almost every metagame in the world. Also, don't run more than 2 Machoke, as we are also adding Rare Candy here. We'll get to that later.

Now, for the Donphan line. A 3-2 line is ok. I'm a fan of an even line, so a 2-2 or 3-3, depending on how much you focus on using Donphan, is what I'd do, but 3-2 isn't bad.

Sudowudo is a waste of space. You already have 2 major attackers; there is absolutely no need for more attackers.

I'd also suggest running a few Smeargles from UD, and an Unown Q to retreat Azelf/Uxie/Smeargle.

Now, I'll just jump ahead to energy since it's an easy fix. You need 2 or 3 Double Colorless. I personally wouldn't run Rescue energy. Your line's are thick enough it's not needed, as another Pokemon can be set up fairly easily. Energy lines shouldn't go over 14-16 MAX, and you can run lower than that. Make decisions through testing. As a base line, run 10 Fighting and 3 Double colorless.

Now for Trainers/Supporter. First, replace Elm's with Bebe's Search. It gives you a similar effect while be more versatile. Don't run more than 2 Expert Belt; it's not needed, as Expert Belt needs to be used with great care, not just thrown around willy-nilly. Don't run Department Store girl, as tools aren't important enough to waste a supporter turn on. Poke-Radar also needs to go; you already have 4 Pokemon Collectors.

Now, you need to add 3 or 4 Rare Candy. With Stage 2's being one of the main attackers, this HAS to be here to speed's sake. Also, 3 BTS might be a better choice for consistencies sake. When it comes to Junk Arm, either run 2 or 3, or don't run any. 1 is FAR too inconsistent. You also need 1 Luxury Ball; it's always useful, great with Junk Arm, and a staple in basically every deck. I'd also recommend trying 2 Seeker, and probably 2 Twins instead of 1, for consistency.

Ok, that's all for my suggestions. There's plenty of other options, and I didn't count the amount of cards, but I expect there's more space for a few more additions (like Warp Point, or something like that).

 

[lucario aura wielder]

honestly i hope this article is a joke sudowoodo 20 energy 2 double colorless 2 machamp.

 

[Deoxys Cool Form]

I've lost all respect for the people who let front page articles go through, this makes me sick.

They've done nothing wrong, they've been nice and used their time to do an article. They didn't know it was bad, otherwise they wouldn't have made it a front page article. Instead of blasting them, give advice.

So they don't deserve any hate, not one bit. Thanks for your time, even if it isn't exactly the best article in the world.

It's the mods who deserve the blasting. Would it really hurt them to go through the deck, maybe even help them out a little? All it does is get this person hate, get the mods hate, and get the Pokegym hate. Stuff like this should NOT be going on the front page, it should be left in deck help until they get more experience.

So yeah, either get the people to do their jobs right, fire them and get new people, or forget front page articles all together. Because for everyones sake, this just isn't working.

All that you've done is embarass him/her, and probably lost a member.

 

[Darkmot]

^
There is nothing more to say, just so true!​

(My 1000 post - from now on I'll write in green)

 

[baby mario]

I've accepted the fact that what the mods think should be on the front page is massively different from what I would put there and what I would like to read.

They are the ones in charge, and they get to make those decisions.

Dragon Strife's article is at least honest and doesn't pretend to be anything it isn't. Maybe others will get something from it, I dunno. He does not deserve to be flamed for this.

 

[gallade]

I agree with baby mario and DCF exactly.