Gatr combo: does it have a chance?

[duanojo]

I've been thinking about putting together this combo: Feraligatr (EX), Claydoll (TA/TM), Golduck (SS). Here's the strategy: Use psychic Baltoy to spread damage counters early in the game while getting Gatr out. Gatr can then come in and use Rending Jaws for 70 on every Pokemon that already has damage counters on it. Psychic Claydoll lets me move energy around later in the game and Golduck can confuse or do 70 (if there's a special energy card attached to the defending). Additionally, with Gatr's built in Double Gust with his Major Tsunami power, I can have some control over the playing field. With High Pressure system out, you could use Major Tsunami to get Golduck active, make the defending confused, and then retreat for Gatr to come in and finish them off. In theory, this should give Blaze ex fits, especially with a couple of Crystal Shards tossed in for Quaza protection. I could even toss in a couple Fighting Claydolls to counter electric decks.

Will this work? I'd appreciate your comments.

 

[bulbasnore]

Will it work? It's a pretty nice combo at least.

The major benefit is the tsunami power. Make 'em send out something good to hit. Golduck might be a bit much (stage 1), esp as it adds another energy type without adding another type to match your opponents weakness.

If you have any Sandstorm error-Marril, you have a 75% chance to paralyze an undamaged PKMN, add damage & be ready to whack away (or just Tsunami/Retreat/Jaws if it has damage).

Fighting Claydol great for hacking away at amphy & also does double damage counter placement and the attack does 10 to all bench. Keep some fighting energy around.

Also, you might keep some switch in case Amphy paralyzes and also have a DRE around to speed recovery. It will knock down the Claydol bench attack but DRE is just there for the second Gatr or Claydol to finish off the attacker that caused the untimely demise of the first one.

Nice idea.

 

[Dendrobatida]

Sure, might work. I'd even say it's viable. However, I'd drop the claydol line. I don't see energy transfering, particularly at a 1-per-turn clip, as being essential, or even all that useful, to the deck. You're not going to want to waste your early turns with baltoy, particularly since a ralts can pretty much wipe you out quick. I'd drop the claydol for a natu/xatu line. Same idea with xatu (spread damage counters around), but xatu has free retreat, can heal your active, and is less of an energy hog. It still works with the psychic/water theme too. Another idea might be to run a magma's hideout. Yeah, you'd take damage too, but you could heal it with xatu....I'd also consider double rainbow energies in the deck, as xatu doesn't lose effectiveness with them on, and the damage reduction ain't that great...especially since, for one of them, you power your feraligatr in 3 turns (I wouldn't have two of them on there), or your xatu and golduck in one. Something along these lines should work well:

4 totodile
3 croconaw
3 feraligatr
3 natu
3 xatu (3/3 here, rather than the golduck, because the power is more useful)
2 psyduck
2 golduck
4 dunsparce
Total:24

4 Oak's research
4 professor elm's training method
4 draw cards of your choice (TV reporter, copycat, maintenance, etc.)
3 Mr. Briney's Compassion
2 high pressure system (or magma's hideout, or a combo of both)
2 crystal shard
1 town volunteers
Total: 20

8 water
4 psychic
4 double rainbow
Total: 16

Strategy: as you said, keeping up the healing each turn on Gatr, free retreating with your other guys, and wreaking havok on their bench.

Also, if gardevoir is huge in your area, consider throwing in a fire energy or two and a miracle sphere beta...imagine their surprise when you send up your xatu with a psychic and water already attached, stick the fire on there, attach the miracle sphere, and eviscerate their gardevoir -ex for 80+burn+energy removal....and then you briney the sucker up the next turn.....hahaha....Of course, that would also work with claydol, if you decide to stick with it.

Hope that helps,

 

[Spectreon]

I wouldnt drop the Claydol line, just revamp it... Dont see the Dark/Psy holo Claydol being too usefull, it only moves an energy from it to anyone else...

Now the Fighting Claydol on the other hand. It fits this deck to a T. First off its Fighting type, & Gatr is weak to Electric this time around (assuming memory serves me right) so the type match here is stupendeous. Then add it can for 2 energy place 2 counters anywhere, and 3 energy does 50 with 10 to the bench. Oh wait... that helps Gatr too. GO WITH FIGHTING CLAYDOL!!!

This deck could actually do well, even against the big 2 Gardi and Blaze

I would likely run Boost over DRE personally, but both would do well here...

 

[duanojo]

Thanks for the input, guys. I'll try to post a deck list soon. I was thinking about playing this at our state championship yesterday, but I hadn't had much of a chance to playtest it, and I went with Gardy instead and got stomped by all of the Blaziken decks out there. The one thing I'm worried about is having three types (Water, Psychic, and Fighting) in the same deck, although both Claydol and Baltoy have colorless attacks.

 

[Tempo Stratoblaster]

I actually built a quite similar deck to the one Dendrobatida did.

I have Wobuffets in place of the Golduck/Psyduck.
Trainers: 4 Shaman to disrupt, Birch/TV Reporter(4) to combo with Shaman. I can keep Shaman in my hand that way and get them whenever they oracle.
3 Multi Energies (-2 Water/-1 Psy).
Definitely the Magma Gym which places the damage counter.

I would add 2 Meditie for Tech tho...

 

[Xeno]

I had a friend that played almost the same thing but with SS Xatu's at the Texas SC. He didn't make it really far and lost most of the time against BAR and had trouble with decks that had no water weak monsters.

 

[bulbasnore]

Thanks for the input, guys. I'll try to post a deck list soon.

When you're ready, I'd like to see the list. I'm not sure about a combo to do 70 for 4 when you get straigh 70 for 4 with Kabutops EX. Avoiding the EX and all that goes with it is nice, but is that enough? I definitely think Briney & Energy Switch in that case to save the Gatr and keep attacking.. Let's see your list when ready.

 

[nikePK]

the only problem would be the speed problem. 4 energy to a 120hp pokemon? eh.... not to awesome. However, I like DRE in here, it makes it (essentially) 3 for 60, which is really nice and speedy. Its water type, which is a plus, and the power is just MEAN. Its a warp point infinitely. Also, if you run Xatu, the power helps against little stuff, but not against much. I'd go Claydol over it like Spectreon said. I dunno if it'll work in this environment, but its worth a shot, man. Just tweak like mad until it is smooth and runs well.

Even though Claydol is a good idea, I don't know that you'd have the chance to power IT up, then power the Gatr up all without losing valuable time... I guess we'll see when you playtest it...