Gyarados tech for LostGar

[Volt]

Pokemon (23)

3 Gyarados
4 Magikarp
1 Regice
1 Combee
2 Sableye
3 Smeargle
1 Mesprit
2 Uxie
1 Azelf
1 Unown Q
2 Crobat G
2 Mew Prime

Trainer (31)

4 Pokemon Collector
3 Seeker
2 Sage's Training
2 Cyrus's Conspiracy
1 Looker's Investigation
1 Bebe's Search
4 Junk Arm
3 Poke Turn
2 Warp Point
2 Pokemon Rescue
1 VS Seeker
1 Luxury Ball
2 Expert Belt
3 Broken Time-Space

Energy (6)

2 Warp Energy
2 Rescue Energy
2 Psychic Energy

That's the list I used at the ECC. Played against 5 LuxChomp 1 DialgaLuxChomp 3 Gyarados 1 Machamp 1 Scizor/Yanmega. Got donked twice in swiss and lost Top8 in Sudden Death against Steven. Most boring format I ever played.

 

[yoyofsho16]

I assume you also never factor in the possibility that LostGar will use Pitch-Dark T1, or start with Spiritomb, or drop a Mesprit? I also assume you always go second. What if they get a T1 Gengar Prime and discard a Karp?

And what? If you're going to discard all your Magikarps, that means you run Mew Prime as your attacker, which leaves you very vulnerable if Gengar can repeatedly LZ your Mew Primes. Vulnerable meaning you have no options left because everything is in the Lost Zone.

Have you played this matchup? a t1 lost zone on a Magikarp really isn't that common if you're doing what you should be (i.e. not Impersonating Pokemon Collector). If they start with Spiritomb AND Mesprit AND t1 Gengar, good for them.

 

[LoTad]

1 mew prime would be all you need. You will probably only use it in the lostgar matchup, and if you think that is your hardest one, it is well worth the card slot. Gdos decks often tech ditto when it is only useful in the mirror. Sp decks tech ambipom and dragonite when they are only usable against sp. If anything I would play the second psychic over the second mew, to avoid prizing. Also, it's usable with ditto against sf gar.

 

[Blue Wave]

Volt´s list is surprisingly close to mine, although I run Super Scoop Ups for Gyarados instead of those Turns and prefer to have a Communication in the deck as well (the lack of SSU:s was surprising, but looking closer understandable).

The SP matchup is intriguing, because running a list quite similar I still often fail to beat Luxchomp in the long run, most wins are occasional. Of course, I´m not a very skilled player (124th or so in Europe, go figure), but something always leaves me wondering what on earth went wrong - the lack of hand disruption, maybe?

I´m currently sitting here editing my list to fit my playstyle and purpose as well as possible.
LoTad´s idea of 1 Mew and 2 Psychic Energies really seems workable, because Mew seems quite frail in other matchups - though I may be completely wrong on this, at least against Luxchomp where your Gyarados is in a bit of trouble anyway.

One problem: it´s even more difficult for me to edit my Gyarados as good as possible now I have a full-good example on how to use Mew...
I´ll either do straight Gyarados with Special Darks or Gyarados with Mew, but really - the tournament day will probably show which is the best choice.

(Small note. Previously I ran 1 Warp Point and 1 Pokémon Reversal for those invaluable gusts. Might switch to 2 Warp Point, seeing as they are quite close to a guaranteed prize in most matchups and help you out more than tails on a Reversal.)

 

[Kayle]

I assume you also never factor in the possibility that LostGar will use Pitch-Dark T1, or start with Spiritomb, or drop a Mesprit? I also assume you always go second. What if they get a T1 Gengar Prime and discard a Karp?

Pretty sure T1 gar variants have been all but busted at this point...

 

[Volt]

I don't play flippy cards. They are unnecessary and I hate them with a passion.

 

[Blue Wave]

^Do those 3 Seeker really suffice for healing the Gyarados (and Mew, if Lostgar with Vileplume enters the field)?

I´ve always found I needed Super Scoop Ups, if nothing else then for reusing Azelf, Uxie, Mesprit, Combee and Regice - however I suppose replaced with sufficient consistency (as obviously done here) they could probably suffice.
Maybe my deck could do with cutting down on those Super Scoop Ups and replacing them with something interesting - after all I expect a lot of Vileplume.

This thread may be about how Gyarados beats Lostgar, but it´s of equal importance to ensure the Lostgar matchup doesn´t take too much deck space - therefore I might run a tech, probably Mew since I couldn´t get Mightyena to work properly, but reduced to a minimum (in this case 1 Mew and 2 Energy, because prizing the only Energy in my deck is definitely going to happen whenever I need it the most).

But then again, that´s just me - everyone´s playstyle is obviously different. Just popped into my mind that running that 1 Reversal may have been very luck reliant - and it´s another dead card if tails and if against Vileplume.
Notably I´ve tested more against Vileplume than Luxchomp, so I may be a bit paranoid.

Yes, Lostgar with Vileplume - just a straight Gyarados won´t do too much, I´ve only managed to win taking prizes and winning on time this far.
However, that does happen interestingly often.

 

[JohnnyBlaze]

Are you trying to tell me you never have an evolved Gyarados in play attacking? That you are only going to rely on 1 Mew Prime?

Am I missing something here? Because as long as you are attacking with an evolved Gyarados, LostGar only needs to place 3 damage counters on Gyarados then next turn Devolute and sending the Karp to the Lost Zone. There is no way that you are going to continuosly heal for only 30 damage.

 

[Kayle]

LostGar only needs to place 3 damage counters

*Five. Five damage counters bro. What's that? It takes two turns to do? Looks like I only have to Seeker half as much.

Unless we are continuing to assume Vileplume is in play, in which case, they won't be Belted.

But you also won't have Devoluter.

 

[Blue Wave]

^Problem: Seeker.

If Vileplume is in play, you will have to use Seeker.
The Vileplume player can, either by your or their (usually their for obvious reasons) Seeker, pick up Vileplume, attach Devoluter and ensure one Pokémon in your hand to Hurl into Darkness.

That´s a problem at least for me in the Lostgar matchup, since I´m yet to play a Lostgar without Vileplume.

 

[Infernape Master]

I have been thinking and I think that ethier diagla g x or an extra smergle would help what do you guys think?