Ideal Basic to Start

[ChaosJim]

This is a general strategy consideration, and I'm curious how everyone thinks it applies to their favorite deck(s), especially in the modified format.

For many players, they have a basic they know they want to draw and start with as their first turn active pokemon. This was true in unlimited in the beginning, but as free retreat cost pokemon became popular (for good strategy reasons) this died out, and having the RIGHT basic RIGHT away was not all-important. Dunsparce now has changed that in a large way. Many decks depended on a few different basics to start off effectively, thus making them depend on Dunsparce or Wynaut even for the best possible start. In certain decks Dunsparce is only acting as an extra copy(ies) of the ideal basic, with the penalty of losing an attack to the basis of gaining a guarantee to get the right basic. Assuming one random benched pokemon, my question is how many ideal starters does the deck have? How does this effect your matches?

Example: For most Blaziken decks running 12 basics and 4 Dunsparce, it would be 4/12 as their number of ideal starters (4 ideal starters out of a possible 12 starters).

This seems important, I thought of it, and if anyone knows how to abuse it chime in please.

 

[Professor_Chris]

Well, if you go first and your opponent starts out with one non-dunsparce basic (or gets energy screwed)...Rex is a pretty nice start ^_~

 

[Coryace]

The more versatile decks are going to have a differing start strategy against various things. We've come up against this in taking about Salamence, but I think Swampert is the best example. Against some decks you'll want Suicune ex out early and using Energy Flips, while others demand a fast Wob or Swampert ex. Dunsparce allows you to see your opponent's start and then choose what to pull. You've explained a similar concept to me with Dunsparce in Blaziken- it forces you to pick Bex or Rex early game.

On a related topic, how often do you take advantage of Dunsparce's switch clause in Strike and Run? Clearly the advantage is you don't have to discard and retreat it next turn, and you can then use it later without an energy drop, but lately, especially with Sceptile lists, I've found myself not switching. The advantage is twofold. It allows me to see one more turn of my opponent's start before commiting to a strategy and protects the basic I'd be switching for. You don't really care if Dunsparce gets taken out, and by leaving it there you gain the choice between trying to disrupt their set up with Sudden Flash or retreating and doing something else. Your opponent can't make decisions about what to go for as well since you deny them information for another turn. The only time the switch is really useful is when there's only one thing you can do, in which case you might as well save the energy.

Just something I've been thinking about.

 

[Physics Squirrel]

in WalREIGN, since it runs 7 Starters, a mix between Sparce, Corsola, Igglybuff, and Azuril and the only other basics are 2 Feebas and 2 Squirtle, the ratio is awesome. 7/11. You're basically garunteed a good start.

[EDIT: Shouldn't this go to the Single Card Ruling section, since it isn't a particular deck?]

 

[AXE]

Well in a sceptile deck deck a good start is either dusparce or grimer it really doesnt matter as long you can get up a second turn Muk Ex.
DAve III

 

[dkates]

For Modified, as I understand it, the most popular starters are Dunsparce and Wynaut. In Grass or mostly-Grass decks, Wurmple is also extremely useful as a starter. I also understand that some of the cards in the upcoming Hidden Legends set will be very useful as starters. I personally have not spent the time looking at set spoilers to see what those cards would be, but I do recall one of them being a Castform. (If anyone could PM me a link to a Hidden Legends set spoiler, it'd be appreciated.)
A couple of deck types actually use the various Fossils as their starters -- in fact, thanks to the ruling that a Mysterious/Claw/Root Fossil can be used as a starting Basic, some decks can use only Fossils as Basics and still be fairly viable. They'd still be intensely rogue, but since each of the Fossil lines has a pretty decent card for its fully-evolved Pokémon, one could focus the deck on any one or two of those lines and just tech in the Stage 1's of the others if needed. Also, such a deck could tech in Stage 1's or 2's from TMvTA and use Maxie/Archie to put them in play. But, I digress.
There are other currently available starters that are less popular, but may pop up from time to time or be worth considering. One is anything with the Collect attack. (C) to draw a card is decently useful as a starting move. Also, some of the Mystery Plates (mainly Beta and Gamma) can be useful for starters, though I've yet to see a good deck use them. I can't say I'm surprised, but I do think it might be helpful to look into them. Perhaps Fossil-only decks could splash a couple of these. Also helpful are Pokémon with 1-Energy attacks that put extra Energy into play.
For Unlimited, the best starters are the Neo babies. Cleffa is best, followed closely by Tyrogue. Elekid and Pichu are also decent as starters, but not as good as Cleffa and Tyrogue. Promo Igglybuff is also good if the deck is on the slower side. Also, any of the Haymaker Pokémon (Hitmonchan, Electabuzz, etc.) can be good as starters. There are also a number of Pokémon in Unlimited with attacks that use one Energy to do 20 damage, which can be useful as starters. Too bad most of those have such low HP and bad evolutions.