OM NOM NOM
Article by: Anthony Quy
Title: OM NOM NOM
Date: May 9th, 2011
Latest set released: Black & White
Current Format: MD-On
Introduction:
Welcome to my First Article! I've been playing for about 2 years now and made Top 16 CA States '11(Masters). I became a Pokemon Professor in November '10 and have been trying to find ways to contribute to the Pokemon community.
History of the Deck:
With the rotations coming once every year we only have a limited time to use cards and combos before they are rotated out. A lot of players began with Tangrowth and this time it's back to eat EVERYTHING. I designed this deck mainly for fun, but I can see this deck being competitive as it can catch a lot of players off guard. I first started this "tank" deck with Torterra, but it lacked two things, Damage and Health. Tangrowth is a Stage 1 compared to Torterra's Stage 2, leaving more room for extra techs. Also, Swallow Up does more consistent damage then Torterra does.
The name of the game:
Tangrowth has a lot of potential if certain conditions are met. This deck aims to hit for 140 constantly without losing Tangrowth after being set up. Tangrowth's Swallow Up attack does 120 damage if Tangrowth has more HP then the defending Pokemon. With Reuniclus' Damage Swap ability and Shaymin LvX's Pokebody (+40 HP for your Pokemon), you can always ensure that your Swallow Up is hitting for 120.
The Cards:
Tangrowth
Tangrowth is your main attacker. You will be wanting to use Swallow Up to do as much damage as possible. Tangrowth LvX gives you a nice HP boost along with a Poke Power that might heal you 40 Damage.
With the current format, trainer cards are making decks WAY too fast. Spiritomb's body will shut down trainers. Not only that, Spiritomb's free attack Darkness Grace lets you evolve your Benched Pokemon from your deck!
Sunflora
A very nice Pokemon with a power that lets you search your deck for 1 :grass: Pokemon per turn. Since most of the deck runs grass, its almost anyone! You can use this power in combination with Pokemon communication for ANY Pokemon! Sunflora's power also searches out LvX (Grass) Pokemon.
Shaymin
Now, Celebration Shaymin is not needed and I prefer a higher HP Shaymin in case you have to start with it, and help reduces being donked. Shaymin LvX's PokeBody gives +40HP to all your :grass: Pokemon. Your Sunkern is now 80 HP! More importantly your Tangrowth X has 170!
Metapod
Metapod's PokeBody gives your :grass: Pokemon no weakness. This makes your deck stay alive against fire decks!
Uxie/Azelf/Unown Q
Three cards that will be missed with the upcoming rotation.
Uxie's PokePower, Set Up, lets you draw until you have 7 cards in your hand, which can be useful in many situations.
Azelf's PokePower, Time Walk, lets you look at your prizes with the option of choosing a Pokemon and replacing it with a card in your hand. It can help you get your LvX that is prized.
Unown Q gives free retreat with its PokePower, Quick, helping you retreat your Active Pokemon that was not Spiritomb. It also helps if you attach to Shaymin after a KO to level up and retreat.
Tangrowth is your main attacker. You will be wanting to use Swallow Up to do as much damage as possible. Tangrowth LvX gives you a nice HP boost along with a Poke Power that might heal you 40 Damage.
Reuniclus
Reuniclus' Ability lets you move damage counters as often as you like from one Pokemon to another. This ability really helps as you can manipulate damage to your will. This enables you to do things like taking off damage from Tangrowth or putting damage on a Benched Pokemon to knock it out, allowing you to use Twins if you are behind on prizes and/or freeing up bench space.
Serperior
Serperior's Ability "Royal Heal" lets you heal 10 damage from all your Pokemon in between turns. With Reuniclus, you can ensure 60 damage heal if you put 1 damage counter on all your Pokemon with Reuniclus' Ability. If you have two Serperiors, the healing does stack, so you can heal 2 counters per turn. Your damage will disappear if you keep consistently healing your side of the field.
Spirtomb
Reuniclus' Ability lets you move damage counters as often as you like from one Pokemon to another. This ability really helps as you can manipulate damage to your will. This enables you to do things like taking off damage from Tangrowth or putting damage on a Benched Pokemon to knock it out, allowing you to use Twins if you are behind on prizes and/or freeing up bench space.
Serperior
Serperior's Ability "Royal Heal" lets you heal 10 damage from all your Pokemon in between turns. With Reuniclus, you can ensure 60 damage heal if you put 1 damage counter on all your Pokemon with Reuniclus' Ability. If you have two Serperiors, the healing does stack, so you can heal 2 counters per turn. Your damage will disappear if you keep consistently healing your side of the field.
Spirtomb
With the current format, trainer cards are making decks WAY too fast. Spiritomb's body will shut down trainers. Not only that, Spiritomb's free attack Darkness Grace lets you evolve your Benched Pokemon from your deck!
Sunflora
A very nice Pokemon with a power that lets you search your deck for 1 :grass: Pokemon per turn. Since most of the deck runs grass, its almost anyone! You can use this power in combination with Pokemon communication for ANY Pokemon! Sunflora's power also searches out LvX (Grass) Pokemon.
Shaymin
Now, Celebration Shaymin is not needed and I prefer a higher HP Shaymin in case you have to start with it, and help reduces being donked. Shaymin LvX's PokeBody gives +40HP to all your :grass: Pokemon. Your Sunkern is now 80 HP! More importantly your Tangrowth X has 170!
Metapod
Metapod's PokeBody gives your :grass: Pokemon no weakness. This makes your deck stay alive against fire decks!
Uxie/Azelf/Unown Q
Three cards that will be missed with the upcoming rotation.
Uxie's PokePower, Set Up, lets you draw until you have 7 cards in your hand, which can be useful in many situations.
Azelf's PokePower, Time Walk, lets you look at your prizes with the option of choosing a Pokemon and replacing it with a card in your hand. It can help you get your LvX that is prized.
Unown Q gives free retreat with its PokePower, Quick, helping you retreat your Active Pokemon that was not Spiritomb. It also helps if you attach to Shaymin after a KO to level up and retreat.
Cyrus Conspiracy : Helps you look for a supporter and helps you get the grass energy easier.
Twins:Lets you look for any 2 cards in your deck if you have more prizes than your opponent, which will often happen because of Spiritomb, or your opponent starting to knock you out.
Palmer's Contribution: Helps put Pokemon that have been knocked out back into your deck. With Sunflora's PokePower Sunshine Grace, you can easily get back that Shaymin X that was knocked out.
Seeker: Helps free up bench space in the late game if you want to set up a second Serperior.
Pokemon Collector: An extremely useful card that lets you get basics out quick. With Sunflora you can just search for the evolutions.
Bebe's Search: A nice supporter that looks for any Pokemon with the condition of putting a card on top of your deck.
Pokemon Communication: A Trainer that has the same function as Bebe's Search, except you must put a Pokemon back.
(Bebe's and Pokemon Communication can be combo'd easily with Sunshine Grace by grabbing a :grass: Pokemon card you don't need to fulfill the requirement of both cards)
Switch: Helps you swap your active with your bench. Can be used to remove Special Conditions, used to put Shaymin active, Level Up, and retreat, or early game to retreat your starter that was not Spiritomb. Also helps move your Reuniclus if it was somehow active.
Black Belt: A very, very nice tech card. Even if you play against another tank deck, this card might gain you the upper hand. You can swallow up Big HP Pokemon like Gyarados with 150 with Expert Belt ensuring that 1 Hit KO as long as you have more HP and prizes (to use Black Belt).
Energy:
Grass: Is needed to attack with this deck
Double Colorless: Helps speed up attacks a tremendous deal
Rescue Energy: Will return a Pokemon and everything underneath to your hand when it is knocked out. Will help if your Reuniclus gets sniped!
Optional Tech:
Broken Time Space - Helps you put down and evolve your Pokemon if they have been sniped
Crobat G - Places extra damage so that you can 1 hit the Defending Pokemon. For example, Tangrowth X with Belt and Shaymin Body = 190. Zekrom with Snowpoint Temple and belt = 190. If you Flash Bite and use Black Belt, you can swallow up for 180 Damage.
This card is better than PlusPower because it helps you meet the requirement of having more HP to use Swallow Up. PlusPower only adds damage at the end of your attack.
Defender - Helps reduce damage to ensure that your Tangrowth never gets knocked out.
Vileplume - Stops both you and your opponents from using trainers. This could slow down a lot of your trainer heavy opponents but would slow down some of your nice trainers like switch as well.
Match Ups :
Tankgrowth vs Gyrados 60-40 (Favorable)
If you slow them down in the beginning with Spiritomb it will help. If you set up a Reuniclus and Serperior, it will be very hard for your opponent to 1 hit KO you. The water resistance on Tangrowth really helps, and if they don't run PokeBlowers they will be unable to knock out your Reuniclus. Most of the time, you can use Swallow Up for 140, and if they have attached Expert Belt you can use Black Belt.
Tankgrowth vs Vilegar 40-60 (Slightly Unfavorable)
Fainting Spell can really destroy your set up, at the same time your trainers/supporters will stack up in late game and Poltergeist might eventually 1 hit ko you. If you feel the need, put a Looker's Investigation into your deck to shuffle your own hand back into your deck, you may choose to draw only 1 card ;D.
Tankgrowth vs LuxChomp 50-50 (Even) *Depends on the player
Surprise factor will help you tremendously in this match up. You might try to "trick" the other player by setting up a Serperior first before your Tangrowth so they think you are just playing Serperior/Reuniclus. They might use an early Bright Look or their first Dragon Rush to hit your Serperior, but you have another line in your deck. Once you have a fully set up Tangrowth you will ALWAYS one hit KO their Pokemon. The skill of the game is to sort of have your opponent take less important prizes, diverting their attention from your true goal. The reason LuxChomp players might try to spend many resources for a Bright Look or Flash Impact, is because of your Spirtomb. If you start Spiritomb, notice that they do not play many cards from their hand (because LuxChomp runs many trainers). Spirtomb will slow them down tremendously, so make it your priority to have him active and evolving.
Tankgrowth vs Reshiram 60-40 (Favorable)
With Metapod, you survive this match up. Most of the time you will be swallowing up Reshirams unless they have Snowpoint Temple/Belt. (They still won't knock you out unless they have many PlusPower or Black Belt) Even if they do, they will not be able to 1 hit you, while you heal all the damage off yourself, and keep eating. It will get dangerous if your Meta has many Reshiram decks and if they run Pokemon Reversal. If your Metapod gets dragged out and KO'd then try to make sure you have a Rescue Energy on it before. Otherwise, to recover, use Palmer's Contribution to shuffle Caterpie and Metapod back in and use Sunshine Grace to get it back. All while hiding behind Spiritomb, of course.
Tankgrowth vs Chenlock 40-60 (Slightly Unfavorable)
If your opponent can take out your Metapod/Tangrowth before you are fully set up, it can really devastate. Blaziken FB X's Jet shoot can do 160. A belted Blaziken X can do 200 with weakness. A Belted and Shaymin'd Tangrowth can absorb the hit, only if you have the right Pokemon on your bench, otherwise Blaziken FB can use Luring Flame and other tactics to hit your tech Pokemon such as Reuniclus, who can't move damage counters. Or just Dragon Rush Metapod, and Jet Shoot afterwards.
Tankgrowth vs Tankgrowth 50/50 (Depends)
Very interesting since both players would need a 1 Hit-KO to win the stalemate. If neither players 1 Hit each other's Tangrowth, then all the damage will be healed off by both parties. You can ensure a 1 Hit-KO by falling behind on prizes, using Crobat G's Flash Bite to add one damage counter, so that your Tangrowth is at 190 and theirs is at 180, then Swallow Up with Expert belt for 140 along with Black Belt for a total of 180!.
Conclusion:
Thank you for reading! PokeGym has been the start of my Pokemon career and I wish to help better the community by contributing articles. I hope you might consider this deck for Battle Roads if you did not want to play mainstream decks. Again, thanks for reading!
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