Can someone explain Gyrados to me?

[Nobodys]

I hear a lot of love for Gyrados (and hate for Gengar). So... how does Gyrados work? Why is it so good? (or bad, if you think it's bad...) What kinda techs does it use... matchups... etc...

[nnaann]

It uses Sableye as a starter Pokemon, and Felicity's Drawing with Registeel/Regice to discard 3 Magikarp hopefully by Turn 3. Then gyarados hits 90 with it's first attack. Once KO'd, a Pokemon with free retreat such as Crobat G is sent out. Drop a Pokemon Rescue to get a Magikarp back, evolve to BTS with Gyarados and repeat. Thats the general stratergy- techs are up to you. Alot use SSU, so a damaged Gyarados can be pickep up, Cribat G sent out then it can be put back down with no damage and sent back out. Crobat G, 4 Poketurn and Bucks help it to score some 1HKO's.

[Nobodys]

tbh on paper that sounds a little slow and clunky... but then again I have to admit when I saw Claydol's power I didn't understand what the hype was about... until I played it lol.

[nnaann]

Originally Posted by Nobodys

tbh on paper that sounds a little slow and clunky... but then again I have to admit when I saw Claydol's power I didn't understand what the hype was about... until I played it lol.

It seems clunkly, but using Sableye to use an extra supporter per turn really helps out. Once it's set up, its really not clunkly since it doesn't need any energy to attack and you only need to stack up on Pokemon Rescue.

[Deoxys Cool Form]

It's one of the best decks at the moment. It seems very clunky but once played you have had alot of fun and it is far from clunky. It plays a 1-1 Claydol in it. I reccomend you try Fabiens list then do your own changes. Personally I think now it needs 1 Unown G.

[FlamingJapaneseMan]

Gyarados tends to get behind in prizes as it sets up, but it makes up for it with doing 60-90 damage a turn for free. It uses Lux GL lv.X to drag up a weak pokemon. And as previously mentioned, it uses Sableye as a starter to set up and uses Regice/Registeel and Felicity's and Blissey to drop Magikarp.

[V1c10u5]

The theory behind Gyarados is that it requires no energy to do 90 damage (more with pluspower, crobat,and expert belt)
You start off using felicities and regice to get 3 magikarp in the discard, which should usually be done by T2/3. After that you attack with a 130 HP beast. Trading prizes however works in Gyarados's favor. With TSD and pokemon rescue Gyarados can have another gyarados attacking next turn. Not to mention SSU prize denial. When you KO your opponents pokemon they lose energy attachments, but when they KO you you lose none. The only pirize they should get at the beginning is the sableye kill, but then you maintain a constant tempo of 90+ each turn. The main things that really hurt gyarados are spiritomb, Absol G X (believe it or not, when they darkness send your pokemon rescues/night maintenances/TSD's it becomes troublesome) Dusknoir SF (night spin) and Mr/ Mime. Gyarados wins many games due to its ability to maintain a constant tempo during gameplay with a constant output of high damage and is well worth the setup required. Some people Like to tech in Luxray GL X, and i toyed around with manectric PL for when your gyarados die, but I have discovered that when I play Gyarados without techs it plays more consistently.....
Hope I helped :)

[Nobodys]

Where's Fabien's list?

Okay, I see the big draw now what with expert belt and plus powers. Luxray GL tech couldn't hurt either. Main thing seems to be that you can basically run a deck with little to no energy... esp. since you have to power up stuff, even SPs, with energy whereas Gyrados doesn't need it... so I'm curious as to what usually fits in the rest of the deck. Sounds like a fun deck to play, and I always liked Gyrados / Magikarp from Generation 1... totally useless pokemon evolves into total beast lol.

[Kayle]

I remember seeing someone run a Gyarados deck at our backwash BRs, it was the first time I had seen it...

The rest of the deck is stuff like SSU, Crobat, Poke-Turn, pluspowers, and then TSD, night maintenance, Pokemon Rescue, for recovery. Yeah.

[Nobodys]

TSD = Waaaay too expensive for me lol. And I'm not buying MT packs.... the rest of the MT stuff generally sucks.

[V1c10u5]

TSD isn't very needed, Pokemon rescue is fine.

[Cyrus]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tp_3J...layer_embedded

[Nobodys]

Thanks Cyrus best info on Gyrados evar shiftone

[konopacz]

Originally Posted by DEOXEYS cool form 7777777

It's one of the best decks at the moment. It seems very clunky but once played you have had alot of fun and it is far from clunky. It plays a 1-1 Claydol in it. I reccomend you try Fabiens list then do your own changes. Personally I think now it needs 1 Unown G.

What was Fabien's list?

[Deoxys Cool Form]

Originally Posted by konopacz

What was Fabien's list?

Ummm hehe this is off my head. Don't shoot me down if I get a card wrong...


Pokemon: 20

4-4 Gyarados
1 Azelf
1 Uxie
1-1 Claydol
1 Toxicroak G Promo
3 Sabeleye
1 Pachirizu
1 Registeel
2 Crobat G

Energy: 7

4 Call
2 Psychic
1 Dark

Trainers: 33

3 Bebe's
2 Luxury Ball
4 Roseanne's
3 Facility's
2 Bucks
1 Cynthia's
4 Poketurn
4 SSU
4 Pokemon Rescue
1 NM

5 Room left. Maybe Warp/Switch and and BTS?

JMO but I'd like 1 Unown G in there.

[punyhuman07]

here is the list pretty good but there are many ways you can mae it better
Pokémon : (20)
4 Magikarp SF
4 Gyarados SF
3 Sableye SF
1 Pachirisu GE
1 Toxicroak G Promo
1 Registeel LA
1 Baltoy GE
1 Claydol GE
1 Uxie LA
1 Azelf LA
2 Crobat G

Trainers : (33)
4 Roseanne’s Research
4 Felicity’s Drawing
3 Bebe’s Search
2 Buck’ Training
1 Cynthia’s Feeling

4 Pokémon Rescue
1 Night Maintenance
4 Super Scoop Up
4 Poké-Turn
2 Luxury Ball
1 Switch

3 Broken Time Space

Energies : (7)
4 Call Energy
2 Psychic Energy
1 Darkness Energy (basic)

[primetime34]

My son has Gyarados SF and would like to build his deck around it. He also has like 5 Magikarp. I see the cards necessary to make this strategy work, but I'd like to see how it would work in practice. Some of the posts have kind of explained it, but I have no idea of some of the lingo. Would some kind soul be willing to explain, without using acronyms or assumed knowledge (which I don't have) how they would use the card list in the post above mine to do a battle? Thanks.

[dave628]

Ideally you want to start with Sableeye SF. Use Sableeye's first attack, Impersonate, to search for supporter card(either roseanne's research or less likely felicity's drawing). Goal of the deck is to discard 3 magikarps via felicity's drawing and either Regice LA's Pokepower(Regi move) or Registeel LA's Pokepower(Regi Heal) or Lunatone's GE's Pokepower.
Use Gyarados SF's first attack only.
Whenever Gyarados is knocked out, use pokemon rescue to retrieve a Magikarp from discard pile; occasionally you may use pokemon rescue to retrieve a Gyarados(most likely because you start attacking with Gyarados after only 2 magikarps are discarded). Hopefully a stadium card, Broken Time Space, is in play. Its effect allow you to "break" the normal evolution rule; ie: you can evolve from Basic to Stage 1 or Basic to Stage 1 to Stage 2 all on the same turn.
Some Gyarados deck play Super Scoop Up to hopefully scoop Gyarados and Magikarp back into your hand, removing all damage counter(s) from Gyarados. Then, if Broken Time Space is in play, then use it to put Gyarados back into play.

This is a very basic Gyarados strategy.

[nekrogoblikonical]

Gyarados? It takes no energy for 90 damage, assuming you Felicities/Regice power three Magikarps into your discard.