What to use as filler in new format?

[JohnnyBlaze]

Ok I must be honest that I have been having some degree of difficulty in building decks in this new format. My way of building decks has been slowed down due to not only the limited amount of trainers but also the lack of babies. The other day I finally organized all of our Pokemon stash and "filed away" all cards from the original Base Set up to Expedition. I did keep cards that have been reprinted and allowed in the new format ie: Pokeball. I went from 3 Plastic Card Cases that hold approx. 600 cards a piece to 1 full container of the newer sets.

My main problem is that in the past I tended to run 5-6 babies per deck. Usually the main ones 3 Cleffa and 3 Rogue or a Pichu here and there and Elekid based on the specific deck. Now with those Babies gone I have found it difficult to splash in non-baby types as the majority of new babies all require speicifc type of energy. Therefore without using Multi or Rainbow energy if I want to use the new Wynaut which IMHO is the best baby out there I have to run Psychic energies.

Also I have found this format easier to run at least 2 colors now in a deck. With the exception of Psychic. I think Psychic is now the easiest color to use. It has Mewtwo-Ex, Gardevoir, Gardevoir-Ex, Wynaut, and Wobbuffet. I see Psychic as the easiest deck to make and play right now as a solo type. Otherwise I have been making Fire/Lightning/Colorless or Grass/Water, etc. to cover each decks weakness. Now say for example I am running Grass and Water. I will have at least 8 basics. Say 4 Treecko and 4 Wailmer. In the past I would then use 4 babies to up my count to 12 basics. Now I see either using colorless or am forcing myself to use Ex Pokes of the similar deck type that I am running.

Any suggestions?

[dkates]

Not much to suggest. 3 Evolution lines is almost always a bad idea, so you will need support Basics. Unfortunately, especially with the Best Promos gone, all the good support Basics are Pokemon-ex. Psychic is looking like the best type for a mono-colored deck, but the good news is that often, each type has fairly good synergy with the type that covers its weakness. Fire and Lightning, for example.

[EDIT] Not all the good support Basics are Pokemon-ex. Sandstorm gave us a few choices of good, non-ex Basics that can be used as good fillers. Dunsparce, for example. [If anyone had told me a couple of weeks ago that I would ever say that, I'd have laughed at them.]Also, many of the Babies look good, and the Electabuzz looks promising. In addition, there's Kecleon, Onix (even without Steelix), Solrock, Lunatone, Volbeat, Wobbuffet, and Zangoose. I guess I overlooked them because I don't have Sandstorm cards yet. Soon, though :)

[Pablo]

yep. solrock and lunatone are for me, the best supporting basics out there, they have good hp, have splashable attacks, and give you draw power. Dunsparce is also really good for decks like swampert or blaziken that need many torchic's/mudkip's ready to evolve on the bench.

[SteveP]

Yup, I'm finding that you need less trainers in the E-on format. Plus, the "splashable" basic pokemon are harder to find with those Neo babies gone. Here's what I've found while trying to build E-on decks.

1. I'm averaging about 18-22 trainers (down from 22-26 for old Modified).

2. Basic "splash" pokemon are no longer universal. It really depends on your deck type/color. Dunspare ain't bad, but I prefer Lanette and/or Fan Club. With the sheer power of some of the new Pokemon, low HP basics are easy targets. Also, I'm finding that EX Pokemon usually only give you two prizes before getting KO'd (due to lack of massive healing trainers), so there's no real advantage to using them right now other than a filler.

So, I know prefer to build decks that inflect status effects as well as massive damage. Without Babies, Focus Band, and massive healing, the only way to slow down your opponent is with status effects. JMO.

[BJJ763]

Some people are "splashing" in Marill - the one with the Free Retreat so that if you need to replace your Active, you use Marill and can Retreat without wasting an energy. Not used for attacking, just a placement holder for your Active.

[JohnnyBlaze]

Maybe with the new ruling on the "Fossil Trainers" it would be wise to splash some Root and Claw Fossils to stall for a couple of turns as what happened with the old babies.

[Pidgeotto Trainer]

I too think the Fossils will be the new fillers. They are a stall but thankfully a non-flippy stall. Much more fair than the babies.

[SlimeyGrimey]

Originally Posted by SteveP

Yup, I'm finding that you need less trainers in the E-on format.

1. I'm averaging about 18-22 trainers (down from 22-26 for old Modified).

Really? I've found myself using many, many trainers.

I tend to be using something like 4-10 basics, 13-18 energy(depending on the deck), and the rest are trainers.(and evolutions)

I am currently using a deck that runs 9 total Pokemon cards(6 basics), 13 energy, and 38 trainer cards, it has lost only one battle and is the best deck I have ever built of this format and I have been testing eon without best promos since early september. The more complicated the deck is(pokemon-wise), the less room you have for trainers. However, I have only ever got as low as 22.

[bullados]

As fillers, I've been using a 2-2 Linoone line and (in extreme cases) 2-3 Zangoose. Linoone is good just for the searching ability (takes the place of CPU, even at the expense of a prize). Zangoose is immensely powerful if you can get those three energy onto him, as most of the superpowers of Modified are evolutions (aside from M2X)

[SteveP]

JohnnyB, yah, the Fossil trainer filler idea seems to be a decent stall/delay ability. Plus, it's sometimes helpful in overcoming the retreat-once limit.

38 trainers SlimeyG for E-on? Are any of those Fossils or attack TMs? If so, I can understand that many; otherwise, you've found something I've not found possible (or playable) in E-on.

[SlimeyGrimey]

:D No, none of them are TM's or fossils, but I do play a lot of stuff that sorta replaces energy and Pokemon (like energy search) to help thin my deck a little. I was kinda leery about it at first too, but with the lack of free retreaters this makes it a lot easier to get what you want fast enough.

[Am Pm]

just make sure your deck is balanced well between pokemon, trainers, and energies and you will do fine

[HYPER EEVEE]

Try azurril then get on the bench with marril's help and have marril so you can use switch to heal your pokemon of special conditions early in your game and try one dunsparce in all your decks. Try the new fan tastic Oracle Dellcatty combo