The last tech of GG

[Dennis Hawk]

Helloes,

as US regionals passed by, I watched the rise and fall of some decks in the format. GG obviously stays on the top, due to it's huge techability and wide arsenal of strategies. Magmortar seemed to go down a bit, as there are water decks popping up. Skittles had it's flips right somewhere and seems to have proven itself, but the new thing called Arithmetic. Combining the weaknesses of both popular decks, using weak basics but hard-hitting fast evolutions, it proved itself as a fast and explosive deck, taking at least one Regionals to it's name. Banette seems to be around still, and as GG has been busy teching for Magmortar, Banette has had upper hand in the matchup. Well, until now.

A bit about myself: I'm usually rogue player, but I enjoy trying everything from Feebas d to Wailord. My tournament record is not that impressive, as I continued playing only last summer after a break of 5 or so years and I've been busy trying out the new stuff in tournaments with varying success in the meta dominated by GG (and Gyarados!). We have Battle Roads going at the moment, so I built this to try out in a BR, so that I can enjoy Nationals rogue style again...

Pokémon (21):
4 Ralts DF
2 Kirlia SW
2 Gallade SW
3 Gardevoir SW
1 Gardevoir Lv. X
2 Baltoy GE
2 Claydol GE
3 Pachirisu
1 Seedot DP
1 Shiftry DP

Trainers (24):
4 Celio's Network
1 Bebe's search
3 Roseanne's Research
2 Steven's Advice
3 Team Galactic's Wager
2 Night Maintenance
2 Warp Point
2 Moonlight Stadium
4 Rare Candy
1 Windstorm

Energy (15):
6 Psychic
2 Fighting
1 Cyclone
4 DRE
2 Scramble


Yes, it's one of the most standard GG builds, and you all know how it works, except for maybe 1 card. Shiftry DP is my tech of choice, because of it's capability of countering so many GG counters. Take Gyarados for example. Huge stage 1, with resistance to Gallade which would normally require you to flip 5 prizes with DRE only to KO one. And if you don't KO it, it'll hit you back with what you hit + 30. What's the weak spot? It's basic, Magikarp. You don't want to do damage to Gyarados, but you should have no problem taking out a Magikarp with 30 HP... Shiftry DP does just that. Flip, if heads, kill the karp, if tails... well, go bring down something.

Other thing is Banette. Doing fast damage to opponent and itself, it's often capable of forcing you to kill the 10 HP left energyless Banny, only to get a fresh one hitting you for 80. Well, for starters, 80 just became 60 with Shiftry. Next, with a flip, you get free KO from the energyless Banette by devolving it back to Shuppet, and it's still your turn! Just KO whatever they send forward, drawing 2 prizes per turn from Banette. If you want to attack with this thing, it OHKOs Banette with DRE+energy if there's Lake Boundary in play, and even if there isn't, it needs 1 heads from 2 coins, which equals 75%.

And if there ever happened to be Cresselia Lv. X around, just deal with it. It can do 20 damage with it's 2 prize attack, so as long as Shiftry is in even some condition, you can take a blow. You usually rely in Gardevoir to take it down, but Shiftry is good at taking a blow from it...

In other matchups, Shiftry still can make an impact. It's attack is half-decent, averaging 60 per 3 energy, which should give you edge against Dusknoir and Gardevoir, against which it only takes 30-40 damage depending on DRE. And if you have Moonlight Stadium in play, after you get Gardy X set up, you can begin the Fun. Teleport Shiftry as active, power, retreat to Gardy X, Bring Down. This should be enough to take down some big threats, and if the flip fails, try again next turn... Also, if you can imagine what it does with Gallade's Sonic Blade, it basically KO's any big pokémon (Magmortar Lv. X, Feraligatr, Gallade, Gardevoir Lv. X, any Rare Candy evolved Stage 2).

On the flip side (pun intented), the power only works 50% of the time. But some people are playing Walrein, that only works 25% of time and basically can have similar effect. Of course this power requires active position, but with Moonlight/Gardy X, it's not too hard to pull out.

And if you really have some thing you want to go away (like Gardy X in your opponent's bench, rare candied), just devolve it and Wager away.

Of all the techs I've tried in GG, this makes it pretty fun with the devastating flips of it's power. It can also compete against certain counter decks, namely Arithmetic, as every pokémon in the deck is pretty weak against this.

Try something underused in your GG too - the possibilities are unlimited...

[edwarpy]

Sounds like a great tech, I think you're on to something....
Def like the Banny match better. Almost makes you wanna 2-1-2 Shifty.

My Magius is hiding under the bed.

[Ra2xse]

Shiftry can only Devole from Bench, so Gyarados is still hard to kill. It's good against Banette but i'll say that Best Tech against Gyarados is almost regular LunaRock from GE, it's also good agaisnt Psychic Recistance...

[Ho Megas Alexandros]

I've played this.. It's cool. Flip heads and dreams come true. Finish off with a good ol' Rock Paper 60 No Powers. Nothing should ever beat this deck. Ever. Especially Bannette.

[Dennis Hawk]

Ra2xse: So it would seem. Time to increase Warp point count? Bring Down takes Magikarps pretty well...