The Concept
Typhlosion is both an energy accelerator and an energy denial card. Of the major features it carries, Typhlosion carries one attack, which minimizes its flexibility, but also carries a significant Poke-Power in energy acceleration. Two of the drawbacks of Typhlosion, however, is its mediocre (and many times hindering) retreat cost and its tendency to place a damage counter on your Pokemon. As such, we must keep in mind those issues when building Typhlosion.
Typhlosion, I would argue, works best as an energy supporter,
not an attacker. At least, from experience, that seems to be the case.
Typhlosion + Infernape 4
The idea of Infernape 4 and Typhlosion was originally conceived when Infernape 4 was released. Typhlosion Prime's release after the GE rotation, interestingly, solidified my willingness to work with the deck. It's role allows Infernape 4 to circumvent some of its limitations, and also exploit some as well.
Total Cards 60
The Overview
The thesis is simple: Infernape 4 Level. X is the main attacker with Typhlosion and Blissey as support, running a constant 100 damage for Fire Spin. The deck thereby aims and focuses on sustaining, maintaining and ensuring the constancy of such an attack. Because Infernape 4 runs 3 Energies (2 with an Energy Gain attached) to commit to Fire Spin, and then discards two, the focus then comes to a form of energy acceleration or an alternative attacker. Traditionally, the deck LuxApe focused on bench control and manipulation, with Infernape 4 playing the role of primary muscle. I believe, whole heartedly, that such a strategy is prudent and functionally sound, and thus must be devoted further.
The attack Fire Spin on Infernape 4 Level. X is the primary focus of the deck, and the aim of the deck is to tank Infernape 4 and ensure and maintain a constant wave of Fire Spin to OHKO any and all threats that may come along, despite enemy power, trainer, or body locks.
In other words, this deck will focus on creating an Infernape 4 tank that is quick, decisively destructive, and extremely versatile and manipulative. I will attempt to outline exactly how and why this is so, with a brief summary and explanation of the function of particular cards.
The Typhlosion Line
The Typhlosion line, as stated earlier, will focus on the energy acceleration of the deck. The function Typhlosion plays is primarily (and, should all things remain constant and all variables are fulfilled) and only supporter. Energy Acceleration through the use of afterburner is the main asset of the card, and this energy acceleration puts Typhlosion at the top of the list because of a few reasons.
Firstly, he is viable with this deck because it's thematically consistent: the same Pokemon type, despite the Gyarados metagame threat, allows you to run only one line of basic energy, heightening consistency into the topdeck and energy retrieval immensely.
Secondly, he has the ability to place an energy on any Pokemon, including the bench. Conservative players may choose to wall with a Pokemon before promoting an Infernape 4 to the front lines for an attack.
Thirdly, Typhlosion himself is not that poor of an attacker. While 70 for three energy is certainly something to scoff at (especially in a high damage, low attachment cost meta), the effect of energy denial is not. This is vital to discarding energy such as Rescue, Double Colourless and Special Metal Energies, all of which play significant roles in a variety of decks.
Fourthly, and lastly, Typhlosion's beefy HP, at 140, is significant enough to last against a plethora of enemy threats.
I have run the Typhlosion line at 2-2-2 because of its general flexibility: it is optimal to run a Typhlosion to maintain a consistent Fire Spin, but it is not completely the be-all and end-all should you do not have a Typhlosion to use in the first place. Running Typhlosion is still a turn and time costly endeavor, and as such proper consideration must be made when combating an opponent.
For the most part, you will likely be only relying on the ability of 2-3 afterburners in an intensely and sufficiently difficult game. Furthermore, its larger HP, regardless of Afterburner, puts it in the range of 'fairly difficult to OHKO', giving you time.
Infernape 4 Line
Infernape 4 is your main attacker, and its Level X acts as the primary muscle of the deck. As a Pokemon SP, Infernape 4 is extremely quickly and capable. It's ability to immediately be put into play and attack is a significant boost over other partners for Typhlosion. Infernape 4, as a basic at 90 HP, carries significant lasting qualities. While many players play Infernape 4 for the compatibility with Luxray GL, the card is just as capable with Typhlosion, for a myriad of reasons.
Firstly, Infernape 4 is - with Dialga G - one of the few tankable Pokemon SPs. Tanking Infernape 4, however, requires significant support. The purpose of this combination, as a result, is to support Infernape 4. It is for this reason that Snowpoint Temple and Energy Gain exist. At 110 HP, Infernape 4 carries 130 HP with an active Snowpoint. Should you choose to attach an Expert Belt, it puts the HP up to 150. At 150 for an SP Pokemon hitting for 120 in the most optimal situation, Infernape 4 is an extremely tankable opponent.
Secondly, Fire Spin allows you to attack for 100 for three energies (two with Energy Gain), and then discard these two energies. Afterburner cuts down the cost to 1 energy loss, and the attachment allows you to immediately follow constant Fire Spin with Fire Spin, ensuring a consistent 100 damage to an opponent.
Thirdly, the attack Split Bomb is a powerful spread move that lets you soften up an opponent before attacking with a myriad of Fire Spins or High Jump kicks. This spread ability lets you exploit weaker benches and circumvent enemy tanks.
Fourthly, Infernape 4's status as a Pokemon SP. This ensures that you cannot be exploited by Skuntank G's Poison to shut down your Intimidating Roar. Additionally, this allows you to take advantage of Poke-Turn. An infinitely handy tool, Poke-Turn allows you to consistently damage an opponent insofar as their damage output is too low. Likewise, it also allows you to take advantage of Energy Gain. This is crucial, since it allows a dual-strategy energy acceleration: should you get Power Sprayed, you may resort to the Energy Gain. Should you get trainer locked, you may rely on Afterburner. Both the Spray lock and the Trainer lock are separately viable metagame features, and therefore being prepared to counter both locks are crucial to competitive efficacy of the deck. There is only one competitive deck that may maintain both a trainer and power lock at the same time, and that is Dialga G. Dialga G's weakness, interestingly, is fire.
Fifthly, Intimidating Roar is an absurdly handy Power. If your opponent prefers tanking, as many players do, then Intimidating Roar circumvents that by having them switch. In Vilegar decks, this is crucial as it allows you to force them to switch between another Gengar and Vileplume. While this sounds ludicrous at first, a split bomb on two Gengars sustaining 100 damage from Fire Spin each means that you take two prize cards, regardless of Fainting Spell's activation, meaning that you have profited regardless. Likewise, Intimidating roar can spell sufficiently doom for players that prefer benching and building their benches behind a Pokemon that walls. With Intimidating Roar, you can exploit both free prizes and benched Luxrays and Garchomps before they become a threat, and considering the speed of Infernape 4, it is completely possible.
The Blissey Line
I have added a 1-1 Blissey Line for the obvious: Nurse Call. It allows you to discard a card to remove 2 damage counters from one of your Pokemon. Considering that Typhlosion accelerates and then places a damage counter, Nurse Call as a result allows you to remove damage. This is also crucial when considering that Infernape 4 Level. X is a SP Pokemon, and thereby traditionally has lower amounts of HP by default. Such a trade-off of HP for speed requires a support Pokemon that heals.
Blissey is chosen specifically because of its ability to discard and then heal. This allows you to discard a Fire Energy, and then remove two damage counters on Infernape 4 or Typhlosion. It's attack, return, is handy when you are incapable of drawing into the necessary cards, and it handy in locking down against a Regice Regi-Move Power.
The Starters
Of all the starters, Smeargle is the optimal one. It's Poke-Power, Portrait, gives the chance of possibly mimicking a Pokemon Collector (given the popularity of the card in the format), upon which that affords you the ability to search for a Cyndaquil, a Chansey, and an Infernape 4, or Uxie or Azelf, etc. Smeargle's 1 retreat cost, considering Afterburner, is completely tolerable due to the fact that the energy lost in retreating Smeargle becomes recycled through Afterburner regardless.
As such, there is no need to run an Unown Q, reducing the daunting risk of starting off with Unown Q. Of the worst starter, Chansey is the most problematic due to its high retreat cost and useless attacks. If you do start with a Chansey, then walling with a Blissey and stacking your bench is the best strategy unless your opponent deploys a Garchomp. At that stage, then, going on the offensive with Blissey is an arguably prudent idea.
Notable Cards and Omissions
The build, being somewhat unorthodox for a standard SP deck, focuses on a particular strategy: complete and consistent high damage output with tanking capacity. As such, this deck does not carry the micro-lock and micro-snipe facets of most SP decks. While it is unfortunate, the matter is that there is little to no room to fit in Power Spray or Garchomp consistently without compromising the efficacy of the deck. Likewise, techs like Luxray GL are welcome'd, but generally unneeded: Infernape 4, even against Gyarados, is capable of trading blows and taking prize cards due to the combination of Intimidating Roar and Fire Spin. Of the standard list, some of the most important questions and card insertions that must be answered are:
- Why no Rare Candy? The deck focuses on accelerating as fast as possible under the presumption that you are under the worst situation possible. Proper Deckbuilding must always consider the lowest common denominator of performance. As such, a benched Vileplume is more dangerous to the efficacy of the deck than an active Dialga G with constant Deafan muscle. Rare Candy is omitted for the more flexible and less easily locked Broken Time Space. As a Stadium, BTS carries significant advantages over Rare Candy in this situation as you must presume that your opponent will attempt to lock you, and considering the number of decks running Spiritomb, the chances are extremely high.
- Why no Power Spray? Two main reasons: Power Spray hinders your opponent, but does not stop them. Effectively aggressive decks will usually have multiple venues of attack, so Power Spray does little to stop the tide. Furthermore, the focus of this deck is to ensure the long life of a continuous 100. Secondly, the main threat - Gyarados - runs minimal Powers anyways. Power Spray's efficacy against Infernape 4's biggest threat, therefore, is poor, at best.
- Expert Belt? Expert Belt is used primarily for extra damage output. When you have a Typhlosion set up, you will rely less and less on Energy Gain to cut the difference of energy. As such, you may choose and opt for higher damage output. Considering Crobat G, you may be hitting from 40 to 130 consistently with an attached Expert Belt and Crobat G.
- Why two Snowpoints? Snowpoint is crucial to tanking Infernape 4, as SP pokemon have limited abilities to tank. Therefore, you must always assume, considering Murphy's Law and your opponent's competency, that you will be denied access to one of them at some time in the game. Snowpoints are also good counters to Gyarados decks that naturally benefit from constant Broken Time Spaces, and can be instrumental in lengthening the wellbeing of your Infernape 4s.
- Why the thin Supporter Line? Largely because of Cyrus. Cyrus' Conspiracy allows you to search, and therefore customize, your hand. Therefore, considering the flexibility of Cyrus' Conspiracy, you may only need 1-2 Supporters the entire time. A single Pokemon Collector may last you the entire gain if you play carefully and wisely, and as such, I have minimized the supporter line. Ultimately, remember that this is a speed deck, and given the constraints of 1 Supporter-Per-Turn, you do not want to rely too much on a thick supporter line.
- Why Three Call Energy? At first I was uneasy about the idea, until after about twenty draws in Redshark revealed that 4 Call Energy compared to 3 Call Energy was not that big of an issue. The number of times I received Call Energy when in threes was only one time less than four, and one extra draw was not a sufficient argument to convince me to take up an entirely slot in an already thin and extremely tight list.
- No Palmer's or Flower Shop Lady? Why Aaron's? You will be recycling Energy, so the priority is getting Pokemon back into your deck. As stated earlier, Typhlosion is not needed for the deck to function, but simply a supporter to maintain the Fire Spin engine. As such, you wish to get back Infernape 4's. Under a trainer lock, Premier Ball becomes useless. With Aaron's, you have the ability to bring back Infernape 4 and Infernape 4 Level. X back into your hand to augment the expedience of your recovery.
- I noticed that Combee... As I stated earlier, presume the worst. I would rather risk setting down a Combee and have it sniped than have no other way to retrieve a lost Cyndaquil or Infernape 4.
- What is the main purpose of Seeker? Quite important, actually. Though, you will likely only need to use it once, if at all. The strategy is simple: Afterburner, and then afterwards use Seeker. Afterburner again. You have, if consistently discarding, recycled two Energy back onto your Infernape 4 for the cost of one. Add the attachment and an Energy Gain, and you can be nearly guaranteed two Fire Spins. Likewise, Seeker may be handy in benching opponents with small lines (2 Pokemon in play, for example, due to poor luck in draws), or using Blissey's Nurse Call twice in a row, healing your Infernape 4 or Typhlosion by 40.
Ultimately, the deck focuses on being able to control your hand, and predict accurately what you will be receiving and how to flexibly counter your opponent. It's high-damage output and tankable ability are crucial to the wellbeing of the deck, and the flexibility, low retreat costs and speed of setup are vital in ensuring it has a lasting chance against a fearsome metagame.
Remember, however, this is not to be taken as a top tier deck, and if I have insinuated or inferred that, then I apologise. However, the deck itself, through playthrough, has proven to be fun and fearsome at the same time, and should be considered if you have the time and patience.
Considering Infernape 4's diminished value after LuxChomp became the dominant deck, it should not be too costly to get your hands on it.
FEEDBACK:
You have absolutely NO answer for water opponents, but the deck is well explained and interesting. The supporter/trainer line is interesting in a build that has a Stage 2 poke to bench.
I don't see how you'd get the Typhlosion down fast enough with that decklist. I see infernape coming out without a prob, but the Typhlosion line doesn't have much encouragement to surface. I don't know. I guess I'd need to meet up with you on RedShark and see this build actually work to become a believer. ( jjkkl = 3 Guru Points )
EDIT: ReRead this thing and kicked up the points. Very well done man. RA
. Cyrus's Conspiracy grabs an invention, energy and a supporter to help set up. Bebe's Search and SP radar help search for Pokemon. Palmer's is for Pokemon recovery, and Poke Turn is to pick up damaged Charizard or as a part of the Crobat+Typlosion combination above.
