Pokémon TCG: Sword and Shield—Brilliant Stars

Riding the Elephant

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KingGengar

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Why drive a TRUK when you can saunter in with a pachyderm?

You can also say this is "Riding the Dragon" but don't read too much into that.

2 magikarp
2 gyarados

4 phanpy sw
4 donphan sw

-- 12

3 great ball
2 hamana's
4 celio's

2 windstorm

2 oak's visit or island hermit (I like both)
2 steven's or prof. birch (I like both)
1 copycat
1 tgw
1 oak's research

4 castaway
4 memory berry

2 switch
2 warp point

1 ssu

2 night maintenance

-- 33

3 water
6 fighting
2 multi
2 dre
2 scramble

-- 15

STRATEGY: Set up the elephant as soon as possible for the disruptive 40+Rapid Spin. This causes chaos for Blissey, but also Electrode, Electivire, and Raichu, since Donphan is resistant to Lightning. This Resistance to Lightning also covers Gyarados' Weakness.

Once set up, you can use Donphan's 100hp, Phanpy's Rage, and Memory Berry to good effect. This goes well with Gyarados, which does the same thing, only without the Berry. You run 3 Windstorm to help Gyarados, but Memory Berry can work for the Dragon also.

Switch and Warp Point are both in line with Donphan's disorientation, and Gyarados' huge retreat cost. The single SSU can be used to scoop up that hurting Gyarados, but you might just as easily add another Night Maintenance.

The different Energies won't matter if using only Rage attacks, or Donphan mostly, but it'll be good to have Water in case you try to build Gyarados, or use Dragon Rage. Scramble will probably be necessary since damage is a big part of the plan. In fact, it may be preferable to have 4 Scramble. I'm not sure yet.

The big risk is the Magikarp, but there are 9 ways to get a 2nd Pokemon on T2, not including 7 more Draw/Rotate.

Ideas or comments?
 
Donphan I understand ... Gyarados going with him, not so much. Seriously what does Gyarados add to this besides complecating your energy, making you power dependant, and giving you terrible starts?

Edit: Sorry for the negative sounding tone. Came out a lot worse than intended. What do you do if damage doesn't get spread for rage?
 
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There isn't much synergy between the cards, and what makes Donphan almost playable is that it uses Rapid Spin and avoids damage. The idea of trying to use Memory Berry and Flail doesn't make much sense with its attack. I can't see you having a T2 Donphan as consistently as you should as opposed to if you included some Quick Ball in the list.
 
i like plaing it with gyarados becuase after rapid spin you bring up gyarados to take the hit then use flail.
but i dont like the memory berry with the donphan. (like mattalvis said)
 
Good points, all.

First, you gotta understand how much I love Gyarados as a Pokemon, and want to play the MT version "just because." That said, it's such a fragile situation, with Magikarp being, self-admittedly, the weakest Pokemon; with Gyarados dependant on Poke-Powers; with its far-fetched attacks.

Second, since Gyarados is weak to Lightning, Donphan is one of the few choices which makes sense for Gyarados as a partner, being resistant to Lightning, and being Fighting type, which is Lightning's main problem. Master of Puppets hits the nail on the head - Rapid Spin, Gyarados comes up, gets damaged, hits for big damage.

Right, so I see what you're saying, that you don't think Donphan will be able to use the Memory Berry consistently. I see where it would make sense to play Buffer instead to help the fragile Magikarp from being KO'd early.

What do they add to each other? Besides the similar Rage attacks, and the Weakness coverage, not a whole lot. Gyarados can use *any* energy for Magikarp's attack, however, so Fighting doesn't bother it too much.

I'll have to test it more and see what happens.
 
It really is too bad that the Carp doesn't have Fighting Resistance -10, since Gyrados has -20. That would at least force the use of a Plus Power or something for the first turn Riolu KO.
 
T2 Donphan is a good idea because? You hit for 40 and send both basics back to the bench. Unless you team it up with like something that can free retreat or attack for 1 energy, you won't be doing much next turn because Donphan is on the bench.
 
KingGengar.. nice idea... look at this card for your target at Rapid spin.. you don't switch and if they have CC on an Active and not a Bench, the Body Kicks in after the CC is benched and before you switch.
 
Yeah, the new cards are really cool. That Wormadam is interesting, and so are its mechanics.

Magikarp start 1 in 8 is good with me :)
 
I still don't get the idea behind the deck. If you Rapid Spin back to the bench T2, how do you do anything of any good damage on T3 with your only powered Pokemon on the bench?
 
It helps with what Prime is talking about... you can use the Burmy to get back the F nrg from Mentor/TVR evo up to Wormadam and then Target the Worm with the Spin! You dont switch but your opponent does so you can stack damage on their bench and stack nrg on the Worm then Memory Berry the Phan for Flail.... then bring out the Dma and drop a scramble and go to town while building another Phan! A lot of phun and irritating!! Just what I like!
 
I can't say I really LIKE the idea of this deck, but it definitely is an interesting take on Donphan. I don't like the idea of Gyarados simply because you're relying on your opponent to damage it for you to do any damage, and with a nasty retreat cost, the only real way to get it back to the bench is with a trainer card... only to bring it back up with another Rapid Spin. Is that a little counter-intuitive or is it just me?
 
Would that really work? I think someone might want to ask that in Ask the Masters.
 
BLACK MAMBA: Yeah, I suppose it is counter-intuitive. But I'm looking at it this way: if opponent snipes my Donphan, I can use the Memory Berry (if the damage is better than the attack), and if opponent hits Gyarados, I can dish out mega-damage for one energy.

It's possible you could pair Donphan with Sharpedo. Then, if opponent hits Donphan, piles up for Memory Berry, or if opponent hits Sharpedo, Rough Skin. Then, free retreat, do it again. Not super-powerful, but super-annoying.

MECHES: Neat idea about the Wormadan!
 
Maybe run fossils with the deck, so you can just discard them if they aren't KO'd? Eh, I don't know.
 
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