Dennis Hawk
New Member
Hello all,
Let me present you the comeback deck I used in Finnish nationals, ending second after losing to GG in finals.
Deck name: Amphyleon
Format: HP-GE
Pokémon (21):
3 Piplup DP
2 Prinplup DP
3 Empoleon DP
1 Empoleon Lv.X DP
2 Mareep SW
1 Flaaffy SW
2 Ampharos SW
2 Baltoy GE
2 Claydol GE
2 Pachirisu GE
1 Stantler SW
Trainers (22):
2 Celio's Network
2 Bebe's Search
3 Roseanne's Research
3 Steven's Advice
2 Team Galactic's Wager
1 Lake Boundary
2 Warp Point
4 Rare Candy
2 Night Maintenance
1 Windstorm
Energy (17):
5 Water
4 Electric
2 Holon WP
1 Multi
3 Scramble
2 DRE
Strategy:
This is a deck designed for superior spreading and late-game knockouts. If you happen to start with Pachi, just look for Mareep, Piplup and Baltoy and try to go with T2 Prinplup or T3 Empoleon. Getting up Ampharos soon is fairly important to spread damage with early supporter usage, but I'd concentrate getting a solid spreader in the front, which is Prinplup or Empoleon. If you start with anything else, just attack cheap and set up the bench meanwhile.
The beauty is that this can compete with top decks of the format. Gallade spells problems to this deck, but Gardevoir is easy to handle, as this deck uses just a few powers, and Psychic Locking Empo is 3HKO vs. 2HKO or superior sniping to bench. You usually have enough damage spread so that after Gallade has flipped the prizes, Gardy X Brings down it's own pokémon and Gardy itself does just a little damage (and does not shut down anything too crucial). I have had decent matches against Magmortar with this, but the matchup is definitely this deck's favor. MagKiss has both weaknesses, with Empo you don't have to let Magmortar abuse Scrambles to win, as you will want to be behind and knock out their supports. I usually snipe Maggy with Ice Blade for 40 even if it heals if back, so that it's in the KO range if it ever comes forward with hundreds of energy. Mag Lv. X is OHKO anyway.
Against any other deck - well, any other deck uses Claydol. That's where Empoleon Lv. X steps in. Wager, Supreme command, snipe 80 to Claydol knocking it out, and your opponent either has to use supporters and damage all other pokémon or get stuck.
Ampharos takes care of Mirror, Togekiss and amplifies the spreading even more with it's attack, let alone it's body. Weakness to Gallade is nothing really big - Gallade flips 3 prizes with DRE to OHKO or 2HKOs, just like Ampharos does the magic 70 to 2HKO Gallade.
Above all, this deck is a blast to play and a little bit of a fresh air to the GG/Mag dominated format (we didn't have MD in our nats, sadly). I'll definitely want to test this with MD Empoleon too once it comes out here.
Let me present you the comeback deck I used in Finnish nationals, ending second after losing to GG in finals.
Deck name: Amphyleon
Format: HP-GE
Pokémon (21):
3 Piplup DP
2 Prinplup DP
3 Empoleon DP
1 Empoleon Lv.X DP
2 Mareep SW
1 Flaaffy SW
2 Ampharos SW
2 Baltoy GE
2 Claydol GE
2 Pachirisu GE
1 Stantler SW
Trainers (22):
2 Celio's Network
2 Bebe's Search
3 Roseanne's Research
3 Steven's Advice
2 Team Galactic's Wager
1 Lake Boundary
2 Warp Point
4 Rare Candy
2 Night Maintenance
1 Windstorm
Energy (17):
5 Water
4 Electric
2 Holon WP
1 Multi
3 Scramble
2 DRE
Strategy:
This is a deck designed for superior spreading and late-game knockouts. If you happen to start with Pachi, just look for Mareep, Piplup and Baltoy and try to go with T2 Prinplup or T3 Empoleon. Getting up Ampharos soon is fairly important to spread damage with early supporter usage, but I'd concentrate getting a solid spreader in the front, which is Prinplup or Empoleon. If you start with anything else, just attack cheap and set up the bench meanwhile.
The beauty is that this can compete with top decks of the format. Gallade spells problems to this deck, but Gardevoir is easy to handle, as this deck uses just a few powers, and Psychic Locking Empo is 3HKO vs. 2HKO or superior sniping to bench. You usually have enough damage spread so that after Gallade has flipped the prizes, Gardy X Brings down it's own pokémon and Gardy itself does just a little damage (and does not shut down anything too crucial). I have had decent matches against Magmortar with this, but the matchup is definitely this deck's favor. MagKiss has both weaknesses, with Empo you don't have to let Magmortar abuse Scrambles to win, as you will want to be behind and knock out their supports. I usually snipe Maggy with Ice Blade for 40 even if it heals if back, so that it's in the KO range if it ever comes forward with hundreds of energy. Mag Lv. X is OHKO anyway.
Against any other deck - well, any other deck uses Claydol. That's where Empoleon Lv. X steps in. Wager, Supreme command, snipe 80 to Claydol knocking it out, and your opponent either has to use supporters and damage all other pokémon or get stuck.
Ampharos takes care of Mirror, Togekiss and amplifies the spreading even more with it's attack, let alone it's body. Weakness to Gallade is nothing really big - Gallade flips 3 prizes with DRE to OHKO or 2HKOs, just like Ampharos does the magic 70 to 2HKO Gallade.
Above all, this deck is a blast to play and a little bit of a fresh air to the GG/Mag dominated format (we didn't have MD in our nats, sadly). I'll definitely want to test this with MD Empoleon too once it comes out here.