I'm new to this game but not to TCGs. I have several years of general experience with Yu-Gi-Oh and Magic The Gathering so I'm familiar with the basic thought behind strategies, no matter how complex. I simply need to know what is top tier in this game. All that I've seen so far is Empoleon and Magmator/Leafeon LvX, but I'm sure that there are plenty more viable / top tier strategies that someone could use. If anyone could list a few of these strategies and explain what they are and/or give someone who's just now getting into this game some general tips, it would be greatly appreciated.
Top tier strategies?
- Thread starter Maelstrom
- Start date
Dragonite Forever
New Member
The top deck this season is Gardelade.(Gardevoir, Gallade). It is good because it stops your opponet from using their essential pokepowers and does good damage.
Umbreon777
New Member
Like he said, GG is best deck in format. SO good in fact there's a huge complaint about it in another forum. If you play the deck, you will do better than you would have played another deck.
G-Dog4377
New Member
My advice is to wait, because the format is about to shift on September 1 to Diamond and Pearl cards and newer. This will change all of the popular decks and present new ones. Then you can prepare a deck for that format. Right now, it would be pointless for you to spend money to get cards for this format's top tier deck because there are no tournaments you could attend (unless you are attending Worlds), and many of the cards you would have bought will become illegal.
I figured as much. I knew about the rotation and assumed people would discuss next "format," but I guess not lol. I bought cards, but nothing pre-DP. I'm just trying to figure out what strategies would be top next format.
Naki Feralkin
New Member
The ones that are really getting a lot of note for the first couple of events are:
AMU - The premise is the pixies; Mesprit, Uxie, and Azelf. Its a speed deck that usually gets set up around Turn 2-3, though with a bad list can take a bit longer. It's able to deal with heavy stage 2 lines in relatively low time, but has issues with basic lockdown pokemon such as Mewtwo LX, Mightyena, and Mr. Mime. Debatably the best deck for the beginning of next season, but may end up slowing down upon IFIDS.
Kingdra - Vastly overrated deck, but still has a lot of potential to see powerful play at the beginning of the season. It has the ability to turn 1, but Turn 1's have not been as possible this season due to Roseanne's, Call Energy, and a lot of great starters with Call for Family options. HEAVILY reliable on Claydol to even be effective. With an efficient lockdown or quick damage, he can be stopped pretty abruptly. Initially debated as the best deck of next season, but the hypes died down somewhat.
Scorpio/AKA Gliscor Guerrila - A relatively quick deck revolving around Gliscor LX's hit and run attack. The premise is simple. Get Glis and use its attack to switch into a wall/staller like Mr. Mime or something of that sort. Kind of similar to Flariados in essence. IMHO, the best deck of next season, but still argued as inferior to AMU. Has problems with damage spread.
Magnevire - Extremely set-up oriented, but has every resemblance to a powerful blue deck late game due to paralysis control, energy manipulation, and heavy damage. Uses Magnezone Level X's Cyber Shock for free paralysis and large damage, and discard manipulators such as Electivire SW and Rotom MD to return the discarded energies to play, as well as the energy transfer from Magnezone Level X. Heavily reliant on powers, but not as bad with Cessation Crystal leaving format. Not as well known as the rest, but will probably be seen somewhere down the line, and may even become a better deck upon IFIDS's release.
Random Spread Variants - We'll be seeing a number of these thanks to Yanmega, Bronzong MD, Froslass and the works. Whether you think it or not, they'll still be seeing play.
T2 Beedrill/AKA Rock Band - I still don't see why it was called this, but whatever. Its a speed deck that still has great efficiency because it does not lose much from the format change. Azelf LA will help it out a lot, and Buck's Training will improve the draw that it has.
Torterrible - I think even after Nationals that this deck will see play in some areas that won't be seeing as much AMU due to its incredible amount of HP, devastating damage output, and ability to heal back that lost damage, in addition to controlling who comes out when behind in prizes. AMU annihilates it, but watch for it to be seen here and there.
Mewtwo LX Variants - To stop the AMU craze, Mewtwo will be seen here and there in order to keep it in check. How will it be played? Noone knows yet.
AMU - The premise is the pixies; Mesprit, Uxie, and Azelf. Its a speed deck that usually gets set up around Turn 2-3, though with a bad list can take a bit longer. It's able to deal with heavy stage 2 lines in relatively low time, but has issues with basic lockdown pokemon such as Mewtwo LX, Mightyena, and Mr. Mime. Debatably the best deck for the beginning of next season, but may end up slowing down upon IFIDS.
Kingdra - Vastly overrated deck, but still has a lot of potential to see powerful play at the beginning of the season. It has the ability to turn 1, but Turn 1's have not been as possible this season due to Roseanne's, Call Energy, and a lot of great starters with Call for Family options. HEAVILY reliable on Claydol to even be effective. With an efficient lockdown or quick damage, he can be stopped pretty abruptly. Initially debated as the best deck of next season, but the hypes died down somewhat.
Scorpio/AKA Gliscor Guerrila - A relatively quick deck revolving around Gliscor LX's hit and run attack. The premise is simple. Get Glis and use its attack to switch into a wall/staller like Mr. Mime or something of that sort. Kind of similar to Flariados in essence. IMHO, the best deck of next season, but still argued as inferior to AMU. Has problems with damage spread.
Magnevire - Extremely set-up oriented, but has every resemblance to a powerful blue deck late game due to paralysis control, energy manipulation, and heavy damage. Uses Magnezone Level X's Cyber Shock for free paralysis and large damage, and discard manipulators such as Electivire SW and Rotom MD to return the discarded energies to play, as well as the energy transfer from Magnezone Level X. Heavily reliant on powers, but not as bad with Cessation Crystal leaving format. Not as well known as the rest, but will probably be seen somewhere down the line, and may even become a better deck upon IFIDS's release.
Random Spread Variants - We'll be seeing a number of these thanks to Yanmega, Bronzong MD, Froslass and the works. Whether you think it or not, they'll still be seeing play.
T2 Beedrill/AKA Rock Band - I still don't see why it was called this, but whatever. Its a speed deck that still has great efficiency because it does not lose much from the format change. Azelf LA will help it out a lot, and Buck's Training will improve the draw that it has.
Torterrible - I think even after Nationals that this deck will see play in some areas that won't be seeing as much AMU due to its incredible amount of HP, devastating damage output, and ability to heal back that lost damage, in addition to controlling who comes out when behind in prizes. AMU annihilates it, but watch for it to be seen here and there.
Mewtwo LX Variants - To stop the AMU craze, Mewtwo will be seen here and there in order to keep it in check. How will it be played? Noone knows yet.
I would play Leafeon/Magmortar but I don't have much to work with, both card-wise and money-wise. I have a Leafeon LvX but I'd still need Magmortar LvX and probably another Leafeon LvX, not to mention everything else for the deck. Will Empoleon/Bronzong spread be viable enough, a solid choice, to be played at a competitive level next format? I'm also wondering if the Lucario line from LA is worth using in it.
