rokman
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Jirachi, Dark Slowking, and tools. Making a great deck out of a few basic cards and then turning around and doing good is a great thing. Dark Slowking is a versatile deck that can adapt in most situations and handle opponents with ease with the right hand. But Dark Slowking isnt the best deck. There are many things wrong with it, but it could be a beast...
Article Title: Dark Slowking
Author: Michael “rokman” Weldon
Date: December 02, 2005
Format: Modified, HL-DS
Latest Set: EX: Delta Species
Contact: [email protected]
Discuss: Dark Slowking in Deck Archetype and Standard Strategies Forum
Dark Slowking
[ pokemon - 12 ]
4 Jirachi Deoxys
4 Slowpoke Unseen Forces
4 Dark Slowking Team Rocket Returns
[ energy - 12 ]
4 Darkness Energy
8 Psychic Energy
[ trainers - 36 ]
4 Mary's Request
3 Steven's Advice
2 Professor Birch
4 Rocket's Poke Ball
3 Pokemon Reversal
3 Rocket's Hideout
1 Desert Ruins
4 Swoop! Teleporter
4 Strength Charm
3 Curse Powder
2 EXP. All
2 Crystal Shard
1 Pokemon Retreiver
Main Pokemon
Jirachi
Wishing Star - Once during your turn (before your attack), if Jirachi is your Active Pokemon, you may look at the top 5 cards of your deck, choose 1 of them, and put it into your hand. Shuffle your deck afterward. Jirachi and your other Active Pokemon, if any, are now Asleep. This power can't be used if Jirachi is affected by a Special Condition. (Poke-POWER)
[1M] Metallic Blow (20+) If the Defending Pokemon has any Poke-Bodies, this attack does 20 damage plus 30 more damage.
Now, The goal of Dark Slowking decks is to get a Turn two Slowking powered with 2 Psychic or 1 Psychic and 1 dark ready to attack, and some tools in your hand to attack and KO the defending Pokemon. Why use Jirachi you ask? Well, Jirachi is needed so you can "search" a little to possibly find a card you need to complete the "god" handm which is, Swoop! Teleporter, Rocket's Pokeball or Dark Slowking, Two Energy (2 Psy or 1 Psy and 1 Dark) Some people think Rocket's Meowth is better than Jirachi in Dark Slowking decks...
Rocket's Meowth
[1] Snatch and Run - Search your deck for a Pokemon Tool card or Rocket's Secret Machine card, show it to your opponent, and put it into your hand. If you do, you may switch Rocket's Meowth with 1 of your Benched Pokemon. Shuffle your deck afterward.
[2] Miraculous Comeback (10x) Flip a coin for each Pokemon in play (both yours and your opponent's). This attack does 10 damage times the number of heads. Rocket's Meowth does 10 damage times the number of tails to itself.
Jirachi from DX is better then Rocket's Meowth. Jirachi is better for a few reasons, Meowth can grab only one card needed for the perfect T2 Slowking, Swoop! Teleporter and Jirachi can get any card you need for the "god" hand. Hypothetically, say you already had a swoop and needed a Rocket's Pokeball to get the T2 King, Meowth cant help you. Jirachi can. Late game when you need only one card to finish and win, Jirachi can get it, Meowth cant. I have played 4 meowth. I've played 4 Jirachi. I have played 2-2 and 3-1 both ways. I have concluded, Jirachi is better!
Dark Slowking
Cunning - Once during your turn (before your attack), you may look at the top card of your opponent's deck. Then, you may shuffle his or her deck. This power can't be used if Dark Slowking is affected by a Special Condition. (Poke-POWER)
[1P] Litter (20+) You may discard a combination of up to 2 Pokemon Tool cards and Rocket's Secret Machine cards from your hand. If you do, this attack does 20 damage plus 30 more damage for each card you discarded.
Dark Slowking is an all around Great Pokemon. He isn't perfect, but great. Him being part Dark is a major boost For his power, Making 4 dark a staple in any Dark Slowking deck. One retreat cost is another plus for him. Keeping a good speed and flow of the deck is important and a 1 retreat cost is dire. Cunning is not important to the success of Dark Slowking, but gives it an edge over other players that play Magcargo. Keeping your opponents abiliyty to topdeck could keep the game tilted in your favor, dont forget to use it each turn! His attack is great, but putting the cap of only discarding two is a bummer, but thanks to dark energy and strength Charm, It is useable.
The one major downside to Dark Slowking (besides the attack cap) is his rather low HP. Slowking by its self is just to easy to KO. And why Rocket's Hideout is important. Plaing 3 is a great idea! To win you not only have to get 6 prizes, but you have to stay alive!
The Deck
The most important cards would have to be Mary's Request, Professor Birch, Rocket's Pokeball, and Swoop! teleporter. Mary's request is the most favorable Straight Draw card. No extra effect like TVR or Bill's Maintenance, only draw 3. Keeping a consistent Draw is important and Vile to your success with Slowking, After you attack with cunning and are left with no tools, You ned to draw with something... making Mary's an important card.
Professor Birch is just amazing. I have played 4, I have played 3, and I play 2. I feel that 4 Is too much, After I use marys or Stevens I end up drawing two And they get in the way. I have like 5 cards in my hand and I would rather play Stevens or Marys then Birch. I feel 3 Is OK if you are worried about bad topdecks or not drawing into anything. But 2 is my "comfort" zone. Suprisingly twice in the Top 8 I have been Admin'd down to one card and It wa a Birch both times... =D
Rocket's Pokeball and Swoop go hand in hand. I swoop the Jirachi that just got a Psychic energy thanks to EXP All into a Slowpoke, then Rocket's Pokeball out a Dark Slowking, attach a dark and Charm and attack for 100. My favorite combination.
Curse Powder is a great addition to the deck. It has saved me in so many games it is ridiculous! Not only Having 'King dish out a lot of damage, Having to take an additional 30 after the KO is baffling. It is important in almost every match up, Typhlosion, ZRE, SMP, anything really...
Shard can be important in two ways. It can cover the weakness of rayquaza ex in ZRE and dark Dragonite in DragTrode. What if your not playing those decks? It becomes food for your Litter attack!
Matchups
Most decks you should do OK against if you get the "god" hand. Rocklock is a big Problem for Dark Slowking. You cant speceficly counter it unless you dont mind redoing your entire deck. Slowking's HP makes it so fragile that any thing that can take control of you is almost an instant auto-loss. Ludicargo is an OK matchup, ZRE can be OK sometimes, and Queendom is an OK one aswell. SMP should be fairly even becuase you are super effective on the Metagross, but Scizor eats most of Slowking unless you can keep a Hideout active all game.
Rough estimates...
ZRE - 65/35 You have to sacrifice your active Jirachi, build up on the bench, keep a Hideout active, and have shards ready to stay in the game...
SMP - 50/50 Keep a Hideout active so you can survive Scizors attacks...
Queendom - 50/50 Abuse the 1 retreat cost, It is the only thing you can do to survive...
Ludicargo - 70/30 If your reversals work, it's gg...
Rocklock - 20/80 No luck, Just assume the fetal position...
Dragtrode - 65/35 Abuse Shard and you should be able to OHKO all sneasels with A dark/charmed 'King...
Good luck playing this deck and believe me! Jirachi is better then Meowth!
~ rokman
Article Title: Dark Slowking
Author: Michael “rokman” Weldon
Date: December 02, 2005
Format: Modified, HL-DS
Latest Set: EX: Delta Species
Contact: [email protected]
Discuss: Dark Slowking in Deck Archetype and Standard Strategies Forum
Dark Slowking
[ pokemon - 12 ]
4 Jirachi Deoxys
4 Slowpoke Unseen Forces
4 Dark Slowking Team Rocket Returns
[ energy - 12 ]
4 Darkness Energy
8 Psychic Energy
[ trainers - 36 ]
4 Mary's Request
3 Steven's Advice
2 Professor Birch
4 Rocket's Poke Ball
3 Pokemon Reversal
3 Rocket's Hideout
1 Desert Ruins
4 Swoop! Teleporter
4 Strength Charm
3 Curse Powder
2 EXP. All
2 Crystal Shard
1 Pokemon Retreiver
Main Pokemon
Jirachi
Wishing Star - Once during your turn (before your attack), if Jirachi is your Active Pokemon, you may look at the top 5 cards of your deck, choose 1 of them, and put it into your hand. Shuffle your deck afterward. Jirachi and your other Active Pokemon, if any, are now Asleep. This power can't be used if Jirachi is affected by a Special Condition. (Poke-POWER)
[1M] Metallic Blow (20+) If the Defending Pokemon has any Poke-Bodies, this attack does 20 damage plus 30 more damage.
Now, The goal of Dark Slowking decks is to get a Turn two Slowking powered with 2 Psychic or 1 Psychic and 1 dark ready to attack, and some tools in your hand to attack and KO the defending Pokemon. Why use Jirachi you ask? Well, Jirachi is needed so you can "search" a little to possibly find a card you need to complete the "god" handm which is, Swoop! Teleporter, Rocket's Pokeball or Dark Slowking, Two Energy (2 Psy or 1 Psy and 1 Dark) Some people think Rocket's Meowth is better than Jirachi in Dark Slowking decks...
Rocket's Meowth
[1] Snatch and Run - Search your deck for a Pokemon Tool card or Rocket's Secret Machine card, show it to your opponent, and put it into your hand. If you do, you may switch Rocket's Meowth with 1 of your Benched Pokemon. Shuffle your deck afterward.
[2] Miraculous Comeback (10x) Flip a coin for each Pokemon in play (both yours and your opponent's). This attack does 10 damage times the number of heads. Rocket's Meowth does 10 damage times the number of tails to itself.
Jirachi from DX is better then Rocket's Meowth. Jirachi is better for a few reasons, Meowth can grab only one card needed for the perfect T2 Slowking, Swoop! Teleporter and Jirachi can get any card you need for the "god" hand. Hypothetically, say you already had a swoop and needed a Rocket's Pokeball to get the T2 King, Meowth cant help you. Jirachi can. Late game when you need only one card to finish and win, Jirachi can get it, Meowth cant. I have played 4 meowth. I've played 4 Jirachi. I have played 2-2 and 3-1 both ways. I have concluded, Jirachi is better!
Dark Slowking
Cunning - Once during your turn (before your attack), you may look at the top card of your opponent's deck. Then, you may shuffle his or her deck. This power can't be used if Dark Slowking is affected by a Special Condition. (Poke-POWER)
[1P] Litter (20+) You may discard a combination of up to 2 Pokemon Tool cards and Rocket's Secret Machine cards from your hand. If you do, this attack does 20 damage plus 30 more damage for each card you discarded.
Dark Slowking is an all around Great Pokemon. He isn't perfect, but great. Him being part Dark is a major boost For his power, Making 4 dark a staple in any Dark Slowking deck. One retreat cost is another plus for him. Keeping a good speed and flow of the deck is important and a 1 retreat cost is dire. Cunning is not important to the success of Dark Slowking, but gives it an edge over other players that play Magcargo. Keeping your opponents abiliyty to topdeck could keep the game tilted in your favor, dont forget to use it each turn! His attack is great, but putting the cap of only discarding two is a bummer, but thanks to dark energy and strength Charm, It is useable.
The one major downside to Dark Slowking (besides the attack cap) is his rather low HP. Slowking by its self is just to easy to KO. And why Rocket's Hideout is important. Plaing 3 is a great idea! To win you not only have to get 6 prizes, but you have to stay alive!
The Deck
The most important cards would have to be Mary's Request, Professor Birch, Rocket's Pokeball, and Swoop! teleporter. Mary's request is the most favorable Straight Draw card. No extra effect like TVR or Bill's Maintenance, only draw 3. Keeping a consistent Draw is important and Vile to your success with Slowking, After you attack with cunning and are left with no tools, You ned to draw with something... making Mary's an important card.
Professor Birch is just amazing. I have played 4, I have played 3, and I play 2. I feel that 4 Is too much, After I use marys or Stevens I end up drawing two And they get in the way. I have like 5 cards in my hand and I would rather play Stevens or Marys then Birch. I feel 3 Is OK if you are worried about bad topdecks or not drawing into anything. But 2 is my "comfort" zone. Suprisingly twice in the Top 8 I have been Admin'd down to one card and It wa a Birch both times... =D
Rocket's Pokeball and Swoop go hand in hand. I swoop the Jirachi that just got a Psychic energy thanks to EXP All into a Slowpoke, then Rocket's Pokeball out a Dark Slowking, attach a dark and Charm and attack for 100. My favorite combination.
Curse Powder is a great addition to the deck. It has saved me in so many games it is ridiculous! Not only Having 'King dish out a lot of damage, Having to take an additional 30 after the KO is baffling. It is important in almost every match up, Typhlosion, ZRE, SMP, anything really...
Shard can be important in two ways. It can cover the weakness of rayquaza ex in ZRE and dark Dragonite in DragTrode. What if your not playing those decks? It becomes food for your Litter attack!
Matchups
Most decks you should do OK against if you get the "god" hand. Rocklock is a big Problem for Dark Slowking. You cant speceficly counter it unless you dont mind redoing your entire deck. Slowking's HP makes it so fragile that any thing that can take control of you is almost an instant auto-loss. Ludicargo is an OK matchup, ZRE can be OK sometimes, and Queendom is an OK one aswell. SMP should be fairly even becuase you are super effective on the Metagross, but Scizor eats most of Slowking unless you can keep a Hideout active all game.
Rough estimates...
ZRE - 65/35 You have to sacrifice your active Jirachi, build up on the bench, keep a Hideout active, and have shards ready to stay in the game...
SMP - 50/50 Keep a Hideout active so you can survive Scizors attacks...
Queendom - 50/50 Abuse the 1 retreat cost, It is the only thing you can do to survive...
Ludicargo - 70/30 If your reversals work, it's gg...
Rocklock - 20/80 No luck, Just assume the fetal position...
Dragtrode - 65/35 Abuse Shard and you should be able to OHKO all sneasels with A dark/charmed 'King...
Good luck playing this deck and believe me! Jirachi is better then Meowth!
~ rokman