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Entei-Raikou Legend: Building an Awkward Deck
By jjkkl
November 17, 2011
Format: HGSS-on
Abstract
Admittedly, I feel odd: at the time of this writing, it’s currently November 11, and instead of spending time commemorating the braveness of our veterans, I’m spending my time writing about Pokémon. Despite that, I enjoy it, and I enjoy detailing about a particular, peculiar little deck that I feel may lead to something interesting.
Many know that I’m a not a rogue player by designation: I’m a rogue player by circumstance. My budget states quite clearly that I should really only be playing decks that I personally enjoy, since my friends and I pool our cards together and can make competitive decks for only a few of us. My limitations define me.
Therefore, it’s not out of some pretentious desire to be ‘different’. It’s not out of some need to try and ‘counter’ the metagame. Rather it’s to make a functioning deck out of a something stitched together in hopes that perhaps there aren’t some major losses. It’s not about the title of being a ‘rogue’ player. It’s about having fun the best way possible.
God forbid I play a theme deck. So what does this have to do with Entei-Raikou Legend? Well, in a nutshell, this has to do with setup, mechanics, deck-building, and logical discourse. This has to do with working in a metagame and understanding how to make it play to your will, and if not, how to stop it. This is making a deck that takes high risks and high rewards.
This is also a deck that a couple people will frown upon, but eventually find out that it’s pretty problematic. The deck, Entei-Raikou Legend (ERL) going forward, can be considered a ‘rogue’ deck, but I wouldn’t call it that. A rogue deck implies that you think it’ll be fantastic at an event. This thing has only taken a couple names at some Battle Roads and done well in testing. This is not metagame-breaker.
But I can guarantee this deck is a lot of fun, and if you get it to ‘tick’, then it can mess with a lot of people’s setups. It’s a fun deck, rest assured. In going through this article, I will show how a functioning thing can come together and weave into something magical.
Many know that I’m a not a rogue player by designation: I’m a rogue player by circumstance. My budget states quite clearly that I should really only be playing decks that I personally enjoy, since my friends and I pool our cards together and can make competitive decks for only a few of us. My limitations define me.
Therefore, it’s not out of some pretentious desire to be ‘different’. It’s not out of some need to try and ‘counter’ the metagame. Rather it’s to make a functioning deck out of a something stitched together in hopes that perhaps there aren’t some major losses. It’s not about the title of being a ‘rogue’ player. It’s about having fun the best way possible.
God forbid I play a theme deck. So what does this have to do with Entei-Raikou Legend? Well, in a nutshell, this has to do with setup, mechanics, deck-building, and logical discourse. This has to do with working in a metagame and understanding how to make it play to your will, and if not, how to stop it. This is making a deck that takes high risks and high rewards.
This is also a deck that a couple people will frown upon, but eventually find out that it’s pretty problematic. The deck, Entei-Raikou Legend (ERL) going forward, can be considered a ‘rogue’ deck, but I wouldn’t call it that. A rogue deck implies that you think it’ll be fantastic at an event. This thing has only taken a couple names at some Battle Roads and done well in testing. This is not metagame-breaker.
But I can guarantee this deck is a lot of fun, and if you get it to ‘tick’, then it can mess with a lot of people’s setups. It’s a fun deck, rest assured. In going through this article, I will show how a functioning thing can come together and weave into something magical.
List
Pokemon
2 Entei-Raikou Legend Top
2 Entei-Raikou Legend Bottom
2 Zekrom
1 Reshiram
3 Tornadus
3 Jirachi
1 Shaymin
1 Cleffa
2 Entei-Raikou Legend Bottom
2 Zekrom
1 Reshiram
3 Tornadus
3 Jirachi
1 Shaymin
1 Cleffa
Trainers, Supporters, and Stadiums
4 Pokemon Collector
4 Professor Juniper’s
4 Sage’s Training
2 Twins
1 Seeker
1 Flower Shop Lady
4 Pokemon Communication
4 Legend Box
3 Research Record
3 Junk Arm
2 Catcher
1 Switch
4 Professor Juniper’s
4 Sage’s Training
2 Twins
1 Seeker
1 Flower Shop Lady
4 Pokemon Communication
4 Legend Box
3 Research Record
3 Junk Arm
2 Catcher
1 Switch
Energy
As you can see, this deck has a lot of number consistency – lots of ‘4’s’ and ‘3’s’ for the Trainers and Supporters, but the Energy and Pokemon counts are significantly lower. The reason is simple: the deck needs the 1-2 turn Trainer and Supporter rush to get set up, so I opted for a stronger, beefier and more consistent line.
Likewise, looking at the Pokemon lineup, you can see a very thin line of Pokemon. With only 11 basics, the deck is constructed with only one poor setup: Shaymin, and even then, with enough work that can be mitigated.
The Energy line is segmented. Without Roseanne’s Research in the format, energy is going to be very scarce, but regardless the large amount of variety is important because of the need to flexibly change at any given moment.
So, without further ado, allow me to begin.
Likewise, looking at the Pokemon lineup, you can see a very thin line of Pokemon. With only 11 basics, the deck is constructed with only one poor setup: Shaymin, and even then, with enough work that can be mitigated.
The Energy line is segmented. Without Roseanne’s Research in the format, energy is going to be very scarce, but regardless the large amount of variety is important because of the need to flexibly change at any given moment.
So, without further ado, allow me to begin.
General Purpose
So, what is the purpose of this deck? The answer is simple: an engine killer. Many decks are focused on taking cards by stacking up attackers against each other (Zekroms and Reshirams), while other decks are looking at trying to take advantages of weakness (Ross). Some decks look to overwhelm opponents (Magnezone), while others seek easy and fast kills at opportune moments (Yanmega). Finally, some decks seek to combat the strategies of other decks by sheer unabated force (Gothitelle).
But few decks, to my knowledge, have attempted to try the rare and oft-risky but highly exciting strategy of engine-killing. When I say engine-killing, I don’t mean a Vileplume. Vileplumes can certainly shut down Trainer engines, but once the Vileplume gets taken out, the Trainer engine can resume. That’s engine shutdown. In this situation, my focus is not on the shutdown.
My focus is on killing the engine itself. You see, in my understanding of the metagame, there were a series of ways in dealing with the opposing decks with an unorthodox deck. One of them is finding weaknesses and exploiting that. The other is finding a contrasting or ‘unbeatable’ status to fulfill.
One strategy I found to have been more effective than originally considered was to kill the opponent’s engines.
Most metagame decks required some sort of engine. Whether it was Typhlosion-Reshiram, Zekrom, Magnezone (Primetime or Magneboar), Gothitelle, etc., there was always this sort of constant of the players playing those decks using some sort of engine behind them. The Dragons, I found, were only a threat insofar as they had support.
This support came at a cost, that, originally not visible to most players, became increasingly on my radar as I played deck after deck against the top tiered decks.
But few decks, to my knowledge, have attempted to try the rare and oft-risky but highly exciting strategy of engine-killing. When I say engine-killing, I don’t mean a Vileplume. Vileplumes can certainly shut down Trainer engines, but once the Vileplume gets taken out, the Trainer engine can resume. That’s engine shutdown. In this situation, my focus is not on the shutdown.
My focus is on killing the engine itself. You see, in my understanding of the metagame, there were a series of ways in dealing with the opposing decks with an unorthodox deck. One of them is finding weaknesses and exploiting that. The other is finding a contrasting or ‘unbeatable’ status to fulfill.
One strategy I found to have been more effective than originally considered was to kill the opponent’s engines.
Most metagame decks required some sort of engine. Whether it was Typhlosion-Reshiram, Zekrom, Magnezone (Primetime or Magneboar), Gothitelle, etc., there was always this sort of constant of the players playing those decks using some sort of engine behind them. The Dragons, I found, were only a threat insofar as they had support.
This support came at a cost, that, originally not visible to most players, became increasingly on my radar as I played deck after deck against the top tiered decks.
Contents
The contents of this article will focus primarily on strategy and setup. Less will be devoted to the actual cards themselves, and only enough information of the cards will be used to give a general understanding of their use within the deck. I will presume that all readers will have a rudimentary understanding of the implications of a particular base card (such as Pokemon Collector), and so I will cover its detail marginally.
Unquestionably, the meat of the discussion will focus on the Pokemon line, the strategy, and the matchups. Because of the nature of my deck in combating most threats, I will give all matchup details within the relevant cards themselves. Of course, I will not eschew the traditional sense of matchups, but I will not use the regular rating sense.
Unquestionably, the meat of the discussion will focus on the Pokemon line, the strategy, and the matchups. Because of the nature of my deck in combating most threats, I will give all matchup details within the relevant cards themselves. Of course, I will not eschew the traditional sense of matchups, but I will not use the regular rating sense.
The Pokemon
The Main Kill switch: Entei-Raikou Legend
This Pokemon was used in Luxchomp before as a quick-prize pixie killer. Hitting Pokemon across the field for 80 damage for two energy is quite the attack. The card, however, was delegated to primarily being used as a ‘wash-over’ tech: a card that exploited a particular status of the Pokemon. A deck option, unfortunately, was not a realisation. However, this card is crucial to the deck. Entei-Raikou Legend is a complete monster against the current metagame, and for reasons that some people may not see in the first place.
First, Entei-Raikou Legend (ERL going forward) is an extremely mobile card. Lacking a retreat cost in this format is extremely important, considering the wide usage of Vileplume and locks to prevent retreat. Pulling forwards ERL to lock them down is an ineffective strategy as no cost is paid. This mobility is handy when in situations where needing to put forth ERL to figure out what to do.
Second, the card sports two very good attacks and types. As a dual lightning-fire type, ERL is capable of exploiting its type advantages to knock out Yanmega Primes. This, in conjunction, with its first attack, Detonation Spin, allows swift and cheap knockouts on enemy Yanmegas. Unfortunately, the price for such an attack is to discard a fire energy, but opportune and swift Detonation spins can spell the doom of many opponents.
Third, ERL’s Thunder Fall as the ‘engine-killer’. Thunder Fall will spell trouble for many metagame decks, even without the opponent realising it. For a lightning and a colorless energy, you can discard all energy on ERL, and then hit each player's Pokemon (both yours and your opponent’s) with a Poke-Power for 80 damage. This is vital, because it accomplishes multiple things:
First, Entei-Raikou Legend (ERL going forward) is an extremely mobile card. Lacking a retreat cost in this format is extremely important, considering the wide usage of Vileplume and locks to prevent retreat. Pulling forwards ERL to lock them down is an ineffective strategy as no cost is paid. This mobility is handy when in situations where needing to put forth ERL to figure out what to do.
Second, the card sports two very good attacks and types. As a dual lightning-fire type, ERL is capable of exploiting its type advantages to knock out Yanmega Primes. This, in conjunction, with its first attack, Detonation Spin, allows swift and cheap knockouts on enemy Yanmegas. Unfortunately, the price for such an attack is to discard a fire energy, but opportune and swift Detonation spins can spell the doom of many opponents.
Third, ERL’s Thunder Fall as the ‘engine-killer’. Thunder Fall will spell trouble for many metagame decks, even without the opponent realising it. For a lightning and a colorless energy, you can discard all energy on ERL, and then hit each player's Pokemon (both yours and your opponent’s) with a Poke-Power for 80 damage. This is vital, because it accomplishes multiple things:
- it locks out opponents of tech or Power-manipulation Pokemon such as Shaymin and Pachirisu that could be re-used by Seeker or Super Scoop Up
- it puts beefier Pokemon such as Magnezone and Typhlosion into one-hit KO ranges
- it makes Jirachi your main attacker
Allow me to emphasize the third point: Jirachi, at many times, is this deck’s main attacker. Powering a Thunder Fall on 1-2 evolutions and then using Time Hollow will slow down an opponent and net multiple prize cards at a time. Thunder Fall becomes crucial now because instead of aiming at your opponent’s main attackers (such as Reshiram or Zekrom), you aim at the support Pokemon (such as Pacihrisu, Shaymin, Ninetales, Typhlosion, etc.).
This is particularly crucial in dealing with the enemy’s multiple Typhlosions and Magnezones. Considering, for example, an opponent that places a large number of Typhlosions on the field to maintain a strong network of Afterburners (this happens quite a few times). A single Thunder Fall can hit 80 onto 1-2 Typhlosions, and then Time Hollow to devolve them into Cyndaquils or Quilavas. Neither have enough HP on them, bar an anomalous Defender, to stay alive.
Likewise, the situation is the same with Magnezone Prime. 1-2 Magnezone Primes are a perfectly reasonable setup to see when they see Dragons on your side and begin to register threats coming their way (especially if you just load up your bench with Zekroms to intimidate them into playing it carefully with their Yanmegas to prevent Outrage knockouts). A single Thunder Fall can not only take them by surprise, but will also put 80 on their Magnezones, allowing a swift Time hollow to take them for the knockout, and hopefully take away their energy.
Against Ross, the ERL has some difficulties against Donphan, but where you are unable to deal with Donphan, you can easily use Detonation Spin to take out SEL. Because Donphan hits for a finite amount under a Trainer lock, you can either encourage an Outrage KO (2 Earthquakes on a foolish Donphan in a Ross build will equal to a one-hit Revenge KO from a Dragon) or you can aim to take down the Donphan by flooding their side with Tornadus attacks and then devolving their Vileplumes and Reuniclus with Jirachi.
This is particularly crucial in dealing with the enemy’s multiple Typhlosions and Magnezones. Considering, for example, an opponent that places a large number of Typhlosions on the field to maintain a strong network of Afterburners (this happens quite a few times). A single Thunder Fall can hit 80 onto 1-2 Typhlosions, and then Time Hollow to devolve them into Cyndaquils or Quilavas. Neither have enough HP on them, bar an anomalous Defender, to stay alive.
Likewise, the situation is the same with Magnezone Prime. 1-2 Magnezone Primes are a perfectly reasonable setup to see when they see Dragons on your side and begin to register threats coming their way (especially if you just load up your bench with Zekroms to intimidate them into playing it carefully with their Yanmegas to prevent Outrage knockouts). A single Thunder Fall can not only take them by surprise, but will also put 80 on their Magnezones, allowing a swift Time hollow to take them for the knockout, and hopefully take away their energy.
Against Ross, the ERL has some difficulties against Donphan, but where you are unable to deal with Donphan, you can easily use Detonation Spin to take out SEL. Because Donphan hits for a finite amount under a Trainer lock, you can either encourage an Outrage KO (2 Earthquakes on a foolish Donphan in a Ross build will equal to a one-hit Revenge KO from a Dragon) or you can aim to take down the Donphan by flooding their side with Tornadus attacks and then devolving their Vileplumes and Reuniclus with Jirachi.
The Dragons: Reshiram and Zekrom[galr=51908]Zekrom is a major psychological hitter[/galr]
According to TvTropes, the Dragon is “the big bad’s enforcer...defeating the big bad almost requires the hero to overcome the Dragon first.” That description, while used in the context of story-telling, is fitting for the use of Reshiram and Zekrom in these decks.
The Dragons Reshiram and Zekrom are powerful meatshields because of their basic status and 130 HPs. For the most part, however, they are used mainly to intimidate and absorb damage. Reshiram is used for the infrequent, but sometimes handy clutch Blue Flares, which is a much more manageable attack at moments, as well as to trick the opponent into thinking that they’re facing against a Reshiram-based deck.
Zekrom, on the other hand, is used to take on enemy Yanmegas. Without Pluspowers, it’ll require two Sonicbooms from Yanmega Prime to take down a Zekrom. In that time frame, Zekrom’s Outrage becomes one-hit KO territory for Yanmega Primes.
Because of their large HPs, Zekrom and Reshiram are near unkillable in the beginning game bar an absurd Zekrom + Shaymin + Pachirisu + 3 Energies + Pluspower god hand, but that sort of situation is not unique to this deck.
The Dragons Reshiram and Zekrom are powerful meatshields because of their basic status and 130 HPs. For the most part, however, they are used mainly to intimidate and absorb damage. Reshiram is used for the infrequent, but sometimes handy clutch Blue Flares, which is a much more manageable attack at moments, as well as to trick the opponent into thinking that they’re facing against a Reshiram-based deck.
Zekrom, on the other hand, is used to take on enemy Yanmegas. Without Pluspowers, it’ll require two Sonicbooms from Yanmega Prime to take down a Zekrom. In that time frame, Zekrom’s Outrage becomes one-hit KO territory for Yanmega Primes.
Because of their large HPs, Zekrom and Reshiram are near unkillable in the beginning game bar an absurd Zekrom + Shaymin + Pachirisu + 3 Energies + Pluspower god hand, but that sort of situation is not unique to this deck.
The Counter and the Optimal Starter: Tornadus
Tornadus is the optimal starter because of his attacks, primarily Hurricane. Able to use Double Colorless energy, a turn 2 Hurricane (or turn 1 Hurricane if you’re very lucky) can donk some unsuspecting basics.
Tornadus is also handy because of his stats: 110 with fighting resistance, and able to two-hit knockout on a Donphan Prime. This is vital to dealing with the Donphan matchup because of the deck’s current limitations against a persistent Donphan swarm. Hurricane, for 80, also allows movement of energy, which can be handy in fuelling a possible Outrage, Thunder Fall, Detonation Spin, or Time Hollow.
Tornadus is also handy because of his stats: 110 with fighting resistance, and able to two-hit knockout on a Donphan Prime. This is vital to dealing with the Donphan matchup because of the deck’s current limitations against a persistent Donphan swarm. Hurricane, for 80, also allows movement of energy, which can be handy in fuelling a possible Outrage, Thunder Fall, Detonation Spin, or Time Hollow.
The Main Attacker: Jirachi
Jirachi is the main attacker because, if you play your cards right (pun intended), this card can become the one-hit KO machine. As stated earlier, Jirachi’s Time Hollow is used very, very well in terms of dealing with enemy Poke-Power based attackers, such as Typhlosion Prime and Magnezone Prime.
What I have also found, however, in regards to Jirachi is its ability to undermine – and sometimes circumvent – the Vileplume Trainer lock. Vileplumes (and Reuniclus many times) are activated through Rare Candies. Therefore, the T2 Vileplume is not entirely out of the question. What does become important, is the use of Jirachi to devolve those Vileplumes for a variety of reasons:
What I have also found, however, in regards to Jirachi is its ability to undermine – and sometimes circumvent – the Vileplume Trainer lock. Vileplumes (and Reuniclus many times) are activated through Rare Candies. Therefore, the T2 Vileplume is not entirely out of the question. What does become important, is the use of Jirachi to devolve those Vileplumes for a variety of reasons:
- it wastes their resources
- it puts all damage swap Pokemon into KO range without the help of cards such as Blissey Prime or Seeker
- it can undermine the T2 ‘god hand’ by setting them back a turn to get it set up again
Aside from that, there is always the value in shutting down enemy evolutions, especially in evolution-heavy decks such as Stage 1s or Magneboar, where critical devolutions can spell the knockout of multiple Pokemon at a time.
The Others: Shaymin and Cleffa
Shaymin is used for energy movement. Through most of the game, you can easily spread energy without worry, confuse your opponent and then put down a Shaymin to move the energy into one or two critical attackers. This is especially vital in conjunction with cards such as Tornadus, which moves basic energy around onto your bench as part of its attack.
Cleffa is the refresh start. There are times when you believe that you will need a better hand, but cannot risk discarding it with Juniper, and therefore decide to refresh it by shuffling it back into your hand in hopes of getting a better hand. Cleffa is almost always a risk, but as stated before, this is a risk I have taken with the deck as a whole.
Cleffa is the refresh start. There are times when you believe that you will need a better hand, but cannot risk discarding it with Juniper, and therefore decide to refresh it by shuffling it back into your hand in hopes of getting a better hand. Cleffa is almost always a risk, but as stated before, this is a risk I have taken with the deck as a whole.
Questionable Cards
The Legend Box Question
Out of the most important part of the Trainers, Supporters and Stadium list I provided is the inclusion of Legend Box. Legend Box gains a lot of ire from the more experienced members and a lot of (many times unwarranted) fare from the less experienced players. A card of no-risk but low-reward, Legend Box relies on luck in getting things going.
But it can also be a very, very crucial psychological play. Legend Box carries a stigmatizing status with it, and against every player I have played a Legend Box against, their comments were almost always negative. “Okay, sure...”, “Legend Box? What?”, and “Why would you play this?” carries the connotation of the inexperienced and naive player. This is a strength you can exploit. Many players relax around a Legend Box – they start making some more confident plays, and the effect in a game can be vital.
For example, I have had at least two games where my opponent, seeing my Legend Boxes from games before, has stated off-handed to others that this was “an easy game.” They were proven wrong. The Legend is a signifier of misleading semiotics: it sends a signal to an opponent that you’re doing something wrong, when in reality it plays in your advantage.
There is also a secondary crucial feature to the Legend Box: the potential turn-one donk. With aggressive Juniper and top-decking, I have played and received both halves and multiple energy before within the first turn. The chances, of course, are not great, but the potential is there. There were at least two or three games in competitive play where my wins came from crucial turn one Detonation Spins because of lucky Legend Boxes.
Legend Boxes are also augmented by Research Records, but most know that.
But it can also be a very, very crucial psychological play. Legend Box carries a stigmatizing status with it, and against every player I have played a Legend Box against, their comments were almost always negative. “Okay, sure...”, “Legend Box? What?”, and “Why would you play this?” carries the connotation of the inexperienced and naive player. This is a strength you can exploit. Many players relax around a Legend Box – they start making some more confident plays, and the effect in a game can be vital.
For example, I have had at least two games where my opponent, seeing my Legend Boxes from games before, has stated off-handed to others that this was “an easy game.” They were proven wrong. The Legend is a signifier of misleading semiotics: it sends a signal to an opponent that you’re doing something wrong, when in reality it plays in your advantage.
There is also a secondary crucial feature to the Legend Box: the potential turn-one donk. With aggressive Juniper and top-decking, I have played and received both halves and multiple energy before within the first turn. The chances, of course, are not great, but the potential is there. There were at least two or three games in competitive play where my wins came from crucial turn one Detonation Spins because of lucky Legend Boxes.
Legend Boxes are also augmented by Research Records, but most know that.
Working with Flower Shop Lady[galr=50665]Flower Shop Lady is a crucial restorative card[/galr]
Flower Shop Lady is an odd choice sometimes because recovery is never really a massive problem in today’s format. Night Maintenance was played frequently before during the DP era, but now aside from Rescue Energy, you will rarely see Flower Shop Lady played in many decks.
This deck runs Flower Shop Lady because it excuses aggressive Juniper and Sage’s discards. Insofar as I am not having Flower Shop Lady in my hand (which, admittedly, happened once, but it was easily shuffled away), the discards of a Juniper or a Sage’s are not always that much of a problem, as it can easily be retrieved.
This is crucial considering that Detonation Spin and Thunder Fall, in the long-term, are costly attacks, and there is no sufficient way to consistently get energy back. Therefore, strikes must be careful and taken with caution.
However, why not Fisherman? If discards are important, by not use Fisherman or Energy Retrieval? Flower Shop Lady serves a role in the late game that can be tide-changing: it puts the energy and Pokemon back into the deck.
Remember that this deck runs multiple Research Records, Legend Boxes, and Junk Arms. With 1-2 Juniper and multiple Sage discards, you can start running into extremely thin decks even mid game. As your deck becomes thinner, your chances of getting a successful Legend Box become larger. There, previously discarded or knocked out ERLs can be placed back with Flower Shop Lady and you can then use Legend Box or Junk Arm (for a Legend Box) to more effectively get what you need.
This can be crucial in small-deck, low-card end games where you are behind a prize or two to catch up or win, and you can benefit from a clutch Detonation Spin or Thunder Fall. Simply Flower Shop Lady for your needed Legend Piece(s) and energies, and then Legend Box or Junk Arm (for a Legend Box) to get those pieces onto your bench and ready to attack.
Because it goes back into the deck is precisely why Flower Shop Lady is played.
This deck runs Flower Shop Lady because it excuses aggressive Juniper and Sage’s discards. Insofar as I am not having Flower Shop Lady in my hand (which, admittedly, happened once, but it was easily shuffled away), the discards of a Juniper or a Sage’s are not always that much of a problem, as it can easily be retrieved.
This is crucial considering that Detonation Spin and Thunder Fall, in the long-term, are costly attacks, and there is no sufficient way to consistently get energy back. Therefore, strikes must be careful and taken with caution.
However, why not Fisherman? If discards are important, by not use Fisherman or Energy Retrieval? Flower Shop Lady serves a role in the late game that can be tide-changing: it puts the energy and Pokemon back into the deck.
Remember that this deck runs multiple Research Records, Legend Boxes, and Junk Arms. With 1-2 Juniper and multiple Sage discards, you can start running into extremely thin decks even mid game. As your deck becomes thinner, your chances of getting a successful Legend Box become larger. There, previously discarded or knocked out ERLs can be placed back with Flower Shop Lady and you can then use Legend Box or Junk Arm (for a Legend Box) to more effectively get what you need.
This can be crucial in small-deck, low-card end games where you are behind a prize or two to catch up or win, and you can benefit from a clutch Detonation Spin or Thunder Fall. Simply Flower Shop Lady for your needed Legend Piece(s) and energies, and then Legend Box or Junk Arm (for a Legend Box) to get those pieces onto your bench and ready to attack.
Because it goes back into the deck is precisely why Flower Shop Lady is played.
The Seeker Risk
Be careful of what I have found to be called ‘The Seeker Risk’. The Seeker Risk is when you used an attack, and you are in a position where you need to ‘heal’ a Pokemon and for that purpose, you use Seeker. The risk you incur in that situation is your opponent taking damage off of one of their Pokemon hit by an attack such as Thunder Fall. This can be strategy-breaking, and you should never be using Seeker unless you are attempting to do one of two things:
- Donk an opponent’s Zekrom after killing his Shaymins and Pachirisus
- want to limit an attacker prior to knocking them down
There are moments when a Seeker can be handy. In decks such as Magnezone / Yanmega, for example, the opponent is wary to bring up cards that have energy (save for Jirachis, they always do that) or have evolutions. If your opponent has an intimidating bench, a swift Seeker can set him back a Candy or two (especially if they have nothing but a large bench to hit back at you, but are biding their resources for one or another reason).
Always be mindful that when using Seeker, you risk the opponent healing his Pokemon. Therefore, never use Seeker post-Thunder Fall, as the chances of your opponent lifting up a damaged Magnezone or Typhlosion is him or her taking a potential prize away from your clutches.
Always be mindful that when using Seeker, you risk the opponent healing his Pokemon. Therefore, never use Seeker post-Thunder Fall, as the chances of your opponent lifting up a damaged Magnezone or Typhlosion is him or her taking a potential prize away from your clutches.
Research Record: More Useful than Given Credit
I’ve found Research Record to be quite the Trainer. The card is quite handy in deck organization, being able to put ‘unnecessary’ cards onto the bottom of your deck. By doing so, Research Record allows you to filter out currently unneeded cards to maximize your chances of getting the card you need with either Juniper or Sage’s.
The Main Matchups: Dealing with Threats and General Strategy
[galr=51474]Jirachi will be a crucial de-evolver[/galr]
Sometimes fate can be unkind to decks such as these. While this is certainly capable in dealing with some matchups, there are others that can give me more trouble than it is worth. Like I said, this is a reflection of metagame understanding – dealing with the ‘inbetween’ rogue decks are the most difficult of matchups, but they’re not necessarily impossible ones either. The question, therefore, becomes ‘how is it done?’
Versus Gothitelle, you need to be mindful and always an eye out on their field. Jirachi in this situation will become the most effective way to keep the enemy on their toes. Within the first 1-2 turns, you need to accelerate with as many Trainers as you can, and don’t be afraid to deal out the necessary damage and discard what you have to get further into your deck. Jirachi, even in its fragility, will be your main weapon – continually flood and devolve their field. Keep them on their toes, and always act fast and aggressive in this matchup.
Your main focuses will be Entei-Raikou Legend, Zekrom, and Jirachi. Keep a count of their evolutionary statuses and stay constantly mindful of their rare candy counts. Many Gothitelle players quickly evolve using Rare Candy, so exploit that by constantly devolving with Time Hollow when enough damage is there to set them back. Do not be afraid to lose your Jirachis, because the more they devolve, the easier your matchup will be.
Versus Typhlosion, you simply need to shut down those Typhlosions. Stack your hand with an Entei-Raikou Legend the fastest you can, and wait. Spread energies around on your field to keep your opponent’s suspicion of your deck off guard by keeping a centralized network of Outraging Zekroms and Tornaduses. Because of that, they will be very careful to maintain a modest energy count to prevent being knocked out by Hurricanes and then being struck by Outrages.
The optimal times to strike down ERL are at moments of a full Bench. A fast Typhlosion player will usually have 1-2 open spots for the ‘just in case’. Fill your bench and force him into a field control match by putting down all your Zekroms and Tornaduses, save for one for a Legend Box slot. Save your Seeker for the ERL. If you can successfully hit a Thunder Fall on their Typhlosions, the matchup becomes infinitely easier. Time Hollow will easily knock out any Cyndaquils and Quilavas that remain, forcing your opponent to work with a field of Afterburnered Reshirams versus an Entei-Raikou Legend. This is the moment where you should use Seeker: retreat ERL after it gets hit by Blue Flare (assuming it isn’t knocked out) and use Seeker to heal it, and then once again, wait.
Versus ZPST, you’ll want to play it prudently. Instead of a board-based game with Typhlosion-Reshiram, you’ll want to play a speed-based game. Goad them into accelerating by aiming for two Zekroms and a Shaymin with your Collector as soon as you can. This will force the Zekrom player in return attempt to accelerate to his best. The one who accelerates first is the one who will usually win the mirror match. Make your opponent think he is playing a mirror match – keep all Twins and Legend Boxes in your hand for now, and definitely make it look like you’re looking for a Pachirisu.
The faster he accelerates, the faster he’ll have to rely on Shaymins and Pachirisus. Press him into playing even faster by playing aggressive moves, and he’ll start responding. 20 damage Outrages are great ways to throw Zekrom players off, as sometimes they over think. It is not odd to see 1-2 Pachirisus and a Shaymin in play on their field because they think they’ll be trading prize cards. In that case, use Thunder Falls. Then, if he doesn’t knock out ERLs, retreat and Seeker, or build up a Zekrom of your own. Alternatively, a Bolt Strike will put them in Detonation Spin territory, and if you’ve been playing your cards right (pun intended), then you can use Legend Box 2-3 times to get another set up (if you have the other two halves). Then, you can start trading hits, and this time, you’ll usually be 2-3 prizes ahead.
Versus Yanmega / Magnezone, you’ll want to keep a close eye on their setup and starter. If they begin with a Yanmega, start burning through your decks with Juniper’s, Sage’s, Records, and Legends Boxes for an Entei-Raikou Legend. Choke your bench out with Zekroms, and force the opponent to play either a risky game of Outrage trades (Outraging the opponent’s Yanmega Primes against their Sonicbooms) or have them start tanking for a Magnezone prime.
Because of Yanmega Prime’s fragility in the wake of multiple Zekroms, they’ll start putting energy onto their meatier Pokemon. Most, if not all of these larger Pokemon, frankly, have Poke-Powers, and that puts all of them within prime (again, pun intended) Thunder Fall and Time Hollow range. Get rid of that, and then aim towards a mix of Detonation Spins and Outrages to try and clean up the rest of the prizes.
Your major challenge will be dealing with Judge plays, as it makes hoarding an ERL a very difficult thing to do. However, you need not fret. You need to be mindful of the opponent’s hand and bench setup. There is no easy way to get around a hefty Judge string, but you should be fine for the majority of the game.
Versus Ross Variants, there is no set strategy. They will, without a doubt, aim to set up a Vileplume through a candy. If so, then luck is on your side. If they do, then the chances of them setting up a Reuniclus will be through normal evolutions. Single-attachment Time Hollows can disrupt the opponent’s candy count, and force them a manual, and time-heavy setup, especially if they get a Plume lock early. Again, flood your field with Zekroms and Tornadus to convince your opponent that you’re playing a ZPST deck.
From there, they should be aiming to bring out the Zekrom counter. They will, however, seek to do this through a self-imposed Plume lock. The reason is simple: they would want to tank, and therefore they cannot have Zekroms or Tornadus hitting Solosises, Duosions and Reuniclus for one-shots through Catcher. As such, they need to be convinced that a Plume lock as fast as possible is the best way to go. This is in your advantage.
Maintain a steady Tornadus and Zekrom chain. If they set up, be very, very careful about their playing board. Do not attempt to take knock outs just yet. Only attempt to do so when they start fielding down a Chansey. If they do, aim to get a Jirachi and devolve with all your might. A few Hurricanes will definitely flood the field with more than just a Zekrom, and so they will be forced to put some damage on their Vileplumes and Reunicluses temporarily. Always be wary, and be careful of the self-imposed KO.
Suicune-Entei Legend is not a threat in this matchup – Entei-Raikou Legend will knock that Pokemon out with only two energy, so you opponent will not be putting that card out. In a nutshell, this deck is your hardest foe.
Versus Gothitelle, you need to be mindful and always an eye out on their field. Jirachi in this situation will become the most effective way to keep the enemy on their toes. Within the first 1-2 turns, you need to accelerate with as many Trainers as you can, and don’t be afraid to deal out the necessary damage and discard what you have to get further into your deck. Jirachi, even in its fragility, will be your main weapon – continually flood and devolve their field. Keep them on their toes, and always act fast and aggressive in this matchup.
Your main focuses will be Entei-Raikou Legend, Zekrom, and Jirachi. Keep a count of their evolutionary statuses and stay constantly mindful of their rare candy counts. Many Gothitelle players quickly evolve using Rare Candy, so exploit that by constantly devolving with Time Hollow when enough damage is there to set them back. Do not be afraid to lose your Jirachis, because the more they devolve, the easier your matchup will be.
Versus Typhlosion, you simply need to shut down those Typhlosions. Stack your hand with an Entei-Raikou Legend the fastest you can, and wait. Spread energies around on your field to keep your opponent’s suspicion of your deck off guard by keeping a centralized network of Outraging Zekroms and Tornaduses. Because of that, they will be very careful to maintain a modest energy count to prevent being knocked out by Hurricanes and then being struck by Outrages.
The optimal times to strike down ERL are at moments of a full Bench. A fast Typhlosion player will usually have 1-2 open spots for the ‘just in case’. Fill your bench and force him into a field control match by putting down all your Zekroms and Tornaduses, save for one for a Legend Box slot. Save your Seeker for the ERL. If you can successfully hit a Thunder Fall on their Typhlosions, the matchup becomes infinitely easier. Time Hollow will easily knock out any Cyndaquils and Quilavas that remain, forcing your opponent to work with a field of Afterburnered Reshirams versus an Entei-Raikou Legend. This is the moment where you should use Seeker: retreat ERL after it gets hit by Blue Flare (assuming it isn’t knocked out) and use Seeker to heal it, and then once again, wait.
Versus ZPST, you’ll want to play it prudently. Instead of a board-based game with Typhlosion-Reshiram, you’ll want to play a speed-based game. Goad them into accelerating by aiming for two Zekroms and a Shaymin with your Collector as soon as you can. This will force the Zekrom player in return attempt to accelerate to his best. The one who accelerates first is the one who will usually win the mirror match. Make your opponent think he is playing a mirror match – keep all Twins and Legend Boxes in your hand for now, and definitely make it look like you’re looking for a Pachirisu.
The faster he accelerates, the faster he’ll have to rely on Shaymins and Pachirisus. Press him into playing even faster by playing aggressive moves, and he’ll start responding. 20 damage Outrages are great ways to throw Zekrom players off, as sometimes they over think. It is not odd to see 1-2 Pachirisus and a Shaymin in play on their field because they think they’ll be trading prize cards. In that case, use Thunder Falls. Then, if he doesn’t knock out ERLs, retreat and Seeker, or build up a Zekrom of your own. Alternatively, a Bolt Strike will put them in Detonation Spin territory, and if you’ve been playing your cards right (pun intended), then you can use Legend Box 2-3 times to get another set up (if you have the other two halves). Then, you can start trading hits, and this time, you’ll usually be 2-3 prizes ahead.
Versus Yanmega / Magnezone, you’ll want to keep a close eye on their setup and starter. If they begin with a Yanmega, start burning through your decks with Juniper’s, Sage’s, Records, and Legends Boxes for an Entei-Raikou Legend. Choke your bench out with Zekroms, and force the opponent to play either a risky game of Outrage trades (Outraging the opponent’s Yanmega Primes against their Sonicbooms) or have them start tanking for a Magnezone prime.
Because of Yanmega Prime’s fragility in the wake of multiple Zekroms, they’ll start putting energy onto their meatier Pokemon. Most, if not all of these larger Pokemon, frankly, have Poke-Powers, and that puts all of them within prime (again, pun intended) Thunder Fall and Time Hollow range. Get rid of that, and then aim towards a mix of Detonation Spins and Outrages to try and clean up the rest of the prizes.
Your major challenge will be dealing with Judge plays, as it makes hoarding an ERL a very difficult thing to do. However, you need not fret. You need to be mindful of the opponent’s hand and bench setup. There is no easy way to get around a hefty Judge string, but you should be fine for the majority of the game.
Versus Ross Variants, there is no set strategy. They will, without a doubt, aim to set up a Vileplume through a candy. If so, then luck is on your side. If they do, then the chances of them setting up a Reuniclus will be through normal evolutions. Single-attachment Time Hollows can disrupt the opponent’s candy count, and force them a manual, and time-heavy setup, especially if they get a Plume lock early. Again, flood your field with Zekroms and Tornadus to convince your opponent that you’re playing a ZPST deck.
From there, they should be aiming to bring out the Zekrom counter. They will, however, seek to do this through a self-imposed Plume lock. The reason is simple: they would want to tank, and therefore they cannot have Zekroms or Tornadus hitting Solosises, Duosions and Reuniclus for one-shots through Catcher. As such, they need to be convinced that a Plume lock as fast as possible is the best way to go. This is in your advantage.
Maintain a steady Tornadus and Zekrom chain. If they set up, be very, very careful about their playing board. Do not attempt to take knock outs just yet. Only attempt to do so when they start fielding down a Chansey. If they do, aim to get a Jirachi and devolve with all your might. A few Hurricanes will definitely flood the field with more than just a Zekrom, and so they will be forced to put some damage on their Vileplumes and Reunicluses temporarily. Always be wary, and be careful of the self-imposed KO.
Suicune-Entei Legend is not a threat in this matchup – Entei-Raikou Legend will knock that Pokemon out with only two energy, so you opponent will not be putting that card out. In a nutshell, this deck is your hardest foe.
An Article in Review: Noble Victories
[galr=52453]N will be a critical help and hindrance, but only time and further testing will tell[/galr]
This article is written, and the deck was constructed, in a pre-Noble Victories setting. Therefore, the limitations – and these are great – are that this presumes a constant top-deck metagame, a powerful and yet consistently predictable top cut list and an array of weaker but generally combatable rogues. With the advent of a new set released, it is always a difficult thing to see if certain decks will ‘make the cut’. As such, it is important to reflect on some aspects of the Noble Victories metagame that may or may not be extremely important for this deck.
Possibly the most important card to be released that will both hinder and aid with this deck is Super Rod. As stated earlier, Flower Shop Lady is a shuffle-back Supporter. Super Rod, in comparison, is a shuffle-back Trainer. The difference is crucial because you can continue to play a Supporter, and this can speed up the deck play significantly.
The next big piece is N. N, in this situation, will be both advantageous and difficult to counter. Judge is a bad card to combat, but it tends to be used in only a few decks (Stage 1 Rush and Yanmega / Magnezone being the major ones). The problem with N is that its use is so versatile, it can be used in almost any slower deck. Its capacity, therefore, can be crippling at critical junctures.
Eviolite deserves a mention as a card that can wreck the Zekrom prize-sweep matchup quite badly. If the opponent chooses to attach to Shaymin and Zekrom, then the difficulty comes in trying to take the Shaymin before it has a chance to be brought back with a Super Scoop Up or a Seeker. Zekrom is also a problem, as it reduces self damage by 20, putting him outside of Detonation Spin’s range. The match for Zekrom will, unquestionably, become much more difficult with the inclusion of Eviolite.
In conclusion, this has been more of a review of a decklist and its machinations than an actual traditional deck article. As stated, this is an article for those who are more familiar with deck-building, and attempts to give insight into the mechanics of varying strategies and differing modes of play.
First, it looks at the specific major cards themselves, showing distinct and unique inclusions such as Legend Box, Jirachi, and ERL itself. It seeks to explain the logic and play-style invoked in these cards, which despite their general limited use outside of the deck, can shine within the deck amicably.
Second, this article attempts to look at the major match ups of how a strategy such as an engine-killer works. It looks at the facets that rely on the fundamentals of proper synergy and deck-building, and seek to explain the strengths of such understanding.
Last, the article addresses the important changes and possible challenges facing the deck in general in the future, and how particular cards may play an important role in challenging the efficacy of this deck’s strategy.
I hope you enjoyed reading this, and at the very least, you have found some points interesting.
Possibly the most important card to be released that will both hinder and aid with this deck is Super Rod. As stated earlier, Flower Shop Lady is a shuffle-back Supporter. Super Rod, in comparison, is a shuffle-back Trainer. The difference is crucial because you can continue to play a Supporter, and this can speed up the deck play significantly.
The next big piece is N. N, in this situation, will be both advantageous and difficult to counter. Judge is a bad card to combat, but it tends to be used in only a few decks (Stage 1 Rush and Yanmega / Magnezone being the major ones). The problem with N is that its use is so versatile, it can be used in almost any slower deck. Its capacity, therefore, can be crippling at critical junctures.
Eviolite deserves a mention as a card that can wreck the Zekrom prize-sweep matchup quite badly. If the opponent chooses to attach to Shaymin and Zekrom, then the difficulty comes in trying to take the Shaymin before it has a chance to be brought back with a Super Scoop Up or a Seeker. Zekrom is also a problem, as it reduces self damage by 20, putting him outside of Detonation Spin’s range. The match for Zekrom will, unquestionably, become much more difficult with the inclusion of Eviolite.
In conclusion, this has been more of a review of a decklist and its machinations than an actual traditional deck article. As stated, this is an article for those who are more familiar with deck-building, and attempts to give insight into the mechanics of varying strategies and differing modes of play.
First, it looks at the specific major cards themselves, showing distinct and unique inclusions such as Legend Box, Jirachi, and ERL itself. It seeks to explain the logic and play-style invoked in these cards, which despite their general limited use outside of the deck, can shine within the deck amicably.
Second, this article attempts to look at the major match ups of how a strategy such as an engine-killer works. It looks at the facets that rely on the fundamentals of proper synergy and deck-building, and seek to explain the strengths of such understanding.
Last, the article addresses the important changes and possible challenges facing the deck in general in the future, and how particular cards may play an important role in challenging the efficacy of this deck’s strategy.
I hope you enjoyed reading this, and at the very least, you have found some points interesting.
sychic::dark::metal::colorless: