Naki Feralkin
New Member
Landshark
By: Stephen McGaffney AKA Naki Feralkin
By: Stephen McGaffney AKA Naki Feralkin
A lot of people in the last couple months have been raving over many different cards, whether it be Blaziken FB Level X, Gengar Level X, Spiritomb, Expert Belt, and other such cards. When Supreme Victors was released, a lot of decent cards came out. The most notable ones being of course Blaziken FB Level X, Metagross as a tech for Gengar, and even Garchomp C Level X. But, one card that went unnoticed, for the better part of Battle Roads all around the United states, was Garchomp. Not Cynthia's. Just the normal Stage 2 Garchomp.
The deck was dubbed Landshark by myself because I am an incredibly large Miami Dolphins fan, and in homage to their new stadium, and in the fact that while Garchomp is a dragon type, he still has the appearance of a “Land-Shark” (Triangular dorsal fin, powerful shark like fangs, etc)
What IS “Landshark”?
Landshark is a very defensive oriented deck based around Supreme Victors Garchomp. Its primary attack, Guard Claw, swings fast and for only two energy. This attack does a paltry 40 HP's of damage, but forces the opponent to find ways around the 20 HP's of protection that Guard Claw gives. In addition to this attack, it also forces energies back in the opponents hand with its Pokebody, Dragon Intimidation, which can set up for a very powerful Speed Impact, dealing 120 HP's minus 20 for each energy in play. Primarily figuring out when to use Guard Claw and when to gamble with Speed Impact is a very big part of playing this deck. You can't just haphazardly swing.
This deck also prides itself on recovery, and plays Nidoqueen from Rising Rivals, as well as a playset (4 cards) of Pokehealer+'s. Note that this deck requires a large amount of patience, and not losing this patience at any time. You will find yourself down in prizes an awful lot, and you might even think you are going to lose numerous times. However, once everything is said and done, you have ton's of outs to get yourself back in the game with your opponent having few ways to retort. This deck takes quite some time to get used to, and you may lose countless times before you get it straight. Be patient, be careful, and be smart. This deck does win, you just need to give it some time.
Can you give me a sample list of Landshark?
Sure! But I will warn you that this sample list is a recent test of mine that I've been playing with constantly since the release of Arceus and it has quite a few wrinkles that I'm trying to work out. I warn you now, this sample list is not consistent.. Yet. This is not the list I played at Battle Roads, so its still taking some time to get used to.
3X Gible (SV)
2X Gabite (SV)
3X Garchomp (SV)
1X Garchomp Level X (MD)
1X Nidoran F (RR)
1X Nidorina (RR)
1X Nidoqueen (RR)
2X Baltoy (GE)
2X Claydol (GE)
3X Spiritomb (AR)
1X Chatot (MD)
1X Uxie (LA)
1X Azelf (LA)
2X Unown G (GE)
6X Psychic Energy
4X Call Energy
2X Upper Energy
3X Roseannes Research
4X Bebe's Search
1X Luxury Ball
3X Rare Candy
3X Broken Time Space
4X Pokehealer+
2X Night Maintenance
1X Lucian's Assignment
2X Expert Belt
1X Warp Point
What goes in Landshark?
Primary Pokemon:
GIBLE SV
This is about as basic as it gets. You obviously need Gibles to grow up and become strong Landsharks, so you have to have these guys. Whether you choose 4 or 3 is up to you. I personally think this is the best Gible in the format with chunky HP's at 60, and Sand Attack to stall if you can't start with a Call Energy.
GABITE SV
Your stage one. This slot was actually a toss up between the Supreme Victors Gabite and the Mysterious Treasures one, which I gave to Supreme Victors as being unable to retreat is pretty big in this format right now. Not that you're going to be in this stage for very long, the primary aggression comes from the next guy.
Your primary attacker and the focal point of this deck, the Landshark is what really makes these games. First and foremost, lets take a look at Dragon Intimidation, which despite being pretty corny for a name, is also incredibly fitting. Any time your opponent attacks Garchomp directly, they put an energy back in their hand. In a format where Stage 2's tend to like using 3 energy attacks, this energy can be the deciding factor on whether to put it back on the active to survive a Speed Impact, or to let Garchomp walk on him during his next turn and set something else up. Dragon Intimidation does a lot of things to your opponents head, which also includes adding a card to their hand, making it more difficult to cosmic power, as well. This is very good disruption and it synergizes well with Speed Impact to boot. Obviously, watch out for Dialga G Level X.
Its first attack, Guard Claw, is really what this decks purpose is. Ever since I've seen Garchomp, I've seen a tank. A wall. Something similar to that of Dialga G Level X when he was primary aggro. 40 Damage may not seem like a whole lot, but when your opponent is also limited to the amount of damage they can do, and Flygon cannot one shot a Pokemon that they weak, then problems definitely occur. Also, looking at decks like Gengar and SP lists that have quick, but weaker attacks, Garchomp can shrug these off like they are nothing. This attack also synergizes very well with Nidoqueen, who is really good with the Landshark. You should be using this most of the time during your games, but definitely do not forget your second attack.
Its second attack, Speed Impact is also pretty devastating in its own right, but it can also be a very gambling based attack. What Speed Impact does, is a base damage of 120 HP's for only 3 energies. Obviously, this much damage could never be vanilla for 3 energy, so it has to come with a drawback. The drawback is that it gets weaker for every energy on the defending pokemon. So, if your opponents Flygon has 3 energy on it, it will only do 90 damage (weakness calculated) to the Flygon, not even knocking it out, and putting you at risk for taking a really nasty beating during your next turn, which means you were better off just hitting with Guard Claw and surviving the one shot, to be able to two shot it next turn. The risk here is obviously you don't benefit from the defensive property of Guard Claw, but hit really big in return if your opponent is not ready for it. This attack SHOULD definitely be used, just sparingly and when situations occur. If your opponent is baiting you to use it so they can one shot your Garchomp in the following turn, be patient. Keep him alive and continue swinging safely. But, if your opponent has little defenses at their disposal and is struggling to keep up, then definitely use this attack to waste their resources.
Another good use of Speed Impact is a free kill off of a Cyclone Energy or Warp Point, but again, this is risky if you don't think you can survive an attack during your next turn. You have to set up numerous attackers too, you know.
Don't forget, you also have free Retreat. This means you have very easy routes to cycle your Garchomps for protective heals from Nidoqueen.
Garchomp Level X. A Pokemon we haven't seen in quite some time, and even then, only really in Tier 2 decks and fun and interesting choices. This rebirthing Landshark gives your basic another 10 additional HP's, and gives you a very nasty option versus pesky Gengar decks, not to mention possibly 30 free HP's of spread damage to your opponents bench. This pokemon will get your Nidoqueens back in the game if they are lost haphazardly, and even more Garchomps to boot. Just make sure there's an Unown G saved for this guy.
NIDORAN RR
My opinion on the other necessity of the deck is the Nidoqueen line. Nidoran Female is the first stage of evolution, and I again picked this one as it has the safest amount of HP's.
NIDORINA RR
The stage one Nidorina you need for Nidoqueen. I know there are probably people wondering to themselves as to why I actually chose to use a Nidorina when I play only a single line of Nidoqueen (1-1-1), and this is because I fear Spiritomb and do run Broken Time Space. If I can get to the Nidoqueen through an alternate source, I will definitely waste the extra slot to guarantee my healer every single time. I really just chose this one because it was the only one that was available, but it also does damage, which I cannot say much of the same about Mysterious Treasures.
The main assist of the deck, Nidoqueen. To add to Garchomps defensive attack, Guard Claw, Nidoqueen comes complete with the Maternal Comfort Poke-body, which gradually recovers any HP's in between turns. This may not look like much on paper, but when you take a much more thorough look, it really increases the power that Guard Claw can do. Take a Gyarados swing to the head for 90 damage? Guard Claw reduces that to 70, then before your opponents next turn, you only have 5 damage counters on them. Add to the guard claw of next turn, your opponent then only gets Garchomp to 120 HP's, 10 HP's shy of the KO. (Granted, we know Gyarados does run SOME Crobat, so you need to be smart there), in which Nidoqueen brings you back down to 100. By the time you're at this point, chances are you'll have another Garchomp ready for action, and the other one can return to reserve, becoming healthy again.
Nidoqueen brings a really nasty level of problems to your opponents, forcing them to burn resources and second guess your attacks in order to get kills. Not to mention, she can also swing for up to 100 damage for 3 energy if you should need something without Speed Impact, or even something that doesn't have colorless weakness. She makes a great alternative attacker in this deck, just like she did with Gengar.
BALTOY GE
The Basic form of the most played draw card in the format right now. Not much to say here.
CLAYDOL GE
The most played draw card in the format right now. I know Uxie is up there, but Claydol has seen play in pretty much every single Tier 1 Deck since its release in 2008. I will urge anyone who plays this deck to be careful as to how much you play on your bench, however. Sometimes it is certainly all right to play 2 of them on the field as it benefits from Nidoqueen as well, but other times, you may be giving your opponent a free prize, for instance, Gengar. I usually save one of my Unown G for a Garchomp Level X to keep the aggression going, and the other to a Claydol to keep my draw fluctuating, which means I don't have an Unown G for the other Claydol. But this guy is definitely a requirement in here.
UNOWN G
Unown G is still a staple in most decks if only to keep Claydols safe from pretty much everything except Blower+ and Relicanth. I'd still run 2 of them in here for emergency purposes.
UXIE LA
Emergency Draw. If you don't have a Claydol or a way to get a Claydol, Uxie gets you some pretty quick and much needed draw off a safe Roseanne's/Bebe's/Luxury Ball. Just be warned that Uxie is Gengar Bait every single time.
AZELF LA
Azelf is also a very good thing to have in here, especially after a Roseanne's. You can then gauge if something important is prized, and immediately grab it off of Time Walk. I've managed to get really good and quick draw off of an Azelf before, not even grabbing Uxie because Azelf has snagged me Claydol from my prizes, which I then evolved the next turn (Or immediately, if I had BTS). Azelf is also very good for clutch attack, keeping a tech that may be difficult to counter normally on the field while you set up. Ditto is a good example of this. Just be weary of Gengar, once more.
Tech Pokemon:
These choices are all Pokemon you can decide to run in your lists, or not to run in your lists, but are not required, like the ones I think are above. I won't feed Prevolutions here, I'll let you decide those if you need them.
CHATOT MD
My personal favorite that I always run in this deck. Chatot makes for some very helpful draw off of a bad hand, has free retreat, and can even get rid of pesky dittos. I've actually knocked out the nasty Ditto tech by chattering it to death once, while shrugging off Ditto's copied Chatters with Nidoqueen, keeping my Garchomp's safe from its colorless nonsense.
SPIRITOMB AR
The most recent choice for a tech slot in my deck is this bad boy. Spiritomb paves the way to setting up Nidoqueen and Garchomp even smoother than before while shrugging off opponent attacks. Watching him get KO'd even sets up the Upper Energy, which is also really nice to have. Stalling your opponents candy's and trainers can really push a game in your favor, which is why I don't oppose having Spiritomb in here. But be careful you're not locking your own Garchomps in place with this, either.
RELICANTH SV
Relicanth is another pokemon to consider as he can get you some quick kills off of tool heavy decks, which is even more notable with the increase of Expert Belt in the format. Need a Claydol dropped? Here's your man. The only real rocky part about this guy is you'd need to fit a fighting energy or two in the deck to make him go.
MEWTWO LEVEL X
Mewtwo Level X is not a heavy requirement, but still has a good place in this deck. Garchomp has some serious problems with the early shut down of SP decks, and Mewtwo Level X being around makes these decks think twice. He may not be as efficient as before, since Dialga G Level X is threatening to be big once more with the large outburst of Spiritomb oriented decks in the format, which would make this Psychic Master a little less viable.
EXPLOUD SV
Exploud is another situational tech based on your metagame. Garchomp is a very efficient pokemon in itself versus the colorless matchups, and can hold its own quite well against Pokemon like Flygon and Salamence, however, Flygon looks to be much more threatening now that Expert Belt is in the format, which moves the close call Power Swing (120 damage after Guard Claw) to a 140 HP KO, which is very bad. Exploud makes the swing safe after Guard Claw to a 110. Salamence also looks to be very threatening, hitting very hard with his attacks as well. Exploud comes with a nasty body that won't be ruined by Dialga G Level X (Mence and Flygon don't typically run it in fear of losing their own bodies) and makes these matchups a little bit more favorable.
DUSKNOIR DP
Dusknoir is more for style and show than anything else. He pans out rather well with the Cyclone Energy/Warp Point combo, and can also attack off a Psychic based energy lineup and can do some nasty things to your opponents field.
WEAVILE SW
Weavile is the last viable tech for this deck. While I don't heavily suggest him as you'd need to fix your energies to fit a dark oriented perspective, some Special Darks can turn your 40 damage (or 60 if you run Expert Belt) Guard Claw into a 60 damage (or 80) Guard Claw, which can really do some hurt to your opponents side of the field. I don't heavily suggest this, as it really wounds your energy ratio, but its something to at least consider.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Energy:
CALL ENERGY
One of my favorite cards in the game right here. Call Energy is fantastic in Garchomp not only because it seeks out your basics, but also because you can safely put it on Gible/Gabite/Garchomp without it ruining your setup. I highly recommend 4 of these in mostly all decks, but most notably in Garchomp as it is colorless oriented and is not hindered by these in any way, shape, or form.
UPPER ENERGY
Upper Energy is another prime card for this deck. While I don't overload Garchomp with them, I know some people like having a large amount of Upper, which is fine. As Garchomp does have some times that it likes falling behind, Upper is truly beneficial for getting a crucial Guard Claw with no energies on the bench, or even setting up for a OHKO Speed Impact. I recommend only 2, but some people will disagree and run 3 or even 4. Choose what you think works, but definitely consider Upper in your list .
CYCLONE ENERGY
Cyclone Energy is not in my list, but it is something to consider. It can grab you a free prize from Speed Impact, and it still doubles as an energy to use on Garchomp.
sychicSYCHIC ENERGYsychic:My personal preferrence for basic energy type in this deck. Don't think for a minute that you don't run any basic energy, as Nidoqueen is still perfectly capable of attacking, and you can't rebirth any energies if you run all specials. If you run a healthy amount of Psychic (5 to 7 is fine), you can bounce back some critical Garchomp's or even a Nidoqueen ready to go every other turn. You could opt for Fighting if you decided a Machamp or Relicanth route, or Darkness if you favor Weavile, but I think Psychic is the best bet, seeing as how tightly knit Garchomp and Nidoqueen are.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trainers/Supporters:
ROSEANNE'S RESEARCH
Roseanne's is without a doubt one of my favorite cards in the game and in my opinion, a priority in every competitive deck. She gets rid of potential whiffs from Claydol, she fixes your energy, grabs you a Uxie, sets up your Claydol/Nidoqueen/Garchomp, or other things I may not have even mentioned. Roseanne's is important in this deck just like it is in any other deck. I run 3, but most of the time I max them out.
BEBE'S SEARCH
She's definitely no Celio's Network, but she still fixes your Claydol draws. Another priority in pretty much every deck nowadays. Even SP runs one or two of these in their decks simply because they may find themselves in need of a Claydol/Ninetales/Banette.
LUXURY BALL
There is simply no reason to not run this card. Its a free Bebe's and a wonderful thing to draw into.
POKEDRAWER+
Pokedrawer+ is not in my most recent build, but it has been in here before, and it is definitely something to consider. It gives you a free -1 to the deck, or even better if you can grab two of these guys, which can be fantastic whether it is the early or late game. I've gotten some really sick top decks off Drawer+'s before, but its mostly there for that double Computer Search we all know and love. But why cut it? Spiritomb, whether it is in Garchomp or isn't in Garchomp, turns it into a dead draw sitting in your hand killing space. You can certainly play it later, but without it there, you just have more room for other cards now.
POKEHEALER+
Healer+, on the other hand, is a must have for a defensive deck such as this. While Spiritomb does do the same thing to this card as it does for Drawer, Healer typically does stay in your hand until its needed, and chances are you will not be seeing Spiritomb for an entire game, being capable to drop this card when it is needed, and wiping 80 off of a Garchomp that was just dealt 100 damage can in fact be game breaking, especially with Nidoqueen down.
BROKEN TIME-SPACE
BTS becomes even more important in a deck like this now that Spiritomb is hitting the field. Being unable to play those Rare Candies in the early game makes BTS all the more viable in a Stage 2 deck, even if you're playing your own Spiritomb.
RARE CANDY
Even with Spiritomb, theres no reason to not run Rare Candy. It still provides great late game support which can link very well off Night Maintenance, and Spiritomb doesn't get seen that often in the late game, so I would still definitely run Candy, even if you are up against Spiritomb.
WARP POINT
Good for a free kill or getting something out of there that doesn't need to be there anymore. Also goes for a stuck Claydol that's being harassed by Stallgon.
NIGHT MAINTENANCE
Still an amazing card in format right now. This card still gets back what you can't rebirth (Whether by a threatening Flygon Level X or just not having the Level X) and gets critical cards back in the deck.
LUCIAN'S ASSIGNMENT
Lucian's Assignment is mostly a trick card. I'd never play more than what is needed (1 or 2) but it's great if you're losing a Garchomp fast and need a fresh Garchomp with no energies to get into the active position and fast.
EXPERT BELT
Expert Belt is a nice new addition to Landshark. Giving Garchomp now 150 HP's and making Guard Claw do 60 more damage really makes the tanking properties of this tough guy even more ridiculous. It also makes the Beltgon and Kingdra matchups a little less one-sided. I would never run more than what is needed, and I wouldn't just dump them on Garchomp immediately upon playing one, either, as Expert Belt still merits your opponent 2 prizes on KO. Wait until you're certain you need it before dropping it, not to mention Relicanth is still floating around.
CYNTHIA'S FEELINGS
My favorite draw card in the format right now. If you do happen to lose a Garchomp ever, Cynthia will reward you with a fresh hand of 8, which can be very beneficial with a Night Maintenance in your hand before the Cynthia's. I recommend 1 or 2 if you can fit them in.
How does Landshark matchup against other powerful decks?
Well, Landshark in my opinion can take many of the most powerful decks in the format right now, but this is reliant on patience, and it does have some bad matchups. When I put down matchups here, note that this is based on personal experience, not constant testing against decks. I will admit I am being hypothetical on some as I haven't had the opportunity to play these decks yet, just how I see the matchup pan out.
Landshark VS. Kingdra (45/55)
Kingdra I think is by far one of the hardest matchups to pull through in the game right now. Kingdra has become a more recent contender, special thanks to Expert Belt giving it much improved damage and HP's. Winning this matchup will be about matching its damage dealt with defense and recovery, which means you need to be able to wall this jerk as long as possible. Kingdra has some new tricks up its sleeve, with Expert Belt, which means that it now can do even more damage and at the same ridiculous speed as usual. A bad start can spell doom for you against this guy.
However, if you can manage a set up quickly, or get a Spiritomb, you can significantly slow it down. Playing your own Expert Belts means you can match its damage, and buff your own HP to 150. With good Guard Claws and Nidoqueens, you can make Kingdra take up to 4 turns (Off of Queen Body, Guard Claw and Healers) to finally get rid of a Landshark, which can also be swiftly wiped away with Pokehealer+'s. Your Spiritomb lock can be evaded by an early Regice which Kingdra can play, however, so be weary and lay extra Spiritombs if you fear that occurring. Patience can win you the match here, as Garchomp had a superior matchup against Kingdra before Expert Belt. Do NOT get hasty with Speed Impact here. Kingdra can leave some serious dents in a Garchomp. Unless you can get a nice trade off from an Expert Belt KO, be very careful how you Speed Impact.
Landshark VS. Gengar (50/50)
This matchup was one of my favorite matchups in the game. I have a winning record against it, but this is another very patient, very careful game. The biggest issue that is standing between Landshark and a better matchup is Fainting Spell, and any occurrences of early prizes (Whether it comes from a Shadow Roomed Azelf/Uxie)
So, how do you get around Fainting Spell? Well, this is one situation where the Cyclone/Free KO thing can really come to good use. The whole way of keeping yourself a winner here is to simply keep the game at a tie or better. Not an easy task, but why I say this is because if you're keeping the hurt on Gengar's, KO'ing them at a decent pace, you can recover from them just as fast, if not faster than Gengar can, and if your field is absolutely perfect, Gengar will never be getting any more than 10 HP's off of you before their next turn. Shadow Room? Irrelevant. Your Claydol is going to be G'd, and the only other pokemon that you have that can be hit really hard by it is Garchomp LX, which should also have a G on it at all times. This then leaves the opponent to Poltergeist, which you also can avoid by keeping your hand devoid of Trainers/Supporters. Pokehealer+'s are okay, because if you have two, that means its only 60 damage done, which can be wiped to 40 by their next turn, and eventually you'll have used them too if the damage gets too large. Late game you can safely burn trainers/supporters (Except Bebe's, which I will explain momentarily) to keep your hand size down as well.
So, how do you keep the game tied with Fainting Spell? Garchomp Level X. The Level X allows you to Rebirth any pokemon back into the game at full health with up to 3 energies on it. Which means you have a pokemon right back in play with the same stuff on it that was there when it was KO'd by Fainting Spell. Obviously, this doesn't include non-basic energies, but I'm sure you can find a way around that. Gengar Level X does make this a bit more of a headache, but if they don't have a Nidoqueen around, those Dragon Pulse powers can really add up. Any time they fail a Fainting Spell flip, you're up another prize, so keep yourself safe and don't give your opponent any unneeded prizes, and you win this game with no trouble. Speed Impact is your primary source of aggression here. No need to Guard Claw when it doesn't do much damage in return, in addition to only doing 20 damage to a deck that ALSO runs Nidoqueen.
Landshark VS. Flygon (Variable)
I say this is Variable because of how many different Flygon decks there are out there. Initially, I thought Landshark had the upper hand, but Flygon has proven itself more and more powerful with each progressive set. I don't think the Dragonfly is very happy that Garchomp took his type mix (Ground/Dragon) and is dominating the VG scene, so he's fighting back with a vengeance. Flygon initially was a pretty favorable matchup against Landshark, because Garchomp could wall off Power Swings while still doing 70 damage with Guard Claw. Power Swing can now swing for a lot more thanks to Expert Belt, putting Garchomp back into the OHKO range even with Guard Claw at its disposal. Whats worse is Flygon can use Spiritomb at its disposal, taking advantage of the forced BTS's, then Sand Walling a BTS that the opponent may use. It doesn't need to use BTS, its evolving off of Spiritombs Phione attack.
If you find Dragons becoming frustrating, Exploud can definitely make the matchup a little bit more favorable, taking you right back out of OHKO range, and still be capable of 2 shotting a Flygon, even without Expert Belt. (Flygon only has 140 HP's with Expert Belt, and Guard Claw does 70 HP's of damage after weakness. Do the math. And then you get two free prizes. Yay!) But don't forget that Flygon can run Exploud too, which can tilt the matchup.
Stallgon can be a little bit more agitating, as you don't have a lot of answers to its milling technique. You can Warp Point out of it, but that can only be done so many times.
Also, don't even think about Leveling up in this game. Flygon Level X will make you regret it almost immediately.
Flygon decks are all variable. You can win some, but you may also lose some. Its hard to gauge how this deck pans out against it just based on how Flygon gets played.
SP Toolbox (60/40)
I think Toolbox is a very good matchup for Garchomp. I will admit I had some problems against it before, but I also wasn't expecting the deck when I played Garchomp. I teched accordingly against it and I won every game against it afterward. It carried no answer to Mewtwo and once he hit the field, the deck had nothing. I got rid of Ditto's through Chatot and Azelf, baiting them out with Garchomp, then free retreated to one of those two to finish it off. The main issue here is the power lock from Power Spray, which can turn off your early game if you're not careful. Problem with a Toolbox variant now is that Spiritomb really slows down its ridiculous speed. No Power Sprays, no SP Radars, no Poketurns, no E-gains. Unless it runs Dialga G Level X, this matchup isn't too problematic.
Blazeray (Blaziken FB/Luxray GL) (50/50)
This is one SP deck that was not phased much by Spiritomb. Blaziken FB doesn't worry about Spiritomb as he just throws him to the bench, keeping your trainer lock from phasing it too much. With clever retreating principles and the like, however, you can continue the lock if you're smart. The issue with this deck is that it hits relatively hard and won't focus on your wall to hurt you. Luxray and Blaziken will go after your techs. Nidoqueen and Claydol, to be blunt. You can hit them relatively hard as well, as Speed Impact will do a lot to them without any true worry of retort, so this matchup will be a true shoot-out. Forget Patience here, you need to hit them faster than they can wipe you.
Mewtwo Level X Is a good card for this matchup, but most of the Blazeray's I've seen recently do tech Dialga G Level X just for Mewtwo. Be weary.
Gyarados (40/60)
This is a HARD matchup. But its very winnable too. This is the true epitome of patience. You can be down 3 prizes and still pull back to beat this deck, but you need to be able to cycle Garchomps and even be ready to sacrifice things if needed. Spiritomb won't do you that much against this deck as Spiritomb locks during the early game. When you go to knock out Gyarados', you won't have a Spiritomb there to stop the Pokemon Rescue, which means one will come back pretty much every single time. And as tempted as you may be to start Speed Impacting to one shot it, realise that you can slowly kill them just as fast as they whittle you down. If you do some smart math, you can keep your Garchomps alive while cycling them back and forth while Queen heals them up. Just don't forget that you can see some Crobat G's, so play Devil's advocate as needed and keep track of Poketurns and Crobat G's as well as bench space. This matchup is complete patience. Do NOT Speed Impact at all. The other problem this matchup poses is that Gyarados will run Warp Points and Cyclone's to keep you from staying in the active position for too long. It prides itself on that free kill strategy listed above, so be ready for that. This game will be long as Gyarados sports 130 nasty HP's and will be laying some hurt on you throughout the entire game.
Beedrill (50/50)
I used to really hate this matchup, but I'm currently 3-0 versus it because of a few things.
1.Beedrill cannot one shot a Garchomp. Ever. It can two shot it, but not one shot it. 120 HP's is rough to get through, and if you're paying attention to their field, they may not even two shot it.
2.Bees will NEVER survive a Speed Impact to the face following a Band Attack. The energy will return to the hand and they'll be left with nothing.
This matchup is a true shoot out of survival and smart play. Both sides have free retreat, but you have Nidoqueen, and most likely a few Lucian's. Once they start losing Bee's, you begin accelerating in prizes, and their damage starts to wane. Eventually you can even Guard Claw to keep them from doing a lot of damage altogether. Stay ahead and you win this game. Spiritomb also makes this matchup more favorable as most Beedrill lists run a literal crap ton of trainers. Just watch out for Luxray GL Level X, as he will hurt you.
Any last words about Landshark?
Not too many. I just want to say that Landshark is a fantastic deck to anyone willing to learn it, and has the patience to deal with the clunk that it sometimes brings. Try it, have fun with it. If you don't like it, try something else! Thats the awesome thing about this game. You can test things to your hearts desire until you find something you like. I love defensive games where I know I'm in control and my opponent is frustrated that theres little to do about it. You may like quick victories. That's what is sweet about Pokemon.
I would love for you to try this deck and give some feedback, whether it is good or bad. Maybe you don't like it? Cool. Maybe its too slow and doesn't cater to your taste? Maybe you have a different idea on how to make it run? Sweet. Try it to your hearts content and leave feedback, I'm all ears.
Landshark and this article has been a Team 330 Production, where Ground and Dragon types are always a sweet mix.
Last edited by a moderator:
