Lets talk about the OTHER Luxray (LA)

[FLCLFANMAN]

I just made a deck w/ this and Magnezone (SF) and finish a respectable 3-1 (4th ) at the BR I took it to.

Luxray loves this meta since BlazeRay/BlazeApe/LuxApe are so vibrant. Also Luxray GL techs in everything almost guarantees Luxray (LA) has a target for his body.

Also Shock Bolt + Poison Structure= Dead Gengars/Beedrills

Luxray's main challenge is Flygon and Machamp, but thats nothing a little Sunnyshore cant try to fix.

Discuss

 

[Kayle]

Luxray LA takes a lot of skill and luck to run. The Shinx makes it a relatively quick stage 2 (Shock Bolt T2), but the tech required to get energy consistently is a pain. One of the players here ran a Luxray deck for a long time after it came out; it destroyed everything, but he's switched a lot out since the SP Pokemon made their show and now he doesn't have them anymore.

The main problems I see are:
- You have to tech in something like Rayquaza LA or Electivire SW, both of which are deliciously good eats for BlazeRay/LuxApe.
- A single power lock kills you if played well, as does a well-timed Power Spray on whatever Pokemon you use to get energy back. If you run Energy Pickup as well as your techs, well, then you have a 50% chance to be okay. Yeah.
- Flygon loves your Sunyshores.
- SP decks love your Shinx.
- Dialga laughs at your Rivalry (you can't OHKO Dialga G Lv. X and Dialga G can cause a lot of problems for you with Remove Lost)

I did see a fairly successful Luxray deck at States last year though. So I may be missing something.

 

[FLCLFANMAN]

Luxray LA takes a lot of skill and luck to run. The Shinx makes it a relatively quick stage 2 (Shock Bolt T2), but the tech required to get energy consistently is a pain. One of the players here ran a Luxray deck for a long time after it came out; it destroyed everything, but he's switched a lot out since the SP Pokemon made their show and now he doesn't have them anymore.

The main problems I see are:
- You have to tech in something like Rayquaza LA or Electivire SW, both of which are deliciously good eats for BlazeRay/LuxApe.( No I dont, I said I use Magnezone SF with Electromatic Connectivity. Once I set up a Shoick Bolt I can keep doing it as long as I have an extra energy to attach)
- A single power lock kills you if played well, as does a well-timed Power Spray on whatever Pokemon you use to get energy back. If you run Energy Pickup as well as your techs, well, then you have a 50% chance to be okay. Yeah. Chance I'm willing to take, Beside I only need 2 energy to do 40 (90 if An X is on the field) Well worth the risk
- Flygon loves your Sunyshores. But he hates my Rivalry, 130 is nothing to scoff at, especially when I warp him to the bench and smack anyone they bring up
- SP decks love your Shinx. (chance you have to take. If your fast enouh you should have a T2 Luxio or Luxray
- Dialga laughs at your Rivalry (you can't OHKO Dialga G Lv. X and Dialga G can cause a lot of problems for you with Remove Lost) (My[ Dark Palm Dusknoir tech laughs at Dialga G)/B]

I did see a fairly successful Luxray deck at States last year though. So I may be missing something. Magnezone SF with Nidoqueen or Blissey techs REALLY make this deck viable

Replies in quotes. You might have your doubts, but Sp lvl Xs are EVERYWHERE and Luxray owns them if he gets a chance to attack. A well time knock out will ruin their tempo.

 

[Austino]

I actually ran it with manetric PT for a while. Attract Current can be beneficial at times, and power wave weakens some sp pokes for you while preventing bench attacks.

 

[ShuckleLVX]

I played this deck ALL last year, culminating in a top cut at Regionals. For me, it worked best using Rayquaza LA and Energy Links. Make sure to remember that you dont need to be hitting a LvX to get the extra 50. As long as your opponent has any LvX in play anywhere, you get the bonus. So relying on Luxray GLX to get a LvX to hit isnt needed. Not to say the Luxray isnt useful!

I have tried it with Magnezone instead (4-4 at nats), but found the extra stage 2 to be clunkier. Gengar still takes it out in 2 hits, and Ray is easier to recycle.

As for Dialga X, yeah, he hurts by shutting of Rivalry, but you are resistant to him, and a single Shock Bolt, even without Rivalry, leaves him scared, so he eaither needs to Poketurn out, or get KO'd next turn. My experience against him was limited to Legos, so their choices were attack with Dialga (Who I would 2 shot, and regain use of Rivalry) or with Palkia, who I one shot with weakness.

 

[Kayle]

Replies in quotes. You might have your doubts, but Sp lvl Xs are EVERYWHERE and Luxray owns them if he gets a chance to attack. A well time knock out will ruin their tempo.

You make me so happy that I have four Luxray LA.

 

[FLCLFANMAN]

I played this deck ALL last year, culminating in a top cut at Regionals. For me, it worked best using Rayquaza LA and Energy Links. Make sure to remember that you dont need to be hitting a LvX to get the extra 50. As long as your opponent has any LvX in play anywhere, you get the bonus. So relying on Luxray GLX to get a LvX to hit isnt needed. Not to say the Luxray isnt useful!

I have tried it with Magnezone instead (4-4 at nats), but found the extra stage 2 to be clunkier. Gengar still takes it out in 2 hits, and Ray is easier to recycle.

As for Dialga X, yeah, he hurts by shutting of Rivalry, but you are resistant to him, and a single Shock Bolt, even without Rivalry, leaves him scared, so he eaither needs to Poketurn out, or get KO'd next turn. My experience against him was limited to Legos, so their choices were attack with Dialga (Who I would 2 shot, and regain use of Rivalry) or with Palkia, who I one shot with weakness.

A 4-4 Magnezone sounds too clunky, thats why I run a 2-1-2 line and a 3-2-3 Luxray line. I tech a 1-0-1 Dusknoir tech for threat like Dialga G x and Flygon X. I also tech Mr Mime to use with Magnezone's Gyro Ball (hit for 60 and switch to a temporary wall? Awesome)

Even If Luxray GL drags something up, almost everything has free/low retreat and an early Luxray can at least plasma for 90. Magnezone just makes it easier to do Shock Bolt every turn for MASSIVE DAMAGE! :lol:

 

[ShuckleLVX]

4-4? It was clunky with 1-1-1.

 

[baby mario]

Luxray seems like it should be awesome. Unfortunately, even when AMU was everywhere, and before Dialga G came out, Luxray wasn't all that great.

The HP is slightly under par, and the Weakness isn't great, but the real problem is managing the Energy discard, which forces you to clunk up your deck with stuff like Rayquaza, Electivire, or Magnezone and Energy Link.

Energy Link is a real pain to play too. Unsearchable, you need 2, and when the Pokemon gets KO'd, you've lost it for good. If only Lighning Pokemon had a Stark Mountain to use . . .

Sunnyshore helps a bit, I suppose, but I don't think Flygon players will be TOO upset to see it hit the Field . . .

 

[Deoxys Cool Form]

Energy accelaration is horrid though.

All there is, is Togakiss ( Yuck another stage 2 and power spray bait ), Rotom MD ( Yay a free prize for them! ), or Rayquaza ( Prob the best but flippy. I wouldn't want to rely on a flip for games...). And even Zone is horrid. A stage 2 and you need the energy link.

I love it to but face it it's too slow...

 

[FLCLFANMAN]

Luxray seems like it should be awesome. Unfortunately, even when AMU was everywhere, and before Dialga G came out, Luxray wasn't all that great.

The HP is slightly under par, and the Weakness isn't great, but the real problem is managing the Energy discard, which forces you to clunk up your deck with stuff like Rayquaza, Electivire, or Magnezone and Energy Link.

Energy Link is a real pain to play too. Unsearchable, you need 2, and when the Pokemon gets KO'd, you've lost it for good. If only Lighning Pokemon had a Stark Mountain to use . . .

Sunnyshore helps a bit, I suppose, but I don't think Flygon players will be TOO upset to see it hit the Field . . .

I agree the Electivire Energy Link approach is WAY too slow. Magnezone SF puts it right on Luxray so all you need is an extra energy in hand to do constant Shock Bolts. The only problem is not hitting you rare candies or Luxios by T2 to "protect" your shinxs form donks.

I had all the doubts you have before when I tried this with energy link, but Magneray is much more consistent IMO.

Back to back posts merged. The following information has been added:

Energy accelaration is horrid though.

All there is, is Togakiss ( Yuck another stage 2 and power spray bait ), Rotom MD ( Yay a free prize for them! ), or Rayquaza ( Prob the best but flippy. I wouldn't want to rely on a flip for games...). And even Zone is horrid. A stage 2 and you need the energy link.

I love it to but face it it's too slow...

No you don't read the power, put in on the active poke (Luxray) and put a damge counter on it. even if you opponent tries to stall you with Uxies and crobat SPs you one shot them if they have an X out.

Togekiss is a no go b/c its a one shot wonder (besides there's no fun in attaching 4-5 lightning energy only to discard them :lol

 

[Deoxys Cool Form]

I agree the Electivire Energy Link approach is WAY too slow. Magnezone SF puts it right on Luxray so all you need is an extra energy in hand to do constant Shock Bolts. The only problem is not hitting you rare candies or Luxios by T2 to "protect" your shinxs form donks.

I had all the doubts you have before when I tried this with energy link, but Magneray is much more consistent IMO.

Back to back posts merged. The following information has been added:



No you don't read the power, put in on the active poke (Luxray) and put a damge counter on it. even if you opponent tries to stall you with Uxies and crobat SPs you one shot them if they have an X out.

Togekiss is a no go b/c its a one shot wonder (besides there's no fun in attaching 4-5 lightning energy only to discard them :lol

Oh yeah I forgot. I thought it was attach it to Magnezone, not your active Pokemon. Thanks for correcting me.

Yeah Togakiss sucks lol

 

[Kayle]

Blazeray enjoys one-shotting your Magnezones. =\ All they need is their Luxray GL to swap in that Magnezone (which is obviously crucial to your consistent Shock Bolts), and a Blaziken PL tech doesn't hurt, either. With the Fire Breath adding massive damage, Blaziken FB does 120 damage and doesn't afraid of the backlash because you're just going to one-shot him with your last Shock Bolt anyway. Your 90-damage plasma doesn't knock out Blaziken or Luxray GL (unless I've used Jet Shoot on the former), so I can just Poke-Turn things up and keep the damage circulating.

But that's about the only real weakness I see, to that particular match-up, so.

 

[Naki Feralkin]

Luxray had a lot of strength during the early events last season, but really lost its speed once Obama, Dusknoir, and Kingdra became incredibly prevelant. While it weaked Kingdra, the fact that Kingdra could keep speed against Luxray made the matchup much more skewed than you might have wanted, and Obama and Dusknoir had that spread damage that the deck just did not like.

It was a good card in its own right, but nowadays, it wouldn't really do much good.

 

[FLCLFANMAN]

Blazeray enjoys one-shotting your Magnezones. =\ All they need is their Luxray GL to swap in that Magnezone (which is obviously crucial to your consistent Shock Bolts), and a Blaziken PL tech doesn't hurt, either. With the Fire Breath adding massive damage, Blaziken FB does 120 damage and doesn't afraid of the backlash because you're just going to one-shot him with your last Shock Bolt anyway. Your 90-damage plasma doesn't knock out Blaziken or Luxray GL (unless I've used Jet Shoot on the former), so I can just Poke-Turn things up and keep the damage circulating.

But that's about the only real weakness I see, to that particular match-up, so.

Yeah that's a legitimate threat, buts its a equal trade. They knock me out and Luxray one-shots with Plasma. Besides thats nothing a little night maintenance + Bebes search cant fix. I played a Magmortar/Blaziken deck and they were more content with dragging up my Nidoqueen or Dusknoir b/c of the retreat cost. They only used Jet Shoot in case of an emergency.

I like forcing them to use their poketurns earlier than expected. They have to burn one to save their poke instead of using it for a crobat. Like I said its all about tempo and one quick KO from Luxray can be the desider. You cant poketurn a discard luxray

 

[Kayle]

Yeah, but I can Aaron's it.

Also, this is probably a mistake on my part, but I don't run Crobat in my Blaxchomp (I'll probably change my mind at some point though). So I don't mind burning turns, especially on Garchomp C and Luxray GL, who both have Level Up effects I really like.

Plasma might look scary until I level up Garchomp and smack you for 120. ^ ^

 

[FLCLFANMAN]

Yeah, but I can Aaron's it.

Also, this is probably a mistake on my part, but I don't run Crobat in my Blaxchomp (I'll probably change my mind at some point though). So I don't mind burning turns, especially on Garchomp C and Luxray GL, who both have Level Up effects I really like.

Plasma might look scary until I level up Garchomp and smack you for 120. ^ ^

I played that exact same deck last round Sunday and ended up taking 5 straight prizes. Know why? b/c a T2 150 from Shock Bolt fueled by Electromagnetic Connectivity killed their tempo. Even when they did drag out my Dusknoir or Claydol with Luxray GL I just warped it to the bench and owned face with Luxray.

My main point is that lvl x are been played a bunch and Luxray benefits from this so I usually have the advantage regardless what Lvl deck I go against (cept' Rhyperior, that thing is a tank :lol

 

[Kayle]

Hmm. Yes, that would put a damper in things.

I may have to run something that takes out Luxray then.

 

[FLCLFANMAN]

Hmm. Yes, that would put a damper in things.

I may have to run something that takes out Luxray then.

Revenge Toxicraok is your best option IMO. Does 90 and poison for on energy w/e-gain after one of your Sps has been knocked out

 

[Rogue Archetype]

I actually ran it with manetric PT for a while. Attract Current can be beneficial at times, and power wave weakens some sp pokes for you while preventing bench attacks.

That's kinda hott.

Nice caviat Austino. ( <== I've gotta keep an eye on this dude, he's sick wit it ... )

Luxray LA as a DECK ... Is tough to keep up. He'll need to spit out mad energy.

As a TECH ... much better play. Even when you're not against a LvX based deck, he can run up and smash - if needed.