Otaku
Active Member
First I freely confess I am using "Theorymon". I have not been able to test either the original version of this particular deck, nor a version using the as-yet-unreleased Darkness-Type support.
On the other hand I have been with the game, while not continuously, since the first Base Set Starter deck. I've used Pokemon with a similar strategy before.
jjkkl had a point: in a deck that is geared toward optimal :dark: Pokemon usage, Aerodactyl will be an oddball. Many of the new, groovy :dark: effects won't do it any good. It is a mixed blessing that it is Pokemon Catcher bait: it may help that you're dividing attention between your attacker and it.
The Zoroark from Black & White (and reprinted in BW: Next Destinies) is still a 100 HP Stage 1. Ascension on the new Zorua will help, but instead of suffering through one turn of Zorua being vulnerable on the Bench, waiting to Evolve, you end up with a Zoroark active that couldn't attack. It is nice to save a search card (or know you won't have to wait to draw into it), but for a copycat, the big deal is actually outpacing your opponent. That's what made Clefable from Jungle, granddaddy of this style of deck, so effective: one Energy allowed it to use the opponent's biggest attacks.
I won't bore you by posting the six or seven paragraphs (small paragraphs, though) of "Theorymon" I was about to post. First, I suggest that your combo is complex enough it is essentially half a deck. Sure the other half is open to other combos, but it is so significant it is only fair to look at how it fairs against popular beatsticks backed by their own decks. In fact, like Zoroark it isn't even a "full deck" that matters, but the main combo. Reshiram, Zekrom, and Mewtwo EX don't like Zoroark with your set-up, and that is commendable.
The problem is most other big, basic beatsticks will require two shots because their own attacks aren't hitting hard enough to push into the OHKO range, especially when factoring in Eviolite. This gives the opponent time to set-up something that will OHKO Zoroark, and if the phenomena repeats (the next Zoroark needs another two turns to take down the powered-up Pokemon) your opponent pulls ahead. Pokemon EX will usually not engage until they are guaranteed their first Prize, so if you don't OHKO them, they actually pull ahead.
There is also the simple fact that it might be more effective to just use PlusPower/Darkness Energy for the small boost. If you were counting on a Bench full of Aerodactyl (assuming it stacks), that's still a significant set-up, on par with a Bench full of Stage 1 Pokemon, plus your opponent will likely be able to overwhelm you by constantly OHKOing them and ignoring the retaliatory OHKOs from Zoroark. If it was just a single Aerodactyl, then with its expected lifespan again, PlusPower or Special Energy Darkness Energy seems better to me.
All this before considering the new Zoroark. If you fill your Bench with :dark: Pokemon, it does an easy 120 points of damage, and with few exceptions that's a better deal than the old Zoroark would get. If your opponent doesn't OHKO it, they have to gently hit it the first attack or risk the second hitting even harder: six damage counters on Zoroark and it also can hit for 120 points of damage. That's before Darkness Claw, by the way.
I see the two working together, but as you can see by the above, I don't see it becoming the new BDIF, and if I've missed even something minor (past instances are usually the appropriate deck or play-style tweak) it may fall completely flat. So I remain cautiously optimistic.
Hmm... and re-reading your quote, it may be you simply don't see why counting on a Revived Pokemon and Pokemon Tool is so risky this format. Even if Gothitelle folds as so many expect, Vileplume decks will still ruin your day.
