Pokémon TCG: Sword and Shield—Brilliant Stars

Sablelock w/ Blaziken for states!

I play 4 sableyes and 1 smeargle... it increases my odds of a good start. Killing their starter or even donking is not a bad ideia :)
And I prefer Ambipon G to Draggy... against vilegar I started with him [draggy fb], few turns after I finally retreated it but my oponnent took zangooze and locked me again --'
Moreover, ambipon is also disruptive with its tail code, can perform a donk, and my favorite argument: Every SP match is decided on garchomps. Ambipon can OHKO garchomp after a dragon rush. Draggy too. But, ambipon has 80 HP and Fighting weakness; ie, your opponent's garchomp won't kill your ambipon with an earthquake, he must use dragon hush and discart a precious DCE. Dragonite is KOed with an earthquake o_O.
 
@Dootar: Yeah, I'll probably take out the Chatot G. It's helpful if they are already locked with Iniatives or something, and then I can explode and get prizes and stuff. I prefer to think I'm not playing Chenlock, which IMO has 2-2 Blaze, not 1-1.

@Thiago: I'd do a 4th Sableye, but I don't really have room for it.

I actually really prefer Draggy to Pom in most situations. Pom isn't useful vs. most other SPs, outside of a Chomp KO.
 
You should run dragonite FB only if most of the players in your area (8/10) run SP.
Otherwise it's useless. Ambipom G doesn't need energy gain to revenge KO a Garchomp C. It can DONKKK. You can stall with tail code, but it's useless.
 
I am expecting some SP. The good players here will be using it, I know.

The thing is, I'm in Seniors - meaning there should be mainly scrubdecks, with some good top tier decks in there.
 
^
I'll try without the Smeargle. It hasn't had tons of use to me so far.

I actually like having 2 fires so I don't have one prized, and I prefer heavier basic energy counts so I can always search them out with Conspiracies. The 4th SP Dark I have tried, but it doesn't help tons except for Sablidonking, which is sadly relatively rare.
 
Barkjon said:
The 4th SP Dark I have tried, but it doesn't help tons except for Sablidonking, which is sadly relatively rare.
Click to expand...


The great thing about T1 donks, or "winning more" by using Chatot G against a bad start is that these conditions, when at their best, win games 100% of the time.

With everyone and their mom running unown Q in their deck/low hp basics in their decks, T1 donks are way too good to pass up. In the grand scope of things, they probably only happen 10-15% at most. In a huge tourney like states and beyond, this can mean 1, even 2 matchups where you outright win games based on your first 2 turns. Thats huge. 1 game in a large tournament goes a long way (imo at least) into helping you win/top-cut/take home the glass when you're already a good/top player and just need that little bit of edge/swing in the percentages to distinguish yourself from other good/top players.

This is why you run Ambipom and the 4th Sp. Dark to take advantage of a situation that is highly in your favor, and I don't think there's any other deck out there that's quite as good at T1 donks as Sablelock.

If you're seriously not going for the donk, I would just play luxchomp, probably an all round better deck with a much better mid-late game than Sablelock imo. Why even bother with sablelock though?

No other deck in the format has as good a T1/T2 as Sablelock (maybe gyarados, maybe). You will 100% guarantee yourself wins T1 or T2 by by having max sableye and sp. dark count and just 1 chatot G.

Also, I don't see how you can say dragonite FB is "generally" better than Ambipom G when you say yourself than SP isn't "huge" in your area. What is dragonite FB for then? Giant tail? To much of a liability imo having a card with 3 retreat and no warp point/energy in your deck. Dragonite will LOSE you games when you start with it, and with a deck that focuses so much on amazing T1 start as Sablelock, I find it very difficult to include in my list, especially over the likes of Ambipom. Same reason I wouldn't run Bronzong G in Sablelock, to much of a liability to start with it.

For the rest of the list, I like it, with the omission of Uxie X cause you dont have one.
 
^
Yep, I might as well add in Sableye and take out Smeargle.

I just don't like Pom in general - it hasn't been much use to me so far.

I'd probably play LC if possible, but not having the Luxray line I have to settle for something else.

The thing is, this isn't regular Sablelock. If it was, I'd play the 4th SP. Dark. The Blaziken in here changes it quite a bit, making it more powerful lategame.

Dude, I don't know what is gonna be there. I know for certain the good players will be playing SP, but I don't know how many good players in WA Srs there are. This is the first tournament that's higher than a CCs for me.

But yeah, maybe I'll try it with Pom. It probably doesn't make as much of a difference in SP, but saves me sometimes. I still like Draggy, but I guess this age division it isn't as useful.
 
^
What Blaze line? 1-1 I assume.

I'll prolly try out Pom in place of Draggy.

I may try 4 SP. Darks, but 3 has worked good for me so far and my list is slightly tight right now.
 
"This is not regular sablelock"
Uh, yeah it is...
It's def not ChenLock if thats what you mean.

4 sp. darks should be staple, I'm not sure why you only play 3. It just doesn't make a whole lot of sense.

---------- Post added 02/22/2011 at 08:25 PM ----------

Just drop a fire for it.
 
^
Alright, yeah. I just meant that it ain't Chenlock.

I play 3 because I need 2 fires so I don't have one prized. It just feel's better to have 2 fires just in case.

I'd do a 4th SP. Dark, but 3 has worked fine for me so far. I'll try removing a fire, but IDK about it.
 
Barkjon said:
POKEMON (21):
3 Sableye SF
1 Smeargle UD
2-2 Garchomp C X
1-1 Blaziken FB X
1-1 Honchkrow SV
1 Azelf
2 Uxie
1 Promocroak
1 Unown Q
1 Dragonite FB
2 Crobat G
1 Chatot G

T/S/S (27):
4 Cyrus's Conspiracy
2 Cyrus's Iniative
2 Judge
3 Collector
1 Bebe's
1 Aaron's
4 PokeTurn
3 SP Radar
3 Energy Gain
4 Power Spray

ENERGIES (12):
4 DCE
3 Special Dark Energy
2 Dark Energy
1 Psychic Energy
2 Fire Energy
Click to expand...
Your list IS tight, dude. Nicely made...

Have you tried only running 1 Fire? Would you slap me if I said 2 Collector (in favor of VS Seeker)? Those are the only things that stand out to me as potentially helpful, if you are set on running Dragonite (good play imo) and Blaziken (also good play).
 
^
Thanks Kayle. I made this list after a lot of practice and playtesting - it's currently undefeated. Seriously.

I currently play 4 Sableye instead of 3/1 Sableye/Smeargle. Both work well, but I'm undecided on going only Sableye or 3/1.

I originally played a single fire and played 4 SP. Dark, but I prized the fire way too much.

I've decided to remove a Collector in order to throw a VS Seeker in there. Having a Sableye/Smeargle start often gives me a Collector, so yeah. Plus VS Seeker can let me reuse the Collectors. I often use only 1 or occasionally 2 Collectors in a game, so I can prolly remove 1. I don't have a VS Seeker yet, but I got a trade going for it and it should come in the mail anyday.

Sooo...

-1 Collector
+1 VS Seeker.
 
^

Don't play VS Seeker. It's not bad but it's not worth loosing a Collector for. I would much rather have a Collector in my hand then a VS Seeker that will only help part of the time.
 
^
Fair point there, but VS Seeker lets me reuse a Collector, as well as letting me use a late game Judge/Iniative to mess up opponent, or do reuse a Bebe's/Conspiracy/Aaron's to help late game.
 
I would rather use VS Seeker to late game Judge / Initiative. That being said, it's not worth Pokemon Collector because you are going to find in many cases you are sitting there with a Collector/Bebe/Judge/Initiative in your discard and no VS Seeker in your hand or vice versa.
 
Yeah, but what else would I take out for the VS Seeker? I still want it. I think the most logical choice is to take out the Collector as they often clog my hand late game, and Sableye can Impersonate for it early on.
 
^

I would say not to use it but I guess if you did have it in there I would take out a basic dark. Yeah you would have one of every basic energy but that's not really a problem.
 
^
Nah, I have 2 Fire now.

Maybe take out a Bat for a VS Seeker? Maybe?

Just throwing it out there.
 
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