I have been thinking a lot about current Zappy deck. With the help from new Ray Ex, Zappy can now withstand even longer matches. And it seems that nothing can really counter it. Unless you are able to KO elekid or elecktrike turn 1, you will most likely face Zappy turn 2 and Ray turn 4-5 (depending on how much will you hurt Zappy) So is there an effective way to beat this deck (other than NInetales-Dewgong, Altaria-Wobbufet deck)? It has weakness to lightning so only Tier¨1 deck that comes to mind are Dark Amphy variants, but Amphy is there mainly for the power, not to attack. Well, let the discussion begin.
Zappy Ex: Unbeateble?
- Thread starter metagross
- Start date
My failures
I have been pondering the same topic, and have tried a few builds, all failures.
Spinning Tail Tyrannitar- no luck
T-Tar/Dark Amphy- not consistent
Blaizken/Rayquaza- no luck
Magcargo-Ludicolo: This seems to have some potential, but the set up is still slow with my build.
That being said it beats my other stuff, and has open slots in Pokemon lines to build in some defense.
rough out: 4 lotad- 4 lombre- 3 Ludicolo
4 Slugma- 3 Magcargo
I've been running Pidgey's with it, but seems redundant with the Maggy. Might be room to insert your own Ray EX's or some other short term defense. Drawback is Ludicolo's line weakness to electric.
Bernster
2nd Richmond City Championships 05
5th Lexington Deoxy pre-Release 05
The son: Julian :thumb:
Winner Richmond City Championships 05 10-under
Winner Deoxys Pre-Release 05 10-under
I have been pondering the same topic, and have tried a few builds, all failures.
Spinning Tail Tyrannitar- no luck
T-Tar/Dark Amphy- not consistent
Blaizken/Rayquaza- no luck
Magcargo-Ludicolo: This seems to have some potential, but the set up is still slow with my build.
That being said it beats my other stuff, and has open slots in Pokemon lines to build in some defense.
rough out: 4 lotad- 4 lombre- 3 Ludicolo
4 Slugma- 3 Magcargo
I've been running Pidgey's with it, but seems redundant with the Maggy. Might be room to insert your own Ray EX's or some other short term defense. Drawback is Ludicolo's line weakness to electric.
Bernster
2nd Richmond City Championships 05
5th Lexington Deoxy pre-Release 05
The son: Julian :thumb:
Winner Richmond City Championships 05 10-under
Winner Deoxys Pre-Release 05 10-under
metagross said:
Zapdos ex is hard to beat. I'll try something like POW! hand extension (sacrifice your dunsparce) to move zapdos's energy around after it's discarded its energy to attack. Then when they send out rayquaza, just hope you have a crystal shard and a pokemon that can at least do 50 damage. That will take them 2 turns to recover. Are there any lightning resistant pokemon? If there is, use one or some fossils, or ninjask shedninja to stall for a turn. Use that turn to catch up their setup. Warp point and powers that can switch the defending pokemon can also use to stall for a turn.
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It really is consistant. You draw your 7. All you need is one voltorb or one electrike. You run 4 of each and only 3 zapdos ex. So you have a 8/11 chance of drawing the pokemon you need in the beginning. Pretty good chance. Now, all you need is to draw an energy. You run 16 electric energy, so that's 16/60 chance of drawing an energy. This is the rough point. If you don't draw an energy....well it won't work. Then, the attack is not a flip. Search your deck for another electric energy and attach it to the pokemon. Now, you have 4 lanette's net search and 4 dual ball and 3 zapdos EX. If you draw either of those cards, 11/60 chance, you can pretty much guarantee to get zapdos EX. dual ball is flippy, which is a weakness. Next turn, the energy issue comes up again. You need to be able to draw an energy. Once that is done, just lay the energy, drop the zapdos and attack for 50/70.
I've seen the deck in action and it's really consistant. Unstoppable, I think not.
I've seen the deck in action and it's really consistant. Unstoppable, I think not.
It's hard to say how to stop it. Different players will play the deck differently. Some will play it with manectric ex, while others will not like manectric and use elekid and electrode ex. You can't just come up with a deck that absolutely beats the deck because who wins is partially based on who is the better player.
ZoraJolteon
New Member
Manectric + Scramble takes out Zappy and opposing Manectric, so might be worth considering.
Yeah like Prime said there are many ways to beat the deck and it also depends on what deck you're using. Most people just stall until they can get something out to fight with and from thre on a lot of the times Zappy gets only 1 prize for each k.o. while its opponent will get 2. Problem with Zappy decks is that it's an EX deck, so when you do lose a Pokemon it kind of hurts. Be sure to think things out but be fast at the same time, advantage goes to Zappy players when time is involved. They will always be winning in prizes at the start of the game, which can work to your advantage sometimes. (Pow! Hand Extension, and Scramble Energy could help a lot)
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SomethingElse
Active Member
Berne13us said:
you're hilarious berne, i can guess yours plays 2 ATM rock or something too?
kiyuto-faze 1
New Member
Depending on if the spoiler i saw was correct or not I would think Gatr-EX and Toise-EX could do pretty good against Zappy even with weakness, all you need is a good set up and be a good player and you have a very good chance. Then again I can't say much on what beats zappy considering I have seen none played over here.
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NoPoke
Active Member
Ninjask perhaps.
but why discount all the safeguard pokemon like wobuffet?
It seems like you are asking how to beat this deck but placing a condition upon the answers namely that you aren't allowed to use any of the obvious counter strategies. Which unsurprisingly makes the deck unstoppable.
But maybe I've missed the point
but why discount all the safeguard pokemon like wobuffet?
It seems like you are asking how to beat this deck but placing a condition upon the answers namely that you aren't allowed to use any of the obvious counter strategies. Which unsurprisingly makes the deck unstoppable.
But maybe I've missed the point
SuperWooper
New Member
Draggy sets up fast enough. Dark Electrode with three darks and a rainbow OHKOs Zapdos ex,
or Dark Electrode with two darks and a rainbow and a Strength Charm,
or Dark Electrode with two darks and a rainbow and a Desert Ruins in play.
There are a lot of ways to beat Zapdos with Draggy.
You can play Lanturn. It's an excellent attacker with a really sweet power, and Lanturn/Pidgeot decks are really fast and probably the most underrated decks in the format, besides Vileplume ex, anyway. Zapdos ex's weakness to lightning is probably one of the biggest weaknesses in the format right now.
Dark Ampharos OHKOs it. AmphyTTar isn't too slow if you play the right version. You have to focus less on Pidgeot and more on Rocket Balling for Ampharos early, since Zapdos can't run ATM: Rock. You can Rare Candy right into Ampharos and DRE it and kill a Zapdos, and get another Amphy benched. Purty easy. ;x
Blaziken can beat Zapdos. Blaziken is the king of comebacks, and a 1-2 prize deficit isn't going to stop it from beating Zapdos ex. The Zap player had better get the lead higher than that if they want to win. Blaziken ex with a Strength Charm, Ray with a Multi and 2 Fire. Blaziken will use Fire Stream until your basics are all fried, and when the FS Blaze swarm dies, you come in and clean house. I've done it and I've seen it done.
Gardevoir > Zapdos obviously. If you're that desperate, play classic Gardevoir, with 4-3-2-3 R/K/G/ex and a 4-2 WynautFet line. Wobbuffet also works as TeCH in most decks, especially Dragonite, because you can move the Rainbow onto him for Psychic. It drives your opponent barking mad.
Zapdos is not invincible. It's not even Tier One anymore. I guess it used to be, when people were making so much noise over it. Is it still a good deck? Sure is! But if I want speed and consistancy, I'd take Magma decks any day. They thrive in this environment, and frankly, Zapdos just doesn't.
JMNSHO... :thumb:
~Wooper
or Dark Electrode with two darks and a rainbow and a Strength Charm,
or Dark Electrode with two darks and a rainbow and a Desert Ruins in play.
There are a lot of ways to beat Zapdos with Draggy.
You can play Lanturn. It's an excellent attacker with a really sweet power, and Lanturn/Pidgeot decks are really fast and probably the most underrated decks in the format, besides Vileplume ex, anyway. Zapdos ex's weakness to lightning is probably one of the biggest weaknesses in the format right now.
Dark Ampharos OHKOs it. AmphyTTar isn't too slow if you play the right version. You have to focus less on Pidgeot and more on Rocket Balling for Ampharos early, since Zapdos can't run ATM: Rock. You can Rare Candy right into Ampharos and DRE it and kill a Zapdos, and get another Amphy benched. Purty easy. ;x
Blaziken can beat Zapdos. Blaziken is the king of comebacks, and a 1-2 prize deficit isn't going to stop it from beating Zapdos ex. The Zap player had better get the lead higher than that if they want to win. Blaziken ex with a Strength Charm, Ray with a Multi and 2 Fire. Blaziken will use Fire Stream until your basics are all fried, and when the FS Blaze swarm dies, you come in and clean house. I've done it and I've seen it done.
Gardevoir > Zapdos obviously. If you're that desperate, play classic Gardevoir, with 4-3-2-3 R/K/G/ex and a 4-2 WynautFet line. Wobbuffet also works as TeCH in most decks, especially Dragonite, because you can move the Rainbow onto him for Psychic. It drives your opponent barking mad.
Zapdos is not invincible. It's not even Tier One anymore. I guess it used to be, when people were making so much noise over it. Is it still a good deck? Sure is! But if I want speed and consistancy, I'd take Magma decks any day. They thrive in this environment, and frankly, Zapdos just doesn't.
JMNSHO... :thumb:
~Wooper