Tints and Tones

Investigating the Strengths of Various Card Types (Colorless, Dragon, Metal, Fairy, and Psychic)
durant-noble-victories-nvi-83
Dishonorable ant-ics.

At the time, I found myself playing Durant NVI, a deck pernicious in its aim to discard all of the opponent’s cards — that is, to “deck” the opponent. It neither took Prize cards nor did it deal damage, and with such a streamlined strategy it could be lethal in the hands of a seasoned pro or a beginner. I piloted this metallic arthropod to a second place finish at North Carolina States, then immediately started to look into Magic: The Gathering (MTG).

The Pokémon TCG had grown stale for me. The defining characteristic of my success with Durant NVI was that most players were still hesitant to play more than one copy of Switch in their deck. A win like that felt as cheap as the deck I played with, and so my attention had turned to another card game. It wasn’t that I was fond of MTG, nor was I any good at it. Rather, it was the game mechanics themselves that intrigued me, the logic and order inherent with MTG that seemed desperately out of style with Pokémon.

Consider this: I placed well at a tournament with a Metal type Pokémon hell-bent on discarding cards, and it just seemed odd to me. Shouldn’t Metal Pokémon be the bastions of defense in this game? Durant NVI instead felt like a gimmick, and as much as I like those decks, something just felt off.

My love affair with MTG was incredibly brief (the price tag on a Jace, the Mind Sculptor turned me away at once), but there was something about the game that drew me in immediately: All mana types had unique strategic elements that belonged only to those types. Here, check it out:

magic types colors manaarchive.wizards.com

This is basic information about the game from archive.wizards.com. Notice the “values” that each color is driven by. Generally, this foundational rule holds true — Blue decks tend to draw cards, Red decks are quick to deal damage, and so on. This type of value system exists in the Pokémon TCG as well, so let’s see what that looks like:

pokemon types rulebookassets22.pokemon.com

This is straight from the Pokémon TCG rulebook, and it’s telling. While a lot of this actually is true, some of it is laughable. Fairy Pokémon apparently have “tricks” that will make my opponent’s Pokémon’s attacks less effective (Hocus Pinkus anyone?), Water Pokémon are known for moving Pokémon “around on the other team” (whatever that means), and Fighting Pokémon “can flip coins for combination hits” even though literally every popular Fighting Pokémon doesn’t have a coin flip attack.

Look, I understand that much of the above is true — lots of Grass Pokémon heal themselves and Fire Pokémon normally discard Energy or need to recharge otherwise. I also readily admit that keeping up with the strategic “personalities” of 11 types is more difficult than MTG’s 5. However, the Pokémon TCG has been around for a long time, and I still don’t know what they mean when they say “tricks.” Is that another word for “attacks,” or is the philosophical conundrum that is Swirlix (it’s cotton candy, people) enough to force my opponent into conceding?

However, there is hope! Currently, there are only two remaining types that have yet to get their “Special Energy” treatment (Water and Fire), and while strategies within each type are all over the board, there are at least advantages to playing each type. Systematically, the card creators have at least given each type its own advantages, which is way more than can be said for the days when Blastoise, Lugia, and Steelix teamed up with Castform and other random Basics to try and rule the format.

In today’s article I will be looking at five types specifically: Colorless, Dragon, Metal, Fairy, and Psychic. I’ll pinpoint advantages each one has and highlight the various ways they can be played. I’ll also take it a step further by delving into considerations many seem to have overlooked. Along the way we will see how these types are getting mixed together and why.

Colorless is More

winona 3-2
Bird is the word.

Why start with the Colorless type? Well, as much as I want to deliver a beaming review on how versatile Colorless Pokémon are, I have to stick to the truth. Colorless Pokémon are versatile — their Energy requirements can be met with any basic Energy — but the real reason I’m starting with this type is because of everyone’s favorite hedgehog.

Of course, I’m not talking about that speedy guy in the video game — I’m talking about that speedy guy in the card game: Shaymin-EX ROS, the card that continues to shoot up in price even with the ban of Lysandre’s Trump Card. Arguably the best EX card ever released, Shaymin-EX represents the Colorless type well, as it can and will find its way into a good 90% of the decks out there. I’m not here to tell you something you already know, however, so let’s look at some of the other benefits the Colorless type has, then we’ll circle back around to see how Shaymin-EX can be incorporated in some unusual, yet effective ways.

Trainers and Energy

sky-field-roaring-skies-ros-89
Combos with Shaymin.

It’s easy to cite Aspertia City Gym as the Colorless Stadium of choice, but let’s be honest for a second: When will that extra 20 HP make that much of a difference? Yes, I too have had dreams of attaching a Team Plasma Badge to a Regigigas PHF, evolving to my fourth Umbreon PLF, getting an Aspertia City Gym in play, and using Daunt to reduce any damage coming my way by 40. A 230 HP Regigigas with damage reduction is nothing to scoff at, but that’s if you’re lucky enough to get all of that set up.

(Hmmm, “set up.”)

A proper pairing here is to use Shaymin-EX in conjunction with Sky Field. That might sound like I’m dangerously inching my way into M Rayquaza-EX territory, but bear with me. No matter what deck you run, you’ll probably want to bench at least two Shaymin-EX if you choose to run it. Sky Field offers you the breathing room to pull this off without issue. If you or your opponent replace Sky Field, you can easily discard Shaymin-EX — it’s job is done.

The other item I need to draw your attention to is Winona, a Supporter card that I feel doesn’t get as much credit as it should. If you find a way to incorporate a lot of Colorless Basics into your deck, a Winona gets close to functioning like a Pokémon Collector, one of the most effective and abused cards of all time. The fact that it can grab Shaymin-EX alone makes it worth our attention. It can even grab Evolution cards, which might not mean that much when most evolved Colorless Pokémon are pretty bad, but then there’s always M Rayquaza-EX ROS 76 and Altaria ROS 74, right?

The Energy card of choice for this type is obviously Double Colorless Energy, a staple for many decks that don’t even feature Colorless Pokémon.

Support Pokémon

This one’s easy. Shaymin-EX ROS, used in conjunction with Winona, is about as good as you can get when it comes to support. If this point hasn’t been hammered home by the end of this article, it will definitely happen in competitive play.

Sample Decks

Now, I told you we’d circle back around to Shaymin-EX and some interesting plays, so here we go. Check out this deck below and see if you can catch why having an understanding of the Colorless type’s advantages led me to this idea:

Pokémon – 15

3 Garchomp-EX

2 Druddigon FLF

1 Hydreigon-EX

3 Swablu ROS

3 Altaria BCR

3 Shaymin-EX ROS

Trainers – 33

4 Professor Sycamore

4 Winona

2 Lysandre

1 Colress

1 N

 

4 Trainers’ Mail

4 Ultra Ball

4 Muscle Band

3 VS Seeker

3 Repeat Ball

1 Computer Search

 

2 Sky Field

Energy – 12

6 F

4 Double Dragon

2 Double Colorless

At first glance, this appears to be a Dragon deck. My main attackers are Dragon type, the damage-boosting Altaria are Dragon type, and I run more Double Dragon Energy than I do Double Colorless. When you dig into the draw power and set up, however, you see quickly that I max out on Winona and nearly do the same for Shaymin-EX. The big connecting force here is the Colorless Swablu that find their way on the Bench easily because of the high Winona count. Without Winona, this deck just wouldn’t function the same way. Because I’m normally getting two Altaria in play by turn 2, my Garchomp-EX can swing for 180 damage with a Muscle Band attached.

This idea can be extended to a few other cards as well. Eevee, Noibat, Clefairy, Fletchling, and Jigglypuff all start as Colorless Pokémon that can evolve into a different type. Not that most of those associated Evolutions are good, but it’s smart to keep this in mind for when a good Wigglytuff hits the scene.

Winona can also search for Evolutions as well. While this helps out most in tossing out Weakness by way of Altaria, there are some other tricks that might just work. Here’s one to get you started:

Pokémon – 17

4 Lillipup BCR

2 Herdier BCR

3 Stoutland BCR

1 Clefairy PLS

1 Clefable PLS

3 Gengar-EX

3 Shaymin-EX ROS

Trainers – 33

4 Professor Sycamore

4 Winona

1 Lysandre

 

4 Ultra Ball

4 Float Stone

3 VS Seeker

3 Muscle Band

3 Rare Candy

1 Professor’s Letter

1 Switch

1 Computer Search

 

4 Dimension Valley

Energy – 10

10 P

While this deck might be more for fun than anything, there are some rich lessons to be learned here. First of all, Clefable hits the field quickly with the help of Winona/Shaymin-EX. I can say the same thing for Stoutland. With Winona acting like a Korrina on steroids, it’s not unusual to have three Stoutland in play in no time. Meanwhile, Gengar-EX does its tricks without any fear of being brought up and KO’d (unless the opponent plays Pokémon Catcher and gets a heads).

Another lesson is the actual viability of Clefable. Granted, the coin flip still gnaws at me, but getting two of these cards in play — a simple feat with Winona — can lead to some explosive evolution.

Dragon Age

hydreigon-ex 3-2
The Retreat reducer.

It’s true — with the release of Roaring Skies, we are truly entering an age in which the Dragon deck is a serious contender. Remember Garchomp DRX 90/Altaria DRX? Yeah, me neither. This era’s Dragon deck features Reshiram ROS to navigate R Energy to the right place, Double Dragon Energy to take care of those pesky Energy requirements, and so much more.

Trainers and Energy

There currently is no Dragon-specific Stadium card, but that’s a decent tradeoff given the existence of Double Dragon Energy (DDE). In acting like a Double Rainbow Energy without any drawback, DDE goes a long way in cementing the Dragon type’s place in the game. Where the wonky Energy costs were enough to dissuade practically everything except Black Kyurem-EX PLS, DDE brings a lot of interesting characters into the fold.

Before we get to those characters, I feel it necessary to note again the synergy here between Winona and Altaria BCR. While something like M Rayquaza-EX ROS 61 could care less about doing more damage, there are plenty of other options that need Altaria to do the right amount of damage.

Support Pokémon

reshiram-roaring-skies-ros-63
The Energy accelerator.

Two Pokémon stand out to me when it comes to support for Dragon Pokémon, both of which were released in Roaring Skies: Reshiram and Hydreigon-EX.

Reshiram is the sole Energy accelerator that Dragon type Pokémon have. It only gets R Energy into play, but this is normally okay when paired with Double Dragon Energy. Think of this card like Celebi Prime: dumping Energy into play with ease, powering things up that require a lot of Energy.

The other card — Hydreigon-EX — has a wonderful Ability that reminds me instantly of Darkrai-EX. While Darkrai-EX has taken a backseat to the speed and power of Yveltal-EX, it still finds its way into any Dark deck thanks to that Ability. Dragon Road will provide a similar function in nearly any Dragon deck, reducing the burden of Retreat Cost that so many decks face. Additionally, pairing it with Reshiram allows you to get loads of Energy in play very quickly. It wouldn’t surprise me if the Giratina-EX in the next set becomes insanely popular because of these two cards.

Sample Decks

Let’s look at a couple of Dragon decks I think are pretty fun to play. The first one is M Rayquaza-EX:

Pokémon – 12

2 Rayquaza-EX ROS 60

2 M Rayquaza-EX ROS 61

4 Shaymin-EX ROS

3 Reshiram ROS

1 Hydreigon-EX

Trainers – 34

4 Professor Sycamore

4 N

2 Colress

2 Lysandre

 

4 Ultra Ball

4 VS Seeker

3 Rayquaza Spirit Link

2 Switch

2 Escape Rope

1 Energy Retrieval

1 Superior Energy Retrieval

1 Professor’s Letter

1 Sacred Ash

1 Computer Search

 

2 Shrine of Memories

Energy – 14

7 R

4 Double Dragon

3 L

At first glance, M Rayquaza-EX looks almost identical to M Charizard-EX FLF 69, a card we all know flopped in competitive play. The Rayquaza Spirit Link makes all the difference here by not costing you a turn when you evolve. With the upcoming ban on Lysandre’s Trump Card, I also prefer discarding two Energy to having to discard five cards from the deck.

This deck moves ferociously fast, normally setting up a M Rayquaza-EX with the required Energy to attack as early as the second turn. I’ve included Shrine of Memories here to give Hydreigon-EX something to work with as well as buffer the drawback to M Rayquaza EX’s attack. Reshiram is effective itself against Pokémon with Safeguard, and it can help you keep up the Prize tradeoff when facing non-EX decks.

Here’s another deck featuring Reshiram that takes a different approach:

Pokémon – 9

4 Reshiram ROS

3 White Kyurem-EX LTR

1 Hydreigon-EX

1 Jirachi-EX

Trainers – 39

4 Professor Sycamore

3 N

2 Colress

2 Lysandre

 

4 Trainers’ Mail

3 Repeat Ball

3 Ultra Ball

3 VS Seeker

3 Bicycle

3 Muscle Band

3 Switch

2 Escape Rope

2 Superior Energy Retrieval

1 Sacred Ash

1 Crystal Edge

Energy – 12

7 R

4 Double Dragon

1 W

Here, we’re powering up a different Dragon Pokémon and taking advantage of an old ACE SPEC that is finally ready for some play. The core strategy is the same here — use multiple Reshiram to dump R Energy onto the field — but the key attacker is White Kyurem-EX, a card that can 1HKO many Pokémon-EX with its second attack. This deck aims at flying through cards as fast as possible while getting things powered up in the process.

Pros and cons for this deck? I like how White Kyurem-EX avoids the Fairy Weakness. Facing any Fairy deck with “modern” Dragon Pokémon can be a disaster, but White Kyurem-EX looks past that issue. The problem is that the Dragon Weakness is by and far worse than Fairy, as you lose to practically any Dragon deck you face, so it’s a double-edged sword. I also like how fast this deck moves without having to dump too many resources. Since Reshiram gets those extra Energy attachments, you won’t find yourself in jam late game from having discarded too much.

As I mentioned before though, you might as well replace each White Kyurem-EX with a Giratina-EX the moment the next set comes out.

Heavy Metal

bronzong phf art 3-2
Weight: 412.3 lbs. (Yep, that’s heavy.)

In my opinion, Metal remains one of the strangest types out there. It currently possesses more available strategies than any other type. Aegislash-EX is a defensive wall, Klinklang PLS and Scizor BCR are both mock Safeguarders, Cobalion-EX can destroy Special Energy, and Bronzong PHF is this format’s Eelektrik NVI — except, it’s not. Eelektrik was everywhere when it was legal, yet Bronzong just feels like a niche play. What gives?

Bronzong is much the same as Eelektrik, but where Eelektrik was powering up low-cost attackers (Rayquaza-EX DRX, Mewtwo-EX), Bronzong is powering up high-cost attackers like Dialga-EX and Aegislash-EX. Combine that with a general jump in speed in the format and Bronzong doesn’t carry as much weight as an Eelektrik. Metal seems to be all over the board in terms of strategy, but there’s nothing achingly powerful that demands competitive play. 

Do not be dismayed, however, because the Metal type is an admired one. Those who find success with it do so with the understanding that the sum is much greater than the individual parts. Playing a Metal deck normally requires a player to utilize many attacks (not just a couple like most decks these days).

Trainers and Energy

steel-shelter-phantom-forces-phf-105
Very anti-Toad.

I’ll go ahead and get Shield Energy out of the way. It’s effectively a reprint of Special M Energy, which is a bummer considering what the Fighting type got in Strong Energy. I was hoping desperately for a 20 damage reduction, but that didn’t happen obviously. All in all, I find the damage reduction from Shield Energy to be inconsequential. I’d rather avoid the wrath of Enhanced Hammer (or even an opponent’s Aegislash-EX) and go with basic M Energy. Interestingly enough, I would say the same thing for Wonder Energy, the other Special Energy to get released with Shield Energy.

One of the biggest assets the Metal type has right now, apart from Bronzong PHF, is Steel Shelter. With Hypnotoxic Laser/Virbank City Gym still floating around in the competitive scene, Steel Shelter does a wonderful job of silencing Special Conditions. It’s so gratifying to play down a Steel Shelter when I have an Asleep, Poisoned Pokémon in play.

Apart from Steel Shelter, I feel it’s worth mentioning what Repeat Ball does for the Metal type. Essentially, it’s a suitable replacement for Level Ball that gets your Bronzong out as soon as possible. With 4 Ultra Ball and 3 Repeat Ball (what I run in my current Metal deck), it’s not uncommon for me to have 2-3 Bronzong in play by the second turn. I’d recommend this lineup for almost any Metal deck.

Support Pokémon

I alluded to this earlier, but the biggest support the Metal type has in terms of Pokémon is Bronzong PHF. The benefit to running a Metal deck can be seen in cards like Aegislash-EX and Cobalion-EX, both equipped to chisel away at certain portions of the metagame. Aegislash-EX’s Ability can cause huge problems for most of the archetypes out there, and with Special Energy being released each set, this card only gets better. Meanwhile, Cobalion-EX is a wonderful counter to Seismitoad-EX and any deck vulnerable to having their Special Energy discarded.

In Metal-only decks, Dialga-EX is one of the best attackers, and though its second attack might not be as effective with the rise of Mega Pokémon, Chrono Wind can still be incredibly disruptive.

Outside of these cards, there are some popular rogue choices in Klinklang PLS and Scizor BCR. I’m not too fond of either of these cards, but they’re worth noting.

Sample Decks

Pokémon – 13

4 Bronzor PHF

3 Bronzong PHF

2 Dialga-EX

1 Aegislash-EX

1 Cobalion-EX

1 Jirachi-EX

1 Keldeo-EX

Trainers – 34

4 Professor Sycamore

4 N

2 Colress

2 Lysandre

 

4 Ultra Ball

3 Repeat Ball

3 VS Seeker

3 Float Stone

3 Muscle Band

1 Sacred Ash

1 Computer Search

 

4 Steel Shelter

Energy – 13

8 M

3 Double Colorless

2 Shield

Here’s my Metal deck currently. As I mentioned above, I really like the 4/3 split on Ultra Ball and Repeat Ball. It really speeds things up, and I’m surprised at how many times I’ve pulled off a second turn Full Metal Impact. Also, you’ll notice the presence of both Aegislash-EX and Cobalion-EX. Both of these cards put in a lot of work over the various matchups I’ve faced.

A good friend of mine, Adam Jones, found success recently with a hybrid of both Colorless and Metal Pokémon. He’s allowed me to share a list similar to the one he won a League Challenge with recently (he changed it for the Lysandre’s Trump Card ban). Here it is:

Pokémon – 18

3 Rayquaza-EX ROS 75
3 M Rayquaza-EX ROS 76
3 Bronzor PHF
2 Bronzong PHF
1 Swablu ROS
1 Altaria ROS 74
2 Shaymin-EX ROS
1 Cobalion-EX
1 Aegislash-EX
1 Keldeo-EX

Trainers – 33

4 Professor Sycamore
2 N
1 Colress
1 Lysandre
1 Pokémon Fan Club

 

4 Ultra Ball

3 VS Seeker
3 Acro Bike
3 Trainers’ Mail
3 Rayquaza Spirit Link
2 Battle Compressor
2 Float Stone
1 Computer Search

 

3 Sky Field

Energy – 9

5 M

4 Double Colorless

What I really like about this list is that it combines the best of both worlds into a single deck. The disruption that Aegislash-EX and Cobalion-EX can provide is here, as is the speed of the Colorless Pokémon.

This is an idea that can be applied to basically every other type as well. The Colorless line of Pokémon here is good enough on its own, but since it’s Colorless it can pick up attributes from other types as well. I’ve seen M Rayquaza-EX and Shaymin-EX run alongside Fairy Pokémon, Lightning Pokémon, and Darkness Pokémon, and each version seems effective in its own right.

Fairy Good Intentions

florges-ex 3-2
In full bloom.

The Fairy type has seemingly slowed down to a stop as of late. Roaring Skies had a Togekiss ROS 46 in it, but that’s about it. Primal Clash seemed to bank everything on M Gardevoir-EX, and while it’s a good card, it requires numerous turns of building up Energy before it can even do anything. Meanwhile, cards like M Rayquaza-EX and decks like Night March are putting out incredible amounts of damage on as early as the first turn.

Still, there are some good pieces to the Fairy type puzzle that might be more suitable elsewhere. Let’s take a look at what this type has to offer.

Trainers and Energy

fairy-garden-xy-117
“In a gadda da fairy, honey.”

Having little or no Retreat Cost is one of the most important benefits a deck can have (even though most people don’t really acknowledge it), which is why Fairy Garden is such a powerful card. When combined with Aromatisse XY, Pokémon and Energy can be moved around however a player wishes. Time and time again, this has been central to playing an effective Fairy deck.

Sadly, however, this is basically all the Fairy type has to work with in terms of Trainers and Energy. I mentioned it earlier, but Wonder Energy is just … not that wonderful. Its effect would be handy against something like Accelgor DEX, but until a card like that resurfaces it’s mediocre at best. There are a couple of Special Energy I choose not to play for fear of Enhanced Hammer, Aegislash-EX, or Cobalion-EX, and this is one of them.

Support Pokémon

What the Fairy type lacks in Trainers and Energy is made up for by cards like Xerneas XY and Aromatisse XY. Both of these cards do a solid job of giving the Fairy type a sizable edge against other decks. Even Florges-EX with its Supporter-seeking first attack can aid in getting things set up. Meanwhile, Slurpuff PHF has been a surprising powerhouse in terms of draw power for certain decks.

Here’s what I’ll say of the Fairy support line: It might not be good enough for its own deck, but it’s definitely something to keep in mind for other decks. As I mentioned earlier, pairing Aromatisse XY with M Rayquaza-EX ROS 76 seems pretty effective, and it’s how Seismitoad-EX/Aromatisse XY/Malamar-EX came about. Slurpuff PHF has also enjoyed a good run alongside Seismitoad-EX.

Sample Deck

Pokémon – 16

3 Spritzee FLF
3 Aromatisse XY
4 Florges-EX
3 Xerneas XY
2 Exeggcute PLF
1 Malamar-EX

Trainers – 35

4 Professor Sycamore
4 N
2 Colress
2 Lysandre

 

4 Ultra Ball
4 Repeat Ball
3 VS Seeker
3 Max Potion
2 Muscle Band
1 Switch
1 Sacred Ash
1 Computer Search

 

4 Sky Field

Energy – 9

7 Y
2 Rainbow

This is an interesting take on a Fairy deck that utilizes Sky Field to maximize the damage output on Florge-EX’s second attack. It’s a pretty obvious combo that is fast and surprisingly powerful. Unfortunately, the nature of Florges-EX’s second attack requires that Shaymin-EX not be played, so you’re normally left to the strength of your opening hand unless you can use Florges-EX’s first attack to seek out a Supporter.

While this deck isn’t bad, Florges-EX’s measly 160 HP can’t really hang with much of the format.

Psychic Evaluations

wobbuffet phf 3-2
If any Pokémon needs a psychic evaluation, it’s Wobbuffet.

The Psychic type has almost always enjoyed a prominent spot in the Pokémon TCG, and that fact stands true in today’s format. Crobat PHF, Wobbuffet PHF, Mewtwo-EX, Garbodor LTR, Mew-EX … these are cards that detail a great deal about the game we currently play. What impresses me most about the Psychic type is its versatility — Crobat and Garbodor have been featured in numerous decks since their release, while Mew-EX alone is the most versatile Pokémon in the game. Let’s look at what cards are helping the Psychic type out along the way.

Trainers and Energy

dimension-valley-phantom-forces-phf-93
They’re jelly beans, right?

Perhaps the biggest reason the Psychic type is as powerful as it is today is because of Dimension Valley — Energy acceleration in a Stadium card. Without this card there would still be many Psychic Pokémon on the scene, but this is the glue that keeps Mew-EX stuck to Night March, it’s the reason Gengar-EX is even seeing play right now, and it’s why I continue to play Tool Drop against everyone’s objections. Dimension Valley isn’t going anywhere, and it will continue to shape how we view Psychic Pokémon in the future.

While there aren’t any other Trainers that directly benefit Psychic Pokémon, there is Mystery Energy. While it’s not as necessary as something like Strong Energy, it does have its place in Psychic decks. I run two in my Tool Drop deck, and I’ve seen it paired with Trevenant XY.

Support Pokémon

It’s hard to quantify the effect Psychic Pokémon have on the format as “support,” but there are a number of roles that only Psychic Pokémon can serve. In terms of shutting down an opponent’s Abilities, Wobbuffet PHF seems to be the best way to go, as just starting with it is a huge reason many games are won. Need a little extra damage here and there? Try Crobat PHF. Wanna shut down your opponent’s Item cards in one turn? Trevenant XY/Wally is the way to go.

These cards are all huge aspects of the current format, and they’re treated more as pieces to a puzzle than as decks in and of themselves. Nobody runs just a Crobat deck, as nobody plays Mew-EX by itself. This is the defining characteristic of Psychic Pokémon — their tricks are welcome in many decks for many reasons.

Sample Decks

Here’s one way to shut down your opponent’s Abilities:

Pokémon – 6

4 Wobbuffet PHF
2 Primal Groudon-EX

Trainers – 45

4 Professor Sycamore
2 N
2 Maxie’s Hidden Ball Trick
1 Lysandre

 

4 Trainers’ Mail
4 Battle Compressor
4 Acro Bike
4 Mega Turbo
4 VS Seeker
4 Ultra Ball
3 Float Stone
3 Robo Substitute
1 Weakness Policy
1 Computer Search

 

2 Fighting Stadium
2 Silent Lab

Energy – 9

5 F

4 Strong

If you’re tired of seeing opponents run through the majority of their deck in a single turn, this deck is for you. With 4 Wobbuffet as your only Basic Pokémon, you will absolutely start with Ability lock. Moreover, I have Silent Lab in here to keep things like Shaymin-EX silenced. The trick to this deck is not getting 2 Primal Groudon-EX or 2 Maxie’s Hidden Ball Trick stuck in the Prize cards. If that happens, well, just hope your opponent concedes out of frustration before they catch on.

Pokémon – 18 4 Zubat PLS 53
4 Golbat PHF
3 Crobat PHF

4 Wobbuffet PHF

2 Shaymin-EX ROS
1 Mewtwo-EX NXD

Trainers – 35

4 Professor Sycamore
2 N
2 AZ
1 Colress
1 Lysandre

 

4 Repeat Ball
4 Super Scoop Up
3 Ultra Ball
3 VS Seeker
2 Muscle Band
2 Silver Bangle
1 Enhanced Hammer
1 Sacred Ash
1 Computer Search

 

4 Dimension Valley

Energy – 7

7 P

This is a much more streamlined “Psychic” deck, and while you might not always start with Wobbuffet, the effect of having it be your main attacker can be absolutely devastating. This is currently one of my favorite decks to play, as it carries with it the advantage of Ability lock while not being as risky a play as the Primal Groudon-EX deck.

One word of caution before you play this deck though: Make sure you get something other than a Wobbuffet Active before trying to play down Shaymin-EX! Super Scoop Up is there to get you out of a bind (or drop Crobat or Shaymin-EX again), but the worst feeling ever is to plop a Shaymin down and not be able to use Set Up.

Conclusion

pokemon personality test art jpnebay.com
Pokémon Personality Test — Neo Destiny 102

Types in the Pokémon TCG have always interested me. I think it’s a reason many people get interested in the game — they identify with a certain Pokémon or type and try to build a deck around it. While the “personalities” to the types in the TCG are all over the place right now, there are at least consistent advantages among each type.

In this article we looked at Colorless, Dragon, Metal, Fairy, and Psychic Pokémon. In my next article I will focus on the remaining types (hopefully after details for Ancient Origins have been fully revealed) with more tips and tricks along the way.

If you have a favorite deck you feel represents a certain type well, let me know in the comments section! This can be a current archetype or a favorite from the past. And as always, thanks for reading!


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