BulbapediaHey guys, pgmcsskater back with another deck analysis. This time it’s going to be my personal favorite rogue deck right now, Victreebel. Yes, I did just say it. Victreebel. You know that one Pokémon that no one would think would be playable. First off, the Pokémon itself is not cool looking. Who likes a bell with vines coming out that swallows James whole whenever it comes out of its Poké Ball? Actually, I haven’t seen the show in a long time, so I wouldn’t know. Sorry guys, excuse my tangent. (Prepare to be amazed you people who are laughing right now at me for thinking this deck is even playable.)
Let’s get back to the deck now.
The Victreebel that is the star of the deck is the one from HeartGold & SoulSilver: Triumphant.
pokebeach.comIt’s a Stage 2 Grass-type Pokémon that has 110 HP, a weakness to Fire, and 2 Retreat Cost, but that’s not where it shines. For 2 energy (a Grass and a Colorless), “Acidic Drain” does 30 damage, the defending Pokémon is now burned and poisoned, and Victreebel heals 30. You might say they could just retreat to stop the burn and poison, but Victreebel has an awesome Poké-Body. “Tangling Tendrils” states that as long as Victreebel is active, your opponent’s Retreat Cost is 2 more. Plus, under Trainer-lock, your opponent can’t Poké Turn or Warp Point/Switch out of it. The damage output might not be as heavy as a lot of the Pokémon in this format, but you burn, poison, and heal for 2 energy.
I, personally, appreciate Vileplume, so my list runs Spiritomb and Vileplume. I hate Trainer-lock because it’s stressful and annoying. So, I decided to just play with Trainer-lock because I want my opponents to feel my pain. Mwahaha. Never mind, ignore that statement and don’t think I’m a sadist. Seriously speaking, I think VileTomb helps Victreebel to keep its disruption, set up more consistently, and slow your opponent down enough to where you can fully set up without being behind.
Other Pokémon I run in this build.
Spiritomb
Spiritomb is the starter you want. Unlike Gengar/Vileplume, Victreebel is not almost guaranteed a Turn 1 Trainer-lock start. But, when you start Spiritomb with either Bellsprout, Oddish, or a Call, you will have a heyday. Not only does Spiritomb lock Trainers while it’s active, it has a free attack, “Darkness Grace”, that lets you evolve one of your bench Pokémon with its next stage from your deck.
Uxie
Uxie, without Claydol, is the best draw card in this format. “Set Up” allows you to draw until you have 7 cards in your hand when you play Uxie from your hand. Also, it has a decent and sometimes useful attack for 1 Colorless; you can do 20 and choose to put it with all cards attached to the bottom of your deck.
Just a quick side note: I participated in Rip-A-Claydol Day. I cried tears of sadness. Not really. Just trying to get the point across.
Unown Q
Unown Q is awesome. An amazing card that allows you to attach it from your bench to another Pokémon to give it 1 less Retreat Cost. So, your Uxie would have free retreat, your Spiritomb would have free retreat, and your other Unown Q would have extra free retreat.
pokebeach.comVictreebel LA
This card is scrumdiliumcious. For free, you can “Luring Flame” a Pokémon and also poison them. This card is very disruptive, even more so than Blaziken FB. (The actual attack is called “Luring Scent,” but I thought comparing it to a popular attack would get the point across better. Sorry to anyone I confused. I send my greatest apology and certainly my non-existent respect.) On top of that, it has a heavy cost attack (2 Grass and a Colorless) that does 60, and, at the end of your opponent’s turn, you get to discard an energy card from their defending Pokémon. If you include poison, burn, 60, plus the effect, it hits very hard. Plus, this is your Dialga G LV.X counter.
Techs
As for techs, I really don’t know of any that would be effective in this deck. Maybe Ditto would be a nice addition or Toxicroak G Promo.
Matchups
LuxChomp: 50-50
It might take a lot of time, but if you can hold up the disruption and constantly dish out the Victreebel, you can win this matchup. It may take 20 turns and come down to 1 Prize each, but you should come on top.
DialgaChomp: 40-60
Like the matchup before, just disrupt. If they get Dialga G LV.X out, just constantly burn/poison it and make your opponent waste their resources to keep it alive and on the field. However, this matchup is a little harder because Dialga G LV.X shuts off your Poké-Bodies, thus allowing them to play Trainers and retreat for their regular cost.
Machamp: 70-30
If you can stop their Trainers early on, you should be able to come on top easily. Even though they have 130 or 150 HP, the burn and poison should make it harder for them to stay alive. They also won’t be able to set up Machamp left and right under Trainer lock. Yet, if they play Umbreon tech, Victreebel LA with Rescue Energy is your friend.
VileGar: 70-30
This matchup is very easy. You set up just as fast as they do, you don’t play many Poké-Powers so “Shadow Room” is almost useless, and burn/poison gets you around Fainting Spell.
Sablelock/Chenlock: I don’t know
I haven’t actually tested against this so that would be a great thing to test out.
| Pokémon – 26 4 Bellsprout TM* 4 Weepinbell LA 3 Victreebell TM 1 Victreebel LA 3 Spiritomb AR 2 Oddish LA P-type 2 Gloom LA G-type 2 Vileplume UD 2 Uxie LA 1 Uxie LV.X LA 2 Unown Q MD |
T/S/S – 19 2 Broken Time-Space 3 Pokémon Collector 4 Bebe’s Search 4 Copycat 3 Professor Oak’s New Theory 2 Twins 1 Palmer’s Contribution |
Energy – 15 7 G 3 Call 3 Warp 2 Rescue |
* 40 to 50 HP doesn’t really matter, but its attack overshadows the others. “Inviting Scent” allows you to switch their active.
Conclusion
This deck is very good at disruption and giving out status conditions. However, when you meet that one Steelix or Charizard deck, almost always expect a loss. You could win if you got a “God” hand and your opponent got the lone Basic start with nothing in hand. Also, I don’t recommend this deck in a tournament. It takes too long to win. It’s just like Gliscor/Spiritomb and takes a long time to chip away at your prizes. So, you would most likely lose in time.
Thanks guys for reading. I hope you enjoyed it. Comment or say how much it sucked below.
I think you can drop 1 Unown Q for 1 more spiritomb, just for consistency
I originally built VileGar with 4 Tomb, and found that it wasn’t necessary to put 4 with collector and call in the deck. So I built this deck with the same basic built idea as VileGar. In my opinion, 3 is just enough, but 4 is too much. Thanks though for the suggestion.
4 Tomb is too much, they are easy snippeing targets.
Well you only really NEED the original one you start with, But like I said. It’s for Consistency as you ALWAYS was to start with it.
I understand that, but 3 is consistent enough. You dont have to always start with it. This deck can afford to be a prize or 2 behind, because It can kinda, excuse my lack of a better term, “tank.”
Great article. I have all ready started searching for cards needed to make a deck around Victreebell after I read the Flycatcher article posted earlier this month. Now there are two great ideas to help me build my deck. Thanks for the awesome info!!! :D
well I happen to think victreebel, looks very cool. first off you should throw in a
1-1 sunflora, and you need the hunter/memory berry combo to
use bellsprout’s luring flame thing. and you should replace one copycat with a spiratomb.
I think 1-1 sunflora is too bulky, and is bait to Gengar and ERL.
i’ve ran this deck alot, i have sunflora in my line too for sunshine grace just in case my oppenent locks trainers i can still get my pokemon out.
I agree with REDELKID. Victreebell is cool looking haha :P
At least now I know a good counter to vileplume. Thanks haha
any fire pokemon, steelix prime, and DGX…
Drifblim FB lol
oh thats any trainer lock counter lol
hey i was totally seriuos.
I am too. Victreebell is sick lol
Happiness!!! I just pulled a Uxie, and Ho-Oh Legend (top), as well as Weavile G (holo) from a Typhlosion Prime tin!
Happiness!!! I just pulled a Uxie, and Ho-Oh Legend (top), as well as Weavile G (holo) from a Typhlosion Prime tin!
I just got a pack of Triumphant and I got a seeker and a Rescue Energy:D:D
^ Thank you for the new etiquette box Adam-we needed it
Yeah I thought it was about time we had some kind of commenting guidelines to follow… I just hope people notice it. :P
I noticed!:D
That is a pretty cool deck man.
The TM Bellsprout is awesome. I wrecked with it at the PR.
yeah but LA victreebel is better… I know people run Memory berry, but i think its too much to run. i think its fine as is with out it.
yeah but if the only thing they have on there field is free retreat and one retreat
pokemon, with out the poke body its just going to retreat to the bench.
and if your LA victreebel gets ko’d your not going to be able to
get it back.
thats what the rescues are for… i understand how beneficial the memory berry is but under t-lock its a little too much of a hassel if i must say
but lets be realistic, if your victreebel gets ko’d your going to have to
palmers it, AND WITH OUT SUNFLORA!!! it’l be pretty hard to get it back when
you need it.
Im not going to say sunflora wouldnt be great, but with heavy supporter lines, getting a victreebel isnt hard. Even if you have to palmers, by the time one gets KOed you should have another on the bench… I like sunflora, but its too much in this deck.
ok the sunflora might not be totally necessary, but I really do think the hunter/memory berryis essential for this deck to be competitive. Sure burning scent can switch them activebut the poke body won’t be in play. You want to lock them not burn them.
the deck wont ever be competitive because it takes too long to win. you hit little by little. But i know hunter/memory berry is nice, but what about when its gets koed? hunter/memory berry again? you wont always be able to do that. Dont get me wrong i like the idea, I just think if an opponent has to waste resources to retreat, its doing its job.
NO SUNFLORA?????? C’mon it’s like Claydol for this deck.
Why not pair Victreebel with Roserade from Unleashed? As long as you’re burning and poisoning with Victrebel for your attack, might as well confuse them from the bench with Energy Signal, if you can spare the grass energy.
And it’s worth it because a few turns later, if Victreebel’s in trouble or you just need some hefty firepower, Roserade can use the energy you’ve been dropping on it to do some significant damage. This is especially nice when you have DCE and/or a way to move energy around the field (I like the Unleashed Shaymin for this purpose). Bring out Roserade for a quick OHKO, bring back Victreebel for slow, methodical disruption and special conditions. Switch as needed.
Yeah, it takes some setting up, so of course you’ll be needing the usual suspects like Uxie and Broken Time-Space, and I think Sunflora is a must here as well. So it’s slow, but with the advent of Twins and Black Belt slow is the new fast, since giving away a prize or two early on can now be greatly advantageous.
Why not pair Victreebel with Roserade from Unleashed? As long as you’re burning and poisoning with Victreebel, might as well confuse them from the bench with Energy Signal, provided you can spare the grass energy
Then later, if you need some hefty firepower, Roserade can use the energy you’ve been dropping on for some major damage. This is especially nice when you have DCE and/or a way to move energy around the field (I like the Unleashed Shaymin for this purpose). Then Switch between Victreebel’s slow disruption and Roserade’s OHKO as needed.
Yeah, it takes some setup time, so you’ll need the usual suspects like Uxie and Broken Time-Space, and I think Sunflora is a must here as well. So yeah, it’s a bit slow, but with the advent of Twins and Black Belt, slow is the new fast, since giving away a prize or two early on can now be greatly advantageous.
Likely to win tournaments? Not sure. But I bet it would be fun to play casually.
Everytime I have played this deck, I have gone way over 30 minutes to win
Cool article but it seemed a bit short imo. Also a somewhat weird choice to put decklist in the end. But thumbs up :)
With the sets rotating out in august try using dodrio with retreat aid, and Leafeon UD with Miasma Wind to: burn and poison your opponents active, retreat next turn with retreat aid, bring leafeon in and hit for 100 damage because they will be locked by victreebels poke-body, i also use vileplume in my list, try teching in visepqueen UD also for her pokebody which protects your benched grass pokemon.