pokemon-paradijs.comHello SixPrizes I’m Max Douglas and I’m here again to write about my favorite form of energy acceleration in the format: Eelektrik NVI. I first started using Eelektrik with Zekrom BLW, Thundurus EPO, and Tornadus EPO after reading an article on The Deck Out. I made the deck on Redshark and played a couple rounds and was convinced I found the deck I’d play at Cities.
I did play the deck at my first City tournament and got second place with it. The entire day the deck gave me good, consistent hands (except in top cut where I got a couple dead starts, but it was best of three so I could come back from those losses). Despite this I never played the deck after the tournament and experimented with other stuff for the rest of 2011. I also decided to name the deck “Club Zekrom” (picture the genies as bouncers and Eelektrik as a DJ, it works).
For my second City tournament I played Magnezone/Eelektrik, or as I like to call it “Ragnorok.” Again I made the list a week before the tournament and got used to the changes brought about by the Magnezone line. The deck wasn’t quite as consistent as Club Zekrom, but the power Magnezone brought was well worth it.
My games all felt tense as getting a Magnezone out would make or break watch game, however my deck prevailed for me (double Candying into two Magnezone the turn before my opponent can set up Trainer lock is priceless). I ended up coming second again and I took another break from Ragnorok, however this time I knew I’d return.
Why I’m Here
Enter nEXt Destinies, and the return of the Pokémon-EX. I never played during the first EX era so I don’t have much experience with the concept, however I know if they give up 2 Prizes they must either be good cards or binder fodder.
All of the EX (bar Shaymin EX) have high energy costs (or in the case of Mewtwo EX require high amounts of energy to deal massive damage). This means if you use Pokémon-EX you will likely need some energy acceleration. This brings me to the point of this article, my energy accelerator of choice; Eelektrik.
Eelektrik is currently being used with Magnezone, Zekrom, Zekrom-EX, Mewtwo EX, and Thundurus. There are other cards that can pair with it, but these are the most common. In the next format we will have EX based decks, non-EX based decks, and decks that use EX and non-EX attackers.
EX based decks will have a lot of power, but each EX needs to do the work of two Pokémon to be worth it. Non-EX decks will rely on getting 2 Prizes for each EX, and mixed decks will balance the two strategies. Eelektrik can fit the needs of all three play-styles, and now I’ll present three different Eel decks that will be strong contenders in the new format.
*Note for each of these lists which Tynamo you use is up to personal preference. If you know your opponents will be playing cards like Tyrogue HS, Kyurem NVI, Chandelure NVI, or either player uses Skyarrow Bridge, you will want the 40 HP Tynamo. Otherwise you may prefer the 30 HP Tynamo for that sweet free retreat.
Club Zekrom
The first is Club Zekrom-EX. This deck aims to get 4+ L Energy in the discard and 2-3 Eels set up so Zekroms can be dropped and charged in a turn. Here is my current list for CZEX:
|
Pokémon – 14 4 Tynamo NVI |
Trainers – 34 2 PONT
4 Junk Arm 3 Switch 2 Eviolite 2 Pokégear 3.0
|
Energy – 12 9 L |
pokegym.netThis is the simplest of the three decks, but is easy to set up and can become dangerous quickly. I maxed out the Eel line as you want three up ASAP and you also want the ability to replace them. Zekrom-EX is your main attacker here. After each Strong Volt you should be left with two energy attached. On your next turn you will either attach a DCE to allow for another attack or Dynamotor energy to a benched Zekrom and retreat to attack again.
Smeargle can be risky or whiff a Supporter, but he can also speed up the deck by allowing you to use two Supporters a turn, and he also has a free retreat when SAB is in play so you can bring it out when a Zekrom goes down, charge a new one, use a Supporter from their hand, and then retreat and attack. The single Zekrom BLW is here for Durant and times when an opposing EX is left with half its health left.
The Supporters are all fairly aggressive, and attempt to go through your deck quickly to get everything you need. This can be bad against Durant, but against that deck you should just try to manually attach to a Zekrom and hope they don’t get good flips on Crushing Hammer.
pokemon-paradijs.comThe Items and Stadiums are keep at high counts to allow you to get them quickly and over and over again.
The energy is kept simple; 9 Lightning lets you discard them quickly and frequently, and 3 DCE to help power Zekrom-EX’s Strong Volt.
I’d like to add 1-2 more Zekrom BW, as this deck doesn’t have a way to 1HKO opposing EX so I’d like to only risk a Zekrom that gives 1 Prize while preparing for a 2HKO. The extra Zekrom would also help against Durant.
Overall I like the deck, but it could benefit from a stronger game plan against Durant (you can never have a good enough game plan against Durant short of 4 Heatmor form Dark Rush + 56 energy) and Pokémon-EX.
Ragnorok
The next deck is Ragnorok, or Thunder-dome/Magneel/EelZone for the boring people. This deck uses Magnezone as the main attacker and draw engine all in one. Here is my current list for Ragnorok:
|
Pokémon – 18 4 Tynamo NVI |
Trainers – 28 3 N 2 Twins
4 Junk Arm 2 Switch |
Energy – 14 12 L |
pokemon-paradijs.comThis is my favorite of the three decks; the deck has answers to most decks between the three main attackers. The problem with this deck is that there is so much to cram into a Magnezone deck that I never feel I have enough of some things.
I used to use 4-2-3 Magnezone, but he takes up a lot of space this way (yes two extra cards is a lot of space in this deck), so I cut the line down and it’s been fine for me. The forth Magnemite is only vital when two are prized and I see a decline in Item locking making the second Magneton less desirable. I use 4-3 Eelektrik because Eels are much harder to pick off then Magnezone and you need two out most of the time.
I have one of each Zekrom here; Zekrom BLW is used against Durant and the times when 120 is enough to take a prize letting my save energy from Magnezone or keep Zekrom-EX out of harms way. Zekrom-EX is for non-EX attackers/supporters with the 130-150 barrier.
Against a deck like Six Corners you will run out of energy trying to Lost Burn though everything and repeatedly getting 3 energy a turn can be exhausting on your resources. In these times Zekrom-EX can take prizes without permanently losing energy (except for DCE, but losing one energy for 150 is much better than what Magnezone can do). Smeargle is here to help set up faster. With decks getting strong attacks going T1-T2 you need to keep up.
pokemon-paradijs.comThe Supporters are more conservative then the last list. Sage’s returns because there is no better way to fish out the one card you are missing to go into Magnezone. N is here to disrupt the opponent and potentially screw them out of a hand late game, and because of Magnezone you always get six cards. Twins is here because you will fall behind at the start, and Twins into Magnezone and a new hand is just great when you’re down a prize or two.
The Items are based on getting a quick Magnezone and having Catcher / Switch all game. I’d like to add a third Catcher / Switch, but space constraints prohibit this. At least you have 4 Junk Arm to get stuff back.
Energy lines are similar to the last list, but I included more and increased the focus on Lightning as they are recyclable with Eelektrik. An important note about DCE is that you should never leave one on board during your opponent’s turn in case they run Lost Remover; either discard it with Strong Volt or Lost Burn it (unless the opponent Item locks of course).
In the future I will add a second Zekrom-EX (once I get one that is) and maybe trade a Lightning for a DCE.
Eel Tech
The final list is a more experimental one. The meta has similar decks, but I’ve seen no hype or even acknowledgement for this one. This deck is called “Eel Tech.” This list is very rough as what you play in it will depend on your meta which no one can truly predict right now. Without further ado, here is Eel Tech:
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Pokémon – 13-18 3 Tynamo NVI 3-5 [L Attackers] (Thundurus EPO, Zekrom BLW, Zekrom-EX) 4-7 Techs |
Trainers – 32 10 [Draw Supporters]
3 Junk Arm 2 Switch 2 Eviolite 2 Pokégear 3.0
|
Energy – 9-15 4-7 L 4 Prism 1-4 Rainbow |
As you can see this is more of a concept than a list; this is because I haven’t made a list yet and won’t until we have an established meta.
pokegym.netThe idea is that there are multiple Basic Pokémon that have strong attacks costing 1-2 Colorless + 1 Rainbow / Prism, so this deck uses Eels to provide the Colorless cost while using the Prism / Rainbow for the other part. I’ll go over a list of Lightning types and techs for the deck:
Lightning
Thundurus EPO: This genie is here to get the Lighting energy out of the deck. As long as you open with one of any energy you can pull 2-3 Lighting out of the deck and that should be enough. He can also take cheap prizes very quickly.
Zekrom BLW: This Digimon returns once again to strike foes with his bolts. Not much to say other than he is a strong choice.
Zekrom-EX: This guy represents a generic 150 attacker with amazing HP. If you use this Digimon then I’d advise cutting some Rainbow for some DCE.
Techs
Cobalion NVI: The metal pony can murder any Kyurem giving you trouble and with two Prism / Rainbow you can use his awesome second attack to hinder almost every deck out there.
Terrakion NVI: The fighting pony is used to revenge kill Pokémon with Fighting Weakness, which is a lot (Lightning, Dark, Normal). Seriously, you should be running two of this guy.
Absol Prime: Used to kill Chandelure, he can also be a good starter for softening up opponents.
Mew Prime: See Off anything and have a cheap kill on Mewtwo EX. This is huge. He also works great with Absol.
Victini NVI 15: Use this guy if Cobalion and Durant are big in your area and you aren’t confident against them.
pokemon-paradijs.comCrygonal NVI 34: This guy was made to kill Donphan Prime, and by extension Landorus NVI. He also donked a Cyndaquil in game one of the final match at my first cities.
Basculin EPO 24: Puts the hurt on Fire types. He can’t kill Reshiram-EX in a single hit, but Reshiram-EX can help out with his recoil.
Tornadus EPO / Bouffalant BLW 91: These two can beat the almighty Rayquaza & Deoxys LEGEND.
Shaymin EX: The little EX that could can be a last resort when your opponent only has 1 Prize left. You may wish to include some N in the deck to make him even more devastating.
So there you have it, with all these mighty Pokémon you should be able to beat any foe right? Well maybe, but space will be tight if you use to many techs, I’d try to find the 2-3 that help with your worst matches and run 1-3-of each, and make sure to include one Shaymin EX, late game his energy-damage ratio is unmatched.
Conclusion
I hope I’ve provided plenty of inspiration for you to make your own Eel based decks, be it a Zekrom focus, Magnezone focus or a techie lack of focus. If you have constructive criticism for my lists I’d love to hear it.
Nice article! Definitely goes through almost all the options that can be ran with Eelektrik.
I’m debating on Magnezone or Zekrom. Zekrom can swarm easy but Magnezone one-shots everything and has built-in draw!
i like Sage’s but if I ever run 3 or more if it, I run a 4-4 Eelektrik because it is annoying to discard him. I may have to get a Super Rod in because it seems to good with Sage.
Great job on the article though. The caption for Shaymin EX made me laugh xD
i play an eel daeck basicly zpst but with eelectictrik thundurous so i use pachirisu and shaymin for the early game eelectrik for the late
That Electrik is the only time I’ve heard of a Stage One that evolves not having the Stage Two in the deck. I can now clearly picture an Elektrik flopping around on some turntables. I wouldn’t want to hear the (un)musical result though… Great article!
Tech… and Mewtwo EX… haha.
Good article. I enjoyed reading it.
I would like to hear an explanation behind the name “Ragnorok”. It’s a nice article. Not too much new in the meat of the article but the techs list was interesting.
Ragnorok refers to a great battle where many important figures and gods would die. When Magnezone & Zekrom EX or used there will be a lot of death to both important figures (Non legendaries such as Typhlosion, Gardevoir, Durant, Magnezone, etc) and gods (Legendaries, EX)
It also sounds cool.
end of the cosmos!!!! 2012!!!1 hahahaha troll lol lols.
2/25/12
Pokemon Tournament (1st Place gets a Mewtwo EX and a few booster packs, 2nd Place gets the card voted most on the poll on the web site & booster packs) shaymin ex , zekrom ex, or reshiram ex.
http://nickstournaments.weebly.com/
I enjoyed reading this artical, I also never played during the last EX and I find eletric still frightening to vs offline & online. I still stick to fire because I am a pyro at heart ^.^
Eelektrik is a beast and always a solid deck choice these lists are pretty nice in your club zekrom deck i would only run two zek ex and throw in a mewtwo ex.. just my opinion when it comes to fighting weaknesses i like to at least throw in one non fighting weakened ally
I’m contemplating bringing a eel deck to states but im worried there will be too many techs against it in so many decks Terrakion is crazy and everywhere
Awesome article all in all i like the Tech list alot too
I agree, since writing the article I’ve dropped a Smeargle & Zekrom EX for 2 Zekrom BW. This helps a lot against Durant which literally half my local meta uses.
I didn’t include Mewtwo EX in the list because I don’t have one yet :(
oh i see… that makes sense .. and yea in all my building i only play 2 copies of any pokemon ex i play in my testing just in case one is prized otherwise its too bulky with the two prize disadvantage
i like the article. not the best, but not the worst. although, i must ask why use smeargle in the decklists if the opponent has a supporter that hinders you? you have no clue what their deck runs, but you know what’s in your decklist at least , which supports cleffa. i’m honestly just not seeing why smeargle is getting hype now and why everyone thinks it’s now better than cleffa.
Mewtwo donks Cleffa and not Smeargle.
thanks for the clarification.
also smeargle can be used during your turn every time, instead of having to use an attack. and with skyarrow you get free retreat.
My personal testing with Smeargle has been quite unsatisfactory. Yes, Cleffa gets donked by Mewtwo, but following that logic, he also donks Tynamo, and his evolution might be arguably the most played energy accelerator at this point in the format. Not only that, but not many decks will run more th an two Mewtwo, and I dare say that all of the decks that do and rely on it way too much will probably be unsuccessful in the long run. This lowers the chances of your opponent getting all the cards that he/she needs to donk with a Mewtwo.
Also, in regards to Smeargle as a starter, he is really not superior to cleffa because of the fact that like Balasar said, there are supporters which might hinder you or force you to discard resources. Not only that, but there are also times when hand refreshing would be much better, especially when your opponent is not holding any supporters, which has happened to me way more often that I would like.
Finally, the ONE retreat cost of Smeargle is still an issue considering that in this format being one energy attachment behind can cost you. Sure Skyarrow Bridge can help you but there is no way to search for the stadium card like say Unown Q was searchable during last format. Also, it is debatable whether a card like Skyarrow Bridge even deserves 2 or 3 spots in an Eelektrik deck, seeing as Eelektrik has 2 retreat cost anyway. IMO finding alternative ways to retreat like switch/DCE makes the deck much more efficient.
Unown Q was donked by Uxie (all decks played Uxie), Azelf (all decks played Azelf), and, yes, Unown Q (all decks played Unown Q!). Skyarrow can’t be donked, so people will be more likely to play 4.
I should point out that my argument was not at all against skyarrow bridge. It was against Smeargle. But you just made my point for me. In the last format, virtually any basic had a chance of being donked, unown Q maybe a little easier, but people still ran at least one of him. SKyarrow Bridge has it’s uses and it will be used as a 2 of or 3 of in things like celebi, but not every deck can accomodate it in that high a count to warrant running Smeargle. The fact that cleffa can be donked by mewtwo, doesn’t mean that it’s inferior to smeargle. All the things that made it a good clutch before still apply. ANd like I said and you have just supported, people will run things that are worth running (unown Q/Cleffa, Tynamo) even if there’s a minimal chance of getting donked.
^That.
Zekrom EXs art <3
I think you’re a good writer. I didn’t really get the Shaymin caption.
Also, I think that you don’t have that good lists. From experience, I know that lots of fluky decks can win cities.
I am not saying your lists are fluky though because I haven’t tried them. Here are some of the problems with the
decklists:
Club Zekrom
Need 4 DCE
Not enough attackers and not enough types of attackers, Fighting kills you and
Terrakion is a major tech with Prism out now.
I’d do 1 more Level Ball and one more Eviolite for a Juniper and a Pokegear
I’d also take out a JA and Sage for PONT and DCE IMO.
Again, I haven’t tested these and I don’t know what’s best. I’m an experienced Pokemon player and
I’m making suggestions based on my knowledge.
You need Mewtwo EX period. I don’t care if you don’t have one, I don’t either. (After 20 packs of ND)
PROXIES! You don’t need a printer. Just a slip that says “Mewtwo EX”.
Eelzone (Or if you insist, Ragnorok)
You shouldn’t play Smeargle without SAB.
I’d recommend more attackers. Magnezone is not consistent by itself.
2 alter attackers is not enough. Terrakion wrecks you.
Mewtwo EX is needed as stated above.
Eel Tech
You need to test your decks before putting them up and you need a solid list. I learned that the hard way.
Don’t end up in a roadside ditch :P (Direct TV commercial)
Need a definite list. 5 [lightning attackers] and 10 [Draw supporters] is okay but [techs] is not. Be specific with the techs. Also, you need definite amounts of Energy.
Where’s Smeargle? You already run SAB so where is he? Virizion can also be a good opener.
Overall, I think you’re a good writer and it barely makes up for the fact that the decklists are sub-par IMO.
Terrakion is going to be HUGE and you need a counter to it. I’m really not sold on Eel tech as a whole but nice idea. Not a bad article definitely but just try and put more thought into them. Please just don’t dismiss this comment as un-necessary criticism because I am trying to help you and I took a lot of time writing this.
if you play WoW, you’d get the shaymin caption. if you don’t, i’ll explain it. leroy jenkins was a character that someone had on world of warcraft. he and his party were making this complex plan on how to take down a room full of 20+ REALLY powerful monsters. leroy charges in there, completely disregarding the plan, and kills 20 of these monsters in under 8 seconds. what max is trying to do is compare shaymin’s late game sweep to leyroy’s rage kills. it’s a gaming reference.
Let’s just put a link :)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkCNJRfSZBU
Thanks for the advice, I’ll try your changes out. I know my lists aren’t perfect but Next Destinies has only been out for a week so my testing has been limited.
Thanks for the advice, I’ll try your changes out. I know my lists aren’t perfect but Next Destinies has only been out for a week so my testing has been limited.
Zekrom EX/Eel as I call it is the deck I want to do something with this season. The 4-4 Eelektrik is crucial, and I would say play 4 Zekrom EX, no Zekrom, and Eviolite turns 2HKOs into 2HKOs with more math. Smeargle is cool, but it isn’t that crucial, and please tell me why Mewtwo EX isn’t in that list.
4 Zekrom EX and no BW Zekrom!? You will be giving away prizes way to fast. EXes never do great early game since they give your opponent such a big lead.
The only early-EX deck I know that might do well is Mewtwo/Celebi/Tornadus and even I’m not sure about it being able to win.
Zekrom EX gets two-shot by the reasonable expectation of 150. Zekrom gets one-shot by the reasonable expectation of 150. Problem solved, I haven’t seen anyone play 3 PlusPowers since SableDonk.
Very true, but I still think at least 2 Zekrom B/W can be very helpful because managing Zekrom EX’s Strong Volt can be very hard. You’d have to keep switching out and Dynamotoring and getting back in and… it can get messy. Zekrom can just do 120 and keep on going without anymore support, while you can set up your own Zekrom EX.
If you had actually played the deck you’d see that it’s more consistent than it sounds, get 3 Eels and a Skyarrow out (3 Eels means playing a minimum of four cards, Collector and 3 Eelektrik, and when you play 4 Eelektrik and 2 Level Balls you can usually get at least 2 out T3.
I’ll post my above comment here so you don’t have to look up:
Trust me, at the beginning I thought it would be hard to consistently do 150 every turn but I can pull it off almost every time so long as I have Skyarrow in play. Let’s show you what I mean:
Active: Zekrom EX with 2 Energy
Benched: 3 Eelektrik, Zekrom EX, another attacker
Stadium: Skyarrow Bridge
Dynamotor 3 times to benched Zekrom EX and attach an energy from hand, or Dynamotor 2 to it and attach a DCE from hand. Retreat/Switch active Zekrom EX for benched Zekrom EX and (if possible) Dynamotor to benched ZEX. Then proceed to Strong Volt. Rinse and repeat, and if you don’t have an energy attack with BW Zekrom.
More consistent than you think.
I don’t own any :P
Believe me i’d have 1-2 in there if I could, but 45 packs of NDe and I still don’t have any Mewtwo :(
BTW I wouldn’t advise dropping Zekrom, nor would I ever suggest using 4 of an EX. Zekrom is crucial for Durant and reducing the amount of prizes your opponent gets on a revenge kill. The reason you shouldn’t use 4 of an EX is if 3 have been knocked out you’ve already given 6 prizes, plus it can be clunky at the start when you don’t have 2-3 Eels & a DCE.
Please don’t take this too harshly.
Front page articles are not the place for you to be putting out your real life list (unless you are doing a tounry report). It is a place to be talking about decks in all their idealized potential. Of course, the limit to this is what your personal knowledge base is (notwithstanding mistakes in editing or transposing, etc.)
It is highly disappointing to hear you say “Believe me i’d have 1-2 in there if I could, but 45 packs of NDe and I still don’t have any Mewtwo.”
You still need to talk about Mewtwo and it needs to be in the list, if you really feel that is the best way to play the deck.
45 packs, that’s harsh man. I’m lucky that the first one I open I got a Mewtwo, saves me the nail-biting.
Everybody who has commented on the four Zekrom EX is right. That is not the number to go with. In fact, it is arguable whether you need Zekrom EX in the list at all with the right techs. Also, 4-4 Eelektrik is not absolutely crucia IMOl.
Trust me, as someone who has PLAYED with the Zekrom/Eel deck, 4-4 is key because you need to get 3 in play ASAP.
Trust me, as someone who won the only cities he played with Zekrom/Eels and has a VERY positive winning record against all of the popular decks in this new format with the deck…it is not.
Last time I checked you couldn’t play Zekrom EX at Cities.
But you COULD play Zekrom/Eels…and I know the deck enough in both formats to tell you that if your deck requires 4-4 Eelektrik it really expands too many resources and 4 Zekrom EX/no Zekrom BW is not the way to go….I’m sure I know the archetype better than you.
I’m sorry, I think we are talking about two different decks. I am talking about straight Zekrom EX with Eels, you are talking about more of an Eelbox deck.
He’s talking about Zekrom Eels. Not Eelbox. You can’t be so ignorant as to think ZekromEX/Eels is the “real” Zekrom/Eels, can you?
Couldn’t have put it better myself :)
Well, it is the real Zekrom/Eels now, seeing as how 180 HP is more than 130, 150 damage is more than 120, and 50 is more than 20. If you have tested with a more Zekrom EX focused deck you would see that to consistently power up a Zekrom EX in one turn requires having 3 Eels out. It is easier to get 3 Eels out if you run 4, it increases consistancy and it isn’t a big deal if you prize one. I have put in 1 Zekrom to try it and not be stubborn, and it works quite well, but I built the deck with 3-3 Eelektrik and it SUCKED.
I do agree that 4-4 is probably optimal if you focus too much on the EX version. I mean…3 more retreat cost is more than 2, 4 energy is more than 3, 3 energy is more than 2, the possibility of discarding 2 energy is more than discarding none, and giving away two prizes is more than giving away one (and btw it’s a lot harder to do minimum 260 dmg for 2 prizes over 2 turns, than doing 180). It’s only common sense that you would need so many resources to keep the deck going. But you’ll eventually see that having the deck be so EX-centric is not a good idea, and if you tried a more Zekrom (BW) concentrated approach you would not be disappointed, even with a 3-3 line of Eelektrik.
Trust me, at the beginning I thought it would be hard to consistently do 150 every turn but I can pull it off almost every time so long as I have Skyarrow in play. Let’s show you what I mean:
Active: Zekrom EX with 2 Energy
Benched: 3 Eelektrik, Zekrom EX, another attacker
Stadium: Skyarrow Bridge
Dynamotor 3 times to benched Zekrom EX and attach an energy from hand, or Dynamotor 2 to it and attach a DCE from hand. Retreat/Switch active Zekrom EX for benched Zekrom EX and (if possible) Dynamotor to benched ZEX. Then proceed to Strong Volt. Rinse and repeat, and if you don’t have an energy attack with BW Zekrom.
More consistent than you think.
ECC…told you Zekrom/Eels would be successful enough without centering around Zerkom EX ;)
The ECC was full of the Zekrom EX/Eels as far as I’ve heard. I’m trying out some other attackers, but my concept works fine for me. If you were to try the deck, you would see that it worked.
Great article! +1
Based on the info we have at the moment, Zekrom/Eelektrik is the best candidate for BDIF in a hypothetical BW-on rotation, IMO.
i think it is. it is a pretty consistent and strong deck.
I like the article, though I disagree with having Smeargle in EelZone, and have yet to make up my mind on Twins.
…Digimon?