Good deck strategies?

[-Pacman-]

I'm just coming into the game, so I don't know any. What are some of the good deck strategies out there? What kind of stuff should be run?

 

[donavannj]

Right now, SP decks dominate, but the metagame will probably change dramatically because of a Stadium called "Lost Zone". At least that's what I think it's called. The member that is my source on this is RocketExecutive, who actually goes to leagues regularly, unlike me.

 

[-Pacman-]

SP decks? Also, what will Lost Zone do?

 

[donavannj]

SP decks use Pokemon SP cards.

Actually it's called Lost World.

It's a stadium, and when you play it whoever has 6 or more pokemon in the lost zone automatically loses. So the idea is to play it with gengar prime, which, depending on how much psychic energy is attached to it, can send pokemon directly from the opponents hand into the lost zone. It's the first time a card that essentially says 'play this card; you win the game' has been introduced, and people are resistant to the change. I think it's overestimated, and there are surely ways to play around it.

That's the gist of Lost World.

 

[Rocket_Executive]

SP is a kind of mini-format that came out with the release of platinum. Cards that are SP have SP printed on them, like so:
https://pokegym.net/gallery/displayimage.php?imageid=48224
Garchomp is normally a stage 2 pokemon, but the idea of SP is that you have pokemon that are normally evolutions count as basic pokemon. Supposedly the compromise would be that they have lower base HP and attacks that aren't as damaging as their stage 2 counterparts, but because they have so much trainer/supporter/stadium support, they've become unbalanced and much faster decks than evolution decks. The most notable SP decks are garchomp C/luxray GL, and dialga G/garchomp C, the luxray/garchomp being the world-winning deck this year.

Lost world is a card that is anticipated to come out in the filler set Call of Legends, which I think is being released in February. Lost world is a stadium that uses the "lost zone", a new mechanic that was introduced in platinum and is sort of like the new discard pile, but you can't recover anything out of the lost zone like you can the discard pile. It's really popular in Japan right now, and people are using it with gengar prime. When/if it comes out in English, it will see a lot of play very quickly.

The other decks that are really dominating right now that aren't SP are gyarados from stormfront, machamp from stormfront with donphan prime, and gengar from stormfront with vileplume from undaunted.

Let me know if there's one you're particularly interested in knowing the strategy.

 

[-Pacman-]

So...SP aren't that great themselves, but are overpowered with support? Sounds like X-Sabers in Yu-Gi-Oh...but yeah.

Dialga G/Garchomp C...I'd like to learn more about that.

 

[Rocket_Executive]

If they didn't have the supporting cards that are made specifically for SP, no they wouldn't be as good. As it is, they have the best support in the game right now.

Dialga G lv X has this pokebody that shuts off the pokebodies of other pokemon, as long as they aren't SP. This renders a lot of techs like spiritomb from arceus and vileplume useless. It's basically a tank deck, because dialga uses special metal energy to make knocking it out difficult while using things like poketurn to return it to the player's hand when it has accumulated a lot of damage, sending forward another dialga or a garchomp to attack, making all your effort at damaging it worthless. It also uses its attack deafen to stall and disrupt the opponent's setup by not allowing them to play trainers or stadiums.
Garchomp c lv x is an attacker found in all SP decks, because for a double colourless energy and an energy gain (which can all be attached in one turn) you can do 80 damage to any of your opponents pokemon, netting you cheap prizes by taking out low HP techs on their bench like uxie, azelf, etc. It's pokebody also heals all damage from your SP pokemon when you level it up, which works great with a tank deck. And with poketurn, you can do it over and over.

 

[-Pacman-]

Thanks :). Is there a rep system here? *Looks around wildly* ...no. Well, have an internet cookie. But seriously, thanks.

 

[Rocket_Executive]

No problem, good luck finding a deck.

 

[Milamaster]

You can read nice Pokémon TCG strategies on the official Pokémon website. :)

 

[vava18]

buut lost zone is´t release yet, only in japan, i talk because i live in portugal. but SP are goods then u can use :

Garvile
BGL
this are descks that many people use

 

[Milamaster]

Hey! I'm also from Portugal! :)

 

[PaxAmericana]

I think you should use SP cards because of the same reason others have posted.

 

[-Pacman-]

I've already posted an incomplete SP deck...