I want to build 3 theme decks

[Pringlesman]

Hey all, I recently got back into the Pokemon TCG game. I had bought the cards when the game first came out but never really played it until now. I really like the mechanics of the game but I really don't like the meta game with the emphasis on EX pokemon. I've played a little bit of competitive and I prefer the slower pace of games based off the lower power theme decks.

So I want to build a set of three theme decks based off of each of the Kanto starters. If you've ever played MTG think of something similar to the Duel Deck series. I don't want any of the these decks to have any broken combos in them or any EX pokemon. I want the Venusaur deck to have outs to the Charizard deck and the same with blastoise/charizard. I don't care how old the cards are, and I would like variety in the decks.

Problem is pokemon is a completely massive game and I have a pretty limited exposure to what cards exist. (basicaly base set-team rocket and Furious Fists/Phantom Forces) So I was wonder if you guys could help me at least block out the decks or maybe point me to some cards that I should look at.

Thanks in advanced.

 

[donavannj]

Okay, so, uh, there's quite a number of each of these guys printed.

Look at what your options are and pick one of each that you like.

Then from there, I can help you with finding combos with the ones you like.

Because, really, there's at least 4000 unique cards in the TCG. I know for a fact that I don't have all of them memorized and I haven't really stopped collecting since the craze first hit.

 

[Pringlesman]

Looking at my options of charizard I like the Shattered Charizard with Fire Formation.
Of the Blastoise I like the ones with Deluge from Plasma Blast/Boundaries Crossed.
And Vensuaur from Dark Explorers looks like it has the most game of my options.

 

[donavannj]

Looking at my options of charizard I like the Shattered Charizard with Fire Formation.
Of the Blastoise I like the ones with Deluge from Plasma Blast/Boundaries Crossed.
And Vensuaur from Dark Explorers looks like it has the most game of my options.

Good choices on those first two, as they were actually tournament viable in their prime (Blastoise is still legal for Standard, but its viability has slipped a fair bit since people know how to counter it). Venusaur (along with most Grass types) kind of gets the shaft in terms of viability most times around, as healing is significantly underpowered as a mechanic, which tends to be what Venusaur gets stuck with.

That Charizard works well with anything that can get it Energy. Look at Typhlosion (prime) from HeartGold SoulSilver (the Primes are the special holos toward the end of the set, Typhlosion prime being 110/123). Also look at Ninetales from HeartGold SoulSilver. Its PokePower complements Typhlosion quite well and is a pretty good draw engine. Granted this deck could be a bit on the slow side to set up because of 2 Stage 2s and a Stage 1 being at the core.

Blastoise with Deluge works very well with just about any Water type, especially those with attacks that gain damage for each Water Energy attached to them (like itself). In Standard, it was paired with Keldeo EX, but you don't want to use EXs, so there are quite a few other heavy hitter Water Pokemon that will do. The issue is getting the Water Energy to your hand consistently, but you can get around that via a few amazing Trainer cards (which you might or might not see as broken; I'll go into detail on those later).

Another fun Blastoise is the one from Platinum when combined with the Delcatty from Platinum.

Venusaur is a tricky one because, well, like I said, Grass types get the shaft. That would require a bit more research on my part, as I'm not as familiar with Grass decks that don't use EXs that are seriously viable off the top of my head.

Do you want to hear my recommendations for Trainer cards to use? The one's I'm partial to recommending are arguably broken, but Trainers make any deck consistent, and most of them are, at their rarest rarity, an uncommon or a Promo. And I will not be recommending Tropical Beach due to that particular card's rarity.

 

[Pringlesman]

I'm assuming its going to contain some amount of Ultra Balls and Rare Candies.

I've used Proffessor Letter before, but I assume you are probably talking about something a little more combo-rific.

That Delacatty looks like ti could be good. Discard your hand to a professor juniper, and then attach the watery energy you discard to a blastoise.

 

[donavannj]

I'm assuming its going to contain some amount of Ultra Balls and Rare Candies.

I've used Proffessor Letter before, but I assume you are probably talking about something a little more combo-rific.

That Delacatty looks like ti could be good. Discard your hand to a professor juniper, and then attach the watery energy you discard to a blastoise.

Rare Candy was something I was just assuming you'd use (though it's kinda pricey for its rarity since it's legal in Standard).

Really, I was thinking more along the lines of looking at cards like Roseanne's Research, Bebe's Search, Pokemon Collector, and Pokemon Communication. Although I think there's an even better version of Roseanne's Research from before I ever started playing competitively, but since it's before my time, the name escapes me.

Professor's Letter is also pretty good as well. You could probably put a playset in alongside Roseanne's Research and just use Roseanne's for fetching Pokemon, though if you use Roseanne's Research for just Pokemon, Pokemon Collector would be a better card than it (Roseanne's biggest advantage is its flexibility, since maybe it's Energy you need that turn and not Pokemon). Bebe's Search's biggest advantage over Pokemon Communication is that you can use it to send any card from your deck to pull a Pokemon into your hand, rather than needing a Pokemon to do so.

Delcatty is also great for recycling energy that the Blastoise it is paired to has happened to discard. The downside to Delcatty is you need a heal it. The Pokemon Center stadium card from Next Destinies is worth a look, as is Nidoqueen from Rising Rivals.

And, sorry, haven't managed to find time or energy to do research on Venusaur yet.

 

[Pringlesman]

Pokemon 19
3 Charmander (Legendary Treasures)
1 Charmander (Platinum Arceus)
3 Charmelon (Boundries Crossed)
2 Charizard (Arceus)

3 Growlithe (Rising rivals)
2 Arcanine (rising Rivals)

3 Ponyta (XY Flashfire)
2 Rapidash (stormfront)

Trainers 19
3 Blacksmith
3 Fiery Torch
2 Ultra Ball
1 Evasoda
1 Pokéball
2 Ultra Balls
1 Full Heal
1 Professor Oak's New Theory
1 Rare Candy
1 Scorched Earth
2 Pokemon letter
1 Pokemon Collector
1 Wally

15 Fire Energy

This is where I'm currently at for my list. I know it's all over the place but that is kind of the point with these decks. I'm currently 6 cards shy from a full list and I'm not 100% attached to any of the cards.

I'm aware the trainers look janky and all over the place, I'm not aiming for decks that always do the same thing I'm wanting somethign a lto more casual and to have quite a bit of varience from game to game. So I'm trying to resist just throwing in a ton of tutors and card draw to get exactly what I need all the time.

I have no idea if this is too much/not enough energy. Are there any special fire enegies that do cool things?

I really like the Arceus Promo Ponyta but they are more expensive than I'm willing to get at the start so I'm going with XY flashfire ones for now.

Arcanine is an effort to have a little bit of an out to the blastoise deck. Don't think it's enough.





I think I want the Venusaur deck to be a stall deck that uses Poison as it's main win condition. Using Virbank City Gym to speed up the process and then something like hard charm to help stall the game.

Start of the deck, I am some 11 cards shy right now.

VENUSAUR DECK

21 Pokemon
4 Bulbasaur (EX Crystal Guardians
3 Ivysaur (Dark Explorers 2)
2 Venusaur (Dark Explorers 3)

1 Bellsprout (Furious Fists)
1 Bellsprout (Triumphant)
1 Bellsprout (EX Legend Maker)
1 Weepinbel (Legends Awakened)
1 Weepinbel (Triumphant)
2 Victreebel (Furious Fists 3)

3 Chansey (Phantom Forces)
2 Blissey (Dark Explorers)


14
2 Hypnotoxic Laser
2 Ultra Balls
1 Professor Oak's New Theory
1 Rare Candy
3 Virbank City Gym
2 Hard Charm
1 Wally
2 Professor's Letter

15
4 Herbal Energy
11 Grass Energy