TheFightingPikachu
Smashing!
So a friend of mine recently bought a Dragons Exalted Booster, opened it while I was driving him home, and he found an Aggron in it. His comment was, "Awesome!" I replied, "I remember finding out about that card online and not thinking it was awesome....Oh wait. I just had a great idea!" Maybe it is awesome, and here is my attempt to see how awesome it might be. This is the very first deck I've posted for rating, and I want to stress, it's not a deck I've actually built. It's hypothetical. I have only a very few of the cards necessary to build it.
Anyway, here it is:
Pokémon:
3 Aron (Dragons Exalted)
2 Lairon (Dragons Exalted)
2 Aggron (Dragons Exalted)
3 Durant (Noble Victories)
1 Durant (Dragons Exalted)
2 Sableye (Dark Explorers)
2 Sigilyph (Dragons Exalted)
[15 Pokémon cards]
Trainer:
Item:
4 Devolution Spray (Dragons Exalted)
3 Tool Scrapper (Dragons Exalted)
2 Pokémon Communication
2 Level Ball (Next Destinies)
2 Enhanced Hammer (Dark Explorers)
2 Exp. Share
2 Super Rod
2 Energy Retrieval
3 Switch
Supporter:
2 Cheren
2 Cilan (Next Destinies)
2 N
2 Hugh (Boundaries Crossed)
Stadium:
none
[30 Trainer cards]
Energy:
8 Metal
3 Darkness
2 Psychic
2 Prism Energy
[15 Energy cards]
Explanation of the Deck Chewer deck:
The strategy:
It's very simple. Using Aggron's Ability and the first Durant's Devour attack, discard cards from the opponent's deck until he or she can't draw one at the start of his or her turn, at which point you win.
I can imagine many turns spent without using Durant's Devour. In many ways, it might be more effective to evolve an Aggron or two, use Devolution Spray, and finish with Sableye's Junk Hunt to get back both Devolution Spray to repeat the process next turn.
To maximize the effectiveness of Durant's Devour, it helps to have as many in play as possible (say, 3-4). This makes for a rather crowded bench, which is a difficulty I'm very much unsure how to face. Perhaps it is best used at the beginning, and then again as backup later on. (The other Durant is a different type of backup.)
The Sigilyph were included for the sole purpose of dealing with Pokémon EX. Obviously this solution to Pokémon EX is somewhat imperfect deck design, but I could think of nothing better, and I had to do something to avoid getting destroyed by their powerful attacks. I realize how well Pokémon Catcher gets around this. Any ideas?
Tool Scrapper stops Garbotoxin long enough for me to activate Aggron's Toppling Wind. Level Ball combined with Pokémon Communication should help me find any Pokémon I need. Enhanced Hammer is great for narrowing my opponent's options, since Special Energy is in such common usage. Exp. Share, Super Rod, and Energy Retrieval are all for card recovery. Switch helps fight special conditions and high retreat costs.
Cilan and Cheren are just useful. N is great, especially since I'm not likely to be taking very many Prize cards. Hugh needs to be used with caution, otherwise I'd have to discard some good cards.
One card that might be good to include is Life Drops, an Ace Spec from the Japanese set Thunder Knuckle. Since I expect to have some of my Pokémon knocked out, this would be a pretty good way to offset that. I have no idea what could be swapped out, and even if I do include it, I know it could just be a target for Tool Scrapper.
I think that's everything. Everyone, feel free to tell me your thoughts! I'm not against hearing how bad of an idea this is, as I already see some pretty big weaknesses.
Anyway, here it is:
Pokémon:
3 Aron (Dragons Exalted)
2 Lairon (Dragons Exalted)
2 Aggron (Dragons Exalted)
3 Durant (Noble Victories)
1 Durant (Dragons Exalted)
2 Sableye (Dark Explorers)
2 Sigilyph (Dragons Exalted)
[15 Pokémon cards]
Trainer:
Item:
4 Devolution Spray (Dragons Exalted)
3 Tool Scrapper (Dragons Exalted)
2 Pokémon Communication
2 Level Ball (Next Destinies)
2 Enhanced Hammer (Dark Explorers)
2 Exp. Share
2 Super Rod
2 Energy Retrieval
3 Switch
Supporter:
2 Cheren
2 Cilan (Next Destinies)
2 N
2 Hugh (Boundaries Crossed)
Stadium:
none
[30 Trainer cards]
Energy:
8 Metal
3 Darkness
2 Psychic
2 Prism Energy
[15 Energy cards]
Explanation of the Deck Chewer deck:
The strategy:
It's very simple. Using Aggron's Ability and the first Durant's Devour attack, discard cards from the opponent's deck until he or she can't draw one at the start of his or her turn, at which point you win.
I can imagine many turns spent without using Durant's Devour. In many ways, it might be more effective to evolve an Aggron or two, use Devolution Spray, and finish with Sableye's Junk Hunt to get back both Devolution Spray to repeat the process next turn.
To maximize the effectiveness of Durant's Devour, it helps to have as many in play as possible (say, 3-4). This makes for a rather crowded bench, which is a difficulty I'm very much unsure how to face. Perhaps it is best used at the beginning, and then again as backup later on. (The other Durant is a different type of backup.)
The Sigilyph were included for the sole purpose of dealing with Pokémon EX. Obviously this solution to Pokémon EX is somewhat imperfect deck design, but I could think of nothing better, and I had to do something to avoid getting destroyed by their powerful attacks. I realize how well Pokémon Catcher gets around this. Any ideas?
Tool Scrapper stops Garbotoxin long enough for me to activate Aggron's Toppling Wind. Level Ball combined with Pokémon Communication should help me find any Pokémon I need. Enhanced Hammer is great for narrowing my opponent's options, since Special Energy is in such common usage. Exp. Share, Super Rod, and Energy Retrieval are all for card recovery. Switch helps fight special conditions and high retreat costs.
Cilan and Cheren are just useful. N is great, especially since I'm not likely to be taking very many Prize cards. Hugh needs to be used with caution, otherwise I'd have to discard some good cards.
One card that might be good to include is Life Drops, an Ace Spec from the Japanese set Thunder Knuckle. Since I expect to have some of my Pokémon knocked out, this would be a pretty good way to offset that. I have no idea what could be swapped out, and even if I do include it, I know it could just be a target for Tool Scrapper.
I think that's everything. Everyone, feel free to tell me your thoughts! I'm not against hearing how bad of an idea this is, as I already see some pretty big weaknesses.