Discussion Community Question: Do you think Pyroar FLF Will Ever Make a Resurgance?

LoneWolf2113

LoneWolf2113

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Hi Beachgoers!

I've recently been testing for Winter Regionals on TCGOne and PTCGO. However, I've come across a few minor surprises. Notably, Pyroar FLF. Pyroar's ability blocks all damage from basic Pokemon, and, for those of you that played at Nationals 2014, you know that this card was both popular and powerful. Given that I currently am testing out a Plasma Lugia EX deck for Regs, this is a major problem. Over the course of the season, new decks have popped up here and there that make Pyroar irrelevant, but for the decks that rely on strong Basic Attackers only in order to win the game, Pyroar can be a real nuisance. Decks in Expanded such as Yveltal, Seismitoad, Manectric/ Tool Drop, the aforementioned Plasma Lugia, and especially Virizion/Genesect can be severely crippled, and their game stalled out by, a single Pyroar hitting the field. While most decks play Hex Maniac and Manectric/ Tool Drop typically runs Garbodor DRX to deal with harmful abilities like Intimidating Mane, what are the decks that don't play these options to do!?

So given this information, and my noticing of Pyroar decks being popular some in Expanded, I ask you, Beachgoers, do you think that Pyroar FLF will become popular again?

My personal answer is that this is not extremely likely. Given the overall popularity of Mega Evolution decks, recent inclusion of Gallade BKT into many decks, and the popularity of Garbodor DRX in the Expanded format, there are many ways to deal with Pyroar FLF, but for those of us wanting to give Plasma Lugia EX one last stand in Expanded, a single Pyroar matchup could be the very thing keeping us out of a Top 8 spot at Regs this season.

Thanks!
LoneWolf2113
 
I could see a surprise Pyroar deck doing quite well in some tournaments. However, it will only be a surprise, because if it becomes meta people will start playing stuff like Hex Maniac, focus more on Mega decks, etc to counter it. Sadly, I think this card has had its day.
 
There is probably to much garbodor in the format in Expanded, and garbodor is coming in Standard too. So there is not much of a chance for Pyroar.
 
I can't see Pyroar seeing success at another major tournament. There are now a lot of playable Mega Evolution and Stage 1 Pokemon like, M-Manectric-EX, Zoroark BTK and Vespiqueen AOR in both Standard and Expanded, making Pyroar a very risky play. BREAK evolutions are sure to get more and more support as time goes on, further dampening Pyroar's influence. Also with Hex Maniac and the return of Garbodor to Standard there are just so many ways of getting around Intimidating Mane. I don't see Pyroar as anything but a highly localized meta call. If your local metagame is almost entirely decks featuring exclusively Basic Pokemon, then PYroar could be a surprise hit. Otherwise, I don't think the flaming lion will be returning to the competitive scene.
 
I'm surprised that he isn't used very often! Although his Ability can be cancelled, he can stand up against some of the most popular Pokémon in the game, such as Aigeslash-EX, Giratina-EX, and Siesmitoad-EX, as well as common Basics such as Hawlucha and Speed Entei. I just love this card, and I hope to see it in competitive decks this season!
 
I'm starting to get a handle on a Pyroar Enetie deck and it works pretty well. The reason it works well is because most players play one hex/two two line of stage 1. If you play super rod, and recycle 3/3 Pyroar into the game, it puts a lot of pressure on the opponents to hex maniac. Basically, it forces them to burn through their VS seekers. Because most decks are running a 4 VS seekers it gives an advantage in support. Their loosing their ability to lysander and sycamore because they need to knock out Pyroar. Your gaining draw support, allowing for Enetie to charge. Plus, if they take pyoar it's only one prize card, but they had to burn through a few resources to get to him.

However, it's a different style of play, you never fill your bench up. If three pokemon are on the bench + Active, your sitting good. But if 2 pokemon are on your bench + active your sitting really pretty. Pokemon catcher works well in the deck to draw up the Zoroark for knock out.
 
Any deck that Pyroar might otherwise auto win can easily win with well-timed Hex Manics. And just about every competitive deck should be playing Hex Maniac, except for things like Garbodor, or something that uses Wobbuffet of course.
 
poke4trade said:
I'm starting to get a handle on a Pyroar Enetie deck and it works pretty well.
Click to expand...

I tested this a bit and found it much less good then a regular Entei deck. Entei needs to be a speed deck, so that you can set them up really fast, get the items down, dump energy and blacksmith almost every turn. The presence of even a fairly thin line of Pyroar seems to make the deck slower and less consistent.

Pyroar is incredibly unlikely to do well in competition. You might well run into one or two decks that can't deal with it. But the large majority of decks will just steam-roller it, either because they use evolutions or because they run hex maniac. You also face a dilemma- a thin line and you might not set it up and it's easier to deal with using hex maniac. A thick line and you are making a much bigger bet that you are not going to run into one of the many decks that just bodies it.
 
Talkingcat said:
I tested this a bit and found it much less good then a regular Entei deck. Entei needs to be a speed deck, so that you can set them up really fast, get the items down, dump energy and blacksmith almost every turn. The presence of even a fairly thin line of Pyroar seems to make the deck slower and less consistent.

Pyroar is incredibly unlikely to do well in competition. You might well run into one or two decks that can't deal with it. But the large majority of decks will just steam-roller it, either because they use evolutions or because they run hex maniac. You also face a dilemma- a thin line and you might not set it up and it's easier to deal with using hex maniac. A thick line and you are making a much bigger bet that you are not going to run into one of the many decks that just bodies it.
Click to expand...

I have the deck up on my you tube channel. I played against Yveltal Zorark. When played right it dose fairly well, the deck I played was my second time playing it. It will come down to match ups in tournament play. Like anything, the right match ups, coin tosses, draws really determines the games. With all the recording I've been doing this year, I've seen many top tier decks just crash burn to unknown decks. The only time I've seen things might matter is in top cuts. But even then, this season has been a bit wonky. Trainers dead drawing on Birtches on round 2. The opponent takes the game --> stuff like that has open up play for resurgent decks like Pyroar.

Strategy ---
I'll be the first to admit, that better players could play the deck better. Because super rod is back, Hex Maniac isn't as scary. Players run 4 VS seekers. They will need to make decisions between lack of draw support or knock out. With super rod in the mix, you just keep recycling Pyroar back into the deck keeping the pressure on them. The major issue is the charge time on both cards. Because black smith is a supporter, the decks forces a lot of critical decisions, so it is a bit tough to play.

Heatmor from Break Point I think has potential to bring viability back into the Mega fire game. If muscle band gets attach, it becomes an efficient attacker for all those common basic pokemon.
 
Hex maniac, garbodor, Bats, raichu, bee's, manectric, YZG, every mega, Pyroar has been seeing play during cities but hasn't had a good performance as other decks that have a better performance they could possibly win against, fair enough to say that there is to many things in standard for pyroars one trick pony of a strategy to succeed against even 80% of the current meta, if it played against that 20% it could win but that is a pipe dream.
 
I think there could be in a good deck if you mix it with the Flare Command Pyroar and Mega Houndoom. As the key feature in a deck it Intimidating Mane wouldn't be able to pull it's weight but it could tackle basic heavy decks you wouldn't want to use the Mega against.

It's golden days are gone but it could still threaten decks unprepared for it's fabulous hair.
 
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