Standard Old School Decidueye GX!

[Chicken Nugget Master]

We all remember how good Decidueye/Vileplume was right? I for one found it very frustrating to get past and was often locked out of the game. But now, I think I've found a way to revive it in the form of Luxray! As well as item lock, this deck has extremely good snipe potential and can potentially OHKO everything no matter where it is on the field. Here is a list I've been thinking about.


4 Rowlet SUM
2 Dartrix SUM
4 Decidueye GX SUM
2 Shinx ULP
2 Luxio ULP
2 Luxray ULP
2 Tapu Lele GX GUR
2 Shining Celebi PRSM

4 Ultra Ball SUM
4 Rare Candy SUM
4 Max Potion GUR
2 Enhanced Hammer GUR
2 Choice Band GUR
2 Float Stone BKT
2 Field Blower GUR

4 N FCO
4 Cynthia ULP
2 Guzma BUS
2 Brigette BKT

4 Grass Energy GUR
4 Counter Energy CRI


I haven't playtested this yet but I am very curious to see how well it could work. The strategy is simple: Continuously first turn item lock and keep going with it, and adding pressure with constant feather arrows. If at any point your opponent overtakes you in the prize race, Luxray can utilise Counter Energy to snipe 150 to the bench. Add 1 Feather Arrow and you're doing 170 which will KO a Lele. Add 2 and you hit 190, KOing Buzzwole. 3 Feather Arrows make 210 which gets rid of Zoroark. The possibilities really are endless. One thing I was thinking of doing is thickening out the Luxray line but I'm not sure of which cards to cut. Any advice would be much appreciated, and thanks for reading.

 

[HouchinsDJ]

Definitely an interesting build and I understand the strategy behind it, but I do have some concerns.

You basically have to have the same perfect 2-3 turns at the beginning of the game, every game, for this to be effective.

You have to go second, have a Shinx on the field and the Luxio in hand, have to use Brigette to get multiple Rowlet on your bench, have to get multiple Decidueye out by no later than T3, have to have Shining Celebi on the bench, hope Buzzwole-GX or any Fighting-type doesn't OHKO your Shinx/Luxio before you evolve it to Luxray (or any Pokémon that can hit for 80 for that matter).

There's just a lot of moving pieces and Luxio's attack only hits for 30 so between that and Feather Arrow you're not OHKOing anything and if you have to use Luxray's attack to get a KO then your opponent isn't under Item Lock next turn.

Plus, Standard decks in general aren't as Item dependent as they used to be.

I think the idea is cool but just don't know how smooth it'll actually run.

 

[RedSuinit]

The total dominance of Decidueye / Vileplume is the fact that you had FOGP and you could get out all of your stage 2s in a single turn. Item lock turn one, dropping 20-60 damage turn one was just brutal. It was FOGP that made the strategy so dominant. If an opponent was able to setup decidueye/plume fell flat.

 

[biffthepotato]

Wow this reminds me of my Zoroark Decidueye deck because I had the same math, Zoroark with band and full bench 150 one arrow 170 two arrows 210 and so on. Your list looks constant but I’m not sure if it will really work because like @RedSuinit said FOGP was what made the deck Decidueye/Plume so good.

Good luck making the list work though

 

[Chicken Nugget Master]

I just thought the idea of item locking and taking OHKOs anywhere might work, but I agree that decidueye/plume really fizzled out after we lost FoGP. I might still playtest it a little, and if its worth playing I'll probably share an updated version sometime in the future. Otherwise I'll leave it for now and think up my next crazy deck idea.

 

[Lord Goomy]

I really like this concept, and I’m scared of this deck...
If you can pull it off.

What you need to do is playtest, playtest, playtest. That way, you can find what holes you have in this boat of a deck, and fix them. Then you’ll be in for smooth sailing.

I can’t find any problems with the deck list as it is, but we won’t know until we test, right?

 

[Eltyr]

There is one really, really big hole in the deck.
Given that by using only feather arrows you get completely shredded by fast and bulky decks like Buzzwole, your damage strategy depends on the counter energy.
To use it, it's a given that the opponent needs to get the first knock out. If the shinx gets knocked out (Again, weak to fighting, Buzzwole knocks it out, Golisopod does it too, Zoroark, and so on) you are left with a 1-2-2 line if the gods are smiling on you and you didn't prize any.
Again, you'll never get the Luxray out consistently, Luxio is easy as hell to knock out, and if you priza any on top of getting one knocked out the deck falls apart, and you play no rescue stretchers. Double stage2 decks are cluncky enough without you cutting one of the lines.
Before thinking about enhanched hammers fix the Pokémon lines (Another Shinx is really the bare minimum), put at least one rescue stretcher, fix the energy base (don't rely so much on the counter energies, also 4 grass aren't gonna be needed unless you decide you want to attack with decidueye). Also Choice bands don't work well with the snipe strategy you have in mind.
You're probably never gonna make this competitive, but it could be a nice change of pace at your local league.

 

[Eltyr]

Almost forgot. Since you need the Luxio to be under the Luxray for Celebi to work, think about making space for a few Evosodas, will make wonders for consistency.

 

[Chicken Nugget Master]

I have been making a lot of changes, and will be posting the updated list soon. I will probably include cards such as Super Boost Energy so you don't always have to rely on being behind on prizes and the evosodas. I will drop the hammers, and maybe include a Skyla or 2 just to ensure the evosodas and Candies are coming out. Thanks for the advice.