Competitive Decks that Don't Run Shaymin

RunningWithScizors

RunningWithScizors

Aspiring Trainer
Member
I'm trying to get back into the tournament circuit after many months' absence (other than States and Prereleases), but I'm having a problem: I only have 1 Shaymin EX. Are there any good/competitive decks that don't run Shaymin EX that I might run until I find some more?
 
Well, "Metal decks" and "Fighting decks" cover a lot of ground. I just wanted specific examples of competitive decks that didn't run Shaymin.
 
RunningWithScizors said:
Well, "Metal decks" and "Fighting decks" cover a lot of ground. I just wanted specific examples of competitive decks that didn't run Shaymin.
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Well to be specific:
Trevenant/Slurpuff
Yveltal/Manetric
Garbador/Bats
Pure Night March
Primal groudon/landarous
Bronzong/Aegislash/Dialga
Donphan
 
exxtrooper said:
Well to be specific:
Trevenant/Slurpuff
Yveltal/Manetric
Garbador/Bats
Pure Night March
Primal groudon/landarous
Bronzong/Aegislash/Dialga
Donphan
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That's a lot of decks, but did anything of these sorts do well at Nationals? That's the true test of a competitive deck.

(Also, it has to survive rotation.)
 
It depends.

At the moment, competitive decks are very expensive (except Wailord, but expect that to increase in price). They either run heavy counts of EXs or Shaymin. If cost is the issue, then I'd suggest waiting until next rotation after AOR launches to sink a good chunk of money into the TCG.

If it's just an issue of supply, I'd suggest waiting until you get the Shaymin. A lot of options open up to you then.
 
It's an issue of supply, but I'd like to jump in right away. This means I need something to tide me over until I get those Shaymins.

Now, besides the Wailord deck (which I don't want to run since it's too defensive), was there anything else that did well at Nationals that didn't run Shaymin?
 
RunningWithScizors said:
It's an issue of supply, but I'd like to jump in right away. This means I need something to tide me over until I get those Shaymins.

Now, besides the Wailord deck (which I don't want to run since it's too defensive), was there anything else that did well at Nationals that didn't run Shaymin?
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The front page literally has a link to the top 8 decks of nationals, and popular deck types that were found at nationals (all with full deck lists). Come on man.
 
DevinTheWelf said:
The front page literally has a link to the top 8 decks of nationals, and popular deck types that were found at nationals (all with full deck lists). Come on man.
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I took a look, but the decklists refuse to show. Besides, some of those decks are rotating out, like Klinklang or Garbodor.
 
I honestly could care less about using Shaymin. Trainers' Mail and Acro Bike are some pretty good cards on their own as substitutes to it. Though Acro Bike does discard.

If you're trying to run a budget deck, then you might wanna go with something in the next set. I don't see Shaymin as a need. It feels more like a wasted Pokemon slot sometimes but that's just me.

Pokemon needs to chill out on the money decks.

Night March is probably your best bet.
 
I'm definitely going to get more Shaymin ASAP, but in the meantime, I need a deck that will 1. survive rotation (which I'm not sure Wailord or Night March will do well), and 2. be able to compete well in one of the most competitive formats out there (Florida). That's why I'm being so fussy.
 
RunningWithScizors said:
I'm definitely going to get more Shaymin ASAP, but in the meantime, I need a deck that will 1. survive rotation (which I'm not sure Wailord or Night March will do well), and 2. be able to compete well in one of the most competitive formats out there (Florida). That's why I'm being so fussy.
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The problem is rotation is going to throw so much up in the air. We have no idea what will be good, or even survive.

Without knowing the specifics of the rotation and play testing the cards from AOR, we can't tell you what will survive the rotation. We can tell you Shaymin will be good regardless.

If you're not gonna be competing at City, State, Regional or National level, then you may as well wait for getting a competitive deck until after the rotation when things settle down (I have no idea how/when US Tournaments are timed. If Florida regionals are before Worlds I'd be surprised, but I have no idea).

The best advice we can offer is get something cheap like Night March for now, grab the Shaymin when you can, and hold.

I maintain that right now is a very bad time to get Tiered decks if you're not competing at the very top level.
 
I'm hoping that we might see a Shaymin tin around Christmas. Nothing to back that up mind you, but if TPCi are smart then they'll release something that is not only guaranteed to sell, but also reduce the barrier to entry for new players as the format wears on. They have been known to disrupt the second-hand market in the past.
 
crann777 said:
I'm hoping that we might see a Shaymin tin around Christmas. Nothing to back that up mind you, but if TPCi are smart then they'll release something that is not only guaranteed to sell, but also reduce the barrier to entry for new players as the format wears on. They have been known to disrupt the second-hand market in the past.
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MewTwo EX, Darkrai EX and Rayquaza EX are examples of expensive cards that were good competitively (2 of the 3 won the World Championships) and eventually released in tins. But they were attackers, not support Pokemon. I find that TPCi doesn't want to make support cards like Shaymin EX or even Uxie EX released as promos. The reason is they're generally more valuable than attackers and harder to obtain.
 
asdjklghty said:
MewTwo EX, Darkrai EX and Rayquaza EX are examples of expensive cards that were good competitively (2 of the 3 won the World Championships) and eventually released in tins. But they were attackers, not support Pokemon. I find that TPCi doesn't want to make support cards like Shaymin EX or even Uxie EX released as promos. The reason is they're generally more valuable than attackers and harder to obtain.
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True. But we've also had Darkrai EX (late in the BW arc), Keldeo EX, Deoxys EX, and a Hoopa EX tin slated for a future release, and those are all arguably support types. I'm not saying that my hopes for a Shaymin EX tin isn't a pipe-dream, but at the same time people might be turned off to the game a year from now when they need to drop $80+ for two Shaymins.
 
Lucario EX/Machamp has been testing well for me on PTCGO without any Shaymin. Without N, Skyla, and Colress, Korina keeps this deck more cosnsistent than non-fighting decks that don't use Shaymin. The only pre-XY card I've been using is a single Landorus EX because I haven't found another regular Landorus to replace it yet.
 
Medicham is a cheap and very good deck, today in a game i hit 260 on turn 3, its a 4-4 line of medicham PRC w/ ancient trait and a 2-1-2 line of machamp FFI. Pairing that with Strong energy and Fighting Stadium (Also Machamps Ability Boosts all Fighting attacks by 20). The Omega Barrage is very effective in the fact that it lets you attack twice
 
I have to admit, I'm still pretty skeptical that any Machamp FFI variants (whether Medicham or Lucario EX) can do well in my home state, but I guess it couldn't hurt to give them a try. Not sure where I could find a prototype decklist, though.
 
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