Devouring the Meta Game
Contents
1.0 Intro
1.1 General Strategy
2.0 Necessary Components
3.0 Match Ups
3.1 Threat List
4.0 Sample List
5.0 Conclusion and Credits
1.0; The Intro
So you all know about Durant. Before and after its release in Noble Victories, the card has been looked at. It shows up at tournaments and threatens others to make the Top Cut. Durant even has a handful of tournaments won, showing its success at Cities and as a Tier 1 deck. With decent match ups, give or take a few decks, Durant has little to fear in this meta game. However, the release of Next Destinies will likely change Durant. So, the question is; will Next Destinies change Durant for the better or for the worse?
1.1; The General Strategy
As many are aware, Durant wins differently than most of the decks in this format. Instead of taking the usual six Prizes off of its opponent's Pokemon, Durant wins by milling out the opponent's deck until the opponent cannot draw a card at the beginning of his or her turn. The strategy itself is quite simple; get out as many Durant as possible (preferably all 4 Durant on the first turn), attach a Metal Energy, and use Devour. You should be able to continually do this until a Durant is Knocked Out, and then it is necessary to recover the discarded Durant as soon as possible. The process should be continued until your opponent cannot draw a card at the beginning of his/her turn. Although simple, this strategy works smoothly and should give you victory if played correctly. Because of the low count of Pokemon in this deck (some Durant decks run as little as 5 Pokemon), there is not as much room for misplay as other decks, making Durant a more desirable deck for newer players. However, whether you are new to the game or an old-school TCG player, Durant should be able to grab your attention.
2.0; The General Components
One thing about Durant is that it does not need lots of support from other Pokemon, but it does need a ton of support from I/S/S cards to start it up and keep it going. The cards reviewed below are ones you should definitely consider when building Durant.
Rotom UD: First up, we have Rotom. Rotom is the first necessity for this deck, with its Poke-Power, Mischievous Trick, being able to search your Prize Cards. This is extremely important if one or more of your Durant are prized, because without Rotom, it is almost impossible to get the Durant(s) out of the Prizes. Rotom solves the problem of prizing a Durant by allowing you to switch the top card of your deck with one of your Prize Cards. Unless you run Alph Lithograph 4, it will take some luck and can sometimes be rather tedious to do. Another downside to Rotom is that you usually don't know the top card of your deck, so it is possible that you could be prizing something important. It is advised that you stop using Mischievous Trick once you grab all of your Durant, because Rotom may end up doing more harm than good after that. Despite these slight draw backs, Rotom is absolutely necessary to grab a prized Durant; it can be a game changer in certain situations.
Note: It is advised to not run more than one Rotom. It decreases consistency and is useless almost all the time.
Pokemon Collector HGSS: Pokemon Collector, another necessity, is required in Durant. If you start Durant (which is 80% of the time if you choose to run Rotom and no other techs), you can use Pokemon Collector to grab the rest of your Durants (or Rotom and other Durants). Since 4 Durant is needed on the first turn, Pokemon Collector is pretty obvious as a necessity for the deck.
Level Ball ND: Replacing Dual Ball, Level Ball is another necessity for Durant. Without requiring a coin flip, it guarantees you one Durant, so if you would rather not use your Pokemon Collector as the Supporter for the turn, you can use one or more Level Ball to grab the Durants without using a Supporter, opening more room to use a different Supporter. Like Pokemon Collector, it is fairly obvious that Level Ball is a must in Durant.
Revive BW: Revive, the third necessity for Durant, gives Durant the best form of recovery. A player cannot deny the fact that Durants will often be Knocked Out, so a form of recovery is required to keep the mill going. Unless you are under Trainer Lock, Revive is excellent to grab a Durant instantly after it is Knocked Out. Without a doubt, Revive is Durant's saving breath, and is necessary in any Durant build.
Twins TM: Words cannot describe how important Twins is Durant. With the very rare possibility that Durant will take a prize, it is safe to say Twins will be used in almost every match. With the power to grab any two cards, Twins can grab you the needed Revive or other resource to keep you going throughout the match. Twins is arguably one of the most important Supporter cards in Durant, and it reigns the title for very good reason.
Crushing Hammer EP: Crushing Hammer is pretty significant in this deck. One problem Durant has is dealing with attackers that can OHKO it. Crushing Hammer helps solve that problem by keeping the Energy off of your opponent's Pokemon. Although it requires a coin flip, Durant can still ward away attackers like Reshiram (normal and EX), Zekrom (normal and EX), and other heavy hitters. As long as you can keep the Energy off, you can keep Devouring while trapping a Pokemon in the Active position. Crushing Hammer is a must in Durant, and helps a lot in the fight for keeping your Durants alive long enough to win the match.
Pokemon Catcher EP: Pokemon Catcher is another must in Durant, being able to manipulate your opponent and slow them down, making the milling process easier. Pokemon Catcher allows you to drag up a high retreat Pokemon, such as Cobalion, and keep the Energy off of them with Crushing Hammer. In the mirror match up, you can Catcher Rotom and apply pressure to them. Pokemon Catcher usually gives you a few more turns of milling, but if played correctly, it can mark the downfall of your opponent. Durant needs Pokemon Catcher in order to function well; if not, Reshiram and Zekrom will run Durant over.
Junk Arm TM: Junk Arm is pretty simple; you discard useless cards that won't help you, and grab another Item card to potentially turn the tables in your favor. An extra Crushing Hammer or Pokemon Catcher can decide a match, so Durant appreciates the extra recovery Junk Arm provides. Junk Arm should be included in most, if not all, Durant lists.
Pokegear 3.0 HGSS: Pokegear 3.0 is great to almost ensure a T1 Collector. Searching the top seven cards of your deck should make you feel pretty comfortable about getting a T1 Collector. Pokegear 3.0 can not only search for Pokemon Collector, but can also grab Twins, Professor Juniper, Professor Oak's New Theory, or other helpful Supporters. Pokegear 3.0 is another must in Durant, and makes the deck much more consistent overall.
Lost Remover CoL: Lost Remover is a rather underplayed card that has great potential in Durant. Crushing Hammer can take care of Basic Energies, and Lost Remover gives good coverage to Special Energies. With Special Metal Energy, Double Colorless Energy, and Rescue Energy all seeing play, Durant takes advantage of Lost Remover by removing as many Special Energies in play as it can. The fact that Lost Remover does not require a coin flip is another little bonus; this means you can easily combo it with Junk Arm and re-use it multiple times. Although not a complete necessity, Lost Remover can be a life saver in certain match ups.
Professor Oak's New Theory HGSS/CoL: Professor Oak's New Theory is another staple in Durant, giving it a great source of hand refresh. PONT mainly rivals N because they have similar effects, but PONT is favored because it does not affect your opponent, which can put Durant in trouble if they draw into the right cards. A staple card in many decks, PONT finds itself in Durant as another necessity.
Professor Juniper BW: Being one of the only sources of raw draw power for Durant, Professor Juniper is pretty important. Although the discard can be rather horrendous, Durant usually has a small hand that is worthy of being discarded for a brand new one. Seven cards isn't too shabby, either; with a consistent list, you may find yourself drawing into important resources for the match up that you did not have before. Like PONT, Professor Juniper is a must in Durant, and will stay that way post-ND.
Eviolite NV: Eviolite is a great card for Durant, because the only Pokemon that are run in Durant are Basic Pokemon (unless you are running some crazy tech). Durant is able to survive numerous attacks with Eviolite, and as a result, it can stall out for a few turns while Devouring away at your opponent's deck. Surviving one more turn can mean everything for Durant, so Eviolite is needed.
Switch HGSS/BW: Although Switch is extremely simple, it is mainly a fall back card if you need to switch out a Rotom or Durant (with no Energy) if you can't find the Energy in your deck. Although the Retreat Costs for Durant are not too bad, Switch can prevent detrimental situations from happening.
Prism Energy: Prism Energy is one of the less important cards Durant can abuse, but it is important for this deck, and for good reason. If you look at Rotom's attack, Plasma Arrow, it does 20 damage times the number of Energy on the Pokemon of your choice. If you simply attach a Prism Energy to Rotom, we can KO Zekrom, one of this deck's biggest threats, after they Bolt Strike twice. This helps a lot in the match up against EelZone, since they tend to run one Zekrom. If you can KO their Zekrom, the rest of the match will be much easier to win. Prism Energy is definitely not a 4-of card in this deck, but it is significantly valuable for the purpose of attacking with Rotom.
Flower Shop Lady UD: Flower Shop Lady is another fall back option against Item Lock decks. If your opponent plays Vileplume or Gothitelle down, this prevents you from playing Revive, putting you in trouble if a Durant is Knocked Out. Because you cannot play Revive, Flower Shop Lady is an excellent alternative for conserving your Durants throughout the game. As long as you play Flower Shop Lady at the correct time, Durant should have less of a problem with Item Lock decks.
3.0; The Matchups
So now it is time to compare Durant against other popular decks in the format. It is important to know every match up in and out so you do not make misplays that can cost you the game. Below are the decks Durant will likely have to face and how it fares against them.
EelZone (Magneel) with Zekrom: Even
EelZone without Zekrom: Favorable
The instinct when seeing a Zekrom played on the field should be "I need to get rid of this fast." Rainbow Energy and Rotom's Plasma Arrow attack is key in this match up, as it can rid the field of Zekrom and make the match a bit more balanced. You should watch for early game KOs with Thundurus, and always have a Revive or Twins handy. Catchering Eelektrik is also another important way of winning this match up; however, you should be aware that you should not Catcher Eelektrik if it has an Energy on it. If it does, the EelZone player will simply retreat it and KO the Durant, wasting a valuable Catcher. However, Catchering Magnezone may be a interesting idea. If you can keep the Energy off with Crushing Hammer and Lost Remover, you can continue to lock up their Magnezone while they struggle to retreat it. Even Catchering Zekrom EX would be a good idea; packing a Retreat Cost of 3, it would be rather difficult to get itself out of the Active position, although it can still attack an unprepared Durant.
All in all, though, this match up can be favorable if they burn too many resources. A smart EelZone player will have Energy on their Eelektriks at all times, and they will be careful not to use Magnetic Draw and Sage's Training too many times. However, Magnezone is very reliant on effects like Magnetic Draw because of its rather slow set up, so if you can pressure them enough to have them continue to use it, the match from that point on will be very favorable.
ZPST: Unfavorable - Even
Because Durant runs so few Pokemon, the chance of starting with a lone Pokemon is very often, and with the right hand, a player can donk you without much effort. If they miss the donk and you can get your Durants out quickly, the match up will become even. After the first few turns, you should be praying that you Devour their Shaymins so the Energy cannot be moved, and then proceed to Catcher up their Tornadus (or the occasional Thundurus) and lock it in the Active position. Without their Shaymins, their Pachirisu is useless, and their only hope is to top deck a DCE. If they do, repeat the process of Catchering their Tornadus/Thundurus up and removing any Energy in play. Junk Arm, Lost Remover, Crushing Hammer, and Pokemon Catcher are all key cards in this match up, as are Revive and Twins.
Mewtwo EX/anything: Even
Although the variant of Mewtwo does depend on how the match up will turn out, the match up itself is almost always even. Lost Remover will save you in this match up, due to the heavy amount of DCE being run. Although Durant does pack a Resistance to Psychic types (with an Eviolite and a Special Metal on a Durant, it reduced the damage done to it by 50 from attacks done by Mewtwo), Mewtwo can still hit hard if you are unable to remove their Energies. Without any added effects (Eviolite and Special Metal), it takes 5 Energy to KO one Durant (3 if they are running Gardevoir), so once a Mewtwo is set up, it can KO Durants like crazy.
If you are playing Mewtwo with Gardevoir, Catchering and locking Gardevoir is the best scenario. They will waste their DCEs to retreat Gardevoir, and as a result, their Mewtwo will have less Energy to attack, giving Durant an edge. Using Crushing Hammer on any Energy would be helpful, as it gives them less resources to work with. Like any match up, you should hope for the best Devours you can get, which is a big reliance on the luck factor.
Reshiboar (w/ Reshiram EX): Very Unfavorable - Auto loss
The poor ant is weak to almost every Pokemon in the deck (if they don't run RDL), so expect the match for yourself to go downhill fast. Unless you can deny them their Emboars early game, their Reshirams will devour your Durants. They may even go aggro-Emboar and use Heat Crash to KO all of your Durants. Durant has hope that Mewtwo EX will result in the decrease of Reshiram EX being played, but unless you get very lucky, Durant will have to accept the auto loss from Reshiram.
The Truth - Favorable
Luckily for Durant, The Truth is extremely slow because it relies on a lot of resources to set up. Durant is able to mill away these resources, giving The Truth player a harder time to do anything. However, if they can get set up, the match up can slowly go downhill. SEL threatens the deck, and the addition of Pokemon EX that The Truth gains can give Durant trouble. However, you should almost always get the early edge and start discarding their resources. If you manage to discard all of their Vileplume, it is most likely that you will win.
Durant (mirror match up) - You figure it out.
Yeah, if you couldn't figure it out, the match up is even. The Durant mirror match up is something like this:
It's pretty much who can get luckier throughout the match. Hitting Lost Remover, Crushing Hammer, and Pokemon Catcher is really important, as you can Catcher their Rotom and deny them their Energy. However, be aware they can do just the same. In the end, it all comes down to luck, and in order to win, you're going to need it.
CaKE - Favorable
Their engine is Electrode Prime, so the match up should be fairly simple once they Energymite. Catchering Cobalions is useful while denying them their Energy with the help of Crushing Hammer. Iron Breaker can be a pain if they manage to set it up in time, but hopefully you can overcome this and keep milling to win. Catchering Kyurem as well isn't that bad of an idea, either; Glaciate can only deal so much damage, and it deals 0 damage to a Durant with an Eviolite and a Special Metal attached.
3.1; The Threat List
Durant is threatened by a selection of cards in this format. I shall go over a few.
Heatmor (Dark Rush) - This card is the most blatant and pitiful counters that Durant will ever have to face. For a measly Colorless Energy, it deals 120 damage to a Durant with no added effects. Taking this into consideration, some players will tech Heatmor as a 1-of in their decks if they choose to run it, so if you can get lucky and mill their Heatmor, they will have a much harder time winning. Although unlikely to be released in Next Destinies, Durant cringes at the sight of this card.
Victni (V-Create) - Victini is another decent counter to Durant, capable of hitting it for 200 damage (without added effects) if their Bench is full. Ditto TM can handle this problem decently, as it disallows Victini to be able to use its attack without a full Bench, but it is better to run a tech such as Black Belt to deal with Victini.
The Dragons (normal and EX form) - Reshiram and Zekrom will give Durant a huge headache. Both forms are able to repeatedly KO Durant, and Reshiram hits Durant for Weakness, hampering it even more. Also, they have quite a bit of HP, making it a lot harder for Durant to hit it in its KO range. Rotom, however, is capable of KOing the regular Zekrom after they Bolt Strike twice, making certain match ups easier once it leaves the field.
Vileplume UD - Item Lock makes Durant really struggle, as it is denied Pokemon Catcher, Crushing Hammer, Junk Arm, Revive, and other important Item cards. Preventing them from setting up Vileplume is the best option for Durant before it hits the field, because otherwise, Durant will have a hard time facing it.
4.0; Sample Lists
4 Durant NV
1 Rotom
Total Pokemon: 5
4 Pokemon Collector
4 Level Ball
4 Professor Juniper
4 Professor Oak's New Theory
4 Pokegear 3.0
4 Crushing Hammer
4 Revive
4 Twins
4 Junk Arm
3 Pokemon Catcher
3 Eviolite
2 Lost Remover
1 Flower Shop Lady
1 Switch
Total I/S/S: 46
4 Metal Energy - Special
4 Metal Energy - Basic
1 Prism Energy
Total Energy: 9
This is sillykyle's Durant list, simple and straightforward. With the explanations provided for the cards, it should be fairly obvious why each card is being used. There is a decent amount of room for variation and change, which can be helpful when you need to tech against a certain deck, or if you need to increase consistency. Adding a few more Energy wouldn't hurt, and techs are always optional to be helpful for certain match ups.
~
4 Durant
1 Rotom
Pokémon: 5
4 Pokémon Collector
2 Dual Ball
2 Lost Remover
3 N
4 Professor Juniper
4 Junk Arm
3 Pokémon Catcher
3 Pokégear 3.0
3 Twins
4 Crushing Hammer
3 Eviolite
4 Revive
2 Black Belt
1 Switch
2 Professor Oak's New Theory
I/S/S: 44
4 Special Metal Energy
5 Metal Energy
2 Prism Energy
Energy: 11
This is Vulpix Yolk's list, which fits a slightly different play style for a different meta. The I/S/S and Pokemon should still be fairly obvious, but he plays a few more Energy to ensure that he doesn't run into an Energy drought. Good work, Vulpix Yolk!
5.0; Conclusion and Credits
Thank you so much for reading! I hope you learned a lot from reading about how exactly Durant works, and I hope the list helped you to start playing Durant for yourself. If you're not looking to invest too much money, or if you're just starting out, Durant is a nice deck to play for a beginning player. Thanks again for reading!
Epilogue - Optional Cards
The following are cards that can be used to tech against certain decks, or to make Durant just plain more successful.
Black Belt TM
Weavile UD
N NV
Cobalion NV
Reshiram EX
Super Rod NV
Hypno HGSS
Roserade UL
Tyrogue HGSS/CoL
Alph Lithograph 4 TM
Contents
1.0 Intro
1.1 General Strategy
2.0 Necessary Components
3.0 Match Ups
3.1 Threat List
4.0 Sample List
5.0 Conclusion and Credits
1.0; The Intro
So you all know about Durant. Before and after its release in Noble Victories, the card has been looked at. It shows up at tournaments and threatens others to make the Top Cut. Durant even has a handful of tournaments won, showing its success at Cities and as a Tier 1 deck. With decent match ups, give or take a few decks, Durant has little to fear in this meta game. However, the release of Next Destinies will likely change Durant. So, the question is; will Next Destinies change Durant for the better or for the worse?
1.1; The General Strategy
As many are aware, Durant wins differently than most of the decks in this format. Instead of taking the usual six Prizes off of its opponent's Pokemon, Durant wins by milling out the opponent's deck until the opponent cannot draw a card at the beginning of his or her turn. The strategy itself is quite simple; get out as many Durant as possible (preferably all 4 Durant on the first turn), attach a Metal Energy, and use Devour. You should be able to continually do this until a Durant is Knocked Out, and then it is necessary to recover the discarded Durant as soon as possible. The process should be continued until your opponent cannot draw a card at the beginning of his/her turn. Although simple, this strategy works smoothly and should give you victory if played correctly. Because of the low count of Pokemon in this deck (some Durant decks run as little as 5 Pokemon), there is not as much room for misplay as other decks, making Durant a more desirable deck for newer players. However, whether you are new to the game or an old-school TCG player, Durant should be able to grab your attention.
2.0; The General Components
One thing about Durant is that it does not need lots of support from other Pokemon, but it does need a ton of support from I/S/S cards to start it up and keep it going. The cards reviewed below are ones you should definitely consider when building Durant.
Rotom UD: First up, we have Rotom. Rotom is the first necessity for this deck, with its Poke-Power, Mischievous Trick, being able to search your Prize Cards. This is extremely important if one or more of your Durant are prized, because without Rotom, it is almost impossible to get the Durant(s) out of the Prizes. Rotom solves the problem of prizing a Durant by allowing you to switch the top card of your deck with one of your Prize Cards. Unless you run Alph Lithograph 4, it will take some luck and can sometimes be rather tedious to do. Another downside to Rotom is that you usually don't know the top card of your deck, so it is possible that you could be prizing something important. It is advised that you stop using Mischievous Trick once you grab all of your Durant, because Rotom may end up doing more harm than good after that. Despite these slight draw backs, Rotom is absolutely necessary to grab a prized Durant; it can be a game changer in certain situations.
Note: It is advised to not run more than one Rotom. It decreases consistency and is useless almost all the time.
Pokemon Collector HGSS: Pokemon Collector, another necessity, is required in Durant. If you start Durant (which is 80% of the time if you choose to run Rotom and no other techs), you can use Pokemon Collector to grab the rest of your Durants (or Rotom and other Durants). Since 4 Durant is needed on the first turn, Pokemon Collector is pretty obvious as a necessity for the deck.
Level Ball ND: Replacing Dual Ball, Level Ball is another necessity for Durant. Without requiring a coin flip, it guarantees you one Durant, so if you would rather not use your Pokemon Collector as the Supporter for the turn, you can use one or more Level Ball to grab the Durants without using a Supporter, opening more room to use a different Supporter. Like Pokemon Collector, it is fairly obvious that Level Ball is a must in Durant.
Revive BW: Revive, the third necessity for Durant, gives Durant the best form of recovery. A player cannot deny the fact that Durants will often be Knocked Out, so a form of recovery is required to keep the mill going. Unless you are under Trainer Lock, Revive is excellent to grab a Durant instantly after it is Knocked Out. Without a doubt, Revive is Durant's saving breath, and is necessary in any Durant build.
Twins TM: Words cannot describe how important Twins is Durant. With the very rare possibility that Durant will take a prize, it is safe to say Twins will be used in almost every match. With the power to grab any two cards, Twins can grab you the needed Revive or other resource to keep you going throughout the match. Twins is arguably one of the most important Supporter cards in Durant, and it reigns the title for very good reason.
Crushing Hammer EP: Crushing Hammer is pretty significant in this deck. One problem Durant has is dealing with attackers that can OHKO it. Crushing Hammer helps solve that problem by keeping the Energy off of your opponent's Pokemon. Although it requires a coin flip, Durant can still ward away attackers like Reshiram (normal and EX), Zekrom (normal and EX), and other heavy hitters. As long as you can keep the Energy off, you can keep Devouring while trapping a Pokemon in the Active position. Crushing Hammer is a must in Durant, and helps a lot in the fight for keeping your Durants alive long enough to win the match.
Pokemon Catcher EP: Pokemon Catcher is another must in Durant, being able to manipulate your opponent and slow them down, making the milling process easier. Pokemon Catcher allows you to drag up a high retreat Pokemon, such as Cobalion, and keep the Energy off of them with Crushing Hammer. In the mirror match up, you can Catcher Rotom and apply pressure to them. Pokemon Catcher usually gives you a few more turns of milling, but if played correctly, it can mark the downfall of your opponent. Durant needs Pokemon Catcher in order to function well; if not, Reshiram and Zekrom will run Durant over.
Junk Arm TM: Junk Arm is pretty simple; you discard useless cards that won't help you, and grab another Item card to potentially turn the tables in your favor. An extra Crushing Hammer or Pokemon Catcher can decide a match, so Durant appreciates the extra recovery Junk Arm provides. Junk Arm should be included in most, if not all, Durant lists.
Pokegear 3.0 HGSS: Pokegear 3.0 is great to almost ensure a T1 Collector. Searching the top seven cards of your deck should make you feel pretty comfortable about getting a T1 Collector. Pokegear 3.0 can not only search for Pokemon Collector, but can also grab Twins, Professor Juniper, Professor Oak's New Theory, or other helpful Supporters. Pokegear 3.0 is another must in Durant, and makes the deck much more consistent overall.
Lost Remover CoL: Lost Remover is a rather underplayed card that has great potential in Durant. Crushing Hammer can take care of Basic Energies, and Lost Remover gives good coverage to Special Energies. With Special Metal Energy, Double Colorless Energy, and Rescue Energy all seeing play, Durant takes advantage of Lost Remover by removing as many Special Energies in play as it can. The fact that Lost Remover does not require a coin flip is another little bonus; this means you can easily combo it with Junk Arm and re-use it multiple times. Although not a complete necessity, Lost Remover can be a life saver in certain match ups.
Professor Oak's New Theory HGSS/CoL: Professor Oak's New Theory is another staple in Durant, giving it a great source of hand refresh. PONT mainly rivals N because they have similar effects, but PONT is favored because it does not affect your opponent, which can put Durant in trouble if they draw into the right cards. A staple card in many decks, PONT finds itself in Durant as another necessity.
Professor Juniper BW: Being one of the only sources of raw draw power for Durant, Professor Juniper is pretty important. Although the discard can be rather horrendous, Durant usually has a small hand that is worthy of being discarded for a brand new one. Seven cards isn't too shabby, either; with a consistent list, you may find yourself drawing into important resources for the match up that you did not have before. Like PONT, Professor Juniper is a must in Durant, and will stay that way post-ND.
Eviolite NV: Eviolite is a great card for Durant, because the only Pokemon that are run in Durant are Basic Pokemon (unless you are running some crazy tech). Durant is able to survive numerous attacks with Eviolite, and as a result, it can stall out for a few turns while Devouring away at your opponent's deck. Surviving one more turn can mean everything for Durant, so Eviolite is needed.
Switch HGSS/BW: Although Switch is extremely simple, it is mainly a fall back card if you need to switch out a Rotom or Durant (with no Energy) if you can't find the Energy in your deck. Although the Retreat Costs for Durant are not too bad, Switch can prevent detrimental situations from happening.
Prism Energy: Prism Energy is one of the less important cards Durant can abuse, but it is important for this deck, and for good reason. If you look at Rotom's attack, Plasma Arrow, it does 20 damage times the number of Energy on the Pokemon of your choice. If you simply attach a Prism Energy to Rotom, we can KO Zekrom, one of this deck's biggest threats, after they Bolt Strike twice. This helps a lot in the match up against EelZone, since they tend to run one Zekrom. If you can KO their Zekrom, the rest of the match will be much easier to win. Prism Energy is definitely not a 4-of card in this deck, but it is significantly valuable for the purpose of attacking with Rotom.
Flower Shop Lady UD: Flower Shop Lady is another fall back option against Item Lock decks. If your opponent plays Vileplume or Gothitelle down, this prevents you from playing Revive, putting you in trouble if a Durant is Knocked Out. Because you cannot play Revive, Flower Shop Lady is an excellent alternative for conserving your Durants throughout the game. As long as you play Flower Shop Lady at the correct time, Durant should have less of a problem with Item Lock decks.
3.0; The Matchups
So now it is time to compare Durant against other popular decks in the format. It is important to know every match up in and out so you do not make misplays that can cost you the game. Below are the decks Durant will likely have to face and how it fares against them.
EelZone (Magneel) with Zekrom: Even
EelZone without Zekrom: Favorable
The instinct when seeing a Zekrom played on the field should be "I need to get rid of this fast." Rainbow Energy and Rotom's Plasma Arrow attack is key in this match up, as it can rid the field of Zekrom and make the match a bit more balanced. You should watch for early game KOs with Thundurus, and always have a Revive or Twins handy. Catchering Eelektrik is also another important way of winning this match up; however, you should be aware that you should not Catcher Eelektrik if it has an Energy on it. If it does, the EelZone player will simply retreat it and KO the Durant, wasting a valuable Catcher. However, Catchering Magnezone may be a interesting idea. If you can keep the Energy off with Crushing Hammer and Lost Remover, you can continue to lock up their Magnezone while they struggle to retreat it. Even Catchering Zekrom EX would be a good idea; packing a Retreat Cost of 3, it would be rather difficult to get itself out of the Active position, although it can still attack an unprepared Durant.
All in all, though, this match up can be favorable if they burn too many resources. A smart EelZone player will have Energy on their Eelektriks at all times, and they will be careful not to use Magnetic Draw and Sage's Training too many times. However, Magnezone is very reliant on effects like Magnetic Draw because of its rather slow set up, so if you can pressure them enough to have them continue to use it, the match from that point on will be very favorable.
ZPST: Unfavorable - Even
Because Durant runs so few Pokemon, the chance of starting with a lone Pokemon is very often, and with the right hand, a player can donk you without much effort. If they miss the donk and you can get your Durants out quickly, the match up will become even. After the first few turns, you should be praying that you Devour their Shaymins so the Energy cannot be moved, and then proceed to Catcher up their Tornadus (or the occasional Thundurus) and lock it in the Active position. Without their Shaymins, their Pachirisu is useless, and their only hope is to top deck a DCE. If they do, repeat the process of Catchering their Tornadus/Thundurus up and removing any Energy in play. Junk Arm, Lost Remover, Crushing Hammer, and Pokemon Catcher are all key cards in this match up, as are Revive and Twins.
Mewtwo EX/anything: Even
Although the variant of Mewtwo does depend on how the match up will turn out, the match up itself is almost always even. Lost Remover will save you in this match up, due to the heavy amount of DCE being run. Although Durant does pack a Resistance to Psychic types (with an Eviolite and a Special Metal on a Durant, it reduced the damage done to it by 50 from attacks done by Mewtwo), Mewtwo can still hit hard if you are unable to remove their Energies. Without any added effects (Eviolite and Special Metal), it takes 5 Energy to KO one Durant (3 if they are running Gardevoir), so once a Mewtwo is set up, it can KO Durants like crazy.
If you are playing Mewtwo with Gardevoir, Catchering and locking Gardevoir is the best scenario. They will waste their DCEs to retreat Gardevoir, and as a result, their Mewtwo will have less Energy to attack, giving Durant an edge. Using Crushing Hammer on any Energy would be helpful, as it gives them less resources to work with. Like any match up, you should hope for the best Devours you can get, which is a big reliance on the luck factor.
Reshiboar (w/ Reshiram EX): Very Unfavorable - Auto loss
The poor ant is weak to almost every Pokemon in the deck (if they don't run RDL), so expect the match for yourself to go downhill fast. Unless you can deny them their Emboars early game, their Reshirams will devour your Durants. They may even go aggro-Emboar and use Heat Crash to KO all of your Durants. Durant has hope that Mewtwo EX will result in the decrease of Reshiram EX being played, but unless you get very lucky, Durant will have to accept the auto loss from Reshiram.
The Truth - Favorable
Luckily for Durant, The Truth is extremely slow because it relies on a lot of resources to set up. Durant is able to mill away these resources, giving The Truth player a harder time to do anything. However, if they can get set up, the match up can slowly go downhill. SEL threatens the deck, and the addition of Pokemon EX that The Truth gains can give Durant trouble. However, you should almost always get the early edge and start discarding their resources. If you manage to discard all of their Vileplume, it is most likely that you will win.
Durant (mirror match up) - You figure it out.
Yeah, if you couldn't figure it out, the match up is even. The Durant mirror match up is something like this:
sillykyle said:
It's pretty much who can get luckier throughout the match. Hitting Lost Remover, Crushing Hammer, and Pokemon Catcher is really important, as you can Catcher their Rotom and deny them their Energy. However, be aware they can do just the same. In the end, it all comes down to luck, and in order to win, you're going to need it.
CaKE - Favorable
Their engine is Electrode Prime, so the match up should be fairly simple once they Energymite. Catchering Cobalions is useful while denying them their Energy with the help of Crushing Hammer. Iron Breaker can be a pain if they manage to set it up in time, but hopefully you can overcome this and keep milling to win. Catchering Kyurem as well isn't that bad of an idea, either; Glaciate can only deal so much damage, and it deals 0 damage to a Durant with an Eviolite and a Special Metal attached.
3.1; The Threat List
Durant is threatened by a selection of cards in this format. I shall go over a few.
Heatmor (Dark Rush) - This card is the most blatant and pitiful counters that Durant will ever have to face. For a measly Colorless Energy, it deals 120 damage to a Durant with no added effects. Taking this into consideration, some players will tech Heatmor as a 1-of in their decks if they choose to run it, so if you can get lucky and mill their Heatmor, they will have a much harder time winning. Although unlikely to be released in Next Destinies, Durant cringes at the sight of this card.
Victni (V-Create) - Victini is another decent counter to Durant, capable of hitting it for 200 damage (without added effects) if their Bench is full. Ditto TM can handle this problem decently, as it disallows Victini to be able to use its attack without a full Bench, but it is better to run a tech such as Black Belt to deal with Victini.
The Dragons (normal and EX form) - Reshiram and Zekrom will give Durant a huge headache. Both forms are able to repeatedly KO Durant, and Reshiram hits Durant for Weakness, hampering it even more. Also, they have quite a bit of HP, making it a lot harder for Durant to hit it in its KO range. Rotom, however, is capable of KOing the regular Zekrom after they Bolt Strike twice, making certain match ups easier once it leaves the field.
Vileplume UD - Item Lock makes Durant really struggle, as it is denied Pokemon Catcher, Crushing Hammer, Junk Arm, Revive, and other important Item cards. Preventing them from setting up Vileplume is the best option for Durant before it hits the field, because otherwise, Durant will have a hard time facing it.
4.0; Sample Lists
4 Durant NV
1 Rotom
Total Pokemon: 5
4 Pokemon Collector
4 Level Ball
4 Professor Juniper
4 Professor Oak's New Theory
4 Pokegear 3.0
4 Crushing Hammer
4 Revive
4 Twins
4 Junk Arm
3 Pokemon Catcher
3 Eviolite
2 Lost Remover
1 Flower Shop Lady
1 Switch
Total I/S/S: 46
4 Metal Energy - Special
4 Metal Energy - Basic
1 Prism Energy
Total Energy: 9
This is sillykyle's Durant list, simple and straightforward. With the explanations provided for the cards, it should be fairly obvious why each card is being used. There is a decent amount of room for variation and change, which can be helpful when you need to tech against a certain deck, or if you need to increase consistency. Adding a few more Energy wouldn't hurt, and techs are always optional to be helpful for certain match ups.
~
4 Durant
1 Rotom
Pokémon: 5
4 Pokémon Collector
2 Dual Ball
2 Lost Remover
3 N
4 Professor Juniper
4 Junk Arm
3 Pokémon Catcher
3 Pokégear 3.0
3 Twins
4 Crushing Hammer
3 Eviolite
4 Revive
2 Black Belt
1 Switch
2 Professor Oak's New Theory
I/S/S: 44
4 Special Metal Energy
5 Metal Energy
2 Prism Energy
Energy: 11
This is Vulpix Yolk's list, which fits a slightly different play style for a different meta. The I/S/S and Pokemon should still be fairly obvious, but he plays a few more Energy to ensure that he doesn't run into an Energy drought. Good work, Vulpix Yolk!
5.0; Conclusion and Credits
Thank you so much for reading! I hope you learned a lot from reading about how exactly Durant works, and I hope the list helped you to start playing Durant for yourself. If you're not looking to invest too much money, or if you're just starting out, Durant is a nice deck to play for a beginning player. Thanks again for reading!
Epilogue - Optional Cards
The following are cards that can be used to tech against certain decks, or to make Durant just plain more successful.
Black Belt TM
Weavile UD
N NV
Cobalion NV
Reshiram EX
Super Rod NV
Hypno HGSS
Roserade UL
Tyrogue HGSS/CoL
Alph Lithograph 4 TM
