Standard Frozen Gate (Alolan Ninetales GX / Manaphy EX / Tapu Lele GX / Hoopa)

[Dark Espeon]

FROZEN GATE

Pokémon (16):

• 3 Alolan Ninetales GX (beatdown)
• 4 Alolan Vulpix (evolution)
• 1 Manaphy EX ( retreat)
• 2 Tapu Lele GX (access)
  
• 2 Hoopa (beatdown)
• 2 Remoraid (evolve)
• 2 Octillery (draw)

Trainer (32):

• 4 Professor Sycamore (draw)
• 1 Professor Kukui (draw)
  
• 1 Hex Maniac (control)
• 2 Lysandre (control)
• 1 Bridgette (search)
  
• 3 N (draw)
• 1 Rescue Stretcher (retrieval)
  
• 3 Choice Band (beatdown)
• 4 Aqua Patch (accelerate)
• 1 Field Blower (discard)
  
• 4 Vs Seeker (retrieval)
• 4 Ultra Ball (search)
• 3 Rough Seas (healing)

Energy (12):

• 4 Double Colorless Energy
• 8 Water Energy

STRATEGY:

Start with Alolan Vulpix and search for Tapu Lele GX to set up. Bench some additional Alolan Vulpix and Remoraid. Use the active Alolan Vulpix to search for additional Pokémon to set up. Alolan Ninetales GX is a rather versatile attacker that can hold it's own. Hoopa is a decent additional attacker that can hit the bench and enable Alolan Ninetales GX to draw prizes easier. Octillery is used to draw and Manaphy can enable the entire team to retreat for free when needed in certain matches.

 

[Dark Espeon]

Hi folks,

Would be interested in comments on how to make the deck better.

 

[Matthew the Fairy Lover]

Hello Dark Espeon,

This list looks solid. I would recommend a copy of Glaceon EX for those matchups against decks like M- Rayquaza EX that can set up quickly.

And why not the 4th copy of Ninetales to ensure you get it out as soon as possible? If you use the 4-3 line then that last Vulpix will become useless if that makes sense.

But these are only suggestions as I love what you have going here. I play more of a Water Box style of deck with Ninetales as the main attacker.

 

[Dark Espeon]

Hi Matthew the Fairy Lover,

Thanks for the review. I do run one less Alolan Ninetales since most of the time an active Alolan Vulpix will be knocked out before it can evolve to search out needed cards. The deck also runs Rescue Stretcher in case it needs to retrieve a Pokémon from the discard. I like the idea to have a counter to decks that need a massive bench. Not sure on Glaceon Ex since he needs to attack and can be Lysandred around. How about a tech Sudowoodo instead? He would handle M Rayquaza and M Gardevoir alike. Any recommendation on how to fit him into the deck?

 

[Matthew the Fairy Lover]

Hi Matthew the Fairy Lover,

Thanks for the review. I do run one less Alolan Ninetales since most of the time an active Alolan Vulpix will be knocked out before it can evolve to search out needed cards. The deck also runs Rescue Stretcher in case it needs to retrieve a Pokémon from the discard. I like the idea to have a counter to decks that need a massive bench. Not sure on Glaceon Ex since he needs to attack and can be Lysandred around. How about a tech Sudowoodo instead? He would handle M Rayquaza and M Gardevoir alike. Any recommendation on how to fit him into the deck?

Hello Dark Espeon,

First things first, your welcome. I'm happy to help.

I would highly recommend a Sudowoodo tech. Mega Rayquaza 1 hit ko's Alolan Ninetales GX with just 7 Pokemon benched, lowering their damage to 120 max. 150 with Choice Band but 9/10 they will have a Spirit Link attached. Sudowoodo helps us deal with that matchup nicely than without it. To fit the Sudowoodo, I would test taking out one Hoopa and see how that goes for you. I doubt you will need 2 Hoopa in a game but I could be wrong and you will only need 1 Sudowoodo anyways.

Happy testing!

Matthew

 

[Dark Espeon]

Hello Dark Espeon,

First things first, your welcome. I'm happy to help.

I would highly recommend a Sudowoodo tech. Mega Rayquaza 1 hit ko's Alolan Ninetales GX with just 7 Pokemon benched, lowering their damage to 120 max. 150 with Choice Band but 9/10 they will have a Spirit Link attached. Sudowoodo helps us deal with that matchup nicely than without it. To fit the Sudowoodo, I would test taking out one Hoopa and see how that goes for you. I doubt you will need 2 Hoopa in a game but I could be wrong and you will only need 1 Sudowoodo anyways.

Happy testing!

Matthew

Hi Matthew,

Sounds good. Will be sure to do that.

 

[Draskk]

Hello Dark Espeon,

First things first, your welcome. I'm happy to help.

I would highly recommend a Sudowoodo tech. Mega Rayquaza 1 hit ko's Alolan Ninetales GX with just 7 Pokemon benched, lowering their damage to 120 max. 150 with Choice Band but 9/10 they will have a Spirit Link attached. Sudowoodo helps us deal with that matchup nicely than without it. To fit the Sudowoodo, I would test taking out one Hoopa and see how that goes for you. I doubt you will need 2 Hoopa in a game but I could be wrong and you will only need 1 Sudowoodo anyways.

Happy testing!

Matthew

I feel like Glaceon would be a better tech than Sudowoodo as it blocks Mega Ray in addition to decks like Trashalanche, Sylveon, Solgaleo/Lurantis, etc. I pulled one the other day (I somehow managed to pull a Carbink BREAK and a Glaceon-EX in the same pack, still kind of in awe) so I thought, hey, this would be great in my Ninetales deck and guess what? Straight off the bat I went up against Solgaleo/Metagross, and all I had to do that match was sit behind Glaceon. That's not what I did (because it gets really boring ) but if I had there would've been nothing they could've done except Lysandre.

 

[Matthew the Fairy Lover]

I feel like Glaceon would be a better tech than Sudowoodo as it blocks Mega Ray in addition to decks like Trashalanche, Sylveon, Solgaleo/Lurantis, etc. I pulled one the other day (I somehow managed to pull a Carbink BREAK and a Glaceon-EX in the same pack, still kind of in awe) so I thought, hey, this would be great in my Ninetales deck and guess what? Straight off the bat I went up against Solgaleo/Metagross, and all I had to do that match was sit behind Glaceon. That's not what I did (because it gets really boring ) but if I had there would've been nothing they could've done except Lysandre.

Hello GekkisaiDaiNi,

I do get where you are coming from as I have tested and used Glaceon-EX in my Alolan Ninetales deck and I do see the benefits of using Glaceon in an format which is filled with good Evolution Pokemon. But it's far from perfect, and it's not just Lysandre. Pokemon Ranger can shut off Glaceon-EX's protection for a KO and against decks that use only Basic Pokemon as attackers, Glaceon-EX's protection won't be as useful. And you have to set it up first with the energy and against decks like Mega Rayquaza-EX which can set up and attack Turn 1, if going second then they can just Lysandre in the Glaceon-EX and get the KO. With Sudowoodo, it's an ability so it's instant use and doesn't require the energy. I say test out both and see what works best.

Matthew

 

[Dark Espeon]

Hi GekkisaiDaiNi,

Thanks for the review. Glaceon can be decent in a deck that can set it up out of nowhere. It works in Water Box decks as a tech. As outlined by Matthew Alolan Ninetales wants to reduce the odds to be knocked out in one turn while being active and consume most of the support himself. While for from perfect Sudowoodo fits that bill better than Glaceon since it protects the deck against M Rayquaza and M Gardevoir in addition to Raichu. All three need abilities to refill the bench and sometimes cannot afford to Hex Maniac and fill the bench at the same time.

 

[olivasds]

As a player who has mained Mega Rayquaza, The Guardians Rising Sudowoodo absolutely cripples Mega Ray decks. If I don't find a way around it, I'm not playing it in Seattle.

 

[Draskk]

Why not use the promo non GX Tapu Koko instead? Does 20 everywhere for a DCE vs 20 to 2 for one energy on Hoopa.

 

[Dark Espeon]

Personal prefernece since it is a more controlled snipe, which helps against Drampa GX and Tauros GX. Hoopa also needs less energy to attack.