So, waiting for the Lucario GX who is going to make this deck pretty good in standard, I wanted to try a proxy to test before the set actually comes out. Putting this out here in case someone wants it or someone wants to correct the list in case i (probably) miss something.
Pokémon (19):
4x Gible (The ascension one)
2x Gabite
3x Garchomp
3x Riolu
3x Lucario
1x Rockruff
1x Lycanroc GX (Midnight)
1x Tapu Lele GX
Supporters (10):
4x Cynthia
2x N
3x Brigette
1x Guzma
Items (21):
4x Ultra Ball
3x Evosoda
3x Rare Candy
2x Rescue Stretcher
4x Puzzle of Time
2x Field Blower
2x Choice Band
1x Float Stone
1x Pal Pad
Energy (10):
4x Double colorless energy
1x Strong Energy
5x Fighting energy
Explaining the list.
I decided on the 4-2-3 line of Garchomp mainly because, being the ascension one, I wanna be sure to hit the Gabite in case i start second and wanna use ascension to put the gabite in play. I use 3 rare candies mainly because we have many heavy hitters in the meta that can put out 120 damage on their turn 2, so a gabite evolved this way can be knocked out before it even becomes garchomp, this way if I need i can turn a Gible in Garchomp without spending the attack to skip an evolution. Float stone is also there so I can retreat whatever is in the active spot in this case, and I can make space for this one copy since Lucario's ability lets me play cards very loosely since I can pick whatever I need wherever I need. the 3-3 Line of lucario is there because I doubt I would need to tutor for 4 specific cards every turn when I'm already drawing 6 cards thanks to Cythia, that makes the deck run, but 2 would seem too few to put out consistently, gotta see how it goes during playtest. Tapu Lele GX kinds of loses its purpose since after Lucario comes out he's never gonna hit the bench, but is a must for the turn one Brigette and I need it in at least one copy.
Now, the main problem of the deck is the lack of Guzma plays. You can use it, but if you don't use cynthia you can't get the 200 damage hit on Garchomp, so the 1-1 line of Lycanroc GX is here to solve the problem and pick out annoying Pokémons from the opponent's bench. The other reason is his GX attack, after we used it's ability we can follow up with a Guzma to knock something out in case the opponent has a full bench. Guzma works well with Lucario too, and we have the lone copy of Strong Energy: without it we wouldn't make the OHKO on the Zoroark GXs, which is a very popular deck in this format, we can however kill it with a strong energy and a choice band (that we can find with Lucario itself, obviously). Speaking of energy, we play the 4 DCE for Garchomp and eventually Lycanroc (in case we need to attach it to him to attack or 'cause we missed the second fighting for Dangerous road) and 5 Fighting energies so that we can hit the ascension reliably.
Apart from the 4 Cynthias we play 2 N for draws (only 6 draws, I know, but after the first Lucario and Garchomp comes out we basically use a Cynthia every turn), 3 Brigette 'cause it's really, really important to bench 2 Riolus as soon as possible, and the already mentioned Guzma.
For the items, 4 Puzzle of Time to pick back items already used, the classic 4 Ultraballs and a 3-3 split of Rare Candy and Evosoda: initially i only wanted to play 2 candies because, after the first pair is out, we can tutor for them or pick them back with Puzzles to put out other Garchomps, but the meta being so aggresive with Zoroark, Golisopod and Buzzwoles everywere I prefer to have a little more consistency in evolution in case they set up faster than I do. 3 Evo sodas for aiding ascension evolution and put out Lucario (these always get used real fast, since when I need to put out the second Lucario I often take the evo soda to reduce the dead draws from Cynthia). 2 Rescue stretcher since it's a mainly non-gx deck and out Pokemons will be knocked out much more easily than GXs, 2 Field Blowers and 2 Choice bands to hit the 230 damage ceiling of the deck (or use it on Lucario against Zoroarks, already mentioned).
Pal Pad is here to avoid wasting Puzzles of Time on Cynthias in case we prize a few/use many of them in the early game to set up: instead of picking them in a trade 2 Puzzles for 2 Cynthias, we shuffle 2 back with Pal Pad, and eventually take back Pal Pad and another item with the Puzzles (yeah value).
I would have liked to put in the old Garchomp since it accelerates energy from the discard pile to the bench and makes the Matchup against Volcanion easier with its second attack.
Also, Devoured Field would help hit the 210 ceiling without items or 240 to knock out decidueyes (could be annoying with the max potions).
Also, Enhanched Hammer, can't find room, will probably take out and energy or an evosoda to fit it in.
Gonna think over it more tomorrow, please give me your opinion.
Pokémon (19):
4x Gible (The ascension one)
2x Gabite
3x Garchomp
3x Riolu
3x Lucario
1x Rockruff
1x Lycanroc GX (Midnight)
1x Tapu Lele GX
Supporters (10):
4x Cynthia
2x N
3x Brigette
1x Guzma
Items (21):
4x Ultra Ball
3x Evosoda
3x Rare Candy
2x Rescue Stretcher
4x Puzzle of Time
2x Field Blower
2x Choice Band
1x Float Stone
1x Pal Pad
Energy (10):
4x Double colorless energy
1x Strong Energy
5x Fighting energy
Explaining the list.
I decided on the 4-2-3 line of Garchomp mainly because, being the ascension one, I wanna be sure to hit the Gabite in case i start second and wanna use ascension to put the gabite in play. I use 3 rare candies mainly because we have many heavy hitters in the meta that can put out 120 damage on their turn 2, so a gabite evolved this way can be knocked out before it even becomes garchomp, this way if I need i can turn a Gible in Garchomp without spending the attack to skip an evolution. Float stone is also there so I can retreat whatever is in the active spot in this case, and I can make space for this one copy since Lucario's ability lets me play cards very loosely since I can pick whatever I need wherever I need. the 3-3 Line of lucario is there because I doubt I would need to tutor for 4 specific cards every turn when I'm already drawing 6 cards thanks to Cythia, that makes the deck run, but 2 would seem too few to put out consistently, gotta see how it goes during playtest. Tapu Lele GX kinds of loses its purpose since after Lucario comes out he's never gonna hit the bench, but is a must for the turn one Brigette and I need it in at least one copy.
Now, the main problem of the deck is the lack of Guzma plays. You can use it, but if you don't use cynthia you can't get the 200 damage hit on Garchomp, so the 1-1 line of Lycanroc GX is here to solve the problem and pick out annoying Pokémons from the opponent's bench. The other reason is his GX attack, after we used it's ability we can follow up with a Guzma to knock something out in case the opponent has a full bench. Guzma works well with Lucario too, and we have the lone copy of Strong Energy: without it we wouldn't make the OHKO on the Zoroark GXs, which is a very popular deck in this format, we can however kill it with a strong energy and a choice band (that we can find with Lucario itself, obviously). Speaking of energy, we play the 4 DCE for Garchomp and eventually Lycanroc (in case we need to attach it to him to attack or 'cause we missed the second fighting for Dangerous road) and 5 Fighting energies so that we can hit the ascension reliably.
Apart from the 4 Cynthias we play 2 N for draws (only 6 draws, I know, but after the first Lucario and Garchomp comes out we basically use a Cynthia every turn), 3 Brigette 'cause it's really, really important to bench 2 Riolus as soon as possible, and the already mentioned Guzma.
For the items, 4 Puzzle of Time to pick back items already used, the classic 4 Ultraballs and a 3-3 split of Rare Candy and Evosoda: initially i only wanted to play 2 candies because, after the first pair is out, we can tutor for them or pick them back with Puzzles to put out other Garchomps, but the meta being so aggresive with Zoroark, Golisopod and Buzzwoles everywere I prefer to have a little more consistency in evolution in case they set up faster than I do. 3 Evo sodas for aiding ascension evolution and put out Lucario (these always get used real fast, since when I need to put out the second Lucario I often take the evo soda to reduce the dead draws from Cynthia). 2 Rescue stretcher since it's a mainly non-gx deck and out Pokemons will be knocked out much more easily than GXs, 2 Field Blowers and 2 Choice bands to hit the 230 damage ceiling of the deck (or use it on Lucario against Zoroarks, already mentioned).
Pal Pad is here to avoid wasting Puzzles of Time on Cynthias in case we prize a few/use many of them in the early game to set up: instead of picking them in a trade 2 Puzzles for 2 Cynthias, we shuffle 2 back with Pal Pad, and eventually take back Pal Pad and another item with the Puzzles (yeah value).
I would have liked to put in the old Garchomp since it accelerates energy from the discard pile to the bench and makes the Matchup against Volcanion easier with its second attack.
Also, Devoured Field would help hit the 210 ceiling without items or 240 to knock out decidueyes (could be annoying with the max potions).
Also, Enhanched Hammer, can't find room, will probably take out and energy or an evosoda to fit it in.
Gonna think over it more tomorrow, please give me your opinion.
