Swampert / Milotic

[Rakkis157]

Slurpuff PHF. I'd say 2 of them should work ok. You don't even need to attack with them, so you have no need to stretch your energy types.

 

[TuxedoBlack]

Following are some suggested, XY-on, non-EX Poké for your consideration:

• 
  
  Dedenne (FUF). L Poké whose 1st attack, for C energy cost, can search and get 2 Basic Poké. Very helpful in setting up your bench early game. PLUS, its 2nd attack can provide some protection against a very popular Poké, Yveltal EX, whose attack preys off amount of energy you've attached to your Poké; i.e., it can easily 1HKO your Swamperts.
  
  Manaphy (PRC). Deep Sea Swirl can help replenish your hand. This can be quite helpful for early game setup.
  
  Blaziken (FUF). Covers your main Poké Weakness. It's 1st attack only has CC energy cost which is helpful. Its 2nd attack, Burning Shot, can hit any of your opponenet's Poké (active or bench) for 150 damage for RRCC energy cost. You could Blacksmith RR and Energy Grace during same turn to fully power-up this Poké in 1 turn. Negative(s) include: 2 Stage 2 Poké lines in same deck (can be difficult to manage at times) and multiple energy types toa manage.
  
  Delphox (XY). Another R, Stage 2 Poké; but, its Ability allows you to draw cards till you have 6 in hand and its sole attack only has a CCC energy cost for only 50 damage (damage output can be boosted with R energy attached). Negatives include those listed above.

From a Trainers perspective, I'd suggest you review and consider including Dive Ball and Rough Seas.

 

[Windfish]

Following are some suggested, XY-on, non-EX Poké for your consideration:

• 
  
  Dedenne (FUF). L Poké whose 1st attack, for C energy cost, can search and get 2 Basic Poké. Very helpful in setting up your bench early game. PLUS, its 2nd attack can provide some protection against a very popular Poké, Yveltal EX, whose attack preys off amount of energy you've attached to your Poké; i.e., it can easily 1HKO your Swamperts.
  
  Manaphy (PRC). Deep Sea Swirl can help replenish your hand. This can be quite helpful for early game setup.
  
  Blaziken (FUF). Covers your main Poké Weakness. It's 1st attack only has CC energy cost which is helpful. Its 2nd attack, Burning Shot, can hit any of your opponenet's Poké (active or bench) for 150 damage for RRCC energy cost. You could Blacksmith RR and Energy Grace during same turn to fully power-up this Poké in 1 turn. Negative(s) include: 2 Stage 2 Poké lines in same deck (can be difficult to manage at times) and multiple energy types toa manage.
  
  Delphox (XY). Another R, Stage 2 Poké; but, its Ability allows you to draw cards till you have 6 in hand and its sole attack only has a CCC energy cost for only 50 damage (damage output can be boosted with R energy attached). Negatives include those listed above.

From a Trainers perspective, I'd suggest you review and consider including Dive Ball and Rough Seas.

Thank you for the suggestions! How many Dedenne do you think would be best?

---

Hmm, Greninja is a Stage 2 and Lapras is somewhat redundant with no offensive capability of its own. At least Qwilfish dealt damage and Bouffalant covered the Grass weakness. Hmm... Miltank? Maybe Kyogre (Primal Clash 53)?

Wait a minute, back up man. I need to know what these restrictions on cards are... first your saying only XY, but now primal clash is OK? Huh?

Sorry for the confusion! I meant the XY block, not just the XY Base Set.

 

[TuxedoBlack]

Following are some suggested, XY-on, non-EX Poké for your consideration:

• 
  
  Dedenne (FUF). L Poké whose 1st attack, for C energy cost, can search and get 2 Basic Poké. Very helpful in setting up your bench early game. PLUS, its 2nd attack can provide some protection against a very popular Poké, Yveltal EX, whose attack preys off amount of energy you've attached to your Poké; i.e., it can easily 1HKO your Swamperts.
  
  Manaphy (PRC). Deep Sea Swirl can help replenish your hand. This can be quite helpful for early game setup.
  
  Blaziken (FUF). Covers your main Poké Weakness. It's 1st attack only has CC energy cost which is helpful. Its 2nd attack, Burning Shot, can hit any of your opponenet's Poké (active or bench) for 150 damage for RRCC energy cost. You could Blacksmith RR and Energy Grace during same turn to fully power-up this Poké in 1 turn. Negative(s) include: 2 Stage 2 Poké lines in same deck (can be difficult to manage at times) and multiple energy types toa manage.
  
  Delphox (XY). Another R, Stage 2 Poké; but, its Ability allows you to draw cards till you have 6 in hand and its sole attack only has a CCC energy cost for only 50 damage (damage output can be boosted with R energy attached). Negatives include those listed above.

From a Trainers perspective, I'd suggest you review and consider including Dive Ball and Rough Seas.

Thank you for the suggestions! How many Dedenne do you think would be best?

I would suggest 3 - to give yourself a "good" chance of starting with one.

 

[Windfish]

Oh thx, sry that I was confused.

I should have been clearer!

I am curious, though: why do you suggest so many Swampert? Shouldn't 2 be enough, especially with Evosoda/Diveball and Manaphy's (Primal Clash) Life Saver?

Here is a question for everyone: what should my Milotic line look like? How many from Flashfire and how many from Primal Clash? I want to run with the Life Dew idea mentioned earlier.

 

[appleatingoat]

It just felt right at the time, But now that I think about it if you used 2 Mudkip 1 Marshtomp 2 rare candies 4 Swampert and 2 archies ace in the hole along with the necessary items to reduce your hand It might work faster? I mean the possibility of getting the right hand on turn 1 to make a Swampert appear would be pretty nice, especially when usig diving search. For it could let you chain a bunch of Swampert onto your bench using Archie's ace and the evolution of Mudkip to reduce your hand... Just a thought though, I had the idea of somehow combining Archie's ace with an evolving Pokémon family. Was never quite sure how to make it work though. For the evolutions would clog the Archie's engine and vice versa. Though I felt like I was onto something at one point when I was getting my hand down to 1 juniper almost every turn with a Hydreigon deck.

 

[TuxedoBlack]

I am curious, though: why do you suggest so many Swampert? Shouldn't 2 be enough, especially with Evosoda/Diveball and Manaphy's (Primal Clash) Life Saver?

Take under consideration the following:

• "Stuff happens." Having at least 3 copies of your main attacker seems to be the most efficient, IMO, and covers those times when one might be prized; first one was KOd and it's taking longer to get the second one setup; etc.
• With only 140 HP, Swampert (Ability) can be "easily" 1HKOd by many Poké in the "top" decks; so, you need to get your second, and third attacker(s) ready as soon as possible.
• Life Dew has a few drawbacks:
  • It could be prized;
  • You could be Item-locked and not be able to attach it; and/or
  • Opponents can remove it with Startling Megaphone, Xerosic, etc. before KOing your Poké and still get a prize.

Here is a question for everyone: what should my Milotic line look like? How many from Flashfire and how many from Primal Clash? I want to run with the Life Dew idea mentioned earlier.

IMO, the PRC Milotic with the Sparkling Ripples just "sits" on your bench after it comes into play. Its primary value, IMO, is allowing you to retrieve any card from your discard pile when you evolve to it from hand; its attack is just "meh" since it only inflicts 60 damage for WCC energy cost; it also has a "low" HP at 110. On the other hand, the FLF Milotic, a 100 HP Poké, allows you to "blow it up" (as we use to say "back in the day" about Electrode") and get 3 basic energy from your discard pile and attach them to them to one of your Poké. Its sole attack, Waterfall, has the same damage output for the exact same energy cost. IMO, the FLF Milotic is far more versatile in providing more options. I'd suggest just running the FLF Milotic and a 3-3 line (keep in mind that you may lose a few Feebas which only has 30 HP).

 

[appleatingoat]

The primal clash Milotic was just an idea I had as a combination with scoop up, And if you run battle compressor then it essentially lets you get any card in your deck to your hand. Or maybe TuxedoBlack is thinking about it the right way and my idea was a bad one. I mean it's not like I'm trying to make your deck worse... Its just that I had this idea and I thought that maybe it could help.

 

[Windfish]

TuxedoBlack, I more or less agree with about Primal Clash Milotic, but it would be nice to get that Ace Spec out of the discard pile. Or do you not think the Life Dew-route is a good one?

 

[TuxedoBlack]

Your idea is legit; our styles are just different and we approach the game from different angles. Diversity is a good thing.

 

[Windfish]

I built a Medicham deck for my first deck, and now I am returning to my original idea. I definitely need more criticism for this deck. This is what I have so far for this deck:

Pokemon:
4 - 2 - 4 Swampert (PCL)
3 - 3 Milotic (FLF)
1 Miltoic (PCL)
3 Manaphy (PCL)

Trainers:
4 Rough Seas
4 Dive Ball
4 Rare Candies
3 Battle Compressor
2 Switch
2 Super Scoop Up
2 Muscle Band
4 Prof. Sycamore
2 Lysandre
1 Life Dew

Energy:
12 Water Energy

 

[Mora]

Could you please update the deck list in your original post? Thanks!

 

[TuxedoBlack]

I built a Medicham deck for my first deck, and now I am returning to my original idea. I definitely need more criticism for this deck. This is what I have so far for this deck:

Pokemon:
4 - 2 - 4 Swampert (PCL)
3 - 3 Milotic (FLF)
1 Miltoic (PCL)
3 Manaphy (PCL)

Trainers:
4 Rough Seas
4 Dive Ball
4 Rare Candies
3 Battle Compressor
2 Switch
2 Super Scoop Up
2 Muscle Band
4 Prof. Sycamore
2 Lysandre
1 Life Dew

Energy:
12 Water Energy

A few more thoughts, IMO:

• 
  A 4th Manaphy is more important than a sole Milotic whose Ability you use once and then its sits on the bench... Plus, this single copy could be prized and you would possibly forgo its use entirely.
  
  Consider replacing 1 Rare Candy for a Professor's Letter. You still would have 3 and you are running 2 Stage 1 Poké which is quite strong. Besides, you could be Item-locked.
  
  Super Scoop Up has only a 50% of success and if your opponent has Item-locked you, then these cards are of little use. Consider replacing at leas 1 with an AZ should you decide to keep these cards. On the other hand, why even include SSUs at all? Since you are not running any EXs, you are forcing your opponent to take 6 prizes anyway. As an alternative, consider replacing the SSUs with a Lysandre's Trump Card since you will go through your deck quickly and the LTC will help you recover and recycle discarded resources. For the other slot, consider a VS Seeker or a Twins.

 

[Windfish]

Hi, TuxedoBlack. I am going to post a new thread - this one got off to a bad start because the OP was not too strong. Standby for that.