Standard Tapu Bulu GX

[HouchinsDJ]

So I did not come up with this list. Andrew Mahone posted it today on Derium's Competitive channel. I've been playing a lot of different decks this week in preparation for my first League Cup this weekend, and Tapu Bulu is a deck that I'm considering. It has good match-ups to a lot other big decks in the format right now and has no type weakness, which is a huge plus for me. I really like Andrew's list, however, I think there's a few changes that need to be made.

****** Pokémon Trading Card Game Deck List ******

##Pokémon - 16

* 3 Tapu Bulu-GX PR-SM SM32
* 3 Grubbin SUM 13
* 1 Charjabug SUM 51
* 3 Vikavolt SUM 52
* 1 Tapu Koko-GX GRI 47
* 2 Tapu Lele-GX GRI 137
* 2 Remoraid BKT 32
* 1 Octillery BKT 33

##Trainer Cards - 32

* 1 Rescue Stretcher GRI 130
* 2 Choice Band GRI 121
* 2 Brigette BKT 134
* 4 Professor Sycamore BKP 107
* 3 Guzma BUS 115
* 4 Ultra Ball SUM 135
* 2 Energy Recycler GRI 123
* 1 Float Stone BKT 137
* 2 Skyla BKT 148
* 4 N FAC 105
* 3 Field Blower GRI 125
* 4 Rare Candy SUM 129

##Energy - 12

* 5 Lightning Energy 4
* 7 Grass Energy 1

Total Cards - 60

****** Deck List Generated by the Pokémon TCG Online www.pokemon.com/TCGO ******

He only plays one Float Stone, and in a deck that runs Vikavolt and Octillery, that's just not enough. His reasoning was that he's playing three Guzma, but I don't think that's consistent enough because Guzma does have it's drawback, such as being your Supporter for the turn and you might not want to switch your opponent's Pokemon. I would like to fit two more Float Stones in but just don't know what to remove. Everything is in their for a reason. I think the second Brigette is the most expendable card. Maybe the Rescue Stretcher? I know everyone has different deck building styles so I'd like to know what you all think!

 

[FlavorfulPineApl]

- 1 Brigette

- 1 Rare Candy

You don't need more than 3 Rare Candies; Ive been testing and its PERFECT with 3

Replace these 2 slots with Floats.

 

[PlatinumDude]

To add, you can replace the above cards with Float Stones if that's what you need.

 

[HouchinsDJ]

- 1 Brigette

- 1 Rare Candy

You don't need more than 3 Rare Candies; Ive been testing and its PERFECT with 3

Replace these 2 slots with Floats.

After taking out 1 Brigette, the first game I play my only Brigette is prized, haha. I'll still keep Brigette at one, I just thought it was funny.

What does your Tapu Bulu build look like? I'm relatively new to Tapu Bulu. I did play it for a bit a couple months ago, but haven't taken it to a tournament yet.

 

[FlavorfulPineApl]

After taking out 1 Brigette, the first game I play my only Brigette is prized, haha. I'll still keep Brigette at one, I just thought it was funny.

What does your Tapu Bulu build look like? I'm relatively new to Tapu Bulu. I did play it for a bit a couple months ago, but haven't taken it to a tournament yet.

Thats funny ! I shall post my list soon.

 

[Alphahitman4]

I prefer 1 energy recycler and 1 Brock's grit

 

[Duo]

Here's my solution to the above list:


Pokemon x 18

Tapu Bulu GX x3
Tapu Koko GX x1
Vikavolt x3
Charjabug x1
Grubbin x3
Tapu Lele GX x3
Octillery x2
Remoraid x2

Supporter x13

Sycamore x3
N x4
Guzma x3
Skyla x2
Brigette x1

Item x 17

Ultra Ball x4
Rare Candy x3
Choice Band x3
Float Stone x2
Energy Recycler x2
Super Rod x1
Field Blower x2

Energy x12

Grass Energy x7
Lightning Energy x5

I think it's somewhat contradictory how he prioritizes 2 Brigette over a full 2/2 Octillery line. Prizing 1 Octillery is the same rate as prizing 1 Brigette, and when you have 2 useless basics, one of which might be stuck in your active with only 1 float stone, it worsens your set up even further than not having your Brigette. If you can't fit in a 2/2 line of Octillery, don't run it in my honest opinion. Prizing a 1 copy card after your initial draw is an average 1/50-ish games (1/53 thru 1/48). You play less than 50 games in an entire World tournament, and everyone has been running 1 Brigette since before rotation anyway. No one was scared of prizing 1 Brigette then, so why now? Logic doesn't add up, but to each their own.

3 Lele GX because you want your supporters and there's no VS Seeker. I consider 3 Lele to be standard.

3 Rare Candy because you're evolving up 2 Vikavolts at maximum per game, and one of those might be manually. Also because +1 Lele, which is a higher rate of seeing Skyla and therefore Rare Candy, upon other things. I see little point mathematically in running 4 Candy when you only run a 3/x/3 line. 3 Rare candies and 3 Vikavolts. The draw rate is the same, and you run Skyla to bridge the gap anyway. Let her do her job.

I'm taking the Super Rod as a "3rd Energy Recycler" in case I need energy NOW and I can't get it with the added bonus of restoring Pokemon into the deck. I can't tell you how many times I've prized 3 basic energy and a DCE in other decks and run on a 7 to 8 energy pool for the whole game. It sucks, and running short on energy in a deck like this is a huge lose condition.

3 Field Blower is also IMO too many. Why are you scared of Garbodor when you can OHKO both of them without discarding your energy? No one says you have to discard for 180, and no Strong Charge doesn't mean you all of a sudden have no energy to attack. You also have to be careful of tool bait. Drampa/Garbodor could just make you pop a field blower on Garbotoxin, then just Choice Band Drampa to have OHKOs on you the rest of the game. 2 is fine in my honest opinion, especially because of Skyla.

I really like Andrew Mahone's lists as a skeleton list, but there are some things I just can never agree with him on lol.

 

[John InCENAroar]

Well as someone who played it for the longest time, ever since the rotation, and until now, I think I might know a few things. I also have a few Unorthodox cards and other decisions, but I stick to them, since this deck is currently my favorite, and will probably continue to be until Rayquaza, and maybe even beyond that. Here's my list:

Pokemon

• Tapu Bulu GX (3)
• Grubbin (3)
• Charjabug (2)
• Vikavolt (3)
• Alolan Vulpix GRI (1)
• Tapu Koko SM31 (1)
• Tapu Lele GX (2)
• Tapu Koko GX (1)
• Mew FCO (1)
• Marshadow GX (1)

Trainer

• APCA (3)
• Guzma (3)
• Energy Recycler (3)
• Ultra Ball (4)
• Brigitte (1)
• Field Blower (2)
• Choice Band (3)
• Sycamore (2)
• Cynthia (2)
• Rare Candy (3)
• Acerola (1)
• N (1)

Energy

• Grass (8)
• Electric (6)

The Vulpix stands to act as a sort of engine towards accelerating the evolution of Vikavolt. That way, I can combine it with five different evo accel. cards to practically guarantee at least one Vikavolt out by turn four at the latest, just judging from my experience. Marshadow and Mew are tech cards used to counter the meta. Marshadow with probably become Dedenne one it's legal, and I might swap mew with EVO mewtwo for the Zwole matchup. Aether takes the place of FFB in terms of adding HP, in a backhanded way, which provides a trade-off of 10 HP for 20 extra damge to EX/GX pokemon, which can make a huge difference. Tapu Koko GX exists to punish people for filling their board with energy. Low counts of draw support because I rarely have the necesity for them, thanks to the vulpix. That one card really changed my life in this deck, and now I have to champion it as essential in any deck where a stage two is vital to the strategy. Other than that, it seems close enough to everybody else's list, understandable to anyoone who played it. I thought this was the best place to put this, since I am proud of my list, but not enough to post it on its own.