Donphan Variants

Camoclone

Camoclone

TCG Articles Head
Member
This thread is used for all competitive discussion on Donphan (This does not include Donphan / Trevenant). This includes strategies, playstyles, and techs.

You may post decklists here, but only as a means to add to the discussion. If you're looking for advice on your list, post in the Deck Garage.

Donphan/Robo Substitute Skeleton List:

Pokémon: 12
  • 4 Phanpy PLS
  • 4 Donphan PLS
  • 4 Hawlucha FFI
Trainers: 30
  • 4 Korrina
  • 4 Professor Juniper
  • 3 N
  • 1 Colress
  • 2 Lysandre
  • 3 VS Seeker
  • 4 Robo Substitute
  • 3 Muscle Band
  • 1 Silver Bangle
  • 1 Professor's Letter
  • 1 Computer Search
  • 3 Fighting Stadium
Energy: 12
  • 5 Fighting Energy
  • 4 Strong Energy
  • 3 Double Colorless
Open Spots: 6

Strategy:
This goal of this deck is to use Donphan's Spinning Turn to switch into Robo Substitute. Robo Substitute doesn't give up a prize when it's knocked out, so your opponent will need to Lysandre around it if they want to win the game. Donphan's Wreck attack is also great for taking your last few prizes, or taking out a big threat. Hawlucha is mainly used as another starting Pokemon, but it's also great against Landorus EX, Seismitoad EX (one of your worst match up's), and opposing Donphan decks. This Hawlucha/Robo Substitute version is great because of how consistent it is. You should be getting a turn 2 Spinning Turn for 80-100 every game, and won't be missing one until all 4 of your Donphans are KOed. Overall a very consistent deck that can be very annoying if your opponent isn't prepared for it.


Good Additions:
  • Primal Groudon EX
  • Mr. Mime
  • Startling Megaphone
  • Magnetic Storm
  • Lysandre's Trump Card
  • Ultra Ball
  • Repeat Ball


Donphan/Techs Skeleton List:

Pokémon: 12
  • 4 Donphan PLS
  • 4 Phanpy PLS
  • 2 Hawlucha FFI
  • 1 Sigilyph DRX
  • 1 Zekrom BW
Trainers: 30
  • 4 Professor Juniper
  • 4 N
  • 3 Korrina
  • 1 Colress
  • 2 Lysandre
  • 3 VS Seeker
  • 3 Float Stone
  • 2 Robo Substitute
  • 2 Ultra Ball
  • 2 Muscle Band
  • 2 Silver Bangle
  • 1 Escape Rope
  • 1 Computer Search
  • 3 Fighting Stadium
Energy: 11
  • 4 Strong Energy
  • 4 Fighting
  • 3 DCE
Open Spots: 6

Strategy:
This goal of this deck is to use Donphan's Spinning Turn to switch into whatever Pokemon you need, all of which can be very annoying against the correct deck. After sending up these Pokemon, you can attach a Float Stone to retreat back into Donphan, and repeat the process. This also keeps Donphan (and all of your Energy) safe from your opponent's attackers. Donphan's Wreck attack is also great for taking your last few prizes, or taking out a big threat. If they don't have Lysandre, you can really put your opponent in a tough spot, forcing them to take 0 prizes on a Robo Sub, or deal damage to a Zekrom only to be hit right back with Outrage. This list is less consistent than the Hawlucha/Robo Substitute version, but it has a few more tools to deal with certain match ups.


Good Additions:
  • Kyruem BW
  • Reshiram BW
  • Wobbuffet PHF
  • Mewtwo EX
  • Professor's Letter
  • More Sigilyph DRX
  • More Ultra Ball or Repeat Ball
 
RE: Donphan / Techs

This is quickly shaping up to be one of the most interesting and adaptable decks in the format. Since Donphan goes to the bench after attacking, you can sprinkle in whatever best handles your local metagame without giving up power. Like Flygon and Trevenant / Accelgor before it, it doesn't rely on Pokemon-EX and forces the opponent to take six prizes the old fashioned way. Even if Lysandred up, Donphan's a difficult Pokemon to kill with a great HP for a non-EX , and only needing one energy for Spinning turn means Yveltal and Mewtwo players will need to put in more effort to get rid of it. Even VirGen can struggle with this deck, unless running Beartic, Raichu, or Drifblim as Sigilyph otherwise requires a G-Booster to get rid of. Pyroar also has trouble getting rid of Donphan, as it requires two Scorching Fangs to KO, and needs to be dragged active first.

I'm very curious to see how this deck is going to shape up with the release of Phantom Forces. It should be a solid counter to M-Manectric-EX thanks to a Fighting typing, and by not relying on Pokemon-EX, it's not hurt by the Flare Hyper Gear cards. The return of Enchaned Hammer to the format could cause trouble though, since it's sure to put a clamp on Strong Energy, a key component to Donphan's recipe of success.
 
RE: Donphan / Techs

This deck is surprisingly powerful. Even when I lost, I managed to annoy the heck out of my opponent by forcing them to waste energy and energy retrieval cards. The one I like to use uses cards which can't be hit by certain attackers. Suicune blocks attacks from EXes, Latias EX blocks things with abilities (Empoleon and Blastoise), Snorlax keeps them active and is just good to absorb hits. I can't wait to try this with Aegislash EX to block things with special energy. Though it sounds like the outrage trio does really well Donphan too.

I also like how the deck has several tricks. Strong Energy and Korrina and obvious advantages, but there's also the Keldeo Float Stone combo which is so good (at least until Goodra foils things). I've also found that Wreck is a really good attack when you need to hit for big damage. It's best used as a finisher for when your opponent uses all their resources, but it does add the oomph the deck lacks otherwise.
 
RE: Donphan / Techs

What does everyone think of Donphan after the reprint of Enhanced Hammer? I think it isn't the end of the world for the deck, but it does kinda hurt it.
 
RE: Donphan / Techs

You could still do 2HKOs on EXes with Fighting Stadium and Silver Bangle.

Goodra however...
 
RE: Donphan / Techs

I forgot about Wobuffett. It can stop Genesect's Red Signal, Bronzong's acceleration, Keldeo/Darkrai Shenanigans, and a whole host of other things I can't think of at this moment.
 
RE: Donphan / Techs

Wobbuffet seems like a great card in this deck (as well as Gengar, obviously). It stops Bronzong and Aromatisse pretty hard, you can't Red Signal around it, Lugia only takes 1 prize on it (although, Sigiylph can't be hit by it at all), and it even stops random Masquerains from removing your Team Flare Tools (if you decide to run them). It's pretty good at limiting your opponent's options. I could see Escape Rope being a common tech against Wobbuffet, which thankfully for Donphan, can be prevented by playing a lot of Wobbuffet. The most I would probably play in Donphan is 2, since it's not great against a few popular decks (Seismitoad, Virizion, and Sigilyph is usually better against Vir/Gen anyway).
 
Donphan post phantom force

Donphan is a very viable deck that uses hit and run strategy to do good damage and wall your opponent. Donphan just got some great walls in aegislash ex and wobbufett both counter lots of decks. Aegislash gets rid of abusive special energy. And wobbufett gets rid of most abilitys while in the active slot.

Discuss these new walls!
 
RE: Donphan / Techs

Wobbufett maybe but not Aegislash EX. The beauty of this deck is to force your opponent to have to collect all 6 prizes the old fashion way. I'm not saying it won't be used but just not very much.
 
RE: Donphan / Techs

terryanddeidra said:
Why is Hawlucha in here? I don't understand.
Click to expand...

Free retreat
Good set-up staller
Can hit for 80-100 on EXs for 1 energy
Basically, it gives yourself an easy set up staller attacker that can actually do a lot of damage without being damaged (AKA zekrom/reshiram).

Also, might want to update the list with Robo Substitute, and wobbuffet.
Its now a staple in this deck. The option between techs or a pokemon that gives no prize card has to go to the guy that gives no prize card...its too good.
Wobbuffet is also amazing against VirGen.
 
RE: Donphan / Techs

@I1lucky: Wobbuffet does wonders in thos deck because of its ability :) I considered aegislash ex in this deck, But you want to force your opponent to take six prizes, so chose to play this deck without any EXs.

@terryanddeidra: Hawlucha is great in this deck! not just because of the free retreat but with a strong energy, silver bangle and a fighting stadium you are doing massive damage. And if you attack yveltal ex with hawlucha turn 1or2 you can 2hko him with donphan (if hawlucha gets koed)
Hawlucha is altso great against seismitoad ex cus toad needs a muscle band, virbank and laser to ohko hawlucha, and u can 2hko the toad.
 
RE: Donphan / Techs

I like Pooka's updated version he used a couple of weeks ago. He used max Robosub, a couple of Hawluchas, Kyurem, Zekrom, Wobbuffett, and Sigilyph. The deck is pretty much perfect, but I added a couple of things like professors letter (great with Korina), Dedenne (mainly for Lugia, but it's not a bad one energy attacker against Pokemon which stack a lot of energy), and Lysandre's Trump Card (which is great for any deck which uses special energy. A double edged sword since you put their hammers back in, but still worth it as insurance).

The only bad matchup I had so far was against a Bronzong deck. Aegislash EX, while not unbeatable, is a real pain.
 
RE: Donphan / Techs

pokedan24 said:
The only bad matchup I had so far was against a Bronzong deck. Aegislash EX, while not unbeatable, is a real pain.
Click to expand...

Aegislash alone can be really hard to get around. One of my lists includes a 1-1-1 Dusknoir line, and I was able to Lysandre around Aegislash, and then next turn move all of the damage I had on the field to it and knock it out. Another game, I was able to knock out all three Bronzongs with Sinister Hand, and it was like throwing the emergency brake. After a final Full Metal Impact, he completely ran out of steam.

Does anyone else have trouble getting your opponent to actually hit your Outragers without one-shotting them? With Reshiram against Virizion / Genesect, they'll either Red Signal around it, or OHKO with either G Booster or Muscle Band + Power Connect. Against Metal, Dialga easily OHKO's, or they can just load up on Aegislash. With Zekrom against Yveltal, they can Y Cyclone with Muscle Band and Laser Bank for 140. They really only seem to work early game if I can even get them out that quickly. I guess they're still annoying because they make your opponent work hard to one-shot them, and can do 100 without any damage with Outrage base damage + Silver Bangle x2 Weakness. I'm tempted to cut them and just play more Robo Substitutes and Safeguarders / Wobbuffet.
 
RE: Donphan / Techs

Mora said:
pokedan24 said:
The only bad matchup I had so far was against a Bronzong deck. Aegislash EX, while not unbeatable, is a real pain.
Click to expand...

Aegislash alone can be really hard to get around. One of my lists includes a 1-1-1 Dusknoir line, and I was able to Lysandre around Aegislash, and then next turn move all of the damage I had on the field to it and knock it out. Another game, I was able to knock out all three Bronzongs with Sinister Hand, and it was like throwing the emergency brake. After a final Full Metal Impact, he completely ran out of steam.

Does anyone else have trouble getting your opponent to actually hit your Outragers without one-shotting them? With Reshiram against Virizion / Genesect, they'll either Red Signal around it, or OHKO with either G Booster or Muscle Band + Power Connect. Against Metal, Dialga easily OHKO's, or they can just load up on Aegislash. With Zekrom against Yveltal, they can Y Cyclone with Muscle Band and Laser Bank for 140. They really only seem to work early game if I can even get them out that quickly. I guess they're still annoying because they make your opponent work hard to one-shot them, and can do 100 without any damage with Outrage base damage + Silver Bangle x2 Weakness. I'm tempted to cut them and just play more Robo Substitutes and Safeguarders / Wobbuffet.
Click to expand...

I have the same doubt about the Outragers, I can't see why my opponent would hit them for something that is not an OHKO, powering up the outragers for a potential OHKO against them on the next turn.
 
Yeah, I only play Zekrom as a potential counter to flying pokemon. Most of the time, it's not needed and I just end up using Dedenne to deal with Yveltal and the like. I'd probably take it out for a Wobuffet, Snorlax, or another Safeguard Pokemon.
 
As far as outragers are concerned, I think Kyurem is easily worth it for all of the work in the mirror match. The other two I am less sure about. Reshiram I don't like very much because VirGen variants seem to be playing Deoxys EX, which makes it easo to OHKO, and Reshiram doesn't get around Aegislash unless you attach 2 basic fightings to it. (And then it still gets bopped by Dialga EX.)

Zekrom I think *can* be worth it. Yveltal-EX needs 3 Energy, Muscle Band, LaserBank, AND Lysandre in order to OHKO a Donphan. Given Donphan's heavy count of Fighting Stadium, they might not always have the Virbank when they need it. In addition, Zekrom can safely be pushed up against Baby Yveltal and Seismitoad-EX without any fear of being KO'd. So it's not like Zekrom is always going to be OHKO'd.

However, some Yveltal decks are running Shadow Circle to deal with the Electridc weakness, Zekrom gets bopped pretty hard by Mega Manectric, and I think Dedenne is overall more usefull because it deals with Lugia and can use Entrainment in a pinch (I've had to do it before.) I currently don't play Zekrom in my list, but I think there's still use for it.
 
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