Standard M Sceptile EX / Shiftry

[Ivy_Profen]

Pokemon:

• 4-3 M Sceptile EX
• 3-3-3 Shiftry FLF
• 2 Shaymin EX
• 1 Lugia EX

Trainers/Supporters/Stadiums:

• 3 Professor Sycamore
• 1 Professor Birch's Observations
• 1 Lysandre
• 3 VS Seeker
• 2 Trainers' Mail
• 4 Ultra Ball
• 2 Muscle Band
• 1 Mega Turbo
• 2 Professor's Letter
• 2 Energy Retrieval
• 3 Sceptile Spirit Links
• 1 Switch
• 1 Escape Rope
• 1 Sacred Ash
• 3 Forest of Giant Plants

Energy:

• 2 Double Colorless Energy
• 9 Grass Energy

Strategy:

The strategy of this deck is to get set up using shaymin turn 1 to get 1 M Sceptile Ex and Shiftry turn 1, possibly using Mega Turbo to power up and attack first turn if going second. Leaf Draw, combined with prof letter, energy retrieval is the draw engine of this deck. M Sceptile to 2HKO most pokemon, charge my other pokemon, and deny prizes. Shiftry provides the draw and the OHKO potential on some of the meta, maxing out at 220 with muscle band with no sky field. Good luck to anyone who plays sky field.

Overall this deck is pretty consistent setting up turn 1 or 2.

At this point in time i want to probably change Virizion to a Lugia Ex for a different weakness. Im trying to decide if i want to keep trainers mail or increase the counts of some of my other cards. Sacred ash will probably be traded for super rod once reprinted.

Any suggestions?

 

[dwarfstar]

This deck seems pretty solid overall, and I've actually been planning out one very similar to this. One thing that concerns me a little is the fact that there's only one Professor's Letter in here. I'd recommend increasing the count to two for better consistency (compensate by dropping an Ultra Ball or something).

Another thing that's not strictly necessary but would be pretty useful: if you can figure out a way to squeeze in a 2-2 line of Ariados without severely impacting the pace or overall consistency of the deck, that'd be a good step to take. The relative inconsistency of Shiftry's attack and low power of Jagged Saber (the fact that we're in a format where 100 is considered barely above average is kinda scary) means that Shiftry might have some trouble reliably achieving OHKOs, and M-Sceptile fails to land a 2HKO on M-Manectric (and possibly something else that I might be forgetting). The extra chip damage from Ariados' Poison Nest ability can help you with that to some extent, and it also allows the base Sceptile-EX to pull off a solid 2HKO on opposing Giratina-EX, which would otherwise wall this deck pretty hard.

 

[LostRealm]

let me say Miltank. Offers a great attacker, and a place for that Muscle band.

Also I believe your energy count is too low I would run all grass and drop the double colorless. My thinking is the strategy of the deck, If you are not attacking with M Sceptile, or if you are not tossing energy you are not going to win To do that you need lots of grass energy. The draw power of your deck is Shiftry. With all stage 2 you have to run with focus

Add in Energy Recycle, you don't get it in your hand but you should play it before you throw your last grass away, you will also need to retreat a damaged Sceptile, tossing 2 energies away

+1 G=Forest (You need to get one out)
-1 Sceptile
- 1 M Sceptile
+1 Hoopa (one ultra ball and you get a shayman, and 2 sceptiles / M sceptile
+2 Energy Recycle
-1 energy retrieval
- 1 ASH
- 1 Ace trainer
+1 AZ (play another shayman or pick up hoopa)
-1 Virizion
+ 1 Milktank
+ 2 grass
- 2 double colorless
-2 Mega Turbo
+1 lysandre
+1 Shauna

I'm making a Shiftry \ miltank, running denial

Ringers,hammers, xerosic and flare

 

[dwarfstar]

@LostRealm The point of the DCE was for facilitating attacking with Shiftry. Also, a single Miltank isn't really worth the deck space, since it's actually doing less damage than M-Sceptile (or even base Sceptile-EX if we have Ariados in there somewhere). Mega Turbo is pretty useful as a means of conserving Energy when you're revitalizing a damaged M-Sceptile after retreating, since one attachment from Jagged Saber and one from Mega Turbo have it ready to attack again as soon as you need it to, freeing up the other Energy cards for Shiftry or another Sceptile. Thus, keeping two of them in there is actually a pretty good idea. M-Sceptile is the primary attacker here, so taking out any of those or the base Sceptile-EX goes against the point of the deck because we need to maximize the chances of having them available right away. Ace Trainer is a pretty useful tech, but not essential, so that COULD be taken out. Putting in Hoopa-EX and at least one Energy Recycle was a good idea, though.

 

[Ivy_Profen]

Idk how you can find space in a shiftry deck for energy denial.

I tend to attack with shiftry fairly often and for decent damage with all the full benches thanks to shaymin in every deck. Sceptile tends to just accelerate energy and heal. I do think I might need to squeeze 1 more energy in this deck, but I do use the dce every game and it helps.

I see what ur saying about hoopa. I wanted to put one in. But this deck lacks bench space without skyfield.

Virizion is also getting removed. Miltank is a good idea. But I do wanna try Lugia cause i have dce. The electric weakness might prove bad.

For ariados. I tried it. But I just can't seem to make it work. The deck gets too clunky with a 3rd line of pokemon. I might try a sceptile ariados deck later though.

 

[LostRealm]

@LostRealm The point of the DCE was for facilitating attacking with Shiftry. Also, a single Miltank isn't really worth the deck space, since it's actually doing less damage than M-Sceptile (or even base Sceptile-EX if we have Ariados in there somewhere). Mega Turbo is pretty useful as a means of conserving Energy when you're revitalizing a damaged M-Sceptile after retreating, since one attachment from Jagged Saber and one from Mega Turbo have it ready to attack again as soon as you need it to, freeing up the other Energy cards for Shiftry or another Sceptile. Thus, keeping two of them in there is actually a pretty good idea. M-Sceptile is the primary attacker here, so taking out any of those or the base Sceptile-EX goes against the point of the deck because we need to maximize the chances of having them available right away. Ace Trainer is a pretty useful tech, but not essential, so that COULD be taken out. Putting in Hoopa-EX and at least one Energy Recycle was a good idea, though.

Yes I understand that it helps power up shiftry, but with more grass energy you will have a greater chance of attaching 2 energies to one. With only two in the deck, places too much I need to play this card on the double. I just see the need to draw 3 each turn as a priorty. The energy acceleration is the key to powering up shifttry.

The current meta, does OHKO and actually utilizing the healing aspect IMO is minimal. Miltank is a 1 Prize card / 1 energy attack that hits for 80. The 4 kill strategy helps in the EX battle. Also techs in a different weakness.

I do agree the loss of the other mega septile is too much, lose the extra lysandre or Shauna. The mega turbo at 2 cards, I don't see you having it when you need it. I just don't see the space for it with the inconsistency it adds as a dead draw card, with the low grass energy count.

 

[LostRealm]

Idk how you can find space in a shiftry deck for energy denial.

I tend to attack with shiftry fairly often and for decent damage with all the full benches thanks to shaymin in every deck. Sceptile tends to just accelerate energy and heal. I do think I might need to squeeze 1 more energy in this deck, but I do use the dce every game and it helps.

I see what ur saying about hoopa. I wanted to put one in. But this deck lacks bench space without skyfield.

Virizion is also getting removed. Miltank is a good idea. But I do wanna try Lugia cause i have dce. The electric weakness might prove bad.

For ariados. I tried it. But I just can't seem to make it work. The deck gets too clunky with a 3rd line of pokemon. I might try a sceptile ariados deck later though.

4-3-3 Shiftry
3 MilTank
2 Shaymin

15 Pokemon

4 Forest Plume
3 Level Ball
3 Ultra Ball
3 Muscle Band
1 Ash
2 Energy Recycle
1 Prof Letter
1 Energy Retrieval
1 Candy
19

4 Prof Syc
2 Shauna Birch
2 Lysandre
3 VS Seeker

11 Supporter

10 Energy

55 Card

5 Energy Denial (2 hammer 1 Enh, 1 flare 1 Xerosic)

I still cant decide 1 lysandre or 4th miltank.

 

[Ivy_Profen]

I would have put more offensive stuff like target whistle, more basics, another attacker like Raichu, or even mitotic for energy grace. Something that makes this deck more consistent. Rather than something to slow down my opponent. Cause those items\supporters don't work against every deck.

8 energy isn't that low. It only takes 2 to attack. I used shiftry with only 7. If all goes according to plan and I can get shiftry up turn 1 like it usually does. The grass hits the discard with leaf draw. Then mega turbo.

As I said in my first post I'm testing it. Though it is quite helpful to charge my benched megs while dropping 2 energy on 2 pokemon with the attack. Making it hard for my opponent to focus down my energy since it will be on multiple pokemon. The synergy with leaf draw just makes it better.

 

[Ivy_Profen]

I finally got a Lugia. So dropped the virizion.
I'm considering changing the energy retrieval for 1 letter and 1 recycler. But I'm worried about drawing into recycler early and losing the opportunity to recover any energy for the rest of the game.

Ace Trainer is probably going to be dropped. Dropping opponents down to 3 isn't super helpful if I'm losing.

I might try testing without mega turbo now as well. It not coming into use as much as I would like it to.

Adding in another letter and maybe a hex maniac or another grass energy

I would really like skyla to get a reprint for this deck. It worked wonders in shiftry for me in the past.

 

[MadVillan]

Hex Maniac would be really good in match-ups where the opponent plays stage ones and AOR Flareon. It could be a hard find as a one-of though. Not a crucial fix by any means, just a thought.

 

[Ivy_Profen]

The main threat atm is a mega ray deck. I just always seem to draw terribly against it for some reason. Even with VirGen my most consistent deck, i had to sit there and draw pass for like 3 turns until i just get demolished.

Turn 1 Hex after i get my Shaymin out could really cripple the Ray deck. But a one of is not super great.