Expanded Another Gyarados Deck - Archie’s Gyarados

[Nyora]

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

##Pokémon - 17

* 2 Shaymin-EX ROS 77
* 1 Sudowoodo GRI 66
* 2 Exeggcute PLF 4
* 1 Tapu Lele-GX GRI 155
* 4 Unown AOR 30
* 4 Magikarp CIN 17
* 1 Seismitoad-EX FFI 20
* 2 Gyarados BUS 33

##Trainer Cards - 39

* 1 Computer Search BCR 137
* 1 Mysterious Treasure FLI 113
* 4 Trainers' Mail ROS 92
* 1 Town Map BKT 150
* 4 Acro Bike PRC 122
* 2 Archie's Ace in the Hole PRC 124
* 2 Shrine of Punishment CES 143
* 1 Guzma BUS 115
* 4 Ultra Ball SUM 135
* 1 Special Charge STS 105
* 4 Battle Compressor Team Flare Gear PHF 92
* 2 Professor Juniper DEX 98
* 2 Float Stone PLF 99
* 4 VS Seeker ROS 110
* 1 N NVI 101
* 2 Super Scoop Up UL 83
* 3 Choice Band GRI 121

##Energy - 4

* 4 Double Colorless Energy FCO 114

Total Cards - 60

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

In case you don’t know what BUS Gyarados does, it’s [CC] for 50x times the amount of Magikarps in your discard pile. So, that can hit for 230 max with 4 Karps & Choice Band attached, + some of you have Shrine of Punishment in play. Loses to most of the stuff Archie’s Blastoise loses to, especially Trevenant. I love having Toad to stall if I can’t get out Gyarados T1. Biggest deal is like, if you don’t get out Gyarados T1, you are going to have a very hard game. Also, once/if your Gyarados is Knocked Out, it may be a little difficult to get out another one, and from my experience testing it, it’s more so because you only have 5 cards in deck when you want to play Archies, which.... yeah... than compared to getting VS seekers as only card in hand or whatever. I absolutely love Mysterious Treause in this, but I’ve considered Rescue Stretcher over it, primarily because while I love mysterious treasure for searching out an Unown + lowering the amount of cards in my hand, rescue stretcher can shuffle Unowns back in, which in turns help me draw more.

What do you all think? I know it’s not the best deck and is probably outclasssed by Archie’s Blastoise, but I love playing it.

 

[snoopy369]

How are you going to get 4 karps in the discard pile reliably? Just hoping to use Ace in the Hole to get Gyardos out turn 1? I guess I don't know Expanded all that well, but it seems like that's not going to happen all _that_ often, so you're more likely going to be hitting 180 than 230. Still a respectable amount, but not quite the same. And you'll have to play Lele most games if not also Shaymin, meaning your Shrine isn't doing a lot - are you sure that's worth the spots in the deck?

I do like the deck though, it looks fun. Sometimes I wish I knew Expanded better, for more fun decks like this.

 

[kgamer7]

How are you going to get 4 karps in the discard pile reliably? Just hoping to use Ace in the Hole to get Gyardos out turn 1? I guess I don't know Expanded all that well, but it seems like that's not going to happen all _that_ often, so you're more likely going to be hitting 180 than 230. Still a respectable amount, but not quite the same. And you'll have to play Lele most games if not also Shaymin, meaning your Shrine isn't doing a lot - are you sure that's worth the spots in the deck?

I do like the deck though, it looks fun. Sometimes I wish I knew Expanded better, for more fun decks like this.

Battle compressor discards 3 cards from your deck and the list runs 4 so its not too hard to get everything in your discard

 

[snoopy369]

Battle compressor discards 3 cards from your deck and the list runs 4 so its not too hard to get everything in your discard

My concern isn't that you can discard lots of cards, it's that one of your Gyarados needs to be on top of a Magikarp, no? Unless you're getting Ace in the Hole out, which maybe you do once, but I'm assuming you're going to need two of them out at least, and that seems less likely to draw all that (especially with just one Tapu Lele).

I think it's interesting, I just wouldn't necessarily bank on hitting 4 Magikarps in the discard.

 

[Nyora]

Hitting 4 Magikarps in the discard pile is incredibly easy as long as 1 or more of them isn’t prized. Otherwise, yeah, you will probably just hit 150-180. Ace in the Hole is a lot harder, of course, but I’ve noticed that as I get used to this kind of play style, it gets easier & easier to land that T1 Gyarados with 4 Karps and bop people for 200-230 on my first turn. As for a 2nd Gyarados, honestly I’ve almost never needed it because I either have out 1 Gyarados and then start stacking Energy on Lele/Sky returning with Shaymin (which works sometimes lol) or Quaking Punching with Toad, which normally takes me the last few prizes I need by the time Gyarados is Knocked Out. Even then,m I have pulled off getting 2 out in a game, with 4 Magikarps in the discard pile, but only once. And that match, I didn’t really need it, so I honestly couldv’e just powered up Lele, which is what happens most often. Keep in mind getting out a 1-Prize 150 HP mon to hit 200 T1 is a little difficult to deal with, and will give you like, 5 turns or so to get out another if a Gyarados gets Knocked Out, so you have plenty of time. By the way, other than attacking, I almost never use Tapu Lele-GX. Most of the time, if I need a supporter, which almost never happens due to Battle Comp + VS Seeker + me running a low supporter count anyways,, I end up having Computer Search, which helps out a lot more. Again, Lele is really just there now for the damage, but I won’t lie, I did put it in thinking I would end up using it more than I do, so I may just substitute it for Mewtwo or Mewtwo-EX (X Ball) to better deal with Buzzwole decks.

 

[snoopy369]

Ah, yeah, this is just me underestimating Expanded isn't it... forgot about the battle compressor -> vs seeker trick, and computer search.

 

[Nyora]

Ah, yeah, this is just me underestimating Expanded isn't it... forgot about the battle compressor -> vs seeker trick, and computer search.

Yeah, that trick works out very well, a lot. You should try Expanded! It’s really fun, and very fast. I don’t really like the current standard meta right now because of that, I’m really more used to playing decks like Night March or Mega Rayquaza-EX, which, if you’ve ever heard of those, you may know that they are some very very very fast decks and can run through most of their deck T1. Just like my Gyarados deck here, actually, in which I’ve normally ended up with like 7-13 cards by the end of T1.