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Standard Gatr-aid (Riptide Feraligatr/ Honey Gather Ribombee)

DKQuagmire

Who else but Quagsire?
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TCG ONE just recently updated with Dragon Majesty, and after testing a few of the new cards from this mini set, I have fallen in love with Riptide Feraligatr the most. And not just because it was my favourite card back in the year 2001, when I was collecting the Neo Genesis cards.

We may have lost all the cards that made the deck work, like Trash Exchange, Misty's Wrath, and Secret Mission (which actually got reprinted as Psychics third eye a few years back) in the last 18 years, but with Riptide Feraligatr's reprint in Dragon Majesty, can we make this deck work again? Here's how the decklist I've been using with mild success online:

Pokemon: 17

4 Totodile (SLG) 70 HP is better than 60 HP
4 Feraligatr (DRM) Riptide
3 Cutiefly (BUS) Free retreat
3 Ribombee (BUS) Honey Gather
1 Tapu Lele-GX
2 Oranguru (SMP) Instruct

Supporters: 14
4 Cynthia
3 Guzma
1 Apricorn Maker
2 Lady
2 Crasher Wake
2 Lillie

Trainers: 17
4 Rare Candy
4 Ultra Ball
2 Nest Ball
2 Rescue Stretcher
2 Brooklet Hill
2 Choice Band
1 Pal Pad

Energy: 12
12 Water Energy

OK so here's the strategy. Get a whole bunch of water energy into the discard pile so feraligatr can do a whole bunch of damage. Riptide does a measly 10 damage for 2 water energy, but can do an additional 20 damage for every water energy in your discard pile, before shuffling all that water energy back into your deck. How can we do this. Well we have many ways of doing so. First of all we have Feraligatr's amazing Ability Downpour. As often as you like during your turn before your attack, you may discard a basic water energy card from your hand. Simple enough right? Then there are the obvious cards like Ultra Ball to discard them from the hand to search out our pokemon. Crasher Wake is an amazing supporter in this kind of deck too, as not only do you get water energy into the discard pile, but you get to search your deck for any 2 cards! That's basically a guaranteed Rare Candy Gatr on turn 2!!!

But then here comes the tricky part. What happens after you have used the Riptide attack, shuffled away all your discarded water energy, and you have no energy in hand to discard? This is where Honey Gather Ribombee comes into play. Once during your turn, before your attack, you may search your deck for up to 2 basic energy and put them into your hand. That's like a guaranteed 50 base damage right there. With 2 Ribombee in play that's a guaranteed 90 base damage.
Before using downpour to discard your new energy, you can then chain it with cards like Ultra Ball and Crasher Wake to not only discard water energy but thin through your deck at the same time.

We can increase Feraligatr's damage output some more with cards like Lady to instantly grab 4 water energy from the deck to immediately discard that energy. And/or if you've already discarded your entire hand though, Oranguru becomes a god send. you can go from a zero card hand back up to 3, where you can hopefully draw into a draw supporter like Cynthia and Lillie to refresh your hand and draw more cards. Always use Instruct first before honey gather though to draw even more cards from your deck afterwards.

Everything else is pretty standard. Lele for drop support. Brooklet for Totodiles. Choice band for extra 30 on GX's, and stretcher to get your squad back.
I'm actually contemplating dropping 1 lele for an extra oranguru. Having 2 oranguru on the bench gives you even more draw power. Instruct. Downpour energy. Instruct again downpour more energy.

But I want to hear your guys thought on this deck. It currently has a roughly 50% win ratio. It still can't stand up to competitive stuff like buzzgarb, but the 1 prize trade off can help you stay in the game against GX pokemon decks
 
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Gave the deck a couple of test matches and I love it. A Pal Pad or two wouldn't hurt so that you can put the Lady's back in the deck. This deck is missing something but I can't quite put my finger on it. Lele for Oranguru is something I would agree on. Gravitated towards this deck because Gatr is my favorite Pokemon.
 
I thank that maybe the "professors letter" oricorio might help as an easy 2 energy that can be ultra balled and played in clutch situations, like if you only do 90 (or 120 with choice) that you can do an extra 40 damage for knock outs, and if you pair it with super scoop up you can get multiple energy per turn (not that i recommend this)

probably not a good idea, but you can try it anyway
 
Gave the deck a couple of test matches and I love it. A Pal Pad or two wouldn't hurt so that you can put the Lady's back in the deck. This deck is missing something but I can't quite put my finger on it. Lele for Oranguru is something I would agree on. Gravitated towards this deck because Gatr is my favorite Pokemon.

Pal Pad is something I am definitely on board with. I think dropping a Brooklet Hill stadium is fine here. As the deck can get set up pretty quickly with Crasher Wake/ Lady and ultra balls. And I have dropped 1 Tapu Lele GX in favour of a second Oranguru. Was contemplating on dropping down to either 3 rare candy or 3 Feraligatr, but was like. "Its a stage 2 attacking Pokemon. It needs as many ways as possible to get out, so maybe i'll leave those be for now"

I thank that maybe the "professors letter" oricorio might help as an easy 2 energy that can be ultra balled and played in clutch situations, like if you only do 90 (or 120 with choice) that you can do an extra 40 damage for knock outs, and if you pair it with super scoop up you can get multiple energy per turn (not that i recommend this)

probably not a good idea, but you can try it anyway

I saw that Oricorio, and I do like it. the extra damage potential could actually be a huge deal, and that super scoop up combo sounds spicy as well. The problem I have, is bench space. I like to have between 2-3 Feraligatr on the field. 1 or 2 Ribombee and an Oranguru.
and having to run scoop ups as well, I would have to drop a few cards, which would make the deck less consistent. But thank you for your feedback. Much appreciated.

EDIT: made another deck change. probably a bit over the top here, but i dropped croconaw and a choice band for another 1-1 Cutiefly/ Ribombee line. been having some games where one or the other is prized. Being able to have more chances of getting them out would be amazing.
 
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