Is Donphan (PLS) Viable?

[Mr.Muffin]

Donphan is a card that I really love the idea of. It is pretty much a less broken version of Accelgor from Dark Explorers.

Spoiler

When Furious Fists came out we had a lot of hype built around this card but does it work now that it is in are hands with all of its new powers.

I think that he is a really dangerous card if you can set up quick. I have tried it with Donphan/Dusknoir/Flygon. We all know how good Trevenant/Donphan is already.

Donphan does 40+20(Strong Energy)=60+20(Muscle Band)=80+20(Fighting Stadium)=100

100 at the most for 1 energy, and if you opponent has a full bench that is 60 more damage with Flygon. Your Dusknoir next turn and move around all that pretty much knocking out more than half of all cards.

 

[Sean Burton]

RE: Is Donphan(PLS) viable?

Well with the current support I would say just about any fighting pokemon is viable atm but with regards to this one specifically yeah -very much so, he is being combined with a lot of different pokemon and will most definitely make an impact in the upper tiers.

 

[Toro Rosso]

Remember that Fighting Stadium only works with EXs. So that might be helpful if playing against a deck with a lot of EXs like Plasma. Plus Donphan will be a painted target for any Pokemon that snipes, e.g. Landorus EX, Darkrai EX, even Stunfisk. So I'd probably pair it with an anti-sniping stadium to make sure you don't get caught out.

I'd say it'll be close to the top but still not able to get higher. Reason is you're not doing enough damage. With Trevenant, you'll need Dusknoir to help. If that gets sniped/catchered out, then there goes the only way to really knock out stuff.

 

[pokedan24]

I've always liked Donphan. Good HP, two useful attacks, and it's uncommon to boot. Even with the EXs in the format, I always felt that Donphan had potential (even before all the fighting support).

 

[grantm1999]

Problem with TreePhan (or FlyPhan [omg it's happening again]) is the fact that it has to take unfavorable matchups to VirGen and Seismitoad. That sucks. Those are two (probably) Tier 1 decks so that's why I don't think Treephan will have a lot of success.

 

[Mr.Muffin]

I think TreePhan is a good deck, but definitely not going to be tier 1. It has hard time against Landy EX, Genesect EX, and pretty much any card that can snipe or lock them out too. I think it kind of has the same level of success as Empoleon/Dusknoir/Miltank, Greninja/Miltank, and Plasma Eeveelutions. Most decks with him will stay at Tier 3 for the rest of there life. It still has potential though.

 

[Card Slinger J]

Remember that Fighting Stadium only works with EXs.

Donphan would only get the +80 damage boost for Wreck If it's attacking your opponent's Active EX with Fighting Stadium being discarded after the attack has resolved since the effect doesn't apply against non-EX Pokemon.

 

[Mora]

Why would you ever use Wreck? You would have to attach a majority of the Energies in your deck to Donphan.

 

[Auride]

Why would you ever use Wreck? You would have to attach a majority of the Energies in your deck to Donphan.

It would be appropriate to finish a game, or if you were very certain your opponent had no response.

Also, I would think you would run at least 8 energy in such a deck (including Strong Energy), so it wouldn't be a majority.

 

[Card Slinger J]

I was only stating a hypothetical scenario in which Donphan PLS's Wreck attack could be used with Fighting Stadium against an opponent's Active-EX when Spinning Turn is the ideal attack to use instead due to it's more convienent attack cost with Strong Energy, Muscle Band, and Fighting Stadium for 100 damage which is already enough to one shot Thundurus EX and Raichu.

 

[Toro Rosso]

Why would you ever use Wreck? You would have to attach a majority of the Energies in your deck to Donphan.

It would be appropriate to finish a game, or if you were very certain your opponent had no response.

Also, I would think you would run at least 8 energy in such a deck (including Strong Energy), so it wouldn't be a majority.

That said, you'll only use Wreck if you had absolutely no choice OR confident that you can close the game. If you use it at the wrong time, then you'll practically be gifting a win instead.

However, there is a bigger problem in the form of Semistoad/Item Lock. How will you take care of it when you can't get your Pokemon out in time? That's something to think about too.

 

[pokedan24]

We're getting an Aegislash EX with an ability that protects it from Pokemon with special energy attached. This adds another Pokemon to the hit and run toolbox. Though when facing against it, it could cause problems if you're playing strong energy (silver bangle + fighting stadium still lets you 2hko it).

 

[Mora]

Why would you ever use Wreck? You would have to attach a majority of the Energies in your deck to Donphan.

It would be appropriate to finish a game, or if you were very certain your opponent had no response.

Also, I would think you would run at least 8 energy in such a deck (including Strong Energy), so it wouldn't be a majority.

It does depend on how many Energies you play, so for me it would be a majority because I would probably play it with a few less than eight, but now we're splitting hairs. It doesn't really matter because 4 Energies is still a chunk if you only have eight. I just don't think the extra damage is really efficient when you consider that you have to spend a few turns attaching to power it up, giving your opponent plenty of time to bring it up from the Bench and kill it. Also, you're still doing decent damage with your first attack--enough to 2HKO ideally plus Item lock. You really don't even need to one shot stuff.

 

[Mr.Muffin]

Wreck is useless. If you use it you are losing your lock. One turn without a lock can lose you the game.

 

[Auride]

Wreck is useless. If you use it you are losing your lock. One turn without a lock can lose you the game.

Again, if you're using Wreck to take your last prize(s), then it doesn't matter at all. It's the deck's only way of taking a OHKO, so it should always be kept in mind.

And there are some circumstances in which taking a knockout might be more advantageous than keeping a lock, such as if your opponent is setting up a single attacker, and doesn't have the resources/acceleration to power another one. Being able to recognize when this is the case is very important to playing this deck to its maximum potential.

 

[TuxedoBlack]

I think that he is a really dangerous card if you can set up quick. I have tried it with Donphan/Dusknoir/Flygon. We all know how good Trevenant/Donphan is already.

I've seen both decks work well in single game, 30-minute matches. How well do you think these decks perform in the tournament, Bo3, 50-minute match setting? I've only encountered one opponent playing one of these decks during last season.

 

[Mr.Muffin]

Wreck is useless. If you use it you are losing your lock. One turn without a lock can lose you the game.

Again, if you're using Wreck to take your last prize(s), then it doesn't matter at all. It's the deck's only way of taking a OHKO, so it should always be kept in mind.

And there are some circumstances in which taking a knockout might be more advantageous than keeping a lock, such as if your opponent is setting up a single attacker, and doesn't have the resources/acceleration to power another one. Being able to recognize when this is the case is very important to playing this deck to its maximum potential.

2 fighting and a DCE is still a lot for a deck that is already really slow for this format. It is way too situtational for me to consider a really effective strategy. I can understand if they have a Mewtwo EX, or a Seismitoad EX built up on the bench and you need that extra damage to kill it. Even at that you will still have a lot of troubles getting there. To get to 170 HP(Mewtwo EX) you would need a stadium(Not that hard), a Muscle Band(Pretty Basic), and 2 Strong Energy(This is the toughy). I could actually justify this in a Flygon Damage Move Build because that 120(or more depending on what you) is the difference between a win and a fail, and if it is a situtation were you can get your last knockout next turn, or this turn.

 

[My Little Keldeo]

I think Accelgor's paralysis is what truly made this sort of a deck dangerous, as combined with Trevenant , the Pokemon became stuck active, unable to attack and unable to switch out unless you wasted a Lysandre, Red Signal, etc. While Donphan is certainly a respectable card, it will follow the same fate as Palkia. It's good, but if your opponent can respond, then the pieces of the puzzle fall apart no matter what lock you're using. I think the deck works better with Safeguard Pokemon than it does with Trevenant, as it's still possible to retreat manually, though there is the calculated risk of running into Garbodor. Addionally, Donphan is susceptible to Beartic and Seismitoad once Lysandred up. Regardless, I still see potential in this deck, but I don't think it will be winning many big tournaments.

 

[OblivionDvdr]

I have a fighting big basics deck (Landorus EX/Mewtwo EX/Lucario EX) and I use a 2-2 or 3-3 Donphan line as a Pyroar counter. There is DCE in the deck, and overall, the card is usually very effective.