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Alt. Format M Gyarados EX / Manaphy EX

gumball51321

*thumbs up*
Member
1Hi, I'm trying to figure out a skeleton list for the upcoming Mega Gyarados, and so far, here is what I came up with:

Pokémon: 7
  • 3 Gyarados-EX
  • 3 M Gyarados-EX
  • 1 Manaphy-EX
  • 1 Articuno AT
Trainers/Supporters/Stadiums: 41
  • 4 Professor Sycamore
  • 3 Psychic Reader
  • 1 Lysandre
  • 1 Hex Maniac
  • 3 Rough Seas
  • 4 Gyarados Spirit Link
  • 3 Dive Ball
  • 4 Trainers' Mail
  • 4 Mega Turbo
  • 1 Energy Recycler
  • 4 Max Elixir
  • 4 Time Puzzle Bracelet
  • 1 Battle Compressor
  • 3 VS Seeker
  • 1 Teammates
  • 1 Switch
Energy: 11
  • 7 Water Energy
  • 4 Splash Energy
Strategy:

This strategy is now Prize Denial, while hitting hard. When the set comes out, this is the list I'm most likely playing.

I need 5 extra spaces, so what will it be? Please help so I can be successful in the future.
 

arulz

THE SEEKER
Member
Based on what I can see, I would say

-1 Hex Maniac (put it back in if you have trouble with those matches)
-2 Mega Turbo (you can't use them right away anyway)
-1 Psychic Reading
-1 Muscle Band (1 is unreliable and doesn't really benefit gyarados)
-2 VS Seeker
-4 Splash Energy (don't work with your acceleration, effect is mediocre)

+1 Skyla
+1 Spirit Link
+1 Super Rod
+4 basic Water

You're still 1 over but it's a start :)
 

gumball51321

*thumbs up*
Member
Based on what I can see, I would say

-1 hex maniac (put it back in if you have trouble with those matches)
-2 mega turbo (you can't use them right away anyway)
-1 psychic reading
-1 muscle band (1 is unreliable and doesn't really benefit gyarados)
-2 vs seeker
-4 splash energy (don't work with your acceleration, effect is mediocre)

+1 Skyla
+1 spirit link
+1 super rod
+4 basic water

You're still 1 over but it's a start :)
Well, it's effect can work fine with 240 HP and 4 turbos. Why take out 2 VS Seekers?
 

gumball51321

*thumbs up*
Member
Actually, I came up with a better list. Here it is:

Pokémon:7
  • 3 Gyarados-EX
  • 3 M Gyarados-EX
  • 1 Manaphy-EX
  • 1 Articuno AT
Trainers:41
  • 4 Sycamore
  • 3 Psychic Reader
  • 1 Lysandre
  • 1 Hex Maniac
  • 3 Rough Seas
  • 4 Gyarados Spirit Link
  • 3 Dive Ball
  • 4 Trainers' Mail
  • 4 Mega Turbo
  • 1 Energy Recycler
  • 4 Max Elixir
  • 4 Time Puzzle Bracelet
  • 1 Battle Compressor
  • 3 VS Seeker
  • 1 Team Mates
  • 1 Switch
Energy:11
  • 7 Water
  • 4 Splash
This strategy is now Prize Denial, while hitting hard. When the set comes out, this is the list I'm most likely playing.
 

arulz

THE SEEKER
Member
Well, it's effect can work fine with 240 HP and 4 turbos. Why take out 2 VS Seekers?

Often times too many VS seekers clog up a deck early game while it's trying to set up. But that's just personal preference I think as to how many to run. I was going to suggest taking out 1 but it seems I posted without changing it.

How come you recommend only 3 dive ball? And I would guess super rod is better than energy recycler, because if you want to use mega turbo you still need to be able to have water energy in the discard. Plus it lets you recycle pokemon.
 

TheLunaticHypno

Just your average Hypno fan
Member
I do understand that too many bs seekers can clog a deck early game, but they are necessary IMO late game to recycle those lysandres or shauna's or whatever.
I made my own list that I think works best:
POKEMON: 13
Gyarados ex: 3-4
Palkia ex: 3
Manaphy:2
Octillery:1-1
TRAINERS:27
Archie-3
Shauna-3
Skyla-2
Lysander-1
Psychic mind readings-2
Battle compressor-3
Spirit link-3
Dive ball-4
Rough seas-3
Vs seeker-3
ENERGIES:16
Water:11
Splash:3
Double colorless:2
OPEN SPACE: 4
STRATEGY:
The strategy is to open with a palkia and a gyarados, and using palkia's attack to charge up the gyarados and using psychic mind reading to throw away useless cards, and more importantly Pokemon for Archie to grab. The splash energy is for once the Pokemon gets killed, you can psychic mind read it away, then next turn Archie it back to life. Archie is also why we have 4 mega and 3 non mega. Hope I helped!
 

SRreplet51

Aspiring Trainer
Member
The skeleton list I have come up with runs more Pokemon but like mentioned 4 vs seekers is almost NECCESARY.
Pokémon: 15
M-Gyarados EX x3
Gyarados EX x3
Palkia EX x3
Manaphy EX x1
Shaymin EX x2
Hoopa EX x2
Articuno x1

Trainers:
Vs seeker x4
Ultra ball x4
Dive ball x1
Mega turbo x3
Energy recycler x1
Gyarados spirit link x3
Muscle Bamd x3
Sky field x2
Rough seas x1
Professor Syacamore x4
Birchs observations x3
Judge x1
Lysandre x2
Hex maniac x1

Energy: 12
Water x12

I'd say don't bother with splash energy I hope this Skelton lost works it's meant to power up your Gyarados quickly, granted this only irks if Palkia EX is printed in breakpoint but it will most likely happen
 

dwarfstar

bread and roses and spiders
Member
^I'd say that variant runs at optimum with one less Hoopa-EX and one more Palkia-EX. In addition, you're not running enough mons for Sky Field to really be a necessity; I recommend going all in with Rough Seas (maybe one Silent Lab if you're worried about opposing Shaymin or Giratina), since the vast majority of your mons are Water-types and it won't rob you of an OHKO against opposing Water or Lightning mons. Having at least one Float Stone or Switch/Escape Rope would probably be pretty useful as well, since your primary attackers all have Retreat Costs of 2+; I'd recommend taking out either one Sycamore or the Hex Maniac (definitely the latter if you replace one of the Sky Fields with Silent Lab). I'd recommend replacing one (maybe even two) of those four Ultra Balls with Dive Balls as well, since every mon in your deck except Shaymin-EX and Hoopa-EX is Water-type. Given that your primary attacker is M-Gyarados, I'd say decreasing the count of Muscle Band by one or two wouldn't be too much of a problem (what you want to put in there instead is up to you - given the state of the current meta, I'd say Xerosic and Startling Megaphone are probably the best options). Good luck.
 

SRreplet51

Aspiring Trainer
Member
^I'd say that variant runs at optimum with one less Hoopa-EX and one more Palkia-EX. In addition, you're not running enough mons for Sky Field to really be a necessity; I recommend going all in with Rough Seas (maybe one Silent Lab if you're worried about opposing Shaymin or Giratina), since the vast majority of your mons are Water-types and it won't rob you of an OHKO against opposing Water or Lightning mons. Having at least one Float Stone or Switch/Escape Rope would probably be pretty useful as well, since your primary attackers all have Retreat Costs of 2+; I'd recommend taking out either one Sycamore or the Hex Maniac (definitely the latter if you replace one of the Sky Fields with Silent Lab). I'd recommend replacing one (maybe even two) of those four Ultra Balls with Dive Balls as well, since every mon in your deck except Shaymin-EX and Hoopa-EX is Water-type. Given that your primary attacker is M-Gyarados, I'd say decreasing the count of Muscle Band by one or two wouldn't be too much of a problem (what you want to put in there instead is up to you - given the state of the current meta, I'd say Xerosic and Startling Megaphone are probably the best options). Good luck.
I would consider dropping a muscle band and maybe the second Hoopa EX and maybe a Sky field by replacing it with another rough seas (or silent lab), adding the fourth Palkia EX may be a good idea especially since it's the optimal starter in this deck, however what I will say that Shaymin and Hoopa are to important to drop down to 2 ultra balls, maybe three but not two, anyways thank you so much I have realized important things with your opinion and it will help me thanks again.
 

gumball51321

*thumbs up*
Member
I'd say so hahaha except no immunity to special conditions like virizion, but if there was that and free retreat with Manaphy I think it'd be to good.
Don't forget, that was a format with Laserbank, which we lost. Special conditions are basically irrelevant now. The only reason people use Ariados is because it poisons Machamp, and because Sceptile more than doubles it's damage. And both of those just boost damage, not actually using the special condition like Laserbank did. And since Sceptile/Machamp isn't even competitively active, we have no need for that ability. Basically, my point is that there is practically no difference.
 

gumball51321

*thumbs up*
Member
Don't forget, that was a format with Laserbank, which we lost. Special conditions are basically irrelevant now. The only reason people use Ariados is because it poisons Machamp, and because Sceptile more than doubles it's damage. And both of those just boost damage, not actually using the special condition like Laserbank did. And since Sceptile/Machamp isn't even competitively active, we have no need for that ability. Basically, my point is that there is practically no difference.
Guess what? Aurorus EX is Virizion EX. So, we do have a new VirGen deck.
 

SRreplet51

Aspiring Trainer
Member
Don't forget, that was a format with Laserbank, which we lost. Special conditions are basically irrelevant now. The only reason people use Ariados is because it poisons Machamp, and because Sceptile more than doubles it's damage. And both of those just boost damage, not actually using the special condition like Laserbank did. And since Sceptile/Machamp isn't even competitively active, we have no need for that ability. Basically, my point is that there is practically no difference.
Yaa true special conditions aren't to big anymore.

Guess what? Aurorus EX is Virizion EX. So, we do have a new VirGen deck.
sorta because it only stops paralysis i think and it cant accelerate onto something, that a seperate Pokémon(Palkia)/
 
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