Standard Scizor EX / Zoroark

[HitagiCrab]

The goal of the deck is to put out consistent damage using Scizor EX's second attack with the help of Zoroark to boost the damage while also being able to mitigate KOs by being able to switch between the different EXs. Max Potion and AZ help to deny 2HKOs while Bronzong keeps your energy flowing.

Pokemon: 14

• 3 Scizor EX
• 1 M-Scizor EX
• 1 Genesect EX
• 1 Aegislash EX
• 2 Zorua BRT
• 2 Zoroark BRT
• 2 Bronzor FC
• 2 Bronzong PHF

Trainers/Supporters/Stadiums: 36

• 3 Professor Sycamore
• 2 N
• 1 Lysandre
• 1 Hex Maniac
• 1 Pokemon Fan Club
• 1 AZ

• 4 VS Seeker
• 4 Acro Bike
• 4 Ultra Ball
• 3 Trainers' Mail
• 3 Battle Compressor
• 2 Level Ball
• 2 Max Potion
• 2 Float Stone
• 2 Fighting Fury Belt
• 1 Scizor Spirit Link

Energy: 10

• 10 Metal Energy

Strategy:

Aegislash serves as a shield against specific matchups while being able to put 100+ damage. Genesect serves as a OHKO option while also holding my items when I need to N/Sycamore. I previously had 1 Shaymin EX in here but removed it, feeling the deck seems fast enough without it {and I didn't want him benchwarming}.

Potential additions I have considered but can't find room:

Super Scoop-Up
Double Colorless Energy {for Zoroark and hard-retreating Scizor if Zoroark is not up)
1 more Metal Energy

Give me your thoughts on the deck!

 

[WastedSkyPirate]

For the most part, I think you've posted a fairly solid list. One thing, however, that pops out straightaway is the susceptibility to Ability Lock (mainly Garbodor). I would argue the case for a Startling Megaphone (or perhaps Xerosic) so that you can break the lock.

The obvious cuts are the M Scizor-EX and Scizor Spirit Link - in your testing, what have these cards given you that warrants their inclusion? Personally, I found M Scizor-EX to be mediocre; which is a great pity because it's such a cool Pokemon.

Also, no Shaymin is a big omission - even one is invaluable for getting you out of a pinch. As you're including AZ, you have an emergency eject option should you need it.

So;

- 1 M Scizor-EX
- 1 Scizor Spirit Link

+ 1 Shaymin-EX
+ 1 Startling Megaphone

Stadium battles are a not-insignificant part of the current metagame. Against some decks, if you're able to bump their Stadium from the field then you put them at a disadvantage straight away (think Dimension Valley or Forest of Giant Plants). The fact that your deck is running zero Stadium cards could be a problem. Keep testing and see how you feel about this, but you may want to include one or two Sky Field - I often find that Bronzong PHF decks need bench space, especially when you're running Zoroark as well!

Anyway, I hope that helps

 

[Scubasage]

I would actually argue that a M Scizor focused deck would be better than one that tries to abuse Zoroark with regular Scizor. M Scizor would work much better under ability lock, has the same energy cost, higher HP, higher damage, and it deals with special energy and opposing stadiums entirely on its own.

 

[WastedSkyPirate]

I would actually argue that a M Scizor focused deck would be better than one that tries to abuse Zoroark with regular Scizor. M Scizor would work much better under ability lock, has the same energy cost, higher HP, higher damage, and it deals with special energy and opposing stadiums entirely on its own.

The two decks that (really) abuse Special Energy are Night March and Vespiquen. Both M Scizor-EX and Scizor-EX OHKO Pumpkaboo, Joltik and Vespiquen so the "You may discard a Special Energy..." effect is worthless. I tested a M Scizor-EX deck on the release of BKP and found that the damage output was too low and the effort too high for the archetype to be viable.

In the post-Night March world, where bulkier EX decks may make a comeback and abuse DCE and Strong Energy (think Zygarde-EX on the latter), M Scizor-EX might find a niche for disruption, but in the current climate it's not a good card.

 

[Scubasage]

You're forgetting that it gets rid of stadiums too; Dimension Valley, Sky Field, Rough Seas and Forest of Giant Plants to name the most relevant ones.

Plus, plenty of decks still run special energies even if they aren't entirely reliant on it like Night March or Vespiquen are. Yveltal, Seismitoad variants, and Jolteon-EX/Glaceon-EX (though you don't damage them, you still get rid of their energy and therefore break the lock) run DCE, Garchomp and Zygarde-EX run Strong Energy. Trevenant runs Mystery Energy. Mew Toolbox is an up and coming deck that needs to run things like Rainbow Energy to properly execute their strategy.

 

[PMJ]

While the effect of Mega Scizor's attack is cool, the thing that sold me on it was the consistent damage. You still have more HP as Mega Scizor than you do as Scizor@belt, and having that higher base HP leaves you free from being KOed from having your item removed. You also swing for 120 without requiring Zoroark, a Float Stone or other switching item, and a belt on Scizor.

 

[HitagiCrab]

For the most part, I think you've posted a fairly solid list. One thing, however, that pops out straightaway is the susceptibility to Ability Lock (mainly Garbodor). I would argue the case for a Startling Megaphone (or perhaps Xerosic) so that you can break the lock.

The obvious cuts are the M Scizor-EX and Scizor Spirit Link - in your testing, what have these cards given you that warrants their inclusion? Personally, I found M Scizor-EX to be mediocre; which is a great pity because it's such a cool Pokemon.

Also, no Shaymin is a big omission - even one is invaluable for getting you out of a pinch. As you're including AZ, you have an emergency eject option should you need it.

So;

- 1 M Scizor-EX
- 1 Scizor Spirit Link

+ 1 Shaymin-EX
+ 1 Startling Megaphone

Stadium battles are a not-insignificant part of the current metagame. Against some decks, if you're able to bump their Stadium from the field then you put them at a disadvantage straight away (think Dimension Valley or Forest of Giant Plants). The fact that your deck is running zero Stadium cards could be a problem. Keep testing and see how you feel about this, but you may want to include one or two Sky Field - I often find that Bronzong PHF decks need bench space, especially when you're running Zoroark as well!

Anyway, I hope that helps

You know, I could have sworn I had a Megaphone in here. The M-Scizor is an inclusion I made after Jolteon came out, as it is able to hit it AND slow it down by knocking off potential DCEs on it. However, since then, I have been more focused with tweaking my Garchomp/Garbodor deck and making several fairy decks, so I didn't really get a chance to try it. I had 2 Reverse Valleys in here previously but all they really did was help get my opponent's stadium off the board, as it's not that useful aside from that. Sky Field is an interesting option I hadn't considered, so I will put some thought in to what I could drop for a couple of those to try it out. I will determine whether the M-Scizor is useful or mot after I get to use it a bit. Thank you for the feedback!

I would actually argue that a M Scizor focused deck would be better than one that tries to abuse Zoroark with regular Scizor. M Scizor would work much better under ability lock, has the same energy cost, higher HP, higher damage, and it deals with special energy and opposing stadiums entirely on its own.

I don't think he is worth dedicating an entire deck to, unfortunately. I had him in here simply as a tech option against Jolteon and Pyroar and things like that.

The two decks that (really) abuse Special Energy are Night March and Vespiquen. Both M Scizor-EX and Scizor-EX OHKO Pumpkaboo, Joltik and Vespiquen so the "You may discard a Special Energy..." effect is worthless. I tested a M Scizor-EX deck on the release of BKP and found that the damage output was too low and the effort too high for the archetype to be viable.

In the post-Night March world, where bulkier EX decks may make a comeback and abuse DCE and Strong Energy (think Zygarde-EX on the latter), M Scizor-EX might find a niche for disruption, but in the current climate it's not a good card.

Those are very good points. He's just not a mega worth building a deck around at the moment.

You're forgetting that it gets rid of stadiums too; Dimension Valley, Sky Field, Rough Seas and Forest of Giant Plants to name the most relevant ones.

Plus, plenty of decks still run special energies even if they aren't entirely reliant on it like Night March or Vespiquen are. Yveltal, Seismitoad variants, and Jolteon-EX/Glaceon-EX (though you don't damage them, you still get rid of their energy and therefore break the lock) run DCE, Garchomp and Zygarde-EX run Strong Energy. Trevenant runs Mystery Energy. Mew Toolbox is an up and coming deck that needs to run things like Rainbow Energy to properly execute their strategy.

I feel like he is very good against certain decks and therefore has potential as a tech, like how I'm doing it here. Hopefully he comes through for me when I get to test the deck this weekend.

While the effect of Mega Scizor's attack is cool, the thing that sold me on it was the consistent damage. You still have more HP as Mega Scizor than you do as Scizor@belt, and having that higher base HP leaves you free from being KOed from having your item removed. You also swing for 120 without requiring Zoroark, a Float Stone or other switching item, and a belt on Scizor.

Me and my friend went back and forth for a while about whether Scizor@Belt or M-Scizor was better. Both do 120 damage, M-Scizor has a good ability on his attack and 10 more HP, but requires more deck slots and setup. Ultimately, we both went with this type of build (I don't know if he decided to include M-Scizor later or not) because of the deck space issue.

 

[WastedSkyPirate]

You're forgetting that it gets rid of stadiums too; Dimension Valley, Sky Field, Rough Seas and Forest of Giant Plants to name the most relevant ones.

It's a nice little effect but it's not instantly worth including M Scizor-EX for this reason alone. If you're worried about the opponent's Stadiums, simply play a counter Stadium or even Delinquent - it's much simpler to play and you get the benefit of your own Stadium/Supporter. That being said, if @HitagiCrab doesn't opt to play any Stadiums then I can see M Scizor-EX doing a specific job but I'm still interested to hear how it actually works in reality.

It might be a killer tech against upcoming decks but the current metagame is Night March and Night March Counters (Item Lock) - in the case of the former, EX decks will virtually never win the prize trade and in the case of the latter Megas struggle because, among other reasons, they can't get their Spirit Links down.

 

[Scubasage]

Me and my friend went back and forth for a while about whether Scizor@Belt or M-Scizor was better. Both do 120 damage, M-Scizor has a good ability on his attack and 10 more HP, but requires more deck slots and setup. Ultimately, we both went with this type of build (I don't know if he decided to include M-Scizor later or not) because of the deck space issue.

2-2-2 of Zorua/Zoroark/Float Stone takes up the same space as 3 M Scizor and 3 Spirit Link.

I just feel like since both take up the same amount of deck space, both do the same damage, both are weak to item lock (tools are important in both versions), but Zoroark/Scizor takes more work every turn (meaning it's vulnerable to more types of disruption, like Hex Maniac, Garbodor, and Wobbuffet) and takes up more bench space than M Scizor would (admittedly only one extra slot, but still), and M Scizor has a free benefit with literally no extra cost on every single attack that Scizor/Zoroark wouldn't have, in addition to 10 more HP and needing the exact same amount of energy...M Scizor is the better choice. Comparing the two, all I see are cons that Scizor/Zoroark has that M Scizor doesn't, and M Scizor has some small pros that Scizor/Zoroark doesn't. The only real con M Scizor has is Glaceon-EX, but Genesect-EX and Aegislash-EX and even a spare Scizor-EX can all easily OHKO it, it's not much of a threat.

EDIT: I forgot about Giratina-EX. That's another con for M Scizor, that it's weak to that. Still though, I feel there's more pros than cons.