Standard XY-On: M Aggron EX / Bronzong

[Scubasage]

Here's another decklist I've been toying around with. Frankly I like this deck more than the M Tyranitar decklist I posted a few days ago, but maybe I'm biased cause Aggron is one of my favourite pokemon and Steel is my favourite type.

Pokemon: 16

• 3 Aggron EX
• 3 M Aggron EX
• 3 Bronzor
• 3 Bronzong
• 1 Shaymin EX
• 1 Hoopa EX
• 1 Aegislash EX
• 1 Dialga EX

Trainers/Supporters/Stadiums: 26

• 4 Professor Birch's Observations
• 4 Professor Sycamore
• 1 Xerosic
• 2 Lysandre
• 3 Trick Coin
• 3 Fresh Water Set
• 4 Ultra Ball
• 2 Battle Compressor
• 3 Mountain Ring

Energy: 18

• 10 Metal Energy
• 4 Shield Energy
• 4 Double Colorless Energy

Strategy:

The focus is of course M Aggron EX, who hits for a whooping 240 if you flip heads, and a still massive 120 if you flip tails or if you choose not to flip at all. Unless Pokemon is even more backwards with its wording than Yugioh is, the phrase "you may flip a coin" lets you choose whether to hit for a flat 120 (if you don't need the extra damage to OHKO a pokemon) or choose to try for the extra. I know, I know, coin flips are bad, but, well, in this case...it's not a failure state to flip tails. You still do 120 damage. Besides that, pretty standard metal stuff in Bronzong, Dialga EX and Aegislash EX. Time to go over card choices!

Professor Birch's Observations:
As a rule, I prefer Shauna. I feel like, knowing my luck, I'm gonna draw 4 cards way more often than 7 with PBO, but since I'm already embracing the RNG with M Aggron EX, I figured, might as well try to get lucky and bring in that "5.5 card average".

Trick Coin:
I'm using this as my tool in place of the Aggron Spirit Link, as Aggron is slow to power up anyways. So, in return, I get to change the odds of M Aggron EX doing 240 from 50-50 to 75-25. That's a significant increase in the odds, and I've never yet in testing wanted to replace Trick Coin with Aggron Spirit Link. Honestly I've gotten more heads off the second flip from Trick Coin than heads off the first natural flip.

Fresh Water Set:
The tails effect of M Aggron EX's Megaton Press is to do 20 damage to my entire bench. Guess what heals all my pokemon for exactly 20? This card does. Just think of it as a little insurance.

Mountain Ring:
Steel Shelter seems like it would have been a very nice tech choice since Ariados is being released soon, as well as just being decent in general, but I went with Mountain Ring. Mountain Ring prevents damage to benched pokemon from attacks, and none of my pokemon have attacks that hit the bench, so it doesn't hinder me at all. Meanwhile, M Aggron EX hits my own bench with Megaton Press if I flip a tails, so this turns tails into literally having no downside. Combined with Trick Coin, it's 75% chance of 240 damage or 25% chance of doing the regular 120 damage it would have done had I not flipped a coin. It just seemed too perfect to not include.

4 Double Colorless:
Aggron EX, M Aggron EX and Dialga EX can all easily sport a DCE without issues at all. All their attacks require 2 colorless energy, so leaving DCE out of the deck seems like a waste. For that matter, Aegislash EX can use DCE in a pinch as well (though obviously full Metal/Shield Energies would be preferred for Aegislash EX). Finally, it even lets Hoopa EX retreat with just one attachment (in case they Lysandre it out without OHKOing it in an attempt to stall me) or let Shaymin EX return to hand for one attachment.

4 Shield Energy:
It counts for Aegislash EX's Slash Blast, it reduces damage dealt, what's not to like?

10 Metal Energy:
I dunno if this is too much energy, but I usually have Ultra Balls or Battle Compressors to get them into the discard where Bronzong can make good use of them. That's also why I run a full 4 Professor Sycamore, since he can turn a "dead" hand full of energy into something much better, while also setting up for Bronzong.


I'd like to try and fit in 2-3 VS Seekers, maybe in place of the Fresh Waters or in place of some Metal Energy? I dunno, what do you guys think?

 

[Sandbox]

So I'm going to preface to say that I also love metal decks, and ran Dialga/Bronzong and M Aggron/Bronzong. This deck is very cool and going to be more annoying now that keldeo and float stone are out of the format for that much needed switching.

Starting with the Drops:
Shield Energy: Drop them, they take up your use of the DCE and you can't use them from Bronzong's Metal Links.

Metal Energy: usually you can drop 2 and be just fine, personally I used 7-8, and never had a problem.

Fresh Water Set: Again you can drop these if anything drop at least 1. I only say that, because in the end you'll be facing most decks that will either OHKO your mon or THKO, and prob alot closer to that OHKO range than the mid. At least more than what a FWS can heal off of you.

Hoopa EX: While a cool mon, its taking up that much needed bench space, that could be used by either a bronzong, a shaymin, Aggron, ect. It's a cool tech, but it gets to point to, "Okay I've got him down, now what?"

Dialga EX: So this is definitely up to you, but I would take him out as well. Dialga is great, but using his first attack to stall, is praying that the opponent wont have a switch, and most of the time his second attack won't OHKO. Especially with Float Stone and Keldeo gone this is going to be a mon that will just take up room in the deck.

So all in all: 11 cards
- 4 Shield Energy
- 2 Metal Energy
- 3 Fresh Water Set
- 1 Hoopa EX
- 1 Dialga EX (maybe)

Now what we can add:

Shaymin EX (x 1): So one more Shaymin would give this deck consistancy when you do only draw those 4 cards from Birch, or maybe you draw an ultraball, that you can search out this card for.

Lugia EX (x 1): Now I used to run Mewtwo EX, and it helped me a whole lot of the time. Especially since it only cost a DCE to attack it can pretty much be ready whenever. Great card.

VS Seeker (x 3): Great Utility card to get back those much needed supporters you might have ditched earlier.

Trainer's Mail (x 3): Great Utility card to grab a supporter, trick coin, ultra ball, stadium, whatever you need. Plus it helps go through your deck a little better.

AZ (x 1-2): Again this is up to you, but it would be awesome to get those shaymin back in your hand, and not have to use an attack or wait till their Lysandred out to get them off the field.

*If the AZ isn't what you want, you could also think about doing 1x tool retriever, and 2x Aggron spirit link. Tool Retriever could take off cards like head ringer or jamming net, or even your own aggron spirit link after it evolves. I strongly Recommend this because, this way you arn't losing out on a turn of dealing damage.

So all in all: 11 cards

- 1x Shaymin EX
- 1x Lugia EX
- 3x VS Seeker
- 3x Trainers Mail
- 1x Tool Retiever
-2x Aggron Spirit Link

Again this is just my thoughts, not forcing anything, but I hoped this helped sorry it was so long.

 

[Scubasage]

Interesting points on the whole. This post isn't gonna be too structured as I'm on mobile atm but eh, it should be fine.

Fresh Water: This card is there more to mitigate flipping Tails on Megaton Press than to actually interact with the opponent. Though I do know at least one person who will be playing Mega Tyranitar at my locals and many people there use Bats, Fresh Water helps in those matchups too. I'm not sure what the right number for the card is though. Some games I see all 3 copies very early on and use em as Ultra Ball discard fodder, but some games I just don't see a single one at all.

Hoopa: I like 1-1 of Hoopa and Shaymin more than 2 Shaymin, especially in a Mega Evolution deck. I've noticed a lot of times Shaymin ends up just drawing 2, sometimes 3, very rarely more. Hoopa almost always draws 3, including that Shaymin that can then draw more. Hoopa also is much harder to OHKO than Shaymin, and can retreat for a DCE. Not the best use of DCE but it helps against people trying to Lysandre it out to leave it stranded there.

Dialga: I see Dialga as a slightly different Aegislash. The player I know who runs Mega Tyranitar? He's taken to powering up his first one entirely with basic energies if I have a slow start, making Aegislash pretty useless as a wall...but Dialga becomes great then, as it forces him to switch. And if he switches to something with special energy, Aegislash can then switch in and deal with it, with Bronzong helping me re-setup Dialga faster than his re-setup.

I do like the idea of a single Az and some VS Seekers though, and the Tool Retriever idea is pretty neat.

Thanks for the feedback, ill test some things out and see what I like.

 

[Sandbox]

Interesting points on the whole. This post isn't gonna be too structured as I'm on mobile atm but eh, it should be fine.

Fresh Water: This card is there more to mitigate flipping Tails on Megaton Press than to actually interact with the opponent. Though I do know at least one person who will be playing Mega Tyranitar at my locals and many people there use Bats, Fresh Water helps in those matchups too. I'm not sure what the right number for the card is though. Some games I see all 3 copies very early on and use em as Ultra Ball discard fodder, but some games I just don't see a single one at all.

Hoopa: I like 1-1 of Hoopa and Shaymin more than 2 Shaymin, especially in a Mega Evolution deck. I've noticed a lot of times Shaymin ends up just drawing 2, sometimes 3, very rarely more. Hoopa almost always draws 3, including that Shaymin that can then draw more. Hoopa also is much harder to OHKO than Shaymin, and can retreat for a DCE. Not the best use of DCE but it helps against people trying to Lysandre it out to leave it stranded there.

Dialga: I see Dialga as a slightly different Aegislash. The player I know who runs Mega Tyranitar? He's taken to powering up his first one entirely with basic energies if I have a slow start, making Aegislash pretty useless as a wall...but Dialga becomes great then, as it forces him to switch. And if he switches to something with special energy, Aegislash can then switch in and deal with it, with Bronzong helping me re-setup Dialga faster than his re-setup.

I do like the idea of a single Az and some VS Seekers though, and the Tool Retriever idea is pretty neat.

Thanks for the feedback, ill test some things out and see what I like.

I agree that FWS will help on the whole front from him OHKOing with Mega TTAR, but you will more than likely KO him before hand since you will only need maybe 2 turns to set up, where as they will need a few since they dont have that same energy renewal. If they get lucky they will have it all out in 2 turns, but that would require alot, and most ive come across will come in 3-4 turns. Also you run Mountain Ring, so that will already mitigate some damage to your bench, so I don't think you will need FWS as much as you think. But test it out and see which works more.

Yeah Hoopa will sometimes draw more, but again you now have 2 bronzong on bench, a Hoopa that cant attack, a shaymin that you shouldn't attack with, and that leaves maybe a spot left. There's just not much room for the three you will be grabbing IMO.

If the guy who runs mega Ttar can power up with just basics and still win the entire game, then that is amazing, but i still see that as slow as Molasses. Enough time for a Mega Aggron to come in and KO. Again my thoughts on the matter, hope it all works.