Flygon Lock

In the past, there was a deck called “Mew Lock” which utilized Mew ex from Legend Maker and Pow! Hand Extension from Team Rocket Returns along with a plethora of tech basic Pokémon. The ultimate goal of the deck was to create a lock by keeping your opponents active Pokémon stuck in the Active Spot without any energy for the whole game. The opponent would not be able to attack or retreat, thus it was nearly impossible for them to win once the lock was in place.

I have come up with a potential lock for this current modified format. The lock involves using Palkia LV.X from Great Encounters, Ariados from Mysterious Treasures, and Flygon LV.X from Rising Rivals. Here is the basic strategy:

In order for the lock to work, your opponent must first play a supporting Pokémon on their bench that cannot attack you (or cannot do much damage). Such Pokémon to target would include Claydol GE, Azelf LA, Bronzong G PT, Crobat G PT, or Skuntank G PT. It depends what type of energy your opponent plays in their deck whether you should target those Pokémon or not, but typically your opponent won’t play the correct energy to attack with those listed Pokémon.

Palkia Lv. X Great Encounters GE 106 Pokemon Card
You will need to get at least Palkia LV.X GE and Flygon LV.X RR out in play. Ariados MT is not totally necessary, but makes the lock much stronger. Once you those Pokémon out, use Palkia LV.X’s “Restructure” Pokémon Power. Make your opponent promote their non-attacking support Pokémon and your opponent will make you promote any one of your Pokémon in play. As long as you have the correct energy attached to Flygon, all your Pokémon will have free retreat due to Flygon RR’s “Rainbow Float” Pokémon Body. If you really wanted to be tricky, you could wait to attach your energy for you turn after your opponent picks your benched Pokémon to bring active, then just attach the energy of whatever type that Pokémon is. You will now want to retreat your active Pokémon and promote Flygon LV.X RR.

Flygon LV.X Rising Rivals RR 105 Pokemon Card
The cool thing about this lock is that you do not even have to attack! We want to make use of Flygon LV.X’s “Wind Erosion” Pokémon Body. The goal is to make your opponent run out of cards. In between each turn they will be required to discard a card from the top of their deck. Your opponent will be forced to attach energy to their active Pokémon in an effort to retreat it so they can attack you with one of their attackers. You will simply need to let Flygon LV.X sit in the Active Spot and do nothing else!

Ariados Mysterious Treasures MT 20 Pokemon Card
In order to thwart your opponent’s plan to retreat their active Pokémon, Ariados MT’s “Sticky” Pokémon Body will make their Retreat Cost more than usual. If you can get more than 1 Ariados in play, their Retreat Cost will be increased by even more. Lets say for example you trap your opponent’s Claydol GE in the Active Spot. If you have an Ariados MT in play, Claydol’s Retreat Cost will be 3. This means Flygon LV.X RR will be able to sit in the Active Spot for a whole 3 turns untouched. You will discard 5 cards from their deck before they have a chance to do any damage to you. As soon as they have retreated, simply use Palkia LV.X’s “Restructure” Pokémon Power again to gust up their Claydol and make it sit there for another 3 turns!

Your opponent can be put in a total lock if they fall behind in energy attachments at any point in the game. They will be forced to play all their energies to try to retreat their active Pokémon, but if they have insufficient energy on their benched Pokémon as well, they will never be able to attack you. You may also discard energies from their deck through “Wind Erosion”, so you opponent may simply run out of energy cards.

There are a few potential obstacles that can make the lock difficult to achieve. If you opponent plays Switch, Super Scoop Up, or TG’s Invention Poké Turn, they will be able to save their Pokémon from the Active Spot and attack you quicker than normal. However, as you will be discarding cards from your opponent’s deck almost every turn, you may discard these cards that would have been able to save them. Dialga G LV.X PT would also be able to potentially stop the lock, but you can Knock it Out on the bench with Flygon LV.X’s “Extreme Attack”. Dusknoir DP is one other card that could put a dent in your lock, as it may be hard for you to manage your bench space.

[ad#adsenseBoxL]I will post a list for this combo once me and Jeremy get a chance to test it out. Jeremy and I have been on vacation at alternating times, so we have not had much opportunity to play Pokémon lately. Be sure to let us know what you think of this idea.

Reader Interactions

46 replies

  1. Mike Qua

    WOW…sounds awesome! I’d like to try this out!

    However…looking closely at Ariados’ body…does that body come into effect AFTER Flygon’s body, or before? If it comes into effect after, it will give your Pokemon more retreat costs as well, so it screws your locking strategy

  2. Joshua Hall

    This is a novel idea, and I thought of something similar when I first saw Flygon Lv.X. The main obstacle will be the slow starts this deck will enevitably get…you’re going to have to overload on draw pokemon and cards in order to speed up the process. Because of the strategy, you’ll only need minimal energy, maybe something like 4 to five basics and a 4 doubles since you’ll probably lose a prize or two early, along with the fact that you want the ability to OHKO any Lv.X immediately, especially Dialga.

    If you have enough draw cards to combat opponent’s disruption, along with the necessary speed to start the lock early, this deck could be great, and really fun to play. I’m thinking it’s going to have to be something like a 9 Energy, 20 Pokemon, 31 Trainer count.

  3. Mike Qua

    WOW…sounds awesome! I’d like to try this out!

    However…looking closely at Ariados’ body…does that body come into effect AFTER Flygon’s body, or before? If it comes into effect after, it will give your Pokemon more retreat costs as well, so it screws your locking strategy

  4. Adam Capriola

    Loving all these comments…

    Qua, I will check up on that. I did think about that conflict when writing this, but tried to ignore that possibility haha.

    Quaziko, yeah I am sure it’s very difficult to pull off, especially with Luxrays running around everywhere which can OHKO Palkia LV.X with ease. I did make a list and it is pretty much how you said, low on energy, high on trainers. I’ll post it once I try it out a couple games. :)

    I just think it’s cool that this is in theory an actual lock.

    • JDarok SRMXP  → Adam

      This is my first coment here….
      Ariados is unnecessary!!!
      You can put Memory Berry! And use trapinch “Sand Tomb”

      10 Damage “The Defending Pokemon can’t retreat during your opponent’s next turn”

      ;)

  5. Joshua Hall

    This is a novel idea, and I thought of something similar when I first saw Flygon Lv.X. The main obstacle will be the slow starts this deck will enevitably get…you’re going to have to overload on draw pokemon and cards in order to speed up the process. Because of the strategy, you’ll only need minimal energy, maybe something like 4 to five basics and a 4 doubles since you’ll probably lose a prize or two early, along with the fact that you want the ability to OHKO any Lv.X immediately, especially Dialga.

    If you have enough draw cards to combat opponent’s disruption, along with the necessary speed to start the lock early, this deck could be great, and really fun to play. I’m thinking it’s going to have to be something like a 9 Energy, 20 Pokemon, 31 Trainer count.

  6. Adam Capriola

    Loving all these comments…

    Qua, I will check up on that. I did think about that conflict when writing this, but tried to ignore that possibility haha.

    Quaziko, yeah I am sure it’s very difficult to pull off, especially with Luxrays running around everywhere which can OHKO Palkia LV.X with ease. I did make a list and it is pretty much how you said, low on energy, high on trainers. I’ll post it once I try it out a couple games. :)

    I just think it’s cool that this is in theory an actual lock.

    • JDarok SRMXP  → Adam

      This is my first coment here….
      Ariados is unnecessary!!!
      You can put Memory Berry! And use trapinch “Sand Tomb”

      10 Damage “The Defending Pokemon can’t retreat during your opponent’s next turn”

      ;)

  7. kwisdumb

    Wow, very interesting. I’d love to see the list.

    Also, I’m pretty certain that the Flygon/Ariados combo would work, via this ruling in the Compendium:

    “If a Retreat Cost is set to zero by an effect, it cannot be increased. Note this is different than a Retreat Cost that was reduced to zero by subtraction. (Jan 31, 2008 PUI Rules Team)”

    I’m no Professor, but I read this as saying that because Flygon doesn’t give a -1, -2, etc. to RCs, and instead permanently sets it to 0, that Ariados won’t affect it.

    Great article!
    Kenny

    • Adam Capriola  → kwisdumb

      Yo kwisdumb, thanks for the comments!! I appreciate you posting that info, I guess it does look like the combo is still valid. I was meaning to look up the ruling but kept getting sidetracked by other things, but there you go. Thanks for posting that. :)

  8. Christian Ortiz

    Hey adam I Played flygon and mine is pretty consistant. but ppl utilize flygon differently so i would take this in to consideration.
    GJ on the site adam =].

    Christian Ortiz

  9. Christian Ortiz

    Hey adam I Played flygon and mine is pretty consistant. but ppl utilize flygon differently so i would take this in to consideration.
    GJ on the site adam =].

    Christian Ortiz

    • Adam Capriola  → Christian

      Christian what up man? Thanks for joining the discussion. :) I actually might be heading up NYC in a couple weeks, so I will give you a ring while I’m there.

  10. Rokman

    You would probably need Level Max to keep consistency up in this type of deck because if the opponent gets a really fast start you need to keep up!

  11. Adam Capriola

    Yo kwisdumb, thanks for the comments!! I appreciate you posting that info, I guess it does look like the combo is still valid. I was meaning to look up the ruling but kept getting sidetracked by other things, but there you go. Thanks for posting that. :)

  12. Adam Capriola

    Yoo Rokman, I was not able to fit Level Max into my list. I’ll post it once I get to try it out, but I do think 1 key is to play 4 Switch so you can “Restructure” without worry.

    And haha yea SeWER works I guess, but I think we should wait to give it a name until it performs in game. ;)

  13. Brian Jessing

    It would probably scoop to flygon, but otherwise I see this definately being a cool deck. I think running absol in here would be a good idea, since you want to get rid of as many options as you can and lower thier options. Also I think a nidoqueen tech is needed in order to prevent azelf/claydol/whatever from doing too much damage. It definately looks fun and another solid discarding deck to look forward to (going to start testing absol g this weekend).

  14. Adam Capriola

    Yoo Rokman, I was not able to fit Level Max into my list. I’ll post it once I get to try it out, but I do think 1 key is to play 4 Switch so you can “Restructure” without worry.

    And haha yea SeWER works I guess, but I think we should wait to give it a name until it performs in game. ;)

  15. Brian Jessing

    It would probably scoop to flygon, but otherwise I see this definately being a cool deck. I think running absol in here would be a good idea, since you want to get rid of as many options as you can and lower thier options. Also I think a nidoqueen tech is needed in order to prevent azelf/claydol/whatever from doing too much damage. It definately looks fun and another solid discarding deck to look forward to (going to start testing absol g this weekend).

  16. Adam Capriola

    I appreciate the input guys. :) Absol could be a decent idea, but you would have to run the deck differently I think. There wouldn’t be room to fit everything.

  17. Adam Capriola

    I appreciate the input guys. :) Absol could be a decent idea, but you would have to run the deck differently I think. There wouldn’t be room to fit everything.

  18. vitor2097

    thankx for all the information…now i can make a strong deck with the help of this site

  19. vitor2097

    thankx for all the information…now i can make a strong deck with the help of this site

  20. PokeChamp

    Darokkian is most definitely correct that Memory Berry equals less bad starts with Spinarak, less Pokemon, less work getting the Pokemon out, etc. On the flip side, however, Memory Berry is a Tool. That means Relicanth SV could potentially profit off of your playing Memory Berry (keep in mind Flygon’s ability to set up is greatly increased by Broken Time-Space, which also powers up “Grand Swell”, allowing Relicanth SV to do more damage). We can expect Relicanth SV to see some heavy play come “Platinum: Arceus”, due to the fact that Tools are abundant in it, including the infamous Expert Belt. A single Relicanth snipe could prove the downfall of Flygon. Therefore, I find it reasonable to conclude that Ariados could actually work pretty well in here. Play Straight Flygon lock with a 2-2 line of Ariados (possibly 1-1 if you don’t like starting with it), and maybe a tech Nidoqueen RR, and you’re in for the money.
    I like it, Adam. I see a lot of potential here.

  21. Darokkian is most definitely correct that Memory Berry equals less bad starts with Spinarak, less Pokemon, less work getting the Pokemon out, etc. On the flip side, however, Memory Berry is a Tool. That means Relicanth SV could potentially profit off of your playing Memory Berry (keep in mind Flygon’s ability to set up is greatly increased by Broken Time-Space, which also powers up “Grand Swell”, allowing Relicanth SV to do more damage). We can expect Relicanth SV to see some heavy play come “Platinum: Arceus”, due to the fact that Tools are abundant in it, including the infamous Expert Belt. A single Relicanth snipe could prove the downfall of Flygon. Therefore, I find it reasonable to conclude that Ariados could actually work pretty well in here. Play Straight Flygon lock with a 2-2 line of Ariados (possibly 1-1 if you don’t like starting with it), and maybe a tech Nidoqueen RR, and you’re in for the money.

    I like it, Adam. I see a lot of potential here.

  22. bolt 997

    i saw a deck that consists of flygon (like stated above) and a memory berry first he puts his flygon as his active pokemon thaen attaches a memory berry and uses sand tomb from trapinch and keeps on “locking” my sableye, i wished i could draw a switch but lucky “wind erosion” discarded it…

  23. bolt 997

    i saw a deck that consists of flygon (like stated above) and a memory berry first he puts his flygon as his active pokemon thaen attaches a memory berry and uses sand tomb from trapinch and keeps on “locking” my sableye, i wished i could draw a switch but lucky “wind erosion” discarded it…

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