Luxchomp: Undefeated for a Reason

Written by | August 24, 2010 | 59 comments | 5,252 views | Rating: +1

As we all know by now, Luxchomp is by and large the most dominant deck around right now, and Yuta Komatsuda’s undefeated World Championship build only helped to bring that point home. Combine this with the fact that so little of it is being rotated out, and you have a deck that will dominate next year’s season, and very well could win next year’s World Championship as well. That said, there’s a bit in the standard build that IS rotated out now, so I’m going to discuss what we can do to update with the times.

I’m going to briefly discuss a list that I use (though like any good deck, I’m always experimenting and making small changes to it).

Pokemon: 19

2-2 Luxray GL LV.X
2-2 Garchomp C LV.X
1-1 Dialga G LV.X
1 Dragonite FB
1 Bronzong G
1 Crobat G
1 Azelf LA
2-1 Uxie LV.X LA
1 Toxicroak G Promo
1 Toxicroak G

S/S/T:

2 Bebe’s Search
1 Pokemon Communication
1 Luxury Ball
1 Palmer’s Contribution
3 Professor Oak’s New Theory
2 Pokemon Collector
1 Aaron’s Collection
4 Cyrus’s Conspiracy
4 Poke Turn
4 Energy Gain
3 Power Spray
3 SP Radar

Energy: 12

2 Lightning
2 Metal
2 Psychic
2 Warp
4 Double Colorless

It’s a bit of a tight build (I’d prefer one more Warp Energy myself), but this is what I’ve come up with so far. Other than that, this deck does everything that Luxchomp has done all year long: strike hard and fast, with a bit of disruption thrown in for good measure. The nice thing about it is that (besides Azelf and Uxie) there really isn’t a bad starter for this deck, and that everything in it has a purpose for several match-ups (I’ll discuss more below).

I’m only going to mention what isn’t seen in every Luxchomp build. There’s no reason to go into why Luxray, Garchomp, or the Cyrus Engine are there, because judging from how many people ran them this past season, you already know.

Dialga G

This is integral in eliminating many Luxchomp counters of the past. The Poke-Body “Time Crystal” shuts off all non-SP bodies, and immediately ruins the talk of how much Vileplume will crush SP decks. Secondly, it deals with the bodies of other SP counters, such as Donphan Prime, Scizor Prime, and more importantly, Mewtwo LV.X. On top of all of this, Dialga G’s attack, “Deafen”, will add great disruptive support while you’re setting up everything Luxchomp needs to pick off prizes. The 1-1 Dialga G tech is highly recommended, and will likely be a standard Luxchomp tech next season.

Toxicroak G

Machamp is, by and large, one of the biggest problems for a standard Luxchomp build with Unown G being rotated out. So what better way to stop Machamp than the Promo Toxicroak’s little brother? The Poke-Body “Anticipation” is perfect for standing toe-to-toe with Machamp, blocking the effect of “Take Out”, as well as hitting Machamp for weakness. While it’s not practical, if Machamp is poisoned, you can add on even more damage with “Deep Poison”. Toxicroak’s not a perfect counter to Machamp, but with Unown G gone, you’re unlikely to find any perfect counter.

Dragonite FB

Dragonite is an interesting tech that many builds seem to ignore. While not as fast as the more traditional Ambipom G tech, it makes up for it with more survivability, and more general utility against SP in general. Where Ambipom is a specific counter to opposing Garchomp C LV.X, Dragonite FB can, at the cost of a Double Colorless and an Energy Gain, use “Mach Blow”, which is capable of not only one-shotting Garchomp C LV.X, but a wide variety of 80 HP Pokemon SP (Crobat G, Ambipom G, Luxray GL, to name a few.) Expect a massive rise in Dragonite FB usage next season as well.

Professor Oak’s New Theory

This is rapidly becoming a new standard for refilling your hand once your Cyrus Engine has run its course, and it looks as though it’s going to be adopted by many decks next format, non-SP included. Eventually, the community is going to have to realize that Claydol is dead and gone now, and that no card will ever truly replace it for the next format. Professor Oak’s New Theory is likely as good as it’s going to get for the foreseeable future.

Now, as with any deck, there’s always options for techs to add, and I’ll briefly discuss some of them.

- A third Pokemon Collector would be an ideal tech. A set of three features the best consistency.

- One could consider utilizing Skuntank G and a Stadium for its “Poison Structure” Poke-Power to add some further support to countering Machamp.

- Alternative to the above, one could bring back the Lucario GL tech in order to possibly one-hit KO Machamp with Uxie LV.X. However, as the format becomes more saturated with x2 weaknesses, this becomes less and less useful.

- Switching the Basic Metal energies for Special Metal Energies could add some survivability to Dialga G at the cost of searchable energy.

- As with any SP deck, one could add a fourth Power Spray in case you’re prone to facing power-heavy decks (90% of the format).

With that, I conclude my first article as a competitive player. Please feel free to add any suggestions or other feedback regarding the article. I very much hope to become acquainted with such a great community of players.

Image Credits: PokeBeach, Pokegym, and Pokemon Paradijs

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  • djerf

    you run six level x’s and no premier ball?

  • Lancun

    As I mentioned at the start, the list is always changing. Since writing up the article, I’ve made several of these changes (including dropping one SP Radar for one Premier Ball). I could see merit in the 3 SP Radars, because it’s searchable with Cyrus. However, the Premier Ball gives a way to search for the Uxie Lv.X

  • Wegothem

    I don’t know how old this list is but it needs some energy exchanger for sure

  • 5976

    not t be hard or something, but that list sucks dick

  • Lancun

    Fantastic to see such an intelligent response without anything backing it. Care to be a bit more specific about what sucks about it?

  • Rhin

    I agree with the dialga tech, but its a tech, so i dont think you actually need to put metals in this deck, its only going to make it more difficult to attack luxray, or promocroak. If his job is to shut down bodies, a few warps could do the job of leveling and retreating, also, where are your calls? This deck just loves the T-1 call+spray, so i would reccomend 3 calls, at least.
    I prefer ambipom than dragonite mainly for the surprise and speed factor, but i guess its a matter of preference.
    3 oak seems like too much, you already have 4 cyrus and 2 uxie, i would put 1, 2 at most.
    Finally, energy exchanger seems like a nice addition in every special energy heavy deck like luxchomp or dialgachomp, specially if you are adding special metals.
    I dont like this build at all, but if it works for you, i guess its ok.

  • ziffles

    This list is almost an exact copy of Yuta’s: -2 Roseanne’s Research, -1 Warp Energy, -1 Lucario GL, +1 Toxicroak G PL, +1 Toxicroak G Promo, +2 Psychic Energy. Those are the only changes. Seriously, if you’re going to netdeck, either don’t say anything about who’s list it is, or give the person credit. I hold no respect for a lier.

  • Lancun

    Plenty of people have run Dialga in Luxchomp in the past, but if you’re going to be so snippy about it *points to the title* I already mentioned that Yuta’s undefeated build broke a lot of boundries. Besides that point, you mentioned several changes, and I’d hate to tell you this, there’s a lot of similarities between similar decks (Luxchomp, Sablelock, etc.) A few cards can drastically change the performance of a list. This is standard deckbuilding thought-process that you learn the instant you start getting interested in competitive matches. And though I hate sounding like a broken record, I’ve already made a large amount of changes in between writing this article and the time it was published (Call Energy, Energy Exchanger, lowering the PONT, etc.) Not because I was “ripping someone off”, but because it wasn’t working as well as it looked on paper. Grow up.

  • Fastcanoer

    a 1-1 line of dialga isn’t going to cause vileplume that much of a problem especially if they have judges and lookers right after you drop a dialga G, i will lookers to see if you have anything to bring out lv.X or already have him in your hand or if i have judge just waste it so your chances are slim to break my trainer lock. what if i level you down (chances are you might have one or two poke sprays so turn 2 after dialga lv.X is droped you won’t be able to stop the level down or if i judge then level down so i know you wont have many poke turns to stop it) then your locked all over again.

    i also run absol G lv.X and chatot G (not very common tech’s in most spiritplum decks i know) so if i can get either of your dialga top decked i can ruin your whole game. another thing i love to do with absol is i run one energy gain and can doom news for 2 energy making you use you poke turn to bring dialga back to your hand where i can lookers/judge it back into your deck.

    honestly i think people should run a 2-2 line of dialga because one is just too easy to work around or get prized and your back in lock with a hand full of trainers you can’t use. i have play tested this and i still win with trainer lock even if you bring out dialga lv.X . I have play tested and generally can work around it fairly easily if there is only one to deal with. a single dialga doesn’t ruin me only slows me down if it even gets played since you only have a few supporters that can bring him out (2 bebe 2 poke collector 3 PONT).

    2 dialga lv.X on the other hand ruins my day because i can deal with one but by the time you have 2 you will have been out of trainer lock long enough to kill spiritombs and vileplume and it will be a lot easier to draw into them or bring them out if you have more than a 1-1 line.

  • ApokemonTrader

    i think Uxie lv.X is counter enough for machamp and the toxicroak g is simply another bad start, i would encourage to drop it and add prem ball =P good post, but everyone really already knows a LuxChomp list.

  • Lancun

    An interesting way to counter, to be sure…however, I’ve never been that concerned with Spiriplume decks because you’re relying on getting a Stage 2 AND a Stage 3 out in short order to start getting the lock, and the overall execution seems really clunky. On paper, it just seems “Meh”, but I’d have to battle it to see how it actually works out. I do wish I COULD pull a 2-2 line of Dialga G, but now you’re talking about four spaces just to counter trainer-lock, and finding the room for THREE 2-2 lines of SP is difficult with all the new stuff you need to put in (Exchanger, more Collector, etc.).

  • SkyAoiSora

    Stage 3 doesn’t exist. Please use the accepted terminology as to not confuse other players.

    Charmander is a basic,
    Charmeleon is a Stage 1,
    Charizard is a Stage 2.

    Lv. X’s do not count as a “higher stage”. They’re the Stage of the card beneath them, Lv. X. For example: Absol Lv. X is a Basic Lv. X. Regular Garchomp Lv. X is a Stage 2 Lv. X.

  • Lancun

    Of course Stage 3 doesn’t exist. It’s casual terminology used by players that says it’s an upgraded form of Stage 2, taking yet another turn to play AFTER Stage 2 is set. We know there’s no Stage 3 Pokemon.

  • Anonymous

    For the deck, take out a gain and a communication and put in two exchangers

    But man settle down your erupting on everyone when they are giving you advice, settle down already, and be nice.

  • Robrt1

    YOUR WORDS: I’m going to briefly discuss a list that I use

    It’s funny how these cards are in here after yuta exposed his deck list to the world!!!!!!!! no one was running oak’s new theory, warp energy, or dialga G X , or Dragonite FB. little funny.

  • Anonymous

    Trust me I’ve ran this matchup many times, Gengar Viletomb sets up faster then you do because of the trainer lock.

    The luxchomp player can get the dialga G x out, but the Gengar Viletomb player will promote Spirtimob, level you down, and he will do this until you run out of Bebes Search. Meanwhile without energy gain you can’t really attack for anything useful, you are poltergeisted until your attackers are gone, and then shadow room will finish a couple Crobat G’s and Uxies for the win.

    So as far as I have seen Luxchomp is dead, I do know of a card that I think can revive it, but since I suck at playing SP’s and enjoy playing Gengar Viletomb, I won’t comment on what that card is.

  • Anonymous

    yeah once you have put in a 2-2 line and 3 or 4 bebes search, congrats you have just lost the mirror matchup.

  • Ryanscottgraham

    That is absolutely not true. Don’t say “no one”, when Dialga G X has been used forever, along with warp energy, and PONT has been becoming a staple.

  • http://www.adamcapriola.com/ Adam Capriola

    Everyone needs to chill out, this was a nice article in my opinion, especially being the first from a newly competitive player.

    Thanks for sending it in Lancun, I enjoyed reading it. I also watched a couple of your youtube videos and they’re pretty awesome man. :) Keep up the good work.

  • _C_

    If you truly have run the Gengar/Vileplume vs Luxchomp w/Dialga match up as much a you say, than you would have known that an Active Spiritomb will not stop Power Spray from stopping Level Down if they have Dialga G Lv.X on the the Bench.

  • Robert1

    UHHH!! This whole time 2 years the card has been being played in this so called “Lux-Chomp” Yuta is the only one I’ve scene play this way, not any of u or my self. That’s why he is undefeated.

    Every one that commented on Adam’s post of the “World Champions Crowned” even said that it was original, simple, and his OWN!!!!!

  • Robert1

    Brown Nose!! Lol

  • Saturn

    Wasn’t it these cards that won worlds by the way? Dialga was in the luxchomp used I heard.

  • PKMNPrime

    I played LuxChomp w/ Dialga G at Regionals (April). It’s nothing new, don’t go stereotyping the whole community that plays LuxChomp when you’re making an opinion.

  • http://www.facebook.com/jordandbaker Jordan Baker

    Robrt1, you are completely wrong. Lot’s of people played those cards. The thing is that good players don’t usually post their lists online. So the netdecks you see posted everywhere generally are not very good lists.

  • http://www.facebook.com/jordandbaker Jordan Baker

    Robrt1, you are completely wrong. Lot’s of people played those cards. The thing is that good players don’t usually post their lists online. So the netdecks you see posted everywhere generally are not very good lists.

  • http://www.facebook.com/jordandbaker Jordan Baker

    Robert1, PONT has only been out for a little while now, and ever since it was released it has been a staple in most decks. Dialga G has been a popular tech in SP for a long time, and Dragonite FB has been a known counter for a long time too. Look back through the old articles here on 6p, you’ll see that you are wrong.

  • Slowdog

    Nice article. I was a bit sure on what you wanted to say with it, though.

  • Rhin

    But a vileplume will.
    The point is not on the spray, but the fact that its so easy to lock vileplume on the active position, and with 2 retreat cost and no trainers, good luck getting him out before he gets KOed.

  • ziffles

    I absolutely love how you’re talking to me as if you’re a pro and I don’t even play competitively. Fyi, you’re wrong, and it only makes you sound inane and egotistical. I admit that it is a well written article, though I don’t agree with our choice on the Toxicroak G PL due to limited use without Skuntank G, but due to lack of proper recognition and mostly personal attacks appearing through messages, I would seriously consider closing this post and reopening it after making it clear that these attacks have ruined the initial intent of the post itself and should not be repeated if I was a moderator.

  • Robert1

    Understand your emotions, but why is yuta the champ?

  • Robert1

    Of course I know that!!!! No one is going to post a prime time deck list, everyone wants to win, I don’t care if I win or lose. It’s meeting people and the whole joy of the event. I was simple referring to Yuta he’s the champ because he thought of something no one else did, just like Steven last year…

  • Briandj

    This guy must be high. Gengar/plume is one of the slowest decks I’ve faced all season in my testing (including with gatr/legends.dec), and once it does get up, it sits there and cries because it has no offence at all.

    They spray your level down? If your answer to spray is judge/looker’s, congrats, you just lost any hope of drawing prizes for at least 3 turns, while they get time to recover/peck at you with thier basics. As soon as dialgia hits the table, the luxchomp player does EXACTLY what it does to cursegar when lux x is dropped: Play literally every trainer in thier hand. Radar away excess turns and sprays and swing for easy prizes against the opponet’s board.

    Poltergeist is an abysmal attack, and I’ve yet to see it hit above 90 with any deck that runs smeargle and a few shuffle draw. It’s simply too easy to play around, as is the power. Also shadow room fails to ko either crobat (turn it with dialga in play) nor uxie (down to the bottom we go) while they continue to swing at you.

    Yeah, smeargle/q is definately not an obvious combo for sps to abuse and win their games against a bad stage 2 deck. 90 for 2 after all that effort is laughable, and Plume has much better partners to abuse (t-tar, garchomp, gliscor).

  • Anonymous

    I wasn’t confused….maybe it was just you.

  • Rhin

    Vileplume wont get past the first BRs, really man, i mean, stage two? 2 retreat cost? no trainers?
    how many warp energies are you willing to play to compensate for that? or maybe you wanna get a few DCE to retreat plume?
    Because i can can tell you, any good luxchomp player will lock vileplume active, and dragon rush your gengar to death, EVEN with the trainer lock on, all it takes is a bebe in hand. Not to mention that can get dialga out, and so much for the unbeatable trainer lock combo.
    And even if you manage to retreat him, it can always be forced active again.

  • James3hall

    Yeah, I agree Adam. Not only are you guys making fools of yourself for arguing over this, you are potentially costing Adam viewers. Your comments are the first thing people go to look for and if they see this they probably aren’t going to return.

    Lancun, great post dude, I am basically coming from the same background as you put in your profile.

    I am happy that you posted this as I am still retraining my thinking in developing my deck. To see what other decks are out there and what is popular helps me out as a “newer” competitive player. My first tournament ever was the Regionals held in Indiana.

    Everyone there was nice, even the guy who RAN THE DIALGA X TECH ON HIS LUXCHOMP DECK and took me out in 6 turns.

    I asked for advice and it was given without any hesitation.

    Let’s keep this friendly guys, this game is about having fun. If I were to come to this post and see this, I would not return.

  • Fastcanoer

    i don’t know man i have had games where i get vileplume set up turn two with a rare candy T3 i can use spiritomb to build up a gengar. This is decently fast and your under trainer lock turn one. go ahead and knock out the spiritomb i got more and its only one or two prizes before i have a gengar and vileplume up at that point i am doing around 120 average with that abysmal attack hahahah.

    so i judged away your sprays and level down your dialga. have fun searching it out again who knows you might get lucky and draw into it before i take more prizes with shadow room/ absol G lv.X doom news/ feint attacking the ones that ones that are about dead from shadow room.

    if you have yet to see poltergeist under trainer lock hit above 90 you have been playing some crappy Gengar trainer lock decks. i hit 120 after turn 2 or 3 some times. enough to OHKO everything but a dialga Lv.X with its resistance.

    but go ahead and put smeargle and waste a q while dophan and machamp take the easy prize in their match up. i rarely have 2 supporter cards in my hand most the time they are judges waiting to get used once i see a dialga on the bench.

    if you think t-tar, garchomp, gliscor (this one is for spiritomb not vileplume) have more synergy with vileplume than gengar (hello lv.x dialga tech with an attack that scales with trainers being locked and his basic has an attack for no energy that works as a trainer lock if you have a bad first hand draw) , Then no offense but you sir must be mistaken on the one that is high.

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  • http://www.facebook.com/jordandbaker Jordan Baker

    what did he think of that “no one else did”?

  • Walrus

    prime time

  • Walrus

    Glad to see the trolls from other Pokemon sites have finally arrived.

  • Anonymous

    yeah sorry I screwed up there, but anyway the strategy is the same

  • Benpotter15

    Awe man, please get some more collectors in here

  • Anonymous

    I think its the opposite way around, SP decks wont get past BR’s, unless their teched against Vileplume.

    Trust me I’ve played this matchup before I’ve tried locking Vileplume in active, I’ve tried sniping him, it just doesn’t work. You dont even need warp energy or DCE to retreat Vileplume, just q him and retreat with any energy, you need the q’s for the tombs anyway. With the constant trainer lock Sp decks can’t really do anything, they can spend the whle game loading up for 1 dragon Rush woo hoo! a lot of good that does. They can only use Bright Look once, or twice if they run a 2-2, that isnt enough when I can retreat with 1 energy and then use palmers.

    I give props to anyone who can stop gengar viletomb with SP decks, but I don’t see a way with the lists the way they are now. If anyone tries duiring BRs they will get wooped so hard in the early rounds during the mirror matchups that they won’t even live to see a gastly. But if anyone can do it, props to them.

    Oh and in your plan you wanted to dragon rush Gengar. Thats nice; 140 HP, and -20 resistance (if active), and fainting spell (even if on the bench). So how can you do 2 or 3 dragon rushes without the use of Energy Gain, no uxie x, and a big hand so you can’t use the regular uxie; that leaves you hard pressed for energies.

  • Anonymous

    I don’t know what kinda decks your playing but my gengar vileplume deck sets up at medium speed and makes everyone else start out at slow speed. I could be wrong here, but I don’t think so.

    Poltergeist with a trainer lock is probably one of the better attacks in the format. In my testing it always does at least 90 if not in the middle 100′s.

    Yes when they play Dialga G x they will use their trainers up to the best of their ability. They won’t be able to use them all, or even close to them all, but they will try their best. But even though they have stopped the lock for now, they still have had it for a while and by this time all the opponent has to do is shadow room a couple guys for the win.

    I really like the new smeargle and I do see how it can work for SP’s, but they need to stop the trainer lock first, and they will have problems with that.

  • Benpotter15

    Oh, and I dont really like the toxicroak. Uxie X serves as a nice machamp counter, and some builds already didnt run unown G. You wont be playing against straight machamp, no way. that would lose to just about every other stage 2/ stage 1 deck out there. So the # of machamps you have to kill is extremely limited. Not to mention you can kill machops, machokes, disrupt draw power quickly and power spray.

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    LOL!

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