Prof-It! Episode 42: How to Build a HGSS-On Pokemon Deck

Is it just me, or was the audio quality poorer than usual?

 I’m currently using Stantler- one thing to consider is that vs Cleffa, the basics that hit the bench as a result of his attack are eligible for evolving next turn, rather than having to play them down next turn (or having to collector first turn instead of using a different supporter, like judge) meaning that a stantler start is great for getting Ninetales going ASAP, considering if you don’t have it in hand you can use an oaks or judge first turn to try and pull one into your hand while Stantler then auto-searches for your Vulpixes.

I’ve done some serious testing in this new HGSS-On format.  Normally my “trainer engine” list go somewhere around this.  Not all my list include all these cards.  Some aren’t needed in certain decks as they don’t fit the strategy of the deck very well, or are difficult to play in a deck.  A couple examples are Twins in a T2 deck, since you’ll be getting ahead in prizes you won’t be needing these at all.  Or Judge a deck that doesn’t have a form of recovery.  Now onto the engine:
4 Pokemon Collector
4 Pokemon Communication
2-3 Professor Juniper
2-3 PETM (Professor Elm’s Training Method)
3-4 PONT (Professor Oak’s New Theory)
1+ Set up supporter of choice: Juniper, PONT, Copy, Judge, Engineer’s Adjuments, Sage’s Training or Twins
4 Rare Candy
1-2 Switch
1-2 Junk Arm
1+Seeker
4 Starter Pokemon or Dual Ball
1+ Judge
1-2 Twins

Now I will explain how all these interact with each other, as with any engine parts still needs to work together to in order for the engine to work effectively. 

Let’s start off with the cards that help you get basics.  Even if you have Dual Ball and a search for basics starter, you still can’t beat the consistency and deck space this gives you, MAX this out, no ifs, ands, or buts.  If you combo it with either Dual Ball or starter, it just increases your consistency of getting your basics in play.  We still have a couple good coming into play basics like Spiritomb, Shaymin, Pachirisu among others.  This makes  Dual Ball more effective than a starter as it gets them in your hand, so it’s used more often in T2 decks.  Set up decks or Stage 2 decks like starters that put your basics on the bench, as mentioned before it allows you to start playing your Rare Candy/Stage 2 or Stage 1 next turn.

Pokemon Communication works get with any of of these cards that search for your basics, as when you have them in hand you can then use Pokemon Communication to get an Evolution or lower your hand count to possibly draw more cards with Magnezone Prime or increase your chances of getting the cards you need when you play a reshuffle your hand Supporter.  Really these is main part of this engine as it gets you any Pokemon you need and combos with well with a lot of other trainers.

Professor Juniper is still very good in decks that don’t require discard, but it’s effectiveness is increased in decks that do.  Even though your reshuffle hand supporters are great, Juniper just let’s you thin down your deck easier.  On top of that, there are time when you desperately need a couple cards to get back into a game.  Or you now longer need a specific card in a match and can live with discard a couple cards in order to gain that boost.  Like being able to discard Rare Candy when you already have 2 or 3 Stage 2s in play or discarding search for basics/starters when you already have enough basic in play and you won’t be needing many more.
A high count can still be used if you plan on using Judge but without Magnezone, Ninetails and to a lesser extent Noctowl.

PETM is simply an extension of P. Communication for decks that play evolutions.  You can however search for an Evolution, use your P. Communication to get a basic you might need.

PONT is my choice of reshuffle your card hand supporter.  Really it’s only competition is Cocycat and Judge.  Judge is mainly used in decks that have Shuckle/Emboar, Ninetales, Magnezone or to an extent Cleffa.  With very few decks being able to use these cards effectively it should be your supporter of choice as you can keep disrupting your opponent, while you still can recover and even set up from it.  Copycat is a bit inconsistent for this format as many times your opponent won’t have a huge hand since the main engine is PONT or cards that really don’t require you to go much over 6.  For that ones that do, they most likely have Judge to get their hand back down/disrupt their opponent.

Switch effectiveness increased with cards like Unown Q, Warp Point and Warp Energy being rotated.  It’s a really balanced cards that lets you preserve an energy on an attacker, and possibly moving it to something else or even to Seeker something that has taken a couple hits.

Junk Arm acts the same way as PETM, it can be an extra Pokemon Communication, or Rare Candy.  It’s useful like Juniper when you can get rid of cards no longer needed or if you have to discard cards in order for your strategy to work.  Rare Candy and P. Communication are the main reason to play at least 1 but there are a couple other efficient trainers that warrant it’s use like PlusPower, Energy Retrieval, Switch, Dual Ball among others.

Seeker has it’s same use as the previous format.  Reuse a coming into play Power, “healing” a Pokemon that has damage on it.  Or even a Power on Stage 1 or Stage 2 Pokemon which you have a heavy line of in your deck like Floatzel, Kingdra, Machamp, etc.  Comboed with Reuniclus you can also keep a Pokemon that can tank but has a high retreat cost like Dophan or Steelix.  As you can move as much damage as you can from attack to your max HP benched Pokemon and Seeker it up.  It becomes somewhat disruptive now as well as you can make your opponent pick up a Pokemon that they might be needing.  For example, if your opponent has their bench set with a Typhlosion Prime, Ninetales, and a Reshiram with 2 energy already attached to it.  You put them in a tough position by making them have to pick one of those up.  With Rare Candy being slowed down, it’ll take your opponent at least an extra turn to get that Typhlosion back in play, or even Ninetales.  Or in a deck that snipes.  Say your opponent has a full bench, you can play Ditto (TM) and have them discard a Pokemon.  Not a big deal, most decks in this format will have something to discard on their bench.  But then you Seeker them, ok, 2 is not that bad.  But they add up when you take KO a third Pokemon that they were really needing.  You could leave your opponent with 3 Pokemon, but nothing much to hit back with.  We saw glimpses of this in the previous format with being able to remove your opponent’s last bench Pokemon and KOing their active, the effective shouldn’t be as deadly anymore but it’s still there.

Twins and Rare Candy are mainly for set up/combo/Stage 2 decks.  Twins is really the only effective way to search for energy besides a starter like Girafarig, which I have used with success in my Blastoise/Floatzel deck.  With Twins I have even grab some of the other supporters I might be needed next turn.  This format should make Twins more of a common staple than the previous one.

J

You should consider Girafarig HS as a starter Pokemon in Energy Acceleration Decks. Its “Show Off” attack allows you to search 2 basic Energy from your deck to your hand. Using Girafarig as a starter (4 copies) allows you to draw Energy for Emboar, Feraligatr, Pachirisu, and Floatzel quickly to be there for attaching. Also, by using Girafarig as a sacrifice card (i.e. – run it to draw energy until it is knocked out), you set up Twins to be used early in the game to accelerate Evolving in this slower format.

What do you think?