Gengar ex Standard: Deckbuilding with Temporal Forces

Now that we're already aware of the news regarding Scarlet & Violet's fifth base set, Temporal Forces, we can start theory-crafting some decks using Gengar ex, which will be this set's star.

We have a mechanic that includes "damage counters" mixed with a small dash of "control", moving energies from the opponent that will be sabotaged.

Decklist

Gengar ex: Getting to Know its Mechanics

- Ability Corroding Curse: any time your opponent attaches an energy card from their hand to a Pokémon, that Pokémon gets 2 damage counters.

- Trick Step: this attack deals 160 damage, and you can move one energy from your opponent's active Pokémon to another Pokémon on their bench.

Its ability is clearly defined: decks that use energies from the hand (like Chien-Pao ex PR-SV 30), will suffer, considering this type of deck is very dependent on Baxcalibur PR-SV 19 to move their basic Water energies from their hand, and each Pokémon that receives these Water energies will get hit with 2 damage counters.

That goes to Iron Hands ex sv4 70 decks as well, which use this same line of reasoning with Baxcalibur PR-SV 19.

Other decks that can be affected are the ones that use the Xatu sv4 72 line to move energies because it uses its ability from the moment you have an energy in hand. It will be another target for Gengar ex.

Additionally, these counters can be moved with Radiant Alakazam SIT 59's ability.

About the Ability

It's important to stress that this ability affects your opponent only if they move energies from their hand, and not through any other means, for instance:

1) Lugia VSTAR SIT 211 decks always use Archeops PR-SW SWSH272, so they pull special energies from their deck and not from their hand, which means they'll be immune Gengar ex's ability.

2) Arceus VSTAR CRZ GG70 decks also pull energies from their deck to Pokémon V, so they won't be affected.

3) Charizard ex sv3 125 itself, with its Infernal Reign ability, pulls 3 basic Fire energies from the deck directly, and will also be immune to these damage counters.

4) Fire Pokémon that use Magma Basin BRS 144 will also be immune because this card states that the energy comes from the discard pile, and not from the cards in hand.

5) "Ancient" Pokémon that use Professor Sada's Vitality sv4 170 also won't be affected because they get energies from the discard pile.

6) Pokémon that get energies through Gardevoir ex sv1 86's ability also won't be affected because its ability states that the energies used need to come from the discard pile.

7) Lost Box decks that use Mirage Gate LOR 163 will also be immune because the energies come from the deck to your Pokémon.

About the Attack

Trick Step is quite useful - it can sabotage some specific energies your opponent uses and redirect them to other Pokémon that aren't a threat.

If you, by any chance, are facing an Arceus VSTAR PR-SW SWSH307, if it is equipped with Double Turbo Energy BRS 151 to speed up its attacks, you'll apply Gengar ex's damage, and move this energy to other Pokémon that don't need to use that special energy, disrupting your opponent's game plan, for instance.

Versions of Gengar's Evolution Lines: Gastly and Haunter

Temporal Forces

About Gastly:

- Mysterious Beam (D): play a coin; if it's heads, discard an energy card attached to your opponent's active Pokémon.

- Envelope Gas (D)(C): this attack deals 30 damage.

About Haunter:

- Poisonous Breath (D)(D): this attack deals 30 damage and the opponent is Poisoned.

Raging Surf - Japanese Sub Set

About Gastly:

- Allure (C): draw a card.

- Will-O-Wisp (D)(C): this attack deals 20 damage.

About Haunter:

- Dark Slumber (D)(C): This attack deals 40 damage and the opponent is Asleep.

Note: there is no confirmation, at the date this article is being written, if these cards in the Raging Surf block will be included in Temporal Forces because this Japanese set was so fragmented for us, in the West, that parts of it were released to Paradox Rift, parts will be released in Paldean Fates and parts will (maybe) be released in Temporal Forces.

Gengar: Recursive Mobility Pokémon

- Ability Night Gate: once in your turn, you will be able to swap your active Pokémon for one of your benched Pokémon.

- Nightmare: this attack deals 100 damage, and the opponent's active Pokémon is Asleep.

It is an excellent Pokémon to move your Pokémon, particularly to promote another Gengar ex as the attacking Pokémon, and even Hisuian Samurott VSTAR ASR 102 itself to deal damage. This saves you a Switch sv1 194.

Hisuan Samurott V & VStar: The Deck's Finishers

In Hisuian Samurott V ASR 101's case, both attacks are reasonable, and can be useful in the following situations:

- With its first attack, you can remove tool-type Trainer cards from your opponents, which, in this case, can be a Luxurious Cape sv4 166 or a Bravery Charm sv2 173, which are quite frequent to find in this format. Considering some ACE SPECS were also released in "tool" shape, this sabotage becomes even more useful.

- The second attack is also nice, but you need to discard an energy to use it, which can be cheated out by using one of your benched Pokémon if you use Dark Patch ASR 139 and accelerate this attacker.

This deck's brute finisher, Hisuian Samurott VSTAR ASR 102, has a very clear attack: for two energies (D)(D), it deals 110 damage and also deals 110 additional damage if your opponent's Pokémon have any damage counters attached. This means, if we combine this attack with Gengar ex's ability, and even the damage Radiant Alakazam SIT 59 can deal, it will be an incredibly destructive play.

Additionally, we have Hisuian's own VSTAR ability, which places 4 damage counters on any of your opponent's Pokémon, which allows you to attack more easily and also deal damage more easily.

Trainer: Analysis of the Cards that are Most Relevant to this Deck

Stadiums

As part of the heart of this deck, each stadium has a purpose:

- Gapejaw Bog ASR 142 serves to "ping damage" any time a player places a basic Pokémon in play, already dealing damage long term, so Gengar ex can boost its own damage output. Of course, you just need one damage counter in play to have Hisuian Samurott VSTAR ASR 102 deal 220 damage.

- Pokémon League Headquarters sv3 192 serves to disrupt the meta's basic attacking Pokémon, like Iron Hands ex sv4 70, Roaring Moon ex sv4 124 and the new wave of "Ancient" and "Future" Pokémon, so that your opponents are forced to play more energies from their hand, and, like so, activate Gengar ex's ability.

Besides this, some Pokémon in "Lost Box" decks, like Cramorant LOR 50 and Sableye LOR 70 will also be affected by this stadium.

Item

Partner Poffin will replace Battle VIP Pass FST 225 due to the rotation that will happen in April. It is an excellent way to search for two Pokémon with 70 HP or less, as shown above, with Gengar ex's base line, Gastly.

Tools

- Technical Machine: Devolution sv4 177's role is to remove from play the Pokémon ex that have the highest number of HP in this format, aiming at the "base" Pokémon that evolved through Rare Candy PGO 69 or those who go through the sequential evolution line, which devolves these Pokémon. This brings them to knock out because of these damage counters, "pinging" them with Gengar ex's ability and synchronizing with Radiant Alakazam SIT 59's ability.

- Technical Machine: Evolution sv4 178 is useful to speed up your Gastly in play, considering we don't have Rare Candy PGO 69. It is even useful to evolve Hisuian Samurott V ASR 101 into Hisuian Samurott VSTAR ASR 102.

ACE SPEC: Prime Catcher

We chose this card precisely so we can be more offensive, like so reviving the same strategy used in the Sun/Moon era with Guzma BUS 115: we pull an opponent's benched Pokémon to force them into the active position, and use strategies to promote one of our attackers that is the best option with the help of "baby" Gengar's Night Gate ability.

Favorable

- Chien- Pao ex PR-SV 30 decks.

- Iron Hands ex sv4 70 decks that use Baxcalibur PR-SV 19.

- Gardevoir ex sv1 86 decks due to the Darkness-type weakness.

- Alakazam ex PR-SV 50 decks due to the Darkness-type weakness (and if the deck doesn't use any Pokémon like Mimikyu sv2 97, which is quite hard.)

Unfavorable

- Grass archetype decks that can hit through our weakness, such as Meowscarada ex PR-SV 33 and Venusaur ex sv3pt5 3.

- Arceus VSTAR CRZ GG70 decks that use Lucario VSTAR PR-SW SWSH214 and Leafeon VSTAR CRZ 14 as attacking Pokémon.

- Scizor sv3 205 decks.

- Decks that use the concept of "anti Pokémon ex and v" barriers, like Aegislash sv4 134 and Mimikyu sv2 97.

- Alolan Vulpix VSTAR SIT 34 decks.

As mentioned, it is a possible deck idea with a damage counter strategy using Gengar ex with Hisuian Samurott VSTAR ASR 102 to your favor. This idea revives this forgotten Pokémon, which can come back at full force due to its agility when it comes to setting up energies to pay for its attacks, besides dealing damage quickly and being practical to set up on the board.

These cards will be released at the end of March, so it wouldn't make sense to add Galarian Moltres PR-SW SWSH125 and Galarian Moltres V CRE 177, even if these are "staple" cards that are most recommended for this deck because they move Darkness energies. It would have to be adapted.

That's all for today, folks: comment down below what you thought about this deck's concept and your overall impressions. See you next time!