Standard Deck Tech: Kecleon + Kabutops

It wouldn't make sense to add to this list Drapion V LOR 118 to defeat the Mew VMAX LOR TG30 decks, as it would be the target of 2 Prize Cards. It would be stopped by the Fighting types (Single, Rapid and Fusion), end up a dead card, and lose the advantage of the deck itself being a "single prize" deck.

Recursive Pokémon

Key Recursive Pokémon in the Deck

Its ability, Ancient Way, makes this deck a miracle considering it works with the idea of defeating the format's ultra rare cards, because it multiplies Kecleon CRE 122's damage by four, as described earlier in this article.

But, to do that, you need to place Antique Dome Fossil sv3pt5 152 in play, and even though it is a Trainer card, it can benefit from using Rare Candy PGO 69, to skip the "Fossil > Kabuto > Kabutops" process and go straight into this Pokémon's final form.

Pokémon to Filter your Top Deck Draws

With Mysterious Tail, you'll look at the top 6 cards in your deck, and get any Item Trainer card you find over there. It is a way to search for cards more efficiently to also look for Antique Dome Fossil sv3pt5 152, considering this type of card can't be searched by a Trainer such as Level Ball BST 129 or Ultra Ball BRS 150, even though Antique Dome Fossil sv3pt5 152 states it is "considered a Pokémon".

That is why Mew CEL 11 is essential in this deck. But, in general, it is excellent anyway to look for items.

Draw Pokémon

- Bidoof CRZ 111 has Carefree Countenance, which prevents damage to the bench from attacks, and is very useful to gain time and evolve it to Bibarel, avoiding sniper damage from a possible Radiant Greninja ASR 46 in a match.

- Bibarel BRS 121 comes in with Industrious Incisors, which allows you, once per turn, to draw until you have five cards in hand.

With the metagame full of Iono sv2 185, that won't be an issue, considering in this list your focus is Raihan EVS 152 to energize your Kecleon CRE 122. So, it will always guarantee you'll have "draw power" in the game - even if your opponent plays a Iono sv2 185, your game setup won't be disrupted.

- Skwovet sv1 151 comes in with Nest Stash: on your turn, you can return your hand to the deck, shuffle it, and like so draw only one card.

This is a good card to use with Bibarel BRS 121's ability effect, because if your hand isn't working out and doesn't have the cards you need, you can play Skwovet sv1 151 and then play Bibarel BRS 121 to renew your hand.

Pokémon to Protect your Bench from your Opponent's Snipers

Starting Hand

In this example, start with Mew CEL 11 as the active Pokémon and place Kecleon CRE 122 on the bench, just like the other Mew CEL 11.

Like so, with a Mew CEL 11 as the active Pokémon and one on the bench, you can use the first Mew's ability and then Escape Rope BST 125 to then promote the new Mew CEL 11 into the active position. With that, you'll be able to get at least two Level Ball BST 129 to filter your game plan.

If you notice the opponent's deck has a "sniper" attacker, look for Manaphy BRS 41 straight away and look for the second Kecleon CRE 122.

As the turns go on, you can choose to use Ultra Ball BRS 150 to get Bibarel BRS 121 early on and speed up your game's "draw power".

Trainer Cards

Supporter to Energize your Pokémon and Search your Deck

Raihan is the most important Trainer, because, considering your Pokémon don't have as much HP as others in the format, they are easy to knock out. So, that makes this card better as you need to energize your Kecleon CRE 122 - it asks for 3 energies and that is a bit slow. Your focus will be to use Rapid Strike Energy BST 140 on your turn, and then use the basic energy that is in your discard pile as part of Raihan EVS 152's effect.

Besides that, you'll anticipate your turn by searching for any further resources in the deck with the card's second effect, speeding up some pending setup or just filtering your deck better.

"Catcher" Supporter Against the Enemy Pokémon

Supporter to Sabotage your Opponent's Hand

Items to Search Pokémon

Item to Search Energies

As this deck has a varied number of basic energies, and one or two units of a single type, you need to filter the deck to energize Raihan EVS 152 as precisely as you can and this way answer your opponent's weakness, as we've explained when we covered Kecleon CRE 122.

Item to Recycle Pokémon

This is an essential card to get your Kecleon CRE 122 back, so it's very important to use it well and take advantage of it. So, be careful if it's on your Prize Cards pile and try to get it as soon as possible if it is there. Like so, if it's in your hand and your opponent forces you to shuffle your hand, it will be safe in your deck.

Item to Recycle Supporters

You'll mainly use it to return Raihan EVS 152, as it is the core of this deck, and is essential to move your basic energies from the discard pile and look for resources.

Special Energies

- Rapid Strike Energy BST 140 is useful only to Rapid Strike Pokémon. As it provides two energies, it helps Kecleon CRE 122 meet its attack cost, focusing only on the basic energy attached to this Pokémon to get its type.

- Double Turbo Energy BRS 151 is like a Double Colorless Energy, however, if attached to your Pokémon, it deals 20 damage less when it attacks. It's worth stressing that it is useful only as a colorless energy!

Of course, this way you'll lose the 90 damage that could become 360 damage, but 70 times 4 becomes 280 damage, which already defeats all VStar Pokémon in the format.

In its essence, we have here a deck focused on Single Prize Pokémon, which helps us in the Prize Cards race in this format full of ultra rare Pokémon that give out two Prize Cards or three Prize Cards (considering VMax and VUnion Pokémon), which is quite convenient.

Advantages

It has all the answers to Standard Pokémon types and can still modify the basic energies it uses to adapt your deckbuilding according to the needs of the format until E cards are rotated out, which will affect Kecleon CRE 122.

Disadvantages

- Decks that use Temple of Sinnoh ASR 155, which cancels out your special energies.

- Scizor decks, which hit more per each Pokémon ability.

- Control decks such as Glimmora ex sv3 123, which deals double damage not only because of the archetype's weakness but also because of its ability. Decks like Alakazam ex PR-SV 50, which has Klefki sv1 96 to lock down abilities, are also an issue, such as this example.

- "Single prize" decks are bad matchups, because their advantage is that whoever knocks out their opponent first is ahead in the Prize Cards race. Considering Kecleon takes two to three turns to manually set up its energies, without sacrificing any Pokémon, it gets left behind when it tries to speed up these actions.

It is a deck that reinforces that simple Pokémon, those "Single Prize" Pokémon, can be as efficient as Pokémon ex and V in the current format, and can deal outstanding damage. Besides that, its cost-to-benefit ratio is good, as it is accessible to any person. It is a great deck for those who want to start out with something simple.

I also have an alternative suggestion that doesn't use Kabutops sv3pt5 141, but which uses the Tool Supereffective Glasses ASR 152. This only multiplies Pokémon's weaknesses by 3, but it's a worthy honorable mention: click here to check out this deck.

See you next time!