Standard Deck Tech: Hisuian Electrode-V

Hello everybody. I'm Rodrigo, and I'm here to bring you more ideas and deck possibilities for the Standard format in Pokémon TCG.

In this article, with the hype of the expansion of Lost Origin, let's start with another deck with something curious in its attack system without needing energy to deal damage: Hisuian Electrode-V.

Deck Analysis

The deck is quite atypical for its proposal, as Hisuian Electrode V LOR 172 uses its first attack Tantrum Blast for no energy cost and deals 100 times the damage for each special condition it suffers, managing to deal up to 300 damage easily (if you count it in the poison, burn, paralysis, and/or asleep status).

"But what do you mean paralysis and asleep, Rodrigo? If the Pokémon is in this state, it doesn't attack!"

It's correct, but in this expansion, they brought a Tool Item card called Windup Arm LOR 170 that if the Pokémon has this card equipped, it doesn't suffer the effects of paralysis and asleep.

So, the deck's focus is to fulfill as many special conditions as possible in Hisuian Electrode. For this, we have the following strategies:

- Parasect LOR 5 if being played from your hand into play on top of Paras LOR 4, Parasect activates its ability Lethargy Spores, which both active Pokémon are poisoned and asleep.

- Spicy Seasoned Curry ASR 151, where your active Pokémon is in the special burn condition and heals 40 damage. With this additional condition, you gain one more, for a total of 3 while Hisuian Electrode can stack, dealing 300 damage for no energy!

Recursive Pokémon

From resource-seeking Pokémon to the game's set-up, we have:

1) The line with Bidoof BRS 120 and Bibarel BRS 121 with their Industrious Incisors ability that during your turn, you can draw up to 5 cards in your hand during your turn (only executed by one Bibarel that is in play);

2) Crobat V DAA 104 with its Dark Asset ability, which if played from your hand to your bench, you can draw until you have 6 cards in your hand;

3) Manaphy BRS 41 with its Wave Velt ability, which grants protection to your Benched Pokémon if they take direct damage from the opponent's attacks, that is, damage from Pokémon with "spread" attack, such as "snipers".

4) Oranguru SSH 148 has the ability Primate Wisdom, which grants a card exchange, in which you choose one from your hand to go to the top of the deck, and you take that card from the top of your deck to your hand.

Trainer Cards

Now let's talk about the most relevant Trainer cards for deck analysis:

- Peony CRE 150 is just to look for resources, cards that you need to use in the game that are unfortunately in the prizes, then you make the exchange. You take up to three prize cards and place them in your hand. Then place the same number of cards you drew from your hand face down as if they were the new prize cards.

- Boss's Orders BRS 132 is just to close damage and pull some Pokémon from the opponent that you want to knock out.

- Rose Tower DAA 169 is for card extra draw. Stadium type: between turns, you and your opponent can draw up to 3 cards;

- Gapejaw Bog ASR 142, when one of the players, you and your opponent, play any Basic Pokémon on their respective benches, put two damage counters on it.

- Spicy Seasoned Curry ASR 151 is a Trainer Item type, and it serves to make your active Pokémon in the special burn condition, in addition to healing 40 damage to that Pokémon.

- Windup Arm LOR 170 is the key of this deck, being a Trainer Item Tool card: the Pokémon that has this card equipped doesn't suffer from paralysis and sleep.

Advantages

Practically, a zero cost deck to power up, and it can deal tons of damage, and 300 damage knocks out 90% of the Pokémon of the current format, which has an average base of 270 HP.

Disadvantages

Decks that can inhibit from using Trainer Item cards, such as Vikavolt V DAA 60 or cards that discard Tools, such as Charizard V BRS 17's Incinerate or Pokémon that don't suffer from special effects if you try to use the Parasect's ability.

For the Standard format, there aren't many control deck archetypes that would inhibit the use of these Trainer Item cards, but in the Expanded format, there are many, most notably Vileplume AOR 3.

It's also difficult to counter decks that don't take damage from basic Pokémon, such as Flying Pikachu VMAX CEL 7.

It's a fun casual deck. It has great damage potential, as stated, and is still something unusual by Pokémon standards itself, which deserves attention and experimentation.