Standard Deck Tech: Blastoise ex: Theories and Possibilities with Set 151

As we are preparing for the release of the special ”151” set (Pokémon Card 151 or 151 Kanto Sub Set), I'll be posting Deck Techs for the Standard format with theories for the new cards, which will come mid-September for us in the west.

It's worth stressing that the cards have numbers and codes based on the eastern version, that is, sv2a, which can't be used in tournaments! They'll only be playable when they reach the west in their American translation, with the sv3a code.

In this article, I'll show you an idea for a Blastoise ex list.

Decklist

Blastoise ex: Main Attacker

Ability Solid Shell: this Pokémon receives 30 less damage from opponent's attacks.

Attack Twin Cannon (W)(W): deals 140 damage per the number of basic Water cards discarded from your hand, with a limit of up to 2 cards discarded this way.

Blastoise has the cost control of energies consumed to attack, unlike Chien-Pao ex sv2 61 - With just 2 energies, you deal 280 damage, destroying all VStar Pokémon in the current format, and saving your Water energies.

As for its ability, Solid Shell, it virtually guarantees that Blastoise ex has, technically, "360" health, granting it more durability in game.

To recover the energies discarded through its attack effect, you'll use the card Superior Energy Retrieval sv2 189.

Chien-Pao ex: Second Attacker

Ability - Shivery Chill: during your turn, if this Pokémon is set as an active Pokémon, you can look for two basic Water (W) energies, reveal them and put them in your hand. After that, shuffle your deck.

Attack - Hail Blade (W)(W): this attack deals 60 times the number of energies discarded from your hand this way.

Chien-Pao ex has a very simple attack which consists of discarding the Water energies of your Pokémon to deal damage, no matter the number of energies.

Discarding 6 energies is more than enough to take down the entire metagame, as you'll be dealing 360 damage (60 x 6). The highest HP Pokémon are registered with 340 HP, such as Skeledirge ex sv2 37 and Venusaur ex sv2a 3 in the future.

The Shivery Chill ability is useful to filter two basic Water energies, which helps Blastoise ex sv2a 9 attack, if you activate Chien Pao ex's ability first, retreat, and then use Blastoise ex as an attacker.

Suicune V: Alternative Attacker

Ability - Fleet-Footed: if this Pokémon is set as active, during your turn, you can draw a card from the top of your deck.

Attack - Blizzard Rondo (W)(C): this attack deals 20 damage + 20 damage for each Pokémon on both players' benches.

With some basic math, we virtually have 220 damage with Suicune V EVS 31, as the metagame values using several Pokémon in play - and as Suicune-V's energy setup is two energies, it is quite practical to get that.

Drapion V: “Counter” to the Fusion Strike, Single Strike and Rapid Strike Styles

Ability - Wild Style: this Pokémon's attacks cost one energy (C) less for each Single Strike, Rapid Strike and Fusion Strike Pokémon your opponent has in play.

Attack - Dynamic Tail (C)(C)(C)(C): this attack deals 190 damage and allows you to choose one of your Pokémon to be dealt 60 damage (doesn't apply weakness or resistance to your benched Pokémon).

Its goal is to deal double damage to Mew VMAX LOR TG30, due to its Dark-type weakness, totalling 380 damage.

Due to the Yokohama World Championship, in which Vance Kelley won with this deck, and because it can be set up quickly with only two energies to deal the Techno Blast damage (copied from Genesect V FST 185), it is a certain thing that you will face Mew.

Recursive Pokémon

- Baxcalibur sv2 60 has Super Cold, which allows you, during your turn, to attach basic Water energies from your hand to your Pokémon in any way you'd like.

- Radiant Greninja ASR 46 has Concealed Cards, which allows you, during your turn in the game, to discard an energy from your hand to draw two cards from the top of your deck.

- Lumineon V PR-SW SWSH250 has Luminous Sign, which allows you, if played from your hand to the bench, to look for a Supporter card in your deck, reveal it and place it in your hand. (It is the same principle of Tapu Lele-GX GRI 60 and Jirachi-EX PLB 60.)

Besides the ability advantage, this Pokémon, as an attacker Pokémon, is a good temporary option, as the Aqua Return attack deals 120 damage and can still go back into the deck, being recycled in case you want to pull it again to draw it and redo its ability effect in other turns, or preserve it from getting knocked out by your opponent. You do that considering Baxcalibur, to energize it with the Water energies in your hand, so it can come in attacking in play and then return to the deck.

Trainer Cards

- Professor's Research (Professor Sada) sv1 189 is useful as "draw power": discard your hand and draw 7 cards.

- Irida ASR 147 is useful for two things: looking for a Water Pokémon and getting an Item card from your deck.

It's worth stressing that, with the rework of Item and Tool cards in the Scarlet/Violet block, Tools have their own category now, and can no longer be "cheated out" because they are the same as "Item" cards, for the search filter.

Irida ASR 147 is the most important card in the deck. It's with it that you'll be able to create Frigibax sv2 58's evolution base, using Rare Candy PGO 69 to evolve to Baxcalibur sv2 60. This is your main focus to create the energy setup in your deck.

Boss's Orders (Ghetsis) sv2 172 is useful to pull a specific Pokémon from the opponent's bench to deal the damage to victory.

It is quite useful when combined with Chien-Pao ex sv2 61 to deal finishing damages, just like Blastoise ex sv2a 9 itself or any other attacker in the deck.

- Iono sv2 185 is extremely powerful, as it is the fusion of its predecessor's effects, N FCO 105 and Marnie SSH 169: you and your opponent shuffle your hands and put them at the bottom of the deck. After that, you'll draw cards from the top of your decks equal to the number of Prize Cards you have in play, in case, in each player's game.

Example: if your opponent has 2 Prize Cards and you have 4 Prize Cards, and you use this card's effect, you'll shuffle your hands into the bottom of the deck, and then your opponent will draw only 2 cards, and you will draw 4.

Items

- Battle VIP Pass FST 225 is useful only on your first turn in the game: look for two basic Pokémon in your deck and then place them directly on the bench.

When this card becomes discardable after the first turn you can play, it will be excellent as discard fodder, with the use of Superior Energy Retrieval sv2 189.

- Ultra Ball sv1 196 is useful to look for any Pokémon, evolution or basic, common or ultra rare, as long as you fulfill the requirement of discarding two cards from your hand to play it.

- Nest Ball sv1 181 is useful to search for any basic Pokémon in your deck and place it on your bench.

- Capturing Aroma SIT 153 is useful as a Pokémon search: you toss a coin - if it's heads, look for an evolution Pokémon, show it to the opponent and place it in your hand; but if it's tails, get a basic Pokémon, show it and place it in your hand.

- Rare Candy PGO 69 is a vital card to speed up the game, as it is with it that you'll skip certain steps to evolve your Pokémon, as this list, doesn't have a straight line of Squirtle > Wartortle > Blastoise.

- Superior Energy Retrieval sv2 189 serves to discard two cards from your hand to recover 4 basic energies from the discard pile to your hand -- thus combining for the Baxcalibur energy mobilization stream combo to your Pokémon, with those basic water energies.

- Escape Rope BST 125: your opponent will choose a benched Pokémon which will be promoted to the active position, and, next, you'll do the same with your Pokémon. The opponent starts first to do this swap (and if they don't have any Pokémon on their bench, they won't need to)

Tool

Choice Belt BRS 135 is a tool which, if attached to a Pokémon, it deals 30 extra damage against the opponent's active Pokémon if it is a V type (be it V, VMax, VStar or VUnion).

Stadium

Skaters' Park FST 242 is useful for both players, with which, in case any of your Pokémon retreat, the energies which would go to the discard pile, will go into the player's hands.

It matches Baxcalibur's effect with Superior Retrieval Energy, to setup the Water energies among your Pokémon.

Advantages

- Fire type decks (in case there are any in the Standard format);

- It has a quick setup of energies among our Pokémon, with dynamic attacks, and is one of the fastest and most beloved decks in the format.

Disadvantages

- Ting-Lu ex sv2 127 decks, as they have the role of locking down abilities, which might be a problem if they lock down your Baxcalibur sv2 60, which is the deck's engine.

- Lost Box decks using Giratina VStar.

This is a deck which "almost" has the same feel as Keldeo-EX BCR 49 and Blastoise BCR 31's era, only, instead of using the stacked Water energies to get more damage, here you'll do the opposite: discard energies from your hand to deal more damage. And we still count on Blastoise ex's filter, only it discards two cards in hand to deal 280 damage, which is very useful against the format's Pokémon V and VStar, and leaves only Chien-Pao ex for the 330 HP ex.

Out of the Kanto starts in 151 Kanto Sub Set special set, it is by far the best out of the three (better than Charizard ex and Venusaur ex).

See you next time!