Standard Deck Tech: Wigglytuff ex - Build with the 151 Sub Set

Hello to all. I'm Rodrigo, bringing news about Pokémon TCG in general. With the release of the special set, "151" (Pokémon Card 151 or 151 Kanto Sub Set), I'll be posting a few Deck Techs for Standard.

In this article, I'll show you a list with Wigglytuff ex, whose goal is to increase its health as much as you can, so it can last longer. We'll use Lugia VStar's ability and combo it with Archeops to attach special energies to your Pokémon.

Decklist

Wigglytuff ex: The Star of the Deck

Wigglytuff ex sv3pt5 40 is a card with 250 HP that has the ability Expanding Body, which gives it an extra 100 HP if it has any special energies attached, making it a total of 350 HP! In the current format, only a few Pokémon can reach this total through brute force, and out of these, listing the most obvious options, we have:

1) Chien-Pao ex PR-SV 30, if they discard 6 Water energies from all their Water Pokémon in play, can easily deal 360 damage.

2) Charizard ex sv3 125, if you get 5 Prize Cards, deals 330 damage (considering 180 base damage and 30 additional damage per each Prize Card their opponent has drawn, so, 30 x 5 = 150) and still has the card Defiance Band sv1 169.

3) And, of course, any Fighting type Pokémon deals double damage when weakness is applied, your greatest danger being Rapid Strike Urshifu VMAX BRS TG30, and mostly Single Strike Urshifu VMAX BRS TG29.

4) There are exceptions to this rule, such as Gengar sv3pt5 94's case. If they hit 6 Trainers in your hand, they might be able to deal enough damage.

Its attack, Friend Tackle (C)(C)(C), deals 90 damage + 90 additional damage if you have played a Trainer Supporter card on that turn. You might have noticed our deck has 13 Supporters, which is quite a lot to reach a decent damage total, even if it's just 180.

Lugia V & Lugia VStar + Archeops: Energy Acceleration

In this part as a Lugia V SIT 138, its first attack is good as "draw power", and its second attack can remove stadiums from play. The biggest goals would be to deal with two of them: Temple of Sinnoh ASR 155 and Path to the Peak CRE 148.

In its VStar form, Lugia VSTAR SIT 139's goal is to use its VStar ability to summon Archeops PR-SW SWSH272 from the discard pile. They will, then, work to setup energies on our Pokémon.

With them coming in with their ability, Turbo Primal, everything gets easier to ready your deck's attackers faster, such as, for instance, Mew ex sv3pt5 151.

Mew ex: The Attack Copycat

Its ability, Restart, is like a Bibarel PR-SW SWSH188 in your deck. Of course, it doesn't draw up to 5 cards, but 3 cards is an okay number, and can help you filter your top deck.

Its attack, Genome Hacking (C)(C)(C), can break the opponent's strategy if they have a strong Pokémon set as the active Pokémon, and catch them off guard. The best thing is that it only needs 3 colorless energies and doesn't need to spend exactly the same energy cost as your opponent.

A few examples:

1) If you're in a match against a Lost Box deck that uses Dragonite V PR-SW SWSH154, you'll be able to use this attack, but, it will also have its downside of dealing 20 damage to all your benched Pokémon.

2) If you're facing a Giratina VSTAR CRZ GG69, be careful:

- You'll only be able to copy Lost Impact to deal 280, but you'll still need to discard two energies from your Pokémon into the Lost Zone, and meet its requirements.

- As your deck used Lugia VSTAR SIT 139's VStar power, you won't be able to use Star Requiem, because, besides needing 10 cards in the Lost Zone (our deck doesn't work with that mechanic), you won't be able to use another VPower (be it ability or attack), because it already used one before.

3) If you're facing any legendary Johto beast, be it Entei V BRS 22 or Raikou V BRS 48, the most present in the metagame, you'll be able to copy the same attacks.

4) Regarding Charizard ex sv3 125: in a match against this Pokémon, the same benefits it has for each Prize Card you got to increase their damage apply to you too: if they got more Prize Cards than you, you'll be able to copy this benefit from Charizard's attack.

Medicham V: Makeshift Attacker

What interests us is its Yoga Loop attack, which places two damage counters on your opponent. If they knock out this Pokémon, you go on to the next turn, going over your opponent's turn "check-in", and play again, which is useful to deal any extra damage you might need.

The second attack is also viable, as there is one basic Fighting energy in your deck to hurt colorless Pokémon. It deals double damage out of the 200 maximum damage, and, the best of all: isn't affected by resistance.

Luxray: Lugia VStar and A Few Water Pokémon Counter

Luxray is great to go into play when your opponent needs fewer Prize Cards to win the game. You can place it directly on your game's bench, and, as it is a stage 2 evolution, it accepts Reversal Energy sv2 192, and can deal 180 damage. Of course, as this damage is doubled by the Pokémon weakness, such as Lugia VSTAR SIT 139, Blastoise ex sv3pt5 9 and Origin Forme Palkia VSTAR CRZ GG67, these 180 damage will become 360 damage!

Recursive Pokémon

Pokémon to Search a Supporter

Lumineon V PR-SW SWSH250 comes in with its ability Luminous Sign. If this Pokémon is in your hand and is played on the bench, you'll look for a Supporter card in your deck, reveal it, and place it in your hand.

This will be the flow you'll keep to look for any particular Supporter, as an alternative to Pokégear 3.0 sv1 186 in your deck. To constantly keep Lumineon V PR-SW SWSH250 in play returning to your deck, use its attack, Aqua Return (W)(C)(C) - attacking and returning to your deck. Promote Wigglytuff ex sv3pt5 40 as the active Pokémon to "tank" damage until you recycle all your Supporters with Pal Pad sv1 182 and Cyllene ASR 138, in this constant loop.

Starting Hand

In this scenario, if you, by any chance, are second to play in the first round, play: Mew ex as the active Pokémon (because of its zero retreat cost), and Jigglypuff on your bench. Use Nest Ball to look for a Lugia V and then play Professor's Research to discard your hand and draw 7 new cards.

But, if you're the first to play in the first round, you'll play Jigglypuff as the active Pokémon instead of the Mew ex, use Nest Ball to look for Lugia V and, on the next turn, use Iono.

Here, we are ahead, because even if we're the first to play or the second, with Ultra Ball in hand and two Archeops with a Lugia VStar, the next step is to look for Lugia VStar and like so play Judge. Then, sabotage your opponent's hand and draw new cards to your hand.

Trainer Cards

Supporter to Draw Cards

Supporter to "Catch" your Opponent's Pokémon

Supporters to Sabotage your Opponent's Hand

Supporter to Discard Stadiums and Draw Cards

Supporter to Heal Colorless Pokémon

Supporter to Recycle Discarded Cards

Items to Search Pokémon

Items to Recycle Cards in General

Special Energies

- Therapeutic Energy sv2 193 is useful to remove special conditions - Paralysis, Asleep and Confusion statuses, for instance. It's worth keeping in mind it is only useful as a colorless energy!

- Gift Energy LOR 171 is useful as a sort of Lucky Egg (like a casino gambling): if the Pokémon that has this energy attached is knocked out, you draw until you have 7 cards in hand. It's worth keeping in mind it is only useful as a colorless energy!

- Double Turbo Energy BRS 151 is like a Double Colorless Energy, but, if it is attached to your Pokémon, it reduces by 20 the damage it deals by attacking. It's worth keeping in mind it is only useful as a colorless energy!

- Reversal Energy sv2 192 works as three "Rainbow Energy" at once, but it can only be used by Pokémon without any "Rule Box" and if you're losing the game, that is, your opponent has fewer Prize Cards to the point they can win the game before you.

This deck has the second-best energy setup in the format, only losing to Baxcalibur PR-SV 19 with basic Water energies (which can easily be recycled from the discard pile); in two turns, in the best-case scenario, you can set up Lugia VSTAR SIT 139 and, with at least two Archeops PR-SW SWSH272 ready to be summoned, the game will be on your side, and you'll be able to energize any attacker.

Advantages

- It is great in the Lugia VSTAR SIT 139 "mirror match".

- It is favorable into Water Pokémon that are weak to the Electric type, thanks to Luxray sv2 71.

- It is relatively "tanky", and is very resilient in the game with Wigglytuff ex sv3pt5 40, because of its 350 HP. In the best-case scenario, it forces your opponent to waste resources to reach this number.

Disadvantages

- Decks that use Temple of Sinnoh ASR 155, which can cancel your special energies.

- Decks that use Path to the Peak CRE 148, which can sabotage Wigglytuff ex sv3pt5 40's ability.

- Control decks such as Glimmora ex sv3 123, because of the weakness you'll have due to the archetype.

- Electric type decks, such as Miraidon ex PR-SV 28.

- Brute Fighting type decks, such as Golem ex sv3pt5 76; such as this example.

It is a deck that, even though it is a fragile archetype as it is a colorless deck, it has advantages, because the number of Fighting Pokémon in competitions has gone down, which gives a certain advantage to Wigglytuff ex. It can now shine with this "tanker" strategy.

But I stress that it is a "rogue" deck meant for fun, and casual-play, and not competitive, as Wigglytuff ex's 180 damage attack isn't something that can knock out many ultra rare Pokémon in the format.

See you next time!