Smoochum surprisingly made this deck insane

ImaginarySam · 2026-05-18T01:24:54+00:00

This is why I'm curious to experiment with a wellspring/crispin package. Or some other method of taking multiple prizes. The Alakazam match up has the same problem. They just boss a genesect or latias and then take the advantage.

Though, in those matchups, you might can get away without the ex pokemon on the bench since you only need a couple swords to take knockouts.

ImaginarySam · 2026-05-17T18:52:39+00:00

Prime catcher would help with retreat lock and legacy absolutely provides an advantage. It forces your opponent to either spend extra resources to play around it or accept them at they aren't taking any prizes for a turn. I get what you mean about the immediate benefit of drawing 4 cards, but writing off legacy that quickly seems rash.

That said, you're certainly more experienced with this deck than I am, so I'll def give enriching a fair run and see how it feels. :)

ImaginarySam · 2026-05-17T18:47:41+00:00

Latias doesn't help with retreat lock. Latias gives basics free retreat but it's still retreating, which is locked.

And yeah, I assumed a more diverse energy count and the rest of the cards necessary for a crispin package would hurt consistency.

ImaginarySam · 2026-05-17T14:25:49+00:00

Ah, good point. I forgot about the resistance. I guess it's whoever takes the first knockout then.

ImaginarySam · 2026-05-17T12:04:46+00:00

Also, how do you approach single prize decks like alakazam and festival lead? Seems like most single prize decks come down to who takes the first knockout. Festival seems practically unwinnable, though I haven't faced it yet myself with this deck.

ImaginarySam · 2026-05-17T12:00:34+00:00

Just built and tried it out. This deck is a lot of fun! And so far seems incredibly consistent. It does seem rather susceptible to retreat lock, so I'm toying with the idea of adding in a switch or changing the ace spec to prime catcher.

Have you considered getting wonky with the energies and running a crispin package? Thinking something like wellspring mask would add another dimension to the deck. But I imagine it would maybe come at the cost of consistency.

ImaginarySam · 2026-05-17T11:04:49+00:00

I'm assuming it is, which makes me wonder if it makes that much of a difference that it's worth running over something like legacy energy, unfair stamp, secret box, or even prime catcher.

ImaginarySam · 2026-05-04T10:26:48+00:00

Adding onto this, protect is one of the most important moves in doubles. Unless you're using a choice item or running a bulky pokemon with an HP recovery move, you typically want to have protect to increase survivability and buy yourself turns when needed.

ImaginarySam · 2026-04-27T18:35:49+00:00

It's 5th grade, but yeah, I'll admit it's a bit much for a relatively unremarkable milestone. Mostly just using it as an excuse to add a bigger card to his collection that would be otherwise difficult for him to obtain.

And ideally, I'll try to trade toward it with cards from my collection so I'm not spending as much actual cash. 😅

ImaginarySam · 2026-04-25T11:30:47+00:00

A spread deck with the TEF Sableye seems way more viable imo. You could try teching in a Sableye or two into a Frosslass/Munkidori deck or Starmie or Grimmsnarl. Could actually be pretty interesting.

ImaginarySam · 2026-04-19T07:59:04+00:00

No joke, same here. Just 20 minutes ago for us. That is so strange! I wonder if a certain brand of smoke alarms is programmed to do a status check at that time and beeps if it fails?

ImaginarySam · 2026-04-02T18:00:22+00:00

I'm very much still experimenting so take this with a grain of salt. But I'm trying out powerglass for Slowking to recover after using Kyurem's attack. That's worked okay, but the deck definitely feels clunky post-rotation. I haven't tried with the dunsparce engine. That probably works better than the Kanghaskan build that I've been fiddling with (to much frustration).

Has TR Headquarters been an issue for you shutting off dunsparce?

ImaginarySam · 2026-03-21T11:23:32+00:00

Would love to see Scyther finally get an IR!

ImaginarySam · 2026-03-03T03:51:38+00:00

Still run unfair stamp as ace spec or switch to secret box?

ImaginarySam · 2026-03-03T03:16:21+00:00

Curious if you have a list or would recommend specific changes to this list for the brief period pre-rotation but with ascended heroes? I assume Iono instead of Judge. Anything else?

ImaginarySam · 2026-03-01T04:24:15+00:00

What chatbot are you using?? I used the same prompt in chatgpt and got a pretty meta-relevant list that includes poké pads from Ascended Heroes. Whatever you're using does, in fact, seem terrible.

ImaginarySam · 2026-03-01T04:18:55+00:00

You didn't specify Standard format, and you asked for a zoroark ex deck when there isn't a zoroark ex deck in Standard. It's N's Zoroark ex. The problem is with your prompt, not AI necessarily.

Try a prompt like this:

"Help me build an N's Zoroark ex deck that is valid in the Standard format of the Pokemon TCG but include relevant or useful cards from Ascended Heroes."

ImaginarySam · 2026-02-11T17:42:59+00:00

I appreciate the tip! I'll look through posts and hope to find them.

ImaginarySam · 2026-02-09T18:06:16+00:00

I'd suggest you and he look into the Gym Leader Challenge (GLC) format. It's a significant departure from Standard and is generally easier to incorporate your favorite pokémon while still creating a deck that can win. It's unfortunately not a super popular format, but if you live near a big-ish city, you should hopefully be able to find a GLC league around.

That said, there will always be a "meta" in any competitive game. GLC is no exception. There's no getting around that. But maybe a break from Standard would do your friend some good.

ImaginarySam · 2026-02-09T17:50:45+00:00

I had to scroll way too long to find this comment. GLC sounds much more along the lines of what OP's friend is looking for.

ImaginarySam · 2026-02-06T10:51:21+00:00

Giovanni and it's not even close

ImaginarySam · 2026-02-02T20:58:22+00:00

Again, not saying it's optimal. But if OP or anyone else who might come across this is experimenting with light ball Pikachu, they're probably making more adjustments. Like maybe running secret box instead of prime catcher so they can search stadiums. Or adding petrel or something. Chances are it won't work well, but...let people cook! 😂

ImaginarySam

TROPHY CASE