Baby Mario
Top 4 UK Nats |
Tangrowth Lv 48
Another one? Ok then . . . Welcome to the third
modified-legal Tangrowth of the Format!
Like its cousins from Great Encounter and Stormfront,
Tangrowth boasts very good HP for a Stage 1, a slightly
worrying Weakness to Fire (Blaziken FB and Infernape 4
are still around), and a terrific Resistance to Water
that, combined with the healing effects that most
Tangrowth decks run (PokeHealers, Tangrowth LV X, Dawn
Stadium), gives it an excellent chance of beating most
Water-type decks (especially Kingdra). It does have a
very hefty Retreat cost, though, so bear that in mind
when building your deck.
Leaf Guard is a solid attack that gives Tangrowth even
more durability. For [G][C] you do 30 damage and reduce
any damage next turn by 20. Not bad at all while you are
waiting for the second attack, Swallow Up. Priced at
[G][G][C][C] for a mere 50 damage, this may seem like a
waste of time . . . but wait . . . if Tangrowth has more
HP than the defending Pokémon, this does a massive 120
damage. Good enough to OHKO a lot of playable Pokémon.
Obviously, ensuring that Tangrowth is able to hit the
120 damage means overcoming two problems: the very high
attack cost, and the fact that most Stage 2 Pokémon will
have more HP than Tangrowth. Luckily, Grass decks have
just the right support for these kind of situations.
Sceptile GE has a body which makes your Grass Energy
count double (effectively making Swallow Up a [G][G]
attack), and Shaymin LV X (Land Forme) increases its HP
by 40, meaning that Tangrowth has more HP than almost
any other playable Pokémon outside of Regigigas and
Salamence LV X. The downside is that this combo needs
quite a bit of set up (benching a Stage 2 AND a LV X),
so it means that Tangrowth isn’t the fastest deck
around. Dialga G LV X, with its ability to shut down
PokeBodies, will also cause this deck huge problems.
Then there is the question of whether this Tangrowth is
superior to the ones we already have. The GE
version has a useful snipe attack, and the GE one comes
with built-in healing. Neither can match the big
damage-output potential of Tangrowth AR, though, so it
is definitely worth a slot or two in your Tangrowth line
up. Whether the deck as a whole can be competitive will
largely depend on whether Fire remains a popular deck
choice in the Format, and how much of a handicap the
lack of speed will prove to be.
Rating
Modified: 2.5 (supplies the big attack that Tangrowth
decks needed, but needs a lot of support to work
properly)
Limited: 3 (can tank effectively and isn’t so dependent
on support in this slower format)
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