The Unlimited Top 5

As the Pokemon event hiatus comes to an end, we are thrown a large scale tournament called "Super Battle Zone." Most of us were happy to get SOMETHING, but then we are told the format is Unlimited. UH-OH! I'm scared now!

But before we get to the top 5, I would like to talk a little about Aquapolis. The newest set to hit the Pokemon scene. The set doesn't have very many good Pokemon attackers, with the exception of a few (Jumpluff), but it has an array of valuable supporter cards. Such as Forest Guardian, Pokemon Fan Club, and Town volunteers. I actually see these cards becoming staples in the Unlimited format.  Town Volunteers simply makes nightly garbage run a joke, and Pokemon fan club is definitely a card that will see play, ESPECIALLY in Slowking.

I know a lot of you have been running around like chickens with your heads cut off trying to figure out what to play for this "SUPER Battle Zone" event thing, so to give you an idea on what really is dominating the current standard environment, I will give a list of the top 5 decks in unlimited. Play them, test them, whatever. But please, keep this in mind when e-mailing me: I don't care what you think, nor do I respect your opinion.

MonkeyMan88: Anything else?
Martin: Yeah..
Martin: Sue Me.


#5   Typhlosion.

That is right, evolution is not dead in Standard. Not by a LONG shot. I'm sick of hearing that same dead argument over and over. The days of "trapper" and quick wins are over people, the environment has switched to a more defensive angle. The qualifications an evolution needs to be a good main attacker in Unlimited are in a heavy number, and Typhlosion fit's all of them.

1. The evolution needs to be fast.
2. The evolution needs not to be prone to Energy Removal, the reason why many cards are found unplayable.
3. The evolution must do efficient damage in exchange for the effort used in order get it successfully into play.

Fire recharge is as economical as it gets. The fact that the Pokemon power is cumulative makes Typhlosion reason enough to play. It is possible to have a Typhlosion up and running turn 2, but on average it's turn 3 you will have a Typhlosion up charbroiling your opponent's Pokemon faster than the people aboard the challenger.

Unlimited has many ways to get Fire energy cards into the discard pile to make Fire Recharge an ongoing threat to your opponent. Super Energy Removal is not only a card this deck doesn't fear, but works with it as well. Discard one of your own fire energy cards to take 2 off of one of your opponent's pokemon, then gain it right back. of course it's on a flip, but when you have 2 Typhlosion in play, you have an average extra energy attachment per turn.

There is more to Typhlosion than meets the eye. Typhlosion is one of the best cards to combo with the Promo Pokemon Tower. Many Unlimited decks run Recycle energy as a main energy source, but when that source is depleted, your opponent will surely be in a pickle. Pokemon Tower Not only stops Recycle energy dead in it's tracks, but Item Finder as well, which is a staple in the Unlimited format.



#4 Arithmetic

Yes, Arithmetic. The deck Mr. Klaczynski innovated. Ever since the release of Gym 2 he has had a version of this deck handy with him. But what makes it so good? Easy, the fact that it can go toe to toe with just about anything, except Snichu, but we will get to that a little later.

Arithmetic focus's on using Muk to metagame decks that use Pokemon Powers. Arithmetic is basically an auto win versus a Typhlosion. Stopping fire recharge makes Typhlosion resign. Also, with a metal, doing 60 a turn and only 10 to yourself is a pretty good deal, especially since Rockets Zapdos works well with Super Energy Removal.

Clefable is usually known as an enemy of Rocket's Zapdos decks, but with the advent of Tyrogue, you will have an advantage over them.

Just like Typhlosion, Arithmetic uses Pokemon Tower as a way to molest decks that use Recycle energy. One of the downsides however, is that Rocket's Zapdos is a terrible opening Pokemon. Just pray that you start with a baby.


#3 Steelix

Also known as, the iron giant. Steelix is one of the most overlooked decks in Unlimited. The deck is a monster. There are 2 ways to play steelix. You can play the "Unremovable Steelix," by using Brock's Ninetails, which is actually a deck that wins. Or you can play the solid Steelix. I prefer playing Steelix alone, because the deck has more focus. Solid Steelix uses Pichu and Tyrogue as back up. Also, it uses the occasional Igglybuff, Ditto, and Brock's Mankey. The Mankey ofcourse used for Slowking.

The main criticism Steelix gets from jobbers (noobs, newbies, losers, etc.), is that it is "Removal Bait." This is a VERY untrue statement. What you do with this deck is start off with a Cleffa, Lass/Eeeeeeek, and build a benched Onix with recycle energies. You wanna make sure you have eliminated a gust of wind option from your opponent however, because you won't be able to easily retreat onix.

Chaos Gym and Eco Gym are musts. They are what make sure your opponent doesn't Super Energy Remove your steelix. And if they do pull one off, you can just smack them right back with one of your own as a counterassault. Steelix is great against Sneasel decks, because it can survive a beat up. You wanna make sure to get Steelix built in numbers, because anybody will shiver at the fact of staring down 2 Steelix's each with your name on it. Heavy Gold berry is a must. They keep steelix going, and going, and going. You usually do not want to put too many Metals on steelix, because that will lower your options of building more. Energy Charge is also played in this deck incase you REALLY need to get back metals.

Pokémon (16)
4x Cleffa
3x Onix (Southern Islands)
3x Steelix
2x Pichu
2x Tyrogue
1x Brock's Mankey
1x Chansey/Ditto


Trainers (31)
4x Lass
3x Computer Search
3x Gold Berry
3x Copycat
3x Item Finder
3x Gust of Wind
2x EcoGym
2x Chaos Gym
2x Professor Oak
2x Energy Charge
2x Super Energy Removal
2x Switch

Energy (13)
4x Metal Energy
4x Double Colorless Energy
4x Recycle Energy
1x Rainbow Energy



#2 Snichu

Another one of my personal favorite decks. The strategy here is simple. Get up an unstoppable Sneasel. Snichu literally is one of the toughest decks to consistently beat. Steal Chansey ofcourse does this well. Speaking of Steal Chansey, why didn't I put it here on the top 5? Simply because there were too many good decks to choose from. Chansey is EASILY near the top, but I felt I would share some decks most of you are probably not aware of yet. Anyway, back to Snichu.

Snichu's trainer engine is similar to Steelix's. It uses Echo Gym and Chaos Gym to stop energy removing, and still can default to super the opponent. Double Gust works great in here since everything is free retreat. Pichu and Tyrogue are no brainer supporters, because Tyrogue simply should go in just about every deck. And Pichu is great against decks with Poke-Powers (Slowking, Typhlosion, etc). A Sneasel that can't be removed and only gets Ko'ed half the time (Focus band) with the ability to OHKO turn after turn is hard to beat. That is what puts this deck at #2.



#1 Slowking

The deck that has been feered ever since the release of Neo Genesis, and for good reason. There are a few ways you can play this deck out. You can focus on denying trainers and going out with an all offensive Sneasel, or play a Strategic Murkrow lock variant with Healing fields, Gold berry, and a somewhat heavy removal line. Pokemon fan club surely helps this deck out as well. Whichever way you choose to go, if played correctly, it will get the job done.

There really isn't much more I can say about Slowking that alot of you don't know already. So I will leave it at that =)


With all that said, threes nothing else to do, but bust out your unlimited decks and go dominate a Super Battle Zone event!

(Jamaican voice) "But Mah-TIN, I ain't kno where a battle zooone at!"
Well, Then click here: http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=pokemon/league/superbattlezone

Have fun, and keep playing.

-Martin Moreno
MartinReturns@aol.com
AIM: Martin Returns