12.17.04  Let's take a nice, good look into a very interesting rogue deck: Butterfree!

"hello

the deck that I would like you to fix up is modified. I have tested it out in one city championship and it did pretty well. The only problem was that I got owned by a dark steelix deck. Here is the deck list

Pokemon (20)
2X mantime TRR
1X Heracross hidden legends
3X Igglybuff hidden legends
4X Caterpie Fr Lg
2X Metapod Fr Lg
2X Butterfree Fr Lg
3X Magnemite Dragon
2X Magneton Dragon
1X Lickitung Fr Lg

Trainers (20)
3X Bill's Maintenance
4X TV Reporter
2X Rare Candy
2X Double Full Heal
3X Pow! Hand Extension
2X Celio's Network
1X Desert Ruins
1X Ancient Tomb
2X Mr Briney's Compassion

Energies (20)
8X Electric
12X Grass

Thank you,
Jason Henry"

Hmmm, you really need some focus, bro! Don't get me wrong, I love the Buttefree card. However, it needs more consistency, and your deck needs to have its priorities straight. The key to making any great deck is having your Pokemon, Trainers, and Energy all in perfect harmony; everything needs a realistic use. Why, I remember the Base Set days, when I was running an Alakazam/Charizard deck...uhhh, but old skeletons aside, I guess I have to fix Jason's deck =P

"Pokemon (20)
2X mantine TRR
1X Heracross hidden legends
3X Igglybuff hidden legends
4X Caterpie Fr Lg
2X Metapod Fr Lg
2X Butterfree Fr Lg
3X Magnemite Dragon
2X Magneton Dragon
1X Lickitung Fr Lg"

Here's where you kinda crash. The Butterfree end makes perfect sense, but a lot of the deck just...confuses me. So, we'll focus on your ButterBeer, along with a strong searching line, and a certain card I feel could support B-free big time:

-2 Mantine
-1 Heracross
-3 Igglybuff
-3 Magnemite
-2 Magneton
-1 Lickitung
+2 Buttefree
+4 Dunsparce
+2 Meditite (DRG)
+1 Medicham (Hidden Legends Holo)
+1 Medicham (HL Uncommon. Bizarre!!! If you don't like it, I urge you to just chuck this for a 2nd holo)
+2 Pidgey (Red/Green)
+1 Pidgeotto (Red/Green)
+2 Pidgeot (Red/Green)

Now, I like the whole healing thing with Mantine. However, I have a sad thing I have to show all of you Pojo-go'ers who are fans of the awkward card:

Brand New Errata: " Mantine's Poke-Power only works when it is the player's Active Pokémon."

Yup, Pokemon USA International has killed a card that should never have been making SS Xatu completely worthless in the first place! Much stricter actions than with Slowking, eh? Hmmm, but to the deck. Heracross and Lickitung really serve no purpose other than as BBP, and they don't do that amazingly. Ton and Mite...ehhhh, they can go find a Delcatty and weep about not making the cut.

Dunsparce is obvious, and to more advanced players, the quick search Pidgeot makes complete sense as well, but: why Medicham?! Well, in the Ruby/Sapphire on format, big hands are far more likely than ever, and 'Cham takes full advantage of that. Did I also mention he backs up the weakness of the rest of the deck? Team Aqua's Manetric and Electrode ex aren't going to tread on you. Lastly, the Medicham can take some damage over a period of time, explode against their big hitter with Meditate, and if it survives, Butterfree can go active and let its power heal the damaged dude, so he can get to work again.

"Trainers (20)
3X Bill's Maintenance
4X TV Reporter
2X Rare Candy
2X Double Full Heal
3X Pow! Hand Extension
2X Celio's Network
1X Desert Ruins
1X Ancient Tomb
2X Mr Briney's Compassion"

Hmmm, I think you need to tidy up your trainer line a bit. I think you've got an idea of what to do for draw, but the choices aren't too amazing: bill's maintenance, plus your draw per turn add up only to a 3 card average that turn, whereas the old Bill got you essentially the same amount WITHOUT wasting the supporter, so let's just stick to TVR, and bump up amounts of cards like Celio, and add something new, like Steven's Advice!

-3 Bill's Maintenance
-2 Double Full Heal
-3 Pow! hand extension
-1 Briney
-1 Ancient Tomb
-1 TV Reporter
+1 Copycat
+1 celio
+4 Steven
+1 desert ruins
+1 Magnetic Storm
+1 Rare Candy
+1 warp point
+1 Strength Charm
+1 VS Seeker

Your gym choices were cool. Desert Ruins, however, would hold priority in the matchups where you won't be doing much damage against the fat ex Pokemon! For the new shift in focus for the deck, magnetic Storm would actually be really useful for Medicham. With the addition of Pidgeot, you can afford to play a bunch of single copies of cards, but on the flip side, Rare Candy is that much more important, so that you may get out a fast Pidgeot. Make sure to keep strength charm, as that one card can win you many games. Also, an idea I didn't post, but you should consider is maybe finding room for an Ancient Technical Machine (Rock), or, if you choose to keep uncommon 'cham, a surprise! time machine to severely shock an opponent by going from one to another.

"Energies (20)
8X Electric
12X Grass"

Just a bit of editing in order to balance out with the rest of the deck. Double Rainbow Energy (DRE) is essential to setting up faster, and that strength charm above is meant to sometimes negate the lost damage. changing a couple various #'s for everything to succeed:

-8 Electric
-3 Grass
+3 Rainbow (will auto-heal from Butterfree's body/great way to add damage for cham)
+4 DRE

Here...is the final list!

Butterbeer: drunk on 'chams!

Pokemon (23):

4 Dunsparce (Sandstorm)
4 Caterpie (Red/Green)
2 Metapod (Red/Green)
4 Butterfree (Red/Green)
2 Meditite (DRG)
1 Medicham (HL Holo)
1 Medicham (HL Uncommon)
2 Pidgey (RG)
1 Pidgeotto (RG)
2 Pidgeot (RG)

Trainers (21):
4 Steven's Advice
3 TV Reporter
3 Celio's Network
3 Rare Candy
2 Desert Ruins
1 Magnetic Storm
1 Strength Charm
1 Copycat
1 Mr. Briney's Compassion
1 VS Seeker
1 Warp Point

Energy (16):
4 DRE
9 Grass
3 Rainbow

Good luck with this deck, sir. I think this is much more consistent, and-UNCOMMON MEDICHAM?!?!!? WHAT AM I THINKING?!?!?! @_@

Tune in next time to...Patriarch, drunk on O'Doul's Non-Alcoholic Brew!




 

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