> From: "Ryan Swiney" > To: > Subject: A few thoughts and opinions on Pokemon > > Greetings PoJo! > > First off I would like to say that your website if phenomenal and absolutely > the BEST Pokemon website out there. I would like to share a few thoughts and > opinions on decks and types of Pokemon. I will start with the "Big 3" decks, > Haymaker, Rain Dance, and Damage Swap. Let's start with Haymaker. This deck > has been labeled numerous times as the "greatest" deck out there and quite > frankly, it IS. Here you have absolutely GREAT Pokemon. Hitmonchan, > Electabuzz, Scyther. What more can you say? It is an absolute PERFECT deck > combination. This deck rips Rain Dance wide open and just tears other decks > from top to bottom. I haven't seen any cards in the Fossil Expansion that > will pose any real threat to Haymaker. I have heard many people claim Rain > Dance will rebound with Pokemon like Articuno and Lapras, but friends, I'm > sorry, it won't. Rain Dance had a fraction of a chance in the days of > Farfetch'd but when Scyther came into picture, Rain Dance signed it's death > certificate. Now don't get me wrong, Rain Dance is a GREAT deck, expecially > when someone knows how to use it, but it just doesn't measure up to Haymaker. > Now, we see Damage Swap. Good deck, great deck, but I don't see it winning > tournies. Let's move on to TYPES of Pokemon. > Water: > These are some GREAT Pokemon in the water family, Gyardos and Blastoise come > to mind. Gyardos, here is arguably the BEST Stage 1 Pokemon. 50 Damage for > three energy, can't ask for more. Blastoise, Hydro Pump. What an ATTACK. With > his Pokemon Power you can be doing some big damage. Poliwrath and Dewgong are > secondary. Dewgong is like a Gyardos JR., the only time you replace Gyardos > with Dewgong is when you are playing two or more colors. Poliwrath is more > for Energy Removal Decks if anything. > Fire: > Ok, first off, everyone listen VERY closely. CHARIZARD SUCKS!!!!!!!!! HE > SUCKS, SUCKS, SUCKS!!!!!!!! I know that a bunch of little kids are going to > cry and whine he's the best but NO NO NO, HE SUCKS!!!!! Ninetales is MUCH > better than Charizard, why you ask? You Lure a weak Pokemon with retreat cost > out and go off on it. Magmar is also another GREAT fire Pokemon that can kick > some *AHEM* but, unfortunately, Rain Dance destroies every Fire Deck out > there, no matter what it is. > Grass: > Now, before Jungle, grass decks SUCKED. Now that Scyther and Pinsir have > arrived, they breath life back into the dead plains. Scyther is one of the > BEST grass Pokemon I know of. Here's a good scenario for grass Pokemon. Bring > out a fully pumped good HP grass Pokemon. Then, get Venusaur on your bench. > When you are down to about 10 or 20 HP, Pokemon Power and you don't lose > energy. Anyone that puts Energy Retrieval in this kind of deck needs to be > smacked. Pinsir has great attacks and comendible HP, an overall respectable > Pokemon. Venusaur isn't a great Pokemon by himself, which is EXACTALLY why > you use him with this combination. Try using him with Exeggator. > Electric: > Now, I know Zapdos is supposed to be awesome, but I really don't like him, at > all. 100 damage and discard ALL energy. Tsk tsk tsk. Now, ELECTABUZZ is > different, he is the best Electric Pokemon out there. Electric decks usually > suck, once again, fighting decks and Haymakers rip them open. No matter what > Pikachu you have, Pikachu sucks. I mean, he has ok attacks but the HP needs > to be higher. Raichu is good with Agility though. Electric decks will just > never learn will they? > Psychic: > Now for some reason, I really like psychic. I HATE Mewtwo Mulligen decks, > they suck and never win tournies. All you have to do is not draw two cards > and beat the crap outta them. Kadabra is definately the best psychic Pokemon > out there, 50 damage for PP1 and Recover is simply life-saving. Alakazam is > good, but I wouldn't put him in any deck except Damage Swap. Haunter is OK, > but I wish that the defender didn't have to be ASLEEP, but he'd be broken if > it wasn't, oh well.... > Fighting: > So many Pokemon are resistent to fighting, it's hard to make a good mono > deck. I HAD one, but found out real quick it sucked. Hitmonchan is the best, > DUH!! Diglett is an Electabuzz killer, big time. Dugtrio, I don't like him > cuz he does damage to you. Onix is a nice staller, real nice staller, I like > that.