Since my last article was posted, I was flooded
with ideas on how my theme deck should be built.

     For a brief recap, the decks theme was to use
Moltres's Wildfire and any Pokemon who could see the
cards coming up ahead of time to time the wildfire so
it rid cards most dangerous to your pokemon.  But it
also had the duel task of draining energy:  From the
Pokemon, the player's hand, and the deck itself.

     Here was my idea:
 
     2 Moltres
     3 Annoon "O"
     3 Doduo
     3 Dodrio
     3 Magmar (Fossil)
     3 Blaine's Charmander

     3 Professor Oak
     3 CPU Search
     3 Item Finder
     3 Rocket Sneak Attack
     3 Team Rocket Trap
     2 Nightly Garbage Run
     3 Energy Removal
     3 Gust of Wind
     2 Pokemon Center

     18 Fire Energy

     The 6 decks I received all ran around this theme,
but none were exactly alike.  However, I did notice a
quaint coincidence.  The majority of the trainer cards
played were exactly the same.

     Out of 6 different decks:

     CPU Search - 5
     Item Finder - 5
     Nightly Garbage Run - 5
     Scoop Up - 5
   
     Bill - 4
     Professor Oak - 4
     Rocket Sneak Attack - 4
    
     Pokemon Center - 3
     Energy Removal - 3

     Funny how these are the same trainers I use in
most of my decks.  I think we all use some (if not
all) of these cards.  Why?  Because they are the cream
of the trainer crop.  The best in the business.

     So, I have another exercise.  Make a deck without
the most commonly used trainers.  Imagine if the
following were banned tomorrow.

     Professor Oak, CPU Search, Item Finder, The
Rocket's Trap, Energy Removal

     Design a deck without these cards.  Play test it,
and send your results to Killer Deck reports.  I'm
sick of reading all these trainers with winning
records who play the same deck.

     Good luck.

     Chris M.

      Tigger_218@yahoo.com