Imagine what it must be like being an Electrode! WHOOOOOSH! Speeding everywhere! This thought led me onto the idea of a new 'breed' of 'archetype'. I remember reading in an article a while ago about an idea for a Turbo-Ninetales deck, which uses Base Electrodes's power to get energy fast - for a nice 80 damage hit. I milled over it, then forgot about it for a while. But it is actually a very good idea - but not only for damage...
At the moment, the highest amount of damage you'll see on
turn two is 60 (without Weakness of Plus Power) - or possibly 70 if a Dark
Blastoise and Blastoise both get out. There are, however, cards with much
higher damage capacities. Ninetales (probably the best) and Arcanine can
hit for 80 (with side effects - Ninetales being the most lenient). So can
Vileplume - but this is chancey. However, the reason for this 'damage block'
seems to be energy amounts. All good attacks cost, and even to get 60 or
70, you have to use 'rule bending' cards, like Blastoise or DCE.
Now - with Base Electrode, you can Buzzap on turn two, AND
attach an energy. This gives you four energies (with one from turn one).
One possible use for this is damage - with Ninetales, Vileplume (with
Breeder) or Arcanine - but you could go for status changes too! Using the
Electrode strategy, you could see a speed Nidoking deck - to quickly Toxic, a
speed Dark Arbok deck - to keep hammering at the bench early on, whilst still
hitting the Active for decent damage or tonnes of others!
There could be a whole new group of decks - all going for
REALLY fast damage, other attacks or status changes. But not just a
uniform archetype like 'Rain Dance'. They would all be different!
Fred would like a fast 'Fling', but Zebedee might enjoy a fast 'Self Destruct'
deck to knock out the bench and Active in a masochistic fit! They'ed be
called 'WHOOSH-Fling' and 'WHOOSH-Self Destruct'!
This seems to suite the 'fast, Hay and Wiggly environment'
which I am repeatedly told that exists (I don't know - there are no tournaments
in the UK!) - as you can knock them out or hinder them with high-cost attacks
before too much damage is done.
To get what you want, you should include four of its evolutions (and maybe Breeders), four Voltorb (Rocket has a better picture), four Electrode (Base, of course), some Computer Search, some Trader and some Bill. Others may help too - but I haven't read all the Gym cards yet. Back up Pokémon in the form of decent Basics (read: Scyther) which can attack and stall, or come out later on, should go in - and I would probably go for a colourless line which fits with the theme of the speed attack. For Fred's 'WHOOSH-Fling' deck, the Pidgeot line. They can all act as Trader-fodder if you don't need them!
There are two clear problems with this deck that you no
doubt are aware of. 1) Your main attacker could get knocked out and 2)
YOUR OPPONENT GETS PRIZES. There is no obvious way to deal with the
second. Personally, I don't think that it matters much, as I normally win
games when the opponent hasn't got anything to send forward. Secondly,
once you get your Big Hitter out and destroy their Big Hitter, then they won't
have that much of a chance to retaliate. I would, however, recommend that
you don't Buzzap more than two Electrodes throughout the game - unless it's
clear that it's going your way.
The other problem is where the rest of the Trainers are
stuck. I would go with an Energy-denial Active-preserving theme, with a
few Potions or Defenders. You might try something else, though.
Either way, there are loads of good Trainers which can help keep an Active
alive. You may even power up a second one on the Bench, then Reatreat!
I beg you all to try the 'WHOOSH' idea with as many attacks as you can, and write to Pojo saying what combo's well with it. Here's an idea for a 'Turbo-Ninetales' deck (thought of quickly - so it might not be that good):
19 Pokémon (11 Basic)
4 x Voltorb (Rocket - better picture!)
4 x Electrode (YEA! THE JUNGLE ONE!)
4 x 'Pix
4 x 'Tales
3 x Scyther (Back up - no room for a Colouless bit, though)
21 Trainers
4 x Bill
4 x Item Finder (So many Trainers - you need deck space. This helps a lot)
2 x Computer Search
2 x Pokémon Trader
2 x Potion
2 x Energy Removal
2 x Energy Retrieval
2 x Defender
1 x Oak
20 Fire Energy (Can be Retreived - and anyway, you'll have probably won one it starts to run low)
This deck won't be as good as some which would emerge if the idea takes off - but I've just thought of this one on the spot, and haven't really tweaked it yet.
Thank you for your time,
Chris Fenwick
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caecilius@mac.com
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Brain-Bludgeoner Hyper Quiz
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Question: Who wrote the famous poem in which the first part of the name of the botanical nursery and arboretum - featured in the Pokémon Episode 'Make Room For Gloom' - is contained, and what is the poem called?
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