Hello and welcome to another episode of Searching Standard, where each and every week I look for new, innovative decks for you to play in Standard. This week, I'm looking at a deck that was recently featured on the YouTube channel of LittleDarkFury. It features Lycanroc JTG 85, and thrives on sending additional damage your opponent's way. Let's get started by taking a look at the deck list.
Spiky Lycanroc
LittleDarkFury
Pokemon
1 Budew 4
2 Dudunsparce 129
1 Dudunsparce ex 121
1 Dunsparce 156
1 Dunsparce 128
2 Froslass 53
3 Lycanroc 85
1 Maractus 8
2 Munkidori 95
4 Rockruff 89
2 Snorunt 37
Trainers
1 Artazon 171
4 Arven 166
2 Boss’s Orders 172
1 Brilliant Blender 164
4 Buddy-Buddy Poffin 101
1 Counter Catcher 160
1 Counter Gain 169
1 Earthen Vessel 163
3 Iono 185
1 Morty's Conviction 155
1 Nest Ball 181
1 Night Stretcher 61
3 Professor's Research 122
2 Super Rod 188
1 Technical Machine: Devolution 177
1 Technical Machine: Evolution 178
2 Ultra Ball 196
1 Vengeful Punch 197
Energy
4 Darkness Energy
1 Jet Energy 190
4 Spiky Energy 159
Lycanroc JTG 85 is the main attacker for this deck. When you evolve into Lycanroc JTG 85, you can activate its Spike-Clad Ability to attach up to 2 Spiky Energy JTG 159 from your discard pile to Lycanroc JTG 85. Since the effect of Spiky Energy JTG 159 stacks, this can allow you to put up to 4 damage counters on your opponent's Attacking Pokemon if Lycanroc JTG 85 takes damage from their attack. That damage will enable Lycanroc JTG 85's Clamping Fangs attack to deal extra damage, based on the number of damage counters on the opponent's Active Pokemon.
To help ensure that Lycanroc JTG 85's Clamping Fangs attack will deal extra damage, this deck is running a pair of Froslass TWM 53. By activating Froslass TWM 53's Freezing Shroud Ability during Pokemon Checkup, any Pokemon (except Froslass) that has an Ability will gain 1 damage counter. Since many of your own Pokemon have Abilities, this effect will place damage counters on your own Pokemon, however those counters can be moved to your opponent's team with the help of Munkidori TWM 95's Adrena-Brain Ability.
Dudunsparce TEF 129 is one of the primary sources of card drawing in this deck. Its Run Away Draw Ability allows you to draw 3 cards, then shuffle Dudunsparce TEF 129 and all attached cards back into your deck. Dudunsparce ex JTG 121 is a fine backup attacker. Against certain decks, its Tenacious Tail attack will be absolutely devastating.
Budew PRE 4 is a great Pokemon to have in the early stages of the game. Its Itchy Pollen attack requires 0 Energy to use and only does 10 damage, but it does prevent your opponent from playing any Item cards during their next turn. This can substantially slow down a deck that needs to play an Item to search for a Pokemon or Energy it needs. Maractus JTG 8 helps with the plan of placing damage counters on your opponent's Pokemon when it is Knocked Out thanks to its Exploding Needles Ability. Its Corner attack can also help you keep your opponent's Active Pokemon locked in place, enabling you to tag in a big attacker and score an easy Knock Out.
Since you want to make sure there are copies of Spiky Energy JTG 159 in your discard pile, you'll want to use Brilliant Blender SSP 164 to search your deck for them and discard them. Vengeful Punch OBF 197 is a great Pokemon Tool to attach to a Pokemon that is sure to be Knocked Out, helping you get even more damage counters onto that Attacking Pokemon. There's also a copy of Counter Gain SSP 169 in this deck which can help make your attacks require less Colorless Energy to use if you're behind on taking Prize cards.
This next batch of Trainer cards all help you find the Basic Pokemon you need more easily. Artazon PAL 171, Buddy-Buddy Poffin PRE 101, and Nest Ball SVI 181 are all routinely used in Standard, so seeing them here should come as no surprise. As long as you remember the requirements of the Pokemon each of these searches for, you should be able to find your Basic Pokemon with ease.
A pair of Ultra Ball SVI 196 cards are included to help you find the evolutions you need. They also require you to discard 2 other cards when you play them, making them another great way of getting Spiky Energy JTG 159 into your discard pile.
In order to maximize the effectiveness of your attacks, you can use both Boss’s Orders PAL 172 and Counter Catcher PAR 160 to choose which of your opponent's Pokemon you would like to attack. Move that Pokemon to their Active Spot and make your attack. If possible, choose a Pokemon that will provide you with multiple Prize cards when it is Knocked Out.
While Dudunsparce TEF 129's Run Away Draw Ability provides some amount of extra card drawing, no Trainer is better at drawing you extra cards than Professor's Research PRE 122. You will have to discard your current hand when you play Professor's Research PRE 122, but those 7 new cards can often help swing the game for you. If your opponent has a full Bench, Morty's Conviction TEF 155 can get close to drawing you the same number of cards as Professor's Research PRE 122, however you do have to discard a card from your hand in order to play Morty's Conviction TEF 155. Iono PAL 185 can also help you draw new cards, but her main benefit is resetting your opponent's hand. This can be a great way of slowing down their momentum for a few turns.
If raw card drawing doesn't help you find what you need, this deck also has a couple of Trainer cards that can help you search for specific things. Arven SVI 166 helps you find an Item and a Pokemon Tool. You can then play those cards immediately or hold onto them for a future turn. Earthen Vessel PAR 163 can help you find a pair of Basic Energy cards to put into your hand. It's just what you need to make sure you're able to use Munkidori TWM 95's Adrena-Brain Ability.
Once a card hits your discard pile, it's gone forever... but with the help of this pair of Trainer cards, those discarded cards can have a new life. Super Rod PAL 188 lets you get back up to 3 Pokemon or Basic Energy cards, that are then shuffled back into your deck. But, if you need a Pokemon or Basic Energy card from your discard pile right away, you'll want to play Night Stretcher SFA 61. It only returns one card, but that card goes to your hand where you can play it immediately.
The final pair of Trainer cards are Technical Machines that can either help you or hurt your opponent. Technical Machine: Evolution PAR 178 offers the Evolution attack, which is a quick way for you to search for and evolve a pair of your Benched Pokemon. Technical Machine: Devolution PAR 177 provides the Devolution attack, which can cripple a deck relying solely on Rare Candy to evolve their team.
Wrapping Up
When playing against this deck, your opponent is never safe from taking damage. Use that extra damage to your benefit and deal additional damage when you attack with Lycanroc JTG 85.
What do you think of this deck? Do you have any suggestions for improvements? Let me know by leaving a comment below. And be sure to join me here again next week as I continue my search for innovative decks in the Pokemon TCG. I'll see you then!
- Mike Likes
