Searching Standard: Tinkaton EX / Dudunsparce

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 Tinkaton ex PR-SV 31 alongside Dudunsparce TEF 129, and can draw a lot of cards to deal extra damage. Let's get started by taking a look at the deck list.

Tinkaton ex PR-SV 31 is potentially able to deal a lot of damage when you use its Big Hammer attack. This attack only requires two Energy to use, and it deals 30 damage for each card in your hand. By drawing additional cards during your turn, you can often deal enough damage to Knock Out any opposing Pokemon with a single attack.

By using Tinkaton PAL 105's Gather Materials Ability, you can increase your hand size by two cards, allowing you to deal additional damage when attacking with Tinkaton ex PR-SV 31's Big Hammer attack. Dudunsparce TEF 129's Run Away Draw Ability can also be used to draw additional cards. In fact, you can often use this Ability on multiple Dudunsparce TEF 129 that you have in play resulting in a massive amount of cards in your hand.

Since this deck requires a bit of set up to get fully running, you'll often find yourself behind on taking Prize cards. That's okay, since there are a couple of cards in this deck that require you to have more Prize cards remaining than your opponent, and Luxray PAL 71 is one of them. Its Swelling Flash Ability allows you to put this Stage 2 Pokemon directly into play, provided you're behind on taking Prize cards. It's a great way to be able to catch up when you're behind.

The remaining Pokemon in this deck are included for their useful Abilities. Manaphy BRS 41's Wave Veil Ability keeps your Benched Pokemon safe from taking any damage from your opponent's attacks, while Jirachi PAR 126's Stellar Veil Ability prevents your Benched Pokemon from having any damage counters placed on them when your opponent attacks with a Basic Pokemon. There is a difference between taking damage and receiving damage counters, so with both of these Pokemon in play, you've covered all of your bases.

Having a full playset of Rare Candy SVI 191 in this deck should come as no surprise, since playing this Item makes it easier to evolve from Tinkatink PAR 83 directly into Tinkaton ex PR-SV 31. This is always a must-have Item in any deck featuring Stage 2 Pokemon.

Since drawing additional cards is needed for this deck to deal maximum damage, this batch of Supporter cards will prove to be very helpful. Morty's Conviction TEF 155 can be used to draw up to five additional cards. Nemona SVI 180 always allows you to draw three cards, plus you'll be able to play her additional times, as you'll soon see. Finally, Iono PAL 185 can help slow down an opponent who has raced ahead in taking Prizes, plus it can possibly be used to draw you a bigger hand than you currently have.

This batch of cards is included to help you find the Pokemon you need. Buddy-Buddy Poffin TEF 144 gets you two Basic Pokemon with 70 HP or less onto your Bench. Nest Ball SVI 181 only gets you one Basic Pokemon to put onto your Bench, but there's nothing limiting the Basic Pokemon you choose. Great Ball PAL 183 can be used to find any Pokemon, but only if that Pokemon is within the top seven cards of your deck.

Continuing with the cards that help you find Pokemon is this next batch of cards. Artazon PAF 76 allows each player to search their deck for a Basic Pokemon without a Rule box to bring into play, once per turn. Even though the type of Pokemon you can search for is dependent on the results of a coin flip, Capturing Aroma SIT 153 is a great way of pulling a Pokemon from your deck into your hand. Arezu LOR 153 is another way of both finding Pokemon you need as well as a way of getting extra cards into your hand. Both effects can be quite useful.

With both Boss’s Orders PAL 172 and Counter Catcher PAR 160, you have the ability to choose which of your opponent's Pokemon you want to attack. Switch SVI 194 can allow you to move a Pokemon back to your Bench, or to move a fully powered Pokemon from your Bench to your Active Spot. It is usually much better to play Switch SVI 194 than to discard Energy to pay a Pokemon's Retreat Cost.

The final pair of Trainer cards help you reuse cards that have gone to your discard pile. With Nemona's Backpack PAF 83, you can specifically put up to two copies of Nemona SVI 180 from your discard pile into your hand, allowing them to be played again. Super Rod PAL 188 is found in most Standard decks because it offers you a way to reuse Pokemon or Basic Energy. By reusing certain cards, you can initially include fewer copies of those cards in your deck, opening up slots for other cards you want to include.

Wrapping Up

If you like drawing cards and dealing tons of damage (and who doesn't like both of these things?), then you'll want to try this deck out. The key thing to remember when playing this deck is the number of cards you'll need to have in your hand in order to Knock Out your opponent's Active pokemon. Be careful not to come up a little short by playing too many cards, and you should have no trouble racking up wins with this deck.

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