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 Alolan Raticate PGO 42 alongside Brute Bonnet PAR 123, who can Knock Out any opposing Pokemon instantly. Let's get started by taking a look at the deck list.
Instant Knock Out Alolan Raticate Deck
LittleDarkFury
Pokemon
4 Alolan Raticate 42
4 Alolan Rattata 41
2 Bibarel 121
2 Bidoof 111
1 Bloodmoon Ursaluna ex 141
2 Brute Bonnet 123
1 Cleffa 80
1 Fezandipiti ex 38
Trainers
3 Ancient Booster Energy Capsule 159
4 Arven 166
1 Boss’s Orders 172
4 Buddy-Buddy Poffin 144
1 Counter Catcher 160
2 Dark Patch 139
4 Iono 185
3 Nest Ball 84
1 Night Stretcher 61
1 Prime Catcher 119
1 Professor's Research 122
1 Super Rod 188
2 Switch 194
1 Technical Machine: Evolution 178
4 Ultra Ball 91
Energy
3 Basic Darkness Energy
4 Double Turbo Energy 151
3 Reversal Energy 192
This is a combo deck at heart, so be aware of that before you try it out. In order to instantly Knock Out any opposing Pokemon, you'll need to set things up perfectly. You'll want to make your opponent's Active Poisoned with Brute Bonnet PAR 123's Toxic Powder Ability. Then, swap in Alolan Raticate PGO 42 and attack with its Super Fang attack. This attack will put damage counters on your opponent's Active Pokemon until they only have 10 HP remaining. Then, during Pokemon Checkup, the Poisoned condition will deal that last damage counter, Knocking Out your opponent's Active pokemon before they get to their turn.
Since Standard rotation is happening soon (April 11th), this could be your last chance to use Bibarel BRS 121's Industrious Incisors Ability as a means of drawing extra cards. Enjoy it now, because it will soon be gone.
By attacking with Cleffa OBF 80's Grasping Draw attack, you can fill your hand to 7 cards without needing to attach any Energy to Cleffa OBF 80. If your opponent Knock Out Cleffa OBF 80, you'll be set up to take advantage of Reversal Energy PAL 192. Fezandipiti ex SFA 38 is included as both a potential backup attacker, and as a means of drawing extra cards on the turn after you have one of your Pokemon Knocked Out. Bloodmoon Ursaluna ex TWM 141 is a great late game attacker, especially if your opponent has taken a lot of their Prize cards. Its Blood Moon attack can take out nearly any opposing Pokemon and can potentially be used without needing to have any Energy attached.
Our first batch of Trainer cards all help you find the Pokemon you need. Buddy-Buddy Poffin TEF 144 can be used to help you find a pair of low-HP Basic Pokemon. Nest Ball PAF 84 can also find Basic Pokemon, but isn't restricted by HP (or anything else, for that matter) in what it can find. Finally, Ultra Ball PAF 91 can be used to find any Pokemon you need, however you'll likely want to use it to find evolution Pokemon, searching for Basic Pokemon with it only in the most dire of circumstances.
Technical Machine: Evolution PAR 178 is another way you'll be able to search for evolution Pokemon. Plus, it allows you to evolve 2 of your Benched Pokemon. Ancient Booster Energy Capsule PAR 159 is a great Pokemon Tool to attach to Brute Bonnet PAR 123 to keep it safe from Poisoning itself with its Toxic Powder Ability. Since most of the Pokemon you'll be attacking with are Dark Type Pokemon, playing Dark Patch ASR 139 can help accelerate the amount of Energy you have in play.
Since this deck relies on having two different Pokemon in your Active Spot during your turn in order to set up the instant Knock Out combo, you'll want to be able to Knock Out whichever of your opponent's Pokemon will give you the most Prize cards. All of these Trainer cards help with this.
In order to make sure that you have access to both Alolan Raticate PGO 42 and Brute Bonnet PAR 123, you'll want to use Super Rod PAL 188 and Night Stretcher SFA 61 to return them from your discard pile to either your deck or your hand.
Drawing additional cards is always beneficial, so be sure to use Professor's Research PRE 122 to draw 7 new cards whenever you're able to. Iono PAL 185 also allows you to draw new cards during your turn, but she also resets your opponent's hand, which might mess up their plans for the future and can definitely slow down any momentum they might have,
Arven SVI 166 is a great way to be able to search your deck for any Item and Pokemon Tool you might need. Since he gives you two cards, you'll end up gaining card advantage when you play him. Switch SVI 194 is the final Trainer in this deck, and it will be useful quite often for switching Brute Bonnet PAR 123 and Alolan Raticate PGO 42 from your Active Spot.
Wrapping Up
In some ways, this deck is a love letter to some of the Block F cards that are going to be rotating from Standard. Bibarel BRS 121's Industrious Incisors Ability and Double Turbo Energy BRS 151 are both leaving Standard on April 11th, leaving some pretty big shoes to fill. Hopefully some suitable replacements come along soon.
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
