Searching Standard: Azumarill

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 Azumarill SSP 74, quite possibly the best single Prize attacker currently in Standard. Let's get started by taking a look at the deck list.

Azumarill SSP 74 has the Double-Edge attack which will deal a whopping 230 damage. The main drawback to using this attack is that it requires four Energy to use. Luckily, thanks to Azumarill SSP 74's Glistening Bubbles Ability, that cost will be reduced to a single Energy if you have any Tera Pokemon in play. And there just happens to be a pair of Tera Pokemon included in this deck...

Both Pikachu ex SSP 57 and Cornerstone Mask Ogerpon ex TWM 112 should generally be played to your Bench and left there so Azumarill SSP 74 can attack more efficiently. There is no way that either of these Pokemon can attack, so try to keep them out of your Active Spot if at all possible.

This deck uses the Bibarel BRS 121 / Skwovet SVI 151 engine to draw extra cards and cycle through the deck. Bibarel BRS 121's Industrious Incisors Ability allows you to draw cards until you have 5 cards in your hand. Skwovet SVI 151 has the Nest Stash Ability, which lets you put your current hand on the bottom of your deck to draw a card. Using both of these Abilities in the same turn allows you to cycle through your deck to find the cards you need.

Luxray PAL 71 is included here as a backup attacker. As long as you have more Prize cards remaining than your opponent, you can play Luxray PAL 71 to your Bench due to its Swelling Flash Ability. It's a great offensive Pokemon. But, if you're looking for some defense, Manaphy BRS 41 has you covered. With its Wave Veil Ability, your Benched Pokemon will be protected from taking any damage when your opponent attacks.

Even though Azumarill SSP 74's Double-Edge attack deals 230 damage, there are times that this isn't enough to Knock Out your opponent's Active Pokemon with a single attack. By attaching either Maximum Belt TEF 154 or Vitality Band SVI 197, you're able to increase the damage output, giving you a better chance of a One Hit Knock Out (OHKO). There's also a copy of Technical Machine: Devolution PAR 177 included which can give you the upper hand over decks relying on Evolution Pokemon and their powerful attacks.

To make sure your attacks are as effective as possible, you can use either Boss’s Orders PAL 172 or Counter Catcher PAR 160 to choose which of your opponent's Pokemon you want to attack. This also allows you the chance of taking multiple Prizes by choosing a Pokemon V or Pokemon ex you're able to Knock Out easily.

A single copy of Hisuian Heavy Ball ASR 146 is included in this deck as a way to ensure that both of your Tera Pokemon aren't trapped within your Prize cards. You'll be in a world of hurt if you don't have access to any Tera Pokemon, and likely unable to attack for multiple turns.

Here we have a standard assortment of Items to help you find the Pokemon you need. Buddy-Buddy Poffin TEF 144 and Nest Ball SVI 181 will help you find the Basic Pokemon from your deck, while Ultra Ball SVI 196 allows you to search for any Pokemon.

Drawing extra cards during your turn is always helpful, and no Supporter is better at consistently allowing you to draw cards than Professor's Research SVI 190. The catch is that you'll need to discard your current hand when you play Professor's Research SVI 190 in order to draw seven new cards. While Iono PAL 185 has the ability to draw you nearly as many cards as Professor's Research SVI 190, her main purpose is resetting your opponent's hand, hopefully at a lower card count than they previously had. This can also slow down your opponent's momentum, giving you a chance to catch up if you're behind.

Playing Arven SVI 166 is a great way to search for a Pokemon Tool you need. As an added bonus, you'll also be able to search for an Item. While Hassel TWM 151 can only be played on a turn following one of your Pokemon getting Knocked Out, the fact that you get to put 3 cards from the top 8 cards of your deck into your hand makes this Supporter very powerful. The cards you don't choose are then shuffled back into your deck, allowing you to have an easier time of drawing cards that you've previously put at the bottom of your deck. Town Store OBF 196 offers you another way to search your deck for a Pokemon Tool, plus another way to shuffle your deck.

This group of cards help you recover if things happen that you can't control. Lost Vacuum CRZ 135 offers you the means of removing either a Stadium or Pokemon Tool that you would refer your opponent to not have access to. Switch SVI 194 gives you a way to move your Pokemon around in the event that your opponent moved a Pokemon you can't attack with to your Active Spot. Rescue Board TEF 159 can be attached to help a Pokemon more mobile, allowing it to move around potentially for free.

The final pair of cards help you reuse things that have gone to your discard pile. Night Stretcher SFA 61 puts a Pokemomon or Basic Energy from your discard pile into your hand, while Super Rod PAL 188 shuffles 3 Pokemon or basic Energy cards into your deck. By reusing cards, you're able to reduce the number of those cards within your deck, opening up spaces for other useful cards to be included.

Wrapping Up

While Azumarill SSP 74 is undeniably a powerful Pokemon, it does require a bit of setup in order to play effectively. This deck has everything needed for that setup, and can pull off some impressive victories. Try it out for yourself.

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