Searching Standard: Chien-Pao EX

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 Chien-Pao ex PAL 61, who can Knock Out any opposing Pokemon with a single attack. Let's get started by taking a look at the deck.

Chien-Pao ex PAL 61 is the main attacker for this deck. With its Hail Blade attack, you will deal 60 damage to your opponent's Active Pokemon for each Water Energy you discard from any of your Pokemon. This can allow you to deal a massive amount of damage with a single attack, resulting in a One-Hit Knock Out (OHKO). Chien-Pao ex PAL 61 also has the Shivery Chill Ability, which allows you to search your deck for up to two Basic Water Energy cards to put into your hand. This can be especially useful with our next Pokemon...

By using Baxcalibur PAL 60's Super Cold Ability, you can attach as many Basic Water Energy cards from your hand to your Pokemon however you would like. Not only does this provide you with enough Energy for Chien-Pao ex PAL 61 to Knock Out any opposing Pokemon, but you can also power up some back-up attackers.

One such back-up attacker is Origin Forme Palkia VSTAR ASR 40. Its Subspace Swell attack can hit for a fair amount of damage, dealing a base amount of 60 damage plus an additional 20 damage for each Benched Pokemon you and your opponent has in play. Origin Forme Palkia VSTAR ASR 40 also has the Star Portal Ability VSTAR Power, which you can use to attach up to three Water Energy cards from your discard pile to your Water Type pokemon however you would like. Since Chien-Pao ex PAL 61's Hail Blade attack requires you to discard Energy to deal damage, getting Energy back from your discard pile is extremely important.

Kyogre CRZ 36 and Radiant Greninja ASR 46 are the other back-up attackers for this deck. Kyogre CRZ 36 has the Dynamic Wave attack which will put three Energy attached to Kyogre CRZ 36 back into your hand when you use it. This is generally not a problem while Baxcalibur PAL 60 is in play. Dynamic Wave deals 180 damage to any of your opponent's Pokemon in play, so feel free to target a Benched Pokemon that you can Knock out with this attack. Radiant Greninja ASR 46 can also attack your opponent's Bench with its Moonlight Shuriken attack, dealing 90 damage to two of your opponent's Pokemon. This attack does require you to discard two Energy from Radiant Greninja ASR 46, so you won't want to use this attack constantly. Radiant Greninja ASR 46 also has the Concealed Cards Ability, which can be used to help draw additional cards.

Another way to draw additional cards is with the help of Bibarel BRS 121's Industrious Incisors Ability. Use this Ability each turn, if possible. Lumineon V BRS 40's Luminous Sign Ability is also useful, helping you get a Supporter from your deck to put into your hand. Next, I have one of the best Supporters for you to find...

Irida ASR 147 allows you to search your deck for a Water Type Pokemon and an Item to put into your hand. She can be very helpful if you need to Evolve Frigibax PAL 57, as you can find both Baxcalibur PAL 60 and the Rare Candy SVI 191 you need to Evolve.

In order to get the Pokemon you need into play as quickly as possible, this batch of cards can help. On your first turn, you can play Battle VIP Pass FST 225. This allows you to search your deck for up to two Basic Pokemon to put onto your Bench. If you can find what you need on your first turn, later on you can play Nest Ball SVI 181, which will also put a Basic Pokemon from your deck onto your Bench, or Ultra Ball SVI 196, which lets you search your deck for any Pokemon to put into your hand.

Since attacking with Chien-Pao ex PAL 61 requires you to discard Energy to deal damage, it's important to have ways of reusing that Energy. Superior Energy Retrieval PAL 189 allows you to put up to four Basic Energy cards from your discard pile back into your hand. Super Rod PAL 188 can get back three Basic Energy, but shuffles them back into your deck instead of putting them into your hand. It can also get Pokemon back as well. Finally, Skaters' Park FST 242 allows you to put any Basic Energy that would be discarded due to Retreating back into your hand.

By playing Boss’s Orders PAL 172, you can choose which of your opponent's Benched Pokemon to move to their Active Spot, ensuring you can score a Knock Out. Similarly, you can use Escape Rope BST 125 to switch your opponent's Active Pokemon with one from their Bench, but they will decide which one becomes Active. You'll also have to switch your Pokemon as well, so make sure you have a powered up attacker on your Bench. Otherwise, you might need to play Switch SVI 194 to move your attacker from your Bench to your Active Spot.

Iono PAL 185 is a new card that helps disrupt your opponent's hand, while also providing you with new cards. It's best to play Iono PAL 185 when doing so will reduce the number of cards in your opponent's hand, but there might be times that this isn't possible.

These last few Trainer cards can be very useful, helping you gain an advantage over your opponent. Attaching Bravery Charm PAL 173 to Chien-Pao ex PAL 61 brings its HP to 270, which is just out of reach for most attackers to Knock it Out with one attack. Lost Vacuum LOR 162 can be played to counter a Bravery Charm PAL 173 your opponent has played, or to remove any other Pokemon Tool or Stadium currently in play. The card removed is sent to the Lost Zone, so it won't be able to be played again for the remainder of the game. Similarly, with Lost City LOR 161 in play, any Pokemon that are Knocked Out will go to the Lost Zone, so there will be no way to retrieve them to play them again.

Wrapping Up

Fast and consistent, this deck looks to be one of the best decks currently played in Standard. It is effective against most decks, able to Knock Out any Pokemon with a single attack, and against a Fire Type Deck, the results will be devastating.

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