Searching Standard: Magikarp Budget Deck

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 The Sableyes. It features Magikarp PGO 21 dealing tons of damage. Let's get started by taking a look at the deck.

I never thought I'd be saying this, but Magikarp PGO 21 is the main attacker for this deck. By using its Raging Fin attack, you can deal a maximum of 220 damage, without having any items attached. That's pretty good for a Pokemon with only 30 HP. As you'll see, there are lots of ways to draw and get copies of Magikarp and Gyarados into your discard pile.

Ditto PGO 53 is a great alternative attacker. By using Ditto PGO 53's Sudden Transformation Ability, you'll be able to attack with Magikarp PGO 21's Raging Fin attack and deal even more potential damage than Magikarp PGO 21 can. Ditto PGO 53's maximum damage output is 250 damage, without any attachments. You'll be able to Knock Out opposing Pokemon VMAX with a couple of attacks, likely losing Ditto PGO 53 or Magikarp PGO 21 in the process, but you'll be able to take more Prize cards than your opponent will.

The rest of the Pokemon in this deck are mainly used for their Abilities. Manaphy BRS 41's Wave Veil Ability will help keep your Benched Pokemon safe from any damage your opponent's attacks might send their way. By using Cinccino SSH 147's Make Do Ability, you'll be able to discard any extra Magikarp PGO 21 or Gyarados PGO 22 in your hand, while also digging through your deck for additional copies.

Level Ball BST 129 can help you find any Pokemon from within your deck except for Gyarados PGO 22. Similarly, Quick Ball SSH 179 can do the same, but it can't be used to find Cinccino SSH 147. Quick Ball SSH 179 also helps with discarding.

Evolution Incense SSH 163 will help you find both Cinccino SSH 147 and Gyarados PGO 22. Ultra Ball BRS 150 allows you to dump a couple of cards into your discard pile in order to find any Pokemon from your deck. With both Ultra Ball BRS 150 and Quick Ball SSH 179, you might discard a copy of Magikarp PGO 21 or Gyarados PGO 22 only to search for another one to put into your hand.

Choice Belt BRS 135 can be attached to either Magikarp PGO 21 or Ditto PGO 53 to grant you extra damage when you attack your opponent's Pokemon V. Air Balloon SSH 156 should held onto until you need to attach it to a Pokemon in your Active Spot that cannot attack. Retreat that Pokemon for free and move up a Pokemon that is able to attack.

In order to get enough copies of Magikarp PGO 21 and Gyarados PGO 22 into your discard pile, you'll need to rely on this batch of cards to help you draw additional cards. Professor's Research BRS 147 offers you the means of discarding multiple copies of Magikarp PGO 21 and Gyarados PGO 22 at once, refilling your hand with seven new cards once you've discarded. Cynthia's Ambition BRS 138 can be used to draw either five or eight cards from your deck, depending on whether you had a Pokemon get Knocked Out on your opponent's last turn. When you play Trekking Shoes ASR 156, you might get lucky and find a Magikarp PGO 21 or Gyarados PGO 22 on top of your deck, ready to be discarded. You might also end up drawing a copy of one of these Pokemon instead, which you'll need to discard later.

Being able to target an opponent's Pokemon V or VMAX is important for this deck. That makes Boss's Orders BRS 132 a very valuable card to play. If you've played a card that allows you to search your deck, you'll want to make a mental note of the number of Magikarp PGO 21 and Gyarados PGO 22 you see. That way you'll know if you need to play Peonia CRE 149 to get any of them out of your Prize cards. Path to the Peak CRE 148 will be very helpful against certain decks, but against others, it might be useless. Remember that you can play it to remove an opponent's Stadium.

The last batch of Trainer cards are all useful for returning things from your discard pile. Pal Pad SSH 172 lets you shuffle back a pair of Supporter cards into your deck. Boss's Orders BRS 132 is a great choice, but you might choose something else depending on your circumstances. Rescue Carrier EVS 154 can be a great way to return a couple of Ditto PGO 53 to your hand. Finally, with Roseanne's Backup BRS 148 you get a lot of flexibility in what you can shuffle back into your deck. Don't wait until you can choose all four things to play this card, because even getting one, two, or three things with it can help you win the game.

Wrapping Up

While this deck likely won't ever become a top tier deck, it is a great rogue option to play. Plus, since it's a budget deck, it's a great deck to play when you want to switch things up. It has the tools you need to win, and you're likely to end up with some killer stories by playing 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