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 Mega Charizard X ex ME2 13 as an attacker that is capable of finishing off any Pokemon. Let's get started by taking a look at the deck list.
Mega Charizard X ex
LittleDarkFury
Pokemon
2 Buneary 83
2 Charizard ex 125
3 Charmander 7
2 Charmeleon 12
1 Fezandipiti ex 38
1 Mega Charizard X ex 13
2 Mega Lopunny ex 84
1 Oricorio ex 18
2 Pidgeot ex 164
2 Pidgeotto 17
3 Pidgey 16
1 Psyduck 7
1 Tatsugiri 131
Trainers
3 Boss's Orders 114
4 Buddy-Buddy Poffin 144
1 Counter Catcher 160
3 Dawn 87
2 Iono 185
3 Lillie's Determination 119
2 Professor Turo's Scenario 171
3 Rare Candy 125
1 Super Rod 188
1 Superior Energy Retrieval 189
3 Ultra Ball 131
1 Unfair Stamp 165
Energy
6 Basic Fire Energy
4 Jet Energy 190
Mega Charizard X ex ME2 13's Inferno X attack deals 90 damage for each Fire Energy you discard from Mega Charizard X ex ME2 13. This makes it possible to Knock Out any opposing Pokemon. This attack does require a lot of Energy to use when facing certain Pokemon, which is the reason there's only a single copy of Mega Charizard X ex ME2 13 in the deck. Alternately, you have a pair of Charizard ex OBF 125 who can also finish off opponents with ease by using its Burning Darkness attack.
Mega Lopunny ex ME2 84 is typically an early game attacker for this deck. With its Gale Thrust attack, you'll often be able to deal 230 damage while only needing a single Energy. Jet Energy PAL 190 is a great partner for Mega Lopunny ex ME2 84.
Pidgeot ex OBF 164's Quick Search Ability is one of the main ways of finding the cards you need for this deck to run smoothly. Whether you're searching for a specific Supporter or an Energy card, Quick Search is sure to get you what you need.
This last batch of Pokemon are all included primarily for the use of their terrific Abilities. Fezandipiti ex SFA 38's Flip the Script Ability can help you catch up after suffering a Knock Out. Oricorio ex ME2 18's Excited Turbo Ability allows you to quickly power up your Mega Charizard X ex ME2 13. Psyduck MEP 7's Damp Ability protects you against Pokemon that have an Ability that requires that Pokemon to Knock Out itself, usually for some powerful effect. Finally, Tatsugiri TWM 131's Attract Customers Ability helps you find a much-needed Supporter from the top 6 cards of your deck.
To get the pokemon you need from your deck into your hand, this deck includes a variety of options. Buddy-Buddy Poffin TEF 144 can find up to 2 Basic Pokemon who have 70 HP or less. Dawn ME2 87 allows you to search your deck for a Basic Pokemon, a Stage 1 Pokemon, and a Stage 2 Pokemon to put into your hand. Remember, they don't all have to be from the same evolution line. Finally there's Ultra Ball ME1 131 which can find any Pokemon you need from your deck for the simple cost of discarding 2 other cards.
Since this deck relies on Stage 2 pokemon to be most effective, it shouldn't be surprising to see Rare Candy ME1 125. This deck also relies on having access to Basic Fire Energy cards. Both Superior Energy Retrieval PAL 189 and Super Rod PAL 188 allow you a second use of any Basic Fire Energy that has gone to your discard pile.
To make the most of your attacks, you can use both Boss's Orders ME1 114 and Counter Catcher PAR 160 to attack a Pokemon of your choice. Choose a Pokemon you're sure to Knock Out, preferably one that will reward you with multiple Prize cards. If you ever find your own Pokemon about to get Knocked Out, you can play Professor Turo's Scenario PAR 171 to put that Pokemon back into your hand. This can also be a great way of making sure you'll deal extra damage when you use Mega Lopunny ex ME2 84's Gale Thrust attack.
To maintain card advantage over your opponent, this deck includes a few cards that help you draw extra cards while forcing your opponent to lose some of the cards they once had. Both 2 Iono PAL 185 and Unfair Stamp TWM 165 force each player to give up their current hand for a new one. The goal is to end up with more/better cards than you had while your opponent ends up with fewer/worse cards. The final Trainer in this deck is Lillie's Determination ME1 119, who is the best choice currently for pure card-drawing power in Standard.
Wrapping Up
While Mega Charizard X ex ME2 13 plays mostly a supporting role in this deck, you can still see how effective this powerful Pokemon can be. You're likely to get a Knock Out or two before this fan-favorite Pokemon gets itself Knocked Out.
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
