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 Noivern JTG 128, who is capable of attacking without having any Energy attached. Let's get started by taking a look at the deck list.
Noivern 0-Energy Attack
LittleDarkFury
Pokemon
1 Bloodmoon Ursaluna ex 141
1 Budew 4
1 Cleffa 80
2 Froslass 53
1 Maractus 8
2 Munkidori 95
4 Noibat 152
4 Noivern 128
1 Noivern ex 69
2 Snorunt 51
Trainers
4 Arven 186
1 Boss’s Orders 172
4 Buddy-Buddy Poffin 144
2 Counter Catcher 160
1 Earthen Vessel 163
4 Iono 185
2 Judge 176
2 Nest Ball 181
1 Night Stretcher 61
2 Pokégear 3.0 186
4 Professor's Research 122
2 Super Rod 188
1 Switch 194
1 Technical Machine: Devolution 177
3 Ultra Ball 196
1 Unfair Stamp 165
Energy
4 Darkness Energy
2 Reversal Energy 192
Noivern JTG 128's Tuning Echo Ability allows you to attack with its Frightening Howl attack for free, provided that you have the same number of cards in your hand as your opponent. While this can sometimes be difficult to accomplish, it can be manageable by paying attention during the match and not overplaying your hand. Frightening Howl deals 110 damage and makes your opponent's Active Pokemon Confused, which is great when this attack needs no Energy to use. One copy of Noivern ex PAF 69 is included in this deck as an alternate attacker, and both of its attacks can be pretty useful.
As a backup finisher, Bloodmoon Ursaluna ex TWM 141 can certainly get the job done. Plus, thanks to its Seasoned Skill Ability, you might be able to use its Blood Moon attack for free.
Both Budew PRE 4 and Cleffa OBF 80 also have attacks that can be used without having any Energy attached to these Pokemon. Budew PRE 4 is a great early game attacker due to its Itchy Pollen attack. While it might only deal 10 damage, it also prevents your opponent from playing any Item cards from their hand during their next turn. Cleffa OBF 80 has the Grasping Draw attack, which might not deal any damage, but it sure can help refill your hand. Then you have Maractus JTG 8, who has a small attack in Corner. However, Maractus JTG 8 really shines due to its Exploding Needles Ability which will place 6 damage counters on your opponent's Active pokemon if that Pokemon Knocks Out Maractus JTG 8 with damage from an attack while Maractus JTG 8 is in your Active Spot. Extra incidental damage when a Pokemon gets Knocked Out should never be overlooked.
For even more incidental damage, you have a pair of Froslass TWM 53. During Pokemon Checkup, Froslass TWM 53's Freezing Shroud Ability will trigger, placing 1 damage counter on each Pokemon in play with an Ability, except Froslass. While that incidental damage affects your Pokemon as well as your opponent's, you have a way to help mitigate some of it. That is by using Munkidori TWM 95's Adrena-Brain Ability to move 3 damage counters from one of your Pokemon to one of your opponent's Pokemon. You can spread that damage around or target a Pokemon with it each turn until you get a Knock Out.
This first batch of Trainer cards all help you achieve the same number of cards in your hand as your opponent more easily. Judge SVI 176 resets each player's hand to 4 cards, making it easy to use Noivern JTG 128's Frightening Howl attack for free immediately. Iono PAL 185 can do the same, provided that you both have taken the same number of prize cards. Unfair Stamp TWM 165 resets your hand to 5 cards and your opponent's hand to 2 cards, which isn't too big of a barrier for you to overcome.
If your opponent has a lot of cards in their hand, Professor's Research PRE 122 will be your best friend. It's also a great way to draw a lot of cards from your deck if there's something specific you're looking for. Arven OBF 186 offers you a way to search for specific Item and Pokemon Tool cards from your deck. If you are able to find both, you'll end up with one more card in your hand than you had before playing Arven OBF 186. Playing Pokégear 3.0 SVI 186 can be a great way of finding either of these Supporters, or even the next card down.
Boss’s Orders PAL 172 is a great way for you to choose a Pokemon from your opponent's Bench that you want to attack. Counter Catcher PAR 160 performs almost the same function, but you have to be behind on taking Prize cards and it doesn't use up your Supporter play for the turn. There's a lone copy of Switch SVI 194 for you to use in the event that your opponent messes with your plans by moving a Pokemon from your Bench to your Active Spot.
This batch of Items all help you find the Pokemon you need from within your deck. Buddy-Buddy Poffin TEF 144 and Nest Ball SVI 181 can be used to find only Basic Pokemon, while Ultra Ball SVI 196 is capable of finding any Pokemon you need. You can also play Ultra Ball SVI 196 and not put a Pokemon from your deck into your hand if you need to shed 3 cards from your hand.
Earthen Vessel PAR 163 is another Item that you can use to find what you need. In this case, what you need is Basic Energy cards. The single copy of Technical Machine: Devolution PAR 177 acts as a great counter to decks that run a lot of Stage 2 Pokemon and rely on Rare Candy to Evolve them.
The final pair of Items in this deck are Night Stretcher SFA 61 and Super Rod PAL 188, which both allow you to utilize cards that have gone to your discard pile, whether through playing them or using them as a discard cost. Getting an additional use from a card in your discard pile can help you open up spaces in your deck for other cards you might need.
Wrapping Up
I won't deny, this deck requires a little bit of luck to play, but there are lots of ways to help keep luck on your side in this deck. There's also a decent amount of Energy in the deck, so if you find that you have trouble matching the number of cards you have with the number your opponent has, all hope is not lost.
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
