Searching Standard: Skeledirge 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 Skeledirge ex PAL 37 and has the potential to deal 300 damage for just a single Energy. Let's get started by taking a look at the deck list.

Skeledirge ex PAL 37 is the main attacker in this deck. While it has two attacks, you're likely to use Burning Voice more often than Vitality Song. However, since Vitality Song does deal 50 damage to your opponent's Active Pokemon in addition to healing 30 damage from each of your Pokemon, there might be times that the healing will be worth the reduced damage. I mentioned earlier that Skeledirge ex PAL 37 can deal 300 damage for a single Energy, but Burning Voice only deals 270 damage and requires two Energy to use. Keep reading and you'll learn how the extra damage is possible, but first let me explain how to use this attack for only one Energy...

Of course, the answer is by having a copy of Charizard PGO 10 in play. Thanks to its Burn Brightly Ability, any Basic Fire Energy attached to your Pokemon will provide two Fire Energy instead of the usual one. Not only does this allow you to attack with either of Skeledirge ex PAL 37's attacks while only having one Energy attached, but it benefits your whole team. While you might not want to use it often, you'll be able to attack with Charizard PGO 10's Fire Blitz attack with just two Energy attached. This can help out in a pinch, but shouldn't be done too often.

As a means of drawing extra cards, this deck is running the Bibarel BRS 121 / Skwovet SVI 151 combo. With both of these Pokemon on your Bench, you're able to use Skwovet SVI 151's Nest Stash Ability to shuffle your hand and put it on the bottom of your deck to draw one card. After that, you can activate Bibarel BRS 121's Industrious Incisors Ability to draw cards until you have five in your hand. This combo can keep a steady supply of new cards coming your way.

The final Pokemon in this deck serves only one purpose - to keep your Benched Pokemon safe from sniping damage. Manaphy BRS 41's Wave Veil Ability does just this, and you should always keep Manaphy BRS 41 safe and sound on your Bench since it won't be able to attack.

Using a Rare Candy SVI 191 to Evolve into either Skeledirge ex PAL 37 or Charizard PGO 10 can be vitally important to this deck, since each of these Pokemon has only one Stage 1 Pokemon in the deck from which it can Evolve.

Every deck needs a way of finding the Pokemon it needs to have in play to be successful. With Nest Ball SVI 181, you'll be able to search for any Basic Pokemon within your deck. Ultra Ball SVI 196 can be used to find any Pokemon at all. Finally, you can use Artazon PAL 171 once each turn to search for any Pokemon that doesn't have a Rule Box. By remembering the limitations of the Pokemon that each of these can find, you'll be able to use the best one to help you find the Pokemon you need.

Remember earlier when I said I would explain how Skeledirge ex PAL 37's Vitality Song attack could potentially deal 300 damage? The answer is, with the help of Choice Belt PAL 176. Having a Choice Belt PAL 176 attached allows a Pokemon to deal an additional 30 damage to an opponent's Active Pokemon V. So while it might not be dealing extra damage all of the time, you'll get that extra 30 damage when you really need it. You can also play Boss’s Orders PAL 172 to ensure your opponent's Active Pokemon is a Pokemon V (assuming there is one on their Bench), or just play it to score an easy Knock Out.

If the Bibarel BRS 121 / Skwovet SVI 151 combo isn't drawing you enough extra cards, or you don't have it set up yet, there are other ways of drawing additional cards in this deck. Iono PAL 185 can be used to reset both player's hands. It's especially useful as a means of slowing down your opponent if they've taken a few Prize cards. Colress's Experiment LOR 155 is a way for you to essentially draw three new cards while removing two cards from your deck that are the least useful. This can help you draw more useful cards on future turns.

Playing Cheryl BST 123 can be a great way to make sure your Evolution Pokemon have their full HP, but it does come with the drawback of needing to discard all Energy attached to them. Alternatively, you could choose to let one of your Pokemon get Knocked Out. This will allow you to play Raihan EVS 152, which can immediately give you the tools to make big plays on future turns.

The final card in this deck is Super Rod PAL 188, which is seen in many decks. It's a great way to be able to shuffle back Pokemon and Basic Energy from your discard pile into your deck.

Wrapping Up

Big attacks for little amounts of Energy is what this deck is all about. If you can set things up early, you'll be able to take out your opponent's threats before Skeledirge ex PAL 37 takes too much damage and needs to be healed to be useful again. This deck looks super fun to play, and has the tools needed to pack quite a punch.

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