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 ForTheWinTCG. It features Slowking SCR 58 using the Seek Inspiration attack to utilize a lot of different attacks. Let's get started by taking a look at the deck list.
Slowking "Seek Inspiration"
ForTheWinTCG
Pokemon
2 Budew PRE 4
1 Conkeldurr TWM 105
1 Fezandipiti ex SFA 38
2 Kyurem SFA 47
1 Latias ex SSP 76
2 Natu PAR 71
1 Regigigas PRE 86
3 Slowking SCR 58
3 Slowpoke SVI 42
2 Squawkabilly ex PAL 169
1 Tatsugiri TWM 131
2 Xatu PAF 26Trainers
4 Academy at Night SFA 54
4 Buddy-Buddy Poffin TEF 144
1 Colress's Tenacity SFA 57
2 Lana's Aid TWM 155
2 Nest Ball SVI 181
4 Night Stretcher SFA 61
1 Penny SVI 183
4 Professor's Research PRE 122
2 Surfer SSP 187
4 Ultra Ball SVI 196Energy
6 Basic Psychic Energy
1 Enriching Energy SSP 191
4 Jet Energy PAL 190
The objective of this deck is to use Slowking SCR 58's Seek Inspiration attack to copy a variety of different attacks of other Pokemon for maximum value. This is a combo deck at heart, and you need to be aware of that going in. You'll need to work for each victory, searching out the cards you need from your deck to maximize the effects of Slowking SCR 58's Seek Inspiration attack.
This group of Pokemon all have attacks that you'll want to use as a replacement for Slowking SCR 58's Seek Inspiration attack. Kyurem SFA 47's Trifrost attack is a great way to spread a lot of damage across your opponent's team. You'll often be able to Knock Out multiple Pokemon at once with this attack. Conkeldurr TWM 105's Gutsy Swing attack hits like a ton of bricks, dealing 250 damage to your opponent's Active Pokemon. Regigigas PRE 86 has the Jewel Breaker attack which deals extra damage to an opponent's Tera Pokemon, allowing you to Knock it Out in one attack most of the time.
Helping your Slowking SCR 58 stay fully powered up is Xatu PAF 26. By using Xatu PAF 26's Clairvoyant Sense Ability, you can attach a Basic Psychic Energy from your hand to one of your Benched Pokemon and also draw 2 cards. Accelerate your Energy and draw extra cards at the same time.
Budew PRE 4 is a great Pokemon to start the game with. By using its Itchy Pollen attack, you'll only deal a minimal 10 damage to your opponent's Active pokemon. More importantly, though, your opponent won't be able to play any Item cards from their hand during their next turn. This makes it more difficult for them to search their deck for Pokemon or Energy, which can keep them from gaining momentum. Latias ex SSP 76 is included to offer some mobility for your team. Its Skyliner Ability allows your Basic Pokemon to Retreat for free, allowing you to power your team up from the relative safety of your Bench, then using this Ability to move to your Active Spot once you're ready to go on the offensive.
The remaining Pokemon are all included for the use of their Abilities. Squawkabilly ex PAL 169's Squawk and Seize Ability can be used on your first turn of the game to help you more easily find the cards you need. Fezandipiti ex SFA 38's Flip the Script Ability helps you recover the turn after you suffer a Knock Out. Finally, Tatsugiri TWM 131's Attract Customers Ability can help you find the Supporters you need from the top 6 cards of your deck.
For Slowking SCR 58's Seek Inspiration attack to work effectively, you'll need to have a Pokemon on top of your deck that you can discard for the attack. Academy at Night SFA 54 helps with this, allowing you to put any card from your hand on the top of your deck during your turn before you attack. This is the only guaranteed way to ensure Slowking SCR 58's Seek Inspiration attack will work as intended.
Both Surfer SSP 187 and Enriching Energy SSP 191 offer you ways of drawing additional cards, helping you find what you need more quickly. Jet Energy PAL 190 offers you a great way to move a powered up Slowking SCR 58 from your Bench to your Active Spot without needing to pay any Retreat Cost.
This batch of cards are the typical cards found in most decks to help you find the Pokemon you need. Each of them has a limitation of what they can find or a cost to use, but by keeping those things in mind, you'll be able to use the right card for the job.
Professor's Research PRE 122 offers you the means of drawing a new hand of 7 cards, but requires you to discard your current hand first. It can be a steep price to pay, but there are ways to mitigate this. Playing Colress's Tenacity SFA 57 offers you a way to find Academy at Night SFA 54 plus any Energy card you want to put into your hand.
Lana's Aid TWM 155 provides you the ability to return any combination of Pokemon that don't have a Rule Box and Basic Energy from your discard pile to your hand. You'll most often want to use this to return Kyurem SFA 47, Conkeldurr TWM 105, and Regigigas PRE 86, so you can use their attacks again. Similarly, Night Stretcher SFA 61 can return any one Pokemon or Basic Energy to your hand. Finally, a single copy of Penny SVI 183 is included as a safeguard to help prevent your opponent from taking a Prize card if one of your Basic Pokemon is in danger of getting Knocked Out. She can also be useful in opening up your Active Spot if you need to move a powered up Slowking SCR 58 there to be able to attack.
Wrapping Up
This deck is very combo heavy, and you'll need to play at your best to be able to pilot it effectively. If you like a challenge, and this sounds fun to you, give this deck a try. It has all of the tools needed to take on any competitor.
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
