---------- Original Message ----------------------------------
From: "Steve & Vivian Hunt" <menviv@gateway.net>
Reply-To: <menviv@gateway.net>
Date: Thu, 1 Jun 2000 18:09:22 -0700

>Hey Aaron,
>I've got what I think is a killer deck, but I've lost a lot with it.  I was
>wondering if you could help me tweak my deck into an undefeatable adversary.
>Here is what I got so far.
>
>20x Fire energy
>5x Electric Energy
>1x Rainbow Energy
>1x Full Heal Energy
>2x Potion Energy
>1x Double Colorless Energy
>
>3x Charmander(Rocket)
>3x Dark Charmeleon
>2x Dark Charizard
>2x Ponyta(Rocket)
>2x Dark Rapidash
>2x Dratini(Rocket)
>1x Dark Dragonair
>2x Magnemite(Rocket)
>1x Dark Magneton
>2x Eevee(Rocket)
>1x Dark Jolteon
>
>2x Goop Gas Attack
>1x Energy Retrieval
>3x Nightly Garbage Run
>2x Scoop Up
>1x Bill
>
>If you have any improvements that would be great.
>Thanks
>Christian
>
>


----------------

Hmmm, looks like Christian's "Killer Deck" could use a quick refresher course in my School of Higher Learning.  Let's start with rule #1

Have Fun!

As we all know, the best way to have fun while playing this game is to win!  How do we do that?  Keep on reading...

Rule #2, 14 Pokemon

The reason for this rule is fairly simple.  14 Pokemon ensures you will consistently have Pokemon in your opening hand so you don't mulligan.  You normally DO NOT want to muligan as it gives your opponent the advantage by starting with 2 more cards than you!

Chrisian's deck uses a whopping 21 Pokemon!  While he certainly won't have to worry about Muligan's, playing with that many Pokemon is usually overkill.  What I mean by this is I've never seen a match where in order to win you had to use that many Pokemon cards to win.  The majority of those extra Pokemon will sit uselessly in your hand as dead cards once your bench is full! 

Rule #3 has been totally disregarded in this deck.  20 Trainers in a deck is THE MINIMUM a deck should run, regardless if you are a newbie or a veteran player.  The one thing common to all good decks is lot's of Trainers.  A decks strategy can really be seen by the choice of trainers in a deck.  A deck that tries to outrace the opponent is going to use card drawing cards like Bill, Prof Oak, Computer Search for a quick win.  Decks that try to disrupt your opponent's strategy will use Trainers like Energy Removal, Gust of Wind, and Lass.  Stall decks are sure to use cards like Scoop Up, Pokemon Center, and more to prevent your opponent from drawing all their prizes and eventually they will run out of cards. 

Here's my "fix" based off these rules...

4 Fossil Magmars<--- he's common, he's great, Fire decks should use him!
4 TR Voltorb<--- good "haymaker" pokemon with 20 damage attack
3 Base Electrode<--- powerful and easy to trade for
3 Scyther<---necessary for Fighting Resistance

4 Bill<--- helps keep your hand full of cards
4 Plus Power<---great way to win the race by drawing prizes faster
4 Energy Removal<---slows opponent while you keep attacking!
3 Gust of Wind<---great way to finish a retreated Pokemon
3 Computer Search<---helps find "key" cards when you need them!
2 Professor Oak<---once you've emptied your hand, refill!

14 Electric
9 Fire
3 Energy Retrieval

Strategy:  a fun version of "poor man's haymaker".  The point of the deck is to use cheap, strong attacks along with offensive trainers to win the game. 

Hope this helps...have fun!
Aaron