>Hey Spike yo Vulpix.
>
>This is a deck that I have only used a couple of
>times, but it seems to be one of the best decks I've
>created yet, with the ability to destroy anything in
>its path.
>
>Pokemon (20)
>(2)Dark Wheezing
>(4)Base Set Koffing
>(2)Jungle Scyther
>(2)Fossil Grimer
>(2)Fossil Haunter
>(4)Fossil Gastly
>(4)Team Rocket Abra
>Trainers (14)
>(2)Energy Search
>(3)Pokemon Trader
>(3)Gust of Wind
>(4)Bill
>(2)The Boss's Way
>Energy (26)
>(14) Grass Energy
>(12) Psycic Energy
>
>    The main goal of this deck is to do any status
>changing attacks to the opponents active pokemon to
>either stop their attacking runs or stall yourself for
>the right card.  My main goal to start off, is to
>start with a Gastly, Abra, Scyther, or Grimer, mostly
>for retreat purposes and their paralyzing, low energy
>cost attacks.  Later on, pull out some
>Koffings/Wheezings/Haunters to completely shut down
>their attacks.  I haven't found any problems with this
>deck exept weakness to psy and, although I've never
>seen one used, a Dark Vileplume deck.

***

This deck caught my eye. Why? It's one of the first decks I've seen to use Dark Weezing, which is in my opinion one of the better cards to come out of Rocket.

1) Dark Weezing and Dark Arbok are two of the only cards that didn't get their HP screwed over when they were reworked for Rocket. Is it because they're Team Rocket's signature Pokemon, or just because their HP was already so low? You tell me... At any rate, Dark Weezing represents a significant improvement over its Fossil counterpart. Its first attack is okay in a pinch and its second one is like Base Set Koffing on crack. This is one of the few Rocket cards that I've seen extensively in use, and from what I saw, the 60 HP didn't hold it down as much as you might expect. The trick is to have good starters, so that by the time Weezing goes active, it's got 3 energy on it and is ready to start smacking your opponent up with status effects.

Forgive me for that little speech. At any rate... Dark Weezing good. 'Nuff said. Now, as for the rest. Scyther I like. Grimer I don't like, with nothing to evolve him into. Haunter I like, for obvious reasons. Abra I don't, for the same reason as Grimer. Here I'd recommend the removal of Grimer and Abra and the addition of a couple more Scythers. Actually, no... stay with 3 Scythers and put in a couple of everybody's absorbing friend, Movie Mewtwo. Now drop one of your families to 3-2 and bump the other to 4-3. I'd go with Weezing 3-2 and Haunter 4-3. That rounds out your Pokemon nicely.

2) Drop Energy Search. Bad. Also drop Trader and The Boss' Way. Why? Simply put, you want versatility. The Boss's Way can search for exactly one card in this deck: Dark Weezing. If you need anything else at all, you're screwed. Trader is a bit more versatile, but not by much. Computer Search is generally better. Now, you need Oaks. Stick in 3 of the suckers. Why? Because I said so. *smack* Energy removal goes in next. Now comes GOW, for bringing up threats and slapping them with status effects or something worse. PlusPower goes in because your attacks are relatively weak, and just because it's a fun card. Item Finder takes over when we have any space at the end. Maybe Energy Retrieval too, because of two colors?

3) Too... much... energy. This deck doesn't hog energy in the first place, and you really want your four DCE for Scyther. You don't need much psy energy at all, so keep this in mind.

***

17 Pokemon:

3 Koffing
2 Dark Weezing
4 Gastly
3 Haunter
3 Scyther
2 Mewtwo

20 Trainers:

3 Bill
3 Oak
2 Computer Search
4 Energy Removal
2 GOW
3 PlusPower
2 Energy Retrieval
1 Item Finder

23 Energy:

8 Psychic Energy
11 Grass Energy
4 DCE

***

Good deck concept. It should be pretty well tuned now. I wish you the best.



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