SINGLE CARD STRATEGY - DARK VILEPLUME

-----INTRODUCTION

60 HP / STAGE II

Pokémon Power: Hay Fever
No trainer cards can be played.  This power stops working while Dark
Vileplume is asleep, Confused, or Paralysed

3 Grass Energy  - Petal Whirlwind   30x
Flip three coins.  this attack does 30 damage times the number of heads.  If
you get two or more heads, Dark Vileplume is now Confused (after doing
damage).

Retreat     - 2
Weakness    - Fire / Fighting (error card)


-----USES OF HAY FEVER

The use of Hay Fever stops all play of trainers.  In order for this to work
to your advantage, you have to build a deck without trainers.

This sounds bad.  But without the 20+ trainers most decks seem to now contain
(including my own), that's 20+ spaces you can fill with energy and Pokémon.

At least a third of your opponent's deck will be useless, and (s)he will have
massive Pokémon and energy problems if their strategy revolves around those
trainers (as it all too frequently does).  Your deck will not have these
problems, if it is well designed... Read on!


-----POSSIBLE DECK STRATEGIES

Every DV deck I've seen so far tries to build archetypes such as Haymaker
without the trainers.  Bad strategy.  No current archetype can be converted
to a trainerless version of itself.  A new way of thinking is required in
order for the trainerless deck to triumph...

Possible deck themes that could be used need to focus on replacing needed or
useful trainers with Pokémon that have similar abilities to those trainers. 
Four possible themes could include:

STATUS EFFECTS DECK
Good Pokémon to use here would be Magmar (F), Koffing (B), Tangela, and Dark
Muk.  There are many others... these are just some of the ones i thought of
in 10 seconds.

ZERO RETREAT DECK
Imagine multiple Dodrio's; let the damage build up on one then attack with
retreating Rage while bringing up another Dodrio. The benched Dodrio will not
get knocked out - your oppoent can't use GoW, plupower... or any other
trainers!  A bench attacking deck may work against you, but without the
trainers...

Butterfree becomes an awesome Pokémon when no trainers are played: two great
attacks that mimic trainers, zero retreat and resistance to fighting. 
Weakness to fire is no big deal - it need not stay active against Fire
Pokémon.  it's only draw back is that it's a stage II.  With no ER allowed,
Megadrain just became an awesome attack.

ENERGY ADVANTAGE DECK
Consider using TR Charmander's Pokémon Power Gather Fire to move energy to
itself before your current active gets knocked out.  You can prepare for
Charmelion (B) while still energising other Pokémon on your bench.

Although Venusaur takes a while to get out, Ivysaur is pretty cool without
trainers to hurt it, and the eventual use of Energy Trans is awesome.

CLEANER
All Cleaners get a major boost with the inclusion of a DV theme.


With all those spaces in the deck, it is possible to combine several themes. 
Any deck would have to have the following structure:

4 Oddish
4 Dark Vileplume
4 Computer Search
4 Pokémon Breeder

18-20 Pokémon, 24-26 Energy

The best energy combinations are Grass and Fire, or Grass and Psychic.  Four
Colourless Energy and Colourless Pokémon should be included to help with the
energy advantage, and replace some of those trainer-effects (Full Heal Energy
is great here... Potion Energy is still somewhat poor).


-----CONCLUSIONS

What are the weaknesses of the deck?

Fossil Muk and first turn Goop Gas Attack.  Fossil Muk isn't that common; if
it is, using a Psychic and Grass theme should take care of it.

First turn Goop Gas Attack.  It may happen.  Goop Gas Attack is going to
become a very popular trainer.  Delays you an extra turn.

Some players think DV decks will not work because it only has 60 HP.  DV's
never going to be active, unless it gets a Whirlwind attack from a Pidgey or
a Drag Out from a Dark Machoke... Hardly popular cards, are they?

Comments are always appreciated and e-mails are always replied to.


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