Well

Well, this is Eric Williamson. I know I haven't written any articles lately, but with Summer Travels and everything I've been sans internet for too long! Anyway, I'm back today with a look at a theme deck from the newest expansion, Gym Heroes. Ironically, I chose Erika's Deck. So if I wrote a Killer Deck report, it would say that Eric played Erika to get 3 cards and win the game...weird...

WOW! That was my first impression on buying Erika's Theme Deck from the new Gym Heroes Expansion. Wizards deserves credit for this one--they built a great deck. This has to be one of the best Preconstructed Decks I have used in ANY game, even better than Rebel's Call. (You Magic people know what I mean about that one.)

The Trainers leave a little to be desired (Erika is the only card drawing, and she give your opponent cards too, and even though Potion and Switch are the best cards, they at least fit with the deck theme of healing and Status Effects. Poké Ball, on the other hand, provides a MUCH less than reliable Search Engine and could easily have been replaced...), but the Pokémon are great!

Speaking of card drawing, Erika's Exeggutor's Psychic Exchange is like a Gambler without the coin flip. Of course, it means you can't attack to do damage, but if you are desparate to get that certain card it may be worth it. Plus, it only takes P to do.

The Erika's Vileplume family tree (pun intended) is balanced, although I would have preferred two of the Lv. 24 Erika's Glooms instead of one each of the Lv. 24 and the Lv. 28. But in this deck, each one has a time when it is useful. The Lv. 24 Gloom has lower HP, but Magic Pollen has a 50% chance of a Status Effect of YOUR CHOICE as well as a guaranteed 30 damage! the Lv. 28 Gloom has two great automatic Status Effects in Dream Dance (Sleep and 10 Damage) and Vile Smell (Confusion and 30 Damage), but both also Effects itself. However, if Celadon City Gym is out, you can heal the Lv. 28 Gloom by discarding an Energy. Both Glooms are situational, but I prefer the Lv. 24 Gloom because it doesn't Effect itself. Erika's Vileplume has a really cool Power, and a 30 damaging Mega Drain is very cool. Remove 20 damage per turn. Enough said.

(As a side note, here's a cool combo--attach a Full Heal Energy to Erika's Gloom Lv. 28 to cure it on one turn from it's own attack, then you can use an attack and heal it again on the next turn by discarding the Full Heal Energy if Celadon City Gym is out! Two Heals for the price of one!)

The Erika's Weepinbell Family is also strong. It could be stronger by using the other Erika's Bellsprout (not included in the deck) because it doesn't damage itself, but Erika's Weepinbell Lv. 30 has a SUPER first attack in Sleep Poison, putting the opponent to sleep AND poisoning it. Very nice. 70 HP also makes me like this Weepinbell

Here's a bit of trivia for you--The GB Only Tangela on TCG for Game Boy is in fact Erika's Tangela Lv. 21. Stretch Vine is pretty good in a Status Effect deck when your opponent retreats that poisoned Pokémon after it has taken some damage. I wouldn't have put it in here, but as I use it, I kind of like it.

Then there is the lone Erika's Dratini. The only Single besides Erika's Exeggutor, the one Erika's Dratini will hardly EVER see the light of day. But when Dratini comes out to play, WATCH OUT! This little dragon is like Mini Mr. Mime--any time an attack does 20 or more damage to Erika's Dratini, Strange Barrier reduces that damage TO 10. Barring a Status Effect, he is guaranteed to last at least 40 turns in the active slot.