Deck Profile: “Good Stuff” Noivern-GX

Deck Profile 3 Minutes

I’ve been working on a Noivern-GX deck since it was spoiled for Burning Shadows.  Originally, it was based on the idea that item-lock through a damage dealing Partner, like Seismitoad-EX, would be a very powerful archetype; however, Seismitoad-EX needs ready access to Double Colorless Energy to run efficiently and I figured Noivern-GX would be more effective due to Evolved Dragons having access to more “Double Rainbow”-type Energy (Double Dragon, Scramble, Double Rainbow) than any other type of Pokemon.

Shifting Priorities

Upon playing the first game or two, I quickly realized that item-lock isn’t as good as expected in Partner Battles because cards are played as written and it is often better to play older Trainer cards that don’t have the “item” subtype (Computer Search, Junk Arm, Luxury Ball). While item-lock is less powerful in this format, it’s not completely useless because it locks out, among others, VS Seeker, Dowsing Machine, Battle Compressor & Ultra Ball.

Upon this realization, the way the deck is played drastically changed, which also informed some changes to the current decklist. Instead of trying to have a Noivern-GX always set-up to attack with Distort, it is used at opportune times to lock opponent’s out of critical cards. Noivern-GX is also used for its surprisingly powerful Boomburst GX attack, often knocking out the Active Pokemon + 1 or 2 benched Basics. Just having access to Boomburst GX makes your opponent play differently.

Alternative Attackers

The deck really needed to be fleshed out with attackers since Noivern-GX had become a secondary/tech attacker. Luckily, our deck type identity contains (probably) the best attacker type in the game – Darkness. With Darkness, we have access to Yveltal-EX, both Darkrai-EX (Dark Pulse & Night Spear), Darkrai-GX, both baby Yveltal (Oblivion Wing & Pitch-Black Spear) & Yveltal BREAK.
Note: We’ll also be getting a (Darkness) Hoopa and new Yveltal in Shining Legends.

With this lineup of attackers, this deck is almost always set-up to push massive damage, even if the opponent manages to take a Knock Out on one of our attackers.

The Tech

If Darkness is the best type for attackers, then Psychic is the best type for tech cards.

  • Wobbuffet and both Garbotoxin Garbodors give us a lot of ability-lock options.
  • Slowking’s pseudo trainer-lock pairs nicely with Noivern’s item-lock.
  • Tapu Lele-GX provides a way to tutor necessary Supporters in some match-ups.
  • Uxie has another “Set Up” draw ability so we essentially have 2 Shaymin-EX.
  • Smoochum is a great pivot with the “Baby Pokemon” flip-to-attack-it effect.
  • Unown is just another cycle card. It can probably be cut if more room is needed.
  • Mew-EX can become anything we need and it can perform many attacks from our opponent with Rainbow Energy and Blend Energy.

Since we are building into the Garbodor line, we also get to include Trashalanche Garbodor as another powerful late-game attacker.

Standard Training

The trainers are pretty close to what I’ve come to believe is a “standard” layout if you aren’t building around specific combos. It includes many ways to tutor Pokemon/Energy, tons of recursion, all of the “gust” effects, plenty of draw, strong tools & other good tech cards. A couple of interesting cards are Battle Compressor, which lets you discard Darkrai-GX and the Special Darkness Energy and then put them into play immediately, and Dark Patch, which can be used extra times with Dowsing Machine/Item Finder/Junk Arm.

Decklist, Finally

Partner Pokemon – 1

  • 1 Noivern-GX BUS 99

Pokémon – 28

  • 1 Noibat FFI 87
  • 1 Noibat BKT 131
  • 1 Noibat BKT 132
  • 1 Noibat BUS 109
  • 1 Noibat TK-Noibat 12
  • 1 Noivern FFI 77
  • 1 Shaymin-EX ROS 77
  • 1 Uxie LA 43
  • 1 Unown AOR 30
  • 1 Tapu Lele-GX GRI 60
  • 1 Smoochum N3 54
  • 1 Mew-EX DRX 46
  • 1 Wobbuffet PHF 36
  • 1 Slowpoke GEN 32
  • 1 Slowking N1 14
  • 1 Trubbish GRI 50
  • 1 Trubbish BKP 56
  • 1 Trubbish PLS 64
  • 1 Garbodor GRI 51
  • 1 Garbodor BKP 57
  • 1 Garbodor DRX 54
  • 1 Yveltal XY 78
  • 1 Yveltal BKT 94
  • 1 Yveltal BREAK STS 66
  • 1 Yveltal-EX XY 79
  • 1 Darkrai-GX BUS 88
  • 1 Darkrai-EX BKP 74
  • 1 Darkrai-EX DEX 63

Trainer Cards – 49

  • 1 Bill BS 91
  • 1 Professor Oak BS 88
  • 1 Professor Juniper PLB 84
  • 1 Professor Sycamore BKP 107
  • 1 Colress PLS 118
  • 1 N FCO 105
  • 1 Guzma BUS 115
  • 1 Lysandre AOR 78
  • 1 Pokemon Catcher PLB 83
  • 1 Gust of Wind BS 93
  • 1 AZ PHF 91
  • 1 Scoop Up BS 78
  • 1 Super Scoop Up BUS 124
  • 1 Acerola BUS 112
  • 1 Battle Compressor PHF 92
  • 1 Twins TM 89
  • 1 Teammates PRC 141
  • 1 Computer Search BS 71
  • 1 Skyla BKT 148
  • 1 Great Ball SF 85
  • 1 Nest Ball SUM 123
  • 1 Level Ball AOR 76
  • 1 Evosoda GEN 62
  • 1 Ultra Ball SUM 135
  • 1 Luxury Ball SF 86
  • 1 Pokemon Fan Club FOC 107
  • 1 Roseanne’s Research SW 125
  • 1 Professor’s Letter BKT 146
  • 1 Energy Exchanger UD 73
  • 1 Field Blower GRI 125
  • 1 Float Stone BKT 137
  • 1 Fluffy Berry UF 85
  • 1 Focus Band N1 86
  • 1 Choice Band GRI 121
  • 1 Muscle Band XY 121
  • 1 Fighting Fury Belt BKP 99
  • 1 Junk Arm TM 87
  • 1 Item Finder BS 74
  • 1 Dowsing Machine PLS 128
  • 1 VS Seeker PHF 109
  • 1 Dark Patch DEX 93
  • 1 Rescue Stretcher GRI 130
  • 1 Special Charge STS 105
  • 1 Super Rod BKT 149
  • 1 Lysandre’s Trump Card PHF 99
  • 1 Karen XYPromos XY177
  • 1 Reverse Valley BKP 110
  • 1 Moonlight Stadium GE 100
  • 1 Altar of the Moone GRI 117

Energy – 22

  • 1 Darkness Energy (Special) N1 104
  • 1 Blend Energy GRPD DRX 117
  • 1 Double Colorless Energy SUM 136
  • 1 Double Rainbow Energy CG 88
  • 1 Double Dragon Energy ROS 97
  • 1 Scramble Energy DX 95
  • 1 Rainbow Energy SUM 137
  • 11 Darkness Energy (Basic) GEN 81
  • 4 Psychic Energy GEN 79

 

That’s all from me today, folks. Thanks for reading.
-Blaine

Published by phated

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