r/pkmntcg • u/InnocentPossum • 10h ago
Deck Help Help with building a deck around [Trevenant · Chaos Rising (CRI) #039]
Trevenant · Chaos Rising (CRI) #039
Hello Everyone,
Thank you in advance to anyone that takes the time to look and offer advice, it's tremendously appreciated.
I am the type of player who likes playing off-meta, diving into rogue decks that not many people would play. Particularly single prizers that step up to knock out the big fellas. I fully anticipate my win rate with this deck to not be as good as a Meta deck or even an already established Rogue deck.
I stepped away from the game a while and coming back I'm not really sure the best way to craft this concept. A lot of the pieces I was used to have been rotated out unfortunately.
The idea for the deck is as follows:
Using Trevenant CRI 39 as the main attacker, the aim is to energy lock a big target in the Active spot using the Cursed Roots attack.
Then, using Gravity Gemstone SCR 137 to bump the defending Pokemon's retreat by one, it effectively keeps them locked in place, as they can't add energy.
This combo then leads to the opponent falling back to plan B which is to build energy on a benched Pokemon.
The intent then is to use Boss's Orders MEG 114 and Prime Catcher TEF 157 to gust up the Pokemon with energy (at the appropriate time) and hit them with Trvenant's Overwhelming pain attack.
Let's use Mega Feraligatr ex MEP 036 as an example opponent.
In a perfect world, you will hit Cursed Roots on their MEX Feraligatr until they are on 360 damage, 10HP left, while they are stuck unable to add energy to attack or retreat, so build a second one on the bench.
Then when it gets to that point, you Boss's Orders up the other MEX Feraligatr and hit it with Overwhelming Pain because it will do 60+However much is on the benched MEX Feraligatr (360) and bank a big kill while leaving the other MEX Feraligatr very weak and energyless, just needing a poke to be finished off.
Now, I know it's not a perfect world, the opponent can use Switch here and there etc., so I need the supporting cast with Trev to be able to get the pieces as and when I need them. At the moment the deck flow feels OK but lacks the amount of disruption I need.
I did try to experiment with having a couple of Florges TWM 088 to then be able to more frequently gust the opponent's Pokemon but it was so many pieces it clogged the deck.
I don't know if I need to add more disruption like energy removal or more gusts to make that option consistent?
Or is this a really useless deck idea that has no solution?
I love the idea in theory and I'm not expecting it to win loads but I would like it to feel fun to play even when losing, not just bricking all the time, or having them escape the trap with no way to put them back somewhat consistently...
The current deck list is below:
Pokémon: 9
4 Trevenant CRI 39
3 Phantump CRI 38
1 Phantump CRI 38
2 Dudunsparce TEF 129
2 Dunsparce JTG 120
1 Lillie's Clefairy ex JTG 56
1 Fezandipiti ex SFA 38
1 Meowth ex POR 62
1 Latias ex SSP 76
Trainer: 16
2 Pokémon Catcher SVI 187
3 Team Rocket's Petrel DRI 176
2 Mystery Garden ASC 194
3 Gravity Gemstone SCR 137
2 Boss's Orders MEG 114
4 Lillie's Determination MEG 119
3 Hilda WHT 84
2 Dawn PFL 87
2 Buddy-Buddy Poffin TEF 144
4 Poké Pad POR 81
1 Prime Catcher TEF 157
1 Sacred Ash DRI 168
3 Switch SVI 194
2 Wondrous Patch PFL 94
2 Ultra Ball MEG 131
Energy: 2
4 Basic {P} Energy SVE 13
4 Telepathic {P} Energy POR 88
Total Cards: 60
3
u/971365 9h ago
Gotta at least consider the most popular deck - who would we trap in a Pult deck? They have Munki and this deck doesn't. Trap a Kloak and it just evolves. Trap a Pult with one energy and they can Crispin. Even if Pult doesn't have energy yet, it only takes one Crispin to start hitting Trev for 70dmg.
1
u/InnocentPossum 9h ago
Yeah definitely valid concerns, especially with how popular pult is over the rest of the other meta decks. I'm just currently looking for something interesting and different to play and the Cursed Roots move caught my eye.
2
u/Ok_Option_3 9h ago
Even if you trap a pult (say they have no Crispin, munki, or dusknoir; say!). They sacrifice one pult while building up 2 on the bench. Then you are toast.
I can't see it as a viable deck. What could work is a 1-1 line in some other deck that becomes a tech counter to certain megas. Would probably need to be a deck that already runs hammers. Not sure what exactly... Alakazam maybe?
1
u/InnocentPossum 9h ago
Yeah you are probably right. I have an Alakazam deck that I really like and I guess it could maybe be squeezed in. I just like the idea of a deck that's more about decision making to keep your opponent disrupted than just another deck where the win con is build big hitting and win that way. Just something a bit out for the box.
2
u/No-Ad-8077 8h ago
I've been waiting for pitch black to come out so i can use some upcoming cards that i think are neat, and could end up synchronizing with trevenant? Rampardos ex and bastiodon.
2
u/InnocentPossum 8h ago
Yeah they certainly look interesting. Though I also feel they could operate as a tandem in their own without the Trev but I guess we will see what you cook up on release :p
2
u/Confusedninja437 8h ago
I think this idea would work really well if you ran the dusknoir line, since you can choose to add damage counters and really accelerate the damage done by overwhelming pain.
For dragapult specifically, running dusknoir would be just enough to one shot it if it's in the active spot. 13 damage counters is 130 damage. 60 +130 from the attack in total adds to 320, just enough for pult, though you'd have to build and sacrifice a dusknoir line.
HOWEVER, if you had Lillie's clefairy in play which is already in your deck, and managed to put those 13 damage counters on a different benched Pokémon like a meowth or fezendipiti, the Lillie's ability would allow you to one shot all dragapult for the rest of the game
(60+130)X2 = 380
It's also good to mention that fezendipiti would do the same if It could land an attack. (60+100)x 2 = 320, but it's a much for energy expensive option and more risky since your fezendipiti needs to be in the active spot
I think the deck right now would struggle quite a bit with energy attachment and there are also some redundancies in the trainers
I think first we should get rid of the Dudunsparce line, with 4 Lillie's , fezendipiti and mystery garden I'd think your draw power should be ok. Also remove team rockets petrel since meowth does the same job without using your supporter for the turn.
Id also probably switch the buddy buddy poffins for dawns since the poffins could only really search phantump , dunsparce, or duskull if we add it, which aren't too useful unless we have the evolution as well. Also with 4 poke pads, 4 dawns, and ultra balls it shouldn't be too hard to get them anyways.
Okay with the 7 cards we got rid of we could fit 2 duskull, 2 dusclops and 2 dusknoir, and throw in an extra ultra ball so you can seek out meowth, fezendipiti or latias easier.
You could also replace 1-2 Hilda with earthen vessel so you can find energies a bit easier
The new line looks like (assuming you go first) turn 1- hopefully have 1 of your ex Pokémon to put in the active spot so you can build phantumps and duskulls on the bench. if not phantump is also fine since a strong turn 1 attack from the opponent is unlikely. use poke pads to search for phantumps and duskulls. attach an energy to phantump preparing for trev by turn 2 turn 2- switch in using either switch or latias ability (you might have to use dawn or ultra ball to fish out a latias), evolve to Trev found with poke pad, dawn or ultra ball, and attach an energy to a benched phantump. you can use the other search Pokémon from dawn or leftover items to build the dusknoir line or get fezendipiti on the bench or whatever else you need. Then attack to do 30 and deny energy attachment.
once youve setup at least one dusknoir line, put the damage on one of their high hp benched Pokémon, and aim not to kill it. the damage should make the Trev insanely strong.
keep repeating Trevenants until you knock out every Pokémon really. Lillie's clefairys ability can basically destroy dragapult if it's being run, and you can use meowth to find boss's orders and make sure the opponents bench doesn't get too strong.
I might have rambled a bit but those are my suggestions! the concept seems really cool, I think it could actually be quite fun and fairly good against dragapult (I mention because it makes like half the meta) if the draw power and Pokémon searching are as robust as id hope for them to be
1
u/InnocentPossum 8h ago
Thanks this is really in depth and appreciated. It's all really sound advice. I'm semi tempted to keep hold of the Petrel as it gives the opportunity for Meowth to hunt Petrel to then hunt a specific item if I really need it, like my Stadium engine or what have you.
1
u/Gilfaethy 3h ago
I'm not sure step 1 of the gameplan is viable. Evolving, Latias, and Crispin are already core features of most popular decks that negate the strategy, as do switching cards/Pech ex.
I think you'd end up with a lot more success building around a Froslass/Munkidori core to spread damage around their board and then take OHKOs with Trev. If you really want to lock something in the active, I think Yveltal would work much more reliably than the Trev effect.
1
u/InnocentPossum 3h ago
Yeah it does have quite a few counters, but I figured I'd see what I could make work. It's not likely to be viable and I'm giving up on it but it was worth seeing what was out there
1
u/Gilfaethy 3h ago
I think you could possibly make it work as an attacker but yeah, the fact that your lock gets broken by so much without anyone having to tech for it means it probably isn't a functional strat.
1
u/InnocentPossum 3h ago
Potentially but it's the energy move I like because of it's quirkiness. The painful move is strong but ultimately just another variant of add energy and hit hard, though admittedly it is nice that there is a strategy involved with it instead of raw damage by spreading DMG first before it can hit hard
2
u/Gilfaethy 3h ago
Gotcha.
It's just too weak and conditional. Actual retreat locking like Yveltal/Nacli/etc. Is just a lot more reliable without needing a stage 1 mon, and we still don't see it being very successful atm.
Risky Ruins seems like a good addition regardless to get more damage on the enemy board.
1
u/CamelTone 2h ago
Pokémon: 12
1 Lillie's Clefairy ex JTG 184
3 Munkidori SFA 72
1 Fezandipiti ex ASC 288
2 Phantump CRI 38
2 Gourgeist ex CRI 102
1 Smoochum SSP 75
2 Pumpkaboo CRI 40
2 Trevenant CRI 39
2 Snorunt ASC 227
1 Froslass TWM 174
1 Meowth ex POR 62
1 Froslass PR-SV 117
Trainer: 14
1 Lana's Aid TWM 207
2 Crispin SCR 164
4 Lillie's Determination MEG 169
1 Brock's Scouting JTG 146
1 Switch PFL 123
1 Mystery Garden MEG 122
3 Risky Ruins MEG 127
1 Night Stretcher MEG 173
2 Boss's Orders ASC 256
4 Poké Pad POR 113
3 Wondrous Patch POR 117
1 Special Red Card CRI 113
2 Buddy-Buddy Poffin ASC 184
3 Ultra Ball ASC 264
Energy: 3
3 Telepathic {P} Energy POR 88
3 Basic {D} Energy SVE 15
6 Basic {P} Energy SVE 13
Total Cards: 60
8
u/rikertchu 9h ago
My first question would be - are we just conceding to Latias decks, since they can completely bypass Gravity Gemstone? Just to make sure we're aware of this weakness.
Also, for such a key piece in our deck, why are we only playing 2 Boss and 2 Catcher, and not 4 Boss's Orders? Seems like it could be something to consider to up the Boss counts.
We're naturally giving our opponent a lot of time with this strategy, and if we're only doing 30 damage each time as we maintain the lock, a Munkidori will completely neuter us, as they will pass the 30 damage back to us each turn. A Patrat seems prudent here to stop that effect.
Have we considered Dusknoir as a potential partner for Trevenant, in order to be able to KO the active that we've trapped as well as possibly ramping the Overwhelming Pain damage up by quite a bit? Also synergizes with the Telepathic Energy package.