How to Build a Deck Around a Pokémon
Examine the card., Do a card excavation., Decide on the type of the deck., Set aside 20-25 spaces for energy cards, balancing out the two different types of energy., Set aside 20-25 spaces for trainer, supporter, stadium, and special energy...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Examine the card.
Look at its HP, weakness, resistance, attacks, retreat cost, and any other serious downfall that you can't handle.
Many very powerful cards are balanced by retreat cost, weakness and extra effects of its attacks, including discarding energy, coin flips and even damaging itself.
If these effects are too much for your deck to handle even with the proper techniques, you should not build a deck around it.
It is also a bad idea to base a deck around weaker Pokémon.
Including a few may be a good idea, but going out of your way to support them in a deck is not. , Look through all of your loose Pokémon cards, trade with other people for the cards you want, and steal cards that you need in your new deck out of your other decks (if you have any).
Look through the cards you find to see if any could be useful in your deck., If one of the key Pokémon's attacks require 2 different kinds of energy, then that should be the type of your deck.
If it only requires 1 type of energy, that has to be one of the types, and the other can be one of your choice, preferably one that covers its weakness or has Pokémon that can benefit the key Pokémon.
If the key Pokémon requires no energy types (all colorless energy) to use its attacks, you can choose the 2 types that would work best with the deck, whichever ones they may be., Special energy cards.
These are optional, but they can be helpful if you can find any.
Most have negative effects or conditions in order to use them to their full extent, so they are another risk. , Do not add them yet, but leave the spaces open.
Keep in mind you don't have to add as many trainer cards as you made space for, you can add fewer if necessary, and fill it in with energy or Pokémon.,,, Add as many of the basics as you can find, and if necessary, trade for more., There should be even less stage 2 cards in your deck, and if a Pokémon can't hold its own in battle without evolving all the way to stage 2, don't put it in your deck, because you never know when you'll draw the cards you need., Remember not to overdo it on Level X cards, and only add them if they fit well into your deck.
Never put a Pokémon into your deck just to get to the level X card, because you might not get it in battle.
Again, your cards should be powerful or at least able to hold up in battle without evolving or leveling up., Remember that they have to fit into your deck., If there is anything to do, do it and look over it again until you are satisfied.
Remember, if you can trade for something that would fit well with your deck, do it as soon as you can, because it is hard to maintain the balance of 60 cards., You should add a lot of trainer cards that fit in your deck.
Some great staples for your deck that are relatively common include: rare candies (a varying range depending on how many evolution cards are in your deck), Potions (as many as you can find), Switch (as many as you can find), Life Herbs (as many as you can find), Energy Search (as many as you can find), PlusPower (as many as you can find), and cards that reuses discarded ones.
Don't forget to add varying other trainer cards depending on your deck.
Remember that with trainer cards, more is better, especially if they require coin flips, so put as many of the same trainer card as you can find into your deck, but you can't have more than four of any card except basic energy., You don't really need Pokémon tools, but if you find ones that fit with your deck, you should add them., Supporters are necessities, and what kind you add should be based on your deck.
Target the main things you need in your deck (like drawing power, energy searching, and many other things).
You should add Supporters that help you find and increase the power of your key Pokémon, but that shouldn't be the only Pokémon it benefits., These are optional, but if you find ones that benefit you greatly, you should add them.
But remember, they can benefit your opponent too, so be wary.,,, and Pokémon can be managed right. -
Step 2: Do a card excavation.
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Step 3: Decide on the type of the deck.
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Step 4: Set aside 20-25 spaces for energy cards
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Step 5: balancing out the two different types of energy.
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Step 6: Set aside 20-25 spaces for trainer
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Step 7: supporter
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Step 8: stadium
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Step 9: and special energy cards.
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Step 10: Separate your loose Pokémon into basic
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Step 11: stage 1
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Step 12: and stage 2.
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Step 13: Look through the stage 1 cards and choose a few (not too many or you risk not getting a basic in the first hand) that you think would help your deck.
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Step 14: Look through the basics and find a basic for each evolution card you chose.
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Step 15: Look through the stage 2 cards and look for any of them that evolve from the stage 1 cards you have.
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Step 16: Figure out if any of your Level X cards level up if you have some in your loose cards or deck.
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Step 17: Look through the basics again and pick out a mix of a bunch of strong and average basics.
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Step 18: Look over your deck so far and your loose Pokémon to see if there are any Pokémon that need adding or removing.
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Step 19: Add the trainers once you are happy with your Pokémon.
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Step 20: Throw in Pokémon tools
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Step 21: if any.
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Step 22: Add Supporters.
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Step 23: Add Stadium cards.
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Step 24: Fill in some leftover space with Pokémon and basic energy
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Step 25: and look over the deck.
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Step 26: Remember to add some super cards (like Lv.X
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Step 27: and Legends)
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Step 28: but make sure you have the right cards to ensure they won't be useless in battle.
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Step 29: Check your cards
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Step 30: make sure that powerful cards like ACE SPEC.
Detailed Guide
Look at its HP, weakness, resistance, attacks, retreat cost, and any other serious downfall that you can't handle.
Many very powerful cards are balanced by retreat cost, weakness and extra effects of its attacks, including discarding energy, coin flips and even damaging itself.
If these effects are too much for your deck to handle even with the proper techniques, you should not build a deck around it.
It is also a bad idea to base a deck around weaker Pokémon.
Including a few may be a good idea, but going out of your way to support them in a deck is not. , Look through all of your loose Pokémon cards, trade with other people for the cards you want, and steal cards that you need in your new deck out of your other decks (if you have any).
Look through the cards you find to see if any could be useful in your deck., If one of the key Pokémon's attacks require 2 different kinds of energy, then that should be the type of your deck.
If it only requires 1 type of energy, that has to be one of the types, and the other can be one of your choice, preferably one that covers its weakness or has Pokémon that can benefit the key Pokémon.
If the key Pokémon requires no energy types (all colorless energy) to use its attacks, you can choose the 2 types that would work best with the deck, whichever ones they may be., Special energy cards.
These are optional, but they can be helpful if you can find any.
Most have negative effects or conditions in order to use them to their full extent, so they are another risk. , Do not add them yet, but leave the spaces open.
Keep in mind you don't have to add as many trainer cards as you made space for, you can add fewer if necessary, and fill it in with energy or Pokémon.,,, Add as many of the basics as you can find, and if necessary, trade for more., There should be even less stage 2 cards in your deck, and if a Pokémon can't hold its own in battle without evolving all the way to stage 2, don't put it in your deck, because you never know when you'll draw the cards you need., Remember not to overdo it on Level X cards, and only add them if they fit well into your deck.
Never put a Pokémon into your deck just to get to the level X card, because you might not get it in battle.
Again, your cards should be powerful or at least able to hold up in battle without evolving or leveling up., Remember that they have to fit into your deck., If there is anything to do, do it and look over it again until you are satisfied.
Remember, if you can trade for something that would fit well with your deck, do it as soon as you can, because it is hard to maintain the balance of 60 cards., You should add a lot of trainer cards that fit in your deck.
Some great staples for your deck that are relatively common include: rare candies (a varying range depending on how many evolution cards are in your deck), Potions (as many as you can find), Switch (as many as you can find), Life Herbs (as many as you can find), Energy Search (as many as you can find), PlusPower (as many as you can find), and cards that reuses discarded ones.
Don't forget to add varying other trainer cards depending on your deck.
Remember that with trainer cards, more is better, especially if they require coin flips, so put as many of the same trainer card as you can find into your deck, but you can't have more than four of any card except basic energy., You don't really need Pokémon tools, but if you find ones that fit with your deck, you should add them., Supporters are necessities, and what kind you add should be based on your deck.
Target the main things you need in your deck (like drawing power, energy searching, and many other things).
You should add Supporters that help you find and increase the power of your key Pokémon, but that shouldn't be the only Pokémon it benefits., These are optional, but if you find ones that benefit you greatly, you should add them.
But remember, they can benefit your opponent too, so be wary.,,, and Pokémon can be managed right.
About the Author
Gregory Stokes
Specializes in breaking down complex practical skills topics into simple steps.
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