The latest set Dragons Exalted, of which prereleases have started, has brought us more than 120 new cards. It is also the first set to introduce the Dragon Type. As with most new sets, new deck ideas rise. Today I will give you a new deck which has been getting hype from the masses thanks to its succes in Japan. It is a consistent deck with all used pokemon being from Dragons Exalted. I present to you: ChainChomp AKA FluffyChomp AKA Garchomp/Altaria.
Now I will post my list and explain why I chose certain cards. If you want to know what the new cards are, you can click on the link of the respective card. I will also give some info about filling out your list. Finally, I will post my own current version of the deck with a short explanation. This post will be used as reference for others reading this, so I will try to update this post frequently with things like matchups as we figure them out (like the mirror, right Mekkah?) and new Techs we come across.
My current list.
Pokemon - 19
4 Gible DR 87
4 Gabite DR 89
4 Garchomp DR 90
4 Swablu DR 104
3 Altaria DR
2 Emolga DR
Trainers - 30
4 N
4 Juniper
3 Cheren
2 Bianca
4 Level Ball
4 Pokemon Catcher
2 Rare Candy
2 Switch
2 Super Rod
2 Tool Scrapper
Energy - 11
7 Fighting
4 Blend WLFM
There are 2 Gibles available, but I chose this one since it has 10 more HP and Sand Attack, which let's the opponent flip for attack. This swablu has sing, and the one I didn't pick does not.
I run 4 Juniper, 4 N and 3 Cheren in my list, but the choice is up to you. As long as you have around 11 or 12 supporters in total, you should be okay. I am thinking about dropping the Juniper count, since I don't likediscarding valuable pieces of the deck with Junk Arm being gone.
This deck is so speedy all thanks to Gabite, calling forth all Dragons untill you bench is completely full. The T2 Garchomp with 1 Altaria on the bench is not that hard to get and every player should be able to get the T3 Garchomp. Level Ball also helps this since all pokémon besides Garchomp have an HP under 90, which means you can search them out easily. One Level Ball into Gabite can actually bring 2 or 3 pokemon on the field thanks to Dragon Call.
Emolga is your main starter T1. Its Call for Family attack costs C and you can search your deck for 2 basics and put them on your bench. This is becoming a staple for many Stage 2 decks and is also included here. Nothing is more terrifying than staring down an Emolga with 3 Gibles and 2 Swablus on the bench.
I run 2 Switch for 2 main reasons. One being very simple: Energy preservation. With Super Rod getting back the Garchomp Pieces, you need to preserve your energy as much. Otherwise you might get an energy drought late in the game. Switch helps with this since you now don't need to waste your attachment to retreat your Altaria. This is also why it is smart to always keep and emolga on the field, since it has zero retreat cost. That way you always have a go to pokemon after a knockout. I also run 2 Super Rod and its function is already explained above: getting back my Garchomp and Altaria lines. Without it you only have 4 attackers and you might run out. Super Rod also combo's well with Dragon Call since you can get the pokémon back on the board immediately.
Techs
Rescue Scarf:
I run 2 Rescue Scarf for more recovery. I used to run pokemon Communication, but with 4 Level Ball and Dragon Call, it isn't as needed (that said, i can always change it back). Rescue Scarf can be attached to Altaria to ensure you get it back once it has been catchered up. This also means the opponent will most likely target the other Altaria though. You can also use Rescue Scarf for Garchomps and get Altaria's back with Super Rod, but the problem is is that Swablu is a Normal Type, so you need to either draw it, Level Ball it or CFF (Call for Family) it to get it back to the bench.
Max Potion:
When you use a deck with high HP attackers with a low attack cost, you got to consider Max Potion. I use this 2 copies in my deck just to test it. It can really help in the Darkrai matchup (I think) as you can Max Potion of the damage from Night Spear, but they might be targeting down your Altarias anyway.
Rayquaza:
Rayquaza is a good option for attacking from T2 and putting pressure on opponents. It is also a way for the deck to donk opponents. If you are running this card though, expect to pay a lot and maybe include an Ultra Ball or 2 in the deck. It also needs the Blend Energy to attack so getting it to attack might be troublesome sometimes.
Matchups
Right now, I won't be covering matchups against other decks since I don't know enough yet. Figuring out a certain matchup takes time. This is why I am asking you to also provide matchups so I can post them here.
The deck is faster than the eye meets and is super consistent. So what do
you think about the deck?
(Any new Techs or matchup explanations will be edited into the OP, so that we have a good overview of the qualities of the deck.)
Now I will post my list and explain why I chose certain cards. If you want to know what the new cards are, you can click on the link of the respective card. I will also give some info about filling out your list. Finally, I will post my own current version of the deck with a short explanation. This post will be used as reference for others reading this, so I will try to update this post frequently with things like matchups as we figure them out (like the mirror, right Mekkah?) and new Techs we come across.
My current list.
Pokemon - 19
4 Gible DR 87
4 Gabite DR 89
4 Garchomp DR 90
4 Swablu DR 104
3 Altaria DR
2 Emolga DR
Trainers - 30
4 N
4 Juniper
3 Cheren
2 Bianca
4 Level Ball
4 Pokemon Catcher
2 Rare Candy
2 Switch
2 Super Rod
2 Tool Scrapper
Energy - 11
7 Fighting
4 Blend WLFM
There are 2 Gibles available, but I chose this one since it has 10 more HP and Sand Attack, which let's the opponent flip for attack. This swablu has sing, and the one I didn't pick does not.
I run 4 Juniper, 4 N and 3 Cheren in my list, but the choice is up to you. As long as you have around 11 or 12 supporters in total, you should be okay. I am thinking about dropping the Juniper count, since I don't likediscarding valuable pieces of the deck with Junk Arm being gone.
This deck is so speedy all thanks to Gabite, calling forth all Dragons untill you bench is completely full. The T2 Garchomp with 1 Altaria on the bench is not that hard to get and every player should be able to get the T3 Garchomp. Level Ball also helps this since all pokémon besides Garchomp have an HP under 90, which means you can search them out easily. One Level Ball into Gabite can actually bring 2 or 3 pokemon on the field thanks to Dragon Call.
Emolga is your main starter T1. Its Call for Family attack costs C and you can search your deck for 2 basics and put them on your bench. This is becoming a staple for many Stage 2 decks and is also included here. Nothing is more terrifying than staring down an Emolga with 3 Gibles and 2 Swablus on the bench.
I run 2 Switch for 2 main reasons. One being very simple: Energy preservation. With Super Rod getting back the Garchomp Pieces, you need to preserve your energy as much. Otherwise you might get an energy drought late in the game. Switch helps with this since you now don't need to waste your attachment to retreat your Altaria. This is also why it is smart to always keep and emolga on the field, since it has zero retreat cost. That way you always have a go to pokemon after a knockout. I also run 2 Super Rod and its function is already explained above: getting back my Garchomp and Altaria lines. Without it you only have 4 attackers and you might run out. Super Rod also combo's well with Dragon Call since you can get the pokémon back on the board immediately.
Techs
Rescue Scarf:
I run 2 Rescue Scarf for more recovery. I used to run pokemon Communication, but with 4 Level Ball and Dragon Call, it isn't as needed (that said, i can always change it back). Rescue Scarf can be attached to Altaria to ensure you get it back once it has been catchered up. This also means the opponent will most likely target the other Altaria though. You can also use Rescue Scarf for Garchomps and get Altaria's back with Super Rod, but the problem is is that Swablu is a Normal Type, so you need to either draw it, Level Ball it or CFF (Call for Family) it to get it back to the bench.
Max Potion:
When you use a deck with high HP attackers with a low attack cost, you got to consider Max Potion. I use this 2 copies in my deck just to test it. It can really help in the Darkrai matchup (I think) as you can Max Potion of the damage from Night Spear, but they might be targeting down your Altarias anyway.
Rayquaza:
Rayquaza is a good option for attacking from T2 and putting pressure on opponents. It is also a way for the deck to donk opponents. If you are running this card though, expect to pay a lot and maybe include an Ultra Ball or 2 in the deck. It also needs the Blend Energy to attack so getting it to attack might be troublesome sometimes.
Matchups
Right now, I won't be covering matchups against other decks since I don't know enough yet. Figuring out a certain matchup takes time. This is why I am asking you to also provide matchups so I can post them here.
The deck is faster than the eye meets and is super consistent. So what do
you think about the deck?
(Any new Techs or matchup explanations will be edited into the OP, so that we have a good overview of the qualities of the deck.)