Scizor/Cherrim (TCG): Difference between revisions

'''Scizor/Cherrim''' is a {{TCG|deck archetype}} that uses {{TCG ID|Stormfront|Scizor|25}} and {{TCG ID|Stormfront|Cherrim|14}} to do a fairly large amount of damage for few energy.  The deck is widely regarded as one of the best moderately competitive decks for newer [[Pokémon Trading Card Game]] players because of the simplicity of its strategy and the ease with which it can be played.  Although it has won few tournaments, Scizor/Cherrim is one of the longest surviving recognized archetypes of its era, with variants springing up all the way from the {{TCG|Stormfront}} expansion's release to the present day.  The list shown in this article is an aggressive one that would have been used in early 2010.  Most builds run a small Pokémon line to allow more room for {{TCG|Trainer card|Trainer}} and {{TCG|Supporter card}}s.  Because of this, it is easily countered by decks such as {{TCG|DialgaChomp}} and {{TCG|VileGar}} which can impose a Trainer lock.  The popularity of these archetypes means that Scizor/Cherrim is infrequently played.

As mentioned above, Scizor/Cherrim employs an extremely simplistic strategy.  The deck attempts to get many {{TCG ID|Stormfront|Scizor|25}} and {{TCG ID|Stormfront|Cherrim|14}} as quickly as possible, with {{e|Grass}}{{e|Grass}} and potentially {{TCG|Expert Belt}} attached to the former.  Scizor/Cherrim suffers from a major restriction on its ability to set up quickly, though, because the deck should not use {{TCG|Poké-Power}}s.  Scizor's ''Pound Down'' attack does only 40 damage instead of 70 if the player has any Pokémon with Poké-Powers in play.  This means the deck cannot abuse {{TCG ID|Legends Awakened|Uxie|43}}'s ''Set Up'', {{TCG ID|HeartGold & SoulSilver|Sunflora|31}}'s ''Sunshine Grace'', or any other Poké-Powers that could be very beneficial to the deck if included.  {{TCG ID|Legends Awakened|Unown R|77}} is an exception, since its ''Retire'' Poké-Power allows the player to draw a card and discard Unown R, meaning it will not affect Scizor's damage output.

Scizor/Cherrim compensates for this handicap by utilizing a strong {{TCG|Trainer card|Trainer}} and {{TCG|Supporter card|Supporter}} {{TCG|engine}}.  Cards such as {{TCG|Quick Ball}}, {{TCG|Luxury Ball}}, {{TCG|Poké Drawer +}}, and {{TCG|Pokémon Collector}} help the deck set up quickly.  As the deck cannot hit for as much damage as many other modern archetypes, such as {{TCG|Mother Flygon}}, and does not have ways to disrupt the opponent's strategy as decks like {{TCG|LuxChomp}} do, speed is its most essential aspect.  The deck should ideally have a Scizor ready to attack by turn two, at which point it attempts to take six prizes as quickly as possible so as not to prolong the game.  Rather than keeping its main attacker alive, as {{TCG|Regigigas archetype|Regigigas}} and certain other decks do, an aggressive Scizor/Cherrim build sacrifices sturdiness for speed and power.  When a Scizor is knocked out, {{TCG|Night Maintenance}} or {{TCG|Palmer's Contribution}} is used to shuffle it back into the deck, at which point the player can easily return it to the field using Trainer cards.

* '''{{TCG ID|Stormfront|Scizor|25}}''' - Scizor is the deck's main attacker.  For {{e|Grass}}{{e|Grass}}, Scizor's ''Pound Down'' attack does 70 damage if the player has no Pokémon with {{TCG|Poké-Power}}s in play.  Factoring in the effects of Cherrim's ''Sunny Day'' Poké-Body and {{TCG|Expert Belt}}, ''Pound Down'' can hit for significant damage.  Scizor's ''Accelerate'' attack, which costs {{e}}{{e}}, does a mediocre 30 damage.  However, it is useful in that, if it knocks out the Defending Pokémon, it prevents all damage done to Scizor during the opponent's next turn.  Not to be overlooked is Scizor's ''Honeycomb Defender'' Poké-Body, which effectively increases Scizor's HP by decreasing damage done to it by 40 when Scizor has six or more damage counters on it.  Combined with Scizor's 100 HP, which is considered good for a Stage 1 evolved Pokémon, and Expert Belt, which increases Scizor's HP to 120, ''Honeycomb Defender'' can make it difficult to knock Scizor out in two hits.

* '''{{TCG ID|Stormfront|Cherrim|14}}''' - Cherrim is the deck's main support Pokémon.  Its ''Sunny Day'' Poké-Body allows each of the player's {{TCG|Grass|Grass-type}} Pokémon's attacks to do 10 more damage.  ''Sunny Day'' Bodies can be stacked, meaning a ''Pound Down'' with four Cherrim in play can do 110 damage without Expert Belt.  Cherrim also makes a decent attacker in a pinch, with ''Salty-Sweet Pollen'' doing 20 damage, not factoring in ''Sunny Day'', for no energy cost.  ''Salty-Sweet Pollen'' also removes two damage counters from one of the Scizor/Cherrim player's Pokémon.

* '''{{TCG|Bebe's Search}}''' - Bebe's Search is simply a card that allows Scizor/Cherrim to set up faster by allowing the player to search out any Pokémon out of the deck.

* '''{{TCG|Roseanne's Research}}''' - Since Scizor/Cherrim relies on {{TCG|Grass|Grass-type}} energies to attack, Roseanne's Research is a versatile card that can be used to either grab the necessary energies to attack or search out necessary Basic Pokémon from the deck.

* '''{{TCG|Broken Time-Space}}''' - Scizor/Cherrim relies completely on Stage 1 evolution cards.  Broken Time-Space decreases the time needed for the deck to set up by allowing the player to evolve {{TCG ID|Stormfront|Scizor|25}} and {{TCG ID|Stormfront|Cherrim|14}} one turn faster than normal.

{{decklist/entry|2|{{TCG|Expert Belt}}|Trainer||Uncommon}}

{{decklist/entry|4|{{TCG|Poké Drawer +}}|Trainer||Uncommon}}

[[File:ProfessorOakNewTheoryHeartGoldSoulSilver101.jpg|thumb|left|{{TCG|Professor Oak's New Theory}}]]

*{{TCG ID|Great Encounters|Unown G|57}} - Unown G prevents Scizor/Cherrim's Pokémon from being affected by the attacks of certain main archetypes of the day, such as {{TCG ID|Stormfront|Gengar|18}}'s ''Shadow Room'' attack and {{TCG ID|Stormfront|Machamp|20}}'s ''Take Out'' attack, from the {{TCG|Mother Gengar}} and {{TCG|Machamp archetype|Machamp}} archetypes, respectively.

*{{TCG|Professor Oak's Visit}} or {{TCG|Professor Oak's New Theory}} - These cards simply allow for extra drawing and a potentially faster setup.  They are more luck-reliant than searching cards such as {{TCG|Bebe's Search}}, but can have a better payoff.