107
edits
RAMBO (TCG): Difference between revisions
m
made pronouns neutral
mNo edit summary |
Lordfridge (talk | contribs) m (made pronouns neutral) |
||
| Line 14: | Line 14: | ||
RAMBO's strategy employed a number of components, with the end goal being utilizing {{TCG ID|EX Team Magma vs Team Aqua|Blaziken ex|89}}'s ''Volcanic Ash'' and {{TCG|EX Dragon|Rayquaza ex|97}}'s ''Spiral Growth'' attacks to take six prize cards as quickly as possible. Though both of these were very strong attacks in isolation, they each required significant Energy discards, which necessitated a form of Energy acceleration from the discard pile. Coincidentally (given that Blaziken ex already required {{TCG|Combusken}} and {{TCG|Torchic}}), {{TCG ID|EX Ruby & Sapphire|Blaziken|3}}'s ''Firestarter'' met that demand perfectly. However, given that ''Firestarter'' could only attach to Benched Pokémon meant that the deck needed a way to either move that Pokémon active or a way to move the Energy to the Active Pokémon. Some variants of the deck decided to go the former route and included heavy counts of cards like {{TCG|Switch}} and {{TCG|Warp Point}}. The list shown, though, uses {{TCG ID|EX Team Magma vs Team Aqua|Team Aqua's Manectric|4}} to move the Energy from ''Firestarter'' back to the Active Pokémon via its ''Power Shift'' Poké-POWER. | RAMBO's strategy employed a number of components, with the end goal being utilizing {{TCG ID|EX Team Magma vs Team Aqua|Blaziken ex|89}}'s ''Volcanic Ash'' and {{TCG|EX Dragon|Rayquaza ex|97}}'s ''Spiral Growth'' attacks to take six prize cards as quickly as possible. Though both of these were very strong attacks in isolation, they each required significant Energy discards, which necessitated a form of Energy acceleration from the discard pile. Coincidentally (given that Blaziken ex already required {{TCG|Combusken}} and {{TCG|Torchic}}), {{TCG ID|EX Ruby & Sapphire|Blaziken|3}}'s ''Firestarter'' met that demand perfectly. However, given that ''Firestarter'' could only attach to Benched Pokémon meant that the deck needed a way to either move that Pokémon active or a way to move the Energy to the Active Pokémon. Some variants of the deck decided to go the former route and included heavy counts of cards like {{TCG|Switch}} and {{TCG|Warp Point}}. The list shown, though, uses {{TCG ID|EX Team Magma vs Team Aqua|Team Aqua's Manectric|4}} to move the Energy from ''Firestarter'' back to the Active Pokémon via its ''Power Shift'' Poké-POWER. | ||
Because RAMBO relied on so many different cards to function, it required a lot of room devoted to consistency cards. {{TCG ID|EX Sandstorm|Dunsparce|60}}'s ''Strike and Run'' attack was imperative to getting the necessary {{TCG|Evolution card|Evolution cards}} in play early in the game. From there, the player would typically seek to evolve {{TCG ID|EX Ruby & Sapphire|Skitty|44}} into {{TCG ID|EX Ruby & Sapphire|Delcatty|5}} and {{TCG ID|EX Ruby & Sapphire|Torchic|74}} into {{TCG ID|EX Ruby & Sapphire|Combusken|27}} (or directly into Blaziken via {{TCG|Rare Candy}}). Getting Team Aqua's Manectric into play was typically less urgent, because it was not necessary until the player was consistently attacking for damage with Rayquaza ex or Blaziken ex. Delcatty's ''Energy Draw'', particularly in combination with {{TCG|Oracle}}, helped the player get the Evolutions and Energy | Because RAMBO relied on so many different cards to function, it required a lot of room devoted to consistency cards. {{TCG ID|EX Sandstorm|Dunsparce|60}}'s ''Strike and Run'' attack was imperative to getting the necessary {{TCG|Evolution card|Evolution cards}} in play early in the game. From there, the player would typically seek to evolve {{TCG ID|EX Ruby & Sapphire|Skitty|44}} into {{TCG ID|EX Ruby & Sapphire|Delcatty|5}} and {{TCG ID|EX Ruby & Sapphire|Torchic|74}} into {{TCG ID|EX Ruby & Sapphire|Combusken|27}} (or directly into Blaziken via {{TCG|Rare Candy}}). Getting Team Aqua's Manectric into play was typically less urgent, because it was not necessary until the player was consistently attacking for damage with Rayquaza ex or Blaziken ex. Delcatty's ''Energy Draw'', particularly in combination with {{TCG|Oracle}}, helped the player get the Evolutions and Energy they needed after getting Basic Pokémon into play with Dunsparce. Other {{TCG|Supporter card|Supporter cards}} such as {{TCG|Steven's Advice}} and {{TCG|Copycat}} further helped with consistency. | ||
==Key cards== | ==Key cards== | ||
* '''{{TCG ID|EX Ruby & Sapphire|Blaziken|3}}''' - Blaziken's ''Firestarter'' {{TCG|Poké-POWER}}, which allowed the user to attach a {{e|Fire}} Energy from the discard to one of | * '''{{TCG ID|EX Ruby & Sapphire|Blaziken|3}}''' - Blaziken's ''Firestarter'' {{TCG|Poké-POWER}}, which allowed the user to attach a {{e|Fire}} Energy from the discard to one of their benched Pokémon, provided a way to charge up both Blaziken ex and Rayquaza ex easily. Since both of their attacks, along with Delcatty's ''Energy Draw'', discarded Energy, ''Firestarter'' was critical to maintaining a steady stream of attacks. Blaziken also served as a decent attacker in a pinch, or against decks utilizing Pokémon such as {{TCG ID|EX Sandstorm|Wobbuffet|26}} with the ''Safeguard'' {{TCG|Poké-BODY}}. | ||
* '''{{TCG ID|EX Ruby & Sapphire|Delcatty|5}}''' - Delcatty's ''Energy Draw'' Poké-POWER provided consistency, with the added effect of placing Energy in the discard for retrieval via ''Firestarter''. | * '''{{TCG ID|EX Ruby & Sapphire|Delcatty|5}}''' - Delcatty's ''Energy Draw'' Poké-POWER provided consistency, with the added effect of placing Energy in the discard for retrieval via ''Firestarter''. | ||
* '''{{TCG ID|EX Team Magma vs Team Aqua|Team Aqua's Manectric|4}}''' - ''Firestarter'' only allowed the user to attach Energy to a Benched Pokémon; by attaching that Energy to Team Aqua's Manectric, the RAMBO player could then use Team Aqua's Manectric's ''Power Shift'' to move the Energy to an active Blaziken ex or Rayquaza ex and continue attacking. Team Aqua's Manectric also served as a valuable attacker against {{TCG|Swampert/Suicune}} (officially titled ''{{TCG|Rocky Beach}}'' in its World Championships printing), another popular archetype of the era. {{TCG ID|EX Team Magma vs Team Aqua|Team Aqua's Electrike|53}}'s ''Self Charge'' attack made it possible to attack with Team Aqua's Manectric as early as the user's second turn. A player in a Water-dominated metagame may have elected to utilize two copies each of Team Aqua's Electrike and Manectric, as opposed to the 1-1 line shown in the list below. | * '''{{TCG ID|EX Team Magma vs Team Aqua|Team Aqua's Manectric|4}}''' - ''Firestarter'' only allowed the user to attach Energy to a Benched Pokémon; by attaching that Energy to Team Aqua's Manectric, the RAMBO player could then use Team Aqua's Manectric's ''Power Shift'' to move the Energy to an active Blaziken ex or Rayquaza ex and continue attacking. Team Aqua's Manectric also served as a valuable attacker against {{TCG|Swampert/Suicune}} (officially titled ''{{TCG|Rocky Beach}}'' in its World Championships printing), another popular archetype of the era. {{TCG ID|EX Team Magma vs Team Aqua|Team Aqua's Electrike|53}}'s ''Self Charge'' attack made it possible to attack with Team Aqua's Manectric as early as the user's second turn. A player in a Water-dominated metagame may have elected to utilize two copies each of Team Aqua's Electrike and Manectric, as opposed to the 1-1 line shown in the list below. | ||
| Line 23: | Line 23: | ||
* '''{{TCG ID|EX Dragon|Rayquaza ex|97}}''' - Rayquaza's ''Spiral Growth'' attack, similar to ''Volcanic Ash'', was very strong but required the discard of Energy to be effective. Again, ''Firestarter'' and ''Power Shift'' made it possible to use ''Spiral Growth'' for large damage repeatedly. | * '''{{TCG ID|EX Dragon|Rayquaza ex|97}}''' - Rayquaza's ''Spiral Growth'' attack, similar to ''Volcanic Ash'', was very strong but required the discard of Energy to be effective. Again, ''Firestarter'' and ''Power Shift'' made it possible to use ''Spiral Growth'' for large damage repeatedly. | ||
* '''{{TCG ID|EX Sandstorm|Dunsparce|60}}''' - Because the deck was reliant on a number of different Evolution lines, Dunsparce's ''Strike and Run'' attack was critical to get the necessary {{TCG|Basic Pokémon}} in play early in the game. | * '''{{TCG ID|EX Sandstorm|Dunsparce|60}}''' - Because the deck was reliant on a number of different Evolution lines, Dunsparce's ''Strike and Run'' attack was critical to get the necessary {{TCG|Basic Pokémon}} in play early in the game. | ||
* '''{{TCG|Oracle}}''' - When used in conjunction with Delcatty's ''Energy Draw'' Poké-POWER, Oracle effectively allowed the user to search | * '''{{TCG|Oracle}}''' - When used in conjunction with Delcatty's ''Energy Draw'' Poké-POWER, Oracle effectively allowed the user to search their deck for any two cards and add them to their hand. Because RAMBO relied on so many different parts to function, this provided a valuable boost to consistency. | ||
==Typical decklist== | ==Typical decklist== | ||
| Line 57: | Line 57: | ||
* '''{{TCG ID|EX Hidden Legends|Bellossom|16}}''' - [[Chris Fulop]] used Bellossom in his 2nd place {{TCG|2004 World Championships}} RAMBO variant. According to Fulop, Bellossom: 1) provided a hard counter to {{TCG|Walrein/Milotic}} which saw success at the U.S. National Championships; 2) replaced the {{TCG|Stadium card|Stadiums}} necessary to counter {{TCG|Desert Ruins}} (a widely-played card that proved disastrous for RAMBO under normal circumstances), and took up less space in doing so; 3) swung the mirror match in his favor by allowing his Blaziken to survive longer; and 4) was a great counter to the {{TCG|Magma archetype}} piloted by the Japanese. (Despite this, Fulop lost to a Magma deck piloted by [[Tsuguyoshi Yamato]] in the finals of the tournament.) | * '''{{TCG ID|EX Hidden Legends|Bellossom|16}}''' - [[Chris Fulop]] used Bellossom in his 2nd place {{TCG|2004 World Championships}} RAMBO variant. According to Fulop, Bellossom: 1) provided a hard counter to {{TCG|Walrein/Milotic}} which saw success at the U.S. National Championships; 2) replaced the {{TCG|Stadium card|Stadiums}} necessary to counter {{TCG|Desert Ruins}} (a widely-played card that proved disastrous for RAMBO under normal circumstances), and took up less space in doing so; 3) swung the mirror match in his favor by allowing his Blaziken to survive longer; and 4) was a great counter to the {{TCG|Magma archetype}} piloted by the Japanese. (Despite this, Fulop lost to a Magma deck piloted by [[Tsuguyoshi Yamato]] in the finals of the tournament.) | ||
* '''{{TCG|Professor Oak's Research}}''' - Professor Oak's Research provided Supporter-based consistency, and could be substituted for {{TCG|TV Reporter}}, {{TCG|Steven's Advice}}, or {{TCG|Copycat}}. | * '''{{TCG|Professor Oak's Research}}''' - Professor Oak's Research provided Supporter-based consistency, and could be substituted for {{TCG|TV Reporter}}, {{TCG|Steven's Advice}}, or {{TCG|Copycat}}. | ||
* '''{{TCG|Desert Shaman}}''' - Desert Shaman had the potential to serve several purposes. It could function as a general consistency card, though it only netted the player four cards, making it largely inferior to TV Reporter, Steven's Advice, and Copycat. However, it also dropped the opponent to four cards, and therefore could grant the user card advantage if | * '''{{TCG|Desert Shaman}}''' - Desert Shaman had the potential to serve several purposes. It could function as a general consistency card, though it only netted the player four cards, making it largely inferior to TV Reporter, Steven's Advice, and Copycat. However, it also dropped the opponent to four cards, and therefore could grant the user card advantage if they already had some means to external consistency (such as {{TCG ID|EX Ruby & Sapphire|Delcatty|5}}'s ''Power Draw'') when the opponent did not. Finally, Desert Shaman could keep the user's hand low against {{TCG ID|EX Sandstorm|Gardevoir ex|96}}-based decks, minimizing the damage done by Gardevoir ex's ''Feedback''. | ||
* '''{{TCG|Pokémon Nurse}}''' - Because the main attackers in RAMBO discarded Energy cards to use their attacks, they often did not have many Energy attacked. Thus, the main downside of using Pokémon Nurse (discarding Energy attached to the targeted Pokémon) was often a non-issue. | * '''{{TCG|Pokémon Nurse}}''' - Because the main attackers in RAMBO discarded Energy cards to use their attacks, they often did not have many Energy attacked. Thus, the main downside of using Pokémon Nurse (discarding Energy attached to the targeted Pokémon) was often a non-issue. | ||
* '''{{TCG|Town Volunteers}}''' - Town Volunteers provided a means to recover Pokémon and Energy from the discard pile. Town Volunteers was more prevalent in RAMBO lists than ran thin lines of the deck's supporting Pokémon, such as a 1-1 {{TCG ID|EX Ruby & Sapphire|Delcatty|5}}, a 1-1 {{TCG ID|EX Team Magma vs Team Aqua|Team Aqua's Manectric|4}} (shown in the above list), or only one {{TCG ID|EX Dragon|Rayquaza ex|97}}. | * '''{{TCG|Town Volunteers}}''' - Town Volunteers provided a means to recover Pokémon and Energy from the discard pile. Town Volunteers was more prevalent in RAMBO lists than ran thin lines of the deck's supporting Pokémon, such as a 1-1 {{TCG ID|EX Ruby & Sapphire|Delcatty|5}}, a 1-1 {{TCG ID|EX Team Magma vs Team Aqua|Team Aqua's Manectric|4}} (shown in the above list), or only one {{TCG ID|EX Dragon|Rayquaza ex|97}}. | ||