Mew/Accelgor (TCG)

Mew/Accelgor
MewEXDragonsExalted46.jpg
AccelgorDarkExplorers11.jpg
Mew-EX and Accelgor
Types used PsychicGrass
Major cards Mew-EX, Accelgor and Double Colorless Energy
Era 2012–2014


Mew/Accelgor was a Pokémon Trading Card Game deck archetype played in the 2012-2013 and 2013-2014 seasons, with other rare appearances up to the 2016-2017 season. The deck's strategy revolved around Mew-EX copying Accelgor's Deck and Cover Attack to deal damage while denying the opponent's paralyzed Pokémon to attack for as many turns possible, shuffling Mew-EX into the deck but setting up another attacker each consequential turn. Thanks to its decent speed and supporting Pokémon to further control the opponent's pace, Mew/Accelgor was a popular deck at tournaments, ranking 4th place at the 2013 Pokémon Trading Card Game World Championships's Seniors and 1st place at 2014 World Championships' Seniors. 2013 Seniors semifinalist Ian Whiton and 2014 Seniors champion Trent Orndorff's versions were printed as a promotional World Championships decks, American Gothic and Trevgor.

Strategy

Accelgor's Deck and Cover is one of the few Attacks in the TCG with guaranteed paralysis on the opponent's Pokémon, while it would also poison and deal 50 damage to that Pokémon, at the drawback of shuffling the Pokémon and all cards attached to it into the deck. While the drawback made this attack less consistent to use every turn, Mew Prime's Poké-Body and later Mew-EX's Ability, however, allowed these cards to use Accelgor's attack as their own and offer a fast recovery due to not being Evolution Pokémon. The attack used only one energy card thanks to Double Colorless Energy offering ColorlessColorless, at the limit of four DCE per list. Deck and Cover's low attack was justified by the few options of retreating paralyzed Pokémon, which this deck used to have supporting Pokémon's Abilities against.

Mew/Accelgor's gameplan was simple: draw enegies every turn and have one or two benched Accelgor, one active Mew/Mew-EX to copy the attack and a benched Mew/Mew-EX to be put in the active position after the attacker was shuffled into the deck. Other options of new active Pokémon were Gothitelle, which Ability prevented the opponent from playing Item cards such as Switch, and Chandelure, which could put 3 damage counters on the opponent's Pokémon in any way preferred by its Ability. Any kind of control such as these cards complementing the paralysis was crucial to the deck, since the opponent could setup the bench and attack if their Pokémon were knocked out the past turn.

Key cards

  • Accelgor - Accelgor's Deck and Cover attack was the deck's core. As an Evolution Pokémon however, it was more consistent to copy these attacks with the Mews than use Accelgor itself.
  • Mew - Prior to the release of Mew-EX, Mew Prime was the only way to copy Accelgor's attack as long it was in the Lost Zone. Because the most consistent way to send Accelgor to the Lost Zone were with Mew's attack that cost Psychic or another Pokémon's attacks, this strategy watered down once Mew-EX was released.
  • Mew-EX - Mew-EX's Versatile Ability allowed it to use the attacks of any Pokémon in play. As a Basic Pokémon, it was better to shuffle Mew-EX into the deck than shuffle Accelgor and be forced to keep evolving Pokémon every turn.
  • Dusknoir - Dusknoir's Sinister Hand Ability would be used to move damage counters from the opponent's Active Pokémon, preventing it from ever leaving the field as an easy target to be constantly paralyzed, and knocking out benched Pokémon with those damage counters.
  • Trevenant - As a Stage 1 Pokémon, Trevenant was more efficient at locking the opponent out of Item cards than Gothitelle. It would be placed into the active spot after Deck and Cover shuffled the active Pokémon after using the attack.
  • Wobbuffet - Wobbuffet's Bide Barricade Ability prevented Abilities from non-Psychic Pokémon to work. During Gen VII, Wobbuffet was the only supporting Pokémon this deck could use to compete against newer archetypes.
  • Rare Candy - As most decks played at least one Stage 2 Pokémon, Rare Candy was useful at setting them up faster.
  • Double Colorless Energy - Usually the only kind of energy used in Mew/Accelgor decks.

Typical decklist

Ian Whiton's decklist at the 2013 World Championship

Quantity Card Type Rarity
MewEX Psychic SuperRare
Shelmet Grass Common
Accelgor Grass Rare
Gothita Psychic Common
Gothorita Psychic Uncommon
Gothitelle Psychic Rare Holo
Munna Psychic Uncommon
Musharna Psychic Rare
Duskull Psychic Common
Dusknoir Psychic Rare Holo
KeldeoEX Water SuperRare
Computer Search I SuperRare
Level Ball I Uncommon
Float Stone I Uncommon
Pokémon Catcher I Uncommon
Pokémon Communication I Uncommon
Rare Candy I Uncommon
Super Rod I Rare Holo
Tool Scrapper I Uncommon
Town Map I Uncommon
Ultra Ball I Uncommon
Tropical Beach St
Colress Su Uncommon
N Su Uncommon
Professor Juniper Su Uncommon
Skyla Su Uncommon
Double Colorless Energy Colorless E Uncommon

Trent Orndorff's decklist at the 2014 World Championship

Quantity Card Type Rarity
MewEX Psychic Rare
Shelmet Grass Common
Accelgor Grass Rare
Duskull Psychic Common
Dusclops Psychic Uncommon
Dusknoir Psychic Rare
Phantump Psychic Common
Trevenant Psychic Rare
Computer Search I SuperRare
Evosoda I Uncommon
Float Stone I Uncommon
Level Ball I Uncommon
Muscle Band I Uncommon
Pokémon Catcher I Uncommon
Sacred Ash I Uncommon
Startling Megaphone I Uncommon
Town Map I Uncommon
Ultra Ball I Uncommon
Tropical Beach St
Colress Su Uncommon
N Su Uncommon
Professor Juniper Su Uncommon
Skyla Su Uncommon
Double Colorless Energy Colorless E Uncommon


Possible tech cards

The following cards are often used in Mew/Accelgor in place of certain cards included in the above lists.

  • Vileplume - Vileplume's Ability prevented both players from using Item cards. This card became less used as the Mew-EX/Gothitelle variant became more consistent.
  • Chandelure - Once per turn, its Cursed Body Ability put 3 damage counters on the opponent's Pokémon in any way the player chose when in the active position. Like other cards below, Chandelure would be put into the active spot thanks to Accelgor's attack shuffling the active Pokémon and retreat the next turn to another attacker.
  • Gothitelle - Gothitelle's Magic Room Ability prevented the opponent from playing Item cards while it was in the active spot. Post-XY, its usefulness got replaced by Trevenant, a Stage 1 Pokémon.
  • Flygon - Jeremy Leong made 2nd place at the 2014 Singapore Nationals thanks to Flygon's Sand Slammer Ability putting a damage counter on each opposing Pokémon between turns. That list notably cut Mew-EX in favor or more drawing Trainer cards.
  • Garbodor - Some decklists opted to prevent the opponent's Abilities from working with a benched Garbodor and not use Mew-EX in the process, trading the more consistent attacks with a better supporting control.



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