Wailord/Fossils (TCG)

Wailord/Fossils
WailordexEXSandstorm100.jpg
ClawFossilEXSandstorm90.jpg
Wailord ex and Claw Fossil
Types used WaterGrass
Major cards Wailord ex, Claw Fossil, Root Fossil, and Bellossom
Era 2004

Wailord/Fossils was a rogue Pokémon Trading Card Game deck piloted by Colin Moll to a top eight finish at the 2004 World Championships. In retrospect, many players regard it as a very strong deck, and one that probably would have transcended rogue status to become an archetype if online information sharing were as prevalent among TCG players then as it is today. In short, the deck’s primary focus involves using a variety of mechanisms to keep damage off Wailord ex in order to maximize the output of its Dwindling Wave attack.

Strategy

The player would alternate between using Wailord ex's Dwindling Wave and Super Deep Dive attacks. Dwindling Wave does 100 base damage, enough to knock out most Pokémon of the era, but does 10 less damage for each damage counter on Wailord ex. Super Deep Dive heals 30 damage from Wailord ex and switches it with one of the user's Benched Pokémon. When using Super Deep Dive, the player would switch into either Claw Fossil, Root Fossil, or Mysterious Fossil when possible. Each of these, though acting as Pokémon, do not give up a Prize Card when Knocked Out; Wailord ex was safe on the bench, and the opponent would be forced to waste a turn attacking a Fossil. Meanwhile, the player would be using Bellossom's Heal Dance Poké-POWER to heal even more damage from Wailord ex and further maximize Dwindling Wave's damage output.

Key cards

  • Wailord ex - Wailord ex served as the deck's primary attacker. With 100 base damage, Dwindling Wave was capable of Knocking Out most Pokémon of the era in one attack. Super Deep Dive heals damage off Wailord ex and gives the player the opportunity to switch into a Fossil, stalling the opponent for a turn and providing an additional turn of uninterrupted healing via Bellossom's Heal Dance.
  • Bellossom - Bellossom's Heal Dance was used to heal damage off Wailord ex; in combination with Super Deep Dive, it kept Wailord ex healthy for higher damage with Dwindling Wave. The inclusion of Multi Energy in the deck also allowed Bellossom to attack in a pinch,
  • Root Fossil - Root Fossil, though officially a Trainer card, acts as a Basic Pokémon while in play. However, it does not give up a prize when Knocked Out, making it a perfect target to switch into with Super Deep Dive. Additionally, Root Fossil has a Poké-BODY (Spongy Stone) that allows the player to remove one damage counter from it between turns. With only 40 HP, though, it was typically Knocked Out in one attack.
  • Claw Fossil - Claw Fossil served the same purpose as Root Fossil. However, its Poké-BODY, Jagged Stone, was substantially more useful. Jagged Stone placed one damage counter on the attacking Pokémon every time Claw Fossil took damage.

Typical decklist

The deck list appearing below is not official; it is meant to represent an average build of the archetype, not specifically constructed for any regional metagame. Being that this is merely an archetype, a player may wish to change any part of this deck when building his or her own version. The list shown assumes an Expedition through EX Hidden Legends format. Potential later additions may be listed in the Possible tech cards section. This particular list was used by Colin Moll to finish in the top eight at the 2004 World Championships.

Quantity Card Type Rarity
Wailord ex    
Wailmer    
Bellossom    
Gloom    
Gloom    
Oddish    
Vileplume ex    
Steven's Advice Su  
Oracle Su  
Copycat Su  
Professor Oak's Research Su  
Professor Elm's Training Method Su  
Desert Shaman Su  
Claw Fossil T  
Root Fossil T  
Mysterious Fossil T  
Switch T  
Ancient Technical Machine [Rock] T  
Mystery Zone St  
Island Cave St  
Multi Energy   E  
12× Water Energy   E


Possible tech cards

The following cards are often used in Wailord/Fossils in place of certain cards included in the above list.

  • Wailord - Though neither were particularly popular, the 2004 format included two Pokémon with the Safeguard Poké-BODY: Wobbuffet from EX Sandstorm and Ninetales from EX Hidden Legends. Safeguard makes a Pokémon invulnerable to attacks from Pokémon-ex, rendering Wailord ex useless against Wobbuffet and Ninetales. The inclusion of a non-ex Wailord increased the deck's chances of winning against Safeguard Pokémon.

See also


Printed 2004 World Championships decks
Blaziken TechMagma SpiritRocky BeachTeam Rushdown
Other miscellaneous 2004 archetypes
RAMBOGardevoir/Magneton/DelcattySwampert/SuicuneShiftry/Delcatty/FurretCroByssMetaByss
Walrein/MiloticTeam MagmaTeam AquaWailord/FossilsSceptile/MukJumpluff/GorebyssExploud ex



  This article is part of Project TCG, a Bulbapedia project that aims to report on every aspect of the Pokémon Trading Card Game.