The main reason you buy Theme decks is for 3 reasons:
1- You are trying to use the Theme Deck in Competitive Tournaments.
2- You are a collector trying to “Catch them all”.
3- You are trying to acquire the cards with in the Theme Deck.
—————
Mech Strike is a Theme Deck recommended to beginners for 2 reason’s.
1- It was ranked # 1 in Competitive Theme Deck Tournments at the time of its Release.
It has dropped since than because the game released more Theme Decks.
However, Mech Strike is still considered a Top 5 Theme Deck in Competitive Theme Deck Tournaments.
You will see people using it.
Guaranteed!
2- The next reason people recommend getting Mech Strike is because of a few cards inside it.
The main card being the Support Card: Cynthia.
The Mech Strike Theme Deck has 2 copies of Cynthia inside it.
The Support Card: Cynthia is the best draw supporter in the game for Standard Format.
It is ranked #1.
Every Standard Deck in the game runs max copies of Cynthia. (max copies = 4 copies)
It doesn’t matter if you plan to build your own deck or copy someone else deck.
You still are going to want the best draw supporting card!
Cynthia comes in the Ultra Prisma Booster Pack.
Opening the Booster packs give you random cards. No guarantees!
You can spend upwards of 5,000 poke coins trying to get 4 copies of Cynthia from the Booster packs with no guarantee.
Or
You can spend 1,000 poke coins and buy Mech Strike Theme Deck 2 times with a guarantee.
What do you think people do?
They buy the Theme deck twice!
Some people don’t even like the Mech Strike Deck.
Some people have no intention of ever playing it.
Yet, they buy it twice.
WHY? Because they want to make there own deck.
They want there own deck to be the best.
In order for it to be the best, they need the best cards!
It saves them coins to buy the Theme deck over the Booster packs.
It is logical.
—————
Your priority as a beginner should be to get the best cards!
Draw Supporters:
#1 - Cynthia
#2 - **** & Liza
#3 - Tie between (Copy Cat) & (Lillie)
Hand Disruption Supporters:
#1 - Judge
#2 - Illama
#3 - Wicke
Draw Supporting Pokémon:
#1 - Oranguru
#2 - Zoroark GX
#3 - Swampert
#4 - Alolah Sandslash
Board Disruption Supporters:
#1 - Guzma
#2 - Cyrus
#3 - Counter Catcher
#4 - Escape Rope
Energy Acceleration Pokémon:
#1 - Malamar
#2 - Metagross
—————
Mech Strike - Theme deck can get you Cynthia.
After you get Cynthia, you would be insane not to go after Leaf Charge Theme Deck next!
Leaf Charge - Theme deck has Guzma, Oranguru, **** & Liza, Copy Cat, and Lillie.
—————
Truthfully, I think you should buy 1 copy of the Leaf Charge Theme Deck first.
Look at all the value in the Leaf Charge Box.
Cynthia is great, but you will only have 2 copy’s at start.
Look how many good draw supporters come in Leaf Charge.
They are all top 3!
It’s like 6 cards for a beginner.
It is a lot of value.
You will need them any way because 4 Cynthia in a Deck isn’t enough.
Most people run 8-10 draw supporters.
Cynthia will take up 4 slots.
The other slots will be your 2nd - 3rd best supporter etc.
—————
I would buy 1 copy of Mech Strike second.
—————
If you listen to what I’m saying, you will have the following:
1 - Oranguru
1 - Guzma
1 - **** & Liza
2 - Copy Cat
1 - Lillie
2 - Cynthia
You will need to re-evaluate your situation at this point.
The only Theme deck currently in the game with Guzma is Leaf Charge.
The ideal Guzma amount is 3.
Some decks do run 4, but I think 3 is more common.
Some people have used 2 Guzma with 1 Pal Pad as bare minimum amount!
The Pal Pad can shuffle back your 2 Guzma to use them again!
They use Pal Pad as a substitute card to make up for there lack of 3rd Guzma or to reduce the chance of drawing it to early in battle.
This is the idea behind Pal Pad.
It’s a very clever idea.
This means with out a shadow of a doubt.
You want to buy a second Leaf Charge Box.
Leaf Charge is only Theme Deck with Guzma!
You definitely want 2 Guzma + 1 Pal Pad as bare minimum.
CYNTHIA IS THE TRICKY PART!
You want 4 Cynthia.
You currently have 2 if you followed my previous advice.
The question is how to get the other 2 copy’s.
The straight forward way is to buy second Mech Strike Deck.
However, I want you to bare in mind.
Cynthia does come in another Theme deck.
Twilight Rogue has 1 copy of Cynthia + 1 copy of Malamar!
The question is are you going to play a Psychic deck?
Psychic decks often run 2 copies of Malamar.
If you buy 2 Twilight Rogue decks, you will get the 2 Malamar.
The bonus side effect is you will also end up with 4 Cynthia!
This would mean you don’t have to buy second Mech Strike Theme Deck!
You would distribute your coins else’s where and still achieve 4 Cynthia’s!
Option 1 - 2 Mech Strike = 4 Cynthia
Option 2 - 1 Mech Strike + 2 Twilight Rogue = 4 Cynthia
My main deck is a psychic deck.
I needed 2 Malamars.
I went with option 2 because I acquired Cynthia while getting Malamar.
It saved me 500 poke coins.
Keep in mind, I did this because of my own preferences.
You may not like psychic Pokémon.
I don’t know.
I just don’t want you to follow my advice blindly.
The reason why is because you have options.
The option you pick can be in line with your preferences.
Some options you have no choice in.
The Guzma/Leaf Charge example.
You don’t have any options in that because Guzma only comes in 1 Theme Deck.
The Cynthia situation gives you a little flexibility.
You can pick the path to reaching 4 Cynthia’s
—————
The draw supporters line I like to use is what I call the Stair Step System.
4 - 3 - 2 | 2
The Supporter line starts at 4 than steps down like walking down Stairs.
Than it flat lines at 2
4 - Cynthia
3 - **** & Liza
2 - Judge or Copy Cat
—
2 - Poke Fan Club or Lillie or Apricorn Maker or Kiawe
———————————————————
- Cynthia is the best so max copies.
- **** & Liza second best so middle copies.
- Judge is to punish my opponent from having a big hand size.
Or
- Copy Cat is to match my opponent big hand size.
The last card is my turn 1 support card.
It is the card I want to use at start of the Pokémon Battle.
* Pokémon Fan Club & Apricorn Maker - help bring out Pokémon from your deck to your bench.
It helps you set up evolution lines.
* Lillie - has an effect that lets you draw for 8 at start of Pokémon Battle
It helps you get big hand spread.
* Kiawe - is used only in fire decks for fast energy acceleration
It helps charge up Pokémon with 4 Fire energy’s to do big attack’s on following turns.
—————
Keep in mind, the information I gave above is for Standard Format.
Expanded Format has different ranking system.
It is because they have larger card pool.
Edited by Player_Jay, 04 October 2018 - 06:46 PM.
It is said that if Gengar is hiding, it cools the area by nearly 10 degrees Fahrenheit.