Gengar ex Deck Analysis
With the release of Gengar ex, the deck had a strong start but quickly faded. However, a new card, the Handheld Fan, has been introduced, which might improve its performance.
Key Card: The Handheld Fan
The Handheld Fan reads: "If the Pokémon this card is attached to is in the active spot and is damaged by an attack, move an energy from the attacking Pokémon to one of your opponent's bench Pokémon." This ability can be combined with Gengar's attack effect to move energy from the active Pokémon to one of the opponent's benched Pokémon.
Using this combination, in one turn of the opponent attacking and you hitting back, two energy can be moved off the active, thereby accelerating the process of moving all the energy onto a useless Pokémon and effectively making the opponent unable to play efficiently.
Deck Composition
The Gengar ex deck is designed to be quick in manipulating energy and hindering the opponent's strategy. The deck also incorporates a Pidgeot engine and a 1-1 Bibarel line for additional support and draw power.
Strategy
The strategy revolves around using Gengar's attack to move energy to an ineffective benched Pokémon, while the Handheld Fan further disrupts the opponent's energy management by moving energy away from the active Pokémon when attacked. This process makes it difficult for the opponent to maintain their game plan.
Gameplay Observations
- Using Arven to grab resources like the Handheld Fan and Evolution cards at crucial moments.
- Matching Gengar's attacks with Pidgeot's quick searches to optimize the deck's performance.
- Ensuring the deck has backup plans for various situations, including using Rare Candy for quick evolutions.
- Efficiently utilizing Dark Patch to manage energy on the Gengar line.
- Utilizing stadium cards like Collapse Stadium in strategic contexts to manage board space effectively.
Matchup Insights
While the deck is strong, it has weak matchups against decks that don't rely on attacking for energy management, such as Sinistea or Brute Bonnet decks. However, against decks that struggle with energy resources, Gengar ex can effectively punish and outpace the opponent with its energy manipulation strategy.
Conclusion
The Gengar ex deck, supplemented by the Handheld Fan, showcases a solid build with efficient strategies for energy manipulation. The deck has a significant edge against opponents reliant on traditional energy attachment and attack patterns, making it a formidable option for competitive play. However, it requires careful play and matchup awareness for optimal performance.
For those who enjoy playing with Gengar and want to leverage its new strengths, this is a highly recommended build to consider.
