GLC Dark Deck

Weezing is one of the most toxic Pokémon in the entire Pokémon universe. Each of Weezing's heads contains a different toxin. So, it should be no surprise that the most toxic deck in the Gym Leader Challenge format features Galarian Weezing. Galarian Weezing has the Neutralizing Gas ability. As long as Galarian Weezing is in the active, your opponent’s Pokémon in play have no abilities

Knocking out your Galarian Weezing can be a giant relief for your opponent because they will regain access to their abilities. However, this list is able to chain Galarian Weezing and continue the ability lock for the majority of the game. If you are really lucky, your opponent could face Galarian Weezing six different times while having no access to their abilities.

Chaining a Stage 1 Pokémon multiple times is quite difficult when playing Gym Leader Challenge because you can only play one of each card with the same name. When Galarian Weezing ends up in the discard pile, that is your only copy. However, this list found the way to use that one copy of Galarian Weezing over and over again.

Galarian Weezing

Galarian Weezing is a Darkness-type Stage 1 Pokémon card. The best part of Galarian Weezing is its ability, Neutralizing Gas. If you have Galarian Weezing in the active, your opponent’s Pokémon in play can’t use any of their abilities.

The best decks in the Gym Leader Challenge format often rely on their strong abilities. If these decks cannot use their abilities, they are not able to properly function. For instance, water is a top-tier deck because of its strong abilities. Imagine how a water deck will stumble if it doesn’t have access to Octillery’s Abyssal Hand ability, Drizzile’s Shady Dealings ability, Inteleon’s Shady Dealings ability, Blastoise’s Deluge ability, Frosmoth’s Ice Dance ability and Starmie’s Space Beacon ability.

To limit the amount of turns that your opponent can use their abilities, you want to get Galarian Weezing into play as fast as possible. Koffing is able to evolve into Galarian Weezing with its Ascension attack. If you attack with Koffing on your first turn going second, your opponent only has 1 turn with abilities. Most of the strong abilities are on evolution Pokémon. So, having access to abilities on turn 1 isn’t really that beneficial because no strong abilities can yet be in play.

Galarian Weezing also has a solid attack. Severe Poison poisons your opponent’s Pokémon for 1 darkness energy and you put 4 damage counters on that Pokémon during turns. This list included some cards to improve that damage output. 

Weezing Chain

Most dark decks auto include the Zoroark with the Stand In ability. However, this dark list plays the Zoroark with the Phantom Transformation ability. You choose a Stage 1 Pokémom from your discard pile and put that Pokémon in Zoroark’s place. If your opponent takes a knockout on Galarian Weezing, a stage 1 Pokémon will end up in your discard pile. You will then Phantom Transformation back into Galarian Weezing. If you want your opponent to face another Galarian Weezing, you have to recycle the Zoroark.

The turn you use Phantom Transformation and put Zorua and Zoroark in the discard pile, you have to get the Zorua back on the bench. Because if your opponent takes a one hit knockout, you need to evolve into Zoroark and use Phantom Transformation again. There are a few cards that can recycle Zorua and Zoroark. The best card to use is Klara. Klara can get up to 2 Pokémon and/or 2 basic Energy into your hand. So, Klara can get Zorua, Zoroark and an energy to attack. This deck plays VS Seeker, Pal Pad and Cynthia & Caitlin to play Klara multiple times. Klara does use your one supporter for the turn and you’re not always able to play a supporter card that doesn’t draw you cards. Rescue Stretcher, Ordinary Rod and Rescue Carrier are item cards that also recycle Pokémon.

Poison Boost

Severe Poison poisons your opponent’s Active Pokémon and you puts 4 damage counters on that Pokémon during turns. This list plays Virbank City Gym and the Toxicroak with the More Poison ability. Both cards let you put 2 more damage counters on your opponent’s Poisoned Pokémon.

You are able to put 8 damage counters on your opponent’s Pokémon when you use the Severe Poison attack and have both Virbank City Gym and Toxicroak in play. This damage will add up real fast. If your opponent is not able to get rid of the poison, there will be 16 damage counters on their Pokémon going back into your turn.

This list does not play cards to poison your opponent like Hypnotoxic Laser, Koga’s Trap, Poison Barb or the Garbodor with the Poisonous Puddle ability. The most important thing is to ability lock your opponent with Galarian Weezing. If Galarian Weezing is in the active, you already can poison your opponent with its attack. So, you do not need any other cards to poison your opponent.

Guzzlord

Guzzlord with the Red Banquet attack is not required to achieve the Galarian Weezing chain. However, Guzzlord is one of the strongest Pokemon in the Gym Leader Challenge format. It is just too strong to not include it in any dark deck. Red Banquet does 120 damage and if your opponent’s Pokémon is Knocked Out by damage from this attack, you take 1 more Prize card.

A good time to use Guzzlord is when your opponent wasted a lot of resources to deal with Galarian Weezing chain. Guzzlord can be powered up in a single turn using Beast Ring and Twin Energy/Double Colorless Energy. If your opponent is not able to deal with a 150 hp (190 hp with Fighting Fury Belt) Guzzlord, you can easily run away with the game.

Hand Size

This deck is built to have a massive hand. The more cards are in your hand, the more option you have. You built your hand with the Liepard with the Trade ability and the supporter card decision.

You can discard a card from your hand and draw 2 cards with the Trade ability. You will see a lot more cards during your game if you draw an additional 2 cards every single turn. Discarding a card from your hand thins bad cards out of your deck. If your opponent plays a late game N or Reset Stamp, there should only be good cards in your deck.

This list tries to exclude any supporter card that shuffles your hand back into the deck. Cards like Cynthia, Tate & Liza and Colress are staples in most other decks. If you try to build a massive hand, shuffling your hand back into your deck doesn’t seem like a good idea. It is only worth to shuffle your hand back into the deck if you can disrupt your opponent’s hand.

Disrupting the Opponent

N, Roxanne and Marnie are included to disrupt your opponent hand. Your opponent might have a difficult time when you set them back to only a few cards under ability lock. Parallel City acts as a good counter to decks that need a large bench of specific Pokémon to function. Pot Helmet, Big Charm and Fighting Fury Belt are included to prevent a one-hit knockout. If your Galarian Weezing survives a turn, you have bought yourself an extra turn to recycle the Zorua and Zoroark.

Matchups

It will come as no surprise that your best matchups are against decks that heavily rely on their abilities. Weirdly enough, the ability lock is the only selling point of this list. There is nothing to ability lock if your opponent does not play any abilities. If your opponent’s deck doesn’t rely on abilities, this list is just bad. Luckily, most of the best decks in format heavily rely on their abilities.

You should be aware of decks that can turn off your abilities. If you can’t play any abilities, you are not able to use Phantom Transformation. You are able to gust around Wobbuffet with the Bide Barricade ability, Slaking with the Lazy ability or opposing Galarian Weezing. However, a well-timed Hex Maniac can be difficult to overcome.

You should also be aware of decks that are able to take multiple knockouts in a turn. If your opponent takes a knockout on Galarian Weezing and Zoroark in the same turn, you are not able to have a Galarian Weezing in the active next turn.

Your opponent might try to knock out Koffing before it can evolve into Galarian Weezing. You are still able to get Galarian Weezing in play with by discarding the Galarian Weezing and using the Phantom Transformation ability.

Deck List

##Pokémon - 10 

• 1 Croagunk FST 165
• 1 Guzzlord CEC 136
• 1 Hoopa DAA 111
• 1 Koffing SHF 41
• 1 Purrloin CPA 39
• 1 Zorua EVS 102
• 1 Galarian Weezing SHF 42
• 1 Liepard BRS 91
• 1 Toxicroak SSH 124
• 1 Zoroark EVS 103

 

##Trainer Cards - 42 

• 1 Ball Guy SHF 57
• 1 Cynthia & Caitlin CEC 189
• 1 Trainers' Mail ROS 92
• 1 Rescue Stretcher GRI 130
• 1 Pokégear 3.0 SSH 174
• 1 Evolution Incense SSH 163
• 1 Ordinary Rod SSH 171
• 1 Ultra Ball DEX 102
• 1 Timer Ball SUM 134
• 1 Lysandre FLF 90
• 1 Gloria BRS 141
• 1 Pal Pad UPR 132
• 1 Piers CPA 58
• 1 Bird Keeper DAA 159
• 1 Nest Ball SUM 123
• 1 Big Charm SSH 158
• 1 Escape Rope PLS 120
• 1 Teammates PRC 141
• 1 Raihan EVS 152
• 1 Roxanne ASR 150
• 1 Field Blower GRI 125
• 1 Virbank City Gym PLS 126
• 1 Guzma BUS 115
• 1 Fighting Fury Belt BKP 99
• 1 Klara CRE 145
• 1 Air Balloon SSH 156
• 1 Rescue Carrier EVS 154
• 1 Parallel City BKT 145
• 1 N FCO 105
• 1 Sonia RCL 167
• 1 Dark Patch DEX 93
• 1 Professor's Research CEL 23
• 1 Hisuian Heavy Ball ASR 146
• 1 Pot Helmet BRS 146
• 1 Float Stone BKT 137
• 1 Town Map BCR 136
• 1 Marnie SSH 169
• 1 Brigette BKT 134
• 1 Beast Ring FLI 102
• 1 VS Seeker PHF 109
• 1 Level Ball NXD 89
• 1 Quick Ball SSH 179

 

##Energy - 8 

• 1 Double Colorless Energy FCO 114
• 1 Twin Energy RCL 174
• 5 Darkness Energy SMEnergy 7
• 1 Hiding {D} Energy DAA 175