Gym Leader Challenge Water Deck

Hello trainers! Today I've got a unique list for you. I thought the new Blastoise from the Pokémon Go set was interesting and potentially very strong, so I built a list around it. I present to you, Blastsire!

Deck Playing Philosophy

The PoGO Blastoise is unbelievably strong, period. This deck is built to play the late game with tank and heal, but has enough fire power to come out and take the early lead. As with most water decks, the main plan is to setup your bench as fast as possible. However, I play this deck slightly different than a standard Rain Dance list. I go for an early rare candy Blastoise as fast as possible using Shady Dealings. If Blastoise gets going early, you can Vitality Spring 6 energy into play and overwhelm your opponent. Blastoise has 170 HP and an incredible attack. It hits for 210 damage with 4 water energy. The core attackers, Wailord and Blastoise, have no problem OHKOing the entire meta - even Torterra.

The other core component of this deck is rotating and healing. Mallow & Lana, Rough Seas, Pot Helmet and Max Potion are all in the list to keep your Pokémon healthy. Rough Seas and Pot Helmet can fix some math to take your 2 hit KOs to 3 hit KOs which can swing an entire game. Use Quagsire to pivot your energy and enable your attackers and healing.

Early Game

Focus on getting Blastoise rare candied into play, if prizing doesn't prevent this. An early Vitality Spring is sure to give you the upper hand. Start with Alolan Vulpix if at all possible. A. Vuplix may be the best starting Pokémon in the entire format! If Blastoise is prized, take the more traditional Rain Dance approach of setting up Octillery and Frosmoth. Though, in all cases, Octillery is an important engine for the deck.

Mid Game

With all the energy in play from Blastoise, you can now focus on setting up Quagsire and Frosmoth, your energy pivot. Quagsire's Wash Out ability let's you promote water energy from your benched Pokémon to your active Pokémon. Wash Out provides opportunities for an abundance of creative plays in the late game.

Late Game

With Quagsire and Frosmoth on the board, you have the freedom to tank and heal almost any attack. Mallow & Lana gives you a switch with 120 heal. Did your opponent chip your Wailord? Mallow & Lana to remove the damage, then Wash Out to move the 4 energy up to Blastoise for an instant 210 damage. Did your opponent KO your Wailord? Use Superior Energy Retrieval or Nessa to grab 4 energy back, Frosmoth to the bench, Wash Out to the newly promoted active and KO your opponent's active. More chip damage on your Blastoise or Wailord? Float stone, Tate & Liza or Guzma them to the bench, move their energy to the active with Wash Out, then Max Potion for a full heal for free. The creative plays are unlimited!

Difficult Matchups

Ability lock severely inhibits this deck's core functions. Wishiwashi was included strictly for this reason. If you encounter Psychic or Dark ability lock, get Wishiwashi into the active and loaded up with energy.

Once you remove their ability lock threat, you are free to continue on with the game. Sometimes this is difficult to achieve and the game becomes grindy. Do your best not to discard too many resources and hold them for when the ability lock finally gets removed - at that point, you are the favorite.

Unfortunately for Wailord and Blastoise, they share a common weakness - lightning. Against lightning, your best bet is to play the Weakness Energy onto either Wailord or Blastoise and keep that attacker alive at all costs. Due to weakness, the tankiness of your attackers is not effective, so switching and healing only works for the Pokémon equipped with Weakness Energy. Sky Pillar was also included for this matchup to prevent Raikou from taking out your support Pokémon, so be careful when you play it, as you don't want your opponent to win the stadium war. A Sky Pillar that sticks could be game winning.

Decklist

##Pokémon - 16

• 1 Alolan Vulpix GRI 21
• 1 Remoraid BST 36
• 1 Snom SSH 63
• 1 Sobble SSH 55
• 1 Squirtle BCR 29
• 1 Wailmer VIV 31
• 1 Wishiwashi CEC 62
• 1 Wooper DRM 25
• 1 Drizzile SSH 56
• 1 Frosmoth SHF 30
• 1 Octillery BKT 33
• 1 Quagsire DRM 26
• 1 Wailord VIV 32
• 1 Wartortle UNB 34
• 1 Blastoise PGO 17
• 1 Inteleon SSH 58

##Trainer Cards - 34

• 1 Nessa VIV 157
• 1 Brooklet Hill GRI 120
• 1 Ball Guy SHF 57
• 1 Rough Seas PRC 137
• 1 Pot Helmet BRS 146
• 1 Professor's Letter XY 123
• 1 Rescue Stretcher GRI 130
• 1 Evolution Incense SSH 163
• 1 Sky Pillar CES 144
• 1 Mallow & Lana CEC 198
• 1 Gloria BRS 141
• 1 Gladion CIN 95
• 1 Super Rod BKT 149
• 1 Tate & Liza CES 148
• 1 Nest Ball SUM 123
• 1 Brigette BKT 134
• 1 Cynthia UPR 119
• 1 Guzma BUS 115
• 1 Colress PLS 118
• 1 Scoop Up Net RCL 165
• 1 Ultra Ball SUM 135
• 1 Irida ASR 147
• 1 N FCO 105
• 1 Level Ball BST 129
• 1 Boss's Orders BRS 132
• 1 Hisuian Heavy Ball ASR 146
• 1 Float Stone BKT 137
• 1 Marnie SSH 169
• 1 Dive Ball PRC 125
• 1 Max Potion BKP 103
• 1 Rare Candy CES 142
• 1 Capacious Bucket RCL 156
• 1 VS Seeker PHF 109
• 1 Superior Energy Retrieval PLF 103

##Energy - 10

• 8 Water Energy XYEnergy 9
• 1 Splash Energy BKP 113
• 1 Weakness Guard Energy UNM 213

Total Cards - 60