Maractus my beloved ~

This is a deck I cooked up based around my favourite Pokemon, Maractus!

Before I brewed up this monstrousity, I first checked if anyone else had done it. I did find a list, but it said that Maractus was no one's favourite Pokemon and I was MAD >///< Well not actually mad, but their deck was built around using Snorlax to recycle Leftovers for a respectable (and loopable) 200 damage per turn. I said "nah screw that, I wanna kill god" :D

Please keep in mind that the decklist written below is what I myself am currently using. The deck is only on it's second revision, and I don't have access to some of the cards I would like in the deck.

The current wish list is:

  • x2 more Snorlax Dolls (now that Secret Box is in the deck)
  • Shopping Center (for recycling Forest Seal Stone after use)
  • More Tool options, such as Bravery Charm (for on-the-fly counter-picking)
  • That Mimikyu that makes V's and ex's not work
  • Radiant Greninja (maybe)
Due to the deck being a mash of random cards I had lying around from way too long ago, I've marked some of the cards in the decklist as non-essential. Someone better at the game than me would put better cards there instead, they're just there because they vaguely work.
I haven't really figured out exactly what Tools should be in the deck, so I've marked all the ones that don't really matter with this blue diamond. Feel free to put whatever you want here, as long as it's a Tool it'll work all the same.

Full Decklist

x4
x2
x2
x2
x7
x6
x2
x4
x3
x3
x2
x1
x1
x3
x4
x2
x2
x1
x2
x2
x2
x1
x2

Point: Maractus

The core of the deck ~

She kills god.

If it wasn't apparent from the decklist, or from Maractus herself, the deck is built around grabbing as many tools as we can, as fast as we can, and then dumping them into our opponent's skulls ♥

How we actually go about collecting all the dragon tools will be covered in a later section, so for now all you need to know is that Maractus hurts.

Unfortunately, like the shooting star my daughter is, she cannot stay in the spotlight for long. As part of her parting gift she sets the stage perfectly for Rotom V to carry on the combo. That's right, we got DHC's!!

Keep in mind that you're only going to use 1-2 Ditch and Shakes per game, so if Maractus is at any risk of being knocked out it is essential that you dump every tool to help setup the rest of the chain.

If you do decide to save some tools, generally keeping TMs in your hand is more advisable, as you can easily discard them by simply attaching them to your Pokemon if needed.

Mid: Rotom V

The essential engine ~

While not the star of the show, Rotom V is the entire backstage crew. His Instant Charge ability is absurdly useful and should be used in any situation where you cannot attack meaningfully.

Adding to his utility, Rotom V is a Pokemon V, which allows us to use the Forest Seal Stone. It's a simple once per game search effect, and most of the time you'll be using it to grab Adventure Bag to go +1 on Tools, but in a pinch it can save you the game.

But if those weren't enough for you, Rotom V also creates a perfect pipeline from Maractus to Porygon2. Maractus scales with and discards Tools from hand, Rotom V scales with and sends Tools from discard to the Lost Zone, and Poryogn2 scales with Tools in the Lost Zone.

Rotom VSTAR is technically a card.

It might be worth using for its increased HP and slightly increased damage, but I can't see any world where you'd want to use its VSTAR Power and to top it all off you lose Instant Charge too. Add to your deck at your own risk.

Anchor: Porygon2

Being completely honest, he's here for the meme ~

If your game reaches the point where Porygon2 is coming out, you've either won or lost already. It's not hard to pilot the deck at this point, you deal up to 200 damage per turn for one energy, and you got two of these guys.

That's pretty much it.

If you're feeling a little uneasy by the fragility of the deck there are a few cards in the decklist marked as non-essential, feel free to replace any of those with either more Porygons or Super Rods.

The Great Balls in the deck are intended for finding Porygon2 in the late game, so don't burn those if you don't need to!

The Tool Factory

How to run the search ~

There is no set order in which it is best to play this cards really, as each of these pieces either fetch tools or fetch each other.

Arven

Generally, on a given turn you want to play Arven as your supporter due to his ability to search out 3 Tools (or cards that let you search even more). If you already have all the Tools (or an alternative way to get them), Arven can be skipped in favour of a Boss' Orders or a Sonia.

Secret Box

There is scarce a cost too steep for Secret Box. The deck runs four copies of Maractus and Snorlax Doll each. Energies are an abundance. Worst case you can just grab the same item back using the Box. Just try to avoid discarding any Porygon or Tools.

The best targets for Secret Box are:

  • Item: Adventure Bag
  • Tool: Forest Seal Stone
  • Supporter: Arven
  • Stadium: Town Store

In the event that no Adventure Bags are left, remember that Tools are still items!
It is likely you used the Forest Seal Stone to get the Box, or it got prized; just grab any other tool.
See the section on Arven above, same applies here.
If you already had a Town Store in hand and you KNOW the other isn't prized, discard it as part of the Box cost; you're only using it for one turn anyway, who cares if the opponent discards your only one?

Used correctly, the Secret Box can lead you to dealing 400 damage with Maractus. Yes, that is every single Tool in the deck. Secret Box is the best ACE SPEC for this deck and it's not even close.

Forest Seal Stone

At this point you should probably understand what you're using the Stone for. Obviously if a situation is dire you can use the Stone as a lifeline, but other than that follow the following:

  • If you don't have the Box, grab Secret Box.
  • If you haven't used an Arven, grab an Arven.
  • Otherwise grab an Adventure Bag.