Scizor ex

Decklist from Kanten.

For a slightly different build I came up with (featuring Ledian δ), click here.

Overview

This deck plays a single 4-4 Scizor ex line and no other Pokémon. Offensively, Scizor ex has two very powerful attacks: Steel Wing does 40 damage for two Energy, and Cross-Cut does 80 to Evolved Pokémon for {C}{C}{C}, which can be paid for with a single Boost Energy. Its Poké-Body, Danger Perception, also boosts damage by a whopping 40 when Scizor ex is at or under half health. Defensively, Scizor ex has 120 HP, benefits from Metal Energy's damage reduction, and gains another -20 damage taken buff whenever it uses Steel Wing.

Ideal Gameplan

Lead with Scyther (there's no other option) and use Twin Play to put two other Scythers on the Bench. Cycle through your deck with draw Supporters, playing Trainers that disrupt your opponent, or Poké Ball to search for Scizor ex. Evolve the Active Scyther and beat down. Meanwhile, build the other Scythers you Twin Play-ed out to replace the first Scizor ex after it gets KOed.

Unique Points

This deck has a high count of Supporters that shuffle your hand into the deck before drawing up to a certain amount (Admin, Copycat, Oak). If your Supporter for the turn is one of these, most of the time you'll want to play as many other cards from your hand before playing the Supporter.

Sometimes your only out is to draw into Boost Energy for Cross-Cut. If so, be sure not to use up your Energy attachment for the turn before playing your Supporter.

Steel Wing does 40 damage, and many evolving Basics have 50 HP. Strength Charm lets you 1HKO them.

Tweaks

Master Ball instead of Poké Ball: Master Ball can whiff, not on a coin flip, but on the contents of the top 7 cards of your deck. It does shuffle your deck even if you whiff, so this could get you out of a Foresight (from Girafarig or Lunatone) lock.

Know the Odds

Assuming Scizor ex is the only thing you care about hitting (i.e. treating a Scyther hit as worthless), Master Ball is better than Poké Ball('s flat 50% chance of hitting Scizor ex) if you have...

• 4 Scizor ex's in a deck of 45 or fewer cards

• 3 Scizor ex's in a deck of 34 or fewer cards

• 2 Scizor ex's in a deck of 24 or fewer cards

• 1 Scizor ex in a deck of 14 or fewer cards

Rainbow Energy: Another Energy that pays for Steel Wing, and can also get Scizor ex into Danger Perception range.

Mary's Request, Professor Birch: Alternative card draw Supporters. One disadvantage of Professor Birch is that if you have a lot of dead, unplayable cards in hand, you don't get to shuffle them into the deck for a chance at better draws.

Strengths

This deck's build and its game plan are very easy to understand. Playing this deck better mostly comes down to knowing how to play to your outs.

Checking Prizes is of much less importance with this deck than others. Every card is a 4-of, so it's highly unlikely that all 4 copies of one card are Prized.

Weaknesses

Fire Pokémon hit both Scyther and Scizor ex for Weakness. This may end up enabling Danger Perception and backfiring on them, though.

Scizor ex can end up getting walled by Resistance, or the Safeguard Poké-Body. Scyther can damage Safeguard Pokémon, albeit extremely slowly, and Resistance can be overcome with Danger Perception. You can also Cyclone Energy or Pokémon Reversal something else Active, but this is only a temporary solution.

This deck has no defense against Special Conditions, other than retreating.