St0ney’s Guide to Modified Feraligatr

Hello people, I want to let you know that I’ve never written guides before, so this is my first guide, I hope you’ll like it.

Introduction:


Feraligatr
Pokémon card
LV. 69 #160
(W)
120 HP
Stage 2 Pokémon
Evolves from Croconaw
Put Feraligatr on the Stage 1 card
Weakness: (G)
Resistance: n/a
Retreat cost: (C) (C) (C)
Pokémon Power: Downpour As often as you like during your turn (before your attack), you may discard a (W) Energy card from your hand. This power can't be used if Feraligatr is Asleep, Confused, or Paralyzed.
(W) (W) (W) Riptide Does 10 damage plus 10 damage times the number of (W) Energy cards in your discard pile. Then, shuffle all (W) Energy cards from your discard pile into your deck. 10+

Riptide Feraligatr is probably one of the most used and countered cards in the history of the Pokémon TCG. During the days of Rocket On Modified, this card was combined with Trash Exchange and Misty’s Wrath, and it soon became the best deck of Modified. The possibility to easily do over 100 damage turn 3 is just too good not to be used, and used it was.
Since Modified became Neo On, the card was nowhere near it’s previous level. With the Expedition set, Gatr got a new cousin, plus the great Copycat, but there was still something missing to make it complete.

Now Aquapolis is out, this all has changed. Aquapolis brought us a nice Supporter Card, called Juggler. This card lets you discard one or two energy, if you discard one energy, draw 3 cards, if you discard two energy, draw 5 cards. Since riptide gets all energy back into your deck, the drawbacks are minimal and the advantages optimal.




How to play it:
A popular way to play Riptide Gatr is in combination with Parasect. Parasect keeps the water in the discard pile, so once you got energies in your graveyard, you can keep hitting for 90 or more a turn.
The problem with the deck is that people will keep on gusting your Parasect, it’s so meanlookable. Not to forget that Paras isn’t a good basic, since we don’t play Grass energy. Once Paras(ect) is killed, you will have a very hard time to get Water energy in your discard pile every turn, and you basically lose.

I had a different role for Riptide Feraligatr in mind. I play it in combination with Expedition Major Tsunami Feraligatr. Riptide Gatr is such a SWEET late game card, it’s incredible. I use mainly use Major Tsunami Feraligatr early and mid game, but when I really need to kill a threat, like a fully pumped Steelix for example, I get out Gatr and try to OHKO it.

Major Tsunami is a GREAT Pokémon power, if the opponent only got one baby in play and that baby is active, you can Major Tsunami any Pokémon on his bench, it allows you to do all kinds of neat tricks.

Gatr’s attack, Rending Jaws, is quite a hard attack to play with. If the defending Pokémon has no damage on it, you do 40 damage. If it got any damage, you do 70. Metal energy would be great in this case, but I don’t use it since it take up quite a bit of deck space. Now let’s say I face a Kingdra with a Gold Berry and 0 damage. I could do 40 first, activating Gold Berry, than 40 and 70 to knock it out, 3 turns is quite a lot. So sometimes, I can go for Elekid, Playful Punch for 20, than Rendering Jaws for 70. It’s a risk, so you’ve got to know what you are doing. Don’t let this turn you off, Gatr got 120 hp, so the opponent will be attacking for quite a few turns to kill it, especially since I play 4 Gold Berry.

Matchups:
Kingdra: Kingdra is probably the most played deck in Modified at the moment, but solo Kingdra will soon fall to water resistant decks. Try to damage it with totodile/croc, and kill it with Expedition Gatr for 70 damage. Use Elekid for the lightning weak Horsea and Seadra, and go for OHKO when Gold Berry and Center take too much time. The match should go in your favor.

EnteiCargo: Try to hit it early game with Totodile and Croconaw, who can both do nasty amount of damage. EnteiCargo doesn’t like to be Major Tsunami’d, so do it often. When they have to retreat their Entei every turn, they will have a hard time to pump up Magcargo again. When things get really nasty, resort to Pichu and Tyrogue. Don’t forget a Magcargo with 3 energy can’t OHKO you!

Espeon: try to get a tyrogue out first turn to kill eevee. If that’s impossible, build an Expedition Gatr up, safely behind an active Suicune., while trying to Playful Punch with Elekid. Watch out for Pichu. ;x
When Gatr is ready, get him in front and let the fun begin. Watch out, because Espeon can hit you for a very nasty 70 damage. Riptide Gatr works very well here. If you encounter Mew, try to Major Tsunami him away, or Zapp or Playful Punch him, cause that thing hurts. >_<;

Jumpluff AQ: One word: Ouch. Hope he got a rainbow attached to it to activate his power, and start hitting for 40 a turn. Don’t ever lay Grass Weakness Croconaw and Gatr on the table, cause you will be hurt. With a bit of luck, you can still beat this deck, though. Use your Pichus, Elekid and Tyrogue a lot, and pray he flips a lot of tails.

Those are the big decks imo, here are some tips for other decks:
Scizor or Steelix: these things can get very nasty, try to ohko them with Riptide
Octillery: Abuse Major Tsunami to get around that annoying Smokescreen effect.

Extra tips:
-Major Tsunami as much as you can, even if it’s just to piss the opponent off ^_^;
-I don’t have 2 Suicune in my deck for nothing, use them, and use them a lot. Every time you don’t need to eeek to build up your Gatr, and you can’t kill something first turn, put that wall in front.
-Don’t attach Gold Berries to Suicune, since they will be discarded right away.
-Don’t use 2 Supporters the same turn: this might sound obvious, but it really happens, and it costs games.
-Have fun! (this is the most important thing)

Decklist:
Here’s the moment you’ve been waiting for, the decklist!

4 Totodile
2 Croconaw L41/ 2 Croc EX
2 Feraligatr L69
2 Feraligatr EXH
3 Cleffa
2 Suicune L25
1 Tyrogue
1 Elekid

4 Professor Elm
4 Copycat
4 Juggler
4 Pokemon Trader
3 Gold Berry
4 Double Gust
1 Town Volunteers

17 Water Energy

Possible fixes:
-1 Copycat
+1 Undersea Ruins: this stadium lets you discard you evolution, which comes in handy when you need to Sweep Away, or when you don’t need Riptide Gatr anymore, just discard it, and evolve it to Expedition Gatr.


I hope you’ve enjoyed reading this article, see ya next time!

(St0ney)