Empoleon ex & Metang Tank (Phantasmal Flames)

Thank you to @smellyrat12 for suggesting this deck to be made!

Strategy: I strongly suggest going second with this deck. Anyways, during your First Turn, try to attempt to get out the following Pokémon:

- 2-3 Piplup

- 1-2 Beldum

- 1 Genesect ex

- 1 Wellspring Mask Ogerpon ex

- Any other Pokémon of your choice.

Anyways, the whole focus on this deck is to make Empoleon ex very tanky through several cards like Hero's Cape, Sacred Charm, and Full Metal Lab which combined

Thank you to @smellyrat12 for suggesting this deck to be made!

Strategy: I strongly suggest going second with this deck. Anyways, during your First Turn, try to attempt to get out the following Pokémon:

- 2-3 Piplup

- 1-2 Beldum

- 1 Genesect ex

- 1 Wellspring Mask Ogerpon ex

- Any other Pokémon of your choice.

Anyways, the whole focus on this deck is to make Empoleon ex very tanky through several cards like Hero's Cape, Sacred Charm, and Full Metal Lab which combined with Empoleon's Attack, Iron Feathers. You have various cards to accelerate Energy to Empoleon ex in order to attack, such as Crispin and Metang. With this being said, I shall move onto Pokémon Explanations.

Pokémon Explanations:

Empoleon ex is obviously the main focus of this deck as its Attack, Iron Feathers deals 210 Damage and takes 60 less damage from your Opponent's Attacks during their next turn, this also decently combines well with Emperor's Stance, Empoleon's Ability, which makes Empoleon immune to effects of Attcks from your Opponent's Attacks. Metang is here to accelerate Metal/Steel Energy to Empoleon ex or Wellspring Mask Ogerpon ex. Genesect ex helps get out 2 of your Metal/Steel Evolution Pokémon such as Empoleon and Metang. Wellspring Mask Ogerpon ex opts as a backup Attacker providing Active Pokémon trapping and as a Snipe Attacker and Fezandipiti ex provides Draw Support.

I will now be moving onto Trainer Card Explanations.

T.C./Trainer Card Explanations:

Arven helps you get out an Item and Tool Card from your deck which is very helpful. Lillie's Determination lets you shuffle your hand into your deck, and lets you get a new hand of 6 Cards, unless you have 6 Prize Cards remaining, you Draw 8 Cards instead. Boss's Orders provides gusting which can allow you to stall by trapping one of your Opponent's Heavy Retreat Cost Pokémon, to KO a Benched Pokémon of theirs, or to finish a weakened Pokémon off. Crispin accelerates Energy to any of your Pokémon of choice (up to 2, one onto a Pokémon and the other into your hand which you attach to that Pokémon from your hand).

Buddy-Buddy Poffin gets 2 Basic 70 HP or less Pokémon onto your Bench, extremely helpful for getting out Piplup and Beldum. Nest Ball gets any Basic Pokémon from your deck, onto your Bench. Rare Candy can evolve Piplup into Empoleon ex right away, if it's not the First Turn Piplup was in play, and if Empoleon is in your hand. Pokégear helps find your Supporter Cards. Earthen Vessel helps you look for your Basic Energy Cards as well. Counter Catcher provides additional gust and Super Rod provides recovery by shuffling a combination of 3 Pokémon and/or Basic Energy Cards, or a mixture of both from your Discard Pile, into your deck. Hero's Cape, the ACE SPEC of choice, provides an extra 100 HP to the Pokémon you attach it to, which should be Empoleon ex to go up to 420 HP. Additionally, using Iron Feathers basically gives Empoleon ex 480 HP. Sacred Charm makes the Pokémon it's attached to take 30 less damage from attacks of your Opponent's Pokémon with abilities. Air Balloon can give any of your Pokémon Free Retreat and TM: Evolution helps you evolve your Beldum into Metang and Piplup into Prinplup/Prinplup to Empoleon ex. This is especially helpful during your First Turn/being under an item-lock. Full Metal Lab, the Stadium Card fo choice, which makes your Metal/Steel Type Pokémon take 30 Less Damage. This effectively Empoleon ex 350 HP/410 HP when using Iron Feathers. With Sacred Charm and FML, Empoleon has 380 HP/440 HP w/ Iron Feathers being used and with Hero's Cape and FML, Empoleon gets 450 HP/510 HP w/ Iron Feathers being used.

This concludes the Strategy section, so feel free to make any changes, ask almost any question, leave any suggestions/feedback, or anything else! I hope you all have a great day as well and thank you for all of your guys's support! I appreciate all of you! Anyways, I will now move into the CTC section, you don't need to read it if you don't want to make any changes to this deck/need any suggestions for changes.

CTC: The cards that I'd recommend to add into this deck as an alternative for you to try out or try to fit your preferences will be sorted into a list with a brief description for every card. If there any cards here or from your own thoughts/ideas that you'd wish to add into this deck, cut out any cards that you don't find too useful. With this being stated, here is the list:

Pokémon:

- 1-2 Budew - Provides stall in the Early Game while you set up bu item-locking your Opponent.

- 1 Cleffa (OBF) - An alternative to a second Budew and gives extra Draw Support with Grasping Draw.

- 1 Genesect (SFA) - Shuts off your Opponent's ACE SPEC from being played from their hand, assuming they didn't already use it and if a Tool Card is on Genesect.

Trainer Cards:

- 2 Professor's Research - Alternative to Lillie's Determination.

- 2-3 Iono - Provides disruption.

- 1 Turo's Scenario - Resets any Pokémon you select/removes any Pokémon of yours in play.

- 1-3 Ultra Ball - Extra Pokémon searching card, it isn't really needed due to Genesect ex though.

- 1 Artazon - Helps find a Basic, Non-Rulebox Pokémon and adds it to your Bench.

This concludes the CTC (Cards to Consider) section and the rest of the description. I hope you all have a great rest of your day!

Edits:

Edit #1: Removed 1 Pokégear 3.0 for 1 Sacred Charm.