Angry Mean Gods

Main Ideas

• Arceus ex is capable of 130 damage with a full bench and Dialga ex can quickly provide energy to Arceus ex while acting as a wall in the active slot.
• Skarmory is capable of 50 damage when equipped with a Pokemon Tool. 50 damage is enough to knock out many basic non-ex Pokemon and can also push Pokemon with higher HP below critical breakpoints while only risking 1 point for yourself.
• Chip away with Skarmory until you can use Dialga ex to generate energy for Arceus ex. Use Arceus ex to finish off your opponent.

Things to be Aware of

Weaknesses: 

• Dialga ex: +20 from Fire attacks, 2 energy retreat cost
• Arceus ex: +20 from Fighting attacks, 2 energy retreat cost
• Skarmory: +20 from Lightning attacks, Pokemon Tool is essential to strategy

Trainer Card Use:

• Sabrina: Use early to disrupt opponent energy tempo or to secure a knock out if the opponent has just 1 Pokemon on the bench with low HP
• Cyrus: Use in the mid- to late-game to secure a knock out. Careful about allowing your opponent to swap into a Pokemon that can knock out your active Pokemon if it is not advantageous.
• Giovanni: Useful in Arceus ex mirror match-ups and to secure a surprise knock out
  • Breakpoints:
    • Dialga ex: (+20 with type advantage)
      • 30 HP -> 40 HP
      • 100 HP -> 110 HP
    • Arceus ex:
      • 70 HP -> 80 HP
      • 90 HP -> 100 HP
      • 110 HP -> 120 HP
      • 130 HP -> 140 HP
    • Skarmory: (+20 with type advantage)
      • 20 HP -> 30 HP
      • 50 HP -> 60 HP
• Giant Cape: Use to help Arceus ex/Dialga ex past common knock-out breakpoints (140 HP -> 160 HP and 150 HP -> 170 HP)
• Rocky Helmet: Use to deal 50 damage with Skarmory. Can also used with Dialga ex if you have to stall to build energy while against a low-HP opponent. Typically should not be used on Arceus if Giant Cape is available or if Skarmory does not have a Rocky Helmet or Giant Cape equipped.
• Leaf: Swap Dialga ex or save an ex from being knocked out
• Poke Ball: Useful for filling the bench for an active Arceus ex. Typically best to use one or both before Professor's Research in a turn.
• Professor's Research: Useful for finding all the other cards :)

Strategy Lines 

(Ordered from most ideal to least ideal):

1. Active Skarmory

   1. Equip a Poke Tool card as soon as possible to deal 50 damage (Rocky Helm preferred unless Giant Cape will prevent a knockout)
   2. Try to damage the opponent's active card
      1. Below 130/100 hp if it is an ex or high-hp non-ex
      2. Knock out non-ex or low-hp ex
   3. It is ideal to swap Skarmory to the bench to activate Dialga ex as soon as you have placed 2 energy on Dialga ex.
      1. Note: Beware Cyrus being played to finish Skarmory. Giving up even 1 point early will make the end game much harder to manage. Retreat Skarmory assuming it will be attacked next turn and plan accordingly until.
   4. Arceus ex is a good backup to activate if Dialga ex is not ready. Ideally Arceus ex should be swapped when 2+ energy has been placed on it while benched but it can be okay to swap earlier if your opponent does not have any high-damage Pokemon active and energized yet. 

2. Active Dialga ex

   1. Get 2 energy placed on Dialga ex asap
   2. Use Metallic Turbo to place 2 energy on Arceus ex or another Dialga ex.
      1. Prioritize powering up Arceus ex. Having 2+ Pokemon on the bench will allow you to do more damage than Dialga ex.
      2. Note: In most cases, it is better to allow your Dialga ex to be knocked out if it means you can place 2 energy on a benched Pokemon (assuming the benched Pokemon has no energy yet and is not Skarmory).

   3. Options:

      1. Arceus ex swap (Note: Giant Cape is the ideal Pokemon tool to use, especially against 130+ damage dealers, but Rocky Helmet is an okay backup or if it would secure a knock out):
         1. with 2+ energy: Probably win :)
         2. with less than 2 energy: All hope is not lost. The outcome will likely depend on your energy tempo versus your opponent's.
      2. Dialga ex swap:
         1. with 2 energy: Same strategy as above but at this point you really want to be earning 1 or 2 points or be powering up Arceus ex.
            1. Swap to Arceus ex while you can still attack with 2+ benched Pokemon.
         2. with 3+ energy: You have the option to attempt to sweep with Dialga ex if you have an energy tempo advantage, or to set up Arceus ex to finish the game.
         3. with 0 or 1 energy: Pray. You're in dire straights. Using Sabrina to interrupt energy tempo in the early rounds can help avoid this state.
      3. Keep placing energy on Dialga ex until you can attack with Heavy Impact (100 dmg) or you can swap to Arceus ex/Dialga ex.
         1. Note: Swapping without Leaf will cost 2 energy.
         2. Note: Your 2nd Dialga ex is more valuable than your Arceus ex if you can only activate Arceus ex with 1 Pokemon on the bench.
         3. Note: Any Dialga ex on the bench that will not be knocked-out by being attacked once during the next turn should have 2/3+ energy on it so it can charge Arceus ex or do 100 damage as it is made active.
         4. Swap to Arceus ex after placing 2+ energy on it to finish the game
            1. Note: If your opponent has not won any points, it may be okay to let 1 Dialga ex be knocked out if you are prepared to sweep with Arceus ex and one more Metallic Turbo is required to place energy on Arceus ex. This is especially true if Dialga ex is equipped with Rocky Helmet.

3. Active Arceus ex

   1. Leaf can be played:
      1. Play Leaf to swap with 0 retreat cost.
         1. Dialga ex: See #2.
         2. Skarmory: See #1.
         3. Arceus ex: Don't do that. Why would you do that?
   2. No Leaf in hand:
      1. Bummer... You may as well charge Arceus ex until you can attack or until you can swap Dialga ex or Skarmory in. Arceus ex just doesn't have good energy tempo without Metallic Turbo providing energy from Dialga ex.
         1. The game is not lost yet, try to use Sabrina or Cyrus to disrupt your opponent's energy tempo and buy yourself time to swap or attack.

TL;DR:

Play Skarmory with a Pokemon Tool until you earn a KO point or can swap to Dialga ex. Play Dialga ex until you can power up Arceus ex. Win with Arceus ex.