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"What have we done?"
If the game designers are consistent in doing one thing, it is changing up the game. Every generation, Pokémon makes changes to the rules of the game, introducing new mechanics, rules for cards like Fossils and Supporters, and changing how the first turn of the game is played. One of the biggest changes Pokémon made to the first turn of the game occurred in 2011 when, after changing the rules for Generation 4 to prohibit any Trainer cards from being played on the first turn, Pokémon decided to remove all restrictions from the player going first....
That's right, you could play Supporters, Stadiums, and tons of Item cards before your opponent could even make a move. This had wide reaching consequences given the powerful Pokémon and Trainers (now Items) that the Generation 4 sets introduced into the game. Anticipating this, Pokémon made the decision to nerf Rare Candy and return it to the text of its original incarnation, Pokémon Breeder, where the Pokémon you used Rare Candy on had to be in play for at least one turn prior. This forced players wanting fast evolutions to run Broken Time Space, often pushing them away from Stage 2's entirely in favor of powerful Stage 1's like Cinccino and Gyarados. But Pokémon overlooked one of the most problematic cards under this rule change: Sableye.
Now infamous for its impact on TCPI, JWittz's Sabledonk demonstration video put on full display the degeneracy of the Generation 4 cards now combined with the Generation 5 first turn rules. Players immediately recognized the potency of Sableye's Overeager Poke-Body to rig the opening coin flip in their favor, alongside its Overconfident attack, which was already capable of winning the game on the first turn in previous formats thanks to Special Darkness Energy. Now, players had cards like Crobat G, Pokeblower, and Expert Belt to up its damage potential backed by the power of draw from Uxie, Unown R, and a plethora of Item cards. Many players saw Sableye as an instant inclusion at the maximum 4 copies in any viable deck, and the format quickly warped around that fact.
But Sableye wasn't the only powerful starter Pokémon available to players. Some opted to instead run Spiritomb to immediately shut off their opponent's Item cards and make a first turn win, or donk, less likely. However, they lost the opportunity to win the coin flip against Sableye players. Moreover, Darkness Grace placed damage counters on itself, teeing it up for a quick Sableye KO the following turn. And, if Sableye players were lucky enough to open a Pokémon Collector, Spiritomb could be removed from the active using Regice's Regi Move Power, ending item lock and allowing their opponent to unleash their hand.
Sensing that the meta would quickly devolve into degeneracy at Spring Battle Roads, and eventually National Championships the following month, TCPI made a major announcement. Nationals abroad would be played using the previous MD-CoL format with no Generation 5 rule changes, Spring Battle Roads would use the MD-BW format, and US Nationals would be played using the HeartGold & SoulSilver to Black & White format. For the first time in history, TCPI was rotating to a new format early to save the game from the Generation 4 problem cards. While this was not a total fix as donks still persisted given the prevalence of 30 HP Baby Pokémon, HS-BW was a far healthier format than what it followed.
The problem? Players still had Spring Battle Roads to get through, and a format to play that no one cared about. No one was testing the MD-BW format, only concerned with Nationals and the promise of the HS-BW format. That meant anyone playing in Battle Roads that year was playing in a truly pointless format, the game's first lame duck format. Often times, half the room was not even playing the format, instead wanting to test out their HS-BW deck against other players opting for the same deck choice. Many players showed up not to play in the tournament at all, but instead to test against other players ahead of Nats.
The MD-BW format played into the worst aspects of deckbuilding and gameplay - build for the donk or build for the lock, or risk losing altogether. Because of this, few players have returned to explore the era, and those that have typically begin by banning Sableye, meaning the Lame Duck MD-BW format remains under-discussed and under-explored. In an attempt to shed more light on the format and its craziness, I present to you a retrospective of the best cards and decks of the era. But first, don't forget to check out our MD-BW format page in our Decks by Era section here!
Best Cards of MD-BW
Sableye
I think it goes without saying that Sableye is one of the best cards of the format. In writing a report on judging an event during this time, Chris Fulop noted that almost every player was running 4 copies of Sableye - it was just too good to not. Overeager is one of the best Poke-Bodies ever printed, and combos perfectly with Overconfident to set up easy turn 1 KO's, even in non-Sabledonk variants. Decks like Gyarados even started running Unown Dark and Darkness Energy just to take advantage of the card's power. Expert Belt also makes it easier to tap into Overconfident's additional damage, and up its damage to a whopping 70 with a Special Darkness Energy. Impersonate is an attack of a bygone era, but still provides an option for a player to draw out of a dead hand, well if you could survive to the next turn.
Sableye was not without its weaknesses. If both players started it, whoever won the original coin flip still went first. You also risked committing 4 spots in your deck to a card you might not even open with, and in decks not running thinning cards like Junk Arm, that was just a useless card you risked being Judged or Lookered into late game.
Spiritomb
Players during this time definitely overlooked the potential of this card, focusing instead of playing into the insanity Sableye created. But, if players had taken a deeper look into the format instead of preparing for the rotation, they would have realized the power of instant item lock. Splashable in just about every deck, this card is definitely the hero the format needed for set up decks to have a chance against Sableye decks. The problem with this card is much the same as Sableye, you risk not starting it and potentially losing as a result.
Regice
Regi Move takes on new importance given the power of Spiritomb in this format. Putting it into play alleviated your opponent's item lock under Spiritomb and forced them to bench a second Spiritomb to promote after the use of Regi Move if they wanted to maintain item lock. This is important given the amount of other Pokémon players wanted on their benches, so bench space is at a premium in Spiritomb decks, and this card punishes them for that fact. The Poke-Power also helps thin useless cards, like additional copies of starters and Stadiums to avoid a late game Judge into a dead hand.
Mesprit
If decks during this era are reliant on one thing, its Poke-Powers. Mesprit's Psychic Bind completely locks your opponent out of Poke-Powers for one turn, allowing you to push ahead in the game, or even stall a turn if your opening hand is poor going first. Seeker allows Mesprit to be cycled as well, making it an easy include in multiple decklists.
Seeker
What makes donking easier? Taking one of your opponent's Pokémon off the board, and allowing you to reuse your own Crobats and Uxies in turn. Seeker is a menace in this format, forcing opponents to bench as many Pokémon as they can draw, even Mesprit and Uxie, just to try and survive to the next turn! I lost a game during this format by starting 3 Pokémon... 1 Seeker and some Flash Bites later, I was benched out by a deck not even catered to the donk. Be careful, in a long drawn out game, Seeker can benefit your opponent as well.
Broken Time Space
By an far the best Stadium card in this format, almost every evolution deck is running at least one copy. Unlike previous formats where many decks played 3 and even 4 of this card, most decks that use the card have little reason to run more than 3 because if you do not put it into play, your opponent likely will. And, because there are almost no Stadium wars present, it becomes a dead card once a copy is already in play.
Your Donking Tools
Crobat G and Pokeblower+ let you stack up damage counters on your opponent's field, often leading to taking KOs before even attacking. Combined with Azelf's Time Walk, you can make sure you're taking the right prize card off each KO, ensuring you have all the pieces you need to close out the game quickly.
All That Sweet, Sweet Draw
I don't know what the game designers were thinking while making the Generation 4 cards, but they unleashed some of the most powerful draw cards the game would ever see during this time, and they all ended up in this format (except Claydol). Uxie's Set Up lets you draw until you had 7 cards in hand, and because SPs are on the decline, you have less Power Sprays to worry about. Unown R discards itself from the Bench in exchange for drawing one card. Shuckle let you draw a card for each Energy attached to it, which formed an engine with Inferno Fandango Emboar and other Energy accelerators. PokeDrawer, Pokedex, and Victory Medal helps you draw more cards without using Powers or Supporters. Professor Juniper lets you discard your hand and draw a fresh 7 new cards. This format really has it all!
Top Decks
Clearly, there are plenty of powerful cards in this format, but how do we piece them together and make the most out of our 60 deck spots? While you might be asking yourself what decks are even viable outside of straight SableDonk, I promise you, there are a fair number of decks to consider for Lame Duck Format.
The decks I present vary drastically in how viable they are simply because of how degenerate the best decks are. Many are fun solitaire options, like Sabledonk and Emboar/Forretress, just to see how quickly you can win the game. It's also entertaining to play with others just to see how poorly the new Generation 5 rules interact with the Generation 4 cards and to relieve the insanity those of us who played during this time experienced. However you choose to experience the format, below are a list of decks that I find to be the most fun and intriguing.
SableDonk
The deck that defines the Lame Duck Format, SableDonk is shockingly not the best deck, nor is it the easiest to play. It suffers from getting stuck with a hand of unplayable cards, or opening without access to Regice against Spiritomb decks. While the game plan of winning on the first turn seems easy enough, the skill is in the execution, as you don't win just because you find Sableye, you have to get there, and it takes a bit more planning than you might otherwise think. It demands resource management skills and keeping track of what is prized to ensure that you have enough resources left to finish out a game on the first turn. Alph Lithograph makes it much easier to keep track of this all.
I have included two decklists for your consideration - one an all out donk variant, and another that is more teched for a metagame with Spiritomb and other threats. Research Record with Dusk Ball is a fun combo to help ensure you're drawing into your Item pieces with Unown R's and Uxie while also ensuring you keep Pokémon at your disposal that you put to the bottom of your deck. You can also consider Quick Balls and Victory Medals instead of these cards. The second list removes these cards entirely for more options against item lock. While you won't always open Collector or Regice, the second list at least gives you the option to whereas the first you are just praying your opponent does not open Spiritomb.
Build 1
Build 2
Source: Dave Wilson
Source: Nicholas Baker
Gyarados
I truly believed during 2011 that Gyarados was the best deck in this format, and this retrospective has not changed my mind. The new rules benefit Gyarados immensely given the newfound reliance of the meta on Broken Time Space. What makes this deck so good, in my opinion, is its ability to include many of the donk cards available to SableDonk without making it the deck's entire gameplan. Sure, you can win with Sableye, but you can also be a Gyarados deck with a pretty strong late game. Also, because you are not trying to win on the first turn, though you often will, Gyarados has room for plenty of tech options reuseable with Junk Arm and VS Seeker to try and counter whatever your gauntlet's metagame is. For this reason, I include 2 Gyarados lists - one a typical version, and another with more tech options. If you're planning on playing the Gyarados mirror, consider running Ditto from Legends Awakened. Depending on how committed you are to taking quick prizes with Sableye, you can even go down to running 2 Gyarados, truly madness!
Build 1
Build 2
Source: Chris Fulop
Source: Nicholas Baker
VileGar
This deck remains strong from the MD-CoL format because of its ability to item lock opponents for the entire game. The only problem is that many of its Basic Pokémon, like Gastly, are easy prey for Sableye. Because you may have to play around damage modifiers affecting your ability to force opponents to trigger Fainting Spell, Serperior is a great choice to continuously heal Pokémon in between turns, allowing you to cycle between Gengars with ease. It also does not carry the downsides of Blissey (discarding for healing/Power lock) and Nidoqueen (high retreat cost and Body lock). Froslass GL is an inclusion to counter decks with heavy retreaters to strand something active under item lock while Shadow Rooming around your opponent's board. If VileGar can make it through the early turns, it should have no problem dealing with the rest of the meta.
Source: Nicholas Baker
SP's ("LoxChomp")
I'd be lying if I said that SP's were Tier 1 in this format. They honestly might not even be Tier 2 given they lose a lot of what made them powerful in the first place - Call Energy into Power Sprays Turn 1 and chaining Cyrus's Conspiracy. The format is just too fast for either of these things to matter. Most games will never last long enough to see any need for more than 1 or 2 Power Sprays, and Call Energy loses all potency because you can lose without even getting a turn, so its power in avoiding donks is completely lost. While I appreciated the power of Deafen at the time, DialgaChomp is just too slow for this era, and Special Metals just don't go the distance with all the damage modifiers available to players. Some version of Luxchomp is likely your best bet, with cards to help you make it through the early turns and into the mid game where many decks just run out of steam. This Sableye Luxchomp variant is your best bet at this, and because you run Sableye, it gives you space to run a plethora of disruption supporters and even Honchkrow to attempt to counter Gyarados.
Source: Nicholas Baker
Cinccino
Another Stage 1 reaping the benefits of the Rare Candy errata, Cinccino has plenty of deck space to take advantage of the powerful cards found in this format. Because of this, there are multiple avenues you can take with the deck, which is why there are a whopping three decklists for this variant - I couldn't decide which is the best! The biggest problem each faces is that it struggles with the speed and damage output of Gyarados - you can almost never one hit KO them, but they will always Tail Revenge you for KO each turn.
The first is a straight Cinccino version backed by many of the Sabledonk cards. But, if you're getting tired of seeing Special Darkness Energies and Crobats, consider these other options! Chris Fulop theorized a Luxchomp version of the deck that runs over 20 Pokémon, providing the option to KO Gyarados with Luxrays while still having space for Sableye of your own and the ability to dodge being donked by opening a plethora of high HP Basic Pokémon. The last version is a variant reminiscent of ZPS in the following format, running Zekrom with Lightning Energy to try and counter the deck's inherent weakness to Gyarados. Gyarados will have a much harder time hitting Zekroms for 130 damage, or even 150 damage with Expert Belt, and who doesn't want to use Bolt Strike in this era! Take that you atrocious Pokémon.
Build 1
Build 2
Build 3
Source: Nicholas Baker
Source: Chris Fulop
Source: Nicholas Baker
Emboar Forretress
No where else will you see Emboar and Forretress in the same deck, with 18 Energy to boot! The goal of this deck is to set up an Emboar and draw through your deck using the combination of Inferno Fandango, Shuckle, and Unown Return / Seeker to find all of your combo pieces to then attach Energy to Forretress and spread enough damage on your opponent's board to take all 6 prize cards, or bench them out in the process. While not the most consistent deck in the format, it definitely takes the title of silliest way to win a game, and you should definitely consider it a fun Tier 2 contender!
Source: Nicholas Baker
Other Decks
Because of the vastness of the cardpool, there are plenty of other decks to consider in this era. The only problem is that most are Tier 3 and worse given the gatekeeping power of SableDonk and Gyarados. Most are just not fast enough to keep up, even if they take advantage of the deck's inherent weaknesses...
MagneRock
MagneRock still remains strong with the release of Black and White because it can take easy KO's on Gyarados and relies on Spiritomb to help it set up. It can also hit the numbers necessary to deal with many of the format's big basics, like Zekrom. However, the speed of the format is definitely a hindrance for the deck, and it can be run off the table by more powerful attackers. Gyarados can take fast leads against it, and even hit the numbers needed to take big KO's on Magnezone thanks to Blackbelt. To attempt to stem some of this, the deck includes a Vileplume line to force decks to overcome the power of Judge under item lock.
Source: Nicholas Baker
Big Basics
Sometimes, you just want to not be donked, and this deck does just that. Reminiscent of Six Corners in HS-NVI, this deck runs a plethora of attacking options that all have one thing in common, a ton of HP. Running so many Pokémon makes it almost impossible to lose to SableDonk, but you probably will struggle with many of the format's other decks that can hit these numbers. On the brightside, you run so few Trainers, that Poltergeist is not a concern. If you really want to make the Sabledonk matchup more agonizing for them, consider running Spiritomb over Sableye. Sure you play no evolutions, but just imagine their face when you start 6 Pokémon with Spiritomb active.
Source: Nicholas Baker
Machamp
SpeedChamp is dead, and Spiritomb builds are in. While Machamp struggles with Gyarados due to its Fighting resistance, and VileGar due to Machamp's Psychic weakness, it can definitely compete against many of the other decks in format and take advantage of how many Basic Pokémon they all run. Machamp Prime gives the deck options against bigger evolutions that Stormfront Machamp could not otherwise KO. If nothing else, this deck is the last showing of one of the TCG's most infamous attacks, Take Out. Tech considerations include Honchkrow to stop Gyarados and Umbreon to shield you from Gengar, but space is at a premium in this deck, which makes fitting them in difficult.
Source: Nicholas Baker
Arceus
One of Ruby Retro editor Aaron's favorite decks of all time, Arceus is incredibly difficult to donk and is one of the few decks that can stand up to Gyarados thanks to Lightning Arceus. The deck can struggle with consistency, and has few options to stop Vilegar, but it is one of the most iconic decks of the Platinum era, I mean they named a set after it! This list looks a bit different from the MD-CoL variant you may have seen, cutting Call Energies altogether and playing for the Turn 1 Ripple Swell. While it can struggle to keep up given its lack of a first turn attack or win condition, it still made a splash in the meta, at least in the NE Ohio meta, and is one of the more versatile options in this format.
Source: Nicholas Baker
MewPerior
Mew has always wanted to go first and use See Off to put Rhyperior in the Lost Zone. With Dialga G unviable, you would think that now is the time for this deck to really shine. Unfortunately, because you have to use a turn to use See Off before you can get rolling, you lose precious time in the prize trade and will likely fall too far behind against many of the meta's main contenders. However, I lost to this deck locally too many times not to include it in this list.
Source: Nicholas Baker
The Truth
Believe it or not, Ross did not just come up with this deck overnight. I remember a few players discussing the power of Reuniclus locally, even testing out decks in this era using it to stack damage on Reshiram and Zekrom. What they missed was the power it could have with item lock and tanky Grass Pokémon like Turtwig GL. I have tried to take what we know now and use it to recreate what the deck may have looked like during this era. You really do not need Vileplume, as once you set up, you are essentially unstoppable, only struggling with Fainting Spell flips, Fire Arceus, and Mewperior. I tried to add some other cards to help with these matchups, but they may prove too difficult to fully overcome. Does it make the deck clunky? Sure. Do you run a slew of low HP Pokémon that make you susceptible to Sableye? You betcha. But it sure is fun, and that is what these retrospectives are all about anyways.
Source: Nicholas Baker
Shoutout to @sleeping_gloom for their ideas on a “The Truth” style deck in the MD-BW format with Sableye banned, you inspired me to create this list for Lame Duck Format!
Conclusion
This MD-BW Lame Duck Format thankfully never saw the light of tournament play outside the local level. While we complain about 2011 Worlds being too reliant on Reversal flips, I cannot even begin to imagine playing this format at the highest levels of competition. But that is part of what makes it so endearing to me, it's so underexplored and so crazy that it makes it fun to write a retrospective on. The nostalgia I felt reading over tournament reports and articles detailing the end of the Diamond and Pearl era in the TCG cannot be understated. I hope you feel the same way if you give this format a try, and I hope that these lists serve as the basis for further exploration and development of this era.
If you decide to sleeve up decks for this format, (more decks found here), don't expect it to be the best format you've ever played, but fully expect to have a good time with all the shenanigans it throws at you. It is the insanity of it all that brought me back to it, and made me want to share it with all of you.
