Dead Deck Concepts-MILL IN RSPK
Hello. This is a series of articles that will show you what deck concepts I waste my time researching so you don't have to. I have been a bit more radio silent because 1) I have a big project I'll be announcing soon and 2) I've been digging into a possible idea for RSPK - Mill. For those who don't know Mill is a common deck strategy where instead of trying to draw all of your prize cards you try to manipulate the game in a way to where your opponent has no cards left in deck and the deck out. Typically this will be done with an effect of discarding cards from your opponents deck. Be prepared I'll be jumping between modern and RSPK Pokemon just to understand my thoughts process on some things.
Samples of Mill cards
I had recently played Ancient Mill in Standard so I had already recent flexed my Mill muscles and got off of my 4-2 run at the last Stambler I knew I had to get more serious. I knew playing a low or mid tier deck wouldn't get me into top cut of the next Stambler. At first I planned on testing with Camler as I have some of the cards irl and wanted to start learning the Stantler deck variants. At the time I also had Mill in RSPK in the back of my mind and thought it was weird that there isn't at least one deck like that in the format. There's locks but no straight up mill decks. Why?
Mill is either too expensive or too weak in RSPK. There isn't an option that have a proper balance.
I'm one of those people that will, when getting into a new format and deck building in general I just read cards. I've read all the cards in this block 8 time over for these notes alone but understand I likely missed a couple cards here and there. From what it seems like with the cards that have the effect to discard cards from your opponents deck most need too many energies. Not a high enough reward for the cost. Examples include:
This Emerald Groudon. This is the only neutral mill I found. This card is just all around weird. So Eruption is 4 energies, could do a max (without Weakness and Resistance) 60 damage. Unless there is an energy attachments engine I am missing this is just not good on multiple levels.
The Unseen Forces Tyrannitar EX is the weirdest case of mill in the format. This one I have seen peppered in decks on the rare blue moon and Mix-Up is the only real mill option but the problem with EX Pokemon with Mill is that you have to expect getting KO'd. If you have an EX pokemon it just takes 3 KO's to win the game. Yes in most cases this guy isn't going to get KO'd in one shot but the resource management to keep Tyrannitar alive, the TWO different energies Mix-Up needs to even work and the fact that it's a stage 2 as well makes this just no sense to try to focus this on Mill. You're also dealing 70 damage on top of that so you're more likely to draw your prizes before you deck them out.
Power Keepers Aggron shows up with once again Mix-Up with this wild energy cost on a stage 2. This I could only justify if the ability said "your opponents deck" because having that Mill manipulation could be huge. Instead we just see a card that again no one will use.
The Holon Phantoms Sharpedo is an example of the most common kind of "Mill" in the format, which is choose a random card from your opponents hand and discard or shuffle back into the deck. I'm not a huge fan of these only because this is an effect that is not hard for your opponent to work around. Your opponent can't work around cards leaving their deck. You have to have a deck. Your hand you don't always have to have. You can even manipulate it to where you have one card in your hand you want discarded. If you think this is an option just grab Stantler instead and have a good time.
Alright let's talk about one of the two big mill cards in the format (in my opinion). Dragon Frontiers Charizard Star to me viewed is like a meme card in the format. You can only have one copy of the card, this card needs so much energy to make Dark Swirl work and the attack itself is just wild. 150 so one shot most things in the format (except that Tyrannitar from earlier ……….)
In the modern or Standard game of Pokemon the game has some staple RSPK-like cards such as Quick Search Pigeot, Counter Catcher, Iono. One of the other mechanics you can see is in "Radiant" Pokemon which function the same as Star Pokemon. One copy but they hit hard when you get them online.
At 2022 WCS Ross Cawthon piloted the "Intellion Box" deck which is a deck built around using Radiant Charizard as much as possible after it keeps getting knocked out. Two problems with Charizard star on that front. 1) Prize manipulation in RSPK is not that easy in this scenario. Let's say you prize the Charizard? Well there goes the Mill plan. You have to KO something or use the Tangela I'll be talking about later. We do not have a Hisuian Heavy Ball to solve this issue easily.
2) Recycling energies for Dark Swirl requires a lot of resources.
Jason Klaczynski used this deck day 2 of the 2024 Double Rainbow Cup and this deck could attack with Charizard but one or two times maybe. This would be the most likely engine to use with Charizard Star but there are just better dark type Pokemon to get these energies. Not Dark Swirl.
Now that we've gone over my most of the mill in the format let's talk about what I think has the most potential for mill in RSPK. Team Magma's Torkoal.
TEAM MAGMA'S TORKOAL
Honestly both attacks are solid on this card. Magma Burn is the main attack you will be using to deck your opponent out. Hot Air is a nice soft gust effect that can move some match ups in your favor. But what if we are Magma Burning every turn - won't we run out of energies? Not with…….
So if half the time we lose our energy let's use this to get them right back turn after turn. Ok so we have the resources we need to deck someone out. Next step make it so they can't KO us. What do we do?
Ive thought about the different ways this could be built. We have a trap route (Heavy Team Aqua Hideouts and Pokemon Reversal) and a scoop up route (Heavy Super Scoop Up and Mr.Briney). Either way Scott is vital as it can grab important pieces and Power Tree along the way.
A searchable option to get my Torkoal or energies from the deck? Consistency, baby.
Now one of the two main issues with Torkoal shows through with the Tool cards. Cards like Energy Root, Fluffy Berry and Sitrus Berry cannot be used with Torkoal due to being a named Pokemon so the only serious options are Oran Berry maybe but most people I think would agree with 4 Cessation Crystals since this deck doesn't need abilities.
But do we just run Torkoal as the only Pokemon in the deck? No.
Let's talk Pokemon options.
Unseen Force's Stantler being one of the best cards in the format no question and this is who I have paired normally with Torkoal due to both attacks being very viable and Push Away is just so powerful alone.
Team Rocket's Wobbufett is one of the best support Pokemon in the format and Torkoal will usually run 4 POW Hand Extensions since we never intend to take prizes POW Is always active. Anyone with a deck heaving POWs and tool cards this is an easy option for their deck.
Deoxy's Minun being the best Sniff Out Pokemon in the game and being able to loop POW, ER2 and Super Scoop Ups.
I was going for a quad Torkoal build at one point but that quickly showed to have issues. If for some reason you want to test out that deck you will need either Here Comes Team Rocket, Island Hermit or FRLG Tangela to help you guarentee you can get any prized Torkoals without a KO to draw a prize with.
Dragon's Numel is one I had in the back of my mind from the beginning of this process because Kindle being able to be recycled with Power Tree gives it potential for a non-flip ER2 on top of whatever else you did that turn.
Unseen Force's Unown is a staple of any Stantler deck. One of the best cards to force Pokemon in the bench the the opponent didn't want to have sitting there.
FRLG Ditto I've had thoughts of since if Torkoal get KO'd we can use this guy to pop Torkoal right back in board. Just a thought but Pokemon Retriever seems better to me and doesn't have me start with a bad active.
One card I think that's a little slept on in RSPK is the Hidden Legend's Spheal. The next card is the typical choice for an active being special condition stalled but this basic has the best chances of getting something stuck in the active. 50% chance of Paralyze. I like those odds. I understand it's a low hp Pokemon that could get KO'd easy turn 2 if they didn't get you turn 1.
Unseen Force's Murkrow is a card I've seen more use with due to Ratlock being a thing but still another special condition trap to active card. Plunder can help with some Niche situations too.
Real silly deck hours pic.twitter.com/ZYhjzIUPkz
— autumn 🐏 - electric sheep girl (@AutumnZephyrs_) July 6, 2024
I haven't seen many people utilize Torkoal in the format. A small tech here and there but the only other dedicated list I've seen is the one from Autumn above. They go more for the trap the active route.
This is the list at the moment. Ive been trying out 1x Numel, 4x ER2, maybe one more Briney or one or two more Vs Seeker.
For explanation on anything in the deck I didn't explain before.
-Rockets Admin- This can be a double edged sword. Due to the slightly higher energy count you can wiff at times and have turns where you are drawing and passing BUT big pro is that mid to late game this helps you since you never draw prize cards. You can stall out your opponents with repeat Admins. I think with better deck building this issue can be polished out more.
-Castaway- Grab one of those vital Supports, an energy and a Cessession Crystal. Easy.
-Bills Maintenance- This may seem like an odd addition to some people but this is a deck where you need to survive as loooong as you can and originally Mary's Request was in this place but often I would get ER2 or POW too early in games and I don't want to admin my hand either so Bill's Maintenance checks some good boxes for this deck I feel.
-Great Ball- I hit tails too often. Not Dual Ball. Great Ball. Also a common strategy is to spread damage and you don't want to have more than 3 Pokemon in play at a time.
-VS Seeker- In a supporter heavy deck this card gets more valuable. 2 or 3 I think is solid. 4 if you want to be a maniac and like 4 brineys to never allow a KO. Something I've debated.
This is my look into Mill in RSPK. Overall Charizard Star and Torkoal seem to be additional win con cards you can add to some decks like I feel Torkoal can be a tech in Arcanine Houndoom or Camler perhaps. A deck alone doesn't have enough strength to hold up against these top tier decks. In my testing it seems to be C-Tier at best with my list but I could see it getting to B with a better deck builder.
I hope you enjoyed this kinda thing. Let me know if this gives you ideas or you can come up with something better.
Stay tuned.