RayEels (TCG)

RayEels was a Pokémon Trading Card Game popularly played in the 2012-2013 season. The deck's strategy revolved around charging ed with basic energies to power up its Dragon Burst and knock out any opposing Pokémon in one attack. This deck was known for its straightforwardness and ease to play for beginner players. Rayquaza-EX was also, during its time, one of the few Pokémon that could knockout in one attack without accounting Weakness. RayEeels ranked 2nd place in the Seniors Division at the 2013 Pokémon Trading Card Game World Championships but, despite struggling against decks with , had better results in other events beforehand. Runner-up of the Juniors Division Clément Lamberton's version was printed as a promotional World Championships deck, .
==Strategy==
Rayeels was similar to other decks that used 's Dynamotor to charge energy from the discard pile on benched Pokémon. However, Rayquaza-EX's attack not only discarded these energies but needed at least one energy attached to deal damage. Its Dragon Burst attack discarded either all or basic energy attached to it to deal 60 damage for each discarded card. At three energies (and one for the attack's requiriment), Rayquaza-EX dealt 180 damage and knocked out every Pokémon in the format.
The deck's goal was to have three to four benched Eelektrik, one active Rayquaza-EX with enough energies to attack and a benched Rayquaza-EX to be charged from Dynamotor the next turn. and were crucial Trainers in the deck, since the player wanted as much energies in the discard pile in the first turns. RayEeels could also use many supporting attackers thanks to using two kinds of energies and having energy acceleration. Post-, and were common for easily retreating Pokémon without attached energies.
==Key cards==
* - Rayquaza-EX's Dragon Burst attack could constantly deal knockouts with the Dynamotor engine. Its Celestial Roar attack could also attach energies from the top of the deck at the risk of discarding valuable resources.
* - Each Eelektrik's Dynamotor could attach a energy to benched attackers. Eelektrik's Electric Ball attack was useful to knockout damaged Pokémon, though the deck usually had better secondary attackers.
* - Keldeo-EX's Rush In Ability made it easier to retreat other Pokémon despite Keldeo-EX's retreat cost.
* - Useful at retreating any Pokémon in the deck.
* - Super Rod recycled energy and often Pokémon that the deck would often lose by opposing Pokémon or discard with Trainer cards.
* - Ultra Ball could discard energies on purpose and get any Pokémon in the deck.
* - Level Ball could grab Tynamo and Eelektrik from the deck without any drawback.
* - Skyarrow Bridge allowed Rayquaza-EX and other Basic Pokémon with only one retreat cost to freely retreat.
* - Professor Juniper could discard energies to later use Dynamotor and draw cards.
==Typical decklist==
===Clément Lamberton's decklist at the 2013 World Championship===
==Possible tech cards==
The following cards are often used in RayEels in place of certain cards included in the above lists.
* - Raikou-EX could deal 100 damage to benched Pokémon and snipe some opposing threats.
* - Mewtwo-EX was a cheap attacker that could use any kind of energies and offered coverage.
* - Secondary attacker that dealt decent damage for a non-EX Pokémon. Could turn matches either favorable or unfavorable when starting the game in the active spot, since it had 130 but could not easily retreat.
* - Strong counter to Pokémon, Victini was a non-EX attacker that could do 100 damage with two energies.
* - Rayquaza's Shred could damage immune Pokémon and knockout opposing Rayquaza-EX for Weakness damage.
Category:Deck archetypes