Wailord/Fossils (TCG)

Wailord/Fossils was a rogue Pokémon Trading Card Game piloted by Colin Moll to a top eight finish at the . In retrospect, many players regard it as a very strong deck, and one that probably would have transcended rogue status to become an if online information sharing were as prevalent among TCG players then as it is today. In short, the deck’s primary focus involves using a variety of mechanisms to keep damage off in order to maximize the output of its Dwindling Wave attack.
==Strategy==
The player would alternate between using 's Dwindling Wave and Super Deep Dive attacks. Dwindling Wave does 100 base damage, enough to knock out most Pokémon of the era, but does 10 less damage for each damage counter on Wailord ex. Super Deep Dive heals 30 damage from Wailord ex and switches it with one of the user's Benched Pokémon. When using Super Deep Dive, the player would switch into either , , or when possible. Each of these, though acting as Pokémon, do not give up a Prize Card when Knocked Out; Wailord ex was safe on the bench, and the opponent would be forced to waste a turn attacking a Fossil. Meanwhile, the player would be using 's Heal Dance to heal even more damage from Wailord ex and further maximize Dwindling Wave's damage output.
==Key cards==
* - Wailord ex served as the deck's primary attacker. With 100 base damage, Dwindling Wave was capable of Knocking Out most Pokémon of the era in one attack. Super Deep Dive heals damage off Wailord ex and gives the player the opportunity to switch into a Fossil, stalling the opponent for a turn and providing an additional turn of uninterrupted healing via Bellossom's Heal Dance.
* - Bellossom's Heal Dance was used to heal damage off Wailord ex; in combination with Super Deep Dive, it kept Wailord ex healthy for higher damage with Dwindling Wave. The inclusion of in the deck also allowed Bellossom to attack in a pinch, 
* - Root Fossil, though officially a , acts as a Basic Pokémon while in play. However, it does not give up a prize when Knocked Out, making it a perfect target to switch into with Super Deep Dive. Additionally, Root Fossil has a (Spongy Stone) that allows the player to remove one damage counter from it between turns. With only 40 HP, though, it was typically Knocked Out in one attack.
* - Claw Fossil served the same purpose as Root Fossil. However, its Poké-BODY, Jagged Stone, was substantially more useful. Jagged Stone placed one damage counter on the attacking Pokémon every time Claw Fossil took damage.
==Typical decklist==
 This particular list was used by Colin Moll to finish in the top eight at the 2004 World Championships.
==Possible tech cards==
The following cards are often used in Wailord/Fossils in place of certain cards included in the above list.
* - Though neither were particularly popular, the 2004 format included two Pokémon with the Safeguard Poké-BODY: from and from . Safeguard makes a Pokémon invulnerable to attacks from , rendering Wailord ex useless against Wobbuffet and Ninetales. The inclusion of a non-ex Wailord increased the deck's chances of winning against Safeguard Pokémon.
==See also==
* 2004 World Championships (TCG)
Category:Deck archetypes