By Brian Hsieh
Lostgar was one of those popular decks that fizzled out quite fast after its debut. Many cards that compliment this deck include Mr. Mime, Mime Jr., Slowking, Darkrai & Cresselia LEGEND, Lost World, and Gengar Prime. The deck’s intentions were to disrupt an opponent’s setup while putting their monster cards into the lost zone. With six Pokemon in the lost zone, the player can declare victory if a Lost World is present. This seemed like a unique way to claim victory; one a player could find relatively easy.
One problem Lostgar runs into constantly is the lack of disruption on the field. If an opponent has a field set up already, Gengar Prime’s Hurl Into Darkness attack is not much of a threat and you’ll have to rely on its relatively weak Cursed Drop attack to throw cards into the lost zone.
Another threat now lies in Pokemon Catcher, released in the newest set to date. Pokemon Catcher takes away a stalling option Mime Jr. once had that allowed setup for Gengar Prime. If an opponent uses Catcher, Mime Jr. leaves the field and can be replaced with a tech Slowking, a Gengar, or both their pre-evolutions. The game has changed with more speed involved, causing a stall option to be disrupted easily. The only way around Catcher would be to add a Vileplume line, which would create an even slower pace.
The final problem Lostgar runs into is the lack of safety Gengar receives once he lands his attack. If you end up using his attack and succeeding, cards like Reshiram or Zekrom can step in and deal massive damage to you. Without a Reuniclus line or Max Potion, your Gengar Prime will be helpless after turn two. Adding those cards in just for this occasion further clutters this deck and creates complications, as Reuniclus would need a Vileplume line to save it from getting hit with Catcher; Max Potion would be the most suitable but allows Catcher to remain usable by the opponent.
I was a fan of the idea that one only needed to send six Pokemon into the lost zone to win. It was thrilling to think that you could disrupt someone’s hand and cripple their forces while ensuring yourself a victory. In reality, it’s not like that. As you build momentum, your opponent already has it. Their cards are already present on the field which allows Seeker to be the best option for actually sending them to the lost zone.
The chances, in this format, for you to get out a Gengar Prime and deal enough damage to send a Pokemon into the lost zone is very slim. Even with moderate success, you would probably need another Gengar Prime set up or at least Mime Jr. luck in order to succeed. Mime Jr., combined with Slowking, will allow you to send a card you’re aware of into the lost zone. If none of the three cards are monster cards, you’re out of luck with that turn. It’s the risks and rewards of running this deck.
I’d say this deck needs a bit more support. Gengar Prime being the sole attacker just does not cut it. I’ve mentioned Darkrai and Cresselia but the idea of actually getting this card out is quite difficult due to the fact that it’s a LEGEND. Twins is able to retrieve these cards but you’d need a line of Darkness Energy in order to complete its transition into the Lostgar deck. The future sets seem to drift away from the lost zone, leaving it to be more of a mere side thought in this competitive TCG. Maybe in future years, Lost World will be reprinted and more support will be given. By then, I’m afraid, Gengar Prime will be rotated out and forever thought of as a card with really high potential.