Quick post for now!

Recently, I’ve been enjoying the Base-Neo “Point Buy” format, which I believe is based on Hareyuya2’s “Hall of Fame Format”. The format reduces the level of impact of Base-Neo’s strongest cards/strategies and slows down games so that players can explore other combinations. Players have 8 “points” to spend on cards from the Points List (and can otherwise build their deck as though it is a Base-Neo deck).

Pokemon 1999 member KRILLMEAT has a great blog heavily featuring the format.

The Point List as of December 2023 (and still current October 2025) is the following:

I have a few decks that I’ve been working on (and hope to maintain to play with friends in paper). 

Clefable Dark Crobat

Points:

• [4] – 4x Dark Crobat
• [4] – 1x Clefable

This deck is a one of many ways to play Dark Crobat, and is based on a build from Pokemon 1999 member Charmaster (who I believe used a recent Japanese list as his base). Life Drain from Sabrina’s Kadabra threatens to pair with Dark Golbat to KO any opposing Pokemon. Dark Bats KO Mon without ever attacking. Clefable punishes high-damage Pokemon. (Note: Charmaster has played a version with 2x Dark Crobat, 1x Double Gust and 3x Warp Point that may be stronger than this build.)

Metal DCE Arcanine

Points:

• [4] – 4x Metal Energy
• [3] – 1x Elekid
• [1] – 1x Gold Berry

Ooda, another Pokemon 1999 member, convinced me that Base Set Arcanine holds Metal Energy as well as Steelix, while still leveraging DCE. I am pairing the tank Mon with some utility DCE attackers and Elekid (to get in damage while attaching energy to other Mon that aren’t ready to attack). Jury is still out on whether or not Elekid is worth missing out more Gold Berries.

Rain Dance Cleffa

Points:

• [4] – 2x Blastoise
• [4] – 2x Cleffa

I saw a version of this deck posted from an event in Japan with Reverse Holo Legendary Collection Dewgong and Seel, and updated it to play Base-Neo “Point Buy” for the first time in late 2024. Without understanding the format, I was not sure I wanted to play again (until coming across the below deck in the late summer of 2025). With a fresh, informed perspective, I think I quite like Rain Dance in this format and have added Lightning Resistance as well as a Dark Blastoise to give the deck additional attacking decisions.

DCE Lanturn Potpourri

Points:

• [6] – 3x Energy Removal
• [2] – 1x Gust of Wind

The deck that brought me back into the format! Like many decks, this was based on a Japanese player’s list; when I saw the Potpourri strategy playing a single Espeon (which I happened to have exactly one copy) as well as Scizor, I immediately started acquiring the missing Lanturns and Chinchous. After going undefeated in my first league, I changed a few cards and am ready to try it again in the future! This deck plays a bit like a Prop 15/3 (Base-Gym) or Base-Fossil deck, lining up the perfect damage with Energy Removal to keep opponents honest.