Emerald Breaking the Format!
Hello, my name is Benjamin Sauk (spelled differently from the Pokemon), and I am super excited to be writing for my favorite Pokemon site! I have been playing the Pokemon Trading Card Game for the last 16 years and I have been using PokeBeach for over a decade of that time to stay up to date on all things Pokemon.
As a little background, I have been playing this game competitively since [set name=”Base Set”]. I qualified and competed in the first World Championships under Wizards of the Coast and continued to play when Nintendo took over the game in 2003. I qualified for every World Championship up until 2010, before I went off to College at Georgia Tech.
Some of my notable accomplishments throughout the years include placing in the top 32 in the 2006 Pokemon World Championships and top 16 in the 2007 Pokemon World Championships in the Senior division. In my first year as a Master, I placed in the top 16 in the Pokemon US National Championships. I have won one Regional Championship, and placed in the top 4 in four other Regional Championships. This year, I was able to pilot my [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”]/[card name=”Garbodor” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”54″ c=”name”] and [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”]/[card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”106″ c=”name”] decks to top 16 finishes in the Pennsylvania and Indiana Regional Championships, at 11th and 10th place respectively. I also was fortunate enough to win the 2012 North American Professor Cup with an anti-meta [card name=”Excadrill” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”56″ c=”name”] deck.
As this was my senior year in college, I had a lot more time to devote to Pokemon again and was able to attend multiple Regional Championships and City Championships in order to earn my Worlds invite before the end of City Championships. Even with my invite secured, I still am trying to earn as many points as I can throughout the rest of the season. As such, I have been putting a lot of thought into the upcoming Regionals and Nationals formats, and one deck that I have been testing uses [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”]. After looking at the cards from [set name=”Roaring Skies”], most people were probably able to figure out the general combos behind this deck, but there are a lot of different nuances that can secure you the win over other players.
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Emerald Break M Rayquaza-EX
[cardimg name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ align=”left” height=”250″ c=”custom”]He has an okay attack…[/cardimg]
[card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”] has been one of the most hyped up Roaring Skies card since PokeBeach first posted the scans. Combined with [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”name”], Emerald Break has the potential to one-shot almost any Pokemon in the game and is simple to power up. Rayquaza’s Delta Evolution trait allows it to evolve into its Mega on the same turn it’s played, and with [card name=”Mega Turbo” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”86″ c=”name”], it’s capable of attacking on the same turn it hits the field.
In the format before Roaring Skies, dominant decks included: [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”], [card name=”Donphan” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”72″ c=”name”], [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”], [card name=”Exeggutor” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”5″ c=”name”], [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”106″ c=”name”], and [card name=”Primal Groudon-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”86″ c=”name”] to name a few. M Rayquaza-EX is able to compete with all of the pre-Roaring Skies decks, and with other Roaring Skies decks because of its speed and raw power. Emerald Break is an insane attack that can obliterate almost any other Pokemon, making it difficult to beat.
After testing a few games with different variants of this deck, I was able to consistently pull off a turn 1 or turn 2 Emerald Break for 240 damage, and still be able to respond to whatever my opponent threw at me. I will start out with a skeleton list of the deck below, after which I will describe some the major cards in the deck. I will also go over variations of the deck that can be selected based on the expected metagame and your personal preference.
[decklist]
[pokemon amt=”14″]
4x [card name=”Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”75″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”Exeggcute” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”4″ c=”deck2″]
[/pokemon]
[trainers amt=”28″]
3x [card name=”Professor Juniper” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”116″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”118″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Winona” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”96″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”101″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Lysandre’s Trump Card” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”99″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Mega Turbo” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”86″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Rayquaza Spirit Link” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”87″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”Acro Bike” set=”Primal Clash” no=”122″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Computer Search” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”137″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”deck2″]
[/trainers]
[energy amt=”7″]
4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”111″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Grass Energy” set=”XY” no=”132″ c=”deck2″]
[/energy]
[/decklist]
Total: 49 – Free Space: 11
The Goal
The goal of this deck is to be able to power up a [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”] on the same turn that [card name=”Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”75″ c=”name”] hits the board to limit how much your opponent can play around this dragon. The skeleton list above leaves a lot of room to fill in so that you can make the variant of the deck best suited to you. I will briefly go over why some cards are important in the deck. For the premium portion, I will then outline some of the variation you can include in your deck to better secure a victory and reasons for when or when not to play said versions.
Staple Cards
Shaymin-EX
[cardimg name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ align=”left” height=”250″ c=”none”][/cardimg]
Shaymin’s ability Set Up fuels the draw engine in this deck, as well as acting as a body to power up Emerald Break. [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”] can reward players who are able to empty out their hands really quickly with cards like Ultra Ball, Computer Search, Town Map, Battle Compressor, etc. to then refill their hands whenever Shaymin hits the board. In the pre-Roaring Skies format, where Exeggutor and Seismitoad-EX are rampant, Shaymin-EX offers a Pokemon alternative for additional draw that Exeggutor and Seismitoad-EX cannot shut down. Shaymin-EX also bolsters deck consistency by working well with other Supporter cards like Winona or Professor Juniper and allow players to draw through their deck quickly.
Shaymin’s Set Up Ability is incredibly strong so running four copies of him is a must. So there will be a decent amount of games where he is your only Basic Pokemon in your opening hand. Unlike other utility Pokemon like [card name=”Jirachi-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”60″ c=”name”], Shaymin-EX is not the worst starter because of his attack. Even though its attack only does 30 damage, Sky Return can be used to get Shaymin out of the active spot, deny your opponent prizes, allow the reuse of Shaymin, or setup damage for a later Knock Out.
Exeggcute
[cardimg name=”Exeggcute” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”102″ align=”right” height=”250″ c=”none”][/cardimg]
One of the unsung MVP’s of this deck is [card name=”Exeggcute” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”4″ c=”name”]. What makes this card good is that this deck does not run too many cards that you can afford to just throw away, but you may have to to allow for more powerful Set Ups. However, after Shaymin has been used a few times, you can choose to discard Exeggcutes that are already in the discard pile instead of useful cards. Additionally, Exeggcute can be recycled onto the Bench to get eight Pokemon on the Bench after they have been used for a few Ultra Ball searches.
One reason this deck can struggle is if your opponent plays a Stadium that is not Sky Field. If you had been using Emerald Break for 240 damage this requires you to discard three Pokemon from your bench. As can be seen on the decklist above, there may only be 10-12 basic Pokemon in this deck so if three have to be discarded it can be very difficult to fill back up your Bench when you play a new Sky Field. However, with Propagation on Exeggcute, you can simply put him back into your hand and onto the Bench, allowing you to easily attack with a fully powered Emerald Break.
As a word of warning, Exeggcute can be an extreme liability in some matchups because he only has 30 HP. When playing this card against decks like Crobat or Landorus-EX, always be wary of how many free Prizes you are giving your opponent so that they are not able to out race you to win the game, even though you are Knocking Out large Pokemon-EX every turn.
Winona
[cardimg name=”Winona” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”108″ align=”left” height=”250″ c=”none”][/cardimg]
Another strength of this deck is that it is best able to utilize the Supporter [card name=”Winona” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”96″ c=”name”]. Winona at first glance may not appear anywhere near as good as [card name=”Professor Juniper” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”98″ c=”name”], but it can definitely be useful in some situations. While Professor Juniper guarantees seven cards, Winona allows you to search for both Rayquaza-EX and a Shaymin-EX or potentially two Shaymin-EX. With Rayquaza Spirit Link and other burnable Trainer cards, it is possible that these multiple Shaymin-EX can net more cards than Professor Juniper, while also securing the M Rayquaza-EX with the help of a Spirit Link. Through some testing, one of the key cards that is needed to allow this deck to be quick is the Spirit Link, because if there is ever a turn where a manual Mega Evolution is required, there is a good chance that you may end up losing the game. So in situations where a player has a Spirit Link in their hand, it behooves them to be able to use it instead of having to play Professor Juniper and discard the Spirit Link. If given the choice between Professor Juniper and Winona, some thought must be used whether a player will benefit more by playing conservatively and getting a guaranteed [card name=”Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”75″ c=”name”] and a [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”] or two, while other times a more aggressive Professor Juniper may be needed to reach for more cards. A lot of games may be won or lost because of an early game decision between Winona and Professor Juniper that results in getting almost all of the cards needed to use Emerald Break.
Colress
[cardimg name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”135″ align=”right” height=”190″ c=”none”][/cardimg]
With the addition of Sky Field to the format, Colress may be one of the best Supporter cards that can be played in this deck. Winona is nice because it allows you to search for a few Pokemon, but Colress has the potential to draw 16 cards – over a quarter of your entire deck!
When looking for important cards, Colress gives you incredible odds of drawing the cards that you need, and it would be crazy to run a deck with Sky Field and not include at least one copy of this card. The only real downside to this card is that when you use it, it will be almost impossible to gain any cards off a Set Up unless your opponent plays N against you because it is rather difficult to get rid of that many cards, even in this deck.
Mega Turbo
[cardimg name=”Mega Turbo” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”86″ align=”right” height=”190″ c=”none”][/cardimg]
When looking back at past formats, Trainer cards that have provided Energy acceleration like [card name=”Dark Patch” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”93″ c=”name”] have always been powerful. Using [card name=”Mega Turbo” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”86″ c=”name”], M Rayquaza-EX is able to go from a card that is pretty good, to a card that is able to Emerald Break for 240 on the first turn of the game. The beauty of Mega Turbo is that with a Double Colorless Energy, M Rayquaza-EX can be placed on the field and completely powered up in the same turn. Mega Turbo also helps to mitigate the effects of disruption cards like [card name=”Crushing Hammer” set=”Kalos Starter Set” no=”34″ c=”name”] and [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”94″ c=”name”]. These disruption cards are much less effective against a deck that can power up its Pokemon in one turn, and with [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”name”], setting up to use Mega Turbo is easy.
Even though this card is essential in the combo needed to pull off a turn one Emerald Break, I suggest only playing three Mega Turbo. Mega Turbo does have the restriction that it can only be used on Mega Pokemon, so it may not always be playable before using Set Up, which hurts drawing into other needed cards. The list above only runs a few basic Energy to use Mega Turbo, so a lot of its use early is highly dependent on whether you can draw into an early Energy and Ultra Ball, or playing [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”name”].
Sky Field
[cardimg name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ align=”left” height=”250″ c=”none”][/cardimg]
As discussed above, [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”name”] is an essential Stadium card in this deck because it expands Emerald Break’s maximum damage from 150 with a Bench of five Pokemon to 240 with a bench of eight Pokemon. If forced to attack without Sky Field in play, Emerald Break loses its ability to one-shot most Pokemon in the game, and makes most trades you make much less favorable. Ideally, Sky Field will be in play every turn you are able to use Emerald Break so it is essential to run four in this deck.
The most interesting point about this card is what happens when Sky Field is replaced by another Stadium card. After the above discussion around Exeggcute, the obvious move is usually to discard extra Exeggcutes so that they can be Propagated and reused when Sky Field is played again. However, in some situations it may be better to discard three Shaymin-EX, or even to discard a M Rayquaza-EX. This initially may seem counter intuitive because if you discard those Pokemon it may be much more difficult to reach eight Bench Pokemon when Sky Field is put down on the following turn. However, there are instances when you need to deny Prizes to your opponent, and you have to come up with another way to win the game. One such option is instead of just decimating the Pokemon that your opponent sends into the active position, play a [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”name”] to drag up and knock out their Shaymin-EX, which doesn’t require you to have Sky Field in play to KO.
Potential Deck Variations
Now that we’ve gone over the basics of this deck, let’s talk about some magic charms that will really allow you to master an M Rayquaza-EX deck above most other people. I will present you with variations of this deck that take advantage of what you expect your metagame to be and that can also be changed depending on your own personal preferences. I will also present an updated deck list that I feel has the most potential right now. So are you ready to improve your game right here and right now?
[premium]
Battle Compressor
[cardimg name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ align=”right” height=”250″ c=”none”][/cardimg]
Even though this card was not included in the skeleton list, in my opinion it is one of the best cards that should be included in almost any version of this deck. As mentioned before in reference to [card name=”Exeggcute” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”4″ c=”name”], and [card name=”Mega Turbo” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”86″ c=”name”], [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”name”] allows for a much more consistent set up and accelerates the deck. Battle Compressor also serves another purpose of allowing players to play decks with lower Supporter counts. In a deck that relies heavily on Shaymin-EX to draw cards, when a player draws into an extra Supporter that they cannot play that turn, it mitigates how many cards they can Set Up for. Unlike a Supporter, Battle Compressor can be played as soon as it’s drawn, it allows you to thin out your deck, and it allows you to discard Supporters that you can choose to use later with [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”name”].
Even though Battle Compressor can be very helpful in this deck, there are some matchups and cases where this card can be a dead card. If your opponent uses [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”], then limiting the amount of Trainer cards in your hand before they can use Quaking Punch would be ideal, but if this card is drawn after the first turn of the game it generally becomes impossible to play and makes Set Up less effective. Also, if you do not have a VS Seeker in your opening hand, then a Battle Compressor will not save a hand that has no Supporters in it.
Town Map
[cardimg name=”Town Map” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”136″ align=”left” height=”250″ c=”custom”] Who needs a map?! [/cardimg]
When [card name=”Town Map” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”136″ c=”name”] first came out, I initially wrote it off as a bad card. I thought that it is more beneficial to figure out what your Prize cards are without letting your opponent know what they are as well. However, with how fast this deck is, and the possibility of needing to use [card name=”Lysandre’s Trump Card” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”99″ c=”name”] it is really important that if you prize Lysandre’s Trump Card or your last VS Seeker you be able to pick it up when needed. If you are unable to play your Lysandre’s Trump Card you may either deck out, or be forced into a bad play so that you do not deck out.
Town Map is also very useful because it is a Trainer card that can be played in almost any situation which allows it to be a burnable card. Burnable cards are powerful in this deck because if you draw Town Map off of Set Up, it is possible to play all of your burnable cards, and then use another Shaymin-EX’s Set Up ability to draw even more cards. Another situation where Town Map can be useful is when you prize a key Pokemon, an extra Supporter card, a Double Colorless Energy, or just any card that you may need. By using Town Map you can guarantee that you will pick the optimal prize card.
Like most other Trainer cards, Town Map does have some drawbacks, which is why it is an optional card in this deck and if room is needed for another card, it may end up being the first card cut. Town Map not only reveals your Prize cards to yourself, it reveals them to your opponent as well. When your opponent sees you pick up a card that will enable you to win on the next turn, they are able to use that knowledge to play a card such as Lysandre’s Trump Card or N that ruins your plan.
Raichu
[cardimg name=”Raichu” set=”XY” no=”43″ align=”right” height=”250″ c=”none”][/cardimg]
As one of my favorite variations on this deck, a 2-2 [card name=”Raichu” set=”XY” no=”43″ c=”name”] line can go a long way to improve some matchups that may otherwise be unfavorable. My current prediction for the third week of Regionals is that the event will be dominated by [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”]. If you choose to play M Rayquaza-EX yourself you should be prepared to play a few mirror matches throughout the day. In almost all mirror matches, a lot of the match can come down to player skill, techs, and luck. Luck being outside of our control, the best way to prepare for a mirror match is to practice a lot to make sure that you can play with as few mistakes as possible, as well as running techs that can help you out. [card name=”Raichu” set=”XY” no=”43″ c=”name”] is an amazing tech card in this deck because he is able to hit both [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”] and [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”] for weakness, and because his attack has great synergy with [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”name”].
Also in a format where new Pokemon-EX are expected to be very strong (including Rayquaza), players may look to play cards that cannot be damaged by Pokemon-EX such as [card name=”Suicune” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”20″ c=”name”]. Raichu provides an attacker that can one-shot Suicune, thus preventing us from auto losing to any deck that runs one Suicune. Raichu is also nice because he allows you to make favorable trades against M Rayquaza-EX and other Pokemon-EX, where you gain two Prize cards while they only get one.
Even though Raichu does have a lot of benefits that I believe make him a great choice to put in this deck, there are some drawbacks as well. Players may choose to play [card name=”Altaria” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”74″ c=”name”] in their decks which may limit the effectiveness of Raichu. Also, when [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”name”] is no longer in play, Raichu’s damage is reduced like M Rayquaza-EX. Running a 2-2 Raichu line also clogs up the deck slightly, as Evolutions are usually hard to get out of your hand for larger Set Ups. Finally, Raichu needs a Double Colorless to use his attack, which may be an issue in this deck because of how reliant it is on [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”111″ c=”name”].
Virizion-EX
[cardimg name=”Virizion-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”9″ align=”left” height=”250″ c=”none”][/cardimg]
Another valid option in this deck is a [card name=”Virizion-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”9″ c=”name”]. In a format where [card name=”Hypnotoxic Laser” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”123″ c=”name”] is used in a majority of decks, there are a lot of games which can be won or lost over random Sleep coin flips, or because of the Poison damage from Virbank City Gym. Virizion-EX can help to change some matchups by negating the effect of Hypnotoxic Laser. Without Laser, [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”] and [card name=”Exeggutor” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”5″ c=”name”] barely do any damage to M Rayquaza-EX, while he is knocking them out in one hit.
The one caveat with Verdant Wind is that in order for it to work, your Active Pokemon needs to have a Grass Energy attached to it. Since most decks that run Hypnotoxic Laser also run Crushing Hammer, they be able to discard your Grass Energy and use the Laser regardless of Virizion-EX. Usually, you will end up having a Mega Turbo or drawing into another Grass Energy to remove the Special Condition(s), but there are cases where M Rayquaza-EX could end up stranded as the Active Pokemon, Asleep, and taking extra Poison damage. Adding one or two more Grass Energy in addition to Virizion-EX may help to eliminate the effects of Hypnotoxic Laser even against decks that have Energy denial.
If your metagame includes a lot of players who are using Hypnotoxic Laser, playing a Virizion-EX is worth the space. Even in matchups where it does nothing, it’s at least another Pokemon to fuel Emerald Break, and it’s not a horrible starter either, with its high HP and one retreat cost. However, in metagames where Hypnotoxic Laser is not prevalent or there are high counts of Silent Lab, you may want to consider another option.
Ninetales
[cardimg name=”Ninetales” set=”Primal Clash” no=”21″ align=”right” height=”250″ c=”custom”][/cardimg]
Due to how important it is to have Sky Field in play, another deck variation includes running a [card name=”Ninetales” set=”Primal Clash” no=”21″ c=”name”] line. In addition to the fact that you can lock Sky Field in for the rest of the game with Barrier Shrine, there is also another [card name=”Ninetales” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”19″ c=”name”] with the ability Bright Look. This allows Ninetales to function in a similar way to Lysandre and allow you to pick off weaker Pokemon-EX on your opponent’s Bench like [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”] or [card name=”Jirachi-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”60″ c=”name”]. If you run a 2-2 Ninetales line, you can choose to benefit from either Bright Looking a Pokemon or using Barrier Shrine. Even though its attack is nowhere near as good as Raichu’s in this deck, [card name=”Ninetales” set=”Primal Clash” no=”21″ c=”name”] also provides you with an option against cards like [card name=”Suicune” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”20″ c=”name”] or [card name=”Sigilyph” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”52″ c=”name”] that take no damage from M Rayquaza-EX. Albeit not a very good one. But at least it’s something!
Altaria
Another strong Colorless Pokemon that can be used in this deck is [card name=”Altaria” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”74″ c=”name”]. Like M Rayquaza-EX, Altaria possesses the Delta Evolution Ability to allow it to be played on the same turn that [card name=”Swablu” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”73″ c=”name”] was put into play, but more importantly its ability, Clear Humming, gets rid of M Rayquaza-EX’s weakness. Clear Humming is pivotal in a format filled with Lightning Pokemon such as [card name=”M Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”24″ c=”name”] and [card name=”Raichu” set=”XY” no=”43″ c=”name”]. With Altaria in your deck, you can tilt the Manectric matchup heavily in your favor, because M Manectric-EX struggles against Pokemon that can one-shot it, while having to rely on two-shots to Knock Out a Pokemon. Even though Manectric decks may see play, I would not expect a large number of them, so I would only suggest a 1-1 Altaria line. Personally, I suggest running this card in almost any version of this deck because for two card slots you can tilt a matchup that may otherwise be difficult.
Exeggutor
[cardimg name=”Exeggutor” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”5″ align=”left” height=”250″ c=”custom”]The annoying tree![/cardimg]
Blockade is a powerful attack that denies your opponents the ability to play Supporter cards. Already running Exeggcute, this deck could take advantage of running a single [card name=”Exeggutor” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”5″ c=”name”]. Exeggutor is a non-EX Pokemon that can greatly slow down how fast your opponent can get set up, while you build up behind him. In a deck that does not run [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”name”] or Hypnotoxic Laser, the damage output from Blockade is really low, but in this deck he is being used exclusively for his utility. The other interesting thing that occurs when you use Blockade is that your opponent is unable to play utility-based Supporter cards like Lysandre’s Trump Card or Lysandre. So if your opponent is in a situation where they are out of resources you could use Blockade to prevent them from playing Trump Card for a few turns and eventually deck them out. On the other hand, near the beginning of the game Exeggutor can prevent your opponent from setting up while you set up. Then if they commit a big Pokemon-EX to kill your Exeggutor, you are able to bring up a powered up M Rayquaza-EX and Emerald Break to knock out anyone they could have used. Even though Exeggutor can be annoying, due to his low damage output, he is not likely to yield you any prizes, and may prove worthless because of the popularity of Shaymin-EX.
Super Scoop Up or Switch
[cardimg name=”Super Scoop Up” set=”Expedition” no=”151″ align=”right” height=”250″ c=”custom”]e-Reader cards were amazing![/cardimg]
Super Scoop Up has a ton of synergy with this deck ranging from being able to reuse Shaymin-EX to being able to get a free heal on a M Rayquaza-EX. If you choose to pick up M Rayquaza-EX with Super Scoop Up, then Super Scoop Up can act like a [card name=”Max Potion” set=”Emerging Powers” no=”94″ c=”name”] where you get to keep your Energy cards and power him up again in the same turn with another Mega Turbo. Against decks that are unable to one-shot the Rayquaza, a heads on a Super Scoop Up may end up winning you the game, because you are able to get even further ahead on a Prize trade by denying your opponent multiple Prize cards. Alternatively, Super Scoop Up can be used on the first few turns of the game to get even more use out of Shaymin-EX’s Set Up ability.
The other main advantage to Super Scoop Up is that currently this deck has a lot of Pokemon with a one Energy retreat cost, and no real switching cards. That means if you do not start with Rayquaza-EX, it’s basically impossible to do a turn one Emerald Break going second. So regardless of whether you like Super Scoop Up, [card name=”Switch” set=”XY Trainer Kit” no=”29″ c=”name”] or [card name=”Escape Rope” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”120″ c=”name”], you should probably be running two or three of these cards to enable the chance to attack on turn one. However, with all of the other benefits that Super Scoop Up offers above, I generally think it is worth running Super Scoop Up over the other switching cards.
When comparing Super Scoop Up to Switch or Escape Rope, Super Scoop Up is a moderate risk, high reward card, while the other two are much safer. So depending on how much you like to take risks, you should choose whether you run Super Scoop Up or Switch/Escape Rope.
Silent Lab
[cardimg name=”Silent Lab” set=”Primal Clash” no=”140″ align=”left” height=”250″ c=”custom”][/cardimg]
As I have kind of mentioned before, when Stadiums are changed you can choose a few different paths based on the game state. So as a tech it can be useful to run one copy of [card name=”Silent Lab” set=”Primal Clash” no=”140″ c=”name”] to improve your mirror matchup. You could even play a list that has Ninetales in it so that you can lock Silent Lab in as your Stadium, and also run a higher count of Lysandre than the normal list. This combination of Ninetales and Silent Lab can prevent Knock Outs on your M Rayquaza-EX, because they can only do 150 damage, while you can use your heavier Lysandre count to knock out their Shyamin-EX instead. In addition to preventing your M Rayquaza-EX from getting one shot, you can also prevent your opponent’s Shaymin-EX Set Up, and Propagation Abilities which can be useful if you play Silent Lab after getting the maximum use out of each of these yourself.
Silent Lab can be useful, but because it does lower your own damage output it is a tech card that may only be helpful in a few matchups, and useless in others. However, if you are able to steal a game or even a match with this card against the mirror, which would normally be 50/50, it could be a great asset to your deck.
Current Favorite List
Now that we have looked at a few variations on this deck, let’s take a look at my current list for M Rayquaza-EX. This variant is the one I have tested the most, and the one I feel has the strongest matchups across the board. To fill my 11 free slots, I decided to add a 2-2 Raichu line, 3 Battle Compressors, 3 Super Scoop Ups, and 1 Town Map.
So below, I will present my current M Rayquaza-EX list and explain my logic behind the tech cards, which I hope will help guide you to your own list.
[decklist]
[pokemon amt=”18″]
4x [card name=”Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”75″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”Exeggcute” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”4″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”Pikachu” set=”XY” no=”42″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”Raichu” set=”XY” no=”43″ c=”deck2″]
[/pokemon]
[trainers amt=”35″]
3x [card name=”Professor Juniper” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”116″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”118″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Winona” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”96″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”101″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Lysandre’s Trump Card” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”99″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Mega Turbo” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”86″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Rayquaza Spirit Link” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”87″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Super Scoop Up” set=”Furious Fists” no=”100″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”Acro Bike” set=”Primal Clash” no=”122″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Town Map” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”136″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Computer Search” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”137″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”deck2″]
[/trainers]
[energy amt=”7″]
4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”111″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Lightning Energy” set=”Base Set” no=”100″ c=”deck2″]
[/energy]
[/decklist]
Raichu
Overall, I felt out of all the Pokemon that could be added to this deck, Raichu had the most impact on what I predict the metagame to be. I believe that Raichu will be able to exploit a lot of decks in the upcoming tournaments, and may be able to sweep games by himself, even on Pokemon that do not have Lightning weakness.
Battle Compressor
This card is one of the best Trainer cards in this deck for setting up, and I believe it would be wrong not to run it. Having the power to discard Eggs, which you can use to set up and then eventually place on the Bench. In addition, Battle Compressor can be used to prepare Mega Turbo and VS Seeker, making this card too versatile not to run.
Super Scoop Up
In my testing, I felt that Prize denial, reusing Shaymin-EX and having a card to get a Pokemon out of the active slot was way too important to pass up. Yes, Super Scoop Up does have the inherent risk of being a useless card if you flip tails. However, if you flip tails on the Super Scoop Up, you have one less card in your hand and potentially allow for more impactful Set Ups.
Town Map
Town Map was my 60th card, and probably the first card I would cut if I needed room for something else, but it has proved useful in testing. With Town Map, I have been able to grab my Supporters if I prize them, which is important because I include single copies of many Supporters Town Map has also let me more easily find Double Colorless Energy, which are one of the most important resources in this deck.
Conclusion
Admittedly, I still am working on this list before Georgia Regionals, but I think it has a lot of potential. Depending on the results from more testing, and what I expect the metagame to be, I may end up shifting the list around, but this should be a decent place to start your own testing from. The Ninetales version is also very promising because of the ability to also run the Bright Look Ninetales, but I am not sure it is worth cutting Raichu for. I highly recommend that everyone try out the different versions of this deck, they are really a lot of fun. Drawing close to half of your remaining deck with Colress is a lot of fun at points in the game, especially after clearing out 10 or so cards with Battle Compressor and discarding others with Ultra Ball early. Also, the feeling of pulling off the 240 damage turn one Emerald Break is extremely satisfying, and usually leads to a victory.
I hope you found this article informative, and thank you very much for taking the time to read it! Good luck to everyone who is attending Regionals in the next few weeks, I will be heading up to Sturbridge, MA this weekend, and heading down to Athens, GA in a few weeks. If you ever have any questions, feel free to ask in the Subscriber’s Secret Hideout, and I will try to answer them to the best of my ability. You can also ask questions below in reply to this article, and I will answer them as soon as I can!
-Benjamin Sauk
[/premium]