Rayquaza Gone ∆ Wild!
Hello Beach goers! It is the dawn of a new format and there is much to be discussed! States have come and gone and for those who don’t have access to a week one or two spring Regionals, like myself, [set name=”Roaring Skies”] is the primary focus. I am very enthusiastic about the new set and the opportunity to compete in a Regional setting just weeks after its release. I am also nervous about getting my hands on the cards I need in time for the tournament! Much like the situation we had at Florida Regionals this past winter, players will be diving into the format head first and there are bound to be surprises. Lists will be rough, players will encounter card combinations they might not be expecting, and those who do their studying beforehand are bound to be the most successful.
For those of you looking to attend a week one or two Spring Regional, I will be opening with a discussion on Landorus/Crobat and my recent success with the deck at Ohio States. For those of you looking ahead to the Roaring Skies format, I will be doing an in-depth analysis on a deck focused around the new Dragon type [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”61″ c=”from”].
Before we get going though, I want to thank you all for joining me for my online writing debut! Writing articles is something I have always wanted to do, and I am very grateful and excited to stake my claim in PokeBeach. If you haven’t subscribed to our program yet, you’re missing out! So many people already have, and there’s a full 30 day money back guarantee, so there’s absolutely no risk to you. We’ll be writing weekly articles for you, fixing your decks, holding metagame discussions, and giving you advice, so there’s more to this program than just articles, we’ll be helping you improve your game! If you want to write an article for this program, you can also fill out an application here. The more writers, the merrier! So come join us!
For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Andrew Mahone. I have been a Pokemon fan since the 4th grade when I opened my first pack of [set name=”Base Set”] Pokemon cards which, to my lack of enthusiasm, contained a [card name=”Scoop Up” set=”Base Set” no=”78″ c=”name”] as the rare card. It’s funny how we pick out the oddest things to remember about our childhood, I can even remember the place I was standing when I was opened my first pack. But it just goes to show how much Pokemon had an effect on me even at young age. Though I have been a Pokemon fan nearly my whole life, it wasn’t until 3 years ago that I attended my first competitive event, a [set name=”Noble Victories”] prerelease tournament.
Fresh out of college, I was looking for something to fill the void that was left in my life after completing four years of collegiate cross country and track. I used to play the Pokemon video games for fun on my long bus rides to and from meets, but I never had the money or the time to pursue Pokemon in a competitive way during school. I have no idea how you college kids do it! Though I had no prior experience with card games when I began playing the TCG, I have been very fortunate with quick success so far in my Pokemon career. I was able to get up to speed relatively quickly by practicing obsessively and reading premium articles online, just like this one! Within my first full competitive season, I had won two City Championships and finished in the Top 8 of Indiana Regionals. Last year I won a few more City Championships and finished in the Top 4 of the St. Louis Regional Championship. This year I bested myself again by winning the St. Louis Regional Championship and placing 2nd and 5th at the Ohio and Indiana State Championships respectively. I owe a lot of my success this year to Landorus/Crobat, which single-handedly earned my entire 2015 World Championship invitation and most recently landed me 2nd place at Ohio States.
Landorus/Crobat
Landorus/Crobat is a deck that can easily steal victories if the metagame is not prepared for it, and I consider it to be a top tier choice heading into the last few weeks of [set name=”Boundaries Crossed”] – [set name=”Primal Clash”] tournaments. Here is the list I ran at Ohio States with some card explanations and a look at my tournament run!
[decklist]
[pokemon amt=”19″]
2x [card name=”Landorus-EX” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”89″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Lucario-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”107″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Hawlucha” set=”Furious Fists” no=”63″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”Zubat” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”53″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”Golbat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”32″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Miltank” set=”Flashfire” no=”83″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Jirachi-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”98″ c=”deck2″]
[/pokemon]
[trainers amt=”31″]
4x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”101″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”92″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”118″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Flashfire” no=”99″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Super Scoop Up” set=”Furious Fists” no=”100″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Repeat Ball” set=”Primal Clash” no=”136″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Computer Search” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”137″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Fighting Stadium” set=”Furious Fists” no=”90″ c=”deck2″]
[/trainers]
[energy amt=”10″]
4x [card name=”Strong Energy” set=”Furious Fists” no=”104″ c=”deck2″]
6x [card name=”Fighting Energy” set=”Base Set” no=”97″ c=”deck2″]
[/energy]
[/decklist]
I think this list has become pretty standard so I don’t expect there to be many surprises here, except for my inclusion of Miltank. For clarity though, I will review some of the inclusions that differentiate my list from others and make it what I consider to be the strongest possible version of the list to run.
Miltank
[cardimg name=”Miltank” set=”Flashfire” no=”83″ align=”left” height=”220″ c=”custom”] She’s a cash cow! [/cardimg]
Let us just go ahead and start with the cow in the room, [card name=”Miltank” set=”Flashfire” no=”83″ c=”from”]. Miltank is a niche attacker that I included in early drafts of my list heading into St. Louis Regionals back in February but ultimately removed for [card name=”Dedenne” set=”Furious Fists” no=”34″ c=”name”]. She fits the mold of this deck perfectly, hitting big numbers for one energy if you have a Stage 2 on the field. Miltank is an effective option in the deck because she is a non-EX attacker that can trade well with other non-EX threats, something [card name=”Hawlucha” set=”Furious Fists” no=”63″ c=”name”] cannot do. The most significant drawback of playing Miltank is that she is a terrible starter. She cannot hit for 80 damage until turn three at the earliest and has a hefty retreat cost of two. This can prove problematic in a deck that wants to be aggressive and plays zero switch cards. In a pinch you can scoop her out of the active using [card name=”Super Scoop Up” set=”Furious Fists” no=”100″ c=”name”] (same goes for [card name=”Jirachi-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”98″ c=”name”]), but there is always the risk she will just be there swinging for 10 until the opponent decides to knock her out. She made the cut for Ohio, though, because I wanted an attacker that could dispose of [card name=”Empoleon” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”29″ c=”name”] who has become a popular inclusion with [card name=”Archie’s Ace in the Hole” set=”Primal Clash” no=”124″ c=”name”] in Flareon and Nightmarch decks. Additionally, she hits Safeguard attackers and trades efficiently with [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”] who has no way of dealing with her 100 HP in one shot.
2 Landorus EX / 1 Lucario EX
[card name=”Landorus-EX” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”89″ c=”name”] is the best attacker in the deck by far, but he is not always your ideal starter. Landorus hates a turn one [card name=”Head Ringer” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”97″ c=”name”], a turn one [card name=”Hypnotoxic Laser” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”123″ c=”name”], or a turn one Quaking Punch. Hawlucha is the best starter in the deck because he allows you to react to your opponent and retreat into whoever you decide is best for the situation. If Hawlucha goes down early it’s really no big deal. But if an EX endures foul treatment early on, it can spell disaster for the rest of the match. Most game plans involve slowing your opponent’s quest for 6 prizes by flooding the field with Hawlucha and Crobat and choosing the best moments to send out your Pokemon-EX. I cannot stress enough how important it is to choose carefully when you bench an EX with this deck. This is why I only play three EX attackers. Most matches will only require two EX and a few Hawlucha to win. Interestingly, my early lists did not include [card name=”Lucario-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”107″ c=”name”] at all. My friend Justin Boughter showed up to a City Championship with the card in his version of Landorus/Crobat and I grabbed it and chucked it across the room. Lucario’s Missile Jab has always paled in comparison to Hammerhead so I thought him a waste of space. The more I tested Lucario, however, the more he grew on me. Corkscrew Smash and Somersault Kick have both won me valuable games throughout my time playing the deck and the alternate weakness is definitely useful. That being said, I would not advise playing more than one Lucario-EX. His uses are mostly niche and I still end up discarding him in roughly 50% of my games. I do have Lucario alone to thank for two clutch best of three wins vs. [card name=”Primal Kyogre-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”55″ c=”name”] at Ohio states, which I will describe in detail later on in the article.
3 Super Scoop Up
[card name=”Super Scoop Up” set=”Furious Fists” no=”100″ c=”name”] is a beautiful card in this deck. It is everything. It is a healing card that can reset damage on your Pokemon-EX. It is a switching card. It is a card that can pick up Crobat lines so they can continue dishing out damage. It is a card that can turn a [card name=”Jirachi-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”98″ c=”name”] start into an explosive turn one. But in the same breath, it can also be nothing. Landorus/Crobat often lives and dies by Super Scoop Up flips, but I still feel like three rather than four is the magic number here. Landorus/Crobat is an aggressive deck that wants to make the most out of the opening turns while keeping the pressure on later in the game, and Super Scoop Up adds very little to those opening turns. It is a defensive card and not the kind of thing you will be using every turn of the game. At the end of the day it does not matter how many Scoops you hit if your deck is lacking in consistency and aggressiveness, which leads me to my next choice…
Computer Search
Many players have opted to run [card name=”Scoop Up Cyclone” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”95″ c=”name”] in their Landorus/Crobat lists as opposed to old faithful here. But ultimately Scoop Up Cyclone can be replicated by a Super Scoop Up heads. [card name=”Computer Search” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”137″ c=”name”], on the other hand, is irreplaceable. It is literally running an additional out to every card in your deck. Five outs to a turn one [card name=”Strong Energy” set=”Furious Fists” no=”104″ c=”name”]. Four outs to a turn one [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”name”]. Ten outs to a turn one [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”XY” no=”122″ c=”name”]. Computer Search is hands down the most aggressive and consistent Ace Spec, and for that reason I would never substitute it here.
3 Colress / 0 Korrina
My decision to run 3 [card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”118″ c=”name”] and no [card name=”Korrina” set=”Furious Fists” no=”95″ c=”name”] has been the defining factor in my Landorus/Crobat list since its inception. The downside of occasionally starting lone Colress is vastly outweighed by the Supporter’s potency later in the game. In fact, the deck boasts 14 outs to a turn one Professor Sycamore or N, so poor starts are not very common. By turn 2 or 3, Colress has usually become the best Supporter in the deck allowing the player to draw into numerous [card name=”Golbat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”32″ c=”name”], [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”], Energy, [card name=”Super Scoop Up” set=”Furious Fists” no=”100″ c=”name”] and Supporter options for the following turn. Additionally, running three copies of Colress makes the deck much more resilient against Seismitoad-EX’s Quaking Punch. Colress can still net a player valuable Energy, Pokemon and Supporters under item lock. To be truthful, I never even considered using Korrina while building this deck. Korrina will only ever net a player one Fighting Pokemon and one Item. That’s not very overwhelming. This is a deck that wants to overwhelm the opponent, draw big hands and set up as many [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”] as possible while churning out attackers. Colress helps the player do just that.
Ohio States
With as much pride as I take in this deck, I initially wrote it off as dead heading into State Championships. I was not able to attend a week one States, and sure enough, players came out swinging with their many iterations of Seismitoad-EX, including what I consider to be the absolute worst Landorus/Crobat matchup, Seismitoad-EX/Crobat. In response to this, I chose to pilot [card name=”Virizion-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”9″ c=”name”]/[card name=”Mewtwo-EX” set=”Legendary Treasures” no=”54″ c=”name”]/[card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”106″ c=”name”] during week two at Indiana States which net me a Top 8 finish. I skipped week three and by the time week four had rolled around I felt confident enough in Virizion and Manectric’s numbers to roll Landorus back into play. The deck I was most wary about heading into Ohio States was actually a Primal Kyogre-EX/[card name=”Victini-EX” set=”Legendary Treasures” no=”24″ c=”name”] deck popularized by my friend Kevin Baxter. I knew a good number of people were choosing to pilot the deck and I had only tested one best of three against it prior to the tournament, which I lost. I had actually replaced the Miltank and the 6th Fighting Energy with two [card name=”Focus Sash” set=”Furious Fists” no=”91″ c=”name”] (a tech for the Kyogre matchup that I had theorized about but never actually tested) leading up to the player meeting. Right as the judges began collecting deck lists, however, I changed my list back and took the Focus Sashes back out, opting for the list I knew worked and had been testing for months prior.
Swiss Rounds
Round One: Seismitoad-EX/Manectric-EX/Crobat [WLW]
Round Two: Yveltal-EX/Crawdaunt [WW]
Round Three: Gardevoir-EX/Florges-EX/Aromatisse [W]
Round Four: Yveltal-EX/Seismitoad-EX/Garbodor [WL-Tie]
Round Five: Yveltal-EX/Seismitoad-EX [WLW]
Round Six: (Carl Scheu) Primal Kyogre-EX/Victini-EX [WW]
Round Seven: (Corey Scott) Medicham/Landorus-EX/Hawlucha [Opponent Scooped]
Round Eight: (Frank Serafinski) Donphan [ID]
Top Cut
TOP 8: (Carl Scheu) Primal Kyogre-EX/Victini-EX [WLW]
Top 4: (Corey Scott) Medicham/Landorus-EX/Hawlucha [WW]
Finals: (Michael Livingston) Seismitoad/Crobat [LL]
Sure enough, the most pivotal matches of my tournament run were against my good friend Carl Scheu and his Primal Kyogre-EX/Victini-EX deck. Carl is an excellent player and one of my closest testing partners so I knew these games would be good ones. I had tested the matchup with him once in the week leading up to the tournament and he beat me 2-1 in a best of three series. In the game I won, however, I had started Lucario-EX and hit hard with a turn 3 Somersault Kick going first. Knowing this was my only shot at winning, I employed this strategy against him in both of our matches at Ohio States with great success.
Matchup Breakdown: Landorus/Crobat vs. Primal Kyogre EX
[cardimg name=”Primal Kyogre-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”55″ align=”left” height=”250″ c=”custom”] Not the worst matchup [/cardimg]
On paper this matchup seems really bad – abysmal even. Landorus is weak to Water, Crobat’s residual damage is negated if the opponent gets a [card name=”Rough Seas” set=”Primal Clash” no=”137″ c=”name”] into play and Hawlucha needs a perfect back to back [card name=”Strong Energy” set=”Furious Fists” no=”104″ c=”name”]/[card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”name”]/[card name=”Fighting Stadium” set=”Furious Fists” no=”90″ c=”name”] combo if he wants any chance of a 2HKO against [card name=”Primal Kyogre-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”55″ c=”name”]’s whale-like 240 HP. Until this weekend I had considered the matchup a total wash. But now that I have played it a few more times, I consider it to be about 50/50. Here is how it works.
Primal Kyogre-EX decks tend to follow one strategy, Tidal Wave with a [card name=”Primal Kyogre-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”55″ c=”name”] as early as possible to power up other Kyogre-EX, [card name=”Keldeo-EX” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”49″ c=”name”], or [card name=”Suicune” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”20″ c=”name”]. A Suicune or a [card name=”Float Stone” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”99″ c=”name”] equipped Keldeo typically act as buffers, soaking hits and healing them off with [card name=”Rough Seas” set=”Primal Clash” no=”137″ c=”name”] until Primal Kyogre is ready to roll. Once set up, Primal Kyogre will tear through almost anything in its path, dealing 150 damage to the active while spreading 30 damage to all the opponent’s benched Pokemon-EX.
Under normal circumstances, Primal Kyogre-EX will not be attacking until turn three. I say “normal circumstances” because Carl was running the [card name=”Victini-EX” set=”Legendary Treasures” no=”24″ c=”name”] version of Primal Kyogre which would technically allow him to get a turn two Tidal Storm if he started with Victini EX’s Turbo Energize turn one. This means that Landorus/Crobat has three turns to create a threat can contend with a Primal Kyogre-EX. There is only one Pokemon on the entire roster fit for this job: [card name=”Lucario-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”107″ c=”name”]. A turn three Somersault Kick to the face is absolutely devastating to a Primal Kyogre player, especially if the Landorus/Crobat player is going first. With two Strong Energy, a Muscle Band and a Fighting Stadium, Lucario-EX is Corkscrew Smashing for 120 damage turn two and Somersault Kicking for a 180 damage turn three. If the Kyogre player is not able to promote a Suicune within the first two turns, whatever Keldeo-EX was left active will surely endure a knock out. Worst of all, Primal Kyogre-EX will not be OHKOing this monster in return if the Landorus/Crobat player has gone first, allowing Lucario-EX to Somersault Kick yet another EX for huge damage or possibly a knock out.
[cardimg name=”Lucario-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”54″ align=”right” height=”250″ c=”custom”] The champion! [/cardimg]
For example, during game three of our Top 8 match, I was able to get a turn three Lysandre – Somersault Kick for 180 damage on Carl’s clean Kyogre-EX with two Energy on it, leaving his board without Energy. Unable to N me, I responded with a turn four Lysandre on another clean EX for knock out, bringing our series to an obvious end. Admittedly, this is the kind of event that leads my friends to say things like, “Mahone, you’re only good because you draw like a Greek god,” or, “Mahone, everybody hates you, please go home.” Yeah, I was definitely fortunate to scrape by with two best of three wins here, but really, getting an Energy on Lucario turn one is all it takes to employ this strategy and I was able to accomplish that in all five games I played against Carl over the weekend.
The remainder of the tournament played out without too much exciting happening. I played a good series vs. my friend Corey Scott’s Medicham deck in Top 4, which I consider to be a favorable matchup, and I got absolutely decimated in the finals by Michael Livingston and his Seismitoad/Crobat deck. Now let’s go look at some dragons.
The Art of Dragon Taming
With the release of [set name=”Roaring Skies”], all eyes appear to be on the strength of the new Colorless [card name=”Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”75″ c=”name”] and its obvious synergy with [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”], [card name=”Altaria” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”74″ c=”name”] and [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”name”]. However, today I will be discussing the other dragons lurking in the shadows waiting for their potential to be unleashed.
What the Dragon [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”61″ c=”name”] lacks in efficiency, he makes up for with raw power. He boasts a menacing 230 HP, a non-exploitable weakness, a Delta Trait that essentially grants him four resistances and an attack that hits like a truck. Now I’m not going to lie, the first time I saw the scans for the set on PokeBeach, I wrote this card off as an unplayable overkill card to be lumped in with the likes of [card name=”M Charizard-EX” set=”Flashfire” no=”69″ c=”fromno”] and [card name=”M Charizard-EX” set=”Flashfire” no=”13″ c=”fromno”]. Five Energy to attack seems very costly. And what is the use in paying so much to deal 300 damage anyways? Nearly every legal Pokemon will succumb to the other Rayquaza’s Emerald Break which maxes out at 240 damage.
Not until I actually built the deck and tested it did I find that it is much easier to power up M-Rayquaza’s Dragon Ascent than I had realized. Not to mention, this card has been blessed with all the tools it needs to be a total powerhouse in Boundaries Crossed – Roaring Skies format. Let’s take a look at a skeleton list and then go into all the details and explanations.
[premium][decklist][pokemon amt=”14″]
4x [card name=”Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”60″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”61″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Reshiram” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”63″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Hydreigon-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”62″ c=”deck2″]
[/pokemon]
[trainers amt=”28″]
4x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”XY” no=”122″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”92″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”118″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Computer Search” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”137″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”93″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Rayquaza Spirit Link” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”87″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Mega Turbo” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”86″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Switch” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”91″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Scorched Earth” set=”Primal Clash” no=”138″ c=”deck2″]
[/trainers]
[energy amt=”13″]
8x [card name=”Fire Energy” set=”XY” no=”133″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Lightning Energy” set=”XY” no=”135″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”Double Dragon Energy” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”97″ c=”deck2″]
[/energy]
[/decklist]
Total: 55 Free Space: 5
It’s always funny getting started on a new deck. I was a Fine Art Major in college and I cannot help but draw comparisons between the intimidating feeling of staring at a blank canvas and daunting task of building a deck from scratch. In both scenarios, the best course of action is to have a loose plan, then dive in and figure things out as you go. Deck building is an very malleable art form and a good deck artist should keep their mind open to new inspirations as they journey throughout a format. In this case we are beginning by roughing the deck out, or starting with a loose sketch. The finest details will be rendered later on!
Reshiram
[cardimg name=”Reshiram” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”63″ align=”left” height=”310″ c=”custom”] Captain of the green team [/cardimg]
[card name=”Reshiram” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”63″ c=”from”] is a great card. He is your ideal starter, non-EX attacking option, wall and energy accelerator all in one. Not too long ago, we saw [card name=”Celebi” set=”Triumphant” no=”92″ c=”from”] carry the deck “Celebi/Mewtwo/Tornadus” or “CMT” on her back with great results. Reshiram’s Turboblaze ability is very reminiscent of Forest Breath. It reads, “Once during your turn (before you attack), if this Pokemon is your Active Pokemon, you may attach a Fire Energy card from your hand to 1 of your Dragon Pokemon.” With the combination of [card name=”Switch” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”91″ c=”name”] and the free retreat provided by [card name=”Hydreigon-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”62″ c=”name”] it is possible to load multiple Fire Energy onto an attacker without using up your Energy attachment for the turn.
Additionally, his Bright Wing attack hits 110 damage for the cost of RRLC with the drawback that a single Fire must be discarded from him. 110 is perfect numbers for a non-EX to be hitting heading into the upcoming format. Reshiram can dispose of a [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”] in one shot as well as 2HKO a Colorless [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”] without any damage modification.
Since Reshiram is your ideal starter and primary energy accelerator, I could very well see playing four of them. I have chosen three for the skeleton list because once this deck gets set up, bench space becomes an issue and a fourth copy of Reshiram is not paramount to the functioning of this deck. It is definitely an option to keep in mind though.
Dragon Rayquaza-EX
Though you could technically run the Colorless [card name=”Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”75″ c=”name”] in this deck if you wanted to, the Dragon [card name=”Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”60″ c=”name”] is unquestionably the correct choice here. The Dragon Rayquaza-EX can be the target of Reshiram’s Turboblaze ability and gains free retreat from [card name=”Hydreigon-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”62″ c=”name”] because of his typing.
Rayquaza-EX’s primary function in this deck is to collect Energy and Mega Evolve into [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”61″ c=”name”] so you can start streaming Dragon Ascent. Getting a Rayquaza-EX in play and attaching energy to it turn one is essential to the success of this deck, so I have chosen to start with four copies.
Dragon M-Rayquaza-EX
[cardimg name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”61″ align=”right” height=”350″ c=”custom”] Rayquaza Gone ∆ Wild! [/cardimg]
Dragon [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”61″ c=”name”] is the primary attacker in this deck. Everything is here to get this big green dude using Dragon Ascent as soon as possible, which, without the intervention of [card name=”Crushing Hammer” set=”Kalos Starter Set” no=”34″ c=”name”] or [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”94″ c=”name”], typically happens by turns two or three.
As I alluded to above, Dragon M-Rayquaza-EX has an outstanding Delta Trait, ∆ Wild, which reads, “Any damage done to this Pokemon by attacks from your opponent’s Grass, Fire, Water, or Electric Pokemon is reduced by 20 (after applying Weakness and Resistance).” This means that [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”] only hits M-Rayquaza-EX for base 10 damage with Quaking Punch. [card name=”Flareon” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”12″ c=”from”] would need 20 Pokemon in the discard and a [card name=”Silver Bangle” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”88″ c=”name”] to OHKO it. Poor [card name=”Joltik” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”26″ c=”name”] would need all 11 of his Nightmarching brethren in the discard and a Silver Bangle equipped to dispose of this monster. A [card name=”Genesect-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”11″ c=”name”] sporting a [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”name”] cannot two shot it and neither can a [card name=”M Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”24″ c=”name”]. All the while, M-Rayquaza-EX can take down anything that does not have a Safeguard Ability in one go with Dragon Ascent.
Dragon Ascent deals a staggering 300 damage for the attack cost of RRRLC with the drawback discarding two Energy attached to M Rayquaza-EX. This attack cost is easily obtained and replenished with the use of [card name=”Double Dragon Energy” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”97″ c=”name”], [card name=”Mega Turbo” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”86″ c=”name”] and [card name=”Reshiram” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”63″ c=”name”]’s Turboblaze ability.
I’ve included three copies in the initial skeleton, but again, I can absolutely see bumping this count to four for consistency.
Hydreigon-EX
[card name=”Hydreigon-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”62″ c=”from”] really makes this deck sing. In fact, it pains me to only have one copy listed in the skeleton because I feel like his presence is one of the most notable advantages this deck has over the Colorless M Rayquaza-EX deck.
Hydreigon-EX’s ability, Dragon Road, reads, “If there is any Stadium card in play, the Retreat Cost of each of your Dragon Pokemon in play is CC less.” [card name=”Reshiram” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”63″ c=”name”], [card name=”Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”60″ c=”name”] and [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”61″ c=”name”] all retreat for free when Dragon Road is live. Dragon Road and switch give the deck the mobility it needs to accelerate effectively with Reshiram and keep Dragon M Rayquaza-EX protected on the bench until he is ready to start swinging.
Shaymin-EX
[card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”from”] is a card that needs no introductions. His outstanding ability, Set Up, allows the player to fill their hand to six whenever he is played from the hand to the bench. Simple, sweet and effective. Many decks will be looking to Shaymin-EX to boost consistency and help with explosive turns. Shaymin-EX is very welcome here for those reasons exactly, however, he is also competing for valuable bench space. In a typical game you will want a Hydreigon-EX, Reshiram and a backup Rayquaza-EX on the bench while attacking with a M Rayquaza-EX. That being said, there is usually room for two to three Shaymin-EX to be played down, so I would say that three is a safe place to start. A fourth could be good just to increase the odds of opening with it in your hand, but then you increase your odds of starting it as well. There will more than likely not be bench space for a fourth Shaymin-EX during the course of your games though, so I would just stick with 3 for now.
Scorched Earth
[cardimg name=”Scorched Earth” set=”Primal Clash” no=”138″ align=”left” height=”250″ c=”none”][/cardimg]
Stadiums have become mainstays in nearly every competitive deck, so naturally, their counts in deck lists have increased. I remember a time not so long ago when you could play two [card name=”Virbank City Gym” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”126″ c=”name”] in a [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”] deck and expect it to stick. That time is long gone. Three Stadium of choice seems to be the standard in many decks nowadays, with the exception of decks like Night March that depend on their Stadium sticking for the deck to function. With the introduction of cards like [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”from”] and [card name=”Ninetales” set=”Primal Clash” no=”21″ c=”from”], Stadium wars are only getting more heated.
[card name=”Scorched Earth” set=”Primal Clash” no=”138″ c=”name”], which reads, “Once during each player’s turn, that player may discard a Fire or Fighting Energy card from his or her hand. If that player does so, he or she draws 2 cards,” has many valuable uses in this deck. Primarily, it activates Hydreigon’s Dragon Road Ability while promoting consistency by allowing the player to draw two additional cards during their turn. It also creates targets for [card name=”Mega Turbo” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”86″ c=”name”] by moving Fire Energy from the hand to the discard. And of course, it functions as a counter to other deck’s Stadiums. Since Seismitoad-EX will only be hitting Dragon M-Rayquaza-EX for base 10 damage a turn, 30 with a Muscle Band, keeping Virbank out of play will be essential to tanking several hits effectively from the toad. Bumping Colorless M Rayquaza-EX’s Sky Field, limiting them to five benched Pokemon and 150 damage a turn is also a very important. As mentioned above, some decks may opt to run a thin Ninetales line to prevent the opponent from countering their Stadium. Something I really like about this deck though is that it can function at its greatest capacity even if it is locked out of playing Scorched Earth. Both Seismitoad-EX and Colorless M Rayquaza-EX are at a huge disadvantage if their Stadiums get replaced. Truthfully, this deck quite enjoys the elbow room granted by Sky Field whenever the opponent happens to play it. It allows you to cycle your Shaymin-EX’s off the field by playing down more than five benched Pokemon, then discarding the Shaymins when you counter Sky Field with Scorched Earth.
Mega Turbo
[cardimg name=”Mega Turbo” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”86″ align=”right” height=”250″ c=”none”][/cardimg]
[card name=”Mega Turbo” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”86″ c=”name”] is the extra punch this deck needs to make streaming Dragon M Rayquaza-EX’s Dragon Ascent a reality. Mega Turbo allows the player to attach one Basic Energy from the discard to one of their Mega Evolution Pokemon. Item based energy acceleration has always been very powerful and I fully expect this card to remain popular alongside Mega Evolutions for the entirety of its life in Standard play.
I have chosen to start with three copies of Mega Turbo in the skeleton list because it is a dead card in the opening hand, but I am leaning very heavily towards the inclusion of a fourth copy. When a M Rayquaza-EX goes down, all six cylinders of this Dragon powered engine need to be firing to get another M Rayquaza-EX up and attacking. That means we will need Reshiram’s Turboblaze, Double Dragon Energy and multiple Mega Turbo to keep this thing moving. Even if M Rayquaza is not KO’d, every time he attacks we need two more Energy to do it again the following turn. Simply put, this deck needs as much access to Energy acceleration as possible.
Though Mega Turbo is very reminiscent of [card name=”Dark Patch” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”93″ c=”from”], it also shares a similar deck function with [card name=”Superior Energy Retrieval” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”103″ c=”name”]’s in last year’s Blastiose and Rayboar decks. Blastoise and Rayboar both played four Superior Energy Retrieval no-questions-asked even though the card was totally dead until their respective stage two Pokemon hit the field and energy had made its way into the discard. [card name=”Black Kyurem-EX” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”95″ c=”name”] and [card name=”Rayquaza-EX” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”85″ c=”name”] both wanted to see a Superior Energy Retrieval every turn after set up in order to continue streaming their OHKO attacks. M Rayquaza-EX is in a very similar situation. Once set up, you will want to see as many Mega Turbo and Double Dragon Energy as possible to continue streaming Dragon Ascent. I suspect that four copies of Mega Turbo will end up being the correct play so that you can see it as much as possible late game.
Finishing Touches
Now the Boundaries Crossed – Roaring Skies meta is undefined as of yet, but I can promise you that Roaring Skies will have a monumental affect on what decks will be viable in the months to come. Placing the best finishing touches on this deck will ultimately depend on what decks M-Rayquaza-EX/Reshiram has to contend with.
2 Hard Charm / 1 Tool Retrieval
[cardimg name=”Hard Charm” set=”XY” no=”119″ align=”left” height=”250″ c=”custom”] Works like a charm! [/cardimg]
This is by far my favorite option for completing the deck right now. I know this seems spooky, but ride with me here for a second and you’ll see what I’m talking about. The Colorless M Rayquaza-EX/Shaymin-EX deck will be one of the most difficult matches for our family of dragons to contend with. Colorless [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”] streams a perfect 240 damage almost effortlessly with Emerald Break turn after turn. Colorless M Rayquaza-EX is also a turn faster than our big green friend thanks to his trait, ∆ Evolution, which allows him to Mega Evolve the same turn Rayquaza-EX was put into play. That being said, there needs to be some way for Dragon M Rayquaza-EX to keep up or else he will simply be outclassed. Countering Sky Field is the primary way of nerfing Colorless M Rayquaza-EX’s damage, but that does not always work out, especially if the opponent has set up Ninetales.
Thanks to his 230 HP mark, Dragon M Rayquaza-EX will survive a fully powered Emerald Break if equipped with a [card name=”Hard Charm” set=”XY” no=”119″ c=”name”]. It may seem difficult to pull off on paper, but in practice it just works. Nobody is playing [card name=”Startling Megaphone” set=”Flashfire” no=”97″ c=”name”] anymore so you can safely place your Rayquaza Spirit Links and Hard Charms down as soon as you draw into them. Then all you have to do is Mega Evolve as usual and hit your copy of [card name=”Tool Retriever” set=”Furious Fists” no=”101″ c=”name”] to swap Spirit Link out for Hard Charm. Hard Charm also works well with Reshiram who will be doing his best to absorb hits out front while you power up Dragon M Rayquaza-EX on the bench. Additionally, Hard Charm fits perfectly with the already bulky nature of Dragon M Rayquaza-EX. With Hard Charm attached, a Seismitoad does 0 base damage to M Rayquaza-EX with Quaking Punch and only 10 with a Muscle Band.
While testing this deck I have been able to pull off a T-2 Dragon Ascent with a Hard Charmed M Rayquaza-EX quite a few times. I am able to achieve the combination by turn 3 or 4 on a regular basis, especially while abusing [card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”118″ c=”name”]. Give it a try and see what you think!
Trump Card
[card name=”Lysandre’s Trump Card” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”99″ c=”name”] may very well end up being a staple in this deck. Shaymin-EX allows players to churn through their decks at a blazing pace, making it all the more necessary to replenish resources. The only reason I did not include this card as a must-have is because you can win most games without it. Trump Card is more of a safety net than a requirement in the Dragon M Rayquaza Deck, and many victories can be obtained by being careful and counting resources. Not to mention, if many of your opponents are playing Trump Card for you, as I suspect most Speed-Seismitoad-EX and Colorless M Rayquaza-EX/Shaymin decks will, then you don’t really need to play your own, right?
Trainer’s Mail
[card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”name”] is another interesting speed option to come out of Roaring Skies. It allows you to look at the top four cards of your deck, select a Trainer Card you find there and shuffle the remaining three cards back in. This is useful when digging for those Ultra Balls turn one to use Shaymin-EX’s Set Up Ability, or when looking for a Supporter, or Spirit Link, or Mega Turbo, anything really. Trainer’s Mail is a very versatile card and because of its “burnable” nature, it works very well in conjunction with Shaymin-EX.
Though this card is certainly fast and powerful, I am wary of constructing any deck that is too reliant on item cards because of Seismitoad-EX’s omnipresence in the format. To be safe, I would probably just take the hit in speed to throw a few more supporter cards in here to help with the Seismitoad-EX matchup.
Super Scoop Up
In the same vein as Trainer’s Mail, a couple copies of [card name=”Super Scoop Up” set=”Furious Fists” no=”100″ c=”name”] could prove to be very effective in this deck. Super Scoop Up has great synergy with Shaymin-EX, allowing you to scoop him up and play him back down for additional draw power if you are able to land a heads. SSU also acts as a switch and a healing card in a pinch while improving the overall consistency and mobility of the deck. When playing this deck I often feel as though my bench is getting clogged with Shaymin-EX. SSU gives you an out to clear the bench a little bit and make room for other plays.
Virizion
Because Double Dragon Energy provides every type of energy at once, I think it is worth noting that you could throw a [card name=”Virizion-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”9″ c=”name”] in here to protect your M Rayquaza-EXs from status conditions. You wouldn’t use Virizion-EX in most matchups, but it could certainly be useful to have the option of waking your M Rayquaza-EX up from sleep by attaching a Double Dragon Energy. Ultimately I don’t think she’ll be worth it in here, but its certainly something to keep on the drawing board.
My List
All things considered, here is what I believe to be the best way to build M Rayquaza-EX/Reshiram (or Ray Gone Wild) right now. I have decided to spend the five free spaces by adding a Colress, a Mega Turbo, two Hard Charm and a Tool Retriever. I think these additions will give you the best chance of beating Colorless M Rayquaza-EX/Shaymin-EX, which is what I consider to be priority number one at the moment.
[decklist]
[pokemon amt=”14″]
4x [card name=”Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”60″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”61″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Reshiram” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”63″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Hydreigon-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”62″ c=”deck2″]
[/pokemon]
[trainers amt=”33″]
4x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”XY” no=”122″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”92″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”118″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Computer Search” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”137″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”93″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Rayquaza Spirit Link” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”87″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”Mega Turbo” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”86″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Switch” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”91″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”Hard Charm” set=”XY” no=”119″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Tool Retriever” set=”Furious Fists” no=”101″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Scorched Earth” set=”Primal Clash” no=”138″ c=”deck2″]
[/trainers]
[energy amt=”13″]
8x [card name=”Fire Energy” set=”XY” no=”133″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Lightning Energy” set=”XY” no=”135″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”Double Dragon Energy” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”97″ c=”deck2″]
[/energy]
[/decklist]
This list has been running very smoothly for me so I look forward to hearing how it works out for you guys! If you are nervous about skimping on Lysandre’s Trump Card, the second Colress can be removed for it. I added the second Colress because Colress is proving to be the strongest Supporter in the deck. Drawing anywhere from 10-14 cards off a Colress when your opponent is playing Sky Field is absolutely nuts, and its something you’ll want to be taking advantage of regularly. Colress can work miracles next format, and I think having access to it at the right moments is going to be key.
Conclusion
As I have said previously, we are in the fledgling stages of Roaring Skies format. I do not know all of the threats that M Rayquaza-EX/Reshiram will have to contend with going forward, but I am certain that this is one of the best ways to begin your adventure as a Dragon Tamer! I hope you all have enjoyed reading this article as much as I have enjoyed writing it and I hope to be writing again very soon!
If you have any questions or comments or just want to talk and say hi, please do! You can join us in the Subscriber Secret Hideout forum for premium subscribers. I would be more than happy to help in any way that I can. Additionally, I love meeting new people! So if you ever see me at a tournament, please do not hesitate to introduce yourself. But for now, I’m out! Later trainers!
-Andrew Mahone
[/premium]