Roaring Skies Cram Session!
Hey ‘Beach readers, I’m so thrilled to be writing my second article for you! It’s been nothing but a blast working at PokeBeach and I’m so grateful and excited to make it my new permanent home! So with that said, let’s get down to it!
Roaring Skies will make its competitive debut in one week. That happened quickly, didn’t it? Many of us are still recovering from (or participating in) [set name=”Boundaries Crossed”] – [set name=”Double Crisis”] Regional and National Championships, and yet we need to figure out an entirely new format… in one week. Whether you’ve been spending the last few weeks working the nine-five, traveling to Regional Championships, studying for final examinations, hitting the gym, or going to prom, now is the time to focus on conquering the format ahead!
Fortunately, as your Roaring Skies cram session host, I am very experienced with last minute studying. I have spent many nights burning the midnight oil studying for Art History exams, writing papers, and putting the finishing touches on art projects. One time I even ended up in the emergency room after chopping through my thumbnail with a paper cutter while spending the entire night printing and mounting photographs. Procrastination is just something that comes naturally to me, always has. Can’t explain it really. All I know is, if something needs to get done, it’s probably getting done with no time to spare. To make things a little easier for us heading into the final week of Roaring Skies preparations, I have compiled a thorough study guide for everything [set name=”Boundaries Crossed”] – [set name=”Roaring Skies”] along with some tournament performance tips I have picked up over the past few years. In the article you will find all the most important deck lists, card breakdowns, and matchups to come out of Roaring Skies. I have included anything and everything you will need to end up at the top of the class!
And of course, don’t forget to subscribe to our article program! Even I’ve learned a surprising number of tips and strategies from my fellow writer’s articles, and my list of accomplishments goes on and on! It’s impossible not to improve your game no matter who you are or what your level of experience is, especially if you’re a player who is trying to break into the competitive scene. Not only will we post lengthy premium articles every week, but we’ll also fix your decks, advise you, and help you out in our Subscriber’s Hideout forum. You could be improving your game right now, as many others have already realized by subscribing and asking for help. The PokeBeach article writers and I are obsessed people who spend all our time and money playing this game every day, literally losing hours of sleep to make ourselves better. You couldn’t be in more experienced hands. We’ve been where you are and we know how to bring your game to that next level, but we’ll be making it so much easier for you and pushing you further than you could have ever gone on your own. Not only will we help you one-on-one, but we’ll be writing about our extensive deck testing, tournament experiences, and all the other knowledge and tips we’ve learned over the years, saving you a bunch of time and money so you don’t have to go through all the trouble. What better way to improve your game than get such direct and structured advice? The program also has a 30 day money back guarantee, so there’s no risk to you! So why not try it out? You’ll love it and wonder why you didn’t subscribe earlier.
Acing the Test
Something I have learned throughout my years in school is that it does not matter how much you study if you cannot perform on exam day. As a track and field athlete, it didn’t matter how much I trained if I didn’t have the mental toughness and determination to succeed when the gun went off. Similarly, it doesn’t matter how much you playtest if you can’t pilot your deck to near perfection during competition. Before we get going on which decks to consider in a [set name=”Roaring Skies”] format, I am going to review a few techniques I have discovered that will help you play at the top of your game, especially during a grueling Regional or National competition.
Poker Face and the Etiquette of a Competitor
There is always more to the game than the cards themselves. You bring so much more to the table than your 60 pieces of cardboard. As a competitive TCG player, understanding your own presence and how it can affect your opponent and your opponent’s decisions is crucial to turning out wins. As emotional, exciting, and frustrating as a game of Pokemon Cards can be, you never want to let your opponent know what’s going on in your head with gestures or facial expressions. This may seem rudimentary, but it is a tactic that I see very few players employ on a regular basis. Keeping a good “Poker Face” in Pokemon extends far beyond keeping an unreadable expression while you play. It also pertains to the way you interact with your opponent vocally, the way you compose yourself as a competitor, and the time it takes you to make plays themselves.
The first step in making the correct plays during your own turn is paying attention to what your opponent does during their turn. I am a huge advocate of placing your hand on the table while your opponent plays. If you don’t already do this, I highly suggest trying it out during your next tournament. Focusing on everything your opponent does, their cards, their plays, their expressions, what they discard, can give you better insight into what they are working with and what to expect in the upcoming turns. Placing too much thought into your own hand can cause you to get ahead of yourself, resulting in misplays. You want to take everything your opponent does into consideration when planning your own route to victory, so why construct your game plan when there are a number of unknown factors taking place during your opponent’s turn? You haven’t even drawn your card for your turn yet! Take a deep breath and put your hand down. You have plenty of time to figure out how to play your cards during your own turn.
I was playing [card name=”Landorus-EX” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”89″ c=”name”] / [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”] at a City Championship earlier this year and was paired against a [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”] / [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”] deck. During one of my few opening turns, I was considering whether or not to bench a Landorus-EX. I would not be attacking with the Landorus this turn and I had no [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”name”] to attach to it, so naturally, I was a little concerned about suffering a [card name=”Head Ringer” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”97″ c=”name”] attachment during my opponent’s next turn. I hadn’t seen much of my opponent’s deck yet and I didn’t even know if he played any copies of the card. I had my Landorus halfway down on the table, flicking it back and forth as I thought about whether or not to play him down. Since I had allowed my opponent to see the card, I was pretty committed and ready to play at this point. My opponent had his hand down on the table, but right as I was about to play my Landorus, he picked his hand up and checked it for something. Noticing this, I decided not to bench my Landorus and attacked with my active [card name=”Hawlucha” set=”Furious Fists” no=”63″ c=”name”]. Sure enough, my opponent Juniper’d away a copy of Head Ringer during his following turn. Although this is just a small example, I think it speaks to the larger truth of how even the smallest lack of composure can lend a sizable advantage to your opponent.
Let’s Go to Game Two
Knowing when to scoop is a big deal in a 50 minute best-of-three format. By this time, many of us know all too well that it is very difficult to finish three complete games of Pokemon in 50 minutes. Even though this is the case, I still prefer 50 minutes best-of-three to single round Swiss any day. Best-of-three rewards players that are consistent, quick to execute, and aware of how to use time to their advantage.
When you open against your opponent in game one, you should begin to make a judgement as to how you believe the matchup will play out in regards to time. Is your opponent a slower player? Is this a positive matchup for you? Is this a matchup that will take a long time to resolve? All of these things should be crossing your mind as formulate your path to victory. When you sit down to play the Pokemon TCG at a Regional or National Championship, you are not just trying to figure out how to win the game in front of you, you are trying to figure out how to complete a best-of-three series with the best possible outcome for yourself.
Of course the ideal scenario is that you win two games straight and have plenty of time to go to the bathroom, make some trades, and check out the vendor’s table before moving onto the next match. But that doesn’t always happen! There are a number of fun scenarios you can run into during a best-of-three competition, and it behooves you to have a solid idea of how to handle them when they occur. Let’s look at some examples.
Say you notice you are playing against a slower player and you are playing what you consider to be a positive matchup. It may be difficult for you to scoop game one even if you are losing. After all, you’re playing a good matchup! You should be able to win two games straight no problem! But there is no sense in trying to wade through one game that is going poorly, especially if your opponent is not playing quickly and the matchup is typically favorable. Trust your deck and move to game two. If you realize that things are going downhill within the first few turns, you will still have a little over 40 minutes to complete two games. Completing two games in 40 minutes isn’t difficult at all. But say you drag this glacial game one out to 25 minutes while attempting to mount a comeback and end up losing. It was so close! Doesn’t matter. Unless you can complete two games in the remaining 25 minutes, you have now thrown away your chance of winning a best-of-three series to a positive matchup.
[cardimg name=”Slowpoke” set=”Neo Genesis” no=”73″ align=”left” height=”300″ c=”custom”][/cardimg]
On the other side of the coin here, it is important to realize when a tie is your most realistic and favorable outcome in a series, and to play for it. Save your booing and hissing though, because I’m not talking about slow playing. Slow playing your opponent is against the Spirit of the Game and will result in a penalty. There is a huge difference between playing for a tie and slow playing. Let me explain. Say you have the misfortune of being paired against an unfavorable matchup. You make some very heads-up plays and are able to steal a victory from your opponent during your first game which takes about 20 minutes. You now have two minutes to shuffle up and prepare for game two. By the time you guys are set up and ready to go, you now have 28 minutes plus three turns to complete the series. Knowing that this is a bad matchup for you, you should have no intention of allowing your opponent the opportunity to win two more games in the remaining 28 minutes. If your first game took 20 minutes, all you have to do is take a deep breath and play game two at the same pace you played game one. Do not scoop. You have no business scooping here and giving your opponent a better chance at being able to win the series. Play the entire game two out until the final Prize is taken. If you are going to win this series, you’re going to have to 2-0 your opponent. Otherwise, allowing the match to result in a tie is the way to go. If your opponent wins game two in roughly 20 minutes, you have two minutes to shuffle up for game three and then six minutes plus three turns to complete the series, which will most likely end in a tie. This is the situation that I see played out the most often in tournaments, and it relates directly into the fallacy I mentioned above. If you are playing a positive matchup, scoop game one if it is not going well. Do not allow a good matchup to end in a tie because of stubbornness and poor draws early on! In this situation, it is the combination of you refusing to scoop game two and your opponent refusing to scoop game one that results in things ending in a tie. But for you, turning a bad matchup into a tie is one of the best case scenarios. Knowing how to play on both sides of this issue, both offensively and defensively, will make you a more strategic and threatening player to sit across from come tournament time.
In addition to this, scooping games can help maintain morale and momentum in a series when things are going bad. Pokemon is almost as much a head game as it is a card game. If you are able to win the first game in a series, you are in control of that match. You have two more chances and presumably about 30 minutes to figure out how to chalk up another win. The opponent is in your hands. If you don’t like the way game two is starting out, you don’t need to let your opponent revel in their own success. Scoop and go to game three! Let them know whether you will be choosing to play first or second during the final round and start shuffling up. Give yourself plenty of time to play an ideal final game where your opponent will not have the opportunity to stall you to time even if they wanted to. Never underestimate the power of confidence and composure in a game of Pokemon!
Learning when to scoop and when not to scoop during a 50 minute best-of-three series is an exercise in good judgement and will become easier the more you practice it. The most important thing to realize is that odds are, if it comes down to it, you and your opponent will not complete three full games of Pokemon in 50 minutes. Scooping and avoiding scooping at the appropriate times can help convert losses to ties and ties to wins when done correctly. Always take time into consideration at bigger tournaments! It could absolutely make the difference between a top cut finish and bubbling out.
Roaring Skies: The Guide
Though Roaring Skies has rocked the format with the introduction of many cards that are easily recognized as powerful, a few of our favorite decks from Boundaries Crossed – Double Crisis make the transition to Roaring Skies very well. Before I get into new deck archetypes, I’ll also discuss which old format decks you should keep sleeved up and testing in the week to come.
Seismitoad-EX / Slurpuff
[cardimg name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ align=”left” height=”320″ c=”custom”]Still Punching![/cardimg]
I wish I could tell you this card had gone away and is no longer relevant. I wish I could tell you that the Nationals and Worlds format will be totally free from this ugly blue Item-locking menace. Just imagine a world where Trainers are free to play their Item cards as they please! A world where games aren’t decided on whether or not I wake up from a [card name=”Hypnotoxic Laser” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”123″ c=”name”] flip! Well that world isn’t this world friends. And if you want to be successful in summer months, you’ll need to have an answer to [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”].
Seismitoad-EX gains a few tricks in Roaring Skies, but it’s not the new cards that make Seismitoad-EX the monster he is next format. It’s his position in the metagame. Major threats to Seismitoad-EX include [card name=”Virizion-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”9″ c=”name”] / [card name=”Genesect-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”11″ c=”name”] and [card name=”Exeggutor” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”5″ c=”name”]. Unfortunately for our green friends, both Grass decks become less viable with the release of Roaring Skies. Exeggutor’s infamous Supporter-lock breaks down because of [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”]’s Ability to draw cards without using a Supporter and Virizion / Genesect loses considerable traction because it is outclassed by the faster OHKO decks that feature M Rayquaza-EX. Combine this with the fact that Seismitoad-EX now has a very popular 110HP Bench-sitting EX to prey on, and we have ourselves one happy Toad.
There are multiple ways to build a formidable Seismitoad-EX deck, however, I think the strongest iteration heading into Roaring Skies’ debut is Seismitoad / [card name=”Slurpuff” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”69″ c=”name”]. Here’s its deck list, and then I’ll go over everything you need to know about it and the other top decks of the Roaring Skies format. Are you ready to put yourself ahead of other players and improve your game right here and right now?
[premium]
[decklist]
[pokemon amt=”14″]
4x [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”106″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”Swirlix” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”68″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”Slurpuff” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”69″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Jirachi-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”98″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″]
[/pokemon]
[trainers amt=”42″]
4x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”XY” no=”122″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”N” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”96″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”118″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Lysandre’s Trump Card” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”99″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”110″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”93″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”Crushing Hammer” set=”Kalos Starter Set” no=”34″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”Hypnotoxic Laser” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”123″ 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″]
2x [card name=”Head Ringer” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”97″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”99″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Computer Search” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”137″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Virbank City Gym” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”126″ c=”deck2″]
[/trainers]
[energy amt=”4″]
4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”111″ c=”deck2″]
[/energy]
[/decklist]
Seismitoad / Slurpuff is notorious for its high velocity disruption and consistency. Few other decks are capable of churning through two playsets of Crushing Hammers and Hypnotoxic Lasers a game. Not only that, decks are playing even fewer Supporter cards than ever in favor of Item-based consistency cards like [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”name”], [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”name”], [card name=”Acro Bike” set=”Primal Clash” no=”122″ c=”name”] and [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”93″ c=”name”] / Shaymin-EX / [card name=”Jirachi-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”60″ c=”name”], giving the Toad’s Item lock even more potency than before. The list provided above can topple most decks that cross its path, but there are a few other options for Toad / Puff worth mentioning. In a Toad-heavy format, Item cards like [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”name”] and [card name=”Super Scoop Up” set=”Furious Fists” no=”100″ c=”name”] can be cut for Supporter-based disruption and healing like [card name=”Pokémon Center Lady” set=”Flashfire” no=”93″ c=”name”], [card name=”AZ” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”91″ c=”name”] or another [card name=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”110″ c=”name”]. [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Primal Clash” no=”162″ c=”name”] is also on the drawing board, but I think that four [card name=”Crushing Hammer” set=”Emerging Powers” no=”92″ c=”name”] and a copy of Xerosic disrupt the opponent’s Energy attachments adequately. Trainers’ Mail is another interesting option for Toad / Puff, allowing players to dig four cards deeper into their decks to find valuable Item cards. I don’t think Trainers’ Mail is necessary though, because Toad / Puff already finds disruption cards consistently enough with [card name=”Slurpuff” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”69″ c=”name”]’s Tasting Ability. I’d rather spend those extra spots on disruptive Supporters or Items themselves. There is only one card in this list from the new set, which of course is our one copy of Shaymin-EX. Shaymin-EX in combination with Ultra Ball and [card name=”Super Scoop Up” set=”Furious Fists” no=”100″ c=”name”] allows the toad player to have more explosive turn one plays, boosting the consistency with which this deck hits a turn one [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Next Destinies” no=”92″ c=”name”] / [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”name”] / [card name=”Hypnotoxic Laser” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”123″ c=”name”] combination.
Strengths
As mentioned above, Seismitoad is perfectly poised for takeover heading into the Roaring Skies format. Neither of the powerful M Rayquaza-EX decks can withstand Toad / Puff’s onslaught of Lasers and Hammers administered under Item lock unless they are able to pile a significant amount of Energy onto an attacker turn one and hang on for dear life. Toad / Puff also boasts great math against the popular Shaymin-EX. With a [card name=”Virbank City Gym” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”126″ c=”name”] in play, the Seismitoad player can Lysandre a Shaymin active, play a Hypnotoxic Laser and Quaking Punch for 50 damage with a Muscle Band equipped, resulting in 80 damage after Poison is resolved between turns. If the opponent is unable to counter the Virbank City Gym or retreat the Shaymin-EX, Shaymin will fall to Poison damage while passing back to the Seismitoad player’s turn. This allows the Toad player to Quaking Punch a new target during their next turn and deny the opponent a turn of attacking all together. Additionally, Seismitoad boasts great matchups vs. popular non-EX threats such as Night March and [card name=”Donphan” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”72″ c=”name”] by means of denying Energy and access to valuable Items while healing off accumulated damage with Super Scoop Ups.
Weaknesses
Seismitoad-EX’s weaknesses are few and far between. What’s bad about turn one Item lock, Energy denial, and Poison and Sleep? Nothing really. Most often, Seismitoad’s biggest issue tends to be other Seismitoad. A Seismitoad deck that plays 27 Item cards like the one above will struggle significantly against a Seismitoad deck that has opted to play more copies of disruptive Supporter cards like AZ, Pokemon Center Lady, and Xerosic. The list provided will also suffer poor matchups vs. Seismitoad decks that feature [card name=”Crawdaunt” set=”Primal Clash” no=”92″ c=”name”] as a means of Energy denial or [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”] as a means of supplemental damage. But when taking the whole picture into consideration, I think the list provided boasts the best overall matchups vs. the largely uncharted sea ahead.
Aside from other Toads, Seismitoad / Slurpuff needs to watch out for decks constructed around [card name=”Primal Groudon-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”86″ c=”name”]. Groudon’s Barrier Trait prevents all effects of opponent’s Trainer cards on Primal Groudon, making him an absolute terror to deal with as a Toad player. Fairy Box decks also cope with Seismitoad well. A Fairy Box player can Quaking Punch with their own Seismitoad-EX while setting up [card name=”Aromatisse” set=”XY” no=”93″ c=”name”] before eventually sweeping with a [card name=”Trevenant-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”19″ c=”name”] that has a few [card name=”Rainbow Energy” set=”XY” no=”131″ c=”name”] attached. [card name=”Keldeo-EX” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”49″ c=”name”] in combination with [card name=”Fairy Garden” set=”XY” no=”117″ c=”name”] also allows the Fairy player to keep their Pokemon clear of Special Conditions throughout the match.
Fairy Box
[cardimg name=”Aromatisse” set=”XY” no=”93″ align=”right” height=”175″ c=”custom”]Fairly Good![/cardimg]
[card name=”Aromatisse” set=”XY” no=”93″ c=”from”] is a card with a lot of potential heading into Roaring Skies even though Fairies as an archetype has seen mixed success this year. At its peak, Fairies was able to claim second place at the European Challenge Cup, lead Brit Pybas to an undefeated Swiss record at the St. Louis Regional Championship, claimed three States victories and, most recently, navigated my friend Alex Hill to a Regional win in Ontario during an Expanded format top 8 playoff. At its worst, Fairies is a so-so Tier 3 deck that few take seriously and ever fewer would consider a major threat when constructing their own deck for a tournament. At first, I was quick to write off Fairies as a dead archetype with the release of Roaring Skies. How could a slower deck that needs to tank hits survive with the introduction of two speedy OHKO decks? Maybe Fairies won’t be resilient enough to take down M Rayquaza-EX, but it does bode well vs. almost everything else which earns it a prominent spot on my list of decks to look out for.
[decklist]
[pokemon amt=”17″]
3x [card name=”Aromatisse” set=”XY” no=”93″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Spritzee” set=”XY” no=”92″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”Xerneas” set=”XY” no=”96″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”106″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”Aegislash-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”65″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Trevenant-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”145″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Keldeo-EX” set=”Legendary Treasures” no=”45″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Malamar-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”58″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”23″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Suicune” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”20″ c=”deck2″]
[/pokemon]
[trainers amt=”32″]
4x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”XY” no=”122″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”N” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”96″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Pokémon Fan Club” set=”Flashfire” no=”94″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”118″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Lysandre’s Trump Card” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”99″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”AZ” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”91″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Max Potion” set=”Emerging Powers” no=”94″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”93″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Computer Search” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”137″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”Fairy Garden” set=”XY” no=”117″ c=”deck2″]
[/trainers]
[energy amt=”11″]
7x [card name=”Fairy Energy” set=”XY” no=”140″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”Rainbow Energy” set=”XY” no=”131″ c=”deck2″]
[/energy]
[/decklist]
This list is largely inspired by Michael Slutsky’s Wisconsin State Championship-winning Fairy Box list, except with the inclusion of [card name=”Aegislash-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”65″ c=”name”] and [card name=”Suicune” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”20″ c=”name”] as alternative attackers. Now that there are multiple viable decks capable of taking down a clean Mega EX in one go, Fairies need to employ an alternative strategy for tanking hits, or in this case, preventing them altogether with Suicune and Aegislash’s Safeguard and Mighty Shield Abilities respectively. The best thing about a Fairy Box deck is that it can be altered to deal with different threats accordingly. The deck can be very difficult to predict and play against as there is no established standard for constructing a Fairy Box deck. By definition, the deck could include anything that can attack with Fairy and Rainbow Energy!
Strengths
Flexibility is Fairy Box’s greatest asset. This list is able to block attacks with Suicune and Aegislash-EX, clear Special Conditions with Keldeo-EX, Item lock with Seismitoad-EX, and induce Sleep with [card name=”Malamar-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”58″ c=”name”]. Its roster boasts attackers that can hit popular Pokemon such as Seismitoad-EX, Landorus-EX, both M Rayquaza-EX, Groudon-EX, Yveltal-EX and Gardevoir-EX for Weakness. All the while, this Fairy Box deck depends very little on the use of Item cards to be successful, making it fully capable of functioning under Seismitoad or [card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”name”]’s Item lock. Fairy Box is your deck! You can make it do anything you want, and that’s what makes it so powerful. Aegislash is also a very strong card right now. Popular attackers such as [card name=”Raichu” set=”XY” no=”43″ c=”name”], both M Rayquaza-EX, Night Marchers, Seismitoad-EX, [card name=”M Latios-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”59″ c=”name”], and [card name=”Flareon” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”12″ c=”name”] all lean on Special Energy to attack. Many decks don’t currently have the resources to chew through two Aegislash-EX, especially if most damage short of a OHKO is being healed off with [card name=”Max Potion” set=”Emerging Powers” no=”94″ c=”name”] and Poison is being negated by Keldeo-EX.
Weaknesses
Everyone already knows, Fairies is one of the slowest decks around. There’s nothing fast about using Geomancy or sitting behind a Suicune while you manually attach Energy, especially when other decks are using Shaymin-EX to Set Up faster than ever. Fairies can get run off the board before it gets to do much of anything, making for some pretty lopsided matches. Both Rayquaza decks can cause this deck headaches if they are able to load basic Energies onto their attackers to take down Aegislash early. Fairies also struggles with Ability-lockers such as [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”54″ c=”name”] and [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”36″ c=”name”]. I don’t expect Garbodor to see much play next week at Regionals, however, since he is a slower and clunkier option than Wobbuffet. Many players will be looking for ways to stop their opponents from using Shaymin-EX to set up. Starting Wobbuffet can be very strong vs. decks that rely on Shaymin-EX to get going, so expect to see quite a few in the upcoming weeks.
Ray Gone Wild
Just in case you missed it, I wrote a detailed article on the Dragon M Rayquaza-EX deck two weeks ago. This deck remains one of my favorites heading into Roaring Skies’ competitive debut. It is incredibly powerful, capable of blasting off repeated Dragon Ascents for 300 damage with [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”61″ c=”name”] starting as early as turn two, but it’s also relatively versatile when compared to its Colorless brother. [card name=”Hydreigon-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”62″ c=”name”] gives this deck much needed mobility in a format with Seismitoad-EX and Hypnotoxic Laser, and [card name=”Reshiram” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”63″ c=”name”] provides low maintenance Energy acceleration as well as a non-EX attacking option. In the past couple weeks of testing, I have made a few adjustments to my list while gaining a better understanding of its place in the projected metagame.
[decklist]
[pokemon amt=”14″]
4x [card name=”Reshiram” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”63″ c=”deck2″]
3x [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=”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 Juniper” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”116″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”118″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”N” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”96″ 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″]
1x [card name=”Computer Search” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”137″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ c=”deck2″]
4x [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=”Hard Charm” set=”XY” no=”119″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Tool Retriever” set=”Furious Fists” no=”101″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Switch” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”91″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”Scorched Earth” set=”Primal Clash” no=”138″ c=”deck2″]
[/trainers]
[energy amt=”13″]
8x [card name=”Fire Energy” set=”Base Set” no=”98″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Lightning Energy” set=”Base Set” no=”100″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”Double Dragon Energy” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”97″ c=”deck2″]
[/energy]
[/decklist]
[cardimg name=”Lysandre’s Trump Card” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”99″ align=”left” height=”200″ c=”custom”]Am I a staple yet?[/cardimg]
First you will notice that I have switched the [card name=”Reshiram” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”63″ c=”name”] count to four while dropping the [card name=”Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”60″ c=”name”] count to three. Initially I figured that four copies of Rayquaza-EX would be ideal since attaching an Energy to the dragon turn one is essential to the deck’s game plan. In practice however, I found that I was missing the Reshiram start too often and sometimes not able to accelerate with Reshiram until later in the game. Switching the counts has smoothed out my starts without compromising consistency. You’ll also see that I bumped the [card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”118″ c=”name”] count to three and added a [card name=”Lysandre’s Trump Card” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”99″ c=”name”]. Colress is proving to be a cornerstone of this deck. I was even testing four copies of the Poke-scientist for a period of time. With the introduction of Shaymin-EX, Benches are filling up quicker than ever making high counts of Colress less risky early in the game. I have also found that a high Colress count is essential to trudging through Item lock. Many decks are skimping on Supporters in favor of Item-based draw in tandem with Shaymin-EX. In order to have a chance vs. Seismitoad-EX, an increased Supporter count is absolutely necessary. [card name=”N” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”96″ c=”name”] simply does not draw enough cards to sustain this deck once it has taken down a Pokemon-EX, and Colress becomes even more impressive if the opponent happens to play [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”name”]. The more I tested this deck vs. non-EX decks, the more I realized that Trump Card is a must. Since M Rayquaza-EX is so resilient and difficult to take down, one of the best strategies vs non-EX decks is to attempt to Dragon Ascent about five to six times before your opponent can clear three of your Pokemon-EX off the board. Trump Card allows you to keep the resources necessary to attack in the deck and circulating so you can continue using Dragon Ascent to your heart’s content.
Strengths
This deck is the epitome of raw power. It can destroy almost anything in its path very quickly. Reshiram is a wonderful card to set up behind, providing protection for M Rayquaza-EX as well as Energy acceleration. The synergy between the Dragon-type Pokemon in Roaring Skies is very potent and will surely see success sometime in the future. M Rayquaza-EX’s Trait, ∆ Wild, combined with his massive 230HP makes M Rayquaza-EX a tough card for most decks to take down. Combine this with [card name=”Hard Charm” set=”XY” no=”119″ c=”name”] and you have one heck of a tank on your hands.
Weaknesses
Although this deck is more versatile than its Colorless counterpart, it still struggles with similar things. [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”36″ c=”name”], [card name=”Silent Lab” set=”Primal Clash” no=”140″ c=”name”], Item lock, [card name=”Robo Substitute” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”102″ c=”name”], Crushing Hammers, and Hypnotoxic Lasers can all cause this deck fits. Playing only one copy of Lysandre means that this deck will have a difficult time accessing the Bench as well. If your opponent is hiding behind any sort of wall, it may take multiple turns for you to find your Lysandre to bring up whatever threat your opponent has on the Bench. Although this deck can get going without the use of Abilities, all the flow is gone. Sitting behind a Wobuffett with an Ultra Ball / Shaymin-EX in hand with no Supporter cards is extremely frustrating. Crushing Hammers and Enhanced Hammers are particularly effective against this deck as well. No one on this deck’s roster is low maintenance, which could very well end up being the fatal flaw of this deck in the weeks to come.
Colorless M Rayquaza-EX
And here we have a deck that needs absolutely no introduction, Colorless [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”]. This deck has impressed many with its astonishing ability to churn out huge turn one attacks with a hefty 220HP Mega Pokemon-EX. Weighing in at whopping 25 Item cards and only six Supporters, this list ushers in a new kind of Item / Ability based consistency this game has not seen in quite some time. PokeBeach writer Ben Sauk wrote an excellent analysis of this deck for the front page last week in case you missed it. Our lists vary slightly, but the essence of the deck is the same.
[decklist]
[pokemon amt=”17″]
4x [card name=”Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”75″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Exeggcute” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”4″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Swablu” set=”Legendary Treasures” no=”103″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Altaria” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”74″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Virizion-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”9″ c=”deck2″]
[/pokemon]
[trainers amt=”35″]
2x [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=”N” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”96″ 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=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ c=”deck2″]
4x [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=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Acro Bike” set=”Primal Clash” no=”122″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Super Scoop Up” set=”Furious Fists” no=”100″ 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=”8″]
4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Next Destinies” no=”92″ c=”name”]
4x [card name=”Grass Energy” set=”Base Set” no=”99″ c=”name”]
[/energy]
[/decklist]
This deck is in a weird place, I’ll come right out and say it. Without being countered directly, this deck could easily mow through Swiss rounds and Emerald Break its way to the top of many tournaments. But too many players are savvy to this archetype’s power. One night on Pokemon Trading Card Game Online is enough to let you know that people are building all sorts of decks with the goal of stopping M Rayquaza-EX / Shaymin-EX in its tracks. I’ve constructed my list, not necessarily attempting to dodge the hate that M Rayquaza-EX may face, but instead, by taking what the deck does and doing it best. When Colorless M Rayquaza-EX faces off against a Seismitoad-EX, or a Trevenant, or someone playing Silent Lab, the deck may only get one turn to set up before most of the deck is rendered useless because of Item or Ability lock. For that reason, I’ve built my list to set up fast and consistently with the help of cards like Acro Bike and Trainers’ Mail. The idea is to get a turn one or two Emerald Break and hold on for the ride.
Strengths
This deck is blazing fast and hard hitting. With [card name=”Altaria” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”74″ c=”name”] set up, very few Pokemon will be able to keep up with the OHKO exchanges this deck will produce. Because of its ability to crank out huge damage on the first turn of the game, this is one of the few decks that can actually consider going second as a serious option as well. With its sheer aggressiveness, Colorless M Rayquaza-EX has a chance to run any deck off the table before they even know what hit them.
Weaknesses
This deck, more than any deck leading into the premiere of Roaring Skies, has a huge target on its back. I fully expect most players will show up to week three Regional Championships packing an answer to these guys, meaning that piloting M Rayquaza-EX in the week to come is most likely going to be an uphill battle. I have already mentioned that this deck finds it incredibly hard to maintain power under Item lock. Even with a turn one OHKO on a Seismitoad-EX going second, all the Seismitoad-EX player has to do is hit a Crushing Hammer while using Quaking Punch to wreak total havoc on this deck. Once your first turn is over, if you have not set up your board completely, there is almost no chance for a win vs. a Seismitoad / Slurpuff deck. After all, this list only plays four draw Supporters total, so once the Item lock is in place, there will be very minimal drawing going on. Welcome to top deck city, friends!
[cardimg name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”36″ align=”right” height=”280″ c=”custom”]Not your friend[/cardimg]
In addition to Item lock, M Rayquaza-EX also struggles against Ability-lockers like Wobbuffet, [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Legendary Treasures” no=”68″ c=”name”], and [card name=”Silent Lab” set=”Primal Clash” no=”140″ c=”name”]. If your opponent opens a Wobbuffet, you better hope you have one of your four draw Supporters in hand, or else you’re going to have a bad time.
And finally, anything that prevents OHKOs with Emerald Break is very effective against Colorless M Rayquaza-EX. Be it Aegislash’s Mighty Shield or Sigyliph’s Safeguard or a Fighting Pokemon equipped with [card name=”Focus Sash” set=”Furious Fists” no=”91″ c=”name”], M Rayquaza-EX doesn’t like any trickery, and more than likely will not handle the situation well. Focus Sash is particularly effective against the deck, preventing OHKOs on anything from [card name=”Hawlucha” set=”Furious Fists” no=”63″ c=”name”] to Primal Groudon-EX!
Though there are a lot of options for completing your Colorless M Rayquaza deck, there is actually very little space when all is said and done. This deck needs a lot of maintenance to keep it running at full capacity, and too many techs will defeat the point of this deck by slowing it down. I have chosen to run Altaria and Virizion-EX as my tech options for this list as I felt like they were least invasive to the strategy at hand. However, there are quite a few other options available for this deck which I think Ben spelled out nicely in his article last week!
Raichu / Leafeon
[cardimg name=”Raichu” set=”XY” no=”43″ align=”left” height=”250″ c=”custom”]Raichu’s circle just got a lot bigger![/cardimg]
[card name=”Raichu” set=”XY” no=”43″ c=”from”] is a loaded card with lots of potential heading into the Roaring Skies format. I knew Raichu would be powerful with the release of [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”name”], which boosts Circle Circuit’s potential damage output to 160 damage before damage modifiers, but I did not anticipate the number of ways in which Raichu would see play. In the few weeks I have spent testing this format, I have seen the Electric mouse paired with [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”], [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”], both [card name=”Ninetales” set=”Primal Clash” no=”21″ c=”from”] and [card name=”Ninetales” set=”Black and White Black Star Promos” no=”BW66″ c=”from”], [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”], [card name=”Leafeon” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”11″ c=”name”], [card name=”Deoxys-EX” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”53″ c=”name”], [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”54″ c=”name”], and [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”36″ c=”name”]. Raichu’s excellent typing vs. Colorless M Rayquaza, compatibility with [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”111″ c=”name”], high damage output, and low maintenance make him a versatile card to be reckoned with next format. In Japan, a variety of Raichu decks have already seen success at the top tables during the 2015 Rayquaza Mega Battle Tournaments. In those tournaments, Seismitoad-EX and Colorless M Rayquaza-EX decks were very popular, allowing Raichu to prevail as a heads-up meta call. Projecting lots of Seismitoad-EX, Colorless M Rayquaza-EX, and Ability-stoppers like Wobbuffet, I expect Raichu decks to see a lot of success during the third week of Spring Regional Championships.
[decklist]
[pokemon amt=”21″]
4x [card name=”Pikachu” set=”XY” no=”42″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”Raichu” set=”XY” no=”43″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”Eevee” set=”Furious Fists” no=”80″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Leafeon” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”11″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”Deoxys-EX” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”53″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Virizion-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”9″ c=”deck2″]
[/pokemon]
[trainers amt=”30″]
4x [card name=”Professor Juniper” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”116″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”118″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”N” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”96″ c=”deck2″]
2x [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=”Silver Bangle” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”88″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Switch” set=”Base Set” no=”95″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Computer Search” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”137″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”deck2″]
[/trainers]
[energy amt=”10″]
6x [card name=”Grass Energy” set=”Base Set” no=”99″ c=”name”]
4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”111″ c=”name”]
[/energy]
[/decklist]
Of the ways I have seen Raichu played so far, my favorite is Raichu / Leafeon. The deck has excellent type coverage vs. popular threats such as Colorless M Rayquaza-EX, Seismitoad-EX, and Primal Groudon-EX. Additionally, both Raichu and Leafeon are able to hit for one Energy attachment, making the deck very low maintenance and resilient to things such as Item lock and Crushing Hammer. In my time playing Landorus-EX / Crobat, I experienced first hand the value of piloting a deck that is consistent, hard hitting and low maintenance. I highly recommend it.
Strengths
With one Deoxys in play, a Leafeon with a [card name=”Silver Bangle” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”88″ c=”name”] equipped is able to hit a fully loaded Primal Groudon-EX with Energy Crush for a OHKO. Against a Seismitoad-EX with only a DCE attached, a Leafeon with one Deoxys in play and no Silver Bangle will hit the Seismitoad for 100 damage, or a two-hit KO. Leafeon also boasts a nice Resistance to Water-type Pokemon, meaning that with a Grass Energy attached and a Virizion-EX in play, Seismitoad will only be able to hit Leafeon for 30 damage max, or a four-hit KO. Raichu, of course, hits the much hyped M Rayquaza-EX for a OHKO after Weakness without [card name=”Altaria” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”74″ c=”name”] in play. If you are worried about Altaria or other Pokemon with Abilities, I have also seen a successful version of Raichu paired with Wobbuffet and Garbodor that might be worth trying.
Weaknesses
Raichu / Leafeon is a meta call deck and performs well against the cards it is intended to take down. If you show up to the tournament expecting Colorless M Rayquaza-EX and Seismitoad-EX with your Raichu deck, but instead face Landorus / Crobat, Gardevoir, and Metal, you are probably going to have a bad time. Raichu / Leafeon’s scope is relatively narrow, but I think that its consistent, hard hitting, and low maintenance nature make it a deck worth selecting for a long tournament like Regionals. Another one of my biggest issues with this deck is mobility. Raichu is a free retreater, which is a huge asset for any deck, but with only three Switch cards and a plethora of Bench-sitting Pokemon-EX targets, I worry about them being Lysandre’d up and Quaking Punch-locked Active by Seismitoad-EX decks.
Conclusion
Hey there! You still awake? You still there? Roaring Skies is legal in one week! Now get going! Off with you! Armed with your wits and the information in this guide, go forth and conquer the format ahead! The decks I have provided here outline what I consider to be the basic foundation of the Roaring Skies format. But as I have said before, a good deck builder should always be open to new ideas and inspirations as they present themselves. A common trend in the decks I have provided is that many of them rely on Shaymin-EX and various Abilities to function at full capacity. I suspect that many of the top players in week three of Spring Regionals will employ cards like Wobbuffet, Garbodor, Trevenant and Seismitoad in an attempt to stomp out decks that resemble the decks I have built here. So keep that in mind! Shaymin-EX, though an incredibly powerful card, has a huge target on its back right now, so tread carefully. If you can create a deck that has positive matchups vs. the five decks I have provided in this guide, you will be heading into the Roaring Skies format on the best foot possible.
I hope you enjoyed the read, ‘Beach goers! Thank you for joining me during this study session. If you liked the article or have any questions about the things that I have written, please join me for discussion in the PokeBeach Secret Hideout (or below)! I’ll be happy to talk with you! Later, Trainers!
-Andrew Mahone[/premium]