Back to the Lab Again – Unorthodox Decks for US Nationals!
[cardimg name=”Lysandre’s Trump Card” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”99″ align=”right” height=”200″ c=”custom”]Do you miss me yet?[/cardimg]
Hello again PokeBeach readers. I am so delighted that I get to share some of my thoughts on the weeks leading up to US Nationals. First of all, welcome to our post [card name=”Lysandre’s Trump Card” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”99″ c=”name”] format! The unprecedented move by TPCi to ban the popular (and arguably game-damaging) Supporter has thrown a wrench into everything we thought we knew about the metagame. Some decks remained unchanged, while other decks became obsolete. Some decks held firmly in their place in the metagame, while others saw significant rises or declines in popularity. Once again, resource conservation has become a major facet of the game, and this is a great thing! Gone are the days where we could infinitely reuse any obscenely powerful Trainers like [card name=”Hypnotoxic Laser” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”123″ c=”name”] or [card name=”Crushing Hammer” set=”Emerging Powers” no=”92″ c=”name”].
I don’t want to take this space to discuss the impact of the Trump Card ban. Instead I want to give you an overview of the decks I’m really enjoying in this format. I’ve been in the “lab” for some time, coming up with some unusual concepts. As we draw closer and closer to US Nationals, I hope these lists give you a great starting point on a deck that may not be on everyone’s radar. First, I’ll start by outlining the three decks that I deem the most solid and format defining. Then give you some decks that may be a bit more unusual.
The Meta Decks
Before every new metagame, my friends and I discuss what we think the best decks will be. We usually generate a list of three to five decks to form the core of our early testing. These three to five decks are what we think the metagame will be primarily comprised of, and if we create a new deck that can beat most of these three to five decks, then we know it will probably do well in a tournament. I will outline the three decks we figured out to have used to determine if an unorthodox deck is worth testing further.
Night March
[cardimg name=”Joltik” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”26″ align=”right” height=”180″ c=”custom”]Small and mighty[/cardimg]
When we first started to conceptualize the format, there was a single deck that immediately came to everyone’s mind. It’s speed, consistency, and power could overwhelm every deck in the format and it stood a decent chance against just about everything. It’s main counter card was just banned, and the deck gained a bevy of new tricks with the newest set. That deck is of course: Night March.
Night March is a fantastically powerful deck and executes a strategy with high consistency. It may not necessarily be the “Best Deck in Format,” or BDIF, but it may very well be a format defining deck. Basically what I mean by “format defining” is that if the deck you’re taking to your next tournament can’t beat Night March, you will probably not have a great record come the end of the day. The concept of the deck and the speed of the engine are so strong that players must acknowledge its presence in the metagame and make their deck choice for the day with Night March in mind.
[decklist]
[pokemon amt=”19″]
4x [card name=”Joltik” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”26″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”Pumpkaboo” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”44″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”Lampent” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”42″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Mew-EX” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”120″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”Empoleon” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”29″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″]
[/pokemon]
[trainers amt=”34″]
4x [card name=”Professor Juniper” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”116″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Archie’s Ace in the Hole” set=”Primal Clash” no=”124″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”101″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”Acro Bike” set=”Primal Clash” no=”122″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Escape Rope” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”120″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Computer Search” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”137″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”Dimension Valley” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”93″ c=”deck2″]
[/trainers]
[energy amt=”7″]
4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Base Set” no=”96″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Water Energy” set=”Call of Legends” no=”90″ c=”deck2″]
[/energy]
[/decklist]
This list is fairly standard, and there’s really not much to say about the deck other than what’s already been written on this site! I’ve loved this deck ever since I piloted it to a top 32 placement at St. Louis Regionals and the deck looks to be a true force at all Nationals. The name of the game has always been to discard a combination of [card name=”Joltik” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”26″ c=”name”]s, [card name=”Lampent” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”42″ c=”name”]s, and [card name=”Pumpkaboo” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”44″ c=”name”]s to swing for large amounts of damage, but the new set offers two cards that really take this decks consistency to a new level.
Shaymin-EX and Trainers’ Mail
[card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”name”] and [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”] are both cards I think make this deck a format defining deck in the current metagame. Shaymin-EX makes possible the ability to draw through significant portions of the deck. Because so many Trainers in this deck can be used immediately, Shaymin-EX’s usefulness in a deck like this cannot be understated. There are very few cards that cannot be immediately played, thus Shaymin-EX can often be played to draw five or six cards.
[cardimg name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ align=”left” height=”210″ c=”none”][/cardimg]
Trainers’ Mail is a fantastic option for consistency purposes. I’ve been toying around with the possibility of increasing this card’s count to four because it is just that good. Not only can Trainers’ Mail grab you crucial Items like [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”name”], [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”90″ c=”name”], or [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”name”], the card can also grab Supporters like [card name=”Professor Juniper” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”84″ c=”name”] and our Stadium, [card name=”Dimension Valley” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”93″ c=”name”]. The versatility of this card is incredible and it provides a huge consistency boost when the deck needs to hit a lot of specific Trainers to attack. There are negatives to this card though – sometimes you will be stuck without a Supporter in hand and you won’t reveal one with Trainers’ Mail, but the sheer amount of cards that you can snatch that can increase hand size is vast. For instance, if you play a Trainers’ Mail and find an Ultra Ball in those four cards, you can immediately think about grabbing a Shaymin-EX. Similarly, maybe you have Battle Compressor in hand and reveal [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”name”] with a Trainers’ Mail. Grab the VS Seeker to pick up a Supporter that you will Battle Compressor away. I cannot say enough about how stellar this card is. If you are not at least trying this card out in your Night March builds, you should be!
Other Card Options
Some people don’t think [card name=”Empoleon” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”29″ c=”name”] belongs in this deck, but playing Empoleon gives you such a boost against Fighting decks like [card name=”Donphan” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”72″ c=”name”] and [card name=”Landorus-EX” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”89″ c=”name”] / [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”]. I also do not include a [card name=”Mr. Mime” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”47″ c=”name”] as I would rather use that deck slot on other cards.
Seismitoad / Crobat
[card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”] is still a very strong option, and I’m surprised by how little I’ve seen people playing it on PTCGO. The ability to shut down opponent’s Items is still a great strategy, especially with how many strong Item cards are in the format. The biggest downside to playing Seismitoad-EX is the paltry damage output. Seismitoad-EX maxes at 50 damage and our best damage modifier, [card name=”Hypnotoxic Laser” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”123″ c=”name”], is now limited to four uses thanks to the [card name=”Lysandre’s Trump Card” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”99″ c=”name”] ban. Plenty of people have written about the downfall of Seismitoad-EX and how it’s been the biggest loser of the Lysandre’s Trump Card ban, but I’m here to tell you just how strong Seismitoad-EX can be in this format!
[decklist]
[pokemon amt=”17″]
4x [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”106″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”Golbat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”32″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”Zubat” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”53″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″]
[/pokemon]
[trainers amt=”20″]
4x [card name=”Professor Juniper” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”116″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”N” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”96″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”118″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”110″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”Super Scoop Up” set=”Furious Fists” no=”100″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ 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″]
1x [card name=”Computer Search” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”137″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”Virbank City Gym” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”126″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Silent Lab” set=”Primal Clash” no=”140″ c=”deck2″]
[/trainers]
[energy amt=”7″]
4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Base Set” no=”96″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Water Energy” set=”Call of Legends” no=”90″ c=”deck2″]
[/energy]
[/decklist]
[cardimg name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ align=”right” height=”200″ c=”none”][/cardimg]
I absolutely love this deck. It has fantastic matchups against the field… when it sets up. The unfortunate drawback of this deck is just that. When you can’t get enough [card name=”Zubat” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”53″ c=”name”] out early, you struggle keeping up with the damage output of other decks later on. I often find myself not getting out a Zubat until turn three, which is such a terrible feeling. However, this deck also benefits greatly from [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”], as it allows for much more explosive starts. This is a strong option for me going into US Nationals due to solid all around matchups and the strength of Trainer lock.
Xerosic and Silent Lab
[cardimg name=”Silent Lab” set=”Primal Clash” no=”140″ align=”left” height=”200″ c=”custom”]Oh no! Back to the lab again.[/cardimg]
These are two cards I’ve included in the list that you may not have seen in a [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”] / [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”] list before. [card name=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”110″ c=”name”] is included primarily to help against other Seismitoad-EX decks. Discarding Special Energy is such a huge benefit in this format because of the Trump Card ban – there’s no way to get these Energy back without using something like [card name=”Bunnelby” set=”Primal Clash” no=”121″ c=”name”]’s attack, which is not very efficient. Being able to discard a couple [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”111″ c=”name”] under Item lock can swing the game in your favor, and since the opposing Seismitoad-EX player is limited to four Double Colorless, being able to discard two means they are much more likely to whiff an attack. Xerosic also has the secondary benefit of discarding Pokemon Tools to stop [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Legendary Treasures” no=”68″ c=”name”]’s Garbotoxin Ability. Garbodor may not be a major factor in this format, but because this deck is very reliant on Abilities like [card name=”Golbat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”32″ c=”name”]’s Sneaky Bite and Crobat’s Surprise Bite, we need to make sure that we can make the most of these Abilities.
[card name=”Silent Lab” set=”Primal Clash” no=”140″ c=”name”] is an interesting card. It is extremely strong against decks that run high counts of [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”], and it is best utilized toward the end of the game when an opponent tries to drop Shaymin-EX to replenish their hand after you play [card name=”N” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”96″ c=”name”]. This card is also strong against cards like [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”Legendary Treasures” no=”88″ c=”name”], [card name=”Virizion-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”9″ c=”name”], and [card name=”Keldeo-EX” set=”Legendary Treasures” no=”45″ c=”name”], which all have Abilities that negate the benefits of [card name=”Hypnotoxic Laser” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”123″ c=”name”]. It is true that you’d often like to have [card name=”Virbank City Gym” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”126″ c=”name”] down when playing Hypnotoxic Laser, but the real benefit of Laser is putting your opponent to Sleep and having them miss a turn of attacking. Combine the occasional missed turn due to Sleep and the ability of [card name=”Super Scoop Up” set=”Furious Fists” no=”100″ c=”name”] to negate opponent’s attacks, and you can tank with Seismitoad-EX for quite a while. I’ve thought about increasing this count to two because of how disruptive and useful it can be.
Donphan
[card name=”Donphan” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”72″ c=”name”] is a deck that has stayed the course. It didn’t really gain any new cards from [set name=”Roaring Skies”], and it didn’t lose anything from [card name=”Lysandre’s Trump Card” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”99″ c=”name”] being banned. The attribute I like most about this deck is the hit-and-run strategy. However, Donphan can also hit some huge numbers with it’s second attack, Wreck.
[decklist]
[pokemon amt=”13″]
4x [card name=”Donphan” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”72″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”Phanpy” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”71″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Hawlucha” set=”Furious Fists” no=”63″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Primal Groudon-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”151″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Groudon-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY42″ c=”deck2″]
[/pokemon]
[trainers amt=”36″]
4x [card name=”Professor Juniper” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”116″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”N” set=”Black and White Black Star Promos” no=”BW100″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”Korrina” set=”Furious Fists” no=”95″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”118″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”Robo Substitute” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”102″ 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″]
2x [card name=”Silver Bangle” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”88″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”99″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”94″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Computer Search” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”137″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”Fighting Stadium” set=”Furious Fists” no=”90″ c=”deck2″]
[/trainers]
[energy amt=”11″]
5x [card name=”Fighting Energy” set=”Base Set” no=”97″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”Strong Energy” set=”Furious Fists” no=”104″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Legendary Treasures” no=”113″ c=”deck2″]
[/energy]
[/decklist]
[cardimg name=”Donphan” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”72″ align=”right” height=”200″ c=”custom”]Will I ever stop wrecking the format?[/cardimg]
Donphan has been so consistent, and I’ve tried to maintain the consistency with my current list. This deck has a place in the metagame because of it’s relatively solid Night March matchup (especially if they don’t play [card name=”Empoleon” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”29″ c=”name”]) and solid matchups against the field.
Primal Groudon-EX and Float Stone
I’ve included a 1-1 line of [card name=”Primal Groudon-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”86″ c=”name”] to bolster the [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”] matchup. Notice also that I’ve included a [card name=”Float Stone” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”99″ c=”name”]. The key to setting up Primal Groudon-EX is to grab [card name=”Groudon-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”85″ c=”name”] and Float Stone with a [card name=”Korrina” set=”Furious Fists” no=”95″ c=”name”] on your first turn. Play the Float Stone on the Groudon-EX before the Seismitoad-EX player can get a Quaking Punch. If you do that, they won’t be able to use [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”name”] to strand your Groudon-EX Active before it becomes a Primal Groudon-EX. When using Primal Groudon-EX against Seismitoad-EX you always want to make sure that your Groudon-EX is coming into play when you want it to.
Enhanced Hammer
I choose to run a single copy of [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”94″ c=”name”] because of decks like [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”] and [card name=”Raichu” set=”XY” no=”43″ c=”name”]. Being able to take a Special Energy off an opponent’s powered up, Benched attacker while then Knocking Out your opponent’s Active can make for a huge swing in momentum. Further, I like Enhanced Hammer in this deck specifically because it is easily searchable with [card name=”Korrina” set=”Furious Fists” no=”95″ c=”name”], which makes getting it out when you need to much more likely.
The Unorthodox Plays
Finally, on to the section of this article we’ve all been waiting for! I’m known in my circle of testing partners for throwing out some pretty outlandish ideas to see if they’d work. Most don’t, but some do! Strutting into a tournament with an unorthodox deck that nobody is expecting and then destroying the field is such an awesome feeling.
I want to make a disclaimer: these decks are still in the process of being tested rigorously! We haven’t had much time to figure out this new format and the banning of Trump Card created a lot of headaches for many players. We’re left scrambling to pick up the pieces on a new format. I expect US Nationals to be fairly conservative in terms of the deck choices from players, while I predict the World Championships to be much more wide open with a higher amount of successful rogue decks. Nonetheless, I have been spending much of my remaining time testing these weird ideas, and I feel they are all very powerful and unexpected decks for US Nationals. I feel I have a solid grasp of the three meta decks I’ve already outlined and would feel extremely comfortable walking into Nationals with any of those lists, but where’s the glory in that? Of course, most of us aren’t playing for glory, we’re playing to win! Here’s a few deck lists I’ve been working on in the lab.
[premium]
Latios-EX / Druddigon
Right when [card name=”Latios-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”58″ c=”name”] and [card name=”M Latios-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”59″ c=”name”] scans were released, I concocted a deck revolving around these two and [card name=”Target Whistle” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”106″ c=”name”]. The idea was to use Target Whistle to bring back weak EXs like [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”] or [card name=”Jirachi-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”60″ c=”name”] back from an opponent’s discard multiple times to be sniped by Mega Latios-EX. This deck didn’t turn out quite the way I envisioned, so I scrapped the idea. Fast forward to the actual release of [set name=”Roaring Skies”] where I’m building and testing decks online. I ran across a Latios-EX deck that just obliterated my Night March. This walloping inspired the list below.
[decklist]
[pokemon amt=”18″]
3x [card name=”Latios-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”58″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Druddigon” set=”Flashfire” no=”70″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”Altaria” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”84″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”Swablu” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”73″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″]
[/pokemon]
[trainers amt=”34″]
4x [card name=”Professor Juniper” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”116″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”92″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”118″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ 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=”Hypnotoxic Laser” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”123″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”Switch” set=”Base Set” no=”95″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Escape Rope” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”120″ 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″]
2x [card name=”Virbank City Gym” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”126″ c=”deck2″]
[/trainers]
[energy amt=”8″]
4x [card name=”Double Dragon Energy” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”97″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”Psychic Energy” set=”XY Trainer Kit” no=”9″ c=”deck2″]
[/energy]
[/decklist]
[cardimg name=”Latios-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”101″ align=”right” height=”200″ c=”custom”]Fast and Furious[/cardimg]
Latios-EX and Druddigon
[card name=”Latios-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”58″ c=”name”] is unbelievable against a lot of Basics and can give you the opportunity to end the game extremely quickly. Against Night March, you can donk eight of the Basic Pokemon that they can start with. [card name=”Druddigon” set=”Flashfire” no=”70″ c=”name”] is just a monster attacker that can deal a ton of damage for just a single [card name=”Double Dragon Energy” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”97″ c=”name”]. Druddigon can swing for up to 190 with four [card name=”Altaria” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”84″ c=”name”] and a [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”name”]. At the cost of only a Double Dragon Energy, Druddigon can be a pain for opponents to deal with.
This deck is certainly a lot of fun to play. I love the sheer power of Druddigon. Usually, you want to start with Latios-EX and swing for as much damage as you can until it goes down. From there, you want to follow that up with a string of Druddigon hits until you get your opponent down to one Prize. At that point, it’s time to [card name=”N” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”96″ c=”name”] them and revert back to Latios-EX to finish the job.
Altaria, Muscle Band, Hypnotoxic Laser, and Virbank City Gym
Our attackers are strong in their own right, but they will rarely be swinging for OHKOs by themselves. [card name=”Altaria” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”84″ c=”name”] is a crucial part of the strategy. Because Altaria’s Ability can stack, getting all four into play would mean your Dragons’ damage output would be boosted by an extra 80. Getting plenty of Altaria into play also ensures that [card name=”Druddigon” set=”Flashfire” no=”70″ c=”name”] will swing for high amounts of damage, even if the opponent hasn’t taken a Knock Out on their turn.
[cardimg name=”Altaria” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”84″ align=”right” height=”200″ c=”custom”]When was the last time I made it out of your binder?[/cardimg]
The [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”name”] count is just where I like it. It would be foolish to run less than three and running four would mean cutting something else more valuable. With all the other damage modifiers in the deck, there isn’t too much of a point to running a fourth. Muscle Band is extremely useful to hit for 60 damage with [card name=”Latios-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”58″ c=”name”] (KOs [card name=”Pumpkaboo” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”44″ c=”name”]s and [card name=”Bronzor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”60″ c=”name”]s), as well as getting to 110 base damage with Druddigon (assuming the opponent KO’d one of your Pokemon on the previous turn, Druddigon’s attack with Muscle Band would do 110, or just enough to OHKO a [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”]).
[card name=”Hypnotoxic Laser” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”123″ c=”name”] and [card name=”Virbank City Gym” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”126″ c=”name”] are so strong in a lot of matchups. These cards allow you to reach insane numbers, even as high as 220 with a fully loaded Druddigon and four Altaria on the Bench. They can also further increase the damage done by Latios-EX during the early turns of the game. Latios-EX with a Hypnotoxic Laser / Virbank City Gym combo can hit for as much as 90 damage, which is fantastic against just about anything. I want to play a third Virbank City Gym in here, but there’s just not enough space.
Supporters and Shaymin-EX
We start with the standard four [card name=”Professor Juniper” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”84″ c=”name”]. I decided to drop [card name=”N” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”96″ c=”name”] down to three because it just doesn’t seem to be as useful as it was last format. Now, with [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”] in almost every deck, players can go through their decks at a much faster rate, using up resources quicker and thinning their decks to the point that they’re more likely to get favorable draws off an opponent’s late game N. In other words, because Shaymin-EX allows players access to more of their deck on any given turn, players can use more of their early game resources sooner, such as [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”93″ c=”name”] and [card name=”Computer Search” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”137″ c=”name”] and save their late game resources, like Energy and Supporters, for later.
[card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”118″ c=”name”] is an outstanding Supporter in this format, primarily because of Shaymin-EX. Quite often I find myself chaining multiple Shaymin-EX in the early stages of the game and being able to play Colress for five on my first turn. With Shaymin-EX giving players significantly more draw power, starting with Colress as your lone Supporter is no longer a terrible draw.
Three [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”name”] is amazing in this deck. You’ll always want to take the cheap KO’s when you can. Whether it’s a first turn KO on a Benched [card name=”Zubat” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”53″ c=”name”] or a game ending OHKO on a Shaymin-EX, Lysandre is so important to this deck. You can try two, but I’ve had great results with three.
[cardimg name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”104″ align=”right” height=”200″ c=”custom”]Yep, I’m still evil[/cardimg]
Three [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”] felt right to me. It allows you to prize one and still have enough draw in the early stages of the game to get out attackers and enough [card name=”Altaria” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”84″ c=”name”]. In my first build of this deck, I used [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”name”] instead of [card name=”Virbank City Gym” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”126″ c=”name”] and played four Shaymin-EX. While this was awesome for draw, I always had three or four easy Lysandre targets for my opponent, as well as missing out on the benefits of playing [card name=”Hypnotoxic Laser” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”123″ c=”name”] and Virbank City Gym. I decided to cut the fourth [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”] and the Sky Fields to give the deck a bit more firepower.
Energy Count
This is the part of the deck that I’ve gone back and forth for a while. Eight total Energy is somewhat low and you can be fairly susceptible to [card name=”Crushing Hammer” set=”Emerging Powers” no=”92″ c=”name”] and [card name=”Crawdaunt” set=”Primal Clash” no=”92″ c=”name”]. I used to include two [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Base Set” no=”96″ c=”name”] to give me more Energy outs to fulfill [card name=”Druddigon” set=”Flashfire” no=”70″ c=”name”]’s attack requirement, as well as allowing me to attack with [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”]. Attacking with Shaymin-EX can be beneficial for three reasons:
- Get your Shaymin-EX out of the Active without having to retreat
- Scoops up Shaymin-EX so you can reuse it’s power
- Conserve Energy when you are running low on resources
Ultimately, I just didn’t find myself with room for Double Colorless Energy. A copy would definitely be my 61st card, and who knows, maybe one or two will find their way into my list as I modify it over time.
Matchups
Night March – Favorable
Night March is always a scary deck to face. But just as they can have quick starts, you can have quicker starts! [card name=”Latios-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”58″ c=”name”] threatens the Night March player because of it’s ability to attack on the first turn of the game. I have donked plenty of [card name=”Pumpkaboo” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”44″ c=”name”]s and [card name=”Joltik” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”26″ c=”name”]s because of their measly HP. Even if they do start with two Pokemon and you can’t Bench them out, following the attacking strategy of Latios-EX, [card name=”Druddigon” set=”Flashfire” no=”70″ c=”name”], Druddigon, Druddigon, Latios-EX is usually enough to win the matchup. Generally, they will play two [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”] down, which are easy targets. Combine that with the fact that they are likely to attack with a [card name=”Mew-EX” set=”Legendary Treasures” no=”RC24″ c=”name”] and all of a sudden, you have three EXs on the board that are easily in OHKO range. Try hard not to Bench too many Shaymin-EX to limit their KO options to what you allow them to take down. This matchup can get out of hand at times, but the strength of Druddigon carries you through.
Seismitoad / Crobat – Even
If you aren’t able to donk a [card name=”Zubat” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”53″ c=”name”], you could be in for a long match. Try as hard as you can to get three [card name=”Swablu” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”73″ c=”name”] on the field as early as possible so they are ready to evolve by your second turn. Of course, this is much easier said than done, and your opponent will be trying to do the exact same thing, but with Zubats. If you can get enough [card name=”Altaria” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”84″ c=”name”] up and running, the one Energy attackers can pose a real problem for [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”] centered decks. I’ve considered including two [card name=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”110″ c=”name”] just for this matchup, so if you’re struggling with Seismitoad-EX, consider this tech.
Donphan – Slightly Unfavorable
This is the matchup where [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”name”] is extremely important. Again, try hard to gain good board position early by OHKOing [card name=”Phanpy” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”71″ c=”name”]s and [card name=”Hawlucha” set=”Furious Fists” no=”63″ c=”name”]s. Often, [card name=”Donphan” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”72″ c=”name”] will hit you once and then hide behind a [card name=”Robo Substitute” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”102″ c=”name”]. This strategy doesn’t activate [card name=”Druddigon” set=”Flashfire” no=”70″ c=”name”]’s extra damage and it makes KO’ing their Benched Donphans difficult. As much as you can, target Donphans because as soon as they run out of those, Hawlucha won’t threaten your non-EX Pokemon. Still, the matchup is usually swung in their favor because of the finishing strength of Wreck, as well as their lack of Pokemon-EX forcing you to take six KOs.
Bronzong / Rayquaza
[cardimg name=”Bronzong” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY21″ align=”right” height=”170″ c=”custom”]Linking up with Rayquaza-EX[/cardimg]
[card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”] is a powerful card. With a [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”name”] in play and a full Bench, Rayquaza can hit some pretty outlandish numbers. If you were testing at all before the [card name=”Lysandre’s Trump Card” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”99″ c=”name”] ban, you’d know just how silly it was to be able to go through your deck multiple times with [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”] to set up multiple Rayquaza-EX. Now that we don’t have access to Lysandre’s Trump Card, Rayquaza-EX needs a more stable way to keep up with other decks. In comes [card name=”Bronzong” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”61″ c=”name”]. Bronzong allows for the deck to stream Rayquaza-EX a lot easier. Before the Trump Card ban, one could discard the primary Energy accelerator, [card name=”Mega Turbo” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”86″ c=”name”], early on if they could use it. There were no consequences to wasting resources because you could get them back later with Lysandre’s Trump Card. Now, we need a more stable and reusable form of Energy acceleration. Bronzong fits these criteria extremely well.
[decklist]
[pokemon amt=”21″]
3x [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”75″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Bronzong” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”61″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Bronzor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”60″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”Keldeo-EX” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”49″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Aegislash-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”65″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Cobalion-EX” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”93″ c=”deck2″]
[/pokemon]
[trainers amt=”31″]
3x [card name=”Professor Juniper” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”116″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”118″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”92″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”AZ” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”91″ 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″]
3x [card name=”Rayquaza Spirit Link” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”87″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”99″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ 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=”Base Set” no=”96″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”Metal Energy” set=”XY” no=”139″ c=”deck2″]
[/energy]
[/decklist]
Pokemon
Four [card name=”Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”75″ c=”name”] are a necessity. You might be tempted to drop down to three, but you want the maximum number because of how important it is as an attacker. In addition, it is important to get down multiple Rayquaza-EX so that you always have one on the Bench when you have a [card name=”Rayquaza Spirit Link” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”87″ c=”name”] in hand.
Four [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”] is a no-brainer in a deck like this. You want a speedy set up as well as maintaining a full Bench throughout the game. Shaymin-EX can also be a decent attacker for when you come up just short with a [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”] attack. Conserving [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”111″ c=”name”] is crucial, so sometimes attacking with Shaymin-EX and promoting an [card name=”Aegislash-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”65″ c=”name”] can be a strong play.
A 3-3 line of [card name=”Bronzong” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”61″ c=”name”] is fine. The deck is more reliant on Double Colorless Energy to get attacks off, but Bronzong helps stream attackers. Having one in play at any time is fine to achieve this goal.
[card name=”Keldeo-EX” set=”Legendary Treasures” no=”45″ c=”name”] helps us accelerate Energy to what we want. By attaching a [card name=”Float Stone” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”99″ c=”name”] to Keldeo-EX, we can Rush In, use Bronzong’s Ability to accelerate an Energy to the attacker we are setting up (preferably a [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”]), then retreat to said attacker.
[cardimg name=”Aegislash-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”65″ align=”right” height=”200″ c=”custom”]Can’t touch me![/cardimg]
[card name=”Cobalion-EX” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”93″ c=”name”] and [card name=”Aegislash-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”65″ c=”name”] are the deck’s ancillary attackers. They do very different things depending on the matchup. Cobalion-EX is all but useless except against any deck whose primary attacker is [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”]. Against Seismitoad-EX decks, it is important to go for Cobalion-EX as early as possible to start discarding their Double Colorless Energy. Aegislash-EX is the deck’s counter to cards like [card name=”Raichu” set=”XY” no=”43″ c=”name”]. Raichu is one of the format’s heaviest hitter and it will usually fulfill its Energy requirement with a Double Colorless Energy. Since Aegislash-EX can’t be attacked by Pokemon that have Special Energy attached, Aegislash-EX can usually take a few KOs against Raichu decks. Aegislash-EX is also decent against decks like [card name=”Donphan” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”72″ c=”name”] and Night March, though it can be played around if they attack with basic Energy.
Supporters
Again, three [card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”118″ c=”name”] is fantastic for a deck like this. You’re usually able to chain [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”] drops early in the game and your Bench can fill quickly. Late game, you can draw as much as 16 off a Colress, which is outstanding.
One [card name=”AZ” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”91″ c=”name”] is a tech card that I’ve really liked. AZ is great to reuse Shaymin-EXs, clear a damaged Pokemon from your board, remove a Pokemon stuck active, or reuse [card name=”Bronzong” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”61″ c=”name”]’s Ability – assuming you have a second Benched [card name=”Bronzor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”60″ c=”name”]. I love cards that have this much utility. I mainly use AZ to heal a [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”] that has taken serious damage and, at five total uses with [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”name”], we can deny opponents Prizes multiple times.
Battle Compressor and Computer Search
[card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”name”] would be my first cut if you were looking for something to take out, but it can be incredible if drawn at the right time. If you draw it early game, you can dump Metal Energy to your discard. It also combos well with [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”name”]. Have VS Seeker in hand and need to grab [card name=”AZ” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”91″ c=”name”] to heal that [card name=”Aegislash-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”65″ c=”name”] with 160 damage on it? Use Battle Compressor to discard AZ and grab it back with VS Seeker. In short, Battle Compressor gives us better access to Supporters. During the late game, Battle Compressor is invaluable to thin your deck of unnecessary cards.
[card name=”Computer Search” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”137″ c=”name”] is the only ACE SPEC that I would consider for this deck. The ability to grab [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”111″ c=”name”] is too strong. You could argue for [card name=”Dowsing Machine” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”128″ c=”name”], but I just don’t see it being as effective as Computer Search. As a general rule, I opt for proactive cards instead of reactionary cards. Computer Search can be played at any time to grab any resource in the deck, whereas Dowsing Machine is limited to Items, Supporters, and Stadiums from the discard.
Energy
Maxing out at four [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”111″ c=”name”] is standard. It is a crucial card to get off early attacks. Four Metal seems low initially, but as we can reuse these Energy with [card name=”Bronzong” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”61″ c=”name”], we don’t need more. This is definitely the bare minimum of Energy I would run for a deck like this, but I felt other cards were more important.
Matchups
Night March – Unfavorable
[cardimg name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ align=”right” height=”200″ c=”custom”]No match for the mighty Joltik[/cardimg]
Night March’s speed can run this deck out of the building. Night March can easily KO even [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”] with a [card name=”Joltik” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”26″ c=”name”]. Ideally, you are able to take KOs on their [card name=”Mew-EX” set=”Legendary Treasures” no=”RC24″ c=”name”]s and [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”]s. Using [card name=”Bronzong” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”61″ c=”name”] to take Knock Outs on non-EXs can also help to mitigate the unfavorable Prize trade. Additionally, keep careful count of how many Night Marchers your opponent has discarded. A decent strategy is to target down their Benched Night Marchers if they make the mistake of discarding too many. You have to run fairly hot while the opponent has to run fairly poorly, but the matchup can be won.
Seismitoad / Crobat – Favorable
This matchup depends on who can get the more explosive start. With four [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”], you’re primed to have a better turn one. Use your draw power to get out two [card name=”Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”75″ c=”name”] with Spirit Links and at least one Energy on either, preferably Metal so it can’t be [card name=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”110″ c=”name”]’d away. It is also extremely beneficial to get a [card name=”Keldeo-EX” set=”Legendary Treasures” no=”45″ c=”name”] with a [card name=”Float Stone” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”99″ c=”name”] on the board to mitigate [card name=”Hypnotoxic Laser” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”123″ c=”name”] Poison damage. A secondary strategy can be to go for a [card name=”Cobalion-EX” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”93″ c=”name”] and discard their [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”111″ c=”name”], giving you turns where you’re able to use Items. [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”] can sweep up a couple of Seismitoad-EX with ease, and the biggest worry is getting [card name=”N” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”96″ c=”name”]’d to unusable resources late game.
Donphan – Favorable
This is a great matchup for the deck. Between [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”]’s Resistance to Fighting, and [card name=”AZ” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”91″ c=”name”] to scoop up damaged Pokemon, you can win this matchup with ease. Try to get off to as explosive a start as possible, but try to save your [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”name”]s and [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”name”]s for when you’re able to take KOs on Benched [card name=”Donphan” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”72″ c=”name”]s. [card name=”Aegislash-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”65″ c=”name”] can be a very effective attacker if you’re able to get three Metal onto it, since it’s Ability prevents it from being damaged by Donphan or [card name=”Hawlucha” set=”Furious Fists” no=”63″ c=”name”] that have [card name=”Strong Energy” set=”Furious Fists” no=”104″ c=”name”] attached.
Bunnelby
I can’t wait to show you this deck, as it is one of my favorite unorthodox plays in this format. I haven’t had enough time to perfect my list, but of the 30 some games I’ve played with the deck, my loses were due primarily to donks, so it has some potential. When set up, this deck is as formidable as any deck in the format. I love the crazy antics you can pull off. While I may not have enough time to perfect this deck by US Nationals, it is one of my top choices for decks to test heading into the World Championship.
[decklist]
[pokemon amt=”10″]
4x [card name=”Bunnelby” set=”Primal Clash” no=”121″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”Munna” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”68″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Milotic” set=”Primal Clash” no=”44″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Feebas” set=”Flashfire” no=”22″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Virizion-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”9″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″]
[/pokemon]
[trainers amt=”44″]
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=”Noble Victories” no=”92″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”Team Flare Grunt” set=”XY” no=”129″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”110″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”AZ” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”91″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”Trick Shovel” set=”Flashfire” no=”98″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”Bicycle” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”117″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”Crushing Hammer” set=”Emerging Powers” no=”92″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”94″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”Robo Substitute” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”102″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”99″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Repeat Ball” set=”Primal Clash” no=”136″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Startling Megaphone” set=”Flashfire” no=”97″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Sacred Ash” set=”Flashfire” no=”96″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Life Dew” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”107″ c=”deck2″]
[/trainers]
[energy amt=”6″]
4x [card name=”Grass Energy” set=”Base Set” no=”99″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Base Set” no=”96″ c=”deck2″]
[/energy]
[/decklist]
Pokemon
First off, I’ll introduce the star of the deck: [card name=”Bunnelby” set=”Primal Clash” no=”121″ c=”name”]. Bunnelby’s first attack is the focus of the entire deck and combined with it’s Omega Barrage, you can discard up to two cards from the opponent’s deck. Our main objective is to discard so many cards from our opponent’s deck that they have no more to draw going into their turn, and thus lose the game by deck out. I have used Bunnelby’s second attack to retrieve resources such as fellow Bunnelby and Energy cards, but this attack takes a backseat to it’s first attack.
[cardimg name=”Bunnelby” set=”Primal Clash” no=”121″ align=”left” height=”200″ c=”custom”]Shouldn’t have sold me in bulk![/cardimg]
[card name=”Munna” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”68″ c=”name”] and [card name=”Virizion-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”9″ c=”name”] combo to create a frustrating combo. Munna allows us to put the opponent’s Pokemon to Sleep if we hit heads on it’s Ability, with the drawback of putting our Active Pokemon to sleep if a tails is flipped. To alleviate the negative effects of Munna’s Ability, we play Virizion-EX and Grass Energy. When a Grass Energy is attached to the (hopefully) Active Bunnelby, we can activate Munna’s Ability without fear of putting ourselves to Sleep! Successful execution of this strategy can blow games wide open as opponents are stuck with no way to attack. They also have to make the decision to dig further into their deck to find a [card name=”Switch” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”91″ c=”name”] or [card name=”Escape Rope” set=”Primal Clash” no=”127″ c=”name”], or let their Active Pokemon stay asleep for a turn. I’ve considered bumping the Virizion-EX count to two to give less of a chance to Prize them, but I’m keeping it at one for space concerns.
I’ve included a thin [card name=”Milotic” set=”Primal Clash” no=”44″ c=”name”] line to get back any card that we may want to use over again. Often, my primary target of Milotic’s Sparkling Ripples Ability is our ACE SPEC, [card name=”Life Dew” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”107″ c=”name”], but it is also useful to get back Supporters, Energy, or Bunnelby. Overall, I have been underwhelmed with Milotic thus far – in further testing, it may be the first cards cut from the list. On the other hand, I may not have a thick enough line – there is the chance that Milotic is not as effective as it could be because I do not play enough [card name=”Feebas” set=”Flashfire” no=”22″ c=”name”] and Milotic to get them into play consistently.
[cardimg name=”Milotic” set=”Primal Clash” no=”44″ align=”right” height=”200″ c=”custom”]The most beautiful Pokemon[/cardimg]
[card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”] seems like an odd inclusion, but I love the consistency it brings. Shaymin-EX is fantastic draw for any deck and turns [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”93″ c=”name”]s into another out for fresh cards. I play two [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Base Set” no=”96″ c=”name”] and an [card name=”AZ” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”91″ c=”name”] to scoop Shaymin-EX off the field once I’ve used it so it doesn’t remain a two-Prize liability on the Bench.
Supporters
Four [card name=”Professor Juniper” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”116″ c=”name”] is a must in this deck. You don’t value resources too much and are constantly playing down what you need. You must dig through your deck to get out the ideal board state: [card name=”Bunnelby” set=”Primal Clash” no=”121″ c=”name”] Active with Grass attached, and a Bench consisting of two Bunnelby, two [card name=”Munna” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”68″ c=”name”], and a [card name=”Virizion-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”9″ c=”name”]. I love [card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”118″ c=”name”] in this deck as well, as you’ll often draw a ton of cards.
[card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”92″ c=”name”] is both strong and weak, if that is possible. In certain situations, such as late in the game, N can deny your opponent the resources they need to get KOs. In the early game, N may help your opponent refresh their hand without having to use a Supporter of their own to dig through their deck.
[card name=”AZ” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”91″ c=”name”] is a clutch Supporter for removing Pokemon-EX from your field or picking up a Pokemon stranded Active. I most often use AZ during the mid to late game to pick up a [card name=”Milotic” set=”Primal Clash” no=”44″ c=”name”] to reuse it’s Ability next turn. This card is not necessary by any means, but it is a very nice option to have.
[card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”name”] is a card that I wish I could fit more of into the list. Ultimately, there are better disruption Supporters, such as [card name=”Team Flare Grunt” set=”XY” no=”129″ c=”name”] and [card name=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”110″ c=”name”], which can discard our opponent’s Energy. You will often be using draw Supporters to refresh your hand. I often use Lysandre once or twice late in the game when I’ve already run my opponent out of Energy and switching options to bring a useless Pokemon Active.
Energy Discarders
Four [card name=”Crushing Hammer” set=”Emerging Powers” no=”92″ c=”name”] is completely necessary. We want to make it as difficult as possible for our opponents to attack and KO our [card name=”Bunnelby” set=”Primal Clash” no=”121″ c=”name”]. Crushing Hammer is such a strong card if you flip heads, and we want as many opportunities to flip heads as possible. Two [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”94″ c=”name”] is also just the right number. We can discard Special Energies with [card name=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”110″ c=”name”] as well, so we do not need to play four Enhanced Hammer.
[card name=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”110″ c=”name”] is fantastic for discarding Energy from [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”], which is generally powered up using [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”111″ c=”name”]. Xerosic also has the utility of getting rid of Tools on the opponent’s Pokemon. This is fantastic for getting rid of a [card name=”Float Stone” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”99″ c=”name”] on an opponent’s [card name=”Keldeo-EX” set=”Legendary Treasures” no=”45″ c=”name”], or removing a [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”name”] from Virizion-EX so that they are forced to 2HKO Bunnelby. [card name=”Team Flare Grunt” set=”XY” no=”129″ c=”name”] has less utility, but also serves many of the same purposes. Sometimes, our opponent’s attackers will be loaded with only basic Energy, and Team Flare Grunt can help us slow them down.
Robo Substitute and Life Dew
In order to make this deck as effective as possible, we must make sure we can survive as many turns as it takes to discard our opponent’s deck. [card name=”Robo Substitute” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”102″ c=”name”] is a neat little card that we can use to hide behind if our board isn’t completely set up. Sometimes you are not able to get a [card name=”Bunnelby” set=”Primal Clash” no=”121″ c=”name”] into play on the next turn and need one extra turn to get it out. Sometimes, our board is underdeveloped, but we have our last Energy discarding Supporter in hand as well as a [card name=”Professor Juniper” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”116″ c=”name”]. In order to make the most of our last Energy discarding Supporter, we need to use it now and save the Juniper for the following turn. Promoting Robo Subsititute can give that extra turn that we need to execute this maneuver.
[cardimg name=”Life Dew” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”107″ align=”right” height=”200″ c=”custom”]Taking a Prize? Think again![/cardimg]
Another useful thing about Robo Substitute is it doesn’t care about being affected by Special Conditions. Sometimes, if I have a [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”111″ c=”name”] attached to my Bunnelby and cannot afford for it to Sleep during my turn, I’ll promote a Robo Substitute while activating [card name=”Munna” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”68″ c=”name”]’s Ability. Doing this allow me to use Munna’s Ability without worrying about the result of the flip because I can just discard the Robo Substitute no matter what happens.
[card name=”Life Dew” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”107″ c=”name”] is my ACE SPEC of choice. It makes it so our opponent may have to go through four, five, or even six Bunnelby. You can make an argument for [card name=”Computer Search” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”137″ c=”name”] or [card name=”Dowsing Machine” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”128″ c=”name”], but I feel as though Life Dew fits with the goal of the deck more than either of those two.
Energy
Oh how I wish I could have more Energy! [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”111″ c=”name”] is fantastic for attacking with [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”106″ c=”name”] to get it off the field, and also works well to retreat Munna. Of course, Grass Energy is necessary to activate [card name=”Virizion-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”9″ c=”name”]’s Ability. Six is the lowest I would go with Energy, even though you can recycle them with Bunnelby’s second attack, as well as with [card name=”Milotic” set=”Primal Clash” no=”44″ c=”name”].
Matchups
Night March – Favorable
They must mill themselves in order to attack. Additionally, the standard list only plays seven total Energy, so once you discard those with [card name=”Bunnelby” set=”Primal Clash” no=”121″ c=”name”]’s attack, a Hammer, or a Supporter, you should be in the clear. Be wary of [card name=”Mew-EX” set=”Legendary Treasures” no=”RC24″ c=”name”] copying your Bunnelby’s attacks for no Energy, especially Rototiller to recover resources! However, you should be keeping them Asleep on average of every third turn. The game can get out of hand if they get too strong of a start, but after your board stabilizes, the game slowly shifts further in your favor.
Seismitoad / Crobat – Favorable
[card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”] decks are fairly good matchups for [card name=”Bunnelby” set=”Primal Clash” no=”121″ c=”name”]. They generally need a [card name=”Hypnotoxic Laser” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”123″ c=”name”], a [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”name”], and a [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”111″ c=”name”] to get OHKOs. This matchup can turn sour if they are able to get too much early pressure via Hypnotoxic Laser and Virbank, or if they can get enough [card name=”Zubat” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”53″ c=”name”]s and [card name=”Golbat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”32″ c=”name”]s on the first half dozen turns. Try to set up [card name=”Munna” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”68″ c=”name”]s early as well as saving your Energy discarding Supporters to get rid of Double Colorless Energy. You must play smart to win, but this is a better matchup for the deck.
Donphan – Unfavorable
[card name=”Donphan” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”72″ c=”name”] doesn’t need too many resources to start attacking. If they’re smart and start with a [card name=”Korrina” set=”Furious Fists” no=”95″ c=”name”], they’ll get out a [card name=”Phanpy” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”71″ c=”name”] and [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”110″ c=”name”]. Next turn, they’ll VS Seeker for Korrina and grab Donphan and [card name=”Robo Substitute” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”102″ c=”name”]. Assuming they have an Energy, they’re pretty much set to wipe your board clean. Donphan can easily OHKO [card name=”Bunnelby” set=”Primal Clash” no=”121″ c=”name”]s because of Bunnelby’s Weakness to Fighting. They will try to Spinning Turn into Robo Substitutes which can’t be affected by Special Conditions, and thus can be discarded at the beginning of their turn. Hope you flip enough heads on [card name=”Crushing Hammer” set=”Emerging Powers” no=”92″ c=”name”]!
Conclusion
Whew, that was a ton of information! As you start narrowing down your deck choices for US Nationals, I hope this article has inspired you to think about our format in a new way. If you happen to be settled in on a few lists you really like, consider getting back into the lab and testing something that may be a bit more unorthodox. You may surprise yourself!
As always, leave detailed comments for me. I love to hear praise and criticism from you guys to know what I’m doing right and what I need to improve on. Further, please say hi to me at US Nationals! I’ll be heading in on Wednesday morning. During the tournament, I’ll likely be wearing an orange and white hat, so please say hello!
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