Four Ways to Utilize Crobat for US Nationals!
What’s up guys? Chris Collins from the ‘Beach here! This is my first article on the front page, so allow me introduce myself. I currently live in Utah 20 minutes away from Salt Lake City Regionals. I’m a first year Master who started playing on a competitive level late into the 2013 season.
Even though my blood is very young to this game, I do feel very qualified to write for all of you today. I hate to toot my own horn, but to show my credibility, I feel it’s necessary. This year alone, I was able to win, top 2, and top 4 the three States I went to this year, and win three Cities in a row. This let me qualify for the World Championships and I’ve had my invitation for quite a while now. My track record this season is so identical to mine last year, it’s scary.
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Anyways, let’s get to the part of the article you came here for: [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”from”].
[cardimg name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ align=”left” height=”250″ c=”custom”]He DOES Bite![/cardimg]
What Makes Crobat Tick?
With the recent banning of [card name=”Lysandre’s Trump Card” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”99″ c=”name”], decks such as Night March, [card name=”Raichu” set=”XY” no=”43″ c=”name”], and other decks that rely on low HP Pokemon have been seeing more play. This makes [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”] and its preceding form, [card name=”Golbat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”32″ c=”name”], more powerful going into Nationals, as it can pick up a lot of easy Prizes on these Pokemon, and just be another damage applicator (because who doesn’t like more damage?). Decks such as [card name=”Donphan” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”72″ c=”name”] have also been receiving quite a bit of hype going into Nationals. Against Donphan, you can just simply snipe their attackers on the Bench with Surprise Bite, Sneaky Bite, and even Skill Dive. Crobat is an amazing Pokemon to attack with since you can slowly but surely snipe their Bench consecutively while they’ll be lucky to three-shot your Crobat due to it being a non-EX Pokemon and having Fighting Resistance. This strategy becomes even better if you run cards such as [card name=”AZ” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”117″ c=”name”] or [card name=”Super Scoop Up” set=”Expedition” no=”151″ c=”name”] to heal Crobat!
As an added bonus, Crobat, Golbat, and [card name=”Zubat” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”53″ c=”name”] (technically) all have free retreat. This is amazing considering that after one of your Pokemon gets Knocked Out, you can send up one of these, and retreat to who you really want to be Active later in the turn. These also make for some of your deck’s best starters.
To sweeten the deal even further, Crobat and Golbat both attack for one Colorless Energy, which is extremely versatile and able fit for any deck. These attacks do snipe the Bench themselves, so you can just hide behind a Golbat or a Crobat in a pinch and hit the target you want. This article will go in depth on all of my favorite variants of Mr. “Too Many Teeth” himself. Many variants of Crobat have seen success themselves, including some of the ones I will show you in this article.
With Crobat’s versatility in partners and its sniping powers to seal KOs, the question to ask is: how deep will Crobat’s fangs go into the competition and which variants will go the farthest?
Latios / Crobat
[cardimg name=”Latios-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”101″ align=”right” height=”250″ c=”custom”]What’s a donk?[/cardimg]
What better way to start off the article than with the “fastest” of the bunch? As I mentioned earlier in the article, decks such as Night March, [card name=”Raichu” set=”XY” no=”43″ c=”name”], and other decks that rely on low HP Pokemon have been seeing more play. No deck takes more advantage of this than [card name=”Latios-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”101″ c=”name”] / [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”].
Donk decks have been a force in the past (looking at you [card name=”Sableye” set=”Stormfront” no=”48″ c=”name”]), but this deck has an unsung advantage over other donk decks of the past. That is because the current format isn’t expecting such sorcery, what with you not being able to attack on the first turn of the game. As you may already know, Fast Raid bypasses this rule, making donks suddenly possible again. Even though this deck has an ability to donk, you surely can’t rely on just donking to take you deep into a tournament such as Nationals, especially with so many Pokemon-EX lurking about. This deck can easily perform without donking, since you have cards such as [card name=”M Latios-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”102″ c=”name”] and Crobat to support your mid to late game.
In theory, this deck seems extremely strong and can perform admirably under the clock. The trick is to make it consistent. Here’s a crack at a list I’d bring to Nationals if I were to play the deck:
[decklist]
[pokemon amt=”19″]
3x [card name=”M Latios-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”102″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Latios-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”101″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Latios-EX” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”113″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Golbat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”32″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”Zubat” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”53″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”106″ c=”deck2″]
[/pokemon]
[trainers amt=”32″]
4x [card name=”Professor Juniper” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”116″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”101″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”135″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”AZ” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”117″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”104″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”110″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”122″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Target Whistle” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”106″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Latios Spirit Link” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”85″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Sacred Ash” set=”Flashfire” no=”96″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Computer Search” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”137″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”deck2″]
[/trainers]
[energy amt=”9″]
5x [card name=”Psychic Energy” set=”Call of Legends” no=”92″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”Double Dragon Energy” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”97″ c=”deck2″]
[/energy]
[/decklist]
I haven’t tested this deck much myself, so this list isn’t perfected, but this is a great starting point for your own [card name=”Latios-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”101″ c=”name”] / [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”] deck!
4-3-2 Crobat Line
Most lists you see usually run a 4-4-3, 4-3-3, or even a 4-4-4 [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”] line. The reason I decided on a pyramid line was because of Andrew Jackson (Finalist at Seattle Regionals). He himself ran a 4-3-2 line of Crobat in his [card name=”Landorus-EX” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”89″ c=”name”] / Crobat deck. To quote him, he says, “my ideal Bench isn’t two [card name=”Golbat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”32″ c=”name”] and a Crobat, it’s a [card name=”Zubat” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”53″ c=”name”], Golbat, and a Crobat. So that way, when I [card name=”AZ” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”117″ c=”name”] or [card name=”Super Scoop Up” set=”Neo Genesis” no=”98″ c=”name”] a Crobat, I can play the entire line back down again.” I have full confidence this was a major contributing factor to his success at Seattle Regionals. Having this unseen consistency over his opponents was able to let him grind out his games and come out on top in a best-of-three.
I feel this message should be portrayed in most Crobat decks with a large amount of “Scoop Up” cards. Not only does this give you an idea of what your ideal boards would be with this deck, but it can also save you space in your lists. You’ll see this as a recurring line in the article as I feel it maximizes consistency, especially with access to “Scoop Up” cards.
[cardimg name=”Target Whistle” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”106″ align=”left” height=”250″ c=”custom”]SALE: Three Shaymins for the price of one![/cardimg]
3 Target Whistle
This is definitely the outlier card in the list, but this is the main strategy of the deck. Having access to an attack such as Sonic Ace makes cards like [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”106″ c=”name”] easy prey. The strategy behind this is that you can Knock Out the same Shaymin-EX time after time. It’s especially useful when you can’t get the OHKO on a Pokemon-EX with Crobats.
[card name=”Target Whistle” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”106″ c=”name”] also helps a ton in the already good Night March matchup. You can retrieve [card name=”Joltik” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”26″ c=”name”] or [card name=”Pumpkaboo” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”44″ c=”name”], reducing the damage done by Night March. This makes it extremely hard for the Night March player to OHKO [card name=”Latios-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”101″ c=”name”], let alone a [card name=”M Latios-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”102″ c=”name”].
[cardimg name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ align=”right” height=”250″ c=”custom”]Used for THEIR Bench[/cardimg]
2 Sky Field
Even though [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”name”] is a great card, it seems like there isn’t much use for it here. Usually, I would agree, but there is an interesting mechanic behind this. A strategy that has been seen to counter [card name=”Target Whistle” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”106″ c=”name”] is to fill your Bench so they can’t play the card. Sky Field seems like the perfect answer to this. By playing your own Sky Field, you are able to expand the size of not just your Bench, but your opponent’s Bench. This opens up Bench space and lets you play Target Whistle as if it didn’t matter.
Sky Field also makes for a great counter Stadium. Since there aren’t any Stadiums [card name=”Latios-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”101″ c=”name”] itself directly benefits from, this gives you a good option to pop that [card name=”Virbank City Gym” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”126″ c=”name”] or [card name=”Fighting Stadium” set=”Furious Fists” no=”90″ c=”name”] you’d rather not have on the field. This may not be a necessary card in the deck, but having this option to help execute your strategy and also having a counter Stadium make it a versatile card that you definitely see its merit in the deck.
Looking forward to US Nationals, this deck can score a lot of cheap wins from donks and preying on [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”106″ c=”name”]. Plus, the deck works great under 50 minutes best-of-three. But to make it to the top tables, I feel this list will have to be modified and have a great pilot behind the ship that is [card name=”Latios-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”101″ c=”name”]. Maybe [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”] isn’t the right partner for the deck, but having the versatility of taking huge Knock Outs on important Pokemon-EX is a nice advantage this version has over the others.
If I’m not mistaken, what you see below is the “Oh, it’s you! The Chosen One!” speech (unless you’re already subscribed to us :p). Even though it is a rather comforting message, let’s be honest, you’d rather be reading the rest of this article than… that. If you’re reading this article before US Nationals and you’ll be attending, look at the calendar! Get that last-minute information to let you perform your best! With Nationals knocking on the door and us being able to teach the ways of becoming a true Pokemon master, don’t waste anymore time!
[premium]
Seismitoad / Crobat
[cardimg name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”106″ align=”right” height=”250″ c=”custom”]Can’t do it by himself anymore[/cardimg]
With [card name=”Lysandre’s Trump Card” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”118″ c=”name”] being banned, [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”106″ c=”name”] decks have seen a drastic drop in hype and in play from other Nationals. There’s a good reason why. Most Seismitoad-EX variants just simply struggle to take six Prizes in a game, since they can’t recycle [card name=”Hypnotoxic Laser” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”123″ c=”name”]. Most of these decks are out-sped now, and Toad has seen more play as a sub-attacker to counter [card name=”Landorus-EX” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”144″ c=”name”] than being its own deck. Also, not being able to recycle disruptive cards such as [card name=”Crushing Hammer” set=”Emerging Powers” no=”92″ c=”name”], [card name=”Super Scoop Up” set=”Expedition” no=”151″ c=”name”], and [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Primal Clash” no=”162″ c=”name”] certainty doesn’t help either.
The banning of Lysandre’s Trump Card certainly doesn’t kill Seismitoad, but it will have to see a change in coats. Before Lysandre’s Trump Card, [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”106″ c=”name”] / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”119″ c=”name”] saw a moderate amount of play and success, and we’ve seen many Toad players fray back to this version since “it clearly will have success in this format since it did before Trump, right?” I feel they’re on the right track, but they aren’t approaching this right either. We’ve seen many overwhelming strategies come to light since that time, so now our aim is to keep up with these strategies while still having outs to beat the format.
Since Seismitoad-EX’s offensive power has been significantly hindered, naturally, [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”] and [card name=”Golbat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”32″ c=”name”] can help get those KOs that may have been otherwise a little too far from Toad’s reach. This version of Seismitoad-EX has seen success in the past while Lysandre’s Trump Card was still legal, but it didn’t rely on it nearly as much as other variants did. To give you an idea on what this may look like, here’s a list my good friend / testing partner, Graham Westby and I cooked up together:
[decklist]
[pokemon amt=”17″]
4x [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”106″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”deck2″]
3x [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=”106″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Mewtwo-EX” set=”Next Destinies” no=”98″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Absol” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”40″ c=”deck2″]
[/pokemon]
[trainers amt=”35″]
4x [card name=”Professor Juniper” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”116″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”101″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”135″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”104″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”AZ” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”117″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”110″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”122″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”Super Scoop Up” set=”Expedition” no=”151″ 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=”Sacred Ash” set=”Flashfire” no=”96″ 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 Colorless Energy” set=”Base Set” no=”96″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”Water Energy” set=”Call of Legends” no=”90″ c=”deck2″]
[/energy]
[/decklist]
[cardimg name=”Mewtwo-EX” set=”Next Destinies” no=”98″ align=”right” height=”250″ c=”custom”]”It is what you do with the gift of life that determines who you are.”[/cardimg]
1 Mewtwo EX
This is by far one of my favorite cards in the deck, contrary to Nikolas Campbell’s beliefs in his article, and I’d love to share why. If you take a look at previously successful Toad / Bats lists, you may see the inclusion of [card name=”Mewtwo-EX” set=”Next Destinies” no=”98″ c=”name”]. Their reasons for adding it to the list may be different than mine, but it does serve a purpose. Against decks such as [card name=”Landorus-EX” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”144″ c=”name”] / [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”], these are inherently simple matchups on paper, but cards such as [card name=”Lucario-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”107″ c=”name”] can stand in your way, especially while Corkscrew Smash can draw cards. Mewtwo-EX seems like the most obvious counter, while being extremely versatile and cheap.
It’s also a huge card against [card name=”Primal Groudon-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”151″ c=”name”]. Being able to X Ball for large amounts of damage along with damage support from the Bats, you could even argue that your matchup against Primal Groudon-EX is favorable! Primal Groudon-EX is also often paired with [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”36″ c=”name”], who conveniently just so happens to be weak to Psychic-type Pokemon. Mewtwo-EX carries a ton of weight in this matchup, but you definitely want to make sure you land an X Ball on Primal Groudon-EX, or else you may have trouble taking the big guy out.
Another card that may also give you trouble with this deck is [card name=”Aegislash-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”65″ c=”name”]. With two [card name=”Water Energy” set=”EX Power Keepers” no=”105″ c=”name”], you can two-shot a beefed up Aegislash-EX. If you put Bats and Laser/Bank damage on it beforehand, this card makes for a perfect revenge-kill.
It’s also just a great card to close off a game. Even though Grenade Hammer is a suitable option to close the curtain with, it is usually very expensive and can be seen a mile away. With X Ball in theory doing infinite amounts of damage, it can be a cheaper option as well as a big surprise to an unsuspecting opponent.
This card can also combat well against [card name=”Raichu” set=”XY” no=”43″ c=”name”], other Mewtwo-EX, and even [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”106″ c=”name”] itself. All and all, this card is mostly here to throw you back into a game in a pinch and definitely smooths outs some otherwise rocky matchups. Mewtwo-EX is still king.
[cardimg name=”Absol” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”40″ align=”left” height=”250″ c=”custom”]I guess he is the “Disaster Pokemon”[/cardimg]
1 Absol
Back at Wisconsin Regionals, we saw Jason Klaczynski win the whole tournament with a [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”106″ c=”name”] / [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”106″ c=”name”] deck. He also ran an [card name=”Absol” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”40″ c=”name”] in his list. This let him move around useless damage off a target he was presumably going to Knock Out either way, to a target where this damage is much more important. He was also able to abuse this strategy by recycling the Absol with [card name=”AZ” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”117″ c=”name”] and [card name=”Super Scoop Up” set=”Expedition” no=”151″ c=”name”]. Same message applies here.
This also works as a pseudo-[card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”] or a baby [card name=”Dusknoir” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”104″ c=”name”], if you may. Being able to move around damage on your opponent’s board has always been a strong effect and should stand the same with Absol. But there isn’t a lot of space in this list without cutting consistency, so if need be, it’d be one of the first cards I’d consider cutting. This is a debatable card in the deck since you already seem to manipulate damage with [card name=”Golbat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”32″ c=”name”] and [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”], but it can make for a great 61st card at the least.
In the big picture that is US Nats, I think this deck has extremely solid matchups across the board and is one of my top picks for the tournament itself. Item lock has always been strong and it will continue to be. Cool tricks like Knocking Out one of your opponent’s Pokemon before your attack can swing some games right back into your favor. Being a deck that doesn’t aim for that OHKO by itself, it greatly benefits from a strategy like this. It’s an extremely safe play and only really struggles against [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”105″ c=”name”] / [card name=”Bronzong” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”61″ c=”name”], but even that is a pretty winnable matchup. This deck is totally reliant on whose hands the deck is in, since you need to know how to manage resources, where to put Bat damage, and to think about the late game at all times.
Landorus / Crobat
[cardimg name=”Landorus-EX” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”144″ align=”left” height=”250″ c=”custom”]”Spreading” the love since November 2012[/cardimg]
Ah yes, the trendsetter of the Bats. Back at Winter Regionals, we saw PokeBeach’s very own Andrew Mahone play this deck Day One and Day Two of St. Louis Regionals, where he was able to win the whole tournament! Before this performance, [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”] wasn’t very popular in itself and was thought of as too slow and not worth the space before. This deck along with [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”] and [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”36″ c=”name”] variants were seen during Cities, but not popular. People seeing this deck do this well at a competition (that was streamed by the official Pokemon Company) turned a ton of heads and quickly became a known force to be reckoned with. It was the deck to beat going into Flordia Regionals, the very next competition right after St. Louis.
This deck has always trouble against [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”106″ c=”name”], which was why it didn’t see as much success during the [set name=”Boundaries Crossed”] – [set name=”Primal Clash”] format, as the Toad was everywhere during States and Spring Regionals. But now with [card name=”Lysandre’s Trump Card” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”118″ c=”name”] being banned, Seismitoad-EX will see a drastic drop in play, even if it remains strong in the format.
This deck also has great matchups against Night March and [card name=”Raichu” set=”XY” no=”43″ c=”name”], which are getting a lot of hype going into Nationals. This gives [card name=”Landorus-EX” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”144″ c=”name”] / [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”] a “fighting” chance in this format and may be a decent play. With that in mind, here is a good list to start off with:
[decklist]
[pokemon amt=”18″]
3x [card name=”Hawlucha” set=”Furious Fists” no=”63″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”Landorus-EX” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”144″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Lucario-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”107″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”deck2″]
3x [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=”106″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Miltank” set=”Flashfire” no=”83″ c=”deck2″]
[/pokemon]
[trainers amt=”32″]
4x [card name=”Professor Juniper” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”116″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”101″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”135″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”104″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”AZ” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”117″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”110″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”122″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”Super Scoop Up” set=”Expedition” no=”151″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Sacred Ash” set=”Flashfire” no=”96″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Computer Search” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”137″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Fighting Stadium” set=”Furious Fists” no=”90″ c=”deck2″]
[/trainers]
[energy amt=”9″]
5x [card name=”Fighting Energy” set=”EX Emerald” no=”106″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”Strong Energy” set=”Furious Fists” no=”104″ c=”deck2″]
[/energy]
[/decklist]
This list is a little reminiscent of the list Andrew played to get top 8 at Ohio States. Andrew even wrote an article on it, which I’d recommend checking out! I’ve made a few changes I feel fit right in with the inclusion of [set name=”Roaring Skies”], but overall, Andrew did an excellent job explaining his decisions in the deck, and I feel most of them still apply, so I’ll just gloss over a few cards in the deck that are a little outlandish.
[cardimg name=”Miltank” set=”Flashfire” no=”83″ align=”right” height=”250″ c=”custom”] A more “powerful” option[/cardimg]
1 Miltank
For the most part, this list is extremely vanilla and focuses on just pure consistency. But if you take a close look, you’ll notice the interesting inclusion of a [card name=”Miltank” set=”Flashfire” no=”83″ c=”name”] of all things. The reason I added Miltank was because of this deck’s ability to deal with non-EX attackers (especially Safegueard Pokemon). Non-EX Pokemon are a problem for this deck because [card name=”Hawlucha” set=”Furious Fists” no=”63″ c=”name”] can’t attack non-EX Pokemon, and even though [card name=”Landorus-EX” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”144″ c=”name”] and [card name=”Lucario-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”107″ c=”name”] can attack them, they make for an unfavorable exchange most of the time. Other cards such as [card name=”Dedenne” set=”Furious Fists” no=”34″ c=”name”], [card name=”Stunfisk” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”70″ c=”name”], etc. are just too underwhelming or too expensive to use effectively. Miltank on the other hand can deal 100 damage for just one Energy with a [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”name”] and a [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”] in play. Getting the Crobat out isn’t much of an issue, as you’ll see it come into play around turn three to five most games, regardless of the matchup. It’s a natural fit in the deck and can win you many games if caught in an obscure position. Just having a non-EX Pokemon with 100 HP while dealing 100 damage itself to any Pokemon makes for some pretty impressive numbers.
[cardimg name=”Korrina” set=”Furious Fists” no=”111″ align=”left” height=”250″ c=”custom”]Not as overwhelming as she looks[/cardimg]
0 Korrina
Most lists you’ll see run some [card name=”Korrina” set=”Furious Fists” no=”111″ c=”name”] in them. It can have some cute combos, but it’s against the nature of the deck, even though it seems it would be smooth as butter in here. This deck aims to overwhelm its opponents with fast attacks while still having a great late game. If you look at Korrina as a card, it certainly doesn’t seem to be overwhelming. Having benefits from faster cards such as [card name=”Professor Juniper” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”116″ c=”name”] or [card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”135″ c=”name”] seems much more fitting for the deck, as it can be high maintenance at times.
It’s also worth mentioning that you can’t even search out most of the Pokemon in the deck directly with Korrina. The only cards you can search with the Fighting Pokemon part of the search are [card name=”Landorus-EX” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”144″ c=”name”], [card name=”Lucario-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”107″ c=”name”], and [card name=”Hawlucha” set=”Furious Fists” no=”63″ c=”name”]. That’s only one third of the Pokemon in the deck! This deck is all about swarming the opponent with Bats, and this doesn’t seem like a very productive way to do so.
Overall, this deck has seen success in the past because of its ability to go from “zero to 60″ so to speak. It has good matchups against [card name=”Raichu” set=”XY” no=”43″ c=”name”] and Night March, both decks I’d expect to see high amounts of play at Nationals. As I was writing this article, [card name=”Landorus-EX” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”144″ c=”name”] / [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”] was able to take five out of eight spots in top 8 at the Danish National Championships! This deck surely has promise going into US Nationals, and if you aren’t going to run Landorus-EX / Crobat yourself, I would definitely aim to beat it!
Raichu / Crobat
[cardimg name=”Raichu” set=”XY” no=”43″ align=”right” height=”250″ c=”custom”]Numbers love this guy[/cardimg]
This variant of [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”] was revealed to us at the dawn of the new format. Ross Cawthon was able to nab the 1st seed by the end of the Day One at Wisconsin Regionals. With Andrew Mahone’s [card name=”Raichu” set=”XY” no=”43″ c=”name”] / [card name=”Ninetales” set=”Primal Clash” no=”21″ c=”name”] having the same record as Ross, Raichu displayed major prowess in the Standard format, and that isn’t going to change.
If you just read the text of Raichu, you can just see numbers you love to see on a card. A powerful attack that can cap at 180 with a [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”name”] and a [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”name”] in play, can do that very attack for a [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Next Destinies” no=”92″ c=”name”], has the magic 90 HP so it can be searched out by [card name=”Level Ball” set=”Next Destinies” no=”89″ c=”name”] in Expanded or next format, and to top it all off, has a free Retreat Cost. With a non-EX Pokemon hitting all the right numbers like this, it’s quite easy to see how this card went the distance Day One of Wisconsin Regionals.
The reason was used was to make decks such as [card name=”Primal Groudon-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”151″ c=”name”] and [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”105″ c=”name”] with [card name=”Altaria” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY46″ c=”name”] much more manageable. Primal Groudon-EX and M Rayquaza-EX both have monstrous HP, and both see a decent amount of play in our current metagame. Most decks wouldn’t expect to OHKO either of these cards unless Weakness is a factor. Raichu can hit the magic 180 damage on normal Pokemon-EX, but is very limited by that damage cap when it comes to Mega Pokemon-EX. Crobat lets you break that damage cap and can be used to “OHKO” those Megas. Crobat is also used to hit magic numbers while Sky Field isn’t in play, so having this versatility made the deck run very smooth against anything in its path.
[decklist]
[pokemon amt=”23″]
3x [card name=”Raichu” set=”XY” no=”43″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”Pikachu” set=”XY” no=”42″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Golbat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”32″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”Zubat” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”53″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”106″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”Yveltal” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY06″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Miltank” set=”Flashfire” no=”83″ c=”deck2″]
[/pokemon]
[trainers amt=”30″]
3x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”101″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Professor Juniper” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”116″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”135″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”104″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”AZ” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”117″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”122″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”110″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”Super Scoop Up” set=”Expedition” no=”151″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Sacred Ash” set=”Flashfire” no=”96″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Computer Search” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”137″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”deck2″]
[/trainers]
[energy amt=”7″]
4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Next Destinies” no=”92″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Darkness Energy” set=”Call of Legends” no=”94″ c=”deck2″]
[/energy]
[/decklist]
[cardimg name=”Exeggcute” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”4″ align=”right” height=”250″ c=”custom”]Why are you here again?[/cardimg]
0 Exeggcute
Most lists I’ve seen run two [card name=”Exeggcute” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”4″ c=”name”]. Their reason for running this is to replenish the Bench when their [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”name”] is replaced. Getting these cards in the discard can become a chore now that [card name=”Lysandre’s Trump Card” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”118″ c=”name”] is banned. Most players are going to want to keep their resources from here on, since it actually matters again.
Plus, this deck already runs a ton of Pokemon as-is, so benching Pokemon shouldn’t be much of a problem, especially with [card name=”Sacred Ash” set=”Flashfire” no=”96″ c=”name”]. Also, remember, this deck doesn’t need to necessarily bench eight Pokemon. [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”] and [card name=”Golbat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”32″ c=”name”] can take care of damage if need be.
Running zero Exeggcute also frees up some much needed space in the deck. Overall, the deck just flows better without the inclusion of it. Starting with this guy can be a pain, too. Simply discarding cards correctly and keeping outs to Knock Outs will be able to solve your problems just fine. Going into a tournament like Nats, you need as much consistency as possible and be ready for anything to happen to your deck. Giving yourself two spaces is a gift sent by gods. This cut offers that without hindering any obstacles that stand in your way.
[cardimg name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”106″ align=”left” height=”250″ c=”custom”]Consistency is king[/cardimg]
4 Shaymin EX
From the lists I’ve seen online, with [card name=”Lysandre’s Trump Card” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”118″ c=”name”] banned, people have cut on the amount of [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”106″ c=”name”] they play in their decks in fear of decking themselves. In some decks, this idea is the right way to go about the ban, but we’re talking two Evolution lines and a full eight Pokemon on the Bench to execute your strategy ideally; four Shaymin-EX is a must. For a while, I was running the deck with only three, but I found myself dead drawing or whiffing what I need frequently. Even with the full playset, it’s a chore to get set up. If need be, the card does say “you may draw cards until you have 6 cards in your hand.”
Plus, Shaymin-EX counts as a Benched Pokemon to fuel the fire that is [card name=”Raichu” set=”XY” no=”43″ c=”name”]. A nifty mechanic in this deck is that even if your opponent replaces your [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”name”], you can discard all your frail Shaymin-EX so your opponent can’t gain access to them for Knock Outs. Its a win-win situation! So when you do plop that Sky Field back down, Shaymin-EX can still support the cause even if you discarded three already with Sky Field being replaced.
Looking at it at a stand-point of Nationals, this deck will see a lot of success no matter what. Its versatility in matchups let it combat with whatever gets thrown at it. This deck doesn’t lose much with the ban of [card name=”Lysandre’s Trump Card” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”118″ c=”name”] either. You will have to of course be more careful with your resources, but with so many Evolution lines and being reliant on [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Next Destinies” no=”92″ c=”name”], this is especially important with this deck. As long as you can conserve, you can thrive.
Conclusion
From the day this article is being posted, US Nationals is only four days away, and I’m exited as ever to see a ton of my friends there! With a potential 18 best-of-three rounds, you’re going to want the most consistent deck possible, and that’s what I’ve tried to provide you today. Hopefully these decks are either able to let you perform to the the best of your abilities, or make for good decks to test against while choosing your own deck. The best of the best will be at this competition and you’ll need to be prepared for them. With this being my first article on the ‘Beach, hopefully this has been useful to you, the reader. As you learn from me writing, I learn from me writing. This lets me put my thoughts down on screen and can be thought of almost as a journal. So hopefully you’ve enjoyed my “journal entry” and I’m looking forward to writing in my journal even more in the future!
[/premium]