“Under The Radar” – Top Decks For Nationals!
Intro
Just like most who are planning on attending Nationals this year, I have started practicing and playtesting rigorously to find the right combination of cards which I believe will win me the tournament. Of course, I haven’t yet narrowed down a single deck to play, but I’ve got a few strong contenders that I’d like to share and discuss. In this article, I’m going to first review the top threats that I expect to be popular at US Nationals, and then go in-depth on a variety of other decks that have shown promise thus far. I will also discuss the strategies, card choices, and matchups of each deck. There are a few decks such as [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”] / [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”] and Night March that will be incredibly powerful going into Nationals, but you can hear about those decks from anyone. I’m going to go over decks that might not be on everyone’s radar (and ones I think are better than the meta decks).
Segue to Nationals and the Ban of Trump Card
Although I didn’t attend Georgia or Wisconsin Regionals, I was still excited to watch the new format streamed and start to figure out which decks would need to be countered at Nationals. It soon became obvious that the frontrunner was [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”] / [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”], with Colorless [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”], [card name=”Primal Groudon-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”86″ c=”name”], and [card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”name”] not far behind. I immediately began planning interesting decks that would handle these and take advantage of the incredible turn one possibilities that I mentioned in my last article. A few of my ideas were turn one Tidal Storm ([card name=”Primal Kyogre-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”55″ c=”name”]), turn one Black Ballista ([card name=”Black Kyurem-EX” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”95″ c=”name”]), and anti-meta [card name=”Froslass” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”23″ c=”name”] / [card name=”Hippowdon” set=”Primal Clash” no=”88″ c=”name”] / [card name=”Rough Seas” set=”Primal Clash” no=”137″ c=”name”] with [card name=”Wally” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”94″ c=”name”] and [card name=”Maxie’s Hidden Ball Trick” set=”Primal Clash” no=”133″ c=”name”].
[cardimg name=”Froslass” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”23″ align=”right” height=”250″ c=”none”]
Of course, the format was then immediately turned upside down when the ban of [card name=”Lysandre’s Trump Card” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”99″ c=”name”] was announced. As it turns out, all three of the rogues I just mentioned relied on Trump Card to work, and I had to scrap them immediately. Turbo [card name=”Primal Kyogre-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”55″ c=”name”] and [card name=”Froslass” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”23″ c=”name”] were actually showing some potential too! This ban out of nowhere drastically altered the metagame and left many players (including myself) wondering how relevant the Regionals results are heading into this new format. Through testing and theory alike, I have come up with a threat list for Nationals of decks that I expect will be most popular. I’m going to briefly go over these threats and then go into my top Nationals choices.
1. Night March
This deck is receiving a great deal of hype due to it being the most obvious benefactor of Trump Card’s ban. I have been playing with and against this deck more than any other deck so far, and let me tell you, it is downright scary. Without [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”]’s Quaking Punch plus Trump Card combo keeping it humble, the deck is blisteringly fast and relatively unchecked. It is surprisingly easy to get [card name=”Mew-EX” set=”Legendary Treasures” no=”RC24″ c=”name”] swinging for 220 consistently early on, though it has trouble hitting for more than that. [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”] and turn one [card name=”Wally” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”94″ c=”name”] and [card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”name”] are two of the precious few ways to shut this deck down, and they don’t exactly fit into every deck. Additionally, against decks that can prize trade with non-EX attackers, the Night March player can use [card name=”Joltik” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”26″ c=”name”] and [card name=”Pumpkaboo” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”44″ c=”name”] to attack and trade evenly. I expect that this deck will be extremely popular at Nationals, so you’d better be ready for it.
2. Colorless M Rayquaza
I’m not entirely sure if this deck deserves the number two spot, but if it doesn’t, I don’t know what does. It is one of the few decks that can actually go toe-to-toe with Night March, thanks to [card name=”Altaria” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY46″ c=”name”] turning off Weakness and [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”] being able to KO [card name=”Joltik” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”26″ c=”name”] and pivot into a non-EX. This deck has to play slightly more carefully without Trump Card, but it is still extremely fast and powerful. One large weakness it had was [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”] being able to spam Hammers and [card name=”Hypnotoxic Laser” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”123″ c=”name”]s against it all game long, preventing Rayquaza from ever attacking. This weakness is somewhat relieved because Seismitoad decks now have a finite number of disruptive cards. [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”] is still a solid play and I expect it to at least have a decent showing, especially if players find a strong way to deal with Night March.
3. Seismitoad Variants
[cardimg name=”Gengar-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”34″ align=”right” height=”250″ c=”none”]
It’s almost unfair to lump all the [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”] decks into one spot, due to all the various cards that can be used with the Toad. Don’t fool yourself into believing that Trump Card killed Toad, because that is certainly not the case. The ban may have dealt a knockout blow to dedicated [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”] / [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”] builds, but other variants are still alive and kicking. [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”] / [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”] and [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”] / [card name=”Crawdaunt” set=”Primal Clash” no=”92″ c=”name”] are both fine with Trump Card’s ban and will definitely see play at Nationals. You might see some [card name=”Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”23″ c=”name”], [card name=”Slurpuff” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”69″ c=”name”], and [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”54″ c=”name”] with Seismitoad as well. Seismitoad has always been and always will be a prominent card in the metagame, so don’t count it out just yet.
4. Gengar
Trevenant alongside [card name=”Gengar-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”34″ c=”name”] is a solid deck that is being hyped for its supposedly favorable Night March matchup. Having the potential to get out an Item lock before your opponent can even play Items is a fearsome attribute, especially against Night March. But the thing is, it really has to go first and get a [card name=”Wally” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”94″ c=”name”] into [card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”name”] to shut down Night March, which happens less than 50% of the time. Just one turn of Items can open the door for Night March to roll right through this slower deck. However, Item lock is still Item lock, and Gengar’s Dark Corridor has excellent synergy with Trevenant, so I still expect this deck to be played at Nationals.
5. Primal Groudon
[card name=”Primal Groudon-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”86″ c=”name”] had an excellent showing at Regionals because it was easily able to roll right through [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”] decks, in addition to slowing down [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”]-based decks by using [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”36″ c=”name”]. Groudon will still have these strengths heading into the Nationals format, but its shaky Night March matchup could hold it back. It is easily the most intimidating deck when set up, and is probably the most accurate comparison to a tank that we have in this format. Its raw power and bulk might just keep it around. Perhaps cards like [card name=”Landorus” set=”Furious Fists” no=”58″ c=”name”], [card name=”Landorus-EX” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”89″ c=”name”], and [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”94″ c=”name”] can even be used alongside Groudon to assist in the Night March matchup.
6. Other
The format is still diverse and wide-open. These were my top five predictions, but many other decks will probably see some play as well. [card name=”Aromatisse” set=”XY” no=”93″ c=”name”], [card name=”Flareon” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”12″ c=”name”], [card name=”Bronzong” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”61″ c=”name”], [card name=”Donphan” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”72″ c=”name”], and especially [card name=”Raichu” set=”XY” no=”43″ c=”name”] variants (among other decks) can hold their own in this format.
The Plays for Nationals
Alright, now onto the real meat! Here is where I’m going to thoroughly go over what my personal top picks for Nationals are, and discuss matchups and card choices so that you can be as prepared as possible going into the largest and most grueling tournament of the year. One minor thing to note is that these decks aren’t in order of importance or anything like that. At least at this point, I believe all of these decks are equally great plays for Nationals. And you’ll definitely want to stay tuned for my final top choice for Nationals. It may be one of my craziest and powerful decks yet!
So are you ready to improve your game right here and right now?
[premium]
Aromatisse Toolbox
[decklist]
[pokemon amt=”18″]
3x [card name=”Aromatisse” set=”XY” no=”93″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”Spritzee” set=”Flashfire” no=”67″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Suicune” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”20″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Malamar-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”58″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”23″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Kangaskhan-EX” set=”Flashfire” no=”78″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Trevenant-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”19″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Virizion-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”9″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Aegislash-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”65″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Regirock” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY49″ c=”deck2″]
[/pokemon]
[trainers amt=”32″]
4x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”XY” no=”122″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”118″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”N” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”96″ c=”deck2″]
2x [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=”Flashfire” no=”99″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Max Potion” set=”Emerging Powers” no=”94″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”Revive” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”88″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Computer Search” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”137″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”Fairy Garden” set=”XY” no=”117″ c=”deck2″]
[/trainers]
[energy amt=”10″]
6x [card name=”Fairy Energy” set=”XY” no=”140″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”Rainbow Energy” set=”XY” no=”131″ c=”deck2″]
[/energy]
[/decklist]
Strategy
[cardimg name=”Aromatisse” set=”XY” no=”93″ align=”right” height=”250″ c=”none”]
Okay, so this is an [card name=”Aromatisse” set=”XY” no=”93″ c=”name”] toolbox deck, nothing too revolutionary. Aromatisse hasn’t been getting much attention, and I think this is because some people regard it as too slow to keep up with things like Rayquaza and Night March. This isn’t really the case, and I believe that this deck has an exceptional blend of power and bulk, along with unparalleled versatility. The idea is to use Aromatisse and [card name=”Rainbow Energy” set=”XY” no=”131″ c=”name”] to mobilize a plethora of different Pokemon to fit specific situations and matchups. [card name=”Revive” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”88″ c=”name”] also adds some consistency by allowing you to use specific attackers more than once, and with [card name=”Lysandre’s Trump Card” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”99″ c=”name”] no longer available, Revive is the best way to do this. [card name=”Max Potion” set=”Emerging Powers” no=”94″ c=”name”] has the obvious synergy with Fairy Transfer, and [card name=”Fairy Garden” set=”XY” no=”117″ c=”name”] helps the deck run smoothly.
Card Choices
4-3 Aromatisse
This probably seems like overkill on the [card name=”Aromatisse” set=”XY” no=”93″ c=”name”] line, but it is the most important part of the deck by far. It is imperative to always have at least one out, and preferably two in case one gets Knocked Out. Skilled opponents know that (usually) the best way to beat this deck is to deny you or your Aromatisse, but with four [card name=”Spritzee” set=”Flashfire” no=”67″ c=”name”] and two [card name=”Revive” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”88″ c=”name”], this is nearly impossible to do. Four Spritzee along with four [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Flashfire” no=”99″ c=”name”] maximizes your odds of getting one or two Spritzee out on your first turn, while adding additional consistency to the deck.
2 Seismitoad-EX
This is the only Pokemon that I run two of, and that’s because it’s so important in the Night March matchup that you cannot afford to have your only one prized. Quaking Punch is also a stellar attack in general, and can be used against every deck at some point. Item lock slows every deck down to a degree, buying you more time to start setting up and accumulating Energies. Grenade Hammer is also a decent power move in a pinch, and if you target your own Benched [card name=”Suicune” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”20″ c=”name”], Grenade Hammer won’t do any damage to it!
1 Suicune
[cardimg name=”Suicune” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”20″ align=”right” height=”250″ c=”none”]
Safeguard is definitely one of the strongest Abilities in the format right now, and since this is a toolbox deck where anything can fit, why not run [card name=”Suicune” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”20″ c=”name”]? It shines against Colorless [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”] especially, and is also helpful against [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”] and [card name=”Primal Groudon-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”86″ c=”name”] decks. This is another card that can be used to buy time if needed. Since some EX heavy decks only have one or two counters to Safeguard, you can bait them out with Suicune, KO the threat with another Pokemon, and [card name=”Revive” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”88″ c=”name”] Suicune back!
1 Yveltal-EX
[card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”] is used as a powerhouse that can deal incredible amounts of damage once you have built up enough Energies. It has excellent synergy with [card name=”Aromatisse” set=”XY” no=”93″ c=”name”]’s Fairy Transfer and is an overall solid attacker, usually hitting for at least 100 damage. Yveltal is also useful for handing [card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”name”] decks, as it easily OHKOs both Trevenant and [card name=”Gengar-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”34″ c=”name”].
1 Malamar-EX
[card name=”Malamar-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”58″ c=”name”] is used mainly for its Ability, Hyper Hypnosis, though MAXamar isn’t the worst attack to use when you are desperate. Automatic Sleep-inducing Abilities are few and far between, and Malamar fits perfectly into this deck. You can use your Energy attachment on Malamar every turn for the Sleep, and just Fairy Transfer the Energy to wherever you want! If you happen to be using Quaking Punch on the same turn as Hyper Hypnosis, that’s basically a 50% chance of your opponent not being able to attack or retreat on their next turn!
1 Manectric-EX
[card name=”Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”23″ c=”name”] is used primarily for the Colorless Rayquaza matchup. It can deal an astounding 240 damage for just two Energy, if the opposing Rayquaza has a Spirit Link attached, and there’s no [card name=”Altaria” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”74″ c=”name”] in play. It’s also useful for OHKO’ing a [card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”name”] with a Tool attached, and simply dealing decent damage for low Energy. You might also find yourself using Overrun for the snipe damage, which is another of Manectric’s niches. It is especially helpful to break Groudon’s [card name=”Focus Sash” set=”Furious Fists” no=”91″ c=”name”], allowing for a Wood Blast KO from [card name=”Trevenant-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”19″ c=”name”] later on. It can even be used to KO a [card name=”Zubat” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”53″ c=”name”]!
1 Kangaskhan-EX
[cardimg name=”Kangaskhan-EX” set=”Flashfire” no=”103″ align=”right” height=”250″ c=”none”]
[card name=”Kangaskhan-EX” set=”Flashfire” no=”78″ c=”name”] is first and foremost used as a consistency crutch. Triple Draw is solid for only costing a Colorless Energy, and can get you out of tight spots. Kangaskhan is also useful against [card name=”Bronzong” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”61″ c=”name”] decks, because none of Bronzong’s attackers can KO Kangaskhan. If they attack it, you can just use [card name=”Max Potion” set=”Emerging Powers” no=”94″ c=”name”]. Kangaskhan can use only basic Fairy Energy to attack [card name=”Aegislash-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”65″ c=”name”] as well, making it a valuable asset for this deck. With Kangaskhan, there’s not much the Bronzong player can do at all.
Some player may opt to include [card name=”Jirachi-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”60″ c=”name”] or [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”] as a consistency Pokemon, but I think Kangaskhan-EX is a better for a few reasons. If you ran Jirachi or Shaymin, you wouldn’t have the edge against Metal that I mentioned above. Additionally, [card name=”Aromatisse” set=”XY” no=”93″ c=”name”] is a deck that tries to deny Prize Cards from the opponent. The last thing it wants late game is a low HP EX just waiting to give up two cheap Prize Cards, so Shaymin and Jirachi would simply be counter-intuitive.
1 Trevenant-EX
[card name=”Trevenant-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”19″ c=”name”] is this deck’s much needed Grass-type power-hitter. It is mainly used to gain the upper hand against [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”] and [card name=”Primal Groudon-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”86″ c=”name”] decks, but Dark Forest can also be helpful in odd situations when your opponent would really like to retreat. If you don’t have immediate access to [card name=”Revive” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”88″ c=”name”], you have to be careful Benching Trevenant against Primal Groudon, so the Groudon player doesn’t [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”name”] it and Gaia Volcano for the KO. Ironically, Trevenant-EX might also be useful to stall against its Psychic-type brethren by using Dark Forest to prevent it from retreating into [card name=”Gengar-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”34″ c=”name”], but that is situational at best.
1 Virizion-EX
[card name=”Virizion-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”9″ c=”name”] is only used for its Verdant Wind Ability, and to Emerald Slash against [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”], dealing 100-140 damage for only two Energy. Verdant Wind is great for reducing damage done by decks with [card name=”Hypnotoxic Laser” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”123″ c=”name”] and [card name=”Gengar-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”34″ c=”name”]. Otherwise, it’s pretty much dead weight.
1 Aegislash-EX
[cardimg name=”Regirock” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY49″ align=”right” height=”250″ c=”none”]
[card name=”Aegislash-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”65″ c=”name”] is a great card to play in this Special Energy-infested format, as Treynor Wolfe talked about in his article. All decks can be at least mildly disrupted by Mighty Shield, so there’s no reason not to have one in here. It’s really helpful against Night March, [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”], and [card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”name”], but other decks can find it annoying as well.
1 Regirock
[card name=”Regirock” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY49″ c=”name”] is included in this deck for its useful Omega Barrier Ancient Trait. This prevents cards like [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”name”] and Hammers from being used against it, making it a safe place to store your Energies while you set up. You can always Fairy Transfer Energies to and from Regirock as you please, making this already convenient Ancient Trait even more nifty. Land Maker can also be used to recover [card name=”Fairy Garden” set=”XY” no=”117″ c=”name”]s if you had to discard them early on, and Stone Edge against Pokemon that have a Weakness to Fighting. Ideally, you won’t need to attack with Regirock, but it’s always good to keep an open mind.
2 Muscle Band
I feel that most of the Trainers in this deck are quite obvious and don’t need to be explained, but I do want to go over [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”name”] real quick, because I’ve seen some [card name=”Aromatisse” set=”XY” no=”93″ c=”name”] toolbox decks not run Muscle Band. Muscle Band helps with magic numbers in many odd circumstances, but it is included mostly to boost [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”] and [card name=”Trevenant-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”19″ c=”name”]’s damage.
It works with Seismitoad by enabling Quaking Punch to deal relevant damage, turning absurdities like 6HKO’ing (six-hit-Knocking-Out) non-Mega EXs into 4HKOs and other favorable math. Muscle Band also makes Trevenant’s life easier. It allows you to Wood Blast KO Seismitoad-EX with only one [card name=”Rainbow Energy” set=”XY” no=”131″ c=”name”] attached (plus two basic Fairy) and allows you to KO the monstrous [card name=”Primal Groudon-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”86″ c=”name”] more easily. Just be careful playing down Muscle Band against decks with [card name=”Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”23″ c=”name”] that can Assault Laser you.
Notable Exclusions
Landorus-EX
[cardimg name=”Pokémon Fan Club” set=”Flashfire” no=”106″ align=”right” height=”250″ c=”none”]
[card name=”Landorus-EX” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”89″ c=”name”] is a Pokemon that I haven’t found much use for, but with the possible influx of [card name=”Raichu” set=”XY” no=”43″ c=”name”] decks, it could be a fantastic inclusion. Landorus would swing all Raichu variants in your favor, except probably the ones with [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”]. Against things like [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”Legendary Treasures” no=”88″ c=”name”] and [card name=”Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”23″ c=”name”], you can already use Regirock’s Stone Edge with a Muscle Band.
Pokemon Fan Club
Most variants of [card name=”Aromatisse” set=”XY” no=”93″ c=”name”] that I’ve seen run [card name=”Pokémon Fan Club” set=”Flashfire” no=”94″ c=”name”] because of its nice synergy with the deck. However, I already run four [card name=”Spritzee” set=”Flashfire” no=”67″ c=”name”] and four [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”93″ c=”name”], so I find Fan Club unnecessary. I’d rather play a draw Supporter early on to get a crucial turn one Energy drop and possibly find other Pokemon than use the vanilla Fan Club.
Double Colorless Energy
[card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”111″ c=”name”] is only really useful for a turn one Quaking Punch. To do this, you would already have to be starting with Toad and going second, a scenario that is unlikely enough to justify excluding DCE. It’s also cute with MAXamar and Evil Ball, but it’s never going to matter.
Matchups
Night March
Night March is a strange matchup. Its speed provides a tough challenge because it forces this [card name=”Aromatisse” set=”XY” no=”93″ c=”name”] deck to work almost perfectly. [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”] and [card name=”Aegislash-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”65″ c=”name”] are your go-to guys for this matchup, but of course use other attackers as you see fit. Your strategy should be to use Quaking Punch on turn two if your opponent has fewer than nine Night Marchers in the discard. This way, Night March cannot OHKO Seismitoad and you can heal off damage with [card name=”Max Potion” set=”Emerging Powers” no=”94″ c=”name”] while chipping away and setting up. You must also do your best to win the Stadium war, which should be easy if you don’t have bad luck prizing or discarding [card name=”Fairy Garden” set=”XY” no=”117″ c=”name”]s. It is important to take [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”name”] KOs on Pokemon with basic Energy whenever possible, allowing Aegislash-EX clean up late game.
[cardimg name=”Mew-EX” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”120″ align=”right” height=”250″ c=”none”]
This strategy is a solid way to win, but everything has to work nicely for it to happen. I’ve built the deck as consistently as I could for such a techy toolbox deck, so it shouldn’t be hard to get a turn two Quaking Punch. If the Night March player gets nine Night Marchers in the discard before you Quaking Punch, it could be difficult to win. Your best bet would be to try to get an Aegislash to stick and mess around with them by using Fairy Gardens and [card name=”N” set=”Black and White Black Star Promos” no=”BW100″ c=”name”]s, which you want to do anyway. One thing to note is that if they immediately discard nine Night Marchers, you only have to KO the remaining two or three (depending on how many they Prize) in order to basically win, as Quaking Punch locks [card name=”Revive” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”88″ c=”name”]. [card name=”Mew-EX” set=”Legendary Treasures” no=”RC24″ c=”name”] won’t be doing much when it can’t copy Night March.
Colorless Rayquaza
This matchup is very easy, as long as you don’t prize [card name=”Suicune” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”20″ c=”name”]. You want to base your whole game around Suicune, because many Ray decks can do absolutely nothing to it. Be careful not to lay down too many Pokemon, lest the Rayquaza player [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”name”] around Suicune multiple times and collect six Prizes that way. If you see a counter to Safeguard in the opponent’s deck (or a Pokemon that usually evolves into a counter), you want to prepare a backup attacker or Lysandre plus Aurora Beam to KO the threat. Once Suicune gets KO’d, you use your backup attacker to revenge KO and [card name=”Revive” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”88″ c=”name”] Suicune to resume rolling through the EX-based deck.
Seismitoad
There are many Pokemon in this deck that help against [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”]: [card name=”Virizion-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”9″ c=”name”], [card name=”Trevenant-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”19″ c=”name”], [card name=”Malamar-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”58″ c=”name”], [card name=”Suicune” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”20″ c=”name”], and [card name=”Regirock” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY49″ c=”name”] are the Pokemon that should aid you the most. You want to bide time in order to load Energies onto Regirock, which isn’t hard to do, considering how slowly Seismitoad takes KOs. When you’re ready, you can use Suicune and/or Trevenant to simply roll through Seismitoads. Malamar and Virizion on the Bench are helpful to support you as well. [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”name”] is great to attach to Trevenant-EX if you can do so before Item lock goes online. While it isn’t hard to put two [card name=”Rainbow Energy” set=”XY” no=”131″ c=”name”] on Trevenant to KO with Wood Blast, you really want to use Muscle Band, so you only have to use one Rainbow at a time. An opportunity for your opponent to remove two Rainbows during one turn could be crippling, though it usually won’t turn out to be a huge deal.
[cardimg name=”Trevenant-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”145″ align=”right” height=”250″ c=”none”]
The [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Legendary Treasures” no=”68″ c=”name”] variant of Seismitoad is the variant that gives [card name=”Aromatisse” set=”XY” no=”93″ c=”name”] the most trouble. Your best bet is to load up [card name=”Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”23″ c=”name”] and use [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”name”] and Assault Laser to get rid of the Garbodor. If the Garbodor has a Tool attached that is not [card name=”Float Stone” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”99″ c=”name”], you can use Lysandre and slowly kill it with Quaking Punch to buy time for setting up. You could also include [card name=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”110″ c=”name”] and/or [card name=”Startling Megaphone” set=”Flashfire” no=”97″ c=”name”] to help with this matchup if you expect Seismitoad / Garbodor to be popular.
Trevenant
I haven’t tested against [card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”name”], so I can’t give a clear-cut strategy. Theoretically, [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”] should be able to roll right through the whole deck, with [card name=”Virizion-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”9″ c=”name”] supporting and [card name=”Aegislash-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”65″ c=”name”] being a strong secondary option.
Groudon
[card name=”Primal Groudon-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”86″ c=”name”] is a weird matchup. [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”36″ c=”name”] is annoying because it locks Fairy Transfer and slows [card name=”Aromatisse” set=”XY” no=”93″ c=”name”] down substantially. Thankfully, Groudon is also a slow deck, and when Groudon starts attacking, you can start using Abilities. Your opponent may put a [card name=”Focus Sash” set=”Furious Fists” no=”91″ c=”name”] instead of a [card name=”Groudon Spirit Link” set=”Primal Clash” no=”131″ c=”name”] on the Groudon they are building up. If they do this, you should try to snipe it at least once with [card name=”Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”23″ c=”name”]’s Overrun, allowing you to OHKO Groudon with Trevenant’s Wood Blast. You also want to spread your Energies out, or load them on [card name=”Regirock” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY49″ c=”name”] before Groudon starts attacking, so it can’t disable a Wood Blast KO by taking out multiple [card name=”Rainbow Energy” set=”XY” no=”131″ c=”name”] with a [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”name”] KO. Make sure to be careful with Energy attachments, because Wobbuffet will usually be locking you out of Fairy Transfer.
Overall
[card name=”Aromatisse” set=”XY” no=”93″ c=”name”] is a versatile and strong deck that I find it fairy fun to play. It’s moderately complex, and it takes some practice to get used to, especially when it comes to the optimal placements of your Energies. Aromatisse can hold its own against all of the popular decks and win most of the time, making it a worthy consideration.
Manectric-EX / Suicune
[decklist]
[pokemon amt=”15″]
3x [card name=”M Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”24″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”23″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”Suicune” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”20″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Articuno” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”17″ c=”deck2″]
[/pokemon]
[trainers amt=”32″]
4x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”XY” no=”122″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”N” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”96″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”118″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Flashfire” no=”99″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Max Potion” set=”Emerging Powers” no=”94″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Manectric Spirit Link” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”100″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”99″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Computer Search” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”137″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”Rough Seas” set=”Primal Clash” no=”137″ c=”deck2″]
[/trainers]
[energy amt=”13″]
6x [card name=”Lightning Energy” set=”XY” no=”135″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”Water Energy” set=”XY” no=”134″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”XY” no=”130″ c=”deck2″]
[/energy]
[/decklist]
Strategy
[cardimg name=”M Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”24″ align=”right” height=”250″ c=”none”]
There’s less strategy here than with [card name=”Aromatisse” set=”XY” no=”93″ c=”name”]. Just attach Energies to [card name=”M Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”24″ c=”name”] and [card name=”Suicune” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”20″ c=”name”] and swing away. Everything else in the deck is just there to support those two attackers. I’ve seen many top players miss the fact that you actually CANNOT attach Energies to Suicune via Turbo Bolt. Safeguard prevents effects done by your own Pokemon-EX too! M Manectric-EX is just so well-rounded that it can nearly be a deck on its own. Suicune is used in specific matchups that Manectric can’t always handle, such as [card name=”Primal Groudon-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”86″ c=”name”]. Of course, Safeguard’s utility can show itself in almost every other matchup as well, because of how many EXs are being played right now.
Card Choices
4-3 M Manectric-EX
[card name=”M Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”24″ c=”name”] is your main attacker, and it’s just that good. 210 HP, a low maintenance 110 damage attack, free retreat, built in acceleration, and synergy with [card name=”Rough Seas” set=”Primal Clash” no=”137″ c=”name”] make it a force to be reckoned with. If you have two M Manectric out, you can even play a bit like [card name=”Aromatisse” set=”XY” no=”93″ c=”name”] by using [card name=”Max Potion” set=”Emerging Powers” no=”94″ c=”name”] to heal and use Turbo Bolt to get the lost Energies back! A 4-3 line maximizes the chances of starting with it and makes the deck consistent. 4-4 is borderline overkill and probably unnecessary, and it would require another spot for the 4th Spirit Link.
4 Suicune
Four of these may seem like too much, but in the matchups you need [card name=”Suicune” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”20″ c=”name”], you need a lot of them. You might be tired of me saying this by now, but Safeguard is so strong in this format. Suicune also happens to work with [card name=”Rough Seas” set=”Primal Clash” no=”137″ c=”name”], which is helpful. I don’t really have much more to say about this guy.
3 Shaymin-EX
[cardimg name=”Articuno” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”17″ align=”right” height=”250″ c=”none”]
[card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”] adds a huge level of consistency to this deck, being almost necessary to acquire all the pieces needed for a turn two Turbo Bolt. Throughout the game, it makes the deck much scarier because it lets you dig for more cards, even if you whiffed what you were looking for off your Supporter for the turn. I have also found nifty Sky Return plays to be useful in odd circumstances, so always be looking for those.
1 Articuno
I’m not sure if [card name=”Articuno” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”17″ c=”name”] really needs to be here, but I’ve found the Night March matchup to be completely even without it. Articuno helps in that matchup because you only need one out of three heads to KO a [card name=”Joltik” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”26″ c=”name”] or [card name=”Pumpkaboo” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”44″ c=”name”], and take two Prize Cards with Delta Plus! Unlike [card name=”Suicune” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”20″ c=”name”], you can Turbo Bolt to Articuno, which adds some versatility to your Turbo Bolt targets, as you’re no longer limited to Manectric and [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”]. Articuno also excels in the [card name=”Donphan” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”72″ c=”name”] matchup thanks to its Resistance, Water typing, and [card name=”Rough Seas” set=”Primal Clash” no=”137″ c=”name”]. Unfortunately, it is completely luck based, so be prepared for some bad bouts if you use it too much.
3 Max Potion
It almost seems like [card name=”Max Potion” set=”Emerging Powers” no=”94″ c=”name”] was made for [card name=”M Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”24″ c=”name”]. There will be plenty of occasions where opponents are unable to outright KO M Manectric, and that is where Max Potion shines. It is especially useful when you have two Megas out, because you can Max Potion one and use the other to Turbo Bolt the discarded Energies back. Although it doesn’t happen often, it feels so good to use Max Potion to wipe off 200 damage (four dice) from a M Manectric.
2 Float Stone
[cardimg name=”Float Stone” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”99″ align=”right” height=”250″ c=”none”]
[card name=”Float Stone” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”99″ c=”name”] is my switching card of choice, because I think it’s simply the best when there’s no reliance on other Tool cards. M Manectric-EX needs its Spirit Link, but it has free retreat anyway. Float Stone is always nice to have on [card name=”Suicune” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”20″ c=”name”], and as long as it doesn’t get removed, it provides a kind of “infinite [card name=”Switch” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”91″ c=”name”].” This is superior to the single use that cards like [card name=”Switch” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”91″ c=”name”] and [card name=”Escape Rope” set=”Primal Clash” no=”127″ c=”name”] get you. I only run two because there’s not much of a reliance on switching, so I don’t think any more are needed. You can use [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”111″ c=”name”] to retreat Suicune if you have to as well.
4 Rough Seas
[card name=”Rough Seas” set=”Primal Clash” no=”137″ c=”name”] is arguably the most important Trainer card in this deck. Four will usually win you the Stadium war if you’re careful, and helps prevent other decks from utilizing their Stadium cards. It is crucial in many matchups, such as decks with [card name=”Virbank City Gym” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”126″ c=”name”], [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”name”], etc. The extra bit of healing is always handy.
Matchups
Night March
I found that without [card name=”Articuno” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”17″ c=”name”], the matchup was about 50-50. While that technically isn’t bad, I didn’t want to have just a 50-50 against the most hyped deck so far. It can be difficult for Night March to consistently hit for 210, especially when you can throw in [card name=”Suicune” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”20″ c=”name”]s to mess up [card name=”Mew-EX” set=”Legendary Treasures” no=”RC24″ c=”name”]. Sky Return is also important to KO [card name=”Joltik” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”26″ c=”name”], and you can promote Suicune after that. This matchup is tricky to maneuver, but with smart play and a little luck, Manectric should come out on top.
[cardimg name=”Pumpkaboo” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”44″ align=”right” height=”250″ c=”none”]
In order for Night March to KO [card name=”M Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”24″ c=”name”], they need 10 out of their 12 Night Marchers in the discard and a [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”name”]. This leaves them with only two Night Marchers remaining, so they’re probably attacking with Mew. A strong play in this matchup is to [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”name”] and Sky Return Joltik while pivoting into Suicune. This forces them to attack with their last Night Marcher, or play Lysandre. Even if you can’t do this, you want to take Lysandre KOs on Night Marchers whenever possible, because Mew is nothing when they’re out of Marchers. The matchup would be easy if [card name=”Revive” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”88″ c=”name”] didn’t exist. Of course, always be on the lookout for opportunities to Turbo Bolt onto Articuno and take KOs with it.
Colorless Rayquaza
This matchup is laughably easy. Not only does [card name=”M Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”24″ c=”name”] OHKO [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”] if [card name=”Altaria” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”74″ c=”name”] isn’t in play, but [card name=”Suicune” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”20″ c=”name”] also completely walls the deck. If the deck is straight Rayquaza with no surprises, just run through it with Suicune and [card name=”Rough Seas” set=”Primal Clash” no=”137″ c=”name”]. If they do have a Stage 1 attacker, M Manectric can easily KO it and allow Suicune to keep rolling them. It’s important to not give them outs to cheap Prizes on the Bench, mainly [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”]. Sometimes it is inevitable that you have to Bench one, so just Sky Return it back ASAP.
Seismitoad
The real question is which matchup is easier: Toad or Ray? No matter which version of Toad you’re playing against, [card name=”M Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”120″ c=”name”] with [card name=”Rough Seas” set=”Primal Clash” no=”137″ c=”name”] rolls right through. Some variants have nothing to handle [card name=”Suicune” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”20″ c=”name”], so you can go with only Suicune if you want. Be careful to conserve Rough Seas in this matchup. Even though Rough Seas marginally helps Seismitoad, you don’t want them to stick a [card name=”Virbank City Gym” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”126″ c=”name”] in play. You also might want to be wary of Grenade Hammer, though it’s usually not a threat.
Trevenant
[cardimg name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ align=”right” height=”250″ c=”none”]
[card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”name”] conveniently has 110 HP, a perfect number for Turbo Bolt to KO it. [card name=”Rough Seas” set=”Primal Clash” no=”137″ c=”name”] is also important in this matchup, because with it, neither Trevenant nor [card name=”Gengar-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”34″ c=”name”] can do much of anything due to their low damage output. M Manectric can ideally roll right through this deck as well, making it yet another favorable matchup.
Groudon
It’s practically impossible for [card name=”Primal Groudon-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”86″ c=”name”] decks to KO three or four [card name=”Suicune” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”20″ c=”name”]. Against Groudon, you cannot play any Manectrics down, and you must Sky Return any [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”]s you play down whenever you have the chance. Just like Rayquaza, Groudon can’t deal with Safeguard very well, so you have to deny Prizes they could get by using [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”name”]. The only real way Groudon can win is if they play an absurdly high count of [card name=”Silent Lab” set=”Primal Clash” no=”140″ c=”name”] and gets them whenever it needs to. Starting with Manectric is undesirable, but it’s honesty not a big deal. Just don’t Bench any after that!
Overall
[card name=”M Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”24″ c=”name”] / [card name=”Suicune” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”20″ c=”name”] is a fantastic deck that takes advantage of the meta’s weakness to Safeguard. M Manectric-EX is a formidable attacker that can abuse [card name=”Max Potion” set=”Emerging Powers” no=”94″ c=”name”], making it difficult to overcome. With favorable matchups across the board, this deck is definitely a strong contender for Nationals.
Wailord-EX / Crawdaunt
[decklist]
[pokemon amt=”14″]
3x [card name=”Wailord-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”38″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”Crawdaunt” set=”Primal Clash” no=”92″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”Corphish” set=”Primal Clash” no=”42″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Electrode” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”33″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Voltorb” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”32″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Jirachi-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”60″ c=”deck2″]
[/pokemon]
[trainers amt=”46″]
4x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”XY” no=”122″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”N” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”96″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”AZ” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”91″ c=”deck2″]
1x [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=”Crushing Hammer” set=”Legendary Treasures” no=”111″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”94″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”Super Scoop Up” set=”Furious Fists” no=”100″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”Max Potion” set=”Emerging Powers” no=”94″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Hard Charm” set=”XY” no=”119″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Flashfire” no=”99″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”Dive Ball” set=”Primal Clash” no=”125″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Sacred Ash” set=”Flashfire” no=”96″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Scoop Up Cyclone” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”95″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Rough Seas” set=”Primal Clash” no=”137″ c=”deck2″]
[/trainers]
[energy amt=”0″]
[/energy]
[/decklist]
Strategy
[cardimg name=”Wailord-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”147″ align=”right” height=”250″ c=”none”]
[card name=”Max Potion” set=”Emerging Powers” no=”94″ c=”name”] is really getting a lot of spotlight in this article. Seriously though, I’m not even trolling or joking. This deck is actually legit. You simply heal [card name=”Wailord-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”38″ c=”name”] and completely get rid of your opponent’s Energies. Without Energies, what is your opponent going to do? With correct and conservative play, your opponent should always deck out before you do. I have played with this deck enough to affirm its legitimacy, though I haven’t played it as much as the other two. Resource conservation and careful playing are of the utmost importance. This deck is overall difficult to play and requires extreme patience, but winning with it is satisfying, rewarding, and surprisingly common. If you deck out before your opponent, you only have yourself to blame (unless you’re against a mill deck).
Card Choices
3 Wailord-EX
I promise it’s not just a gimmick! These are the kinds of decks I’m known among my friends for, and I wouldn’t be any good if they didn’t work! Anyway, Wailord is a beast. One thing I’ve heard quite a bit recently about various decks is: “It kills everything besides Wailord-EX lol.” So, why not take advantage of that and make a deck that uses the most of Wailord’s monstrous HP?
In case you couldn’t tell by now, Wailord is used exclusively for its 250 HP. You can’t retreat it, attack with it, or use its Ability because the deck plays no Energy! With the plethora of healing and disruption cards, you’ll just sit behind Wailord with its derpy little eyes until your opponent decks out. I play three of these guys so I can always get one out easily, and have a backup in case one or two miraculously get KO’d. Four is unnecessary because opponents will never go through more than three due to there only being six Prizes for them to collect. You don’t need to start with it badly enough to run four, and you run [card name=”Sacred Ash” set=”Flashfire” no=”96″ c=”name”] to help in emergencies. You could even make an argument to run two, but I like three.
4 Crawdaunt
[cardimg name=”Crawdaunt” set=”Primal Clash” no=”92″ align=”right” height=”250″ c=”none”]
I maxed out the [card name=”Crawdaunt” set=”Primal Clash” no=”92″ c=”name”] line to help consistently and totally deplete my opponents of Energies. This allows Wailord to sit there and watch while the opponent decks out because they lack resources to take Prize cards.
1 Electrode
One [card name=”Electrode” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”33″ c=”name”] works wonderfully in my [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”] / [card name=”Crawdaunt” set=”Primal Clash” no=”92″ c=”name”] list, and I figured I may as well try it out in this similar deck. It is extremely useful. This deck needs some extra drawpower to help with consistency because the only draw Supporters I play are four [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”101″ c=”name”] and four [card name=”N” set=”Black and White Black Star Promos” no=”BW100″ c=”name”]. As cool as the Destiny Burst [card name=”Voltorb” set=”XY” no=”44″ c=”from”] is, the 60 HP Voltorb from Plasma Freeze is much more practical. In this deck that never attacks, that potential 50 damage from Destiny Burst will never matter one bit.
1 Jirachi-EX
This is to give the deck more turn one draw outs. It essentially adds to the Supporter count, and also turns all your [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”93″ c=”name”]s into whatever Supporter you want. Neato!
1 Xerosic
Honestly, you could live without this card, but it is nice to have sometimes. It is one of the most versatile disruption cards in the format, and a disruption-oriented deck like this can make use of it. Not only is it another means to remove Energies, but it can also disrupt your opponent by removing Tools like [card name=”Float Stone” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”99″ c=”name”]s, Spirit Links, etc. It is especially helpful against [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Legendary Treasures” no=”68″ c=”name”], though that matchup is still rather difficult.
[cardimg name=”AZ” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”117″ align=”right” height=”250″ c=”none”]
1 Lysandre
[card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”name”] stalling is a tactic that this deck can employ, though it doesn’t do this enough to include two Lysandre.
3 AZ
I’m a big fan of [card name=”AZ” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”91″ c=”name”], and it works wonders in a deck like this. You can use it like a [card name=”Max Potion” set=”Emerging Powers” no=”94″ c=”name”] to heal Wailord. You can use it to reuse [card name=”Crawdaunt” set=”Primal Clash” no=”92″ c=”name”]’s Unruly Claw. You can even use it as a [card name=”Switch” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”91″ c=”name”] if you need to. It has so much versatility that I would play a fourth one if I could find space for it.
3 Ultra Ball / 2 Dive Ball
I’ve found 3 [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”93″ c=”name”] / 2 [card name=”Dive Ball” set=”Primal Clash” no=”125″ c=”name”] to be a nice split for this deck, with half the Pokemon being Water-type. It works for me, but feel free to mix it up. Maybe even a [card name=”Repeat Ball” set=”Primal Clash” no=”136″ c=”name”] could find its way in here.
1 Sacred Ash
[card name=”Sacred Ash” set=”Flashfire” no=”96″ c=”name”] is used mostly for recovering discarded or KO’d [card name=”Corphish” set=”Primal Clash” no=”42″ c=”name”]es and [card name=”Crawdaunt” set=”Primal Clash” no=”92″ c=”name”]s, meaning you could even consider it a disruption card (though that might be a bit of a stretch). It is important though and can also help prevent you from decking out.
[cardimg name=”Sacred Ash” set=”Flashfire” no=”96″ align=”right” height=”250″ c=”none”]
Everything Else
Everything else in the deck is there to consistently heal [card name=”Wailord-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”38″ c=”name”] and remove Energies, and in the long run aids in outlasting your opponent until he/she decks out. Some of these are the kinds of flippy cards that ruin friendships, so try not to flip heads all the time.
Matchups
Seismitoad
Yes, it’s annoying that you can’t use exactly half of your deck, but you can actually still beat the Toad. You want to try your best to win the Stadium war, as [card name=”Rough Seas” set=”Primal Clash” no=”137″ c=”name”] negates most of what [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”] can do to you. Hopefully the Toad player doesn’t run four [card name=”Virbank City Gym” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”126″ c=”name”]! [card name=”Crawdaunt” set=”Primal Clash” no=”92″ c=”name”] is also extremely helpful in this matchup. Toad decks don’t play a whole lot of Energies, so with Crawdaunt’s disruption, you’ll almost always get some turns where you can play Items. If the Toad player somehow gets to Quaking Punch every turn amidst the disruption, that probably means they’re running through their deck to find Energies and will soon deck out. You’ll find Crawdaunt, Rough Seas, and [card name=”AZ” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”91″ c=”name”] to be your MVPs here. It’s also funny how useless opposing Crawdaunts are against you.
Trevenant
The [card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”name”] matchup is similar to [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”], but it’s a little less favorable and a little more annoying because [card name=”Gengar-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”34″ c=”name”] (and its Energies) go to the Bench after attacking. This makes it impossible to remove Energies from it, except by using Supporters. Speaking of Supporters, [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”name”] and [card name=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”110″ c=”name”] are going to be very useful here. Just like against Seismitoad, [card name=”Rough Seas” set=”Primal Clash” no=”137″ c=”name”] is instrumental in this matchup to punish Gengar for its low damage output.
Everything Else
[cardimg name=”Scoop Up Cyclone” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”95″ align=”right” height=”250″ c=”none”]
This deck is so linear that there isn’t going to be much variation in your games. You need to play ultra conservatively, keep [card name=”Wailord-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”38″ c=”name”] alive, and make sure all of your opponent’s Energies end up in the discard. There are some cool weird things you can do to help in odd situations, so don’t be afraid to think outside the box. For example, in a recent testing game against a friend, when he had no Energies left, I used [card name=”Scoop Up Cyclone” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”95″ c=”name”] on a [card name=”Hard Charm” set=”XY” no=”119″ c=”name”]ed Wailord and [card name=”AZ” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”91″ c=”name”] on [card name=”Crawdaunt” set=”Primal Clash” no=”92″ c=”name”] to put extra cards in my hand. This made it so I had more cards to shuffle in via [card name=”N” set=”Black and White Black Star Promos” no=”BW100″ c=”name”] and ultimately won the game because my opponent decked out before I did, and I would’ve lost if I hadn’t done that.
Overall
Yes, this deck is a serious consideration for Nationals. It is quite unorthodox and is sure to throw even seasoned adversaries for a loop. The crazy thing is that this wacky strategy actually works. Just remember to be conservative. I know I seem to contradict this by playing four [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”101″ c=”name”], but they are needed to get going. Just because they are there mid-late game doesn’t mean you have to use them. This is a tricky deck to play and requires quite a bit of thought. It is completely reactive and you play based on what your opponent does. This is probably the deck that makes the most of [card name=”Lysandre’s Trump Card” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”99″ c=”name”]’s ban by removing Energies that, in most cases, can’t be recovered, and aiming to deck the opponent out. In short, I love it.
Conclusion
Well there you have it, three of my top picks for Nationals. These are all excellent decks that can stand up to the competition that you will face at Nationals, and they will all annoy your opponent to no end with all of the [card name=”Max Potion” set=”Emerging Powers” no=”94″ c=”name”]s! This is an exciting format we’re heading into, and the largest and most daunting tournament of the year is upon us. I hope this article provided you with the information needed to crack the format and figure out what will work best for you at Nationals. As usual, please post any comments or questions you have below! Thanks to you guys for reading and subscribing! Good luck!
-Grant
[/premium]