“I Like to Move it, Move it” All About Aromatisse!
Hello, my name is Elliot Sayles, and this is my first article for PokeBeach. I am grateful to be a part of the article writing team here and hope all of the readers here like my piece. Here is a little background on me: I am a rising Junior in High School, I plan on majoring in Chemistry / Chemical Engineering in College, and I’m a part of my High School’s Marching Band. One thing that sets me apart from other kids in my school is for my interest in the Pokemon Trading Card Game. I was never shy of being an affiliate of Pokemon throughout 
Middle and High School, and the kids at my school have adapted to my lifestyle.
I’ve been playing the game since Diamond & Pearl came out and haven’t stopped playing since. I didn’t really start playing competitive until 2013 where I made top 8 in a Regional Championship and top 64 in the National Championships. I feel that my schoolwork put a lot of restrictions on my ability to perform my best this last season, and because of that I only topped two Cities and barely made it to other events. Now that school is over, I have been practicing a lot more for upcoming League Challenges and City Championships this Fall. I am hopeful for this new season as a growing Master and hope you enjoy my first article for PokeBeach!
Intro
As Regional Championships and National Championships come to a close, people are looking for “The Play” for the World Championships. Other people are trying to find a casual deck to play at local League Challenges to get points for the 2016 season. One archetype that seemed to prove itself time and time again this season was [card name=”Aromatisse” set=”XY” no=”93″ c=”name”]. This archetype relies on getting a lot of Energy on board and using Pokemon like [card name=”Mewtwo-EX” set=”Next Destinies” no=”98″ c=”name”], [card name=”Florges-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”116″ c=”name”], or other attackers to hit for heavy damage and then to be completely healed next turn by a [card name=”Max Potion” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”121″ c=”name”] or [card name=”AZ” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”117″ c=”name”]. While this deck did not show up at Nationals, it has potential to be surprising, as many people aren’t playtesting against the Aromatisse variants. Aromatisse variants aren’t auto-pilot decks; they take skill and a lot of practice to master. Despite being so versatile with many options, not all Aromatisse variants will be the correct play for Worlds. I suggest you use most of these lists as a skeleton and not 60-card net-deck, as everyone plays their variants with their own techs and such.
Lysandre’s Trump Card Ban
I, like most people, like the ban, because I believe [card name=”Lysandre’s Trump Card” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”99″ c=”name”] was toxic to the game. Decks that drew thirty plus cards a turn were annoying to play against and were terribly boring to watch. How does that entice a new player to the game if turns take 10 whole minutes? At the same time, I dislike the time of when the card was banned. Maybe after U.S. Nationals, but not before it. This leaves people to scramble to possibly change their tested deck choice only a few weeks before the big event. Granted, this may be what Pokemon intended to do when they banned this card, but if they wanted a big tournament to showcase a major change in the format, they should have done that for Day One of Worlds. This year’s Day One has many more people in it than ever before and would be a great way to show legitimate talent with a tested list that isn’t reliant on any past performances of previous Nationals because of the ban.
Why Aromatisse?
[cardimg name=”Aromatisse” set=”XY” no=”93″ align=”right” height=”250″ c=”custom”]Sugar, Spice, and Everything Nice[/cardimg]
[card name=”Aromatisse” set=”XY” no=”93″ c=”name”] appears to be a terrible choice for Worlds in the eyes of the players who only look to Nationals results. Sure, Metal decks are on the rise, but that doesn’t skew all Aromatisse variants from being played. Also, the “Aromatisse did not see much play at Nationals, so it won’t see any play at Worlds” idea is actually beneficial to the Aromatisse player. For example, [card name=”Wailord-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”147″ c=”name”] saw next to no play before Nationals, now every competitive player has that deck in their list of decks to test against. Aromatisse can easily fill in that Wailord-EX spot for Worlds as few people are playing it and the majority are not testing against it. It’s versatility also allows you to be ready for anything. If you correctly predict the meta and plan your techs accordingly, Aromatisse is a force to be reckoned with.
Here are the Aromatisse variants that I will be discussing in this article:
- FairyBox
- [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”106″ c=”name”] / [card name=”Aromatisse” set=”XY” no=”93″ c=”name”]
- [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”] / [card name=”Aromatisse” set=”XY” no=”93″ c=”name”]
FairyBox
This deck seems to be the most popular [card name=”Aromatisse” set=”XY” no=”93″ c=”name”] variant, performing well at many tournaments this season. The deck uses [card name=”Rainbow Energy” set=”XY” no=”131″ c=”name”], Fairy Energy, and [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”111″ c=”name”] to power up different types of attackers. The general idea of this deck is to assess your opponent’s deck and set up your field appropriately with the right Pokemon-EX that give you an advantage in the series. One of our Premium Writers, Kyle Haverland, popularized this particular variation after his top 4 finish at the Madison Regional Championships, and it performs very well. This is the Aromatisse deck that I think has the best chance to win Worlds. Here’s my take on the deck:
[decklist]
[pokemon amt=”19″]
2x [card name=”Aromatisse” set=”XY” no=”93″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Spritzee” set=”XY” no=”92″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”106″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”107″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”113″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Aegislash-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”65″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Landorus-EX” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”144″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Malamar-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”115″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Trevenant-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”145″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Virizion-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”96″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Regirock” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY49″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Charizard-EX” set=”Flashfire” no=”12″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Suicune” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”20″ c=”deck2″] / 1x [card name=”Sigilyph” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”118″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”106″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Jirachi-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”98″ c=”deck2″]
[/pokemon]
[trainers amt=”29″]
4x [card name=”Professor Juniper” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”116″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”135″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”101″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”104″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”AZ” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”117″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Pokémon Fan Club” set=”Flashfire” no=”106″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”119″ 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=”Max Potion” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”121″ 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=”Dowsing Machine” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”128″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”deck2″]
[/trainers]
[energy amt=”12″]
4x [card name=”Fairy Energy” set=”XY” no=”140″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”Rainbow Energy” set=”XY” no=”131″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Next Destinies” no=”92″ c=”deck2″]
[/energy]
[/decklist]
Card Choices
3-2 Aromatisse Line
I like a 3-2 line of the Aromatisse line because it removes any complications. If one is Prized and the other one is KO’d, I don’t have to go digging through my deck for the one [card name=”Sacred Ash” set=”Flashfire” no=”96″ c=”name”]. In addition, because we don’t run [card name=”Mr. Mime” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”47″ c=”name”], Pokemon that can snipe the Bench spell out death to Aromatisse, especially the [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”] line. If we can manage to get out two Aromatisse, the opponent will switch over to an actual threat on the board opposed to the Pokemon that the deck revolves around.
Seismitoad-EX
Two [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”106″ c=”name”] are great for locking Items while giving you time to set up your field. Seismitoad-EX can also hit for a solid 130 damage with a Grenade Hammer. It even hits for Weakness on some popular Fighting types like [card name=”Landorus-EX” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”89″ c=”name”] and [card name=”Donphan” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”72″ c=”name”].
Darkrai-EX
[card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”107″ c=”name”] is used for its Ability, which grants free retreat. Darkrai can also hit for an easy KO on [card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”name”] and [card name=”Gengar-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”114″ c=”name”], and deal 30 snipe damage.
Manectric-EX
[card name=”Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”113″ c=”name”] is a great attacker against [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”144″ c=”name”], [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”105″ c=”name”], [card name=”Lugia-EX” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”134″ c=”name”], and [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”106″ c=”name”]. It can also snipe with its first attack, Overrun.
[cardimg name=”Aegislash-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”65″ align=”left” height=”250″ c=”none”]
Aegislash-EX
[card name=”Aegislash-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”65″ c=”name”] is used for its Ability, which is particularly useful against Seismitoad-EX, [card name=”Primal Groudon-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”151″ c=”name”], and pretty much any other decks that run and rely on Special Energy.
Landorus-EX
[card name=”Landorus-EX” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”144″ c=”name”] hits for Weakness on [card name=”Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”113″ c=”name”], [card name=”Raichu” set=”XY” no=”43″ c=”name”], and also snipes the Bench.
Malamar-EX
[card name=”Malamar-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”115″ c=”name”] is used to put the opponent to sleep, helping against almost all decks, especially against [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”106″ c=”name”], and can also be a last resort as a heavy hitter. You can attach an Energy to it, activate its Ability, then move the Energy off with [card name=”Aromatisse” set=”XY” no=”93″ c=”name”]. When combined with Seismitoad-EX’s Quaking Punch, they can’t play any switching cards to get out of sleep.
Trevenant-EX
[card name=”Trevenant-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”145″ c=”name”] hits [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”106″ c=”name”], [card name=”Primal Groudon-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”151″ c=”name”], and [card name=”Primal Kyogre-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”55″ c=”name”] decks for Weakness. You can also stall your opponent with Dark Forest if they have a deck that relies on switching in and out of Pokemon.
Virizion-EX
[card name=”Virizion-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”96″ c=”name”] is played for its Ability, which blocks [card name=”Hypnotoxic Laser” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”123″ c=”name”] and opposing [card name=”Malamar-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”115″ c=”name”]s. It is also a decent attacker against [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”].
Charizard-EX
[card name=”Charizard-EX” set=”Flashfire” no=”12″ c=”name”] hits for Weakness on Metal and [card name=”Virizion-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”9″ c=”name”] / [card name=”Genesect-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”11″ c=”name”] decks. With a [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”name”] it can hit for 170, a “magic number” on a lot of Pokemon-EX.
Jirachi-EX and Shaymin-EX
[card name=”Jirachi-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”98″ c=”name”] and [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”] are for getting you out of a tough situation with their Abilities and are good fodder once a [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”name”] is discarded. Shaymin-EX can also hit for a little damage and go back to your hand so you can reuse it.
Regirock
[card name=”Regirock” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY49″ c=”name”] is awesome; you use him to make sure that your opponent can’t KO one of your Benched Pokemon with a [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”104″ c=”name”], knocking off all of your Energy, and also stops cards like [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Primal Clash” no=”162″ c=”name”] and [card name=”Crushing Hammer” set=”Emerging Powers” no=”92″ c=”name”] as long as the Energy is on Regirock. Regirock also can get back [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”name”]s with his first attack.
Suicune / Sigilyph
[card name=”Suicune” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”20″ c=”name”] / [card name=”Sigilyph” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”118″ c=”name”] help you stall until you get set up. They can also work with just a [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”111″ c=”name”] and a [card name=”Rainbow Energy” set=”XY” no=”131″ c=”name”] to attack. The benefit of Suicune is the 10 extra HP and 20 extra damage. Sigilyph on the other hand is another type to hit for Weakness and only has one Retreat Cost. Because the benefits are very small, they are grouped together to let the reader choose which one they like more.
Xerosic
[cardimg name=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”110″ align=”right” height=”250″ c=”none”]
I originally thought that this was worse than [card name=”Startling Megaphone” set=”Flashfire” no=”97″ c=”name”], but I realized its versatility by testing it. For one, it can be used (though unlikely) six times with four [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”name”] and one [card name=”Dowsing Machine” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”128″ c=”name”]. It will mainly be used to take off Team Flare Tools, remove a Tool off a [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”54″ c=”name”], or to remove a Special Energy. Megaphone can only remove your opponent’s Tools and can’t even do that under Item lock.
Sky Field
I play [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”name”] over [card name=”Fairy Garden” set=”XY” no=”117″ c=”name”] because it allows my deck to not rely on the Stadium. With Fairy Garden, if it’s not in play, and assuming I do not run [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”107″ c=”name”], I have to manually discard if I want to retreat, which is detrimental to this deck. Sky Field, while useful to me, is not too important to the deck’s strategy. People think that this card can be bad when you have a full Bench, but most of the time I can easily discard my set-up Pokemon ([card name=”Jirachi-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”98″ c=”name”] and [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”106″ c=”name”]), and a Pokemon who is damaged, [card name=”Head Ringer” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”97″ c=”name”]’d, or useless against the deck I am against.
Other Options
Yveltal-EX
[card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”144″ c=”name”] can hit for quite a lot of damage, while conserving Energy, and is also good against [card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”name”] and [card name=”Gengar-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”114″ c=”name”].
Mewtwo-EX
[card name=”Mewtwo-EX” set=”Next Destinies” no=”98″ c=”name”] is another heavy hitter (similar to [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”144″ c=”name”]) and can have its attack cost fulfilled by a [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”111″ c=”name”].
Cobalion-EX
[card name=”Cobalion-EX” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”133″ c=”name”] is good against decks that rely on Special Energy (mainly [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”106″ c=”name”]) and can be used to hit through Pokemon with Safeguard ([card name=”Suicune” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”20″ c=”name”] and [card name=”Sigilyph” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”118″ c=”name”]).
M Manectric-EX
[card name=”M Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”120″ c=”name”] is bulkier than [card name=”Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”23″ c=”name”] and allows you to accelerate Energy onto your field from the discard pile.
[cardimg name=”Xerneas” set=”XY” no=”96″ align=”right” height=”250″ c=”none”]
Bunnelby
[card name=”Bunnelby” set=”Primal Clash” no=”121″ c=”name”] can get you back Special Energy and other resources.
Xerneas
[card name=”Xerneas” set=”XY” no=”96″ c=”name”] accelerates Energy onto the field early on and can hit through Safeguard Pokemon.
Matchups
The point of this deck is to have an answer to everything (or an answer to everything present). My list only has a bit of trouble with [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”54″ c=”name”] and [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”36″ c=”name”] decks as I only run one [card name=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”119″ c=”name”] and one [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”104″ c=”name”]. Despite the four [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”110″ c=”name”], under Item lock, I can’t VS Seeker, and against [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”36″ c=”name”] / [card name=”Primal Groudon-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”151″ c=”name”], I can’t Lysandre around Wobbuffet unless there is a [card name=”Groudon-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”150″ c=”name”] on the field.
M Gardevoir-EX
This deck is a more consistent version of [card name=”Aromatisse” set=”XY” no=”93″ c=”name”]. It uses [card name=”Xerneas” set=”XY” no=”96″ c=”name”]’ Geomancy to get a ton of Fairy Energy onto your Benched Pokemon so you can use [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”156″ c=”name”]’s Brilliant Arrow for 30 times the amount of Fairy Energy in play. The deck can OHKO most Pokemon by turn three if set up correctly and uses [card name=”Max Potion” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”121″ c=”name”] to heal off any damage done to M Gardevoir. The deck can also get even more Energy into play with [card name=”Mega Turbo” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”86″ c=”name”], which is amazing in this deck. Here is my list:
[decklist]
[pokemon amt=”16″]
3x [card name=”Xerneas” set=”XY” no=”96″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”156″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Gardevoir-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”155″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”Aromatisse” set=”XY” no=”93″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Spritzee” set=”XY” no=”92″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Florges-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”116″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Regirock” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY49″ c=”deck2″]
1x [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″]
3x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”101″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”Pokémon Fan Club” set=”Flashfire” no=”106″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”104″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”135″ 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=”Mega Turbo” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”86″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Max Potion” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”121″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”Gardevoir Spirit Link” set=”Primal Clash” no=”130″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Exp. Share” set=”Primal Clash” no=”128″ 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=”Fairy Garden” set=”XY” no=”117″ c=”deck2″]
[/trainers]
[energy amt=”11″]
11x [card name=”Fairy Energy” set=”XY” no=”140″ c=”deck2″]
[/energy]
[/decklist]
[cardimg name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”106″ align=”right” height=”250″ c=”none”]
Card Choices
Xerneas
I originally played four [card name=”Xerneas” set=”XY” no=”96″ c=”name”] in this deck, but after testing, I felt like the deck only needed three. You need three or four Xerneas to make it more likely to start with it and Geomancy turn one. If you don’t, you lose a lot of valuable time. Its second attack is also useful against Safeguard Pokemon. You can get the discarded Energy back later in the game with a [card name=”Mega Turbo” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”86″ c=”name”].
Florges-EX
[card name=”Florges-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”116″ c=”name”] has two great attacks. Lead can help you get out of bad hands. Bright Garden, on the other hand, 2HKOs most Pokemon. It is very good against [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”106″ c=”name”] because it doesn’t require that many Energy to use. Be careful when you play it because of its relatively low HP.
Mega Turbo
This card is amazing in here and the deck wouldn’t function well without it. Once you get a [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”156″ c=”name”] onto the field, you can [card name=”Mega Turbo” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”86″ c=”name”] any discarded Energy onto it and move around the Energy with [card name=”Aromatisse” set=”XY” no=”93″ c=”name”]’s Fairy Transfer. Combined with [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”122″ c=”name”], [card name=”Computer Search” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”137″ c=”name”], and [card name=”Professor Juniper” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”116″ c=”name”], it easily helps you stream Fairy Energy.
Exp. Share
This card is useful because it lets me save an Energy from being discarded. Usually, I’ll attach it to [card name=”Regirock” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY49″ c=”name”] as my opponent can’t discard Tools attached to Regirock. Some people dislike this card because Energy in the discard can be retrieved with [card name=”Mega Turbo” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”86″ c=”name”], but keeping the Energy on the board is preferred in almost all situations.
0 Wonder Energy
I see many variants of this deck play [card name=”Wonder Energy” set=”Primal Clash” no=”144″ c=”name”], but I don’t really see the point. It stops next to nothing when it comes to attacks, as most attacks do a ton of damage without any side effects. For example, the [card name=”M Charizard-EX” set=”Flashfire” no=”107″ c=”name”] does 300 damage, but its effect only harms the user. Wonder Energy doesn’t stop [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”106″ c=”name”]. It does stop cards like [card name=”Groudon-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”150″ c=”name”]’s Rip Claw, but one Energy in the discard isn’t the end of the world. Lastly, the card is susceptible to [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Primal Clash” no=”162″ c=”name”] and [card name=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”119″ c=”name”]. This is bad considering we only run 11 Energy, and making sure that we have eight or nine in play at all times is crucial against certain decks.
Matchups
Night March
This deck can beat Night March if it plays correctly. The Night March player needs 10 Night Marchers in the discard plus a [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”name”], or 11 Night Marchers in the discard to OHKO [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”156″ c=”name”]. It’s doable, so I’d suggest just attacking with [card name=”Xerneas” set=”XY” no=”96″ c=”name”], [card name=”Florges-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”116″ c=”name”], or even [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”106″ c=”name”], and use M Gardevoir-EX as a wall later in the game.
[cardimg name=”Regirock” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY49″ align=”left” height=”250″ c=”none”]
Primal Groudon-EX
Both decks are pretty slow, so the matchup really comes down to who sets up first. One thing you must do is to concentrate your Energy onto [card name=”Regirock” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY49″ c=”name”]. Because you can’t move your Energy around when [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”36″ c=”name”] is Active, try to get an early [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”104″ c=”name”] on a Benched [card name=”Groudon-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”150″ c=”name”] so you can gain access to your Abilities for the turn. Lastly, set up both M Gardevoir-EX, as your opponent will likely KO one of them, leaving the other one able to OHKO back. This deck is able to rebound after a Mega Pokemon is KO’d, whereas [card name=”Primal Groudon-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”151″ c=”name”] cannot.
M Rayquaza-EX
This deck is one of [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”156″ c=”name”]’s worst matchups because it can consistently and quickly stream OHKOs. Without the [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”name”] Stadium in play, the deck crumbles. If you can constantly knock out Sky Field, they can do a maximum of 150 damage, which is awesome because you can [card name=”Max Potion” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”121″ c=”name”] all that damage away. If they run [card name=”Ninetales” set=”Primal Clash” no=”21″ c=”name”], then go for their [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”106″ c=”name”]; they are free KOs and only need four Fairy Energy in play for M Gardevoir-EX to OHKO. If you can [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”name”] them up and KO them, then you at least have a chance at winning.
Seismitoad-EX
This deck isn’t too threatening, as we have many ways to work around Item lock. If they run [card name=”Crawdaunt” set=”Primal Clash” no=”92″ c=”name”], we can get more Energy from Benched Pokemon; so they’ll deal fifty damage a turn while we deal 180 plus damage. If they run [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”], you’ll need to get out [card name=”Spritzee” set=”XY” no=”92″ c=”name”]s as quickly as possible. Then, once you find [card name=”AZ” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”117″ c=”name”], use it conservatively to heal a Pokemon with a lot of damage on it. Against any [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”106″ c=”name”] deck, [card name=”Florges-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”116″ c=”name”] and [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”156″ c=”name”] put on a lot of pressure and do so much damage against Seismitoad-EX that it makes the game easy to win.
M Manectric-EX
This deck is another easy win, as their only way to OHKO a M Gardevoir-EX is to run [card name=”Black Kyurem-EX” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”95″ c=”name”] and [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”name”], and even still, Black Kyurem-EX is not easy to set up. You OHKO everything and they 2HKO everything, so the game is heavily in your favor.
Metal
This is one of your hardest matchups, but it isn’t a complete auto-loss despite your Weakness to Metal. [card name=”Gardevoir-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”155″ c=”name”]’s second attack blocks Weakness, but it is OHKO’d by [card name=”Dialga-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”122″ c=”name”]. If you feel as if Metal is a big presence in your area, you might want to switch out [card name=”Florges-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”67″ c=”name”] with [card name=”Mewtwo-EX” set=”Next Destinies” no=”98″ c=”name”], but otherwise, just try to KO Pokemon they are setting up.
Raichu
Just like [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”], [card name=”Raichu” set=”XY” no=”43″ c=”name”] variants are hard to beat, but aren’t unbeatable. For one, they need a full Bench, a [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”name”], and 20 on the Active Pokemon, likely damage from a [card name=”Golbat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”32″ c=”name”]/[card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”], to get a OHKO on [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”156″ c=”name”]. This isn’t too difficult for the Raichu player, but it can be harder for them if you play correctly. One strategy is not to go for the M Gardevoir-EX right away. This is because early in the game, it is easier for the Raichu player to get a lot of Pokemon on the field, have many [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”name”]s left in the deck, and have plenty of damage modifiers left. If we start the game with low Energy attackers like [card name=”Florges-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”67″ c=”name”] or [card name=”Xerneas” set=”XY” no=”96″ c=”name”] and attack later with M Gardevoir-EX, we should be in a good spot when we get to the late game.
Ray-Tisse
This deck is one of my favorite [card name=”Aromatisse” set=”XY” no=”93″ c=”name”] decks because it combines the most powerful Pokemon in the format with Aromatisse. Basically, if you can’t OHKO [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”105″ c=”name”], it will be healed next turn. With [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”106″ c=”name”], [card name=”Mega Turbo” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”86″ c=”name”], and [card name=”Computer Search” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”137″ c=”name”], there’s no doubt this deck runs consistently. Here’s a list I’ve been using:
[decklist]
[pokemon amt=”16″]
3x [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”105″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”104″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”106″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”Aromatisse” set=”XY” no=”93″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Spritzee” set=”XY” no=”92″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Keldeo-EX” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”142″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Xerneas” set=”XY” no=”96″ c=”deck2″]
[/pokemon]
[trainers amt=”34″]
4x [card name=”Professor Juniper” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”116″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”101″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”118″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”104″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”122″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Mega Turbo” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”86″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”110″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Rayquaza Spirit Link” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”87″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Max Potion” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”121″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”99″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Sacred Ash” set=”Flashfire” no=”96″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Professor’s Letter” set=”XY” no=”123″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Computer Search” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”137″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”deck2″]
[/trainers]
[energy amt=”10″]
7x [card name=”Fairy Energy” set=”XY” no=”140″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”111″ c=”deck2″]
[/energy]
[/decklist]
Card Choices
M Rayquaza-EX
A 3-3 [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”105″ c=”name”] line is needed as the minimum of this deck. I see lists of M Rayquaza-EX decks that run a 3-2 or a 4-3 line of M Rayquaza-EX, but to me that’s just silly. [card name=”Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”104″ c=”name”] has pretty subpar attacks, so you need all the Rayquaza-EXs to Mega Evolve, which is why there are three M Rayquaza-EX. We do run [card name=”Sacred Ash” set=”Flashfire” no=”96″ c=”name”], but I don’t want the deck to rely on one card that could be Prized or in the discard pile.
[cardimg name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ align=”right” height=”250″ c=”none”]
Keldeo-EX
[card name=”Keldeo-EX” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”142″ c=”name”] is to grant free retreat. The deck can’t run [card name=”Fairy Garden” set=”XY” no=”117″ c=”name”] because it needs [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”name”] in the deck, and it also can’t run [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”107″ c=”name”] as changing the type of Energy would change the deck’s strategy. The remaining options are to run either a bunch of switching cards, or Keldeo-EX with [card name=”Float Stone” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”99″ c=”name”], but because I can attack with Keldeo-EX, I decided to go with it.
Colress
In a deck that runs [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”name”], [card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”135″ c=”name”] is a great card to run. Because both players try to take advantage of the Stadium in play, many times you’ll draw 12-16 cards off it. With [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”110″ c=”name”] you can reuse it over and over again. It will hopefully give you the combination of cards that you need.
0 Trainer’s Mail
I originally had two [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”name”] in my list, but I realized that this card wasn’t helping that much. The odds of me getting the Trainer card that I need out of the top four cards of my deck are slim, despite the concentration of Trainers / Supporters / Stadiums I run in the deck. Most of the time I’d rather have more [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”122″ c=”name”]s and [card name=”Max Potion” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”121″ c=”name”]s than Trainers’ Mail. Don’t get me wrong, Trainers’ Mail is a good card and should be played in any deck that has the room, but I felt there were better cards to play in this deck.
Matchups
Night March
This deck is a bit troubling for the [card name=”Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”104″ c=”name”] player as they run four Lightning-type Pokemon. My strategy is to focus on the [card name=”Joltik” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”26″ c=”name”], then when the time is right, focus on [card name=”Mew-EX” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”120″ c=”name”]. It comes down to how fast the Night March player gets Energy on the field and Night Marchers in the discard.
Primal Groudon-EX
This matchup is somewhat even. The beginning of the match can be hard considering that we run so Pokemon that rely on Abilities ([card name=”Keldeo-EX” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”142″ c=”name”], [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”106″ c=”name”], and [card name=”Aromatisse” set=”XY” no=”93″ c=”name”]). Once they switch out to [card name=”Primal Groudon-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”151″ c=”name”], you have to be prepared. Regardless of how much Energy is on a Benched Primal Groudon-EX, make sure your Energy are spread out among all your Pokemon! They can [card name=”Mega Turbo” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”86″ c=”name”] three Energy in one turn and [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”104″ c=”name”] a Pokemon you were saving up to be your only heavy hitter. Also, make sure you use your Stadiums wisely, as they will not only replace your Stadium with theirs, but they also discard it with Gaia Volcano. Only put down [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”name”] when you know you can hit 240 damage in that turn or if it is necessary to put it down.
M Rayquaza-EX
Most straight [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”105″ c=”name”] decks are a good matchup for you. If they miss a OHKO, you can heal it off, while they cannot heal your OHKOs. If this is the [card name=”Raichu” set=”XY” no=”43″ c=”name”] variant, you’ll most likely lose as there is no really good defense against Raichu. If it is the Metal version, then it is about 60-40 in your favor, as this deck is more consistent than Metal Ray.
[cardimg name=”Garbodor” set=”Legendary Treasures” no=”68″ align=”right” height=”250″ c=”none”]
Seismitoad-EX
This can be a tough match for you depending on the version. If it’s against the [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”54″ c=”name”] version, try to get into a great position turn one. As the deck runs a lot of cards to discard Energy, a good strategy might be to load up a [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”105″ c=”name”] with a lot of Energy (you can’t move the Energy around with [card name=”Aromatisse” set=”XY” no=”93″ c=”name”] once Garbodor is out). Also, remember not to bench [card name=”Keldeo-EX” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”49″ c=”name”] unless you need the extra damage from Emerald Break. Sure, a turn one Keldeo-EX and [card name=”Float Stone” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”99″ c=”name”] sounds appealing, but once Garbodor is out, you can’t use Rush In for the rest of the game.
Metal
This deck should be easy for you to beat. They can’t consistently OHKO you and any damage they deal you can [card name=”Max Potion” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”121″ c=”name”] off. In addition, [card name=”Dialga-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”122″ c=”name”] and [card name=”Aegislash-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”65″ c=”name”] are not real threats as Chrono Wind is negated by [card name=”Keldeo-EX” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”49″ c=”name”], and Aegislash-EX’s Ability doesn’t matter against a [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”105″ c=”name”] with three Fairy Energy attached.
Raichu Variants
This would be one of the auto-losses this deck faces. There are no real solutions to [card name=”Raichu” set=”XY” no=”43″ c=”name”] for this deck. What you can do is to try to [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”name”] around Raichu and KO their Benched [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”]. If you can stream three consecutive turns of Shaymin-EX KOs, then you win the game.
M Manectric-EX
This is the other auto-loss. Again, you have to rely on being able to attack first and get the first KO on a [card name=”M Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”120″ c=”name”] or [card name=”Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”113″ c=”name”]. One strategy is to target Manectric-EX and not put a tool onto [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”]. This is risky, as the opponent could run Flare Tools, but this strategy would be effective if you were sure that they did not run those type of cards.
Rouge / Other Aromatisse Contenders
These decks do not see any play competitively, but one thing to learn in Pokemon is to expect the unexpected. Don’t assume a deck is bad just because you have never played against it before; sometimes those rogue decks end up doing well at bigger tournaments (The Truth, RaiEggs, [card name=”Wailord-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”147″ c=”name”], etc.). Here are two [card name=”Aromatisse” set=”XY” no=”93″ c=”name”] variants I toyed around with online only to be pummeled by most other competitive decks.
[cardimg name=”Malamar-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”58″ align=”right” height=”250″ c=”none”]
Seisma-Tisse
This deck uses [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”106″ c=”name”], [card name=”Aromatisse” set=”XY” no=”93″ c=”name”], and [card name=”Malamar-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”115″ c=”name”] as the centerpieces of the deck. Every turn you put the opponent’s Active Pokemon to sleep with Malamar-EX or [card name=”Hypnotoxic Laser” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”123″ c=”name”], and heal off damage done to Seismitoad-EX when needed. Your opponent can’t play any Items due to Seismitoad’s Item lock, so it can be difficult for your opponent to get out of sleep. This deck has trouble doing enough damage in the current format, but could be okay with the right metagame.
Classic Aromatisse
This deck is considered to be the most consistent of all the [card name=”Aromatisse” set=”XY” no=”93″ c=”name”] decks because it isn’t gimmicky in any way. It relies on [card name=”Xerneas” set=”XY” no=”96″ c=”name”] to Geomancy two Fairy Energy onto Benched Pokemon and then use Pokemon like [card name=”Florges-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”116″ c=”name”], [card name=”Mewtwo-EX” set=”Next Destinies” no=”98″ c=”name”], [card name=”Xerneas-EX” set=”XY” no=”97″ c=”name”], [card name=”Diancie-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY43″ c=”name”]/[card name=”M Diancie-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY44″ c=”name”], and Xerneas to attack, then heal with [card name=”AZ” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”117″ c=”name”] or [card name=”Max Potion” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”121″ c=”name”]. The issues with these types of decks are it has no tricks or surprising cards, it is very lackluster damage-wise, and has many unfavorable matchups. Similarly to Seisma-Tisse, it can perform in the right metagame, but I wouldn’t expect it to well at any big tournaments.
Closing
I’ll reiterate that I want all of my lists to be guidelines and not “Control C, Control V” decks. I have tested with my own personal preferences, but many reading this article will have different tastes in all of the builds listed above. Some of you will likely think to themselves “why is he running this card? I’d much rather run X over Y!” The lists above are ideas that the reader should use to adapt to their own style and meta when it comes to their lineup.
Lastly, thank you to PokeBeach for allowing me to write for them, anyone who helped me write my article, and everyone else for reading my article! I hope it helped you understand the ins and outs of [card name=”Aromatisse” set=”XY” no=”93″ c=”name”] a little bit better. And for those who actually read the closings to articles, comment #Fairies2K15 in the comment section below with your opinions.
~Elbow