Constructing a Deck for Worlds and a Look at XY-On!
Hello PokeBeach readers! I am back again with another article, this time focusing on the World Championships, and the new Standard and Expanded formats! For a quick Nationals recap, Kolton Day (my good friend and fellow PokeBeach writer) and I ran the exact same [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”] / [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”] list. We had been working with Crobat variations for a while, as we learned that having lots of control over where your damage is dealt is quite powerful. Originally, I was working on [card name=”Landorus-EX” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”89″ c=”name”] / [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”], but found out after testing that the Seismitoad-EX / Crobat version worked better against the meta, and I will talk more about that in this article. What I want to do for this article is take that 60 card list we used from Nationals, and what we have learned about what works and what does not, and show you what we can do to make it ready for the World Championships. To do this, I will be looking over some of the deck building guidelines I set for myself when looking at a deck to ensure that the deck will perform well, at least in theory. After that, since I know some people are already looking forward to the next season, I will also look at some Ancient Origins card options for the deck.
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Nationals Deck List
Like I said, we are going to start off with the [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”] / [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”] list I played for Nationals. The difference between analyzing the Nationals meta and the Worlds meta is that we have more information from results of U.S. Nationals. Below is the list that Kolton Day and I used for Nationals:
[decklist]
[pokemon amt=”17″]
4x [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Golbat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”32″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”Zubat” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”53″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Mewtwo-EX” set=”Next Destinies” no=”98″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Jirachi-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”60″ c=”deck2″]
[/pokemon]
[trainers amt=”36″]
4x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”92″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”XY” no=”122″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”118″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”110″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”AZ” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”91″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Flashfire” no=”99″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”Hypnotoxic Laser” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”123″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Super Scoop Up” set=”Furious Fists” no=”100″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Switch” set=”XY Trainer Kit” no=”4″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”94″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Computer Search” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”137″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”Virbank City Gym” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”126″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”Silent Lab” set=”Primal Clash” no=”140″ c=”deck2″]
[/trainers]
[energy amt=”7″]
4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Next Destinies” no=”92″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Water Energy” set=”Call of Legends” no=”90″ c=”deck2″]
[/energy]
[/decklist]
Kolton Day is writing a Nationals report featuring this deck list, going over all 15 rounds he played at Nationals to bring him to his top 16 finish and explaining some of the card choices and matchups, so be on the lookout for that! Now, let’s talk about what we can do to make this list World Championship ready.
Editing the List
All of the card choices for this list were based on my predictions for U.S. Nationals. Honestly, it was impossible to guess exactly what would happen at Nationals. Due to [card name=”Lysandre’s Trump Card” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”99″ c=”name”] being banned, we had a very limited pool of results to look at. Now that we have results from U.S. Nationals, we can predict the meta for Worlds, and know what we need to beat. There are other articles on PokeBeach that go really in-depth on the meta for Worlds, so I will just quickly give my thoughts on it so I can guide you through how I edited my list. Below are some of the decks that I feel will be popular at Worlds, and explain what we can do for each matchup.
Manectric-EX
[card name=”Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”23″ c=”name”] and [card name=”M Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”24″ c=”name”] are very strong cards, as they can be used in many ways. First off, you don’t always need a M Manectric-EX in the deck. Manectric-EX already deals quite a bit of damage with Assault Laser, and can be paired with [card name=”Head Ringer” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”97″ c=”name”] and [card name=”Jamming Net” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”98″ c=”name”] to do additional damage. Most Manectric-EX decks, though, do run the Mega Evolution for the Energy acceleration. This really helps these decks deal consistent amounts of damage for entire matches. Many of the Manectric decks I saw in Swiss were running [card name=”Empoleon” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”29″ c=”name”], [card name=”Suicune” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”20″ c=”name”], and sometimes [card name=”Leafeon” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”11″ c=”name”] to cover as many bases as possible. Empoleon is a great draw engine as well as a Water attacker when needed against [card name=”Landorus-EX” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”89″ c=”name”], and Suicune’s Safeguard is also great against many decks in the format, as Pokemon-EX are so heavily used. Finally, Leafeon is for all of the Grass-weak Pokemon like [card name=”Primal Groudon-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”86″ c=”name”] and [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”].
[cardimg name=”Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”23″ align=”left” height=”200″ c=”custom”]We don’t even need to see his final form![/cardimg]
Manectric-EX decks are probably the hardest deck to beat that is popular in the meta and consistently played at tournaments. If the deck plays Leafeons, more than likely you would not win this matchup. There are no great Fighting-type Pokemon that can easily be put in the deck. The most important cards for this matchup are Stadium cards. Manectric-EX decks typically play three or four copies of [card name=”Rough Seas” set=”Primal Clash” no=”137″ c=”name”] to heal damage, which hard counters your Sneaky Bite and Surprise Bite damage from your [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”] line. As long as you are constantly replacing their Rough Seas, you can start building up damage and possibly muster up a couple Knock Outs on Manectrics with Grenade Hammers later in the game.
The last thing I can say about M Manectric-EX is that there is one more version that is quite a bit less popular, but could potentially be seen after Grant Manley got top 4 at U.S. Nationals with it. It is the [card name=”M Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”24″ c=”name”] / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”54″ c=”name”] build. The main difference for this deck is it will also try to shut off your Abilities, however, with Quaking Punch, the hope is that the Manectric player will not activate Garbotoxin during the match, meaning they will have a dead line of Pokemon in the deck, slowing them down enough to have a slightly greater chance of winning for the Toad / Bats player. Manectric still is a tough matchup, but this version is slightly easier if they cannot get a Tool on their Garbodor before the Item lock comes out. If they do get to their Tools quick enough, you should try to use your [card name=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”110″ c=”name”] on it. So, watch out for this version of Manectric at Worlds! To read more about it, check out Grant Manley’s article about it.
Seismitoad-EX / Garbodor
[cardimg name=”Garbodor” set=”Legendary Treasures” no=”68″ align=”right” height=”200″ c=”custom”]Surprisingly, this deck isn’t trash.[/cardimg]
Any [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”] vs. Seismitoad-EX matchup will be a very slow game that will usually come down to Energy drops. If either player is able to use enough [card name=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”110″ c=”name”], [card name=”Team Flare Grunt” set=”XY” no=”129″ c=”name”], or, when a player misses a Quaking Punch, [card name=”Crushing Hammer” set=”Emerging Powers” no=”92″ c=”name”] and [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”94″ c=”name”], to get rid of all of the opponent’s Energy in play, they will quickly win the game. Seismitoad-EX decks are going to be popular after Jason Klaczynski used his [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”] / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”54″ c=”name”] deck to win U.S. Nationals.
If you want to have a good matchup, you should play more Energy-removing cards, specifically Xerosic and Team Flare Grunt (since you can play them under Item lock). These will be a huge factor in whether or not you win against this deck. If you are able to play more Item cards than your opponent, you are probably going to win. Another card that might also help is [card name=”Bunnelby” set=”Primal Clash” no=”121″ c=”name”], which lets you get your Energy and resources back. Instead of accepting the loss once you run out of Energy, you can give up the Item lock for a turn and give yourself another chance. This card was sometimes used before Nationals as a way of getting resources back since [card name=”Lysandre’s Trump Card” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”118″ c=”name”] was banned. However, it fell out of favor due to people not thinking it was quite good enough, however, after some playtesting, and looking back at my testing before Nationals, it might actually be worth it. It is also good against the next deck that I feel has a chance to do well at Worlds, [card name=”Wailord-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”38″ c=”name”].
Wailord-EX
[cardimg name=”Wailord-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”147″ align=”right” height=”200″ c=”custom”]Yes, I am in fact telling you that a Bunny could beat this Whale.[/cardimg]
[card name=”Wailord-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”38″ c=”name”] was the largest surprise to everyone at Nationals. The deck is meant to deck out your opponent slowly and painfully. I believe that this deck will have a decent chance at Worlds due to it potentially hitting the right matchups in Swiss. Most people have figured out that [card name=”Bunnelby” set=”Primal Clash” no=”121″ c=”name”] can really hurt the Wailord decks by using either of its attacks. First, you could use Burrow to quickly start discarding cards from the Wailord’s deck, and then use Rototiller to put cards back into your deck. Wailord-EX does not really have any answer to this due to not running any cards that help do damage or remove Pokemon from play. This means that one Bunnelby can just win the matchup by itself. However, I do not feel everyone will be playing this card at Worlds in their deck. Great players know when to cut corners, and Bunnelby was cut before, and might be cut again due to the fact that Wailord is so easily beat by it, so perhaps no one will play Wailord. It is a cycle that might allow Wailord-EX players to get easy wins by getting paired against the right opponents, or get destroyed because they played against players who played Bunnelby in their lists. I honestly feel that Bunnelby is worth putting in decks due to the utility it brings, but not every player will agree here.
Rayquaza-EX / Metal
[cardimg name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ align=”right” height=”200″ c=”custom”]I ran out of bad jokes.[/cardimg]
This is the last deck I want to talk about because I feel it is the last really hard and popular matchup. This matchup is hard due to the fact that [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”] is a 220 HP Pokemon which is very hard to take down, even with all of the [card name=”Hypnotoxic Laser” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”123″ c=”name”]/[card name=”Virbank City Gym” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”126″ c=”name”] and [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”] line damage. Then, the deck can easily survive Energy removal like [card name=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”110″ c=”name”] because it plays [card name=”Bronzong” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”61″ c=”name”] for Energy acceleration.
The best card for this matchup is Water Energy. For damage output, it is imperative to get more than just one Grenade Hammer off in the game to get more than one Knock Out on a [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”], and for being able to use Quaking Punch against [card name=”Aegislash-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”65″ c=”name”] and deal damage. I recall trying to find room for a fourth Water Energy, but just could not. Perhaps we can now.
Changing The Deck
Now that we have analyzed the opposition, it is finally time to edit the deck. There are many more matchups than listed above, but those are easier matchups like [card name=”Landorus-EX” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”89″ c=”name”] / [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”] or Night March. Both of these matchups are easy to beat due to Weakness to Water and low HP Pokemon respectively. We do not need any additional cards to beat them.
So are you ready to step up your game? In this next section, I am going to show you the adjusted list, then talk about my process for creating and changing deck lists (something every player should know how to do well), and how the deck will look when Ancient Origins comes out for those who want a head start on the next season. All you have to do is upgrade your account now to read the rest of this article, as well as all of our other quality Premium Articles, and so much more competitive TCG content!
[premium]
So, to review what we have seen from hard matchups that ended up being popular at Nationals, and very well could be popular at Worlds, we need to make sure we have as many Stadiums that we can include in the deck, find room for the fourth [card name=”Water Energy” set=”XY” no=”134″ c=”name”], consider [card name=”Bunnelby” set=”Primal Clash” no=”121″ c=”name”], and finally, increase the count of Energy removal cards like [card name=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”110″ c=”name”]. Let’s take a look at the new deck list that I came up with.
[decklist]
[pokemon amt=”16″]
3x [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Golbat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”32″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Zubat” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”53″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Mewtwo-EX” set=”Next Destinies” no=”98″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Jirachi-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”60″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Bunnelby” set=”Primal Clash” no=”121″ c=”deck2″]
[/pokemon]
[trainers amt=”36″]
4x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”XY” no=”122″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”92″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”118″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”110″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”AZ” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”91″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Flashfire” no=”99″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”Hypnotoxic Laser” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”123″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Super Scoop Up” set=”Furious Fists” no=”100″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Switch” set=”XY Trainer Kit” no=”4″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”94″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Computer Search” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”137″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”Virbank City Gym” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”126″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”Silent Lab” set=”Primal Clash” no=”140″ c=”deck2″]
[/trainers]
[energy amt=”8″]
4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Next Destinies” no=”92″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”Water Energy” set=”Call of Legends” no=”90″ c=”deck2″]
[/energy]
[/decklist]
In this list, I added a [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”XY” no=”122″ c=”name”], a [card name=”Bunnelby” set=”Primal Clash” no=”121″ c=”name”], a [card name=”Water Energy” set=”XY” no=”134″ c=”name”], a [card name=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”110″ c=”name”], and removed a [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”], a [card name=”Zubat” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”53″ c=”name”], and two [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”92″ c=”name”]s. I did not add Stadiums as four is enough. This list is a much better list for Worlds as it covers more of the hard and popular matchups seen at U.S. Nationals. Also, I prefer more Professor Sycamores than Ns right now. With Worlds demanding really good records to make Day Two, and top 8 during Day Two, I think the consistency of Professor Sycamore is simply better than disruption with N.
If I play [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”] / [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”] for Worlds, this easily could be the list I play. The point of this is not to just give out my lists, but to go over the thought process behind looking at results and experience to adjust the list. One of the most important parts in the Pokemon TCG is deck building. If you know how to build the best deck possible for the deck you play, you will generally do much better in tournaments. Next week after playtesting some more, I could easily change decks completely. I encourage playtesting before any major events as well as going through a similar process that I went through for making this list. Have a starting list, analyze the meta, figure out your hard matchups, and tech against them by knowing what corners to cut, which is what I want to talk about next.
Cutting Corners
This is the final part of this article that will be about making a Worlds deck. I see people always asking things like “man, how did you fit that many of X card in this deck?” The answer is just cutting corners where most players would not. For example, in the Nationals list that I ran, Kolton and I decided that two [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”name”] was enough. Most people play three or four copies in their decks. We felt that cutting any of our other 58 cards for the third Muscle Band was not worth it due to being able to have so much damage from our [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”] line. Our Crobat line also faced some cuts over time. Originally we ran four [card name=”Zubat” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”53″ c=”name”], four [card name=”Golbat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”32″ c=”name”], and four Crobat. After a while, we realized we could cut it down to a strange looking 4-3-2 line that is not often seen, but turned out to be good enough. With three [card name=”Super Scoop Up” set=”Furious Fists” no=”100″ c=”name”], an [card name=”AZ” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”91″ c=”name”], and four [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”name”] that could become AZ, we felt that it was important to keep four Zubat to have multiple on the Bench, and after evolving a Zubat or Golbat to scoop up the cards, and evolve a new line still on the Bench.
Cutting corners can get out of hand though, so I want to leave off with my personal guidelines for a deck list to make sure I am not going overboard with cutting cards, and see if my new list works. My guidelines are:
- Between 15-20 cards that can be used in the opening hand to draw cards or search the deck
- At least one-two of the Basic Pokemon are good starting Pokemon
- Have some sort of strategy against hard matchups
Two quick notes about these guidelines are that VS Seeker is not a card that can be drawn in the opening hand and be considered a Supporter. You do not start out the game with Supporters in the discard. Also, I do count [card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”118″ c=”name”] as a card you can open with and draw cards. Generally, many decks can fill up the Bench quickly enough to where you can use Colress for at least four cards by turn two, which is good enough to draw into other cards.
Looking at the new deck list, my third guideline is pretty much automatically met, as it was based on Nationals results and how to beat the hard matchups. Next, I count 16 cards to draw cards or search for draw cards in my opening hand, including [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”], [card name=”Jirachi-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”60″ c=”name”], [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Flashfire” no=”99″ c=”name”], [card name=”Computer Search” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”137″ c=”name”], [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”XY” no=”122″ c=”name”], [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”92″ c=”name”], and [card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”118″ c=”name”]. From my experiences, 15-20 of these kinds of cards keeps the deck very consistent, allowing you to dead draw so few times that you can still do well in a tournament. Finally, starting Pokemon. I count that seven of the eleven Basic Pokemon in the deck would be a fine starter. Having above half of them being a good starter means you are less likely to start games off on the wrong foot, giving you a greater chance to win. The bad starters in this deck would be Shaymin-EX, Jirachi-EX, and [card name=”Bunnelby” set=”Primal Clash” no=”121″ c=”name”]. The first two require playing them from your hand during a turn to activate their Ability, and Bunnelby is better when you actually have a discard pile to recycle resources. [card name=”Zubat” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”53″ c=”name”] is good because it has free retreat, while [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”] and [card name=”Mewtwo-EX” set=”Next Destinies” no=”54″ c=”name”] can attack with a single [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Next Destinies” no=”92″ c=”name”].
To conclude, this is generally how I come up with my deck lists, and my deck building is why I feel like I have done better this year than every other year before this one. I have actually taken more time to look at my deck lists, and really analyze the game more. It takes time and effort, and it really is an important factor in how a player does at tournaments. I hope this article will help people continuously, just like my previous article about preparing for large tournaments. If you know how to build a deck well, analyze the meta, and prepare for large events, you will do a lot better at tournaments.
Ancient Origins
Next season’s Autumn Regional Championships have been confirmed to be using the Expanded format for the entire tournament. This means that the [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”] / [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”] deck will not lose anything, but gain more cards from the new set instead. There are some very interesting cards coming out next set that I would like to talk about that would give some options for this deck, and give an idea of what the deck would look like at the start of next year. Hopefully this will help give the head start we are looking for next year, so let’s look at some cards! If you don’t know what any of the new cards do, check out the Ancient Origins scans and translations here.
Unown
The first card I would like to discuss is Unown. I might be over-hyping this card, but I think this could very easily become a must-have in all decks as a four-of. This card allows you to play with a 56 card deck, which increases the consistency of any deck that it is in. There is absolutely no penalty for playing this Pokemon except the chance of starting with it, which even then would not be the worst thing. With 60 HP, it can last some very early game damage output, like the “LaserBank” combo with [card name=”Hypnotoxic Laser” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”123″ c=”name”] / [card name=”Virbank City Gym” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”126″ c=”name”], which deals 30 in between turns, meaning you have a turn still to get something going. I will have to test this card more to say for sure how good it is, but just in theory, playing with a 56 card deck seems really good.
Level Ball
The next card I really like is [card name=”Level Ball” set=”Next Destinies” no=”89″ c=”name”], a reprint from [set name=”Next Destinies”]. This can search for [card name=”Zubat” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”53″ c=”name”], [card name=”Golbat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”32″ c=”name”], [card name=”Jirachi-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”60″ c=”name”], and even the new Unown, meaning you can just recycle this card by searching for a card that allows you to draw one card. This card can be used as a consistency card for both draw power and for searching out some of your Basic and Stage 1 Pokemon that you would regularly have trouble getting out. I know one of the things I disliked the most at Nationals was needing to use [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Flashfire” no=”99″ c=”name”] for a [card name=”Zubat” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”53″ c=”name”]. It sometimes felt like a waste of three cards, the Ultra Ball and the two discards. Level Ball will be amazing for this deck, and is easily a must-have for all of these reasons.
Supporters
The last two cards I want to talk about are the Supporters from this set, Ace Trainer and Hex Maniac. I love these Supporters because they promote a slightly slower pace of play. Many Supporters right now are all about drawing through your deck ASAP, when really, I enjoy games that last a little longer and take a little bit more thought, and I love control decks. Both of these cards are meant to take control of the situation, one of which is when you are behind, and the other is when you want to lock up a game. Ace Trainer is the come-from-behind one. This allows you to prevent your opponent from easily taking an early lead into a quick victory. Players will really need to consider if they want to take a Knock Out on say, turn two of the game, because next turn, they might be sitting with a three card hand with an underdeveloped field.
Next, Hex Maniac can potentially lock up a game. Let’s say that the only way your opponent can win the game next turn is by drawing into their last [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”name”], and they only have a few cards left in their deck. You notice that your opponent used Sky Return with their [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”] last turn to use Set Up next turn. This means, if you can Hex Maniac them, they are left with just their own top deck, and nothing they can do will prevent that. It can decrease your opponent’s chances of winning a game from a 90% chance after drawing most of their deck with a Set Up for six, to possibly less than 10% with them being down to one last top deck. Hex Maniac in general makes [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”] / [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”] decks stronger, as it allows the deck to have Ability lock as well, which usually doesn’t happen without [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Legendary Treasures” no=”68″ c=”name”].
Since these cards have not come out yet, I have not gotten to playtest properly with the cards, but I will surely be looking into them after the World Championships to bring you guys more information in the Subscriber’s Secret Hideout in the forums, and in my future articles. Below are what I have for the Standard format and Expanded format lists for [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”] / [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”]. I am pretty sure I will be playing it in at least one League Challenge next year because of how consistent it seems to be. It seems like a very strong play for next season, and possibly for Worlds.
Standard
[decklist]
[pokemon amt=”20″]
4x [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”Golbat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”32″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”Zubat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”31″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″]
4x Unown (AO)
[/pokemon]
[trainers amt=”32″]
4x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”XY” no=”122″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”Shauna” set=”XY” no=”127″ c=”name”] / 2x [card name=”Professor Birch’s Observations” set=”Primal Clash” no=”134″ c=”name”]
2x [card name=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”110″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”AZ” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”91″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”Super Scoop Up” set=”Furious Fists” no=”100″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Level Ball” set=”Next Destinies” no=”89″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Flashfire” no=”99″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Silent Lab” set=”Primal Clash” no=”140″ c=”deck2″]
[/trainers]
[energy amt=”8″]
4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Next Destinies” no=”92″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”Water Energy” set=”Call of Legends” no=”90″ c=”deck2″]
[/energy]
[/decklist]
This Standard format list tries to get out more Bats faster than before. Since there is no “LaserBank” combo in Standard next year, the deck will rely heavily on the additional damage supplied by the Bats. With cards like Unown and [card name=”Level Ball” set=”Next Destinies” no=”89″ c=”name”], it will be easy for the deck to set up. The only question is if Bat damage is enough, which right now, I think it will be. We will see. Last note is that I am unsure which is better between [card name=”Professor Birch’s Observations” set=”Primal Clash” no=”134″ c=”name”] and [card name=”Shauna” set=”XY” no=”127″ c=”name”]. I really like them both, and I will test them both out a ton before any major tournament comes up, like Autumn Regionals. I will have more articles coming out before then looking at more deck lists for those tournaments, and will have a better answer by then. Right now, it is just personal preference until results come in.
Expanded
[decklist]
[pokemon amt=”18″]
3x [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Golbat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”32″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”Zubat” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”53″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Jirachi-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”60″ c=”deck2″]
3x Unown (AO)
[/pokemon]
[trainers amt=”35″]
4x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”XY” no=”122″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”118″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”110″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”AZ” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”91″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”deck2″]
4x [card name=”Hypnotoxic Laser” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”123″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Level Ball” set=”Next Destinies” no=”89″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Super Scoop Up” set=”Furious Fists” no=”100″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Flashfire” no=”99″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Computer Search” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”137″ c=”deck2″]
2x [card name=”Virbank City Gym” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”126″ c=”deck2″]
1x [card name=”Silent Lab” set=”Primal Clash” no=”140″ c=”deck2″]
[/trainers]
[energy amt=”7″]
4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Next Destinies” no=”92″ c=”deck2″]
3x [card name=”Water Energy” set=”Call of Legends” no=”90″ c=”deck2″]
[/energy]
[/decklist]
The Expanded list continues to try using all of the damage modifiers that are currently in Standard, however, aims to also get a consistency boost from Unown and [card name=”Level Ball” set=”Next Destinies” no=”89″ c=”name”]. [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”] decks will be much stronger in Expanded due to getting to keep the free retreat [card name=”Zubat” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”53″ c=”name”], and get the consistency boost from Unown and Level Ball. So watch out next year for even more [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”] decks.
Conclusion
To conclude, I want to give some final thoughts about the World Championships. To start, if you are playing in Day One of the World Championships this year, and are trying to find a deck that can get at least an X-2-0 record or better, I suggest testing [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”] / [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”]. It is a very consistent deck with no auto-losses, however, it does not have any auto-wins except for [card name=”Landorus-EX” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”89″ c=”name”] / [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”]. It takes quite a bit of skill to beat some matchups and correctly place your Bat damage. The main reason I might not be playing Toad / Bats for Worlds is I do not know how good it would be in Day Two due to X-2 not being a good enough record to top 8. Perhaps X-1-1 records would miss top 8 even on tie breakers. Of course, more playtesting will give even more insight to how good this deck really is. I will be testing many decks in order to find a deck that can truly win as many rounds as possible. If I was playing in Day One, though, I am pretty sure I would be playing Toad / Bats because I am confident that the deck can at least go X-2-0. Remember, for Day One, X-0 and X-2 both get the same result. Good luck to those attending the World Championships, and hopefully you found this article helpful. Remember to also check out the Subscriber’s Secret Hideout for more deck advice, and make sure to check out the new set to get a head start for the next season!
[/premium]