“Why Everything Will Stay the Same” – Five Decks for Regionals
Hello PokeBeach readers! I hope everyone is enjoying the end of summer. I know that I have been extremely busy these past few weeks. I’ve begun graduate school down in Cleveland, Ohio at the prestigious Cleveland Institute of Music. This conservatory has produced a number of great musicians that play all over the world. My ultimate goal is to win a job in a full time symphony orchestra and studying in Cleveland has paid huge dividends already. I’ve secured two year long positions in regional orchestras in the Midwest as well as a one week trial period with a third for possible employment next year. These orchestras don’t pay anywhere near a full time salary, but they do pay a decent sum and garner invaluable playing experience.
[cardimg name=”Chatot” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”85″ align=”right” height=”250″ c=”custom”]Basically my two favorite things![/cardimg]
On the topic of today’s article, I want to outline what I believe are great plays for the upcoming Regionals and give you a guideline for your Regionals testing. When I think about the upcoming format, I have found it helpful to break it down into decks that should carry on mostly unaltered and totally new archetypes created by newly released cards or cards only accessible in the Expanded format. Thus, I’ve broken down how to think about the upcoming Regionals metagame into two different arguments: “why everything will stay the same” and “why everything will change.” I will frame these arguments with a handful of decks that fit under each category. By outlining decks that I believe don’t gain or lose much within the Expanded format as well as new archetypes created by the release of the newer cards, I will help you make a more informed deck choice for Regionals. But first, I’d like to take a minute to compare two of my life’s passions:
Orchestra and Pokemon
I find that preparing to take an orchestra audition parallels preparing for a Pokemon tournament, but that might be an entire article in itself!
In short, an orchestra posts that they have an opening, usually on a message board or forum specifically for musicians. This is similar to finding a tournament through Pokemon.com. Next, you send the orchestra your resume and if they deem you a good enough player for their group, they’ll send a list of the pieces of music they’d like to hear. For every audition, the orchestra will devise around five to twenty pieces of music. Usually these pieces are approximately 30 second snippets of music that test all facets of playing – from rapid technique, to lyrical melodies. These pieces might be analogous to the array of decks you could see at a tournament. The pieces range in difficulty from simple to incredibly difficult to master. Additionally, each individual player has their own set of excerpts that just don’t come as easily. This might be similar to your matchups against the field in Pokemon. You can practice the matchup or the piece to get better at it, but it still might never be something you’re confident in.
On the day of the audition, the mental preparation is key to success just as staying focused during a tournament is important to winning. During your audition, the orchestra audition committee will ask for a sample of pieces from the main list. Just like in a Pokemon tournament, this might mean that you get lucky and not have to play the piece you aren’t as confident in, a.k.a. your bad matchup. Usually, auditions have two to three rounds where they eliminate players after each round just like how a top cut functions in a tournament. After the final round, the committee will announce the winner. If you’ve prepared well enough, you may come out on top, but there are a lot of things that are out of your control, such as musical preferences. There’s a ton more I could say about this entire process, but the more I think about it, the more I see how being proficient at preparing for an audition pays large dividends when preparing for large tournaments and vice versa.
On top of these orchestra obligations, I have started a job at the Institute which involves audio recordings and teaching young students. Additionally, I’ve moved into an area that is dense with Pokemon tournaments. I’m used to attending half a dozen Cities in a year – last year I went to a measly five. Needless to say, the Pokemon population in Michigan is fairly weak, though definitely has more accessible tournaments than much of the country. However, Andrew Mahone has told me that North Eastern Ohio has upwards of 20 Cities in a year. Combine that with reasonable distances to Regionals in the Midwest and the East Coast, and the area I’m currently in gives me a huge chance to succeed this season. Quantity of tournaments does not equate to success in this game, but I always strive to make the most of every tournament I play in.
I’m thankful that my schedule will allow me to attend Ft. Wayne Regionals for the fifth straight year. This is easily my favorite tournament of the season for a multitude of reasons. I have a rich history with the tournament, winning the event two years ago. The tournament also has such a positive atmosphere every year. Toward the end of the year, players can get incredibly stressed in their chase for a Worlds Invite and occasionally put Championship Points above friendships and / or good sportsmanship. With early season tournaments like Ft. Wayne Regionals, I think that there isn’t that win-at-all-costs mentality to as severe a degree. Sure, people are there to win, but it isn’t as cutthroat as you might see at the end of the year. Additionally, no players are asking for people to scoop to them so they can get their Worlds invite, so that inherently boosts the positivity of the tournament.
So, how will we decide what to play? That’s what the rest of this article is designed to do! After reading each deck that proves “why everything will stay the same” and “why everything will change,” you should have several great lists to try out before Regionals.
Why Everything Will Stay the Same
The argument that our metagame will stay the same revolves around the fact that the Worlds format was one of the fastest formats since the first Black & White expansion was released. Incredibly powerful Item-draw cards like [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Acro Bike” set=”Primal Clash” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card] accelerated the speed of some decks to unbelievable levels. [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”custom”]Shaymin-EX’s[/card] release also gave many decks additional draw that allowed them to out-speed just about everything in the metagame. Sure, the Expanded format means we have access to a ridiculous amount of cards, but when those cards do not combo better than the cards in the most recent metagame, why should anything change?
Below are three decks that are essentially unchanged from last format. They might gain a few new tricks, but for the most part, their strategies remain unaltered. These decks have enough power to compete with anything the Expanded format throws their way.
Donphan
[decklist]
[pokemon amt=”16″]
4x [card name=”Donphan” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”72″ c=”deck2″][/card]
4x [card name=”Phanpy” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”71″ c=”deck2″][/card]
3x [card name=”Hawlucha” set=”Furious Fists” no=”63″ c=”deck2″][/card]
2x [card name=”Eevee” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”90″ c=”deck2″][/card]
1x [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”36″ c=”deck2″][/card]
[/pokemon]
[trainers amt=”33″]
4x [card name=”Professor Juniper” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”116″ c=”deck2″][/card]
4x [card name=”Korrina” set=”Furious Fists” no=”95″ c=”deck2″][/card]
3x [card name=”N” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”96″ c=”deck2″][/card]
2x [card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”118″ c=”deck2″][/card]
2x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”deck2″][/card]
4x [card name=”Robo Substitute” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”102″ c=”deck2″][/card]
3x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”deck2″][/card]
2x [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”deck2″][/card]
2x [card name=”Silver Bangle” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”88″ c=”deck2″][/card]
2x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”99″ c=”deck2″][/card]
1x [card name=”Level Ball” set=”Next Destinies” no=”89″ c=”deck2″][/card]
1x [card name=”Computer Search” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”137″ c=”deck2″][/card]
3x [card name=”Fighting Stadium” set=”Furious Fists” no=”90″ c=”deck2″][/card]
[/trainers]
[energy amt=”11″]
4x [card name=”Strong Energy” set=”Furious Fists” no=”104″ c=”deck2″][/card]
4x [card name=”Fighting Energy” set=”XY” no=”137″ c=”deck2″][/card]
3x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”111″ c=”deck2″][/card]
[/energy]
[/decklist]
While [card name=”Donphan” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”72″ c=”name”][/card] does gain some new tools, the basic hit-and-run premise stays the same. I consider this deck to be a solid tier two contender during upcoming Regionals. It’s a deck that can stand up to just about any other deck, but maybe doesn’t have the staying power to win a tournament without running into positive matchups. I’ve never been the biggest fan of Donphan (though I did pilot the deck to a Top 32 Regionals finish last year), but Jolteon covers a lot of the weaknesses Donphan had – namely, doing heavy damage to [card name=”Yveltal” set=”XY” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card]. It’s kind of ironic that Donphan can now be considered a counter to Yveltal since Jolteon single-handedly flips the matchup in Donphan’s favor.
[cardimg name=”Donphan” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”72″ align=”right” height=”250″ c=”none”][/cardimg]
Unfortunately, Donphan didn’t see much play in any week one or two Regionals. Perhaps the issue was the increase of Yveltal-EX. Regardless, with Vespiquen winning Pennsylvania Regionals, this archetype should be a solid contender simply because of how easy it is for it to KO non-EX’s – an option it didn’t previously have. Also, the inclusion of Jolteon makes the Yveltal matchup less of a one-sided affair.
Card Choices
I’ve included a singleton copy of [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”36″ c=”name”][/card]. I feel like Wobbuffet has a great deal of strength in this format, shutting off cards like [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Bronzong” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY21″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Blastoise” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”31″ c=”name”][/card] just to name a few. Starting with it is incredible, but it’s usually not the best wall because it gives up a Prize when Knocked Out, unlike the more conventional wall, [card name=”Robo Substitute” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card].
I’ve included two [card name=”Eevee” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card] with a 1-1 split of Flareon and Jolteon. The Eeveelutions, of course, give the deck the type coverage it so desperately needed in prior formats. It gives [card name=”Donphan” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”72″ c=”name”][/card] the ability to OHKO and deal lots of damage against certain threats that it was unable to deal with in the past. Flareon’s main target is Vespiquen, though it’s also quite strong against Metal decks. Jolteon helps a lot against Yveltal. I didn’t think that there was any reason to include Vaporeon as there aren’t many good Pokemon with a Weakness to Water right now. If you find that you are struggling to get out Flareon or Jolteon in a specific matchup, you can always bump the count up to two. With such an undeveloped meta, I’ve decided to keep the counts at one apiece to make room for other things.
The biggest weakness the deck has are Mill decks, Energy denial decks, and [card name=”Archeops” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”110″ c=”name”][/card]. Despite these set backs, the deck has solid power and great type coverage. It should be a force in the Expanded format.
[premium]
Night March
Ugh, this deck again? I’m sure that’s what every reader out there is saying as we seem to cover this deck a ton. To be honest, I’m a little sick of this deck myself. However, Night March continues to be a major player in the Expanded format so I’m going to suck it up, and talk about it some more.
[decklist]
[pokemon amt=”18″]
4x [card name=”Joltik” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”26″ c=”deck2″][/card]
4x [card name=”Lampent” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”42″ c=”deck2″][/card]
4x [card name=”Pumpkaboo” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”44″ c=”deck2″][/card]
4x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″][/card]
2x [card name=”Mew-EX” set=”Legendary Treasures” no=”RC24″ c=”deck2″][/card]
[/pokemon]
[trainers amt=”35″]
2x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”XY” no=”122″ c=”deck2″][/card]
2x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”92″ c=”deck2″][/card]
2x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”deck”][/card]
1x [card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”118″ c=”deck2″][/card]
1x [card name=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”110″ c=”deck2″][/card]
4x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”deck2″][/card]
4x [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”deck2″][/card]
4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ c=”deck2″][/card]
4x [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”deck2″][/card]
2x [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”deck2″][/card]
1x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”99″ c=”deck2″][/card]
1x [card name=”Revive” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”88″ c=”deck2″][/card]
1x [card name=”Computer Search” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”137″ c=”deck2″][/card]
4x [card name=”Dimension Valley” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”93″ c=”deck2″][/card]
[/trainers]
[energy amt=”7″]
4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”111″ c=”name”][/card]
3x [card name=”Lightning Energy” set=”Base Set” no=”100″ c=”deck2″][/card]
[/energy]
[/decklist]
Night March continues to be a dominating force. From my testing, it really doesn’t have an auto-loss. Night March achieved its rightful place in the metagame at the World Championship with three of the top nine finishers playing Night March. The deck can hit fast, hard, and with a non-EX which is a potent combination. There aren’t many cards in Expanded that immediately come to mind as counters to this deck. For this reason, I think that Night March has every reason to be an incredible play going into week three of Regionals.
Card Choices
[cardimg name=”Joltik” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”26″ align=”right” height=”250″ c=”none”][/cardimg]
The biggest addition to the deck is Hex Maniac. Hex Maniac solves a lot of issues that Night March has, namely [card name=”Aegislash-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”65″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Blastoise” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”31″ c=”name”][/card], among others. Aegislash-EX has been a moderate problem for the deck, though most of the time it has only been played in counts of one or two, which could easily be played around with [card name=”Mew-EX” set=”Legendary Treasures” no=”RC24″ c=”name”][/card]. Even so, Hex Maniac gives you an out to KO this Pokemon. Blastoise is the main reason for including two copies of Hex Maniac. If you go first with Night March and are able to play Hex Maniac, you will lock them out of loading up attackers with Energy, and you may even prevent them from getting out Blastoise since they would no longer have access to [card name=”Jirachi-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”98″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card]. Even if they do get an attacker online, or you are forced to play a draw Supporter turn one, you can always KO their attacker and then stream Hex Maniac for the remainder of the game to ensure they can’t attack again.
Overall, Hex Maniac is a huge ally that helps against any deck. Night March’s speed negates the need to play a draw Supporter every turn and leaves you with turns to play cards like Hex Maniac and [card name=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”110″ c=”name”][/card] while still getting the big KO’s. Hex Maniac, when played on the first turn, can shut down a lot of decks. Since many of the decks in the current metagame rely heavily on [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] for draw, locking them out of Abilities with Hex Maniac, especially first turn, can set them back enough for Night March to run away with the game.
Xerosic is a neat addition that has a ton of versatility. I’ve liked this card for a long time, and its usefulness only increases with the high amount of Tools and Special Energy that will see play at Regionals. Tools such as [card name=”Life Dew” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Focus Sash” set=”Furious Fists” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Float Stone” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] come to mind as game-breaking cards in niche moments. Special Energy have made their way into just about every deck, and in some cases, Special Energy comprises every Energy in the deck (I’m looking at you, [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] / Giratina-EX). Its reusability with [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] makes the card a stronger choice than [card name=”Startling Megaphone” set=”Flashfire” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Tool Scrapper” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”116″ c=”name”][/card], or [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card], though it being a Supporter balances out its strong effect.
One idea that I’ve seen floating around in my various testing circles is the inclusion of Vespiquen. Vespiquen allows for easier KO’s on everything in [card name=”Blastoise” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”31″ c=”name”][/card] as well as on [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card]. While I think there is merit to this choice, Vespiquen’s inclusion hinges on the viability of [card name=”Blastoise” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”31″ c=”name”][/card], Seismitoad-EX, and [card name=”Archeops” set=”Noble Victories” no=”67″ c=”name”][/card].
Additionally, because of the rise of decks like Vespiquen, Archeops could be a very solid inclusion. This card absolutely shuts down Vespiquen decks, even if they run [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”36″ c=”name”][/card]. If you do decide to include Archeops, I’d cut both Hex Maniac for an [card name=”Archeops” set=”Noble Victories” no=”67″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Maxie’s Hidden Ball Trick” set=”Primal Clash” no=”158″ c=”name”][/card]. I would not be surprised to see Night March with Archeops make noise this weekend.
Blastoise
Blastoise is one of my favorite plays in the Expanded format. Until people truly figure out how to play Hex Maniac, Blastoise has every reason to run rampant during Regionals, and it certainly made a strong showing week one, especially in Houston. It’s a solid play with a ton of options that still interacts well with the decks we may see in Expanded. Week one, we saw people tech [card name=”Ghetsis” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] into their decks to completely shut down any Trainer-based engine. Week two, Blastoise didn’t show up partly due to the inclusion of both Ghetsis and Hex Maniac in decks, but also likely because it wasn’t played in high numbers. Will Blastoise make a comeback in week three? It mainly hinges on the amount of Vespiquen that will see play and the amount of people who will tech Ghetsis into their decks. You can take Jacob Van Wagner’s list to any tournament and expect to do well, but I’ve changed up a few things to make the turn one Blastoise even more attainable as well as give the deck just a little more sustainability.
[decklist]
[pokemon amt=”13″]
2x [card name=”Blastoise” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”16″ c=”deck2″][/card]
2x [card name=”Jirachi-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”60″ c=”deck2″][/card]
2x [card name=”Exeggcute” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”102″ c=”deck2″][/card]
2x [card name=”Keldeo-EX” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”49″ c=”deck2″][/card]
2x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”106″ c=”deck2″][/card]
2x [card name=”Articuno” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”17″ c=”deck2″][/card]
1x [card name=”Wailord-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”38″ c=”deck2″][/card]
[/pokemon]
[trainers amt=”37″]
2x [card name=”Professor Juniper” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”116″ c=”deck2″][/card]
2x [card name=”Archie’s Ace in the Hole” set=”Primal Clash” no=”157″ c=”deck2″][/card]
1x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”92″ c=”deck2″][/card]
1x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”deck2″][/card]
4x [card name=”Superior Energy Retrieval” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”103″ c=”deck2″][/card]
4x [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”deck2″][/card]
4x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”deck2″][/card]
4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”90″ c=”deck2″][/card]
4x [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”deck2″][/card]
3x [card name=”Acro Bike” set=”Primal Clash” no=”122″ c=”deck2″][/card]
3x [card name=”Recycle” set=”Emerging Powers” no=”96″ c=”deck2″][/card]
1x [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”deck2″][/card]
1x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”99″ c=”deck2″][/card]
1x [card name=”Computer Search” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”137″ c=”deck2″][/card]
2x [card name=”Rough Seas” set=”Primal Clash” no=”137″ c=”deck2″][/card]
[/trainers]
[energy amt=”10″]
10x [card name=”Water Energy” set=”Call of Legends” no=”90″ c=”deck2″][/card]
[/energy]
[/decklist]
Card Choices
I’ve decided to remove one Water Energy, one [card name=”Keldeo-EX” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”49″ c=”name”][/card], and one [card name=”Acro Bike” set=”Primal Clash” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card] in favor of three [card name=”Recycle” set=”Emerging Powers” no=”96″ c=”name”][/card]. Recycle is one of my favorite cards of all time in that it can preserve precious resources. The possibilities with Recycle are endless and it is a big help to streaming late game resources. While it is true that a Blastoise deck should end the game early, Recycle provides numerous benefits. Want to play that [card name=”Computer Search” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] again? Recycle it to the top of the deck. Had to discard two Superior Energy Retrieval to get the turn one Blastoise? Recycle them to the top of the deck. Want to reuse a Supporter next turn without wasting a [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card]? Recycle it to the top of the deck. I’ve seen people add [card name=”Bunnelby” set=”Primal Clash” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] to their deck, and while that is a fine option, in Expanded, Recycle clearly seems like the better play. Additionally, Recycle is a card that aids you in your pursuit of the turn one Blastoise. It’s a burnable card, which means that you can play it to lower your hand size with added potential for a strong benefit. Cards that lower hand size are invaluable to this deck.
[cardimg name=”Blastoise” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”16″ align=”right” height=”250″ c=”none”][/cardimg]
I’ve found only having only two Keldeo-EX is fine for this deck. With a plethora of other attacking options like [card name=”Articuno” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”17″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Wailord-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”38″ c=”name”][/card], and Blastoise, three Keldeo-EX isn’t necessary. Three is certainly the preferred number, but I’ve been testing two with positive results. Keldeo-EX is also recoverable with both [card name=”Archie’s Ace in the Hole” set=”Primal Clash” no=”124″ c=”name”][/card] and Recycle, so if you’re in an attacker pinch, you can always recover Keldeo with one of these two cards.
Both Articuno and Wailord-EX are necessary inclusions, specifically for the Night March matchup. Articuno has a bit of versatility against other decks with low HP Pokemon, like Vespiquen, and can also be used for Hail Mary plays on opponent’s [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] – flip three heads and take three Prizes! Wailord, in combination with Articuno, swing the Night March matchup solidly in your favor.
Christopher Schemanske, one of my connections from the Michigan players, piloted a Blastoise deck to a top eight placement at Houston Regionals and played a [card name=”Victini” set=”Noble Victories” no=”98″ c=”name”][/card] as well as an extra [card name=”Articuno” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”17″ c=”name”][/card] specifically to swing the Vespiquen matchup as well as give added insurance against decks like Night March. With Victini on the field, Articuno has a 75% chance to KO a Vespiquen and take those two Prizes, which can really swing a matchup.
If you decide to play Blastoise, I would be increasingly worried about [card name=”Ghetsis” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”101″ c=”name”][/card]. Ghetsis is a card that, if played against Blastoise on turn one, makes it almost impossible to get out the turn one Blastoise. It was an ingenious play for those that included the card in their deck and swung the matchup for a lot of [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] players.
Why Everything Will Change
There is a major argument that everything will change during the upcoming Regionals. Week one, I felt like there was a severe lack of creativity. Sure, you may have heard about a [card name=”Miltank” set=”Flashfire” no=”83″ c=”name”][/card] / Vileplume / [card name=”Aegislash-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”65″ c=”name”][/card] rogue, but aside from that most of the major players were decks that we thought would show in large numbers: [card name=”Blastoise” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”16″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card]. Week two saw the metagame open up with the rise of Vespiquen / [card name=”Flareon” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card]. I can only hope the third weekend of Regionals will expand more on the metagame and show some more creative deck building. Here are a few decks that I have been working on.
Toad / Giratina
While the combination of [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] and Giratina-EX had done well during Europe’s Arena Cup, it didn’t see much play during week one of Regionals in the United States. However, the combination of Seimitoad-EX, [card name=”Hypnotoxic Laser” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Crushing Hammer” set=”Emerging Powers” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] can win just about any matchup and even led one player to a Top 4 finish in Lancaster, PA.
[decklist]
[pokemon amt=”11″]
3x [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”106″ c=”deck2″][/card]
2x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″][/card]
1x [card name=”Jirachi-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”60″ c=”deck2″][/card]
1x [card name=”Keldeo-EX” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”49″ c=”deck2″][/card]
1x [card name=”Absol” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”40″ c=”deck2″][/card]
[/pokemon]
[trainers amt=”42″]
4x [card name=”Professor Juniper” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”116″ c=”deck2″][/card]
3x [card name=”N” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”96″ c=”deck2″][/card]
2x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”deck2″][/card]
1x [card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”118″ c=”deck2″][/card]
1x [card name=”Ghetsis” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”101″ c=”deck2″][/card]
4x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”deck2″][/card]
4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ c=”deck2″][/card]
4x [card name=”Crushing Hammer” set=”Emerging Powers” no=”92″ c=”deck2″][/card]
4x [card name=”Hypnotoxic Laser” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”123″ c=”deck2″][/card]
3x [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”deck2″][/card]
3x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”99″ c=”deck2″][/card]
3x [card name=”Head Ringer” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”97″ c=”deck2″][/card]
1x [card name=”Tool Scrapper” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”116″ c=”deck2″][/card]
1x [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”94″ c=”deck2″][/card]
1x [card name=”Computer Search” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”137″ c=”deck2″][/card]
3x [card name=”Virbank City Gym” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”126″ c=”deck2″][/card]
[/trainers]
[energy amt=”7″]
4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”111″ c=”deck2″][/card]
3x [card name=”Double Dragon Energy” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”97″ c=”deck2″][/card]
[/energy]
[/decklist]
Card Choices
Who doesn’t love completely locking your opponent from doing anything? It’s a great feeling when I’ve put [card name=”Head Ringer” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card] on all my opponent’s threats while I have an Active [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] Quaking Punching their sleeping Active Pokemon. Special Energy hate has seemingly died away based on week one and two Regional results (minus the one [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] / Giratina-EX deck which made Top 4 at Lancaster) which means that this deck is ready to shine here in the U.S. Though there were some players playing decks like [card name=”Trubbish” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”65″ c=”custom”]Tool Drop[/card] with [card name=”Shuppet” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”30″ c=”name”][/card], I didn’t see many [card name=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”110″ c=”name”][/card] in player’s lists. Additionally, the meta seemed very centered on Pokemon-EX-based decks, which is fantastic for Seismitoad-EX decks.
[cardimg name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ align=”right” height=”250″ c=”none”][/cardimg]
[card name=”Crushing Hammer” set=”Emerging Powers” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card] are so strong right now. Aside from [card name=”Blastoise” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”16″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Bronzong” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY21″ c=”name”][/card] variants, there isn’t a ton of non Trainer-based Energy acceleration. If you are able to get Seismitoad-EX Active and attacking, there is a very real possibility that you can run the opponent out of Energy. Combine Hammers with often devastating Head Ringers and Seismitoad-EX may be able to keep the opponent from attacking for much of the game.
[card name=”Tool Scrapper” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”116″ c=”name”][/card] is such a necessary inclusion. A ton of decks are running the combination of [card name=”Keldeo-EX” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”49″ c=”name”][/card] with [card name=”Float Stone” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] to be able to nimbly switch into a variety of attackers as well as remove pesky status conditions. Tool Scrapper has been invaluable to remove the [card name=”Float Stone” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card]. Don’t think you can get away without playing this card!
[card name=”Ghetsis” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”101″ c=”name”][/card], though mentioned earlier in the article, deserves a mention here as well. If you are playing a deck that has Jirachi in it, you might as well play a singleton copy of Ghetsis, as it can singlehandedly swing the Blastoise matchup in your favor. Sure, Seismitoad-EX can also steal games against Blastoise if they don’t set up turn one, but that is only assuming their deck fails on them while you go second. Ghetsis gives the Seismitoad-EX player the ability to obliterate a Blastoise player even when going first. This is an unbelievable advantage to have. With the success of Blastoise during week one, Ghetsis should arguably be a staple in most decks in the third week of Regionals.
Hoopa-EX is quite the underrated card. I didn’t see too many people play it in their lists, but it is absolutely broken in my opinion. Since you want to get a number of Pokemon-EX out on your first turn, Hoopa-EX is usually the first card I try to fish from my deck. Hoopa-EX is an absolutely understated card that deserves much more attention.
Finally, a card that should see more love than it does is [card name=”Absol” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card]. I’ve included this card to help with OHKO’ing Pokemon with Giratina-EX. Giratina-EX’s total damage caps at 150 assuming you have a [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] and a [card name=”Hypnotoxic Laser” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Virbank City Gym” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”126″ c=”name”][/card] combination. I appreciate having the ability to hit the magic number 180 by including Absol. Its damage moving capabilities are also quite useful early game when you’re trying to conserve damage. Additionally, Absol can be used to wall late game if you need an extra turn to set up. Playing [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] on your opponent and then retreating into Absol can often buy you that extra turn you need to gather the extra resources necessary to win the game.
Vespiquen
Vespiquen was a card that had flown solidly under the radar until week two. [card name=”Flareon” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card] had an impressive run during its heyday and players finally picked up on its strength and the deck saw strong success this weekend. Its typing is unbelievable – one of Flareon’s downfalls was that it simply could not stand up to a [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] deck. With a Grass Weakness, Seismitoad-EX can quickly fall to a Vespiquen. Vespiquen also gains new tools that Flareon never had, namely Unown.
[decklist]
[pokemon amt=”26″]
3x [card name=”Cofagrigus” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”56″ c=”deck2″][/card]
3x [card name=”Yamask” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”51″ c=”deck2″][/card]
2x [card name=”Ditto” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”108″ c=”deck2″][/card]
2x [card name=”Empoleon” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”29″ c=”deck2″][/card]
2x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″][/card]
1x [card name=”Jirachi-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”60″ c=”deck2″][/card]
1x [card name=”Audino” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”126″ c=”deck2″][/card]
[/pokemon]
[trainers amt=”28″]
3x [card name=”Professor Juniper” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”116″ c=”deck2″][/card]
2x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”deck2″][/card]
1x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”101″ c=”deck2″][/card]
1x [card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”118″ c=”deck2″][/card]
1x [card name=”Archie’s Ace in the Hole” set=”Primal Clash” no=”124″ c=”deck2″][/card]
4x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”deck2″][/card]
4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”90″ c=”deck2″][/card]
4x [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”deck2″][/card]
4x [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”deck2″][/card]
2x [card name=”Silver Bangle” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”88″ c=”deck2″][/card]
1x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”99″ c=”deck2″][/card]
1x [card name=”Life Dew” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”107″ c=”deck2″][/card]
[/trainers]
[energy amt=”6″]
4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Next Destinies” no=”92″ c=”deck2″][/card]
2x [card name=”Water Energy” set=”Call of Legends” no=”90″ c=”deck2″]
[/energy]
[/decklist]
Card Choices
[cardimg name=”Cofagrigus” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”56″ align=”right” height=”250″ c=”none”][/cardimg]
As you can see, this is probably a different kind of a Vespiquen list than the ones you’re used to. I want to first start off by talking about [card name=”Cofagrigus” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”56″ c=”name”][/card]. Cofagrigus helps hit the huge numbers that can make Vespiquen relevant in this format. While its Ability does give your opponent a free Prize (though this disadvantage can be mitigated with [card name=”Life Dew” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card]), it increases your damage output by 50. 30 damage is placed through its Ability, and Vespiquen’s damage output is boosted by 20 when it hits the discard. This card definitely takes some skill to play correctly, but can be devastating when the math is done correctly.
[card name=”Ditto” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”108″ c=”name”][/card] is another card I haven’t seen in many Vespiquen lists. Not only can Ditto serve as an additional way to get a Vespiquen out on your second turn, it can accelerate the number of Pokemon you’re able to get in the discard when combined with Unown or Cofagrigus. The Ditto / Unown combination can be lethal: play Ditto, use its Transform Ability to change into Unown, then discard them both with Unown’s Ability. That’s an easy 20 damage boost for Vespiquen and makes hitting KO’s much easier.
[card name=”Empoleon” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”29″ c=”name”][/card] is a backup attacker for the deck that doesn’t rely on [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”111″ c=”name”][/card]. I’ve considered playing [card name=”Dedenne” set=”Furious Fists” no=”34″ c=”name”][/card] in its place, but I find that Empoleon’s Diving Draw Ability is too good late in the game when you need to hit a crucial Energy or [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card]. Empoleon can also easily take KO’s on Pokemon like [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] and is a solid attacker in its own right.
I’ve gone back and forth on whether to include [card name=”Computer Search” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Life Dew” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card] as the Ace Spec of choice. I feel that with this build, Life Dew gets the nod. Knocking Out multiple Cofagrigus can be very damaging, but Life Dew can help diffuse that issue.
Conclusion
This article has a ton of lists for you to try out and give you unique spins on some classics. There’s a great argument to be made that many of the decks we saw during Worlds this year will remain top archetypes during the Fall Regionals portion of the season. However, we have already seen little twists and surprises that can outright neuter the top contenders.
I want to leave you with one last list, a Yveltal deck that I played during my first LC of the season! I finished 4th (though I should’ve finished 2nd but a friend and I ID’d last round to ensure we would both get points).
[decklist]
[pokemon amt=”12″]
3x [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”deck2″][/card]
2x [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”deck2″][/card]
2x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″][/card]
1x [card name=”Jirachi-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”60″ c=”deck2″][/card]
1x [card name=”Keldeo-EX” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”49″ c=”deck2″][/card]
1x [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”107″ c=”deck2″][/card]
1x [card name=”Absol” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”67″ c=”deck2″][/card]
[/pokemon]
[trainers amt=”37″]
4x [card name=”Professor Juniper” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”116″ c=”deck2″][/card]
2x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”101″ c=”deck2″][/card]
2x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”104″ c=”deck2″][/card]
1x [card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”135″ c=”deck2″][/card]
4x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”deck2″][/card]
4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ c=”deck2″][/card]
4x [card name=”Dark Patch” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”93″ c=”deck2″][/card]
4x [card name=”Hypnotoxic Laser” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”123″ c=”deck2″][/card]
3x [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”name”][/deck2]
2x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”99″ c=”deck2″][/card]
1x [card name=”Tool Scrapper” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”116″ c=”deck2″][/card]
1x [card name=”Computer Search” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”137″ c=”deck2″][/card]
3x [card name=”Virbank City Gym” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”126″ c=”deck2″][/card]
[/trainers]
[energy amt=”11″]
7x [card name=”Darkness Energy” set=”XY” no=”138″ c=”deck2″][/card]
4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”111″ c=”deck2″][/card]
[/energy]
[/decklist]
I lost to an [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] mirror and beat [card name=”Blastoise” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”31″ c=”name”][/card], Yveltal, Tool Drop, and [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] / Giratina-EX. I don’t want to go too far into specific card choices, because much of my reasoning for certain cards are in other deck analyses, but if you’re looking for a solid overall deck to play for Regionals, this one is definitely it!
Thanks again PokeBeach readers! If you are going to Ft. Wayne Regionals, I can’t wait to meet you. Say hi, please! I love meeting anyone in the game, especially if I’ve helped you out with a list!
~JW
[/premium]