Let’s Take a Look at Standard! Hawlucha / Bats and Seismitoad-EX / Giratina-EX!
What’s going on PokeBeach? It’s been a while since my last article and a lot of things have happened since then. It was interesting to see the meta develop over the course of Regionals and hopefully everyone has a much better understanding of how Expanded tournaments will work in the future.
Now that Regionals are all over (at least for you guys in the U.S.) the next big question is what’s the play for Standard? I have to say that I don’t like Standard as much as Expanded. Expanded is a lot more diverse and there are a lot more viable decks and cards than there are in Standard and for that reason I’m a little jealous that America got a taste of Expanded and I (being based in the U.K.) didn’t.
Nevertheless Standard is still a very intriguing and skillful format, and the new meta looks like one of the most enjoyable starts to a season we have had in a long time. So to give you all a better idea of what the format looks like, let me give you guys a quick overview of the decks that most people seem to be trying out. After I do that I will be going over the top two decks that I believe are the strongest decks in the format.
The Meta
As I said, the Standard format offers a variety of decks that we haven’t seen yet. Bear in mind this is what I think the meta will be like in the XY – AOR format and not the XY – BREAKthrough format that won’t be around for another month.
M Manectric-EX / Regice
[cardimg name=”M Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”24″ align=”right” height=”250″ c=”none”][/cardimg]
[card name=”Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”23″ c=”name”][/card] has been a solid card ever since it came out and there’s no doubt it’s one of the best Pokemon-EX cards in the current format and [card name=”M Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”24″ c=”name”][/card] might even be the best Mega Pokemon so far. A new concept that has been talked about is pairing the aggressive and accelerating power of Manectric with the defensive lock of Regice. The idea of the deck is to use M Manectric-EX’s Turbo Bolt attack to power up Regice on the Bench while also putting huge amounts of pressure on the opponent.
This duo tears through Pokemon-EX heavy decks such as [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] variants simply due to the fact that they play very few non-EX attackers. If a deck can’t respond to Regice efficiently enough then they don’t really stand a chance and will just be snowballed by it.
Obviously non-EX decks prove to be a really big issue for Regice because they aren’t really affected by Resistance Blizzard in the way that Pokemon-EX decks are. I also have had experience playing against Regice with Pokemon-EX decks (namely Seismitoad) and I found that if I thought out my game-plan well enough I would just be able to play around the attack by using [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card] to target Pokemon on the Bench. In one game I had my opponent just decide to try and leave Regice out as his only Pokemon on the field but I was able to remove enough Energy from the Regice that it wasn’t able to attack. All in all, I think the deck is just a little too easy to play around and is probably a tier 2 deck at most.
M Rayquaza-EX / Bronzong
This is a deck that I really like and has been talked about a lot before. In general the deck is very fast and when it gets set up it’s able to OHKO almost any Pokemon in the format. [card name=”Bronzong” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY21″ c=”name”][/card] increase the amount of damage that Rayquaza is able to do as well as quickly power up fresh Rayquaza on the Bench with Metal Links.
As well as having overwhelmingly offensive capabilities there are also cards that can be included to increase the deck’s defensive power. [card name=”Aegislash-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”65″ c=”name”][/card] is often included in the deck because you can use it as a wall against decks that rely on Special Energy. This card fits well into the deck because it can be powered up on the same stuff as Rayquaza ([card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”111″ c=”name”][/card] and Metal Energy) and it is an effective way to stall when you aren’t quite set up.
Even though this deck is very fast and can easily OHKO Pokemon-EX it still has a lot of weaknesses. For starters it doesn’t do very well against Vespiquen or Night March decks because it doesn’t trade efficiently; you are usually forced to give up two Prizes for every one Prize you take. You can actually use Aegislash in this matchup to wall because all of Night March’s attackers require a Double Colorless Energy to attack without any previous attachments, and usually that is your path to victory.
Other than that Rayquaza suffers against [card name=”M Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”24″ c=”name”][/card] decks due to its Lightning Weakness and Giratina-EX decks because of Giratina’s Ability.
Night March / Vespiquen
[cardimg name=”Joltik” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”26″ align=”right” height=”250″ c=”none”][/cardimg]
When [card name=”Mew-EX” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”46″ c=”name”][/card] was lost to the rotation it looked like Night March was done for, however when combined with Vespiquen the deck gets that little extra push that it needed. In the early game you can use Night March Pokemon to do a lot of damage by using [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] to discard as many Night March Pokemon as possible. Later on once you have used all of your Night Marchers and have quite a lot of Pokemon in the discard you can start using Vespiquen to hit for huge amounts of damage and finish off the game.
Furthermore you can hit for a lot of different Weaknesses on some of the most popular Pokemon; Pumpkaboo hits for Weakness on [card name=”Lucario-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”54″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Joltik” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card] hits for Weakness on [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card], and Vespiquen hit for Weakness on [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card]. All of these factors make the deck something that you should seriously consider due to how powerful it can be. Obviously one of the biggest bonuses of running a deck like this is that all of your attacking Pokemon are non-EX’s which means that in an ideal game you are trading in your favor against Pokemon-EX.
Once again this deck does have some big issues that hinder its performance. Because it has to run so many Pokemon it can sometimes have trouble with consistency. Rather than running cards that will help you set up like most other decks, Night March / Vespiquen has to make cuts to find room for all of the Pokemon that you need to fit in.
Vileplume / Regice
Another new deck that has been brought out with Ancient Origins is Regice / Vileplume. This deck uses Vileplume’s Ability as a way to limit the opponent’s options whilst also utilizing Resistance Blizzard to make Regice immune to damage from Pokemon-EX. Unlike other Regice decks, this one can’t easily be torn apart by [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card] because Vileplume stops the opponent from being able to use [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] to constantly recycle Lysandres.
Being able to Item-lock and prevent damage from Pokemon-EX is an incredibly strong combination and can be a nightmare for decks that don’t run any non-EX attackers. What’s the catch then? Well the deck is incredibly inconsistent. It is very difficult to get set up and then also be able to start attacking. There is no Energy acceleration in the deck and Regice’s attack costs three Energy which means that you have to wait two or three turns before you can even attack, and that’s without considering the fact that your opponent could just KO it before you can get all of your Energy attached.
When this deck is set up it can win incredibly easily but it does struggle with consistency and not really able to combat non-EX decks.
So now that you have an idea of what the meta looks like I’m going to talk about what I personally think are the two best decks in the Standard format. Without any further comments then, here are the two decks that I would consider taking to tournaments right now.
[premium]
Hawlucha / Lucario-EX / Bats
[cardimg name=”Lucario-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”107″ align=”right” height=”250″ c=”none”][/cardimg]
The first deck that I want to talk about is [card name=”Hawlucha” set=”Furious Fists” no=”63″ c=”name”][/card] / Bats. Ever since Phantom Forces came out the Bat line ([card name=”Zubat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”31″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Golbat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”32″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card]) have been appearing in all sorts of decks, but this particular variant is, in my opinion, the most powerful incarnation to date (even though the deck lost both [card name=”Landorus-EX” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card] and Free Flight [card name=”Zubat” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] after the rotation). Being able to strike for insane points of damage with Hawlucha and then finish the off with Golbat and Crobat without even having to attack again is just such an incredibly strong combination.
Cards like [card name=”Level Ball” set=”Next Destinies” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Korrina” set=”Furious Fists” no=”95″ c=”name”][/card] allow the deck to set up without fail nine times out of ten. Furthermore cards such as [card name=”Focus Sash” set=”Furious Fists” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Strong Energy” set=”Furious Fists” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Fighting Stadium” set=”Furious Fists” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card] give the Fighting Pokemon in this deck astounding capabilities, being able to hit for massive amounts of damage for just one Energy. Focus Sash allows Hawlucha to be an incredibly sticky Pokemon which is hard to remove.
My current list for the deck is as consistent as I could make it. When this deck is set up it will win nearly every time and making the deck as consistent as possible is obviously extremely important.
The List
[decklist]
[pokemon amt=”18″]
3x [card name=”Hawlucha” set=”Furious Fists” no=”63″ c=”deck2″][/card]
3x [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”deck2″][/card]
3x [card name=”Golbat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”32″ c=”deck2″][/card]
4x [card name=”Zubat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”31″ c=”deck2″][/card]
2x [card name=”Lucario-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”54″ c=”deck2″][/card]
2x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″][/card]
1x [card name=”Miltank” set=”Flashfire” no=”83″ c=”deck2″][/card]
[/pokemon]
[trainers amt=”33″]
4x [card name=”Korrina” set=”Furious Fists” no=”95″ c=”deck2″][/card]
3x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”101″ c=”deck2″][/card]
2x [card name=”Professor Birch’s Observations” set=”Primal Clash” no=”134″ c=”deck2″][/card]
2x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”deck2″][/card]
1x [card name=”AZ” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”91″ c=”deck2″][/card]
4x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”deck2″][/card]
4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”93″ c=”deck2″][/card]
3x [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”deck2″][/card]
2x [card name=”Focus Sash” set=”Furious Fists” no=”91″ c=”deck2″][/card]
2x [card name=”Level Ball” set=”Next Destinies” no=”89″ c=”deck2″][/card]
1x [card name=”Switch” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”91″ c=”deck2″][/card]
1x [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”94″ c=”deck2″][/card]
1x [card name=”Professor’s Letter” set=”XY” no=”123″ c=”deck2″][/card]
3x [card name=”Fighting Stadium” set=”Furious Fists” no=”90″ c=”deck2″][/card]
[/trainers]
[energy amt=”9″]
5x [card name=”Fighting Energy” set=”XY” no=”137″ c=”deck2″][/card]
4x [card name=”Strong Energy” set=”Furious Fists” no=”104″ c=”deck2″][/card]
[/energy]
[/decklist]
Two Lucario-EX
[card name=”Lucario-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”54″ c=”name”][/card] is kind of the new replacement for [card name=”Landorus-EX” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card]. The benefits of including this card is the fact that it has 180 HP and can hit for Weakness, unlike Hawlucha. Against [card name=”Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”23″ c=”name”][/card] decks hitting for Weakness can lead to huge OHKO’s that swing the game in your favor. In addition Lucario can even provide draw-power in situations where you have a small hand. Not to mention if you ever get the chance to attach three Energy to it and use Somersault Kick there is a high chance that you will be OHKO’ing most Pokemon-EX. Lastly, an alternative attacker to Hawlucha is required to deal with non-EX Pokemon because Halwucha cannot damage them.
Three Hawlucha
[card name=”Hawlucha” set=”Furious Fists” no=”63″ c=”name”][/card] is an insanely strong card and is very difficult to deal with. If you attach a [card name=”Focus Sash” set=”Furious Fists” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] to it you’ve got a Pokemon that has free Retreat, can hit for 100 damage, takes two hits to KO, and only gives up one Prize. If you fail to get a 2HKO you can easily finish off the job with a Bat drop. The only downside to this card is the fact that it can only damage Pokemon-EX which makes it a little bit useless in matchups against non-EX decks. That being said, most deck still include two or three copies of [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] which Hawlucha can OHKO with a [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Strong Energy” set=”Furious Fists” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Fighting Stadium” set=”Furious Fists” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card].
[cardimg name=”Miltank” set=”Flashfire” no=”83″ align=”right” height=”250″ c=”none”][/cardimg]
One Miltank
[card name=”Miltank” set=”Flashfire” no=”83″ c=”name”][/card] is a Basic non-EX Pokemon that can do 80 damage for one Energy (before add-ons) as long as you have a Stage 2 on your Bench. One copy of this card can help out in a pinch when you need to finish something off or if you need to do damage to a non-EX and don’t want to give up two Prizes with [card name=”Lucario-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”54″ c=”name”][/card]. The only real downside to this card is that it isn’t a Fighting type and that it has 100 HP which means that you cannot search it out with [card name=”Level Ball” set=”Next Destinies” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card].
Bat Line
I think that this is the ideal line for this deck. I’ve seen 4-4-3 and even 4-4-4 lines but the issue is that you start drawing [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Golbat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”32″ c=”name”][/card] either when you don’t have any [card name=”Zubat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”31″ c=”name”][/card] to Evolve from or if you don’t really need to damage anything. In these scenarios you just end up discarding the Bats. Another thing is that if you run a 4-3-3 or a 4-4-4 line you’re just taking up too much space. Ideally with any deck you want to form a list where everything fits in perfectly and there’s nothing you can really cut.
Two Shaymin-EX
There’s not really much to say about this. Basically this deck doesn’t set up by drawing; it sets up by using cards like [card name=”Korrina” set=”Furious Fists” no=”95″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Level Ball” set=”Next Destinies” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card]. This means that you can get by fine with just two [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] because you only really need to use about one per game, two if you’re really drawing bad.
Supporter Line
Three [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”XY” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card] is required for this deck to draw well as the sheer draw-power is unrivaled. Once you have a suitable hand you can just constantly use [card name=”Korrina” set=”Furious Fists” no=”95″ c=”name”][/card] to get the cards that you need. Korrina can also just be used in the early game to set up attackers and your [card name=”Zubat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”31″ c=”name”][/card]. Two [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card] is pretty standard, you don’t need too many because once it’s in the discard you can just use [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] to use it any number of times later on in the game. The second copy is only really there so that you don’t Prize all of your Lysandre.
My list also includes one [card name=”AZ” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] which is there for a number of reasons. One reason that I run it is so that I have a way to switch out my Pokemon with a [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card]. The other reason that this card is good is because you can use it to pick up [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] to draw extra cards when you don’t have any other draw Supporters in hand. Lastly this card can be used to pick up your entire Bat line and then play them down again either immediately or over a few turns. This gives you access to an additional 50 damage to be placed down in total.
Finally I run two copies of [card name=”Professor Birch’s Observations” set=”Primal Clash” no=”134″ c=”name”][/card]. In my opinion every deck needs at least one shuffle-draw Supporter to get out of bad hands or when you need to draw cards but can’t afford to discard any of the cards you hold with a Sycamore. I used to run four Professor Sycamore and one Birch but I cut one Sycamore for the second Birch because I kept running into early game situations where I had several cards in my hand that I couldn’t play down yet but that I knew I would need later but due to the situation I was in I would have to discard all of these cards.
Trainers
Four [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] and two [card name=”Level Ball” set=”Next Destinies” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card] is just enough in this deck and I’ve never really had issues finding Pokemon when I need them. You want more Ultra Ball than Level Ball because of cards that you can’t access with Level Ball such as [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Lucario-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”54″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Miltank” set=”Flashfire” no=”83″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card]. Level Ball is also a key card in this deck because it allows you to search out the rest of you Pokemon essentially for free.
Next I’ll talk about the one-ofs I run in the deck. [card name=”Professor’s Letter” set=”XY” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Switch” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] are there for basically the same reason. Running these allow you to be able to [card name=”Korrina” set=”Furious Fists” no=”95″ c=”name”][/card] for them which basically gives them a way to be searched out. [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card] can give you the edge in the mirror by removing [card name=”Strong Energy” set=”Furious Fists” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card] and can help out against any decks that rely on [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”111″ c=”name”][/card] by forcing them to spend their next turn finding a way to attack. A single Enhanced Hammer can force your opponent to drop [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card], play Supporters, and just generally use up resources to find a way to attack.
Three [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] is the correct number because the card is so good but you don’t want to over do it by running four because you will never use all four in a single game unless you aren’t managing your resources correctly. For a similar reason I only run two [card name=”Focus Sash” set=”Furious Fists” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] because although it is an incredibly strong card I don’t think you will ever use more than two in a match, especially when you are also attaching Muscle Band to a lot of your Pokemon.
And the last thing to address is the three [card name=”Fighting Stadium” set=”Furious Fists” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card] that I run. This card is so unbelievably strong that I would love to find room for a fourth copy for no other reason than the fact that you want it in play at all times. Most of the time if you play it right you can win the Stadium war, but sometimes you have to drop your Stadium first or sometimes the opponent just runs more Stadiums than you. If you really want a fourth Stadium then the card that you should cut is Enhanced Hammer. Personally I’ve been saved by Enhanced Hammer so many times that I wouldn’t want to let go of it, but not everyone will find it as useful as me.
Matchups
So now that you’ve heard what I’ve had to say and you’ve seen the list it’s time to talk about the matchups. Regice variants actually don’t really trouble this deck because you will often be able to KO Regice before it starts to attack. You can also attack with [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Miltank” set=”Flashfire” no=”83″ c=”name”][/card] to KO the Regice before it KO’s you due to the extra Support you get from the Bats and [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card].
[card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] is a matchup where you go to town with your [card name=”Focus Sash” set=”Furious Fists” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Hawlucha” set=”Furious Fists” no=”63″ c=”name”][/card]. This way you will be able to take out Rayquaza after Rayquaza without much trouble. Three Hawlucha, one Miltank, and your Bats should get you through this matchup no problem. The one card that can ruin your day is [card name=”Aegislash-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”65″ c=”name”][/card] but all you really have to due is switch to a Hawlucha without any Special Energy and you’re good to go.
[card name=”Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”23″ c=”name”][/card] decks also shouldn’t really pose a threat because you can pretty much OHKO them with your [card name=”Lucario-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”54″ c=”name”][/card]. Even when you are up against a 210 HP [card name=”M Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”24″ c=”name”][/card] all it takes is a [card name=”Strong Energy” set=”Furious Fists” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Fighting Stadium” set=”Furious Fists” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card], and either two [card name=”Golbat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”32″ c=”name”][/card] or one [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card] and that thing is a goner. Not to mention that neither Manectric-EX nor M Manectric-EX can OHKO you.
Vespiquen / Night march is more of an issue and I don’t actually think that this matchup is even positive. You have to use your Lucario-EX to deal with the non-EX Pokemon efficiently and the problem with that is that [card name=”Pumpkaboo” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”44″ c=”name”][/card] can easily take you out in a single hit because Lucario actually has a Psychic Weakness. You can make it close, but I’ve found that a lot of the time you fall just short of the win.
Conclusion
So would I take this to a high level tournament? Yes. Do I think it’s perfect? Absolutely not. Because nearly a third of your deck is Pokemon you naturally have some consistency issues similar to the ones that Vespiquen / Night March has. Sometimes you’re forced to discard your Bats early on which means that you lose a huge part of your deck and things like this can lose you games. Despite that this deck can usually overcome its consistency issues in a best of three series and will rarely draw deck more than once in three games.
Seismitoad-EX / Giratina-EX
[cardimg name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”106″ align=”right” height=”250″ c=”none”][/cardimg]
This deck is not unlike the kind that we saw before the ban of [card name=”Lysandre’s Trump Card” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card]. It utilizes the same key cards, [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card], but it also uses Giratina-EX as a way of doing big amounts of damage and locking the opponent out of Special Energy, Stadiums, and Tools. The latter can really hurt decks like [card name=”Hawlucha” set=”Furious Fists” no=”63″ c=”name”][/card] / Bats because they aren’t able to buff their attacks (no [card name=”Fighting Stadium” set=”Furious Fists” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card], or [card name=”Strong Energy” set=”Furious Fists” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card]).
Other than putting huge locks on the opponent with Seismitoad-EX and Giratina-EX you are also aiming to remove as much Energy as you possibly can with Hammers and Supporters like [card name=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”110″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Team Flare Grunt” set=”XY” no=”129″ c=”name”][/card]. You also have access to [card name=”Super Scoop Up” set=”Furious Fists” no=”100″ c=”name”][/card] to completely heal your attackers due to the fact that you can pick them up and just play them back down with [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] and Energy.
[card name=”Double Dragon Energy” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”111″ c=”name”][/card] allow Giratina to be powered up in just two attachments, which allows you to put on pressure as early as turn two with an attack that does a relative large amount of damage. Giratina also counters [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”M Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”24″ c=”name”][/card] which are very popular cards at the moment. To summarize, the aim of the deck is to be able to do big chunks of damage whilst your opponent struggles to find Energy.
The List
[decklist]
[pokemon amt=”9″]
3x [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”106″ c=”deck2″][/card]
3x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”106″ c=”deck2″][/card]
[/pokemon]
[trainers amt=”43″]
4x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”XY” no=”122″ c=”deck2″][/card]
2x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”104″ c=”deck2″][/card]
1x [card name=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”119″ c=”deck2″][/card]
1x [card name=”Pokemon Center Lady” set=”Flashfire” no=”105″ c=”deck2″][/card]
1x [card name=”AZ” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”91″ c=”deck2″][/card]
1x [card name=”Professor Birch’s Observations” set=”Primal Clash” no=”159″ c=”deck2″][/card]
1x [card name=”Team Flare Grunt” set=”XY” no=”129″ c=”deck2″][/card]
4x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”deck2″][/card]
4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Flashfire” no=”99″ c=”deck2″][/card]
4x [card name=”Super Scoop Up” set=”Furious Fists” no=”100″ c=”deck2″][/card]
4x [card name=”Crushing Hammer” set=”Emerging Powers” no=”92″ c=”deck2″][/card]
3x [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”deck2″][/card]
3x [card name=”Head Ringer” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”97″ c=”deck2″][/card]
2x [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”94″ c=”deck2″][/card]
3x [card name=”Team Aqua’s Secret Base” set=”Double Crisis” no=”28″ c=”deck2″][/card]
2x [card name=”Silent Lab” set=”Primal Clash” no=”140″ c=”deck2″][/card]
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[energy amt=”8″]
4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”111″ c=”deck2″][/card]
4x [card name=”Double Dragon Energy” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”97″ c=”deck2″][/card]
[/energy]
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Three Seismitoad-EX
Seismitoad in’t as powerful damage-wise as Giratina, but it also exerts an arguably better lock and can attack with just one Energy attachment. The real goal is to set up damage on a Pokemon and then finish them off with a Giratina-EX afterwards. For these reasons I find that three is just the right number in this deck. Not to mention that it’s your ideal starter and with three copies you should find it easy to either start with it or get it out early on without any problems.
Two Giratina-EX
This Pokemon is the bomb. There is nothing popular in the format that can OHKO it besides a [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] with an accompanying Hex Maniac. And that brings me to my next point, the fact that it cannot be affected in anyway by the attacks of Mega Pokemon makes it even better because it can be almost impossible to deal with for a lot of Mega-oriented decks. Locking your opponent out of Stadiums is also a key component in this deck because it means that if you need to KO an [card name=”Aegislash-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”65″ c=”name”][/card] then you can play a [card name=”Silent Lab” set=”Primal Clash” no=”140″ c=”name”][/card] and then attack with Giratina which locks it in play. You can also use it to lock in the [card name=”Team Aqua’s Secret Base” set=”Double Crisis” no=”28″ c=”name”][/card] which I’ll talk about later on. Locking a Stadium into play is just huge against a lot of decks.
[cardimg name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ align=”right” height=”250″ c=”none”][/cardimg]
Three Shaymin-EX / One Hoopa-EX
[card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] is your main source of draw in this deck and you will be scooping them up and drawing deeper and deeper into your deck all game to find your Hammers and Energy. I’ve toyed around with four Shaymin but it’s just too much and the deck is consistent enough with just three. One Hoopa-EX is pretty solid because it turns your [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] into a Pokemon Collector. By this I mean it allows you to search for a Hoopa-EX and then also grab another three Pokemon-EX, completely setting up your field with just one card.
Supporters
I run a lot of one-of Supporters in this deck for the sake of getting as many effects in the deck as possible while also being able to fit in all of the rest of the cards. Four [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”XY” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card] is needed to give the deck some much needed consistency and draw because once this deck gets going it stands a good chance against every other deck in the format. I also run a single copy of [card name=”Professor Birch’s Observations” set=”Primal Clash” no=”134″ c=”name”][/card] as another draw option and as a shuffle-draw Supporter. If you end up with a hand of say four Hammers, a [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card], and a Sycamore you really want a way to shuffle all of those cards back into the deck so you aren’t forced to discard them.
Just like [card name=”Hawlucha” set=”Furious Fists” no=”63″ c=”name”][/card] / Bats I run two [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card]. This is pretty standard and there’s no reason to go into any more depth about it. The other two Team Flare associates that I run are [card name=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”110″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Team Flare Grunt” set=”XY” no=”129″ c=”name”][/card]. Basically the reason for this is that it means I can turn my [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] into Energy removals, which can really aid you in your quest to remove as much Energy as possible. Xerosic also lets you remove Tools if your opponent managed to get any on the board before you started your lock with either Giratina-EX or [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card].
[card name=”AZ” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Pokémon Center Lady” set=”Flashfire” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] are both utility Supporters and just like the Xerosic and Flare Grunt they are there to give your VS Seeker a bit more power. Pokemon Center Lady can allow your attackers to take an extra hit which can be crucial, especially in the late game where both you and your opponent are down to the last few Prizes. AZ can be a heal supporter or it can be used to pick up your [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card], either to be played back down or because you don’t want them acting as liabilities on your Bench.
Trainers
I run four copies of both of my flip cards ([card name=”Super Scoop Up” set=”Furious Fists” no=”100″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Crushing Hammer” set=”Kalos Starter Set” no=”34″ c=”name”][/card]) because on average it means that two of them should work. With any other number there’s no real statistical guarantee. Of course you still could get four heads in a game or four tails but my point is you want a high number of these cards so that you have a better chance of actually achieving the effects that you desire.
Two [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Primal Clash” no=”162″ c=”name”][/card] is a good meta call at the moment because of the large amount of decks that run Special Energy. Against nearly every deck out there you will have a significant advantage because your deck contains two card that set the opponent back by a whole attachment. As for Tools I run three [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] and three [card name=”Head Ringer” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card]. The Muscle Band are there to hit much better numbers with your attacks. For example against most Pokemon-EX, Seismitoad-EX without a Muscle Band would have to attack six times to Knock Out the defending Pokemon whereas with a Muscle Band it would only take four. On a Giratina, Muscle Band allow you to 2HKO Mega Pokemon rather than just being a few points of damage short after two attacks. [card name=”Head Ringer” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card] follows the deck’s theme of setting your opponent back as long as possible and also denies them from being able to attack by making their attacks cost more Energy.
Now onto the more interesting cards. Paint Roller is a cool card that I hadn’t even considered before I was told to test it, but now I really like it. This card gives the deck extra draw ability and can also give you the edge you need in order to win the Stadium war. Furthermore you can use it to remove the opponent’s Stadium and then lock them down with Giratina-EX. The card is surprisingly versatile and I would encourage people to try it out.
[card name=”Team Aqua’s Secret Base” set=”Double Crisis” no=”28″ c=”name”][/card] is in here because I was finding it hard to decide which Stadium was the best with the deck. If you think about it logically Team Aqua’s Secret Base has no effect on you because you only run two types of Energy cards and both of them provide two Energy when attached to your Pokemon. This means that it doesn’t really matter to you if Seismitoad has three Retreat of four because either way you would have to discard two DCE. Besides the point that it doesn’t really affect you, when playing this deck you shouldn’t really be Retreating much anyway. All in all this card is just another way to lock your opponent and make them discard more Energy. Finally I run two [card name=”Silent Lab” set=”Primal Clash” no=”140″ c=”name”][/card]. This is just to help against [card name=”Aegislash-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”65″ c=”name”][/card] because without them you would have to constantly Hex Maniac every turn in order to get past Mighty Shield which isn’t very efficient.
Matchups
Overall this deck doesn’t really lose to anything in particular. It has very strong matchups against [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”M Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”24″ c=”name”][/card] decks because of Giratina’s immunity to Mega Pokemon. In the case of Manectric decks you will sometimes struggle if the opponent opts to go with the strategy of using Assault Laser but to get around this all you have to do is just not attach [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card]s and you will limit the amount of damage that the opponent can do.
Regice can sometimes be a problem but as I said before the key is just to remove as many Energy from them as possible. This can be difficult against Regice / Vileplume because you can’t use your [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] or Hammers so the key to this matchup is to be patient and wait until you can play a Hex Maniac along with a few Hammers which will hopefully allow you to remove enough Energy to stop Regice from attacking one turn which will then allow you to snowball the opponent.
I think out of all the decks in the current meta game the only deck that should give you problems is [card name=”Lucario-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”54″ c=”name”][/card] / Bats. This is because of how efficient of an attacker [card name=”Hawlucha” set=”Furious Fists” no=”63″ c=”name”][/card] is. What you have to do is attack non-stop with Giratina, which will prevent the opponent from being able to attach [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Fighting Stadium” set=”Furious Fists” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Strong Energy” set=”Furious Fists” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card] and therefore diminish the effects of Hawlucha and Lucario’s attacks. With this strategy they will still have access to their Items which means that they won’t have much trouble with getting out their Bats.
While this deck may have fairly solid matchups across the board it does have issues against decks that can recycle Energy or that can attack with very little Energy. The other glaring problem is that some of the key cards in this deck that are vital to the overall strategy are based around flips which means you can lose games due to even just below-average flips.
Conclusion
Both of these decks have a lot of positives and negatives, which can be expected from a game as balanced as Pokemon. Of course the decks that I mentioned at the start of this article are all really good picks too and you shouldn’t rule any of them out just yet. I’m sure as the year goes on we will see which exciting and intriguing archetypes develop from the new sets.
All in all, Standard looks like it’s going to be a very interesting format and I can’t wait to see how this next year of Pokemon unfolds. Whether you are playing in Regionals, Cities, or just some League Challenges I advise you to consider some of the decks that I have mentioned in this article and wish all of you the best of luck!
[/premium]