Back in Black(smith) – Three Unique Decks for Standard Cities!
Hello ‘Beach goers! Cities are upon us and I couldn’t be more excited. This is my favorite time of time of year! The holidays are approaching, the seasons are changing, and, thanks to Northeast Ohio’s bustling Pokemon scene, I’ll have the opportunity to compete at a high level of play, twice a week, for nearly a month and a half! I’ve been able to attend about 10-12 City Championships each of the the last few Play! Pokemon seasons. This provides a great time to develop friendships, but also marks the time of year that I grow most as a TCG player. Cities are famous for their deep development of a singular format. Metagames can change from week to week, even day to day! It’ll be a little odd this year that Cities results will be split between Standard and Expanded formats, and we won’t get a Regional conclusion of our Standard Cities format. However, this hasn’t dulled my excitement for the new Standard format at all!
[cardimg name=”Professor Birch’s Observations” set=”Primal Clash” no=”159″ align=”right” height=”200″ c=”custom”]Not in my lists![/cardimg]
In fact, in this article I have three thoroughly tested, and consistent, City-Championship-ready lists that I’m sure you’ll find interesting! My testing as of late has really paid off and I am anxious to share my lists with you. I take a lot of pride in each of these decks as I consider them to be “home grown,” or constructed by myself and a few close friends straight from the ground up! My hope is that no matter how experienced a player you are, you find something here that you haven’t seen or thought of yet! I don’t want to just feed you the lists that everyone else is running. So let me know what you think in the comments section of the article!
Rethinking Consistency
Standard requires players accustomed to the Expanded format to totally re-haul the way they make decks, which has proved to be quite a challenge. In Expanded, players can easily build decks that conserve resources with the strong shuffle draw options like [card name=”N” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”96″ c=”name” c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”118″ c=”name” c=”name”][/card]. In Standard, however, the most powerful draw engines tend to be “burn and draw” options, rather than shuffle draw. The difference is stark and, in practice, it requires players to tightly manage resources while generally playing more “resource recovery” options than they may be used to. In Expanded, [card name=”Professor Juniper” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”98″ c=”name” c=”name”][/card], N and Colress reign as the all-powerful staples that can make just about any combination of Pokemon run smooth enough. In Standard, though, I have found that we cannot simply “replicate” these draw Supporters with [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”XY” no=”122″ c=”name” c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Judge” set=”Unleashed” no=”78″ c=”name” c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Professor Birch’s Observations” set=”Primal Clash” no=”134″ c=”name” c=”name”][/card]. I have played too many games where I play a Birch early, flip tails, and dead draw into oblivion! If you, too, are sick and tired of Professor Birch, look no further! The three decks in this article play a whopping zero Professor Birch between them! Let’s dive in to the decks and show you what all this fuss is about.
It’s a Dog-Eat-Dog World
I don’t know about you, but I get a lot of inspiration for deck building on PTCGO. I very rarely get inspired to build a deck based on my pulls from Trading Card packs. In fact, I highly discourage the practice. Build decks based on what cards you think will be well positioned in the format, not the cards that randomly grace you with their presence from packs! But sometimes, allowing spontaneity to take control can produce solid results! My girlfriend, Kirsten, and I both bought Pikachu-EX boxes recently and each pulled a Full Art M Houndoom-EX in our packs! We were both impressed with how amazing the artwork on the card looked and expressed our desires for the card to be playable. The same week, I got absolutely decimated by a M Houndoom-EX deck on PTCGO. The deck didn’t play anything flashy. No Bats or anything. Just consistency. The deck attacked turn one with Houndoom-EX and went from there, slapping me for massive damage turn after turn. I was playing my Night March deck, which I considered to be the most powerful deck in my arsenal at the time, so I was definitely on tilt after the match concluded. I blamed it on poor variance and Prizes and moved on.
But later, Kirsten and I found ourselves talking about Houndoom again! We decided, “Let’s just build it to play for fun at League!” You have to have fun sometimes, right? Immediately, we were blown away by the deck’s power and consistency! I didn’t realize Houndoom would be attacking on turn one nearly as often as it manages to. Additionally, Houndoom-EX’s attack, Grand Flame, sets up more Houndoom on the Bench, which allows the deck to lean on [card name=”Blacksmith” set=”Flashfire” no=”88″ c=”name” c=”name”][/card] a little less than it would otherwise. Combine the turbo Blacksmith engine with a few copies of [card name=”Pokémon Catcher” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”111″ c=”name” c=”name”][/card] and we have a beefy deck that is far more potent and aggressive than I anticipated! [card name=”M Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”24″ c=”name” c=”name”][/card] has already asserted itself as a powerful entity in Standard, but Houndoom’s speed and power make the Hound valid competition for “Top Dog” honors in Standard format. Let’s take a look!
[decklist]
[pokemon amt=”11″]
2x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name” c=”deck2″][/card]
[/pokemon]
[trainers amt=”39″]
4x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”XY” no=”122″ c=”name” c=”deck2″][/card]
2x [card name=”Blacksmith” set=”Flashfire” no=”88″ c=”name” c=”deck2″][/card]
1x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”name” c=”deck2″][/card]
1x [card name=”Judge” set=”Unleashed” no=”78″ c=”name” c=”deck2″][/card]
1x [card name=”Teammates” set=”Primal Clash” no=”160″ c=”name” c=”deck2″][/card]
1x [card name=”AZ” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”91″ c=”name” c=”deck2″][/card]
4x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”name” c=”deck2″][/card]
4x [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”name” c=”deck2″][/card]
4x [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”name” c=”deck2″][/card]
4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ c=”name” c=”deck2″][/card]
3x [card name=”Pokémon Catcher” set=”Emerging Powers” no=”95″ c=”name” c=”deck2″][/card]
3x Houndoom Spirit Link (BTH #142)
2x [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”name” c=”deck2″][/card]
2x [card name=”Tool Retriever” set=”Furious Fists” no=”101″ c=”name” c=”deck2″][/card]
1x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”99″ c=”name” c=”deck2″][/card]
[/trainers]
[energy amt=”10″]
6x [card name=”Fire Energy” set=”XY” no=”133″ c=”name” c=”deck2″][/card]
[/energy]
[/decklist]
When playing M Houndoom, it’s hard not to draw comparisons to [card name=”M Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”24″ c=”name” c=”name”][/card]. Both are 210 HP, canine-inspired Mega Pokemon-EX that attack for two Energy. Both decks set up phenomenally thanks to Hoopa-EX‘s Scoundrel Ring Ability, and both decks make great use of the [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”name” c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”name” c=”name”][/card] engine. Both decks accelerate Energy from the discard, and both decks share their struggles when competing with Vespiquen and Night March, two of the strongest decks in Standard. Houndoom does not have as many tech options as Manectric does because of the mono-Fire requirement of Houndoom’s attacks, but Houndoom does boast overall higher damage output while not suffering from Manectric’s “[card name=”Virizion-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”9″ c=”name” c=”name”][/card] syndrome,” requiring an Energy drop turn one in order to set up consistently and not attacking significantly until turn two. Manectric is granted access to the awesome [card name=”Rough Seas” set=”Primal Clash” no=”137″ c=”name” c=”name”][/card] Stadium, which contributes to the deck’s overall tankiness; but Houndoom is more explosive overall, boasting the ability to take big turn two KOs while not suffering from the same linear and predictable Energy acceleration pattern of Manectric. Though the decks have their similarities, they play out very differently in practice, and, in my opinion, Houndoom is far more entertaining to play! Let’s review the most significant components of a good Houndoom deck, along with my unique additions!
The Blacksmith Engine
[cardimg name=”Blacksmith” set=”Flashfire” no=”88″ align=”right” height=”200″ c=”custom”]Downright explosive![/cardimg]
Some of you may be familiar with a good [card name=”Blacksmith” set=”Flashfire” no=”88″ c=”name” c=”name”][/card] engine. [card name=”Camerupt-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”29″ c=”name” c=”name”][/card] has been popping up in XY-AOR Standard results as a hard-hitting archetype alongside [card name=”Team Magma’s Camerupt” set=”Double Crisis” no=”2″ c=”name” c=”name”][/card], and I’ve even seen quite a few “quad Entei” decks when playing PTCGO. Houndoom is the newest addition to this emerging engine and a welcome one at that. The idea is to max out your copies of [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”name” c=”name”][/card], get Energy into the discard quickly, and accelerate that Energy using Blacksmith as the Supporter for turn. Four copies of [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”name” c=”name”][/card] along with two copies of Blacksmith gives you to access the Supporter early via Battle Compressor / VS Seeker, or simply drawing into the Supporter naturally. [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”name” c=”name”][/card] allows you to hit your Battle Compressors, VS Seekers and [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ c=”name” c=”name”][/card] more consistently. Ultra Ball combined with Hoopa-EX is an insane way to set up the board turn one. Most early Ultra Ball plays turn into a Hoopa-EX Scoundrel Ring for two copies of Houndoom-EX and a [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name” c=”name”][/card] to draw to six. This will usually net you the cards you need to pull off a turn one Blacksmith. If you combine a turn one Blacksmith with an attachment for turn and the accelerating effect of Houndoom’s Grand Flame attack, it’s possible to get four Energy into play on the first turn of the game!
I’ve considered dropping the number of Battle Compressor in the deck to three, simply because once the first Battle Compressor hits the discard, I usually don’t find myself needing another. However, four is definitely optimal as it allows for the most consistent early Blacksmith plays. I often find myself using Battle compressor to ditch other Battle Compressors later in the game, but there’s nothing necessarily wrong with that. It’s nice to have the option to thin your deck out and ditch those one-of Supporters in order to access them with VS Seeker later. Four Trainers’ Mail has been amazing as well. I wouldn’t compromise on anything included in this turbo engine when looking for free space to include techs. The engine works wonderfully as is.
3x Pokemon Catcher
[card name=”Pokémon Catcher” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”111″ c=”name” c=”name”][/card] is an interesting and often forgotten about card in the Standard format. My friend and fellow PokeBeach writer, JW Kriewall, turned me on to the idea of experimenting with Pokemon Catcher in many of my lists, and it just so happens that Pokemon Catcher fits in perfectly with Houndoom. Since we will be playing [card name=”Blacksmith” set=”Flashfire” no=”88″ c=”name” c=”name”][/card] quite a bit to build up our board position, it is often difficult to find time to play [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”name” c=”name”][/card]. Pokemon Catcher allows the deck to target specific threats on the Bench with Grand Flame early on so M Houndoom-EX can tear through them later with massive Inferno Fangs! It also gives the deck great access to Benched [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name” c=”name”][/card] and makes the deck all around more aggressive. I can’t speak enough on the power of Pokemon Catcher in Standard! It reminds me of [card name=”Super Scoop Up” set=”Unleashed” no=”83″ c=”name” c=”name”][/card] in [card name=”Landorus-EX” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”89″ c=”name” c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name” c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name” c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name” c=”name”][/card] decks from last year. Though the card hinges on a flip, the outcome is so powerful that its inclusion is worthy in many lists! Especially in Standard, decks are utilizing Shaymin-EX as well as other setup Pokemon in order to draw consistently. Pokemon Catcher gives aggressive decks an increased opportunity to exploit those weaknesses while still playing their own Supporters to set up their board position. We still play one copy of [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”name” c=”name”][/card] to fall back on late game; however, it’s nice having the option to play [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”101″ c=”name” c=”name”][/card], grab the resources you need to attack, and hit the Catcher heads to attack your ideal target. Don’t knock it until you try it for yourself!
1x Teammates / 1x Judge
[cardimg name=”Teammates” set=”Primal Clash” no=”160″ align=”right” height=”200″ c=”custom”]One of Standard’s best Supporters![/cardimg]
I mentioned earlier that Standard decks cannot simply play [card name=”Professor Birch’s Observations” set=”Primal Clash” no=”134″ c=”name” c=”name”][/card] to replicate the sturdy shuffle draw available to us in Expanded. The Standard format is just a different game! Try to play Birch to set up and you are bound to be let down. I have found that in place of Birch I prefer to play [card name=”Judge” set=”Unleashed” no=”78″ c=”name” c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Teammates” set=”Primal Clash” no=”160″ c=”name” c=”name”][/card] as my mainstays alongside [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”XY” no=”122″ c=”name” c=”name”][/card]. Teammates allows the player to be selective and conservative on turns they would rather not ditch their hand with a Sycamore. Additionally, players can set their hands up with successive Teammates so they can carve out a path to victory! In a format where hand disruption is far less prevalent, this is a valuable strategy for any deck to employ. Although Judge is not nearly as potent as [card name=”N” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”96″ c=”name” c=”name”][/card], the card is still a powerful hand disruption option, and I have still won and lost many games at the hands of a late Judge! Judge should end up finding its way into most decks as at least a one-of. An early Judge can spell disaster for a lot of decks. If you have already set up your board with Hoopa-EX, Judge could be a nice option for the opening turns of the game, especially if you cannot [card name=”Blacksmith” set=”Flashfire” no=”88″ c=”name” c=”name”][/card].
1x Parallel City
Parallel City is quickly becoming one of my favorite Stadiums in the game and it is a great inclusion in any deck that uses Hoopa-EX or [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name” c=”name”][/card] to set up! Parallel City’s function is twofold in our Houndoom deck. First, as I mentioned, it allows you to bump your weak or useless Pokemon-EX from play so that the opponent cannot take advantage of them. When used to reduce your own Bench, the card also decreases attack damage from Fire, Water and Grass types on the opponent’s side of the field! This is extremely useful versus Vespiquen, who will have a hard time reaching the 230 damage required to OHKO a M Houndoom. Speaking of Vespiquen, top Vespiquen and Night March lists have started to play their own copy of Parallel City to bump their own Shaymin to the discard. Against these lists, it can turn into a race to see which player can bump a Shaymin off the board with Parallel City first, since Parallel City cannot be played once it is already in play! The first player to activate their Parallel City will reap the benefits of a limited Bench while the opposing player may need to sit with their Shaymin in play all game. This is not as big of a deal for Night March decks which play their own counter Stadiums. But Vespiquen will rarely have room for Stadiums outside of their own copy of Parallel City! This is an interesting Stadium interaction that I anticipate will be quite common in the new format.
2x Tool Retriever
This is another one of my “don’t knock it until you try it” cards. [card name=”Tool Retriever” set=”Furious Fists” no=”101″ c=”name” c=”name”][/card] is actually a really good card in decks that play Spirit Links. It allows you to remove your Spirit Links from Mega Evolved Pokemon-EX, which means they can be re-used on Pokemon-EX that still need to Mega Evolve! The two copies of Tool Retriever make your three copies of Houndoom Spirit Link go the distance. They also free up your M Houndoom-EX so they can be equipped with [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”name” c=”name”][/card]! Muscle Band fixes Inferno Fang’s math quite nicely, elevating Houndoom’s damage ceiling to a desirable 180 damage. There are other ways to fix Houndoom’s math such as Giovanni’s Scheme and [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name” c=”name”][/card]; however, neither of these work as effectively and consistently as Muscle Band. [card name=”Float Stone” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”99″ c=”name” c=”name”][/card] gains more mileage with Tool Retriever as well, giving the deck more mobility all around. I’m still considering a couple other Tools to run in the deck, potentially Assault Vest and maybe even [card name=”Weakness Policy” set=”Primal Clash” no=”142″ c=”name” c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Hard Charm” set=”XY” no=”119″ c=”name” c=”name”][/card]! Both Weakness Policy and Hard Charm would assist your Mega Manectric matchup quite nicely while Assault Vest would make it nearly impossible for Night March and Vespiquen to take OHKOs on your Houndoom that are equipped with them! [card name=”Teammates” set=”Primal Clash” no=”160″ c=”name” c=”name”][/card] makes it easier than ever to pull off the Tool Retriever swap maneuver, so don’t worry! This really works. Give it a shot!
[premium]
Magnezone Rebooted
I included a detailed rundown of Magnezone in my last article and I thought I would include an updated list for you all to test with! The list has come a long way and I am finally satisfied with the deck’s consistency. I was even able to take the deck to a second place finish at the New Holland, PA Cities; along with fellow PokeBeach writer, Jimmy Pendarvis, who got fourth with the same deck! Magnezone occupies an odd space in the format. In a way, it operates like a non-EX deck, capable of streaming Raikou‘s Thunder Lance attack turn after turn. But with Pikachu-EX, Magnezone also boasts the highest damage ceiling in the metagame! Magnezone is unique because its strengths and weaknesses are different than most of the format’s top decks. Magnezone is one of the only decks that doesn’t rely on Special Energy. I expect the new Jirachi Promo will make quite an impact early in the City Championship metagame. Many top decks heavily depend on Special Energy, and with Jirachi in the mix players will be very susceptible to running out! Magnezone’s biggest weaknesses are Hex Maniac and aggressive Bench access. Setting up multiple Magnezone can prove to be a huge chore. But thanks to [card name=”Teammates” set=”Primal Clash” no=”160″ c=”name” c=”name”][/card] and the draw power of Octillery, it isn’t impossible to stream multiple Magnezone if need be. That being said, Magnezone is the most Ability-dependent deck in format. Hex Maniac can be a pain to play around, but it is possible to do so! Hex isn’t nearly as bad to deal with as something more permanent like [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”54″ c=”name” c=”name”][/card].
Once set up, Magnezone is one of the strongest decks in the format, capable of annihilating huge threats with ease. I anticipate that Magnezone will maintain a foothold in the Standard format because of its unique position. Not many people will be teching their decks specifically to beat Magnezone, which makes it a valid play heading into City Championships. The decks at the top of my threat list for the first couple weeks of Cities are Night March, Vespiquen and [card name=”M Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”24″ c=”name” c=”name”][/card]. I’m a huge fan of playing decks that are a little off the beaten path — something strong that the opponent may not be expecting. I think the core of my list here has the potential to make a sizable impact in Standard! So let’s see how it works.
[decklist]
[pokemon amt=”16″]
1x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name” c=”deck2″][/card]
[/pokemon]
[trainers amt=”34″]
4x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”XY” no=”122″ c=”name” c=”deck2″][/card]
1x [card name=”Judge” set=”Unleashed” no=”78″ c=”name” c=”deck2″][/card]
1x [card name=”Teammates” set=”Primal Clash” no=”141″ c=”name” c=”deck2″][/card]
1x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”name” c=”deck2″][/card]
4x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”name” c=”deck2″][/card]
4x [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”name” c=”deck2″][/card]
4x [card name=”Rare Candy” set=”Primal Clash” no=”135″ c=”name” c=”deck2″][/card]
4x [card name=”Energy Retrieval” set=”Primal Clash” no=”126″ c=”name” c=”deck2″][/card]
4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ c=”name” c=”deck2″][/card]
3x [card name=”Level Ball” set=”Next Destinies” no=”89″ c=”name” c=”deck2″][/card]
2x [card name=”Professor’s Letter” set=”XY” no=”123″ c=”name” c=”deck2″][/card]
1x [card name=”Super Rod” set=”Noble Victories” no=”95″ c=”name” c=”deck2″][/card]
[/trainers]
[energy amt=”10″]
10x [card name=”Lightning Energy” set=”XY” no=”135″ c=”name” c=”deck2″][/card]
[/energy]
[/decklist]
Goodbye Brigette, Hello Consistency!
The first and largest difference you’ll notice between this list and my last Magnezone list is that I have given Brigette the axe. Brigette was good in thought and sometimes she worked to provide a fortified set up, but she was dead weight later in the game and ultimately not worth the space. She clunked up hands and didn’t provide any draw power! I have replaced her outright with three copies of [card name=”Level Ball” set=”Next Destinies” no=”89″ c=”name” c=”name”][/card] and four [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”name” c=”name”][/card], which have worked beautifully together to set up Octillery and Magnezone quickly and efficiently. Level Ball provides efficient search for your Magnemite and Remoraid, but also works after the first turn of the game to set up Octillery! After Remoraid has been in play for a turn, Level Balls turn into live draw cards by accessing Octillery. If you already have Octillery set up, Level Ball is an easily burnable card that will allow you to draw more with Octillery’s Abyssal Hand (pronounced “Abysmal Hand” by my friends and I).
Though the high count of Level Ball was a big breakthrough, Trainers’ Mail was the key ingredient to making this deck sing. The hardest part about setting up Magnezone is netting the elusive Magnezone / [card name=”Rare Candy” set=”EX Holon Phantoms” no=”90″ c=”name” c=”name”][/card] combination on the second turn of the game. Trainers’ Mail allows you to reach four cards deeper into your deck in search of those pieces, naturally increasing the frequency with which you can get them in the same hand. Like I said, I already detailed many of Magnezone’s primary components in my previous article. If you wish to read more about the basics of Magnezone, check them out here!
Magnezone’s Wishlist
With the cuts made for Level Ball and [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”name” c=”name”][/card], this list has become very streamlined and no nonsense. There’s something to be said for lists that are super consistent and do exactly what they are supposed to. Then again, this can leave a deck susceptible to predictability. There are quite a few cards that I would like to fit in this list, but only time will tell if they are worth it. Further testing and refining will reveal which of these options are necessary, and which the deck can live without!
Float Stone
My original list ran two copies of [card name=”Float Stone” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”99″ c=”name” c=”name”][/card]. As I longed for the deck to be more consistent though, I cut down to one, and now to zero. Since you have access to large amounts of Energy to dump on the field, you can rationalize cutting Float Stone in favor of retreating manually; however, it can definitely cause problems later in the game. No one likes to lose a game thanks to a stranded Bench sitter! I used to run into this problem with [card name=”Rayquaza-EX” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”85″ c=”name” c=”custom”]Ray[/card][card name=”Emboar” set=”Legendary Treasures” no=”27″ c=”name” c=”custom”]Boar[/card] two years ago. The standard switch count in that deck ended up being two switching cards and a [card name=”Dowsing Machine” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”128″ c=”name” c=”name”][/card] to recover Trainers if need be, so maybe Magnezone should take notes. Another option for switching in this deck is [card name=”AZ” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”91″ c=”name” c=”name”][/card]. AZ can also strengthen your already sturdy board positioning by removing [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name” c=”name”][/card] from the field should you need to play it. The card is easily recoverable via [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”name” c=”name”][/card], so the value per cards played with AZ is very high!
Jirachi Promo
Jirachi fits well into this deck as a tech and was featured in earlier renditions of my list before I added the [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”name” c=”name”][/card]. Having the option to remove [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Next Destinies” no=”92″ c=”name” c=”name”][/card] from Night Marchers, Vespiquen, and [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”106″ c=”name” c=”name”][/card] can prove to be a valuable stalling strategy, slowing the opponent down just enough so that Magnezone can get set up. Additionally, Jirachi’s mobility in this deck is great, retreating for just a single Energy which is not a big deal thanks to Magnezone’s Magnetic Circuit. Because we play [card name=”Super Rod” set=”Noble Victories” no=”95″ c=”name” c=”name”][/card] as well, we would get maximum effectiveness out of our single Jirachi, even if the Wishmaker goes down early! I don’t expect Seismitoad-EX decks to be popular in Standard with the prevalence of Vespiquen, but Jirachi may allow you to cop a free turn versus Seismitoad-EX decks, which is all the deck needs in order to set up Magnezone!
Second Fisherman
Managing resources in this deck proves to be quite difficult. It’s not uncommon for a couple [card name=”Energy Retrieval” set=”Primal Clash” no=”126″ c=”name” c=”name”][/card] to get burned while setting up Magnezone. This can make things extremely tight as the game progresses! A second copy of Fisherman would take some weight off of [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”name” c=”name”][/card] and relieve some of the pressure felt when discarding Energy Retrievals with [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”101″ c=”name” c=”name”][/card]. Other options for recovering Energy include Energy Recycler or a copy of [card name=”Bunnelby” set=”Primal Clash” no=”121″ c=”name” c=”name”][/card]. Energy Recycler throws five Energy back into the deck, but I always find myself drawing the card before I am ready to use it. I only want to use Energy Recycler at the very end of the game, which leads me to believe the card is too situational to warrant inclusion. Bunnelby is an extremely versatile card that I really like heading into the Standard format. Recovering any resource, especially VS Seeker, can be game changing. Combine that with the option for an alternative win condition if your opponent’s deck is running low and we have a solid argument for the Rabbit’s inclusion.
Somebody… Anybody with More than 140 HP!
Yes, it’s true. Raikou is a beefcake of a non-EX. That being said, we would get a lot more mileage out of our Energy if the attackers in Magnezone didn’t generally go down in one hit. I’ve experimented a little bit with [card name=”Magnezone-EX” set=”Flashfire” no=”101″ c=”name” c=”name”][/card] as an option; however, I find myself never wanting to use it as the game progresses. I’ve also thought about Lugia-EX, but Lugia’s Lightning Weakness concerns me, especially with Night March and Jolteon running around. Another option to consider is playing copies of Assault Vest, but I don’t know how we would fit multiple copies of that card in the deck while maintaining consistency! Ultimately I think Raikou and Pikachu-EX are simply the best attackers for the archetype right now, but I do find that low HP can become an issue.
Night March / Entei
How do you build a Standard Night March deck? Is it possible? Can the archetype survive without its beloved [card name=”Mew-EX” set=”Legendary Treasures” no=”RC24″ c=”name” c=”name”][/card]? I’ve seen Night March successfully paired with [card name=”Bronzong” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY21″ c=”name” c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Milotic” set=”Primal Clash” no=”44″ c=”name” c=”name”][/card] to solve the deck’s Energy problem. I’ve also seen people pair the archetype with Vespiquen. There seems to be a plethora of ways to make our infamous Marchers work in Standard. My mission is to provide you with the most well-rounded list possible! I’ve put hours of effort and testing into my current Night March list and it holds up extremely well in the current format. It’s no secret that I consider Night March and Vespiquen to be the two decks to beat in Standard. They are by far the fastest and hardest-hitting decks, and they trade non-EXs with Pokemon-EX to boot! The weaknesses of both these decks are the attacker’s relatively low HP, their overall limited resources, and their dependence on Special Energy. When building a Night March list in Standard, we try to mitigate those weaknesses while still boasting a strong and consistent list.
After testing all of the different options available to me, I arrived at Night March / Entei as my favorite option for Night March in Standard. Entei in combination with [card name=”Blacksmith” set=”Flashfire” no=”88″ c=”name” c=”name”][/card] allows the deck to churn out six consecutive non-EX attackers, something that even the best Expanded Night March lists cannot do! In many ways, the prevalence of Night March and Vespiquen have forced these archetypes to become perfectly refined. The Night March / Vespiquen matchup and each of their respective mirror matches are so close that not even the slightest oversight will be forgiven! Let’s take a look at how this deck has evolved over the past few months.
[decklist]
[pokemon amt=”18″]
4x [card name=”Pumpkaboo” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”44″ c=”name” c=”deck2″][/card]
4x [card name=”Lampent” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”42″ c=”name” c=”deck2″][/card]
4x [card name=”Joltik” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”26″ c=”name” c=”deck2″][/card]
3x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name” c=”deck2″][/card]
1x [card name=”Bunnelby” set=”Primal Clash” no=”121″ c=”name” c=”deck2″][/card]
[/pokemon]
[trainers amt=”35″]
3x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”XY” no=”122″ c=”name” c=”deck2″][/card]
2x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”name” c=”deck2″][/card]
1x [card name=”Judge” set=”Unleashed” no=”78″ c=”name” c=”deck2″][/card]
1x [card name=”Teammates” set=”Primal Clash” no=”160″ c=”name” c=”deck2″][/card]
1x [card name=”Blacksmith” set=”Flashfire” no=”88″ c=”name” c=”deck2″][/card]
4x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”name” c=”deck2″][/card]
4x [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”name” c=”deck2″][/card]
4x [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”name” c=”deck2″][/card]
4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ c=”name” c=”deck2″][/card]
2x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”99″ c=”name” c=”deck2″][/card]
2x [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”name” c=”deck2″][/card]
1x [card name=”Town Map” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”136″ c=”name” c=”deck2″][/card]
1x [card name=”Revive” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”88″ c=”name” c=”deck2″][/card]
4x [card name=”Dimension Valley” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”93″ c=”name” c=”deck2″][/card]
[/trainers]
[energy amt=”7″]
4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Next Destinies” no=”92″ c=”name” c=”deck2″][/card]
3x [card name=”Fire Energy” set=”XY” no=”133″ c=”name” c=”deck2″][/card]
[/energy]
[/decklist]
Entei
Entei is no stranger to the role of supporting attacker. It was played alongside Vespiquen and [card name=”Flareon” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”12″ c=”name” c=”name”][/card] to great success during Fall Regionals this year, and will continue to see success throughout City Championships as well. Entei is a great inclusion here because of the value we get per spot taken in the list. Entei slides into the turbo engine nicely, and doesn’t mess with the deck’s overall consistency by clogging things up with annoying Evolution lines. We simply play Entei to the Bench when we draw into it and power it up with [card name=”Blacksmith” set=”Flashfire” no=”88″ c=”name” c=”name”][/card] whenever we get a free turn! Entei’s damage output is reliant on the opponent, but it adds up quick. With just four Pokemon benched on the opponent’s side, Entei deals a respectable 100 damage, threatening 2HKOs on most Pokemon-EX. Entei opens this deck up considerably, giving the deck an answer to [card name=”Aegislash-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”65″ c=”name” c=”name”][/card] without Hex Maniac and easily dispatching any M Sceptile-EX decks single handedly. Entei takes a huge burden off of the [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”111″ c=”name” c=”name”][/card] in the deck. Night March now has an opportunity to occasionally 2HKO threats without running out of resources. But just in case our Double Colorless do run dry, we have an answer for that as well…
1x Bunnelby
Night March is such a fast deck in Standard that it can afford to take a turn to Rototiller resources back into the deck late game to set up for the win the following turn. [card name=”Bunnelby” set=”Primal Clash” no=”121″ c=”name” c=”name”][/card] and Entei both serve to take pressure off of your precious [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Next Destinies” no=”92″ c=”name” c=”name”][/card]. Most of the time I find myself using Rototiller to shuffle a Double Colorless Energy and a [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”name” c=”name”][/card] back into the deck. Bunnelby also offers some protection against the new Jirachi Promo. If your opponent wastes a turn using Jirachi’s Stardust to remove your Double Colorless Energy, you will more than likely be able to waste a turn later in the game tossing DCE back into your deck! And, of course, Bunnelby gives you an alternative win condition in Burrow should your opponent run their resources too thin!
1x Parallel City
I’m going to say this straight up: There should not be a Vespiquen or Night March list that doesn’t run this card. Parallel City takes your weakest link — multiple benched [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name” c=”name”][/card] — and eliminates them. Once you are able to bump your own Shaymin-EX from play your board positioning becomes impeccable. By the end of the game you should have nothing but non-EX Pokemon on your field, forcing your opponent to chew through every single Prize card to take the victory. The Parallel City play may seem gimmicky, but I can assure you that it is not. With [card name=”Teammates” set=”Primal Clash” no=”160″ c=”name” c=”name”][/card] and plenty of non-EX Pokemon like Entei and [card name=”Bunnelby” set=”Primal Clash” no=”121″ c=”name” c=”name”][/card] to fill the Bench, Parallel City is easier than ever to set up. The only thing you have to look out for is making sure you don’t plan on attacking with [card name=”Pumpkaboo” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”44″ c=”name” c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Dimension Valley” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”93″ c=”name” c=”name”][/card] in the same turn you attempt to play Parallel City. I am excited to see how much of an impact this card has on the metagame because, in my testing, it has been an absolute game changer. I can’t emphasize it enough. It’s exciting when a single card can make this much of an impact on your deck’s overall potency. Night March isn’t a deck we often think of defensively. Up until now, it has been a total glass cannon with 30 and 60 HP Pokemon sitting in front of multiple 110 HP Shaymin-EX. But now, the whole landscape is changed! All thanks to one card. And we will be receiving super-nice holofoil prints of Parallel City as our City’s Promo card this year! What’s not to like?
2x Float Stone
One [card name=”Float Stone” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”99″ c=”name” c=”name”][/card] has been standard practice in Night March for the last six months or so. So why move it up to two? Truthfully, the second Float Stone is a little bit of a luxury. The deck still operates decently enough with only one. My rationale for the second Float Stone is this: In previous Night March lists, our odds of starting a Night Marcher or [card name=”Mew-EX” set=”Legendary Treasures” no=”RC24″ c=”name” c=”name”][/card] were very high, increasing our odds of a turn one attack. Now that our Night March list plays more tech attackers that most likely won’t be ideal attackers on the first turn of the game, it is more important to have the mobility required to get the ideal Pokemon into the Active position early. Additionally, Float Stone works wonders in tandem with Entei and [card name=”Bunnelby” set=”Primal Clash” no=”121″ c=”name” c=”name”][/card], allowing them to effortlessly swing in and out of the Active position to fulfill their duties. Finally, with Jirachi removing Energy using Stardust, it will be important to be able to switch into Bunnelby to recover those resources whenever necessary. Entei and Bunnelby, though huge assets to the deck, both have an annoying Retreat Cost of two. This burden can be easily mitigated by playing multiple copies of Float Stone.
1x Town Map
By now [card name=”Town Map” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”136″ c=”name” c=”name”][/card] has made itself well known as an incredibly useful card in decks that depend on [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Next Destinies” no=”92″ c=”name” c=”name”][/card]. It was powerful in Night March lists played at the World Championship, as well as Vespiquen decks that performed well at Fall Regionals. But I think that Town Map has finally achieved its full potential in our current Standard format. Without [card name=”N” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”96″ c=”name” c=”name”][/card] in the format, hands are being reset far less than they were previously. This means that you are more likely to hold onto those cards that you grabbed off of Town Map. When you combine Town Map with [card name=”Teammates” set=”Primal Clash” no=”160″ c=”name” c=”name”][/card], you are capable of making a four-card power-play to set up your route to victory. I keep finding myself looking at Town Map as a potential cut for other cards, but it never ends up being worth it. Town Map is more than a luxury, it’s a key component to keeping this archetype running as effectively as possible.
Pokemon Catcher
You’re right! There is no [card name=”Pokémon Catcher” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”83″ c=”name” c=”name”][/card] in this list. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Though my testing with the card has just begun, my early results with three copies of Pokemon Catcher have been very successful! Pokemon Catcher gives you a greater chance of targeting weak Pokemon on the Bench during the early turns of the game while you set up your board position. It also gives you an increased chance to pick off [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name” c=”name”][/card] from your opponent’s Bench before they can get rid of them with Parallel City. To add three Pokemon Catcher to my list I would remove the second Entei, the second [card name=”Float Stone” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”99″ c=”name” c=”name”][/card], and the second [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”name” c=”name”][/card]. The Catcher version of Night March has the potential to be far more aggressive than the Lysandre-only version, so it is definitely worth testing out for yourself!
Jirachi
And finally we have Jirachi! If Giratina-EX is a problem in your area, I highly suggest adding a copy of Jirachi to the list. Jirachi can slide into the list instead of the [card name=”Bunnelby” set=”Primal Clash” no=”121″ c=”name” c=”name”][/card] or the second Entei. Combine Jirachi with a copy of [card name=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”110″ c=”name” c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”94″ c=”name” c=”name”][/card] and you have a hard counter to any [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”106″ c=”name” c=”name”][/card] / Giratina-EX deck. Toad / Giratina decks are not at the forefront of my radar heading into Cities though, which is why I have opted not to include Jirachi as a mainstay in the primary list above.
Conclusion
And that’s all I have for you! I’m very excited to attend more City Championships this year and anxious to see the way the City Championship metagame evolves this year! My top two choices heading into this weekend are Magnezone and Night March. Magnezone is just a fun deck to play, and I’d like to see how the deck operates in a tournament setting. I’m a little tired of playing Night March over and over, so maybe it’s time to mix it up with something new! Magnezone is different than the decks I’ve typically been piloting, so I think I have a good opportunity to learn something by playing the deck. I’m attending a second City Championship this weekend on Sunday, so if I fail with Magnezone on Friday I will at least have the opportunity to redeem myself then.
I hope you all enjoyed the read! I’m already looking forward to updating you with my results from the first half of City Championships in December. Things are bound to move quickly, so who knows where the metagame will be by that point! If you have any questions for me, feel free to join me in the Subscriber’s Secret Hideout. And as always, if you see me out a tournament I’d love to meet you, so be sure to say hello! Best of luck to all of you at your respective City Championships! I’m out!
Later trainers!
-Andrew Mahone
[/premium]