Three Off-Beat Deck Choices for the Last Weekend of Cities!
Hello again PokeBeach! I’m back for my second article as part of the premium article program. I hope you enjoyed my last efforts and are having a successful Cities season! As for myself, I’ve only been able to attend one so far, but I’m looking forward to playing in States and hopefully Winter Regionals. I forgot to include this information in my last article, but you can follow me on Twitter and Twitch.
Are you growing tired of your current deck choices? Not making cut with Night March anymore? [card name=”Yveltal” set=”XY” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card] letting you down? [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] not as thrilling as it used to be? Well, today I’ll be talking about a couple decks that I will be choosing between for the last weekend of Cities. Although I haven’t played in many Cities, I’ve been frivolously thinking about Pokemon and talking about the format with friends. My goal in this article is to shed some light on a few lesser-played decks that are surprisingly strong despite their small showing during Cities. They’re a little bit outside the box, so bear with me. If you’re tired of playing the same old thing, try one of these out. All three of these lists have been tested and proven by other people and me to some excellent results. You won’t be disappointed!
The Element of Surprise
One unfortunate thing about the card game we all love so much, it can quickly become stale and predictable at times. While we do have a large card pool to craft decks from at the moment, there are always archetypes that will rise to the top. Not only do certain decks rise to the top, but even specific lists become more frequently seen than others. This isn’t simply because some decks are good and some are bad. It’s because some decks are played more than others, sometimes by a large margin. When a deck is played more, naturally, it will have more positive recorded results than a deck that is played less. For this reason, to determine a deck or list’s worth, it’s necessary to look at not only its placings but the frequency at which it appears in competitive play. I’m not saying that things like tier lists are completely invalid, but I am saying they are merely a guideline as to what’s being played.
The efficacy of certain cards in certain formats is undeniable, and the combination and synergy of certain strategies are often too strong to be denied. [card name=”Virizion-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”9″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Genesect-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”11″ c=”name”][/card] is an example of a deck that was played in very high volume, consistently displayed top placings throughout the multiple formats it was legal, and even won the 2014 World Championship’s Masters division. On the other side of the spectrum, The Truth — a rogue deck created by Ross Cawthon — made it to the finals of the 2011 World Championships in the Masters division. This proves decks that may not be part of the meta are just as competitive, if not more competitive, than the more commonly played decks.
In summation, a deck doing well in a particular format isn’t inherently strong. There are mitigating factors, one of which is frequency of play. This article is focused on three decks that have strong finishes when compared to how little they appear in tournaments.
Damage Change
[decklist name=”Shrine of Memories/Mewtwo” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”62″][pokemon amt=”13″]2x [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”63″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]3x [card name=”Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”62″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Hoopa-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”36″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Sableye” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Landorus” set=”Furious Fists” no=”58″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Smeargle” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”123″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”37″]4x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”101″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]1x [card name=”Korrina” set=”Furious Fists” no=”95″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Professor Birch’s Observations” set=”Primal Clash” no=”134″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Mega Turbo” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”86″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Mewtwo Spirit Link” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”144″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Tool Retriever” set=”Furious Fists” no=”101″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Hard Charm” set=”XY” no=”119″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Weakness Policy” set=”Primal Clash” no=”142″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Escape Rope” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”120″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Shrine of Memories” set=”Primal Clash” no=”139″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]1x [card name=”Dimension Valley” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”93″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”10″]6x [card name=”Psychic Energy” set=”EX Ruby and Sapphire” no=”107″ c=”deck2″ amt=”6″][/card]4x [card name=”Fighting Energy” set=”EX Ruby and Sapphire” no=”105″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
First, I’ll talk about a deck I’ve been wanting to play every since I heard about it: M Mewtwo-EX / [card name=”Shrine of Memories” set=”Primal Clash” no=”139″ c=”name”][/card]. It first popped up at a few European Regionals in the fall, and seems like an interesting concept and is actually really powerful.
The idea is to set up [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”63″ c=”name”][/card] X or [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card] Y using [card name=”Sableye” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY92″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Landorus” set=”Furious Fists” no=”58″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Smeargle” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Mega Turbo” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card] to accelerate Energy. Instead of focusing on any of the Mega’s attacks, the deck uses [card name=”Shrine of Memories” set=”Primal Clash” no=”139″ c=”name”][/card] to access the basic [card name=”Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”62″ c=”name”][/card]’s attack, Damage Change. Since Mewtwo is a tank with a high HP, the goal is to keep it alive by continuously moving the damage away from it, a similar strategy to The Truth, which I mentioned earlier. Most of the time, the opponent will be forced to hit into Mewtwo without Knocking it Out. If they don’t deal enough damage to simply die from Damage Swap, it can be followed up by any of the Mega’s attacks for the KO next turn.
Pokemon
Mewtwo-EX
Mewtwo’s expired EX form dominated almost every format it was in. It was played as at least a one-of in every deck since it came out in Next Destinies. Where the new [card name=”Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”62″ c=”name”][/card] lacks splashability, it makes up for in versatility. It’s still weak to Psychic, which isn’t as big of a problem without an opposing X Ball around every corner. Night March does hit this Weakness, but we will discuss that issue later. Three copies helps us get Mewtwo on the field early in the game to start attaching Energy to it.
M Mewtwo-EX (X)
[cardimg name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”63″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
Mewtwo has two different Megas, one for its Y form and one of its X. The reason we play two of this version is because we are using the regular Mewtwo’s attack most of the time, and [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”63″ c=”name”][/card] X’s whopping 230 HP plays right into this strategy. 230 HP allows it to survive pretty much any attack in the format, with the exception of OHKOs from Night March and [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card]. That’s not to say Vanishing Strike isn’t a premium attack. There will likely be a Stadium in play for it since this deck plays five of them, not even taking into account the fact that every other deck plays its own Stadiums. It’s also not affected by Resistance or any other effects on your opponent’s Pokemon, meaning it tears through cards like [card name=”Hard Charm” set=”XY” no=”119″ c=”name”][/card] with ease.
M Mewtwo-EX (Y)
The other version of [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card] boasts a stronger attack. Psychic Infinity is reminiscent of the X Ball of old. TPCI learned their lesson, however, and the attack isn’t affected by Weakness. It’s still dang good against Energy-hogging Pokemon, and gives you another option on how you want to deal damage. It is slightly more fragile than [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”63″ c=”name”][/card], as it “only” has 210 HP.
Sableye
Now that we have our main attackers, we are in need of a way to power them up quickly. Manual attachments won’t do the job on their own. That’s where [card name=”Sableye” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY92″ c=”name”][/card] comes in. Although many people would turn to a higher count of [card name=”Landorus” set=”Furious Fists” no=”58″ c=”name”][/card], I chose to build my deck around Sableye because, even though I could technically flip three tails when using Sableye’s Energy Hunt, the reward of attaching two or three Energy is worth the risk.
Landorus
Just in case our flippy plan backfires, we do play one [card name=”Landorus” set=”Furious Fists” no=”58″ c=”name”][/card]. Better safe than sorry. Shout of Power gets a guaranteed Energy attachment, and Landorus’s HP trumps [card name=”Sableye” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY92″ c=”name”][/card]’s 120 to 70, allowing it to possibly live through more than one turn.
Smeargle
But wait, we have another way to match this deck’s bizarre Energy cost! Since Damage Change requires multiple Psychic Energy and Vanishing Strikes requires Fighting, [card name=”Smeargle” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] can simply exchange one for the other, depending on which attack we need to use that turn. We only play one because, with all the Energy acceleration options we have, it’s not necessary for every situation near the end of the game.
Hoopa-EX
We have quite the variety of Pokemon here, making [card name=”Hoopa-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”36″ c=”name”][/card] a big help when setting up our board early on. We can get two [card name=”Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”62″ c=”name”][/card] and a Mega and start swinging by turn two. If needed, for three Psychic Energy, Hoopa can snipe any of our opponent’s Pokemon for 100. The only problem I have been having with this card is when it is trapped Active. With only one switch effect in the deck it can cause some problems. I have considered cutting it from the deck due to this issue, despite the consistency boost it brings to the table.
Supporters
Professor Sycamore / Professor Birch’s Observations
We don’t run too many Supporters, but we do want to draw through it reliably. It’s okay to discard resources like Energy since we have multiple ways to get them back from the discard.
Korrina
I originally played a [card name=”Skyla” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”134″ c=”name”][/card] in this spot, but I realized that [card name=”Korrina” set=”Furious Fists” no=”95″ c=”name”][/card] not only gets an Item, but can grab [card name=”Landorus” set=”Furious Fists” no=”58″ c=”name”][/card] for free. Once Korrina is in your discard, you can reuse it to get those crucial one-of Items like [card name=”Tool Retriever” set=”Furious Fists” no=”101″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Weakness Policy” set=”Primal Clash” no=”142″ c=”name”][/card] out of the deck, as well as consistency cards like [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Mega Turbo” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card].
Lysandre
If Damage Swap doesn’t OHKO the Defending Pokemon, our opponent can just retreat it. In this case, we can either snipe it with [card name=”Hoopa-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”36″ c=”name”][/card] or, as a more reliable option, pull it back up with [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card] and use a Mega Mewtwo’s attack to finish it off.
Trainers
VS Seeker / Trainers’ Mail / Ultra Ball
We play a maxed out count of all three to consistently set up our board. I can’t stress enough how crucial a deck’s consistency engine is. If we skimp on these counts, it will come back to haunt us with many unplayable hands and pathetic games lasting only a few turns. A deck that doesn’t set up is no deck at all.
Battle Compressor
[card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] helps us get our Energy in the discard early on so we can start using [card name=”Sableye” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY92″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Landorus” set=”Furious Fists” no=”58″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Smeargle” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Mega Turbo” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card] as early as turn two. As always, it’s great for thinning the deck and putting one-of Supporters in the discard to be retrieved with [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card]. After the deck is fully setup, Battle Compressor can also be used to discard cards such as Landorus or [card name=”Hoopa-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”36″ c=”name”][/card] that the deck only needs in the early game.
Mega Turbo
Mega Mewtwo — and all Megas in general — is an Energy hog. Four [card name=”Mega Turbo” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card] helps us feed the beast. If we need to get an attack powered up in one turn without the use of [card name=”Sableye” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY92″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Landorus” set=”Furious Fists” no=”58″ c=”name”][/card], Mega Turbo can take care of that job. Taking a basic Energy from the discard and attaching it to a Mega without using up our attachment for the turn helps mitigate the high Energy costs of all our attacks.
[cardimg name=”Shrine of Memories” set=”Primal Clash” no=”139″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
Shrine of Memories
This is one of the key cards in the deck. It allows us to use Damage Change with Mega Mewtwo. Without it, we would be stuck with only Vanishing Strike and Psychic Infinity, which aren’t going to cut it in many situations. It’s important to keep in mind that [card name=”Shrine of Memories” set=”Primal Clash” no=”139″ c=”name”][/card] works for our opponents as well. This won’t be much of an issue in most matchups outside of some random decks. Most decks won’t be interested in using the attacks of the lesser forms of their Pokemon, and the BREAK cards can use them regardless of the Stadium. We have four copies to ensure that we’ll always have it to replace a counter Stadium. Basically, we need to use this Stadium almost every turn.
Dimension Valley
If, for some reason, we can’t get quite enough Energy to use Vanishing Strike, we can use [card name=”Dimension Valley” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] as an alternative, making the attack cost one less Energy and also fulfilling the Stadium requirement of the attack. It’s here as an another option, most likely to pull off the final attack of the game. We have to make sure not to play it down against Night March unless it’s to finish the game, or they can take advantage of it as well.
Mewtwo Spirit Link
This inclusion is common sense. Not ending our turn when evolving to Mega Mewtwo allows us to attack in the same turn we play it down, dishing out some quick damage early in the game or saving our board in the late game. We want to have Mewtwo swinging as early as possible and we don’t want to have its weaker non-Mega form getting KO’d too early in the game. The only problem with this is we can’t take advantage of another Tool… or can we?
Tool Retriever
[card name=”Tool Retriever” set=”Furious Fists” no=”101″ c=”name”][/card] allows us to remove the Spirit Link from Mega Mewtwo once it’s already evolved. Then we are free to attach either [card name=”Hard Charm” set=”XY” no=”119″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Weakness Policy” set=”Primal Clash” no=”142″ c=”name”][/card], depending on the situation. Tools are relatively important to this deck and each one has its niche.
Hard Charm
Although [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”63″ c=”name”][/card] X’s HP is already sky-high, with [card name=”Hard Charm” set=”XY” no=”119″ c=”name”][/card] it increases to a ridiculous 250. This allows it to soak up even more damage before transferring it back to the Defending Pokemon. It can also give [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card] Y a nice bump up to 230, increasing its tankability as well. These numbers are harder for [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] and Night March to reach, so hopefully the extra 20 HP will save us in those hairy situations.
Weakness Policy
Remember when I said we would talk about Night March? Well, here’s our solution, if it can be called that. It’s much more difficult for Night March to OHKO Mega Mewtwo without using Weakness to [card name=”Pumpkaboo” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”44″ c=”name”][/card]’s advantage. We have to be careful to make this strategy effective, since there is only one [card name=”Weakness Policy” set=”Primal Clash” no=”142″ c=”name”][/card] in the deck. Once we have evolved Mewtwo with Spirit Link we can use [card name=”Korrina” set=”Furious Fists” no=”95″ c=”name”][/card] or just happen across our Weakness Policy. If lists in your area favor [card name=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”110″ c=”name”][/card], this card could be bumped up to a two-of or, if you’d rather not worry about teching for a difficult matchup at all, eliminated entirely.
Escape Rope
We don’t play very many ways to retreat, but hopefully we can power up and attack with almost anything in play. If attacking with whatever is pulled up is too much of an inconvenience, [card name=”Escape Rope” set=”Primal Clash” no=”127″ c=”name”][/card] helps us retreat whatever gets stuck Active. For example, [card name=”Landorus” set=”Furious Fists” no=”58″ c=”name”][/card] is a bit beefy, so it has a tendency to stay in the Active spot. Escape Rope makes sure we don’t lose a turn of attacking with Mewtwo. We play it over [card name=”Switch” set=”Kalos Starter Set” no=”38″ c=”name”][/card] so we can damage targets our opponent is keeping safe on the Bench and force them into an awkward situation.
Matchups
[card name=”Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”23″ c=”name”][/card] decks are an excellent matchup for this deck as they have no way to OHKO Mewtwo. We are free to sit back and use Damage Change to our heart’s content with no fear of anything blowing our head off. [card name=”Yveltal” set=”XY” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Zoroark” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] is a good matchup for similar reasons. [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] struggles to pile on enough Energy to deal a clean 260 and, although [card name=”Zoroark BREAK” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] can copy [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”63″ c=”name”][/card] X’s attack, 200 damage still isn’t enough to KO the Psychic Cat. [card name=”Entei” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”15″ c=”name”][/card] is a positive matchup for this reason as well. The lack of Special Energy give the deck a natural advantage over [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card]. [card name=”Lucario-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”54″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card] is an easy matchup as well, and Damage Change goes through [card name=”Focus Sash” set=”Furious Fists” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card]. Essentially, any deck that can’t OHKO Mega Mewtwo is going to be relatively positive for the deck.
Negative matchups include Night March and [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] because they are capable of reaching high damage thresholds. While they are easy to return KO, the trade isn’t favorable, and, since Mewtwo requires so much setup, they will probably set up faster than us. [card name=”Weakness Policy” set=”Primal Clash” no=”142″ c=”name”][/card] can come in clutch against [card name=”Pumpkaboo” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”44″ c=”name”][/card]. If we can get the Damage Change lock going, it may be enough to save the matchup.
Giant Plants
[decklist name=”Vespiquen/Vileplume” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″][pokemon amt=”28″]3x [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]4x [card name=”Gloom” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”2″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Oddish” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”1″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Combee” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”9″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Unown” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”30″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]1x [card name=”Bunnelby” set=”Primal Clash” no=”121″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”28″]3x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”XY” no=”122″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”3″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Level Ball” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”76″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]4x [card name=”Acro Bike” set=”Primal Clash” no=”122″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Red Card” set=”XY” no=”124″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Forest of Giant Plants” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”74″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”4″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”4″]4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”HeartGold and SoulSilver” no=”103″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
This innovative list was first piloted by Andrew Wamboldt at the Chicago Marathon. After trying it out myself, I quickly saw the incredible power it was capable of. The goal here is to get out a turn one [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card]. If we go first, getting out the smelly plant will put us in a great position from the get-go. Therefore, the list is built to be extremely consistent. It’s possible and even relatively easy to get out both Vileplume and [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card], blocking our opponent’s Trainers and threatening a high damage output. Let’s take a closer look at the cards Andrew included in his list and see how they all fit together.
[premium]
Pokemon
Vileplume
We play a 4-4-3 line of [card name=”Oddish” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”1″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Gloom” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”2″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card] because we want to put down the first two stages using [card name=”Level Ball” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] or by drawing into them. We can use [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] to get Vileplume and, once it has been played, its hefty HP makes it difficult to KO since the opponent can’t use Items to help them out. Even if one does get Knocked Out, having two backups is quite enough to access one at any time. Eliminating the use of Items is an extremely significant effect upon the game and cripples most decks severely.
Vespiquen
Here’s our attacker, and it happens that it also works beautifully with [card name=”Forest of Giant Plants” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card]. Since we play 28 in our list, including four [card name=”Unown” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”30″ c=”name”][/card], it’s easy to achieve a high damage output. [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] is relatively fragile, but it trades very well with Pokemon-EX, likely giving up only one Prize for every two that it takes. In an EX-heavy metagame, Vespiquen absolutely thrives.
Unown
This little bugger helps us run through the deck to draw more cards. It also handily puts itself right into the discard from the Bench, not even giving up a Prize in the process. We can even leave [card name=”Unown” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”30″ c=”name”][/card] on the Bench until we need to draw a card, although that play runs the risk of having it [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card]’d up and KO’d, giving up a Prize and denying us a card drawn. For this reason, it’s usually best to pop Unown in the same turn we play it down.
Shaymin-EX
[card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] is also here to help us draw through our deck, but it can be a double-edged sword if your opponent is able to take too many Prizes by knocking them out. Generally, this risk is worth it. When you get out [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card], they can’t use [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] and will only be able to [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card] once or twice at most during the game. Shaymin can always Sky Return back to our hand if needed.
Bunnelby
We are going to draw most of our deck every game, and sometimes that might be too much for it to handle. [card name=”Bunnelby” set=”Primal Clash” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] can add crucial cards back to our deck such as [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”111″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card]. We may find ourselves in a situation where our opponent is trying to win the game by discarding all of our Energy via [card name=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”110″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Jirachi” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY67″ c=”name”][/card]. Decks like [card name=”Lucario-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”54″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Houndoom-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”21″ c=”name”][/card] are the most likely to apply this strategy. In those cases, we can save our last DCE for Bunnelby and get two more back into the deck, destroying the tactic of Energy denial.
Supporters
Professor Sycamore
Yup, that’s it! The Prof is all we need. Playing anything else hurts consistency, and that’s what this deck is after at its core. It also provides synergy by giving us another way to discard Pokemon. Any card that helps us burn through our deck quickly on the first turn is beneficial.
Trainers
Ultra Ball / Level Ball
We have a lot of Pokemon we need to fish out of the deck very quickly, so we want a lot of fast search options. There are plenty of discarding targets, so that’s not an issue. This deck does care about managing resources correctly, but it doesn’t care about using them.
Acro Bike
Another example of this concept, [card name=”Acro Bike” set=”Primal Clash” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card] requires us to make the right choice when deciding what to send to the discard and what to add to our hand. We are also affected by [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card], meaning we can’t play Items once it’s down either. Keeping that in mind, our goal is to play all of our Trainers on the first turn, devoting them to setting up our board. Evolving into Vileplume is one of the last actions we want to take in our turn, save attacking. We want to play all the Items we can before locking them out for the rest of the game.
Trainers’ Mail
Similarly to [card name=”Acro Bike” set=”Primal Clash” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card], we want to play this pretty much as soon as we draw it. There are a couple key cards we are looking for, depending on what we already have in our hand. Since our deck is half Pokemon and half Items, we have a good chance of hitting something relevant. One thing we want to look for is [card name=”Float Stone” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] as long as we have an [card name=”Oddish” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”1″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Gloom” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”2″ c=”name”][/card] on the field. And why is that, you may ask? Well…
Float Stone
It’s crucial to have [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] attached to [card name=”Gloom” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”2″ c=”name”][/card] before evolving into [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card] and shutting off Items. Not drawing into it on the first turn can become a serious problem later on. If the opponent is able to draw an early [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card] to pull up the Vileplume, it is guaranteed to stay trapped there for at least two turns. Vileplume’s hefty Retreat Cost requires the Vileplume player to commit two [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”111″ c=”name”][/card] to retreating the big guy. This makes it quite possible that the Vileplume deck won’t have enough resources to finish the game, even after attempting a Rototiller to try and recover.
Red Card
Like I said, we will be drawing through most of our deck in one turn. It’s likely [card name=”Red Card” set=”XY” no=”124″ c=”name”][/card] will cross our hand sometime during our first turn. If [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card] goes first, playing Red Card on that first turn is too powerful not to take advantage of. Being put at four cards and Item locked before even taking a turn frequently leads to a swift loss. It’s terrifying to think about how strong that card will become when Delinquent is released next set, as they create an incredibly deadly combo.
Forest of Giant Plants
Last but not least, the Stadium is once again the most important card in the deck. We play four copies to always draw into it on the first turn, allowing us to evolve into [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] in one turn from their Basic forms. Additionally, if a Vespiquen is Knocked Out, [card name=”Forest of Giant Plants” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] lets a new one get ready to swing easily. For the rest of the game, it lets us keep pace with other decks and counter any Stadiums they might play.
Matchups
Any deck that relies on heavy Item use is going to be a good matchup. If the [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card] deck goes first, it’s pretty much unstoppable. A lot of opponents are going to sit there with dead hands the entire game while their Pokemon get sent to the discard, wondering where their life went wrong. Some examples of decks that typically use a lot of Items are [card name=”Lucario-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”54″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] variants, [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card], and Night March decks.
However, therein lies the risk of the deck: If it fails to go first or get Vileplume out fast enough, the whole thing falls apart. Night March and Vespiquen mirrors are the hardest games to play, because they’re heavily reliant on who goes first and gets to play a turn of Items and who gets set up before the other.
Houndoom Mill
[decklist name=”Houndoom Mill” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Houndoom-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”21″][pokemon amt=”9″]4x [card name=”Houndoom-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”21″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Bunnelby” set=”Primal Clash” no=”121″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”44″]4x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”101″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Professor Birch’s Observations” set=”Primal Clash” no=”134″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”AZ” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”91″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Team Flare Grunt” set=”XY” no=”129″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”110″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Ace Trainer” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”69″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Super Scoop Up” set=”Black and White” no=”103″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Crushing Hammer” set=”Emerging Powers” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”94″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Head Ringer” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”97″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]3x [card name=”Assault Vest” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”133″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Trick Shovel” set=”Flashfire” no=”98″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”2″][/card]3x [card name=”Team Aqua’s Secret Base” set=”Double Crisis” no=”28″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”7″]7x [card name=”Fire Energy” set=”EX Ruby and Sapphire” no=”108″ c=”deck2″ amt=”7″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
When [card name=”Houndoom-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”21″ c=”name”][/card] came out, I was excited at the prospect of this deck since I’m already a [card name=”Bunnelby” set=”Primal Clash” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] fan. I like mill decks, with the exception of [card name=”Durant” set=”Noble Victories” no=”83″ c=”name”][/card]. In general, though frustrating to play against, mill is a great strategy because most opponents and their decks are not ready to withstand it. Sadly, it didn’t seem like it was up to snuff and didn’t have much of a presence at Cities. The reason for this is because not a lot of people are trying it out. I expect it to increase in play soon with the release of Delinquent. As for the current contents of the list, Bunnelby’s Rototiller is great to add resources back into the deck, but it’s not a very effective miller. Essentially, Houndoom does the same job but backs it up with a beefier HP stat. The older version of the Bunnelby mill deck was much more about controlling the board state than simply discarding through the opponent’s deck. It had to keep Energy off the board at all costs, or Bunnelby would get KO’d left and right. Often in testing, I would simply run out of Bunnelby and be unable to mill the last few cards before my opponent took all six Prizes. Now Houndoom can survive a hit or two, making the board state much less precarious and fragile than before.
Pokemon
Houndoom
Like I was saying, [card name=”Houndoom-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”21″ c=”name”][/card] is now the main miller of the deck. Melting Horn only costs one Fire Energy, so it requires no setup to promote the Hellhound and start running through our opponent’s deck before they know what hit them. There aren’t too many Water Pokemon being played now to threaten easy KO’s on Houndoom, and we have a lot of disruption cards to back it up. Decks like Night March and [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] can OHKO Houndoom pretty easily, so our strategy there would be to run them out of Energy with our Hammers. If they play their own Bunnelby, Houndoom can use its second attack to knock it out and proceed with the original game plan of discarding Energy.
Bunnelby
[card name=”Bunnelby” set=”Primal Clash” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card]’s role may have lessened, but that doesn’t mean it’s forgotten about. It’s great to force an odd Prize with, and can get back our Hammers and other disruption cards so they can be used again. It only has 60 HP, so expect it to go down pretty quickly. Bunnelby’s main purpose in the deck is to supplement Houndoom in a similar role to the Junk Hunt [card name=”Sableye” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”62″ c=”name”][/card] that was in Dark decks years ago.
Shaymin
We play two [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] to get the deck going and draw things we need to slow the opponent down like [card name=”Crushing Hammer” set=”Kalos Starter Set” no=”34″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Head Ringer” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card]. We play a decent amount of Supporters, so we don’t need a lot of Pokemon-based draw, and we don’t want the opponent taking too many easy Prizes from our Shaymin. Think of it as security in case we don’t draw a Supporter when we need to.
Supporters
Professor Sycamore
Very standard four count of this guy. We want to draw disruption cards every single turn to keep our opponent’s board under control, so ditching resources we don’t need — ones that we can get back later with [card name=”Bunnelby” set=”Primal Clash” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] — is necessary so we can get whatever we need that turn. Anything we discard isn’t permanently gone like it is for most decks.
Professor Birch
Sometimes we still can’t discard everything in our hand if there are cards we are absolutely going to need later in the game. In particular matchups, things like Hammers are very important, as we have just discussed. We might not want to rely on getting them back with [card name=”Bunnelby” set=”Primal Clash” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] in that situation. In these cases, we can play Professor Birch to conserve our resources. It may not be ideal, but that’s the way she goes.
AZ
If the opponent can’t KO a [card name=”Houndoom-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”21″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”AZ” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] is a foolproof way to negate their damage without even trying. Put something with [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] in the Active position, put Houndoom back on the Bench with an Energy, retreat, and go back to digging through their deck. AZ also picks up [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] or anything that may become stuck in the Active. We need time to mill our opponent’s deck. If they begin taking Prizes too early, the Houndoom deck won’t have enough time to execute the strategy properly.
Lysandre
Speaking of being stuck in the Active, we want to make that happen, but not to us. If the opponent benches something with a high Retreat Cost that uses a lot of Energy, we can [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card] it up and keep it there while we mill their deck. It requires them to commit multiple resources to even continue the game. For example, if they don’t have a [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] ready in hand, they may have to play a [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”XY” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card] to continue attacking. It effectively mills their cards for us. Say they only play one Float Stone, we could mill it before they can even draw it.
Team Flare Grunt
Once our plan has been carried out and a beefy Pokemon is in the Active, [card name=”Team Flare Grunt” set=”XY” no=”129″ c=”name”][/card] can remove any Energy from it. With [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card], this can be abused every turn until our opponents cry. A good example of this would be trapping a [card name=”Lucario-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”54″ c=”name”][/card]. If we place a [card name=”Head Ringer” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card] on our opponent’s Lucario-EX when it has no Energy attached, we can use Team Flare Grunt and [card name=”Crushing Hammer” set=”Kalos Starter Set” no=”34″ c=”name”][/card] on consecutive turns to make sure the Lucario-EX never attacks. While this is happening, we can throw resources back into our deck or mill our opponent, whichever we choose.
Xerosic
This card is solid in this deck for a few reasons. If the opponent has [card name=”Float Stone” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] attached to a Pokemon like [card name=”Hoopa-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”36″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card], it is no longer something we would want to [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card] due to its free retreat. This [card name=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”110″ c=”name”][/card] allows us to remove the Float Stone from the Pokemon we would Lysandre the following turn. This deck often requires the ability to play ahead and adapt to the board state. In addition to this, Xerosic can remove crucial Special Energy from our opponent’s attackers. This, along with all the other disruption, could cause them to start missing attacks because they are running low on resources. If we remove our opponent’s Energy, they have to either [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”XY” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card] or pass most of the time, unless they have more Energy cards in their hand.
[cardimg name=”Ace Trainer” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”69″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
Ace Trainer
I included this card since this deck is focused on a win condition that doesn’t involve taking six Prizes. Because of this, our opponents will likely be ahead on Prizes for the entire game. Since it doesn’t help us set up in the early turns of the game, I only included one as a tech Supporter that can be reused with [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card].
Trainers
VS Seeker
A four count of [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] allows us to take full advantage of our many disruption and one-of Supporters. Once they’re in the discard they can be spammed multiple times, and even more than usual with the assistance of [card name=”Bunnelby” set=”Primal Clash” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card]. Cards like [card name=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”110″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Team Flare Grunt” set=”XY” no=”129″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Ace Trainer” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”69″ c=”name”][/card] become much more useful using this strategy.
Super Scoop Up
In a similar fashion to [card name=”AZ” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Super Scoop Up” set=”Furious Fists” no=”100″ c=”name”][/card] lets us pick up damaged [card name=”Houndoom-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”21″ c=”name”][/card] to deny our opponent Prizes. In this case we have to flip for it, but, if we successfully win the 50-50 chance, we get to keep the Energy instead of discarding it like with AZ.
Crushing Hammer / Enhanced Hammer
This is how we keep control of the game while we slowly mill cards from our opponent’s deck. If they attach an Energy on their turn, we need to discard it. Cards like [card name=”Yveltal” set=”XY” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Bronzong” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”61″ c=”name”][/card] will give us trouble by getting Energy back from the discard reliably and every turn, but decks that are forced to attach their Energy from the hand like [card name=”Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”23″ c=”name”][/card] won’t like their attachments being denied. Denying our opponent Energy requires them to fish it out of their deck in most cases, which is good for us as mentioned previously.
Head Ringer
This gives us a little more time to hit those Hammer flips and [card name=”Team Flare Grunt” set=”XY” no=”129″ c=”name”][/card]s by requiring our opponent’s Pokemon to have one more Energy than normal before attacking. This is good against all Pokemon-EX, mainly [card name=”Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”23″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card]. It can be used in combination with [card name=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”110″ c=”name”][/card] to remove their Tool before attaching the Flare Tool.
Assault Vest
Most decks right now play Special Energy, so it’s likely that our [card name=”Houndoom-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”21″ c=”name”][/card] will benefit from this Tool. It helps Houndoom survive longer against Night March and [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] since they only use [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”111″ c=”name”][/card] for the most part. Including [card name=”Hard Charm” set=”XY” no=”119″ c=”name”][/card] would make the deck stronger against decks exclusively playing basic Energy, but it gives less protection and the gamble is usually worth the extra 20.
Trick Shovel
This can be used to help mill our opponent’s deck, or to ensure they dead draw on a turn where we need to sit back and use Rototiller to recover resources. Since we can decide if we want to discard the top card or not, we can stick our opponent with a useless Pokemon like [card name=”Hoopa-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”36″ c=”name”][/card] that we could [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card] up later. If we are dead drawing or really need a Supporter, we can also use [card name=”Trick Shovel” set=”Flashfire” no=”98″ c=”name”][/card] on our own deck.
Team Aqua’s Secret Base
[cardimg name=”Crushing Hammer” set=”Legendary Treasures” no=”111″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
This gives any non-Team Aqua Pokemon — which, let’s face it, is every competitive Pokemon — one additional Retreat Cost. This goes hand in hand with our [card name=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”110″ c=”name”][/card] + [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card] + [card name=”Team Flare Grunt” set=”XY” no=”129″ c=”name”][/card] / Hammer combo.
Matchups
This deck is more dependent on flips and luck of the draw than matchups. If our opponent doesn’t draw what they need, and if we flip well on Hammers, the deck will charge through anything. If the die always comes up tails, or if our opponent manages to top deck everything they need, we are going to lose. Decks that can reuse Energy, especially from their board like [card name=”Yveltal” set=”XY” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Bronzong” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”61″ c=”name”][/card], are the biggest threats for this deck to deal with. Decks that set up very quickly like Night March and [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] can be difficult as well. EX-based decks are the easiest matchups.
In conclusion…
I hope you enjoyed my analysis! These decks are all super fun to play and are really underrated. It’s strange how little people are talking about these decks that are all very strong in their own rights. Hopefully some of you try them out at your next City Championship! If you do, please let me know! I’m planning on playing in two this weekend that are near my home in Virginia and I’m deciding between these three decks. All of them are excellent choices when played in the correct metagame.
If you’re still struggling to find the right deck for Cities or Winter Regionals, don’t hesitate to ask for our help in the Subscriber’s Secret Hideout! The other writers and I are always happy to help with any list or idea you need a second opinion on. Or if there’s something you want us change about our article program, share your feedback with us! This article program is here to provide what you, the readers, want, and we won’t know what to change if you don’t speak up.
Thanks for reading, and remember to leave a comment! :)
xx Nicholena
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