The Last Stand — ECC Overview and Standard Decks for States
Hey PokeBeach! It’s been some time since I’ve last posted an article.
All three of the U.S. Regionals — one with BREAKpoint included — and the European Challenge Cup (ECC) have passed, and now it’s time to start preparing for States and Regionals which begin in March. These tournaments are part of the final stretch that leads to the National Championships in Europe and the final set of Regionals in the U.S. It is pivotal that players are prepared for these event and perform well as they are one of the best times of the season to accumulate a high amount of Championship Points.
My first order of business in this article is to reflect upon my entire ECC experience. Then, I will go into detail about the [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Gallade” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”84″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Zoroark” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] deck list I piloted through the event, as well as a modified list of my deck that incorporates new cards from BREAKpoint to keep the archetype on top of the metagame, and a version of the deck for Expanded. I also have a Night March build poised and ready to take on States this month, packed with new additions from BREAKpoint.
In this article, I am aiming to help you prepare for any of your upcoming State or Regional Championships. The competition will be tough, and this article covering two of the most popular decks in Standard should help you stay ahead of the other players. Even if you don’t plan to play either of these decks, you will definitely need to learn the ins and outs of each one if you plan to beat them in a tournament.
The ECC — 372 Players Total, 9 Rounds, Top 32 Day One, Top 8 Day Two
My List
[decklist name=”Yveltal/Gallade/Zoroark” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Yveltal” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”94″][pokemon amt=”14″]2x [card name=”Yveltal” set=”XY” no=”78″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Yveltal” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”94″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Zoroark BREAK” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Zoroark” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”91″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Zorua” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”89″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Gallade” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”84″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”36″]2x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”XY” no=”122″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Maxie’s Hidden Ball Trick” set=”Primal Clash” no=”133″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Judge” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”143″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”110″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Giovanni’s Scheme” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”138″ 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=”Roaring Skies” no=”93″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Acro Bike” set=”Primal Clash” no=”122″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”10″]6x [card name=”Darkness Energy” set=”Black and White” no=”111″ c=”deck2″ amt=”6″][/card]4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”XY” no=”130″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
As I talked about in my last article, I was completely sold on [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Gallade” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”84″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Zoroark” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card]. Throughout all of my testing, it gave me the best, most consistent results against all decks I was expecting to play against in the tournament. I ended up making two changes to the list I talked about previously, both of which certainly contributed to many of my wins.
1 Seismitoad-EX
The first card, substituted in place of an [card name=”Acro Bike” set=”Primal Clash” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card], is the one and only — [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card]. The ability to Item lock the opponent for just two Colorless Energy is handy in many situations, but the main reason for its inclusion is against Night March and [card name=”Entei” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”15″ c=”name”][/card] variants.
Against Entei, a single Seismitoad-EX can halt their high count of Item and Tool cards such as [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Assault Vest” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”133″ c=”name”][/card], while also hitting for Weakness. Usually an Entei will have at least an Assault Vest attached to it; however, after a bad Heat Tackle flip, a [card name=”Giovanni’s Scheme” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”138″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”110″ c=”name”][/card] combined with Muscle Band boosts Quaking Punch to a total of 100 damage, enough to take a KO on the Fire-type Pokemon and force the opponent to respond without Items during their next turn. Even without any Heat Tackle recoil damage, finishing off an Entei with damage already on it or even playing Giovanni’s Scheme with Muscle Band against an Entei without any Assault Vest attached to take a big KO creates the same problem for the opponent.
Throughout my test games with this matchup, Seismitoad-EX provided me with extra turns and sometimes downright won the game for me. [card name=”Zoroark BREAK” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] helped swing the matchup into an even more favorable position. After all of my testing, Seismitoad-EX was a definite stay in the deck.
Entei wasn’t the only matchup to be improved by Seismitoad-EX, though. Night March gained high amounts of traction for the ECC with lists playing multiple techs, such as [card name=”Target Whistle” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card] to bring back any discarded EXs to obtain an easy OHKO. This caused the matchup to slowly swing into Night March’s favor. Even decks that rely on non-EX attackers still bench [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] at some point during the game. Therefore, even after using only non-EX Pokemon to try to win the Prize trade, Night March can still find those Knock Outs on Pokemon-EX and seal its victory.
Seismitoad-EX improves the matchup to just above a 50-50, or even higher if the opponent is not prepared to play against Item lock. Usually Seismitoad-EX should come into play early when the opponent only has three or four Night Marchers in the discard pile. In a typical match, the Night March player is only expecting to go against weak, lower-HP [card name=”Yveltal” set=”XY” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Zoroark” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card], thus they will opt to save as many [card name=”Pumpkaboo” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”44″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Joltik” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card] as they can to attack with throughout the game. Quaking Punch can OHKO Joltik while leaving the opponent with a weak Night March attack. The opponent will then have to get a Night Marcher into play and find a [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”XY” no=”130″ c=”name”][/card] without the use of any Item cards, only to hit for a measly 60 damage. Pumpkaboo can also be taken down in a single hit with the combination of Muscle Band and Giovanni’s Scheme, hitting for a total of 70 damage.
[cardimg name=”Pumpkaboo” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”44″ align=”right” c=”custom”]Night March for…60?[/cardimg]
The obvious problem that can arise with the Quaking Punch strategy is the Shaymin-EX Sky Return loop, slowly chipping away at 30 damage per turn, while Seismitoad-EX can never take a KO due to its low damage output. The best way around this is to make use of [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Judge” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”143″ c=”name”][/card]. Since a lone Shaymin-EX has the potential to be KO’d by one of your Pokemon, the Night March player will put one or two Joltik and / or Pumpkaboo onto the Bench to ensure they won’t lose in this way. This also poses a threat to the opponent in the case you decide to take a KO on their Shaymin-EX with one of your main attackers. Lysandre allows you take a Prize against Joltik or strand a Pumpkaboo Active to KO the next turn, slowly edging you one Prize closer to winning the Prize trade. Judge removes the Shaymin-EX and Double Colorless Energy from the opponent’s hand and forces them to re-draw those cards from their Item-filled deck, leading them into a probable dead draw scenario in which you can finally take a KO on Shaymin-EX using Quaking Punch.
1 Yveltal BKT
The second card I changed, in place of an [card name=”Yveltal” set=”XY” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card], was [card name=”Yveltal” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”94″ c=”from”][/card], more commonly known as “Fright Night” based off of its Ability. [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card] placed well at Cities in the U.K., and the hype of that particular deck going into the ECC was huge. I expected to play against it for one or two of my rounds, and, without a counter, I found myself overwhelmed against big Psychic Infinity plays — even with [card name=”Zoroark BREAK” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] being able to copy that very attack. [card name=”Ditto” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY40″ c=”name”][/card] was an option I tried out, but it was dead weight in other matchups; it only helped out against M Mewtwo-EX when the opponent didn’t know I played it. This lead me straight into the Fright Night Yveltal. Fright Night turns off [card name=”Mewtwo Spirit Link” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”144″ c=”name”][/card] when Yveltal is Active, so in the early game you — in a way — gain one extra turn, forcing the opponent to either manually evolve or try to [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card] early on just to use their [card name=”Mewtwo Spirit Link” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”144″ c=”name”][/card]. Furthermore, the attack compliments the [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Gallade” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”84″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Zoroark” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] deck tremendously against M Mewtwo-EX by putting 60 damage on two of your opponent’s EXs. Now when your opponent begins attacking with one of these damaged M Mewtwo-EX, it is much easier to KO with Yveltal-EX’s Evil Ball, Zoroark’s Mind Jack or Gallade’s Sensitive Blade. The matchup moved closer to 50-50, but since it was just a single tech, the matchup was still slightly swayed into their favor.
More importantly, Yveltal proved useful in many other matchups, whether to set up a KO on a Benched EX for the following turn, or to place in the Active spot so the opponent couldn’t retreat using [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card]. It definitely pulled its weight.
Day One
Here is a run-through of my first nine rounds of day one:
- Round 1: [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”M Sceptile-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”8″ c=”name”][/card] — WW
- Round 2: [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] — WW
- Round 3: [card name=”Pumpkaboo” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”44″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Joltik” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Lampent” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”42″ c=”name”][/card] — WW
- Round 4: [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] — WLW
- Round 5: Night March / [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Bronzong” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”61″ c=”name”][/card] — WW
- Round 6: [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] — WLL
- Round 7: [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] — LWL
- Round 8: [card name=”Pumpkaboo” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”44″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Joltik” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Lampent” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”42″ c=”name”][/card] — WLW
- Round 9: ID
I finished the day 6-2-1, seeded 18th overall. Starting off the day at 5-0-0, I only needed a single win and a tie to get into day two, which I managed to accomplish in round eight, before ultimately deciding to ID in round nine since my resistance was quite strong.
Day Two
- Round 10: [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Gallade” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”84″ c=”name”][/card]/ [card name=”Zoroark” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] — WW
- Round 11: Night March — LWW
- Round 12: Night March — LL
- Round 13: Night March — WLL
- Round 14: [card name=”Raichu” set=”XY” no=”43″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card] — WLW
Final Record: 9-4-1, 14th overall
I started day two off 2-0 and needed to win another two games to get myself into Top 8.
In round 12, I played against the soon-to-be-winner, Medhi Hafi, running Night March. He handed me a swift loss in the first game with quick Night March OHKOs on my [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Zoroark” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card]. In the second game I was able to get down to just a single Prize remaining, but, unfortunately for me, I needed to play down an EX as my singular Benched Pokemon which was subsequently brought Active via [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card] and OHKO’d for his final two Prizes.
Round 13 I started off strong, with Seismitoad-EX taking command of the first game. However, I was unable to keep my Bench clear of EXs in the second game; I wanted to draw more than two cards using [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card]’s Set Up to stay in the match, but ultimately this lead to an unfavorable Prize trade. The final game of the series was quite uneventful — I opened the game with a lone [card name=”Zorua” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card], played [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”XY” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card] and couldn’t find another Basic in those seven cards. Forced to pass with just [card name=”Zorua” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card] on my field, a [card name=”Joltik” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card] easily took the KO for the game.
After a review of my tournament run, I wouldn’t change my list at all for the XY-BKT format. Every tech card helped against matchups which would have otherwise been swayed into the opponent’s favor. However, with the addition of BREAKpoint into the format, some changes can be made for it to run smoother against our new meta.
Yveltal / Maxie’s in the New Format
In order to access the new Standard format, it is important to first look at what new or continued threats are present for [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Gallade” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”84″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Zoroark” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card].
Night March gains a whole new asset in [card name=”Puzzle of Time” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card], which can be used in combination with, or in place of, [card name=”Milotic” set=”Primal Clash” no=”44″ c=”name”][/card]. Combos such as a [card name=”Target Whistle” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card] and a [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card] can be re-obtained quite easily to force unfavorable Prize trades upon the opponent. [card name=”Greninja” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card] variants now have the strength to take KOs on low-HP Pokemon like [card name=”Zorua” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card] with just an Ability, and can also lock the opponent’s Abilities for a turn using Shadow Stitching. [card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Trevenant BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card] had success in the final week of Regionals (which was Expanded); however, the deck does not transition well into the Standard format. It only loses consistency by no longer having [card name=”Jirachi-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card], forcing the deck to rely on other cards, such [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card], to aid in the search for [card name=”Wally” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card]. Turn one Item lock is nothing to laugh at, though — playing limited amounts of Supporters can lead to an early loss due to a hand clogged with unusable Items. Finally, [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] is a great addition to multiple decks that utilize Basic Pokemon. An increase in 40 HP often makes what were once OHKO’s into 2HKO’s which lets another turn to go by without the loss of Pokemon or a Prize.
Taking all of this into account, here is my build of Yveltal-EX / Gallade / Zoroark:
[premium]
[decklist name=”Yveltal/Gallade/Zoroark BRP” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Yveltal” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”94″][pokemon amt=”14″]2x [card name=”Yveltal” set=”XY” no=”78″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Yveltal” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”94″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Zoroark” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”91″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Zorua” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”89″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Gallade” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”84″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”36″]3x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”XY” no=”122″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Maxie’s Hidden Ball Trick” set=”Primal Clash” no=”133″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Judge” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”143″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”110″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Giovanni’s Scheme” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”138″ 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=”Roaring Skies” no=”93″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Acro Bike” set=”Primal Clash” no=”122″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Reverse Valley” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”110″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”2″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”10″]6x [card name=”Darkness Energy” set=”Black and White” no=”111″ c=”deck2″ amt=”6″][/card]4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”XY” no=”130″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
New Counts and Inclusions
2 Seismitoad-EX
I increased the [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] count from a single copy to two. The main reason for this is to obtain a more constant and consistent Item lock against Night March and [card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card] builds early in the game. As I talked about earlier for Night March matchups, Seismitoad-EX forces the opponent into a tight position where they need to use [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card]’s Sky Return over and over again. Two Seismitoad-EX along with [card name=”Judge” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”143″ c=”name”][/card] should prevent the opponent from sustaining the loop and allow you to take full control over the Prize trade.
Against [card name=”Greninja” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card] builds, Item lock makes it harder for the opponent to set up multiple Greninja. Usually the opponent can get [card name=”Frogadier” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”39″ c=”name”][/card] set up to use Water Duplicates, but after this, getting any higher Evolutions out can be troublesome and takes time. Seismitoad-EX can typically net you two to three Prizes before the opponent finally KOs it, by which point your other attackers can clean up the field. An extremely strong play when the opponent uses Frogadier is to use both a [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Giovanni’s Scheme” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”138″ c=”name”][/card] to hit for 70 damage, removing a potential Greninja BREAK from play in a single turn.
3 Professor Sycamore
Item lock has become much more prevalent in today’s format. Playing less than three [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”XY” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card] against decks that don’t let you play down any Item cards during the first turn, such as [card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card], usually leads to a quick loss with a hand clogged full of Items.
This list is less focused around getting out [card name=”Gallade” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”84″ c=”name”][/card] ASAP, and uses the combo as more of a tech option to deal with Lightning types whenever necessary. With that said, the second copy of [card name=”Maxie’s Hidden Ball Trick” set=”Primal Clash” no=”133″ c=”name”][/card] was dropped to make room for another Professor Sycamore.
1 Fighting Fury Belt / 2 Muscle Band
[card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] is too strong of a card not to include a single copy, but to play any more than that would be overkill. The Tool increases [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card]’s HP up to 210 HP, [card name=”Yveltal” set=”XY” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card]’s to 170, and even boosts [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card]’s frail 110 HP to 150, making it more likely to survive mid-range attacks. Unfortunately, [card name=”Zoroark” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] cannot make any use of Fighting Fury Belt, as it is not a Basic Pokemon. Another factor to consider, and the reason I didn’t entirely replace Muscle Band with Fighting Fury Belt, is the reduction in damage output by 10. When using Yveltal-EX’s Evil Ball attack, losing 10 damage can very well be the difference between a OHKO and a 2HKO.
2 Reverse Valley
Yveltal builds finally obtained a strong Stadium option in Standard! [card name=”Reverse Valley” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”110″ c=”name”][/card] makes all Dark-type attacks hit for an extra 10 damage. Having Evil Ball do 10 more damage and Oblivion Wing hit for a maximum 60 with [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] is a huge plus. This extra damage output opens up new OHKO potential on turn one, such as a OHKO on [card name=”Zorua” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Froakie” set=”Kalos Starter Set” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card] without the need for [card name=”Giovanni’s Scheme” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”138″ c=”name”][/card].
Reverse Valley also turns a [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] into a Muscle Band with a +40 HP boost, which is important against 180 HP EXs like [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card]. You can suddenly survive what would normally have been a OHKO attack and also put out enough damage to hit for your own OHKOs.
1 Yveltal BKT
[cardimg name=”Yveltal” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”94″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
I have talked about this card before, but I believe it gets even stronger with the addition of BREAKpoint, or to be specific, [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card]. If you cannot remove the Fighting Fury Belt with [card name=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”110″ c=”name”][/card] and hit for what would normally be a OHKO, promoting [card name=”Yveltal” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card] will let you cancel the +40 HP and automatically KO the Pokemon that Fighting Fury Belt was attached to, without even having to attack it. Yveltal’s Fright Night Ability adds more options to this archetype’s powerful arsenal.
Pitch-Black Spear is a brilliant attack that has made waves in Expanded and is still strong in Standard. A Pokemon on the opponent’s Bench that will later Mega Evolve will now be much easier to hit for a KO later in the game. Pitch-Black Spear can also take a two-turn KO on [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] if the opponent has no means of retrieving it from the field. It even works well for finishing off an EX that retreated to the Bench after taking damage from an attack.
Other Options
Head Ringer
If Night March is still prevailing against your [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] with the [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] loop strategy, [card name=”Head Ringer” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card] is a great counter. In order to use Sky Return, a Supporter like [card name=”AZ” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”110″ c=”name”][/card] will be needed. [card name=”Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”23″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card], and Seismitoad-EX are all great targets for Head Ringer to be attached to, and removes the option for the opponent to use a Spirit Link or [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card].
I would play at least two Head Ringer if I opted to play the card; a single copy can be hard to find at the right moment and may have to be discarded early in the game.
Zoroark BREAK
I had this card in my ECC list, but decided to remove it once BREAKpoint was released. The main reason I played [card name=”Zoroark BREAK” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] was for the [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card] counter, which was a real threat at the end of the XY-BKT format. Now, Night March builds have increased in power and [card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] has also become a strong threat. Both of these decks have the ability to hit M Mewtwo-EX for Weakness, so the amount of players using the archetype should drop tremendously.
A single copy of Zoroark BREAK is still a strong option if you know the metagame has M Mewtwo-EX in it, or if you want a strong option in mirror matches to copy attacks such as [card name=”Gallade” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”84″ c=”name”][/card]’s Sensitive Blade or [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card]’s Evil Ball and Y Cyclone.
Delinquent
A single copy of [card name=”Delinquent” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”98″ c=”name”][/card] does have a spot in Yveltal archetypes. If the opponent lowers their hand down to three or fewer cards, Delinquent forces them to have to draw well off their top-deck. If they can’t, they have to play based off of only what is on their board while you have many more resources in your hand to play with. Even if the opponent has four to six cards in their hand, a drop of Delinquent can prevent key combos they may have needed to win the game or at least give themselves a large advantage.
The reason I don’t have this card in the deck right now is because there is only a specific time in which it is needed — when you don’t need to draw cards with your Supporter and your opponent has a low enough hand size to make Delinquent the correct play.
2 Maxies Hidden Ball Trick / 2 Gallade
Opting to play a thicker [card name=”Maxie’s Hidden Ball Trick” set=”Primal Clash” no=”133″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Gallade” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”84″ c=”name”][/card] line may still be the way to go if your metagame contains Pokemon with a Fighting-type Weakness, like [card name=”M Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”24″ c=”name”][/card]. I would cut one [card name=”Reverse Valley” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”110″ c=”name”][/card] and one [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card] to fit in the extra copies. Gallade does not get an advantage from the Stadium, and, since Gallade will hit the field more often, Premonition increases your chances of finding an out to Lysandre.
Final Thoughts: Yveltal vs. Night March
Even with the inclusion of multiple [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Judge” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”143″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Head Ringer” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card] to stop the [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] loop, Night March is, at best, a 50-50 matchup. The raw power of the Night March attack combined with the consistency boost from [card name=”Puzzle of Time” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] means that the Night March player can discard eight or nine [card name=”Joltik” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Pumpkaboo” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”44″ c=”name”][/card], and / or [card name=”Lampent” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”42″ c=”name”][/card] on their first turn using [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card]. With eight Night Marchers and a [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card], or just nine Night Marchers in the discard pile, the opponent can OHKO your Seismitoad-EX with ease. However, if the opponent is unable to get these high counts on their first turn due to your [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card], or they can only get five or six Night Marchers into the discard pile, Seismitoad-EX can easily take control of the game.
Night March is Still Going Strong
It seems like Pokemon Card Laboratory decided that after [card name=”Lysandre’s Trump Card” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] was banned they would keep making this archetype stronger and stronger, even going past BREAKpoint (a single-Prize version of [card name=”Mew-EX” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”46″ c=”name”][/card], anyone?). The release of [card name=”Puzzle of Time” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] means that Night March has a maximum of eight uses of cards like [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”111″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card]. Cards such as [card name=”Target Whistle” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card] can be retrieved from the discard pile, along with another card like [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card] to make it much easier to draw into strong combos at the right time.
The list I have to show you today got me a City Championship win in Manchester on February 27th, losing zero best-of-three matches throughout the day. I was also able to make it to Top 4 the following day in Sheffield, losing to Tamao Cameron’s [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Red Card” set=”XY” no=”124″ c=”name”][/card] deck. Here is my winning list:
[decklist name=”Night March BRP” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Joltik” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”26″][pokemon amt=”15″]4x [card name=”Joltik” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”26″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Pumpkaboo” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”44″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Lampent” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”42″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”106″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”41″]2x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Judge” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”143″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”AZ” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”91″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Teammates” set=”Primal Clash” no=”160″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”110″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ 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=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Flashfire” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Puzzle of Time” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”109″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Acro Bike” set=”Primal Clash” no=”122″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Target Whistle” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”106″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Town Map” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”150″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”94″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]3x [card name=”Dimension Valley” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”93″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”4″]4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”XY” no=”130″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
Counts and Explanations
3 Shaymin-EX
Three [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card] is just the right amount for this deck. Any less, and issues with a Shaymin-EX being prized occur; or if you play the full four copies, a Shaymin-EX start is more common. In many circumstances, the fourth Shaymin-EX doesn’t even get used.
1 Teammates / 1 Xerosic / 1 Judge
A single [card name=”Teammates” set=”Primal Clash” no=”141″ c=”name”][/card] was already well-suited in Night March builds, and with the inclusion of BREAKpoint, Teammates got even better in the archetype. After one of your Pokemon has been KO’d by an attack, you can use Teammates to search for two [card name=”Puzzle of Time” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card]. It becomes significantly easier to get two copies of Puzzle of Time into your hand. Teammates can now find two cards from either your deck or the discard pile.
[card name=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”110″ c=”name”][/card] is both an anti-[card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] card and an easy-to-find removal option against any Pokemon that has too high HP due to [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card]. Puzzle of Time and [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] let you re-use Xerosic, and paired with [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card], it provides another option against pesky Seismitoad-EX builds.
The single copy of [card name=”Judge” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”143″ c=”name”][/card] is another option on turn one instead of [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card]. Against decks like [card name=”Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”23″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card], which require strong setups on early turns, lowering their hand to just four cards reduces the chances of the opponent finding as many Basics as possible to put onto the Bench. The opponent will waste resources searching for other draw options like [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] to try to get more cards. Luckily, another EX on the Bench leads to an easy two Prizes that can be taken via [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card] and Night March later on. Judge also lets you draw four cards, which can be the correct balance between disruption and draw as your early Supporter. Finally, a card that can shake up the opponent’s hand is never a bad thing at any point in the game. Dropping a hand size from six or above down to only four forces the opponent to re-draw any combination of cards they may have originally had and makes them re-think their entire turn.
4 Trainers’ Mail / 3 Acro Bike
Night March variants require some sort of speed element to get as many Night Marchers as possible into the discard pile on the first turn to fuel a fast Night March attack. A full suit of [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] helps to obtain cards like [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Dimension Valley” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card], and so on. In a fully-fledged Night March build, I could never envision less than four copies of such a strong Item-based draw card in the deck. Whether it’s searching for your first Battle Compressor on turn one or finding a [card name=”Puzzle of Time” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] to pair with another copy in your hand to the win the game, Trainers’ Mail certainly pulls its own weight.
[card name=”Acro Bike” set=”Primal Clash” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card] is another Item-based draw card that, albeit not as strong as Trainers’ Mail, provides another option to draw extra cards when they are needed. An advantage of Acro Bike is that you can still dig through two more cards after your Supporter to find a [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”111″ c=”name”][/card] or discard the final Night Marcher you need to hit a OHKO. The only downside is the discard — sometimes it can be extremely painful when you use Acro Bike and draw two Double Colorless Energy or two Puzzle of Time. I can’t deny, it has happened to me at times! Count-wise, even though I wouldn’t mind four copies of Acro Bike, space is tight and the techs included are more important. I haven’t noticed any problems in draw power with only three copies in the deck, and it also means there is one less chance of having to make a horrible discard.
4 Puzzle of Time[cardimg name=”Puzzle of Time” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”109″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
Now that BREAKpoint is in the format, I feel as though [card name=”Milotic” set=”Primal Clash” no=”44″ c=”name”][/card] will take a back-seat to [card name=”Puzzle of Time” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card]. Now a maximum of four cards can be obtained from the discard pile, compared to the usual two or three cards that was possible with a 2-2 Milotic line and an [card name=”AZ” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card]. The need for two copies of Puzzle of Time to be in your hand at once definitely isn’t an issue with Night March; between [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Teammates” set=”Primal Clash” no=”141″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card], finding the second copy to make the effect worthwhile is very simple. Just ensure that you keep the first copy in your hand until you find the second.
That’s not to say the effect of a single Puzzle of Time isn’t useful if that’s the only copy in your hand, though. Using only one allows you to check and change what your top-deck will be for the next turn, or re-arrange the top three cards of your deck to make sure you get the optimal cards off of an [card name=”Acro Bike” set=”Primal Clash” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card]. It’s even reasonable to use your single Puzzle of Time before a [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”XY” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card] to see whether or not your first three cards look useful. If they don’t, that [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Flashfire” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] in hand that would otherwise have no effect other than to check your deck now changes what you will draw off of the Professor Sycamore and increases the chances you draw the cards you need that turn.
Obviously the main reason to include Puzzle of Time is for retrieving cards from the discard pile. It’s important to know what cards are best to take back from the discard pile. The most obvious are limited copies of cards you would normally run out of before the end of the game: [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Next Destinies” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card], or even another Puzzle of Time. Stadium-intensive decks like [card name=”M Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”24″ c=”name”][/card] may require you to find a new [card name=”Dimension Valley” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] every other turn, and Puzzle of Time makes it easy to grab a fourth or fifth copy.
There are some more obscure uses for the powerful card as well. In early turns, you may find yourself using multiple copies of Ultra Ball to get out a Shaymin-EX, keeping certain cards in your hand each time you draw extra cards. Through the power of Set Up and Item-based draw, you could potentially find yourself with two copies of Puzzle of Time and a Battle Compressor in hand. In some situations, where you need to OHKO a bulky Active Pokemon, you can use the Battle Compressor and then retrieve it from the discard pile, along with another consistency card, to guarantee you hit the turn one Night March KO. In other scenarios, the Battle Compressor / two Puzzle of Time combo can grab any two cards from the deck.
A great example that demonstrated the usefulness of Puzzle of Time was in the finals of Manchester Cities; I played against Jake Walvin’s [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] build. Jake had a strong turn one with a Seismitoad-EX Active plus a Giratina-EX on the Bench with a [card name=”Double Dragon Energy” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card] attached to it. My turn consisted of multiple Shaymin-EX Set Ups while keeping a Puzzle of Time I drew at the start of the game. I was able to draw a second copy and obtain a Battle Compressor from a Trainers’ Mail. I knew that turn I needed to play an [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card] on Giratina-EX’s Double Dragon Energy so that Jake was forced to use Quaking Punch, which by that point I should have enough Night Marchers in the discard pile to repeatedly take KOs under Item lock. So I used Battle Compressor, where I opted to discard my sole copy of Enhanced Hammer, a [card name=”Lampent” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”42″ c=”name”][/card], and a Professor Sycamore to get back with a VS Seeker I had in my hand. Afterwards, I played my two Puzzle of Time to get back the Enhanced Hammer and the Battle Compressor I had just used. This allowed me to get the exact card I wanted and help put as many Night Marchers into the discard pile as possible before I came under Item lock.
There are countless more combinations I could talk about, but the final aspect about Puzzle of Time worth mentioning is to get back a sole copy of Puzzle of Time to use later. Sometimes it is unavoidable to discard a single copy with Professor Sycamore or Ultra Ball, and the immediate thought is that there will now be a second copy that can only be used on its own. With smart play, you can use two Puzzle of Time together to get back the Puzzle of Time you discarded; you can now make use of the sole copy remaining in your deck. This effectively means you can get three cards back from the discard pile instead of two, which can make all the difference.
Puzzle of Time alone will push Night March to multiple States placements and keep the deck at the top of tier one.
1 Muscle Band / 1 Fighting Fury Belt
This probably appears like a strange split at first. [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] may be fantastic on a Joltik or Pumpkaboo for extra HP, but the +10 damage [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] provides compared to Fighting Fury Belt is too important against [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] builds. Your goal on the first turn against this deck is to make sure you can hit for 180 damage with Night March. Muscle Band is relatively easy to obtain via [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card]. Playing a copy of Muscle Band also saves another [card name=”Joltik” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Pumpkaboo” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”44″ c=”name”][/card] from the discard, each of which become precious resources once under Item lock.
This doesn’t mean that the single copy of Fighting Fury Belt doesn’t come in handy. The +10 damage is fine against Pokemon with odd-numbered HP. The main reason for its inclusion is how strong an extra 40 HP is against [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card] decks. To boost a Joltik’s HP to 70 means that, without a way to remove the Fighting Fury Belt, it will take two [card name=”Golbat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”32″ c=”name”][/card] Sneaky Bites and one Crobat Surprise Bite to get KO’d without an attack. Pumpkaboo gets boosted to 100 HP with Fighting Fury Belt. Compared to Joltik with a Fighting Fury Belt attached, Pumpkaboo requires an extra Crobat drop to KO without an attack. Using all of these Bat drops is a massive waste for just a single-Prize Pokemon. The opponent will have a more difficult time taking Prizes throughout the game, and be forced to send up Pokemon-EX like [card name=”Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”23″ c=”name”][/card] that should be an easy two Prizes. Combined with [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card], this matchup — which would normally be viewed as unfavorable — suddenly becomes manageable because the Bat Evolutions become useless.
[card name=”Puzzle of Time” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] can also retrieve your copy of Fighting Fury Belt from the discard pile after it has been removed or the Pokemon it was attached to has been KO’d. This play consistently keeps an extra 40 HP on the Active Pokemon which is a heavy burden the opponent must deal with.
1 Target Whistle
I’m sure you already know the importance of [card name=”Target Whistle” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card], but I still want to explain why it’s needed. Against decks that play few EXs, such as Yveltal variants, the opponent will most likely discard an EX during some point in the game. More often than not, [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] will be among the discarded Pokemon. One of the opponent’s EXs may even have to attack before getting KO’d. Target Whistle lets you place an EX of your choice onto the opponent’s Bench, which can be brought up by [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card] and OHKO’d on that turn or later on. This aids in your Prize trade, which hopefully puts you ahead of your opponent. Even if your opponent has two Prizes left and you have four Prizes left with a field of non-EX Pokemon, Target Whistle still makes it possible to win. As long as the opponent has a Pokemon-EX in the discard pile, playing a Target Whistle and a Lysandre makes for an easy two Prizes. The opponent will then KO your Active, which leaves them with only a sole Prize. With the correct hand, you can send out a final Night Marcher and use two [card name=”Puzzle of Time” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] to get back Target Whistle and Lysandre / [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”111″ c=”name”][/card] to win the game!
1 Enhanced Hammer
[card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card] is in here as a pair for [card name=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”119″ c=”name”][/card]. We need these two Special-Energy-removing cards to deal with a powered-up [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card]. Chaos Wheel shuts down our entire deck, and without a counter, Night March is unable to attach any Energy for the rest of the game. If Enhanced Hammer is in the discard, two [card name=”Puzzle of Time” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] lets you get back both Xerosic and Enhanced Hammer to remove two Special Energy attached to Giratina-EX. Hopefully that will be enough to clear all Energy from the Giratina-EX, which forces them to attack with [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] who is much easier to deal with.
A single copy of this card is still great in other matchups as well. It can get rid of a [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Next Destinies” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] in a mirror match if you opt to [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card] a Pokemon from the Bench, or it can discard a [card name=”Mystery Energy” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”112″ c=”name”][/card] attached to a Benched [card name=”Phantump” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY14″ c=”name”][/card].
What’s the Deal with Jolteon-EX?
The most important card from Generations, an anniversary set released just in time to be legal for States, is undoubtedly, Jolteon-EX. Flash Ray is as disruptive to Night March as [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card]’s Chaos Wheel, forcing you to remove it from the Active to do any damage. With the use of [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card], it’s possible to power up Jolteon-EX in a single turn. As long as the opponent doesn’t initially bench multiple EXs, Jolteon-EX will most likely become the opponent’s only Pokemon on the field, and with a smart [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Sacred Ash” set=”Flashfire” no=”96″ c=”name”][/card] play, even [card name=”Target Whistle” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card] cannot help to take any Prizes.
The best way I can see to counter this play is to tech a 1-1 line of [card name=”Maxie’s Hidden Ball Trick” set=”Primal Clash” no=”133″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Gallade” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”84″ c=”name”][/card]. The deck is already speed-based with [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card], and techs like [card name=”Empoleon” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”29″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Archeops” set=”Noble Victories” no=”67″ c=”name”][/card] have proven themselves as viable options in Night March before. Gallade is a Stage 2 Fighting-type Pokemon, so it has the ability to hit through Flash Ray, while also hitting for Weakness to take an easy KO on Jolteon-EX. Premonition is lovely to have, as well — it gives you the option each turn to place a second copy of [card name=”Puzzle of Time” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] to the top to draw as your top-deck, or an out to a Supporter in case you leave yourself without one for the next turn. A 150-HP attacker is a welcomed change compared to Joltik’s HP of only 30.
To fit this combo in, you would need to cut down on some other counts. I would take out the second copy of [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card] and the third copy of [card name=”Dimension Valley” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card], even though it increases your chances of prizing Lysandre and makes it slightly harder to find a Dimension Valley on your first turn.
How Do You Beat Trevenant’s Turn One Item Lock?
Unfortunately, the simple answer is, “hope to go first.” If the opponent can achieve a turn one [card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] then your chances of winning the game are slim. In the chance that your opening hand contains a [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card] and an [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card], it’s possible to salvage that turn as long as your opponent had to bench another Pokemon. Using Lysandre on that Pokemon removes Trevenant’s Dark Forest, then Ultra Ball can turn into [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] to draw more cards with Set Up.
If you can use Items on your turn, your main goal is to thin your deck as much as possible and get five or six Night Marchers into the discard pile so you can KO a Trevenant. After that, a steady stream of Night March should put a strain on the opponent’s resources, and at some point they will be unable to get a Trevenant Active to lock your Items. This lets you use all of your Item cards again, such as [card name=”Puzzle of Time” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] to get back [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”XY” no=”130″ c=”name”][/card] or any other resources you may need. Try to keep [card name=”Pumpkaboo” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”44″ c=”name”][/card] as your main Night March attacker, however, as [card name=”Joltik” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card] is easily KO’d by [card name=”Trevenant BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card]’s Silent Fear, even while on the Bench.
A Quick Check on the U.K. — Expanded
Over in the U.K., we are in full swing with the second set of Regionals, which are Expanded. Before I finish, I want to show you my Expanded [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Maxie’s Hidden Ball Trick” set=”Primal Clash” no=”133″ c=”name”][/card] list that has netted me two second-place finishes at Blackpool and Ireland Regionals. The list is based around Brad Curcio’s Florida Regionals build. It removes the [card name=”Hypnotoxic Laser” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Virbank City Gym” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”126″ c=”name”][/card] duo to free up some room, and includes [card name=”Reverse Valley” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”110″ c=”name”][/card] as a +10 damage boost for Dark-type attacks.
Without the Laser / Bank combo, the list can also fit cards like [card name=”AZ” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Tool Scrapper” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”116″ c=”name”][/card]. AZ is great to remove liabilities in play, and acts as a pseudo-switch card in case you are unable to retreat. Tool Scrapper alongside [card name=”Yveltal” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card]’s Fright Night ability makes it so the opponent cannot use Tools until you retreat the Yveltal, then once you move to a different attacker, you can remove the Tools attached so they have no overall effect on the game.
Here is the list I used at both Regionals:
[decklist name=”Yveltal / Archeops / Gallade Expanded” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″][pokemon amt=”12″]3x [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Yveltal” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”94″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Yveltal” set=”XY” no=”78″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”63″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Keldeo-EX” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”49″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Jirachi-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Gallade” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”84″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Archeops” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”110″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”37″]3x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Maxie’s Hidden Ball Trick” set=”Primal Clash” no=”133″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”AZ” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”91″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”118″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Ghetsis” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”101″ 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=”Ultra Ball” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”93″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Dark Patch” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”93″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Tool Scrapper” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”116″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Computer Search” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Reverse Valley” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”110″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Silent Lab” set=”Primal Clash” no=”140″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”11″]7x [card name=”Darkness Energy” set=”XY” no=”138″ c=”deck2″ amt=”7″][/card]4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”111″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist][cardimg name=”Reverse Valley” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”110″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
I opted for a higher degree of consistency than Brad’s list, playing four [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] to try to increase my chances of getting a [card name=”Maxie’s Hidden Ball Trick” set=”Primal Clash” no=”133″ c=”name”][/card] off and a third copy of [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”101″ c=”name”][/card] as another Supporter to draw into if my hand is obliterated by a turn one [card name=”Ghetsis” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”101″ c=”name”][/card].
I must talk about the combination of [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Reverse Valley” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”110″ c=”name”][/card]. With both of these cards in play, an Active Pokemon will do +20 damage, practically making Fighting Fury Belt a [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card], but with the addition of 40 HP. Fighting Fury Belt makes it much harder for the opponent’s [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] to take a OHKO on your own Yveltal-EX if yours has only one or two Energy attached. This also contributed to my choice of dropping the [card name=”Hypnotoxic Laser” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Virbank City Gym” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”126″ c=”name”][/card] version of the archetype, as the main purpose of the extra 30 damage through Poison was to get OHKO’s in the mirror match.
Well, that’s all I have for today. Thanks for reading another one of my articles! Make sure to check out the Subscriber’s Hideout if you have any questions, ideas, or anything TCG-related that you want to talk about. Good look to everyone in the U.S. that will be playing in States, and everyone else at Regionals!
-Ryan Moorhouse
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