Two Years of Darkness — A Look at the Same Archetype Throughout Different Formats

By: Ryan Moorhouse · Posted Apr 19, 2016 at 9:07 PM · 0 Comments

Hello PokeBeach! You might be surprised to hear that I want to talk about [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] again. Being released in the first XY expansion on February 5th, 2014, the card is already over two years old. Over the past two years, countless formats have had Yveltal archetypes dominating or at least present, paired with all sorts of different Pokemon, from [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”54″ c=”name”][/card] to [card name=”Gallade” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”84″ c=”name”][/card]. For myself, I started to play the deck once the card was released. Throughout the past two years, my go-to choice was some sort of Yveltal-EX variant, and since then, I’ve learned the deck inside and out. With every new format came a change which I was able to adapt to, while also using my previous knowledge to be able to play the deck with the same skill level that I had during the prior format.

[cardimg name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”144″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

In this article I am going to describe why exactly Yveltal-EX was, and still is, such a powerful card. I will discuss how the metagame has changed from format to format, and how these changes affected Yveltal-EX builds specifically. Lastly, I will cover the advantages and disadvantages of playing the same archetype for an extended period of time. There is a rich history behind this archetype and it never seems to fully leave a format; it’s always around in some shape or form.

Let’s start with the card itself and why Yveltal-EX may be one of the best cards ever printed.

What Makes Yveltal-EX so Strong?

The Basics

To start with, [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] has a relatively high 170 HP and a Fighting Resistance. A Resistance to Fighting is a good type to reduce damage from, with cards such as [card name=”Landorus-EX” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card] being potent before the release of Furious Fists. Once the set hit the Standard format, Fighting gained a massive boost. With great additions, such as [card name=”Strong Energy” set=”Furious Fists” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Fighting Stadium” set=”Furious Fists” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card], the already-strong type was pushed into new realms.

Even excluding the decks’ multiple free retreat options, a Retreat Cost of two is still manageable. With [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”111″ c=”name”][/card] finding its way into nearly every Yveltal-EX build, it’s possible to retreat for just a single Energy attachment.

Two Complimenting Attacks

[card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] has both the “all-in” Evil Ball attack and the more conservative Y Cyclone attack, which are almost opposites in terms of what they achieve within a game. The first attack, Evil Ball, is a stronger version of [card name=”Mewtwo-EX” set=”Next Destinies” no=”98″ c=”name”][/card]’s X Ball attack. X Ball controlled an entire U.S. Nationals and World Championships in 2012, and still has an impact on the Expanded format to this day. Evil Ball’s main use is to punish attackers that have a high Energy cost, often times hitting for a OHKO on the opponent’s Active Pokemon. Depending on the amount of Energy attached to the opponent’s Active Pokemon and whatever damage manipulation cards see play, such as [card name=”Hypnotoxic Laser” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card], Evil Ball could require five or more Energy to hit for a OHKO. This is why it can be a risky play; an opposing Mewtwo-EX or Yveltal-EX could easily return a KO on the opponent’s next turn.

Yveltal’s second attack, Y Cyclone, is brilliant for conserving Energy in play because it gives you the ability to move an Energy to another Pokemon, while also hitting for 90 damage. This affords you the opportunity to move a Darkness Energy or [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”XY” no=”130″ c=”name”][/card] to a Pokemon on the Bench so you can set up another attacker immediately. Furthermore, it allows you to keep Energy that might normally have been discarded had the Yveltal-EX been KO’d. Finally, 90 damage is an amazing number to hit for; it lets you clean up any Pokemon-EX you were unable to OHKO with a previous attack, or go for a 2HKO on most EXs, all while conserving Energy for later use.

These two attacks lead to an interesting skill-based mirror match between Darkness archetypes. It requires you to determine which of the attacks is the best option. Going for a OHKO on the opponent’s Yveltal-EX can put you into a Prize advantage, but leaves you open for the opponent to do the same thing, and usually with less Energy. This forces you into an awkward position while trying to return a KO.

The other option is to go for a Y Cyclone and set up your Benched Pokemon, which would leave your Active Yveltal-EX with only one or two Energy attached. The opponent would then be required to make a large Energy investment to hit for a KO. With damage manipulation cards in the form of [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] and Hypnotoxic Laser, a Y Cyclone can hit for 110-140 damage. This makes it possible for cards like [card name=”Yveltal” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card] to finish off the 170 HP Yveltal-EX, simultaneously putting pressure on the opponent’s Active Pokemon. If your opponent is able to keep up a chain of OHKOs, however, Y Cyclone will end up putting you too far behind.

Energy Acceleration — Item and Pokemon-Based

[cardimg name=”Yveltal” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY06″ align=”right” c=”custom”]”Do I really look like a baby?”[/cardimg]

Ever since the rotation after Worlds 2014, Darkness archetypes in the Expanded format have had one of the strongest Item-based Energy acceleration cards — [card name=”Dark Patch” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card]. Even before [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] was released, [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”63″ c=”name”][/card] variants were able to win both the 2012 and 2013 World Championships, with Dark Patch at the forefront of acceleration for both of the winning decks. Being able to both retrieve an Energy from the discard, attach it to a benched Darkness-type Pokemon, and still have the ability to attach an Energy from your hand during the same turn is incredible. When combined with Yveltal-EX, Dark Patch makes it much easier to attach high counts of Energy to take a OHKO on the opponent, or set up Y Cyclone in a single turn with just a Dark Patch and a [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”XY” no=”130″ c=”name”][/card].

The ability to switch Pokemon between the Bench and the Active can be achieved with ease, and further enhances the acceleration of Energy. Darkrai-EX’s Dark Cloak Ability provides free retreat for each Pokemon with a [card name=”Darkness Energy” set=”XY” no=”138″ c=”name”][/card] attached. [card name=”Keldeo-EX” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”49″ c=”name”][/card] paired with Dark Cloak or a [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] is another option to provide mobility within the deck, making it possible to Rush In and use Dark Patch on the previously Active Pokemon. Keldeo can then retreat back and switch with that same Pokemon, but now with extra Energy attached via Dark Patch.

When Yveltal-EX was released in XY, a “baby” [card name=”Yveltal” set=”XY” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card] was also introduced, which was perfect for Pokemon-based Energy acceleration. Oblivion Wing’s vanilla 30 damage with a single Darkness Energy allows for you to set up KOs in the early game for Yveltal-EX’s Evil Ball, while powering up a benched attacker at the same time. In combination with [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Hypnotoxic Laser” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card], Oblivion Wing can even start to take KOs on lower HP Pokemon such as [card name=”Squirtle” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”29″ c=”name”][/card]. This puts early pressure on the opponent, and it’s all from a non-EX Pokemon. 130 HP is nothing to scoff at for a single-Prize Pokemon, either.

I also want to mention [card name=”Sableye” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”62″ c=”name”][/card]’s use within Yveltal-EX builds. Usually as a one-of copy, Sableye can recycle crucial Item cards back into your hand, specifically Dark Patch. A Junk Hunt for two Dark Patch could lead to a sizeable chunk of Energy being able to find its way onto an Yveltal-EX in the next turn to create a huge Evil Ball KO. A speedy Darkrai Night Spear attack could also be set up for the next turn.

Partner Combos

[card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card]’s variety of useful partners is the main reason why it has been able to keep a strong place throughout different formats. The main one to mention would be [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”63″ c=”name”][/card], an already-strong card that provides both utility in free retreat, and a strong attack. If Darkrai-EX was legal in the format, most Yveltal-EX builds played at least one for this reason. [card name=”Keldeo-EX” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”49″ c=”name”][/card] also fits well as a single copy within most Yveltal-EX decks, pairing with Darkrai-EX’s Dark Cloak and Keldeo’s Rush In to provide an easy way to move between attackers each turn.

[cardimg name=”Garbodor” set=”Legendary Treasures” no=”68″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

[card name=”Garbodor” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”54″ c=”name”][/card] is a common partner that has been used to slow down Ability-based decks, such as [card name=”Keldeo-EX” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”49″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Black Kyurem-EX” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”95″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Blastoise” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card]. [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 another great example; whereby being able to shut down Verdant Wind lets you inflict your opponent’s Pokemon with Special Conditions, even if they have a Grass Energy attached.

An [card name=”Yveltal” set=”XY” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card] build, due to its great acceleration, was a strong option throughout a majority of the 2014-2015 season. In the Standard format right now, Yveltal is also the main focus of most Yveltal-EX builds because of the nefarious Night March archetype and its stronghold on the format.

[card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] is also a good partner since Yveltal-EX plays a minimum of three [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”XY” no=”130″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Hypnotoxic Laser” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card]. Item lock is excellent in the mirror and provides an edge against builds that opt not to play Seismitoad, and also helps out greatly against [card name=”Flareon” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card].

There are many more partners I could talk about, but regardless, there has always been a partner in crime for Yveltal in each format for it to keep its place in the top-tiers.

A Look Through the Standard Formats

In each section I’ve listed the format and whatever the top decks were in that particular format, not including [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] builds. After a brief overview of the metagame during each time period, I will explain any changes that Darkness archetypes had, and why those changes occurred. Through these descriptions, you will be able to understand how to more effectively play Darkness decks, when not to play them, and what techs to use in specific metagames.

2013-2014 Season

Format: Next Destinies – XY | Top-Tier Decks: Keldeo-EX / Blastoise, Genesect-EX / Virizion-EX, Thundurus-EX / Deoxys-EX / Kyurem PLF

The release of XY did not bring about many new changes when it was released, but there was a single modification that heavily affected the format. There was a reprint of [card name=”Pokémon Catcher” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”83″ c=”name”][/card] in the Kalos Starter Sets, but with an additional “Flip a coin. If heads” clause added to the card. With this errata, Pokemon became harder to bring from the Bench to the Active, and required either stellar Pokemon Catcher flips or Abilities such as [card name=”Genesect-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”11″ c=”name”][/card]’s Red Signal.

[card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] found itself being played as either a “big Basics” deck, or with [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”54″ c=”name”][/card]. [card name=”Dark Patch” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] was used for Energy acceleration, [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card] for Pokemon search, and 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] combo for extra damage. The Ace Spec of choice was between [card name=”Computer Search” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] for early consistency or [card name=”Dowsing Machine” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”128″ c=”name”][/card] to make it so that you could use cards like Dark Patch for a fifth time. The main Tool card used was [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] as a constant damage boost, although [card name=”Float Stone” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] was also played in the Garbodor build so that Garbodor could be retreated with ease.

[card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] was not in this format, so maximum copies of [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] were played along with one or two [card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”118″ c=”name”][/card]. [card name=”Random Receiver” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] was also played for additional consistency and a way to find a Supporter when using [card name=”Sableye” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”62″ c=”name”][/card]’s Junk Hunt.

Although not too common, [card name=”Jirachi-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] began to see play as an extra boost in consistency since it turned Ultra Ball into a way to find a Supporter of your choice. However, due to Jirachi’s low 90 HP, if the Pokemon ended up in the Active, it was a free two Prizes for the opponent. This made it much easier to take the final two Prizes of any game via a good Pokemon Catcher flip or a Genesect’s Red Signal. Pokemon Catcher was played in high quantities so that it was possible to gain access to the opponent’s Bench at some point throughout the game.

The “big Basics” build played multiple copies of Yveltal-EX and [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”63″ c=”name”][/card], along with one or two [card name=”Keldeo-EX” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”49″ c=”name”][/card] for mobility. [card name=”Absol” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”67″ c=”name”][/card], Sableye, and [card name=”Yveltal” set=”XY” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card] usually found their way into the deck as a one-of due to their utility and non-EX status. The deck had a harder matchup against [card name=”Keldeo-EX” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”49″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Blastoise” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”31″ c=”name”][/card] and Ability-based decks compared to the Garbodor version, but had an improved mirror matchup.

The Garbodor build played a similar line of Yveltal-EX, a single Darkrai, and one of the non-EX attackers along with a 2-2 line of [card name=”Trubbish” set=”Legendary Treasures” no=”67″ c=”name”][/card] / Garbodor. I also decided to play one Keldeo in my Garbodor build of this deck, which may seem confusing at first. Instead of setting up Garbodor with a Tool in the mirror match, I would wait until it was crucial to shut off Abilities. This meant that Keldeo could be used with Float Stone to provide some much needed mobility in the mirror match, as a Hypnotoxic Laser heads from your opponent followed by a tails from you would lead to you missing an attack and losing the Active Pokemon with all of its attachments.

The deck concept was simple: use Yveltal-EX as a main attacker. With Yveltal-EX you were able to punish Pokemon that required high amounts of Energy to attack, or take it slow and use Y Cyclone to sustain board presence while also dealing sufficient damage. Even at this point, the archetype had an advantage in most matchups, although decks such as Plasma ([card name=”Thundurus-EX” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”38″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Deoxys-EX” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Kyurem” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”31″ c=”name”][/card]) became a tier-one threat because of this. With Thundurus-EX being able to take a KO on Yveltal-EX for a single Energy using a combination of Weakness, Deoxys-EX’s Power Connect, Muscle Band, and Hypnotoxic Laser, Plasma was one of the only decks that held a somewhat positive matchup against the Darkness build.

The Darkness archetype was reinvented due to Yveltal-EX, and positioned itself straight into tier one, winning in multiple State and Regional Championships all over the world.

Format: Next Destinies – Flashfire (Nationals & Worlds 2014) | Top-Tier Decks: Genesect-EX / Virizion-EX, Thundurus-EX / Deoxys-EX / Kyurem PLF, Pyroar FLF

[cardimg name=”Pyroar” set=”Flashfire” no=”20″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Flashfire brought around only two cards that had an impact on the format. The first one I’m certain you have all heard of — [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card]! Without [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card], Lysandre found its way into most decks as either a single copy paired with [card name=”Dowsing Machine” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”128″ c=”name”][/card], or two copies without Dowsing Machine. [card name=”Virizion-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”9″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Genesect-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”11″ c=”name”][/card] was the exception since Red Signal only required a [card name=”Plasma Energy” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”127″ c=”name”][/card] compared to the use of a Supporter for that turn.

The other card that greatly affected the format was [card name=”Pyroar” set=”Flashfire” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card]. Intimidating Mane caused a huge problem for decks that played only Basic Pokemon, similar to that of Jolteon-EX in our most recent format. Without [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card] in the format, the only reliable way to get around Intimidating Mane was to use Evolutions or play [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”54″ c=”name”][/card]. This lead to the Garbodor builds of [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] becoming much more prevalent over the “big Basics” version, since that version was unable to successfully deal with Pyroar builds at the time.

Another tech option that gained some traction was [card name=”Raichu” set=”XY” no=”43″ c=”name”][/card] in the place of Garbodor. It was a strong option against the mirror match and it was strong enough to deal with Pyroar. The main problem was that you were forced to attack with Raichu, which could be OHKO’d by Pyroar, compared to a Garbodor that had to be placed into the Active using a gust effect.

Prior to the U.S. Nationals in 2014, the big question was this: “Will I really see any Pyroar?” The Pyroar builds at the time were based around speed, using three or four copies of [card name=”Bicycle” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”117″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Roller Skates” set=”XY” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card] to make sure it could set up a turn two Pyroar with ease. [card name=”Blacksmith” set=”Flashfire” no=”88″ c=”name”][/card] was the decks’ main source of Energy acceleration, letting you power up a Pyroar in a single turn. Four copies of [card name=”Pokémon Catcher” set=”Kalos Starter Set” no=”36″ c=”name”][/card] were played to pick non-EX threats off of the Bench before they could evolve, or remove a Garbodor from play using Scorching Fang and a [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card].

[card name=”Charizard-EX” set=”Flashfire” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Mewtwo-EX” set=”Next Destinies” no=”54″ c=”name”][/card] were backup attackers that could deal higher amounts of damage than Pyroar could, if needed. Charizard was especially useful, as it could be powered up in a single turn via [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”XY” no=”130″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Blacksmith” set=”Flashfire” no=”88″ c=”name”][/card], and then with a Muscle Band, it could take out any Yveltal-EX or [card name=”Thundurus-EX” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”38″ c=”name”][/card] that was causing problems. This lead to all sorts of tech cards being introduced into other decks. For example, [card name=”Latias-EX” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”85″ c=”name”][/card] found its way into Plasma builds because it could make use of [card name=”Prism Energy” set=”Next Destinies” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] to power up Barrier Break, which was unaffected by Pyroar’s Intimidating Mane. Latias’s Bright Down Ability meant that Pyroar was unable to touch it, but Charizard could easily make light work of Latias, as long as it had Muscle Band attached.

If you look at the results of U.S. Nationals 2014, you see that Pyroar was a big threat; however, the winning deck of U.S. Nationals was a rogue deck, coming from a Top 16 placement in the U.K. Nationals. Mewtwo-EX / [card name=”Landorus-EX” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card] / Raichu / Garbodor countered each of the top-tier decks at the time, and had good answers to Pyroar via multiple Evolution Pokemon. An Yveltal-EX / Garbodor build, piloted by Isaiah Williams, was able to get to the Top 4, proving that the deck was still strong.

I played Yveltal-EX / Garbodor during the U.K. Nationals 2014, starting off extremely strong at 5-0-1. I lost my next round to an ingenious [card name=”Aromatisse” set=”XY” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] build using Thundurus as an accelerator along with various different types of Pokemon to make great use of Weakness, while also being able to use [card name=”Max Potion” set=”Emerging Powers” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card] to remove any damage. In the final round I got paired against an Yveltal-EX / Raichu build and I was unable to deal with the advantage my opponent had with Raichu taking OHKOs on my Yveltal-EX. I placed 13th at 5-2-1.

For the Washington DC World Championships in 2014, the same question was still at the forefront of everyone’s mind: “Pyroar did well at U.S. Nationals; will it be played for Worlds?” A similar situation happened in 2013, where [card name=”Accelgor” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”11″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Gothitelle” set=”Emerging Powers” no=”47″ c=”name”][/card] won U.S. Nationals, but did poorly at the World Championships due to high amounts of tech cards to deal with the Item and Paralysis lock. I still stuck with Yveltal-EX / Garbodor for Worlds, believing in its 50-50 matchups across the field and a good amount of consistency. By now, I had a firm grasp on how to play the deck. Here is the list I played for the World Championships to give you an idea of what an Yveltal-EX / Garbodor build was made of:

[decklist name=”Yveltal / Garbodor 2014″ amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″][pokemon amt=”11″]3x [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”107″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”54″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Trubbish” set=”Legendary Treasures” no=”67″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Sableye” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”62″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Absol” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”67″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Jirachi-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”38″]4x [card name=”Professor Juniper” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”98″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”118″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”2″][/card]4x [card name=”Dark Patch” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”93″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Hypnotoxic Laser” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”123″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Flashfire” no=”99″ 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]2x [card name=”Switch” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”91″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Bicycle” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”117″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”94″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Pokemon Catcher” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”105″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Random Receiver” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Professor’s Letter” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”146″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Dowsing Machine” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”128″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Virbank City Gym” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”126″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”2″][/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]

Some counts do seem strange compared to an Expanded Yveltal-EX list of today. Two Bicycle made the cut as an additional draw option, provided you could lower your hand down enough using cards like [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Flashfire” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card]. Two [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card] helped improve the Plasma matchup by removing their Energy on Pokemon such as [card name=”Kyurem” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”31″ c=”name”][/card], taking away their option to use Blizzard Burn on the next turn, assuming they don’t attach another Energy and use a [card name=”Colress Machine” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”119″ c=”name”][/card]. Enhanced Hammer also gave an edge in the mirror, as it reduced the amount of Energy your opponent could keep on the board. Without [card name=”Keldeo-EX” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”49″ c=”name”][/card] in the deck, [card name=”Switch” set=”EX Dragon Frontiers” no=”83″ c=”name”][/card] was needed as a way around any bad [card name=”Hypnotoxic Laser” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] flips. Playing multiple [card name=”Switch” set=”EX FireRed and LeafGreen” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card] also made it easier to get an Yveltal-EX attacking as soon as possible. I spent a long time testing [card name=”Jirachi-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] and firmly believed the added consistency was worth it. In a nine round tournament where only eight players would make the cut, consistency was extremely important.

The results of Worlds 2014 showed a format where Pyroar fell out of the metagame, which then let Virizion-EX / Genesect-EX shine. The deck was the most consistent at the time, and had the same opening strategy of getting two [card name=”Grass Energy” set=”EX Ruby and Sapphire” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card] on Virizion in the first turns to power up multiple Genesect. Afterwards, Genesect could deal 2HKO damage or opt to take a big OHKO on most threats in the format using [card name=”G Booster” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card]. Virizion allowed for Hypnotoxic Laser not to be an issue for the deck, as long as there wasn’t a Garbodor on the field with a Tool attached.

Another important aspect of the deck was its easy access to the opponent’s Bench using Genesect’s Red Signal. This made it easy to pick off weak Pokemon that just sat on the Bench, like as Jirachi-EX. For this reason, many players opted to include it for the World Championships. Virizion-EX / Genesect-EX got three of the top four places at Worlds 2014, while the other top placement went to a rogue Aromatisse build playing [card name=”M Kangaskhan-EX” set=”Flashfire” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] as a Pokemon that was extremely hard to OHKO. At this point, Mega Evolution Pokemon did not have any Spirit Links, so being able to get M Kangaskhan-EX into the Top 4 of Worlds was impressive, to say the least.

Yveltal-EX / Garbodor was able to make Top 8, piloted by Chase Moloney, but ultimately lost to Paulo Silva’s Virizion-EX / Genesect-EX. For my Worlds experience I was able to string five wins in a row after I lost my first match to Plasma. I won against Plasma and then obtained ties from a mirror match and Plasma, leaving me at a 6-1-2 record. This record did make Top 8, but my Resistance was abysmal, so I didn’t end up with anymore wins.

2014-2015 Season

Format: Boundaries Crossed – Furious Fists | Top-Tier Decks: Donphan PLS, Virizion-EX / Genesect-EX

[cardimg name=”Dedenne” set=”Furious Fists” no=”34″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

I remember the start of this format being all over the place because of the loss of Next Destinies, Dark Explorers, and Dragons Exalted. The first thoughts of many people were that [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] decks were dead. Without Dark Explorers in the format, [card name=”Dark Patch” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Sableye” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”62″ c=”name”][/card] were lost (though [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”63″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Legendary Treasures” no=”68″ c=”name”][/card] remained due to reprints), removing the best Energy acceleration option the deck had. [card name=”Dedenne” set=”Furious Fists” no=”34″ c=”name”][/card] had just been released in Furious Fists, which could easily take a OHKO on an Yveltal-EX for a single Energy due to Weakness. If Yveltal-EX already had damage on it, then Dedenne could take an easy KO; if Yveltal-EX had at least three Energy attached, it was possible with a combination of [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] and [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] to take a OHKO.

After a lengthy wait for information regarding the 2014-2015 season, it was finally announced that the U.S. Regionals would be much different this year. The Expanded format was to be implemented for day two of Regionals, along with the option to change your deck for the second day! This meant that Yveltal-EX could be played with Dark Patch again, giving it a new hope in Expanded tournaments. Luckily for the Darkness archetype, however, the Standard format had slowed down to a point where [card name=”Yveltal” set=”XY” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card] was sufficient as an Energy accelerator, now taking three or four spots in the deck.

After many months of testing, decks finally began to take on new forms while dealing with the format change. A new deck had emerged from the start of U.S. Regionals — [card name=”Donphan” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”72″ c=”name”][/card]. Along with such changes came multiple walls ([card name=”Sigilyph” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”52″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Reshiram” set=”Black and White” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card]) and the new Fighting support of [card name=”Strong Energy” set=”Furious Fists” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Hawlucha” set=”Furious Fists” no=”63″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Korrina” set=”Furious Fists” no=”95″ c=”name”][/card] from Furious Fists. As a result, Donphan changed from an unplayable card into one of the best hit-and-run attackers of recent formats.

Yveltal and Yveltal-EX had a big advantage against this new deck; there was a 20 damage Resistance against Fighting types. Since Donphan would usually need to hit a Pokemon two or three times to hit a KO, the 20 Resistance would come into effect each time, turning what would normally be a 3HKO into a 4/5HKO.

An interesting card that Yveltal-EX could take advantage of was also released in Furious Fists, which I’m almost certain you may know of — [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card]. Yveltal-EX builds could add one or two Seismitoad into the deck and have an option to Item lock the opponent when needed. Given its Water-typing, it was easy to deal with any Fire-types that were running around also.

Regionals results were difficult to interpret for this season due to the mix between Standard and Expanded. What usually happened was that players would add extra Expanded cards into the Standard decks that they used on day one. Results wise, the Standard format on day one of Regionals that made the top mainly consisted of Yveltal-EX / Seismitoad-EX / Garbodor, Donphan, and [card name=”Virizion-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”9″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Genesect-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”11″ c=”name”][/card]. Going into day two with Expanded, the majority of the same decks were able to take home top placements and wins. Yveltal-EX builds were now able to use Dark Patch, giving them an easier form of Energy acceleration, while Virizion-EX / Genesect-EX builds could now use [card name=”Skyarrow Bridge” set=”Next Destinies” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] as an easier way to get Virizion into the Active, compared to playing multiple copies of [card name=”Switch” set=”EX Delta Species” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card]. Donphan’s Spinning Turn along with Strong Energy was still a good strategy in Expanded, netting multiple Top 4 placements, although no wins.

Something unique that did come out of this format was a new way to play Yveltal-EX, and that was in the shape of an extremely defensive build. An Yveltal-EX or [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”63″ c=”name”][/card] with a [card name=”Hard Charm” set=”XY” no=”119″ c=”name”][/card] attached at this time was extremely hard to OHKO, bar cards like G Booster. This idea paired well with Yveltal-EX’s Y Cyclone to move Energy to another attacker and with the use of [card name=”Super Scoop Up” set=”EX Delta Species” no=”100″ c=”name”][/card]. After you use Y Cyclone, your opponent would hit the Yveltal-EX for 2HKO damage, and then during your next turn with a good Super Scoop Up flip, the damaged Yveltal-EX could be picked up, and the Pokemon you attached an Energy to via Y Cyclone could then attack. The deck also played a suite of [card name=”Crushing Hammer” set=”Kalos Starter Set” no=”34″ c=”name”][/card] to slow other decks down a turn or two, or against Virizion-EX / Genesect-EX to make it so that using a G Booster would leave the opponent vulnerable to having all of their Energy wiped off of a Genesect.

Decks were now established for the season, and Yveltal-EX builds still proved themselves as a mainstay. In the U.K., there weren’t many tournaments in this format due to the strange schedule for this season, so they waited for the release of Phantom Forces.

[premium]

Format: Boundaries Crossed – Phantom Forces | Top-Tier Decks: Donphan PLS / Robo Subsitute PHF, Virizion-EX / Genesect-EX, Seismitoad-EX , M Manectric-EX

[cardimg name=”Joltik” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”26″ align=”right” c=”custom”]We caused no problems back then![/cardimg]

Phantom Forces brought about big changes to the entire format, and the effects are still being seen now, albeit in a different, Night March sort-of way. [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] made it so that Supporters such as [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”101″ c=”name”][/card] could be used five, six, seven, or even eight times in a game! The structure of decks now included two to four VS Seeker along with the deck’s regular count of Supporters. VS Seeker especially helped out [card name=”Donphan” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”72″ c=”name”][/card], as [card name=”Korrina” set=”Furious Fists” no=”95″ c=”name”][/card] could now obtain VS Seeker as the Item, making it much easier to chain Korrina each turn to get Fighting-type Pokemon into play.

Speaking of Donphan builds, the new [card name=”Robo Substitute” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card] card appeared to have been made specifically for Donphan decks, giving a zero-Prize wall to send up after a Spinning Turn.

Mega Evolution Pokemon started to become much more viable in this set with the release of Spirit Links. [card name=”M Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”24″ c=”name”][/card] and its new [card name=”Manectric Spirit Link” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”100″ c=”name”][/card] meant that it didn’t have to end the turn when Mega Evolving. Manectric’s Lightning typing meant that Turbo Bolt would OHKO [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card], giving it another boost in the metagame. [card name=”Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”23″ c=”name”][/card] is a strong Pokemon to Mega evolve from, with a snipe-based attack of Overrun, and another good attack called Assault Laser which could deal 120 damage as long as the opposing Pokemon had a Tool attached. Turbo Bolt also provided fast acceleration within the deck, once a single M Manectric-EX was Active. All of these factors made Mega Manectric a force to be reckoned with.

This new set also brought with it a new mechanic of Team Flare Tools, which could be attached to the opponent’s Pokémon-EX to hinder their strategy. Although [card name=”Jamming Net” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”98″ c=”name”][/card] had not seen too much play, [card name=”Head Ringer” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card] was used to slow the opponent’s Pokemon-EX’s attacks down by forcing them to attach another Energy to attack. [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] variants, with or without [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”54″ c=”name”][/card], played Head Ringer as an option to force a Manectric-EX to lose a turn when Mega Evolving, which also required them to attach three Energy to attack with Turbo Bolt. In the mirror match, a Head Ringer on an opponent’s Yveltal-EX means that they lose 20 damage from not being able to attach a [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card], and four Energy would be required to use Y Cyclone. Therefore, that Yveltal-EX would have to be left with at least two Energy after using the attack. [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] certainly doesn’t enjoy having a Head Ringer attached either; it would mean that Seismitoad needed another attachment alongside the [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”XY” no=”130″ c=”name”][/card] to use Quaking Punch.

[card name=”Bronzong” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”61″ c=”name”][/card] sparked some interest among players due to its similarity to [card name=”Eelektrik” set=”Noble Victories” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card]. Metal didn’t have too many viable attackers before Phantom Forces. The release brought [card name=”Heatran” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”63″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Dialga-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”62″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Aegislash-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”65″ c=”name”][/card] as attackers for the build, kick-starting the Bronzong archetype as a viable deck. Unfortunately, Garbodor was a large part of the metagame, and Bronzong builds found it hard to deal with.

Finally, [card name=”Lysandre’s Trump Card” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] was released. Even though this card is now banned, back when Phantom Forces was released, Lysandre’s Trump Card wasn’t too powerful. The card only acted as a way to get resources back from the discard, and actually made Seismitoad-EX lock builds viable. Its earliest use was with Seismitoad-EX / Garbodor, playing as many disruption cards as possible along with Double Colorless Energy and three or four [card name=”Water Energy” set=”EX Ruby and Sapphire” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card] so that a quick Quaking Punch was possible in the early game. With the inclusion of three to four Water Energy, it was also possible to use Grenade Hammer to finish off a game or to put heavy pressure on the opponent. Due to all of this disruption, the opponent would normally find it difficult to respond.

Many City and Regional Championships in Europe saw all of the top-tier decks getting high placements and wins. Even with Lysandre’s Trump Card and [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] in the format, it was still enjoyable due to the high amount of variance in the decks that had potential to win. Multiple different strategies were played, from Donphan’s hit-and-run, Seismitoad’s lockdown strategy, to Yveltal-EX’s raw power paired with Garbodor’s Ability lock.

Speaking of Seismitoad, towards the end of States and Regionals, the Toad found a new partner in crime — [card name=”Slurpuff” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”69″ c=”name”][/card]. The extra draw from each Slurpuff in play meant that the deck could cycle through its disruption cards such as [card name=”Crushing Hammer” set=”Kalos Starter Set” no=”34″ c=”name”][/card] and Super Scoop Up, only to use Lysandre’s Trump Card to put them all back into the deck to reuse. The important thing to remember was that any resources removed from the opponent’s field were also shuffled back in via Lysandre’s Trump Card. Regardless, this inclusion made it possible for a deck to build up a big enough attacker like Yveltal-EX, and take OHKOs back-to-back on multiple Seismitoad before the opponent can take a KO on the Yveltal-EX.

This set changed a lot of the format, but overall, the format felt flushed out. Yveltal-EX still kept in the top-tiers. The decks’ Resistance to Fighting, raw power, and versatility with options such as Seismitoad and Garbodor for Item and Ability lock still made it extremely difficult to beat.

Format: Boundaries Crossed – Primal Clash | Top-Tier Decks: Virizion-EX / Genesect-EX, Seismitoad-EX / Slurpuff, Exeggutor, Flareon

The release of Primal Clash brought about the first taste of powerful Item draw with [card name=”Acro Bike” set=”Primal Clash” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card]. It allowed decks to add extra speed without the need to reduce hand size, like what was required with [card name=”Bicycle” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”117″ c=”name”][/card] or the risky [card name=”Roller Skates” set=”XY” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card] flips. With that said, it also risked a crucial card getting discarded. However, it added more consistency to decks like [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Slurpuff” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”69″ c=”name”][/card] to draw cards as fast as possible before using [card name=”Lysandre’s Trump Card” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card].

[card name=”Maxie’s Hidden Ball Trick” set=”Primal Clash” no=”133″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Archie’s Ace in the Hole” set=”Primal Clash” no=”124″ c=”name”][/card] provided a new way to get Evolution Pokemon into play, even on turn one. In the Standard format, Archie’s Ace in the Hole was mainly used with [card name=”Empoleon” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”29″ c=”name”][/card] in [card name=”Flareon” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card] decks. Flareon hadn’t seen much play for some time, but that changed with the ability to set up Empoleon as a consistency card and [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] to help discard Pokemon and thin the deck. There was just so much extra speed, plus the chance of discarding a Pokemon with the use of Acro Bike. These factors lead to extremely fast Vengeance attacks from Flareon, with OHKO damage being produced by turn two.

[card name=”Leafeon” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”11″ c=”name”][/card] also had potential against Seismitoad, which was an extremely troublesome card for most decks to deal with. Flareon became popularized after Orion Crag won the 2014 Florida Regionals with the deck, and was a strong power throughout the format. The main way to deal with the deck was using Seismitoad’s Quaking Punch along with a Lysandre’s Trump Card to put all the discarded Pokemon back into the deck, which reset Flareon’s Vengeance back to 20. With no access to Battle Compressor or [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Flashfire” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] to get Pokemon back into the discard, Flareon would be forced to rely on Leafeon.

[cardimg name=”Primal Groudon-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”151″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

[card name=”Primal Groudon-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card] caused a slight splash, or rather, an earthquake upon release. The deck sits behind [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”36″ c=”name”][/card] to stall for time while building up a monster 240 HP Mega Evolution with the Omega Barrier Ancient Trait (a new mechanic released in Primal Clash), meaning its Energy and Tool could not be discarded. The best part of Omega Barrier was that [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card] had no effect, so the user chose when to send up Primal Groudon. Gaia Volcano could take out any Pokemon in the format with the help of [card name=”Strong Energy” set=”Furious Fists” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card] and a Stadium, all for a total of four Fighting Energy. [card name=”Focus Sash” set=”Furious Fists” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] was the main Tool used, which allowed Primal Groudon to get at least two hits in with Gaia Volcano before it got KO’d. [card name=”Hard Charm” set=”XY” no=”119″ c=”name”][/card] was also an option, mainly to reduce any snipe damage from Pokemon like [card name=”Genesect-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”11″ c=”name”][/card]. The most common ACE SPEC was [card name=”Scramble Switch” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”129″ c=”name”][/card], which let you take a hit with one Primal Groudon, and then move all the Energy to a benched Primal Groudon that would then become Active. Due to Omega Barrier, the opponent couldn’t Lysandre the damaged Primal Groudon from the Bench for their final two Prizes, which usually forced the opponent to have to KO the Active.

[card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] builds didn’t really change at all. The set had no cards that worked well in the deck, so lists stayed mostly the same. The only change was the inclusion of one or two [card name=”Escape Rope” set=”Primal Clash” no=”127″ c=”name”][/card]. Primal Groudon’s Omega Barrier trait would not work against Escape Rope, as it targeted the opponent’s Active Pokemon. This meant that once your opponent had a wall Active with just Primal Groudon on the Bench, you could use Escape Rope to bring forward Primal Groudon before it attacks, letting you get the first hit. Since Gaia Volcano needed four Energy, Yveltal-EX was a strong attacker against Primal Groudon; it could hit for a 2HKO using Evil Ball, even with a Hard Charm attached. This is why Escape Rope was crucial for gaining an extra turn against the Mega Evolution that you wouldn’t normally have had.

Flareon could cause problems if it was able to keep a constant flow of attackers each turn, but usually a Seismitoad-EX / Lysandre’s Trump Card play damaged the opponent’s setup drastically and let you get ahead in Prizes.

Yveltal-Ex / Seismitoad-EX / Garbodor, Primal Groudon, and Flareon builds dominated Regionals and States in the U.S. However, one exception was a niche deck that began seeing some play in the previous format — [card name=”Exeggutor” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”5″ c=”name”][/card]. The deck’s main aim was to completely shut down the opponent by using Exeggutor’s Blockade each turn, paired with Muscle Band, Hypnotoxic Laser, and Crushing Hammer to disrupt the opponent’s board while using Blockade to stop the opponent from playing Supporter cards. Doing exactly 30 damage ended up being an advantage; with the [card name=”Virbank City Gym” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”126″ c=”name”][/card] / Hypnotoxic Laser combo, you could easily manipulate the damage so that Poison would KO the opponent’s Active going into your turn. Battle Compressor acted as a triple search card for Exeggutor’s pre-Evolution [card name=”Exeggcute” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”4″ c=”name”][/card], which let you discard three copies and then bring them straight back into your hand using Propagation.

[card name=”Virizion-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”9″ c=”name”][/card] and Grass Energy provided a way to get around Special Conditions, and even [card name=”Genesect-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”11″ c=”name”][/card] was played alongside [card name=”Plasma Energy” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”127″ c=”name”][/card] as an option to bring Pokemon into the Active. The main “trump card” this deck had was Lysandre’s Trump Card. Putting resources that were discarded back into your opponent’s deck didn’t matter when they were only drawing a single card each turn, while you were free to cycle through your deck using [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”XY” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card] to further remove any board position they had. The main problem was if the opponent could create a strong set-up before you were able to use Blockade. I won multiple games against Exeggutor when using the Darkness archetype just by building up a huge Yveltal-EX that took two or three turns to deal with, by which point I had already taken too many Prizes for the opponent to recover.

The release of Primal Clash had quite an effect on the format, although it didn’t seem like it at first. Yveltal-EX / Garbodor builds were still able to keep a good grasp on the format despite the new threats that emerged. The deck’s raw power was too hard to deal with, even when faced with strong disruption tactics like Exeggutor.

Once scans were released for Roaring Skies though, it was obvious that things were about to change.

Format: Boundaries Crossed – Roaring Skies (Including Lysandre’s Trump Card) | Top-Tier Decks: Seismitoad-EX / Shaymin-EX, Trevenant XY, Primal Groudon-EX

[cardimg name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”106″ align=”right” c=”custom”]”And I’ll use Set Up for fo… wait, where has my deck gone?” [/cardimg]

Pokemon Card Laboratory seemed to be all for a speed-based format, and Roaring Skies turned the start of this format into just that. [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] combined with [card name=”Acro Bike” set=”Primal Clash” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Super Scoop Up” set=”Furious Fists” no=”100″ c=”name”][/card] made it possible to run through an entire deck in a single turn. In conjunction with [card name=”Lysandre’s Trump Card” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card], there was practically an unlimited use of flip cards. With this strategy it was not unusual for a single turn to see all four [card name=”Crushing Hammer” set=”Kalos Starter Set” no=”34″ c=”name”][/card] played, just to be put straight back into the deck using Lysandre’s Trump Card. This turned a risky flip card into an almost guaranteed removal of at least one Energy each turn. The chance of all four Crushing Hammer flips being tails is 6.125%. In combination with [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] limiting the opponent’s Energy acceleration and draw options, Seismitoad-EX / Shayming-EX became the undeniable BDIF.

Counters like [card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] along with the newly released [card name=”Wally” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card] made it possible to deny the opponent Item cards from turn one, but only if the Trevenant deck could go first. This meant that at least 50% of the time Seismitoad-EX / Shaymin-EX would be able to set up on turn one and Item lock the Trevenant player the next turn, and the game ended up with Seismitoad Knocking Out the first Trevenant, and the opponent having few options to set up another.

[card name=”Primal Groudon-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card] seemed like the perfect counter; however, if the Seismitoad could deny the opponent Stadiums, Super Scoop Up made it so that Primal Groudon could never take a KO, and 50 damage from Quaking Punch quickly adds up. [card name=”Groudon-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”85″ c=”name”][/card] could also be put into the Active using [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card] before it Primal Reverts, which would almost certainly fall to Seismitoad’s Quaking Punch before Primal Groudon could attack.

[card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] builds stood no chance against such a broken strategy, and for the first time since the card was released, the archetype was unable to keep its spot in the top tiers. The format had massive problems, and Seismitoad-EX / Shaymin-EX was at the center of the trouble.

The Seismitoad-EX / Shaymin-EX mirror match consisted of little skill, little enjoyment, and extremely small chances of being able to make a comeback. The game was usually decided in the first two or three turns. The first person who could find their [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”111″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Head Ringer” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card], and disruption Supporters like [card name=”Team Flare Grunt” set=”XY” no=”129″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”110″ c=”name”][/card], usually won. Once a player was unable to find another Double Colorless Energy after the one attached was discarded, they would be forced to pass, and the opponent was free to use all of their Items again. After this, the player who missed an attack would be forced to sit through five to ten minutes of the opponent using Quaking Punch until they finally took all six Prizes. Even decks like [card name=”Virizion-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”9″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Genesect-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”11″ c=”name”][/card], which always had an advantage over Seismitoad builds due to its Grass-type and Virizion’s constant Energy acceleration, couldn’t dea l with the broken speed the deck had. Even in the U.K., Nationals was played with Lysandre’s Trump Card, and, unsurprisingly, Seismitoad-EX / Shaymin-EX took 1st and 2nd place.

Thankfully, Pokemon realized that Lysandre’s Trump Card was unhealthy for the game after seeing just a few of these tournaments around the world and decided to ban the card from all formats.

Format: Boundaries Crossed – Roaring Skies (Without Lysandre’s Trump Card, Nationals & Worlds 2014) | Top-Tier Decks: Seismitoad-EX / Garbodor, M Rayquaza-EX / Bronzong PHF, Night March

[cardimg name=”Lysandre’s Trump Card” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”118″ align=”right” c=”custom”]Gone. Forever.[/cardimg]

Without [card name=”Lysandre’s Trump Card” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card], the format slowed down slightly, but there was still a lot of speed involved. [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] was a new archetype created after the release of Roaring Skies, which previously found itself hard to cope with [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] before the Lysandre’s Trump Card ban. The idea was to use [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card] along with Shaymin-EX to fill up the Bench on the first one or two turns, while also getting multiple Mega Rayquaza into play quickly. This could be done with ease thanks to the [card name=”Rayquaza Spirit Link” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”87″ c=”name”][/card] and Mega Rayquaza’s Delta Evolution trait, allowing it to bypass usual Evolution rules. Emerald Break requires three Energy to use though, and in order to get a fast attack, a [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”XY” no=”130″ c=”name”][/card] along with the new [card name=”Mega Turbo” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card] acceleration Item card had to be used to make a turn one Emerald Break OHKO possible. Against Seismitoad-EX / Shaymin-EX, keeping three Energy in play (with one being Double Colorless Energy) and a Sky Field (so that you could OHKO Seismitoad with six Pokemon on the Bench), which could be replaced by [card name=”Virbank City Gym” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”126″ c=”name”][/card] throughout the entire game, was almost impossible.

During U.S. Nationals, the main deck that saw hype was Mega Rayquaza, but paired with [card name=”Bronzong” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”61″ c=”name”][/card] for Energy acceleration instead of Mega Turbo. This gave the deck an easier time against any Seismitoad build that it faced, making it possible to power up a Mega Rayquaza in a single turn under Item lock. [card name=”Heatran” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”63″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Aegislash-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”65″ c=”name”][/card] also fit well into the deck, both as Pokemon to Bench that can fuel Emerald Break, and as attackers that could utilize Metal Energy. The deck usually took a bit more time to set up compared to the Mega Turbo version, but had a stronger mid-to-late game and offered a greater variety of attackers.

[card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] was still scarce, even with Lysandre’s Trump Card banned. M Rayquaza-EX / Bronzong could easily sweep a normal Yveltal-EX / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”54″ c=”name”][/card] build. Without Item-based Energy acceleration, Yveltal-EX could, at best, 2HKO a Mega Rayquaza. With Mega Rayquaza / Bronzong being the most hyped deck going into U.S. Nationals, there was very little chance of a normal Yveltal-EX build doing well.

The results of U.S. Nationals 2015 showed Seismitoad-EX / Garbodor, piloted by Jason Klaczynski, winning in the finals against none other than [card name=”Wailord-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”38″ c=”name”][/card]. Ironically, a deck-out build was able to see success right after the Lysandre’s Trump Card ban. Only Grass-type Pokemon could OHKO a Wailord, and Virizion-EX / Genesect-EX also saw little play at U.S. Nationals due to the hype around Mega Rayquaza / Bronzong. Every Pokemon in the deck risked being OHKO’d, while Genesect would be unable to make a 2HKO, even with [card name=”G Booster” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card]. The inability to OHKO Wailord formed a build which played suites of [card name=”Team Flare Grunt” set=”XY” no=”129″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”110″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”AZ” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Cassius” set=”XY” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] to deny the opponent KOs and slowly whittle away their Energy. Seismitoad-EX / Garbodor was a strong pick for the predicted metagame, shutting off any Bronzong that caused any trouble for Seismitoad.

Moving onto the World Championships, the format seemed to shift towards Seismitoad builds, but with the inclusion of either Garbodor or [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card]. Of course, naturally, there were plenty of anti-Seismitoad decks like [card name=”M Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”24″ c=”name”][/card]. The other big archetype that gained traction towards Worlds was Night March. After the ban of Lysandre’s Trump Card, the deck was in a position where it never had been before, with no way for the opponent to put any [card name=”Pumpkaboo” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”44″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Joltik” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card], or [card name=”Lampent” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”42″ c=”name”][/card] back into the deck. With full suites of [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Flashfire” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card], and three or four Shaymin-EX, the deck was able to reach a turn one 180 without too much of a problem. [card name=”Mew-EX” set=”Legendary Treasures” no=”RC24″ c=”name”][/card] helped out with Energy woes by being able to copy Joltik’s Night March attack for a single Energy, as long as [card name=”Dimension Valley” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] was in play. Another benefit of Mew-EX was the option to copy a Seismitoad’s Quaking Punch in the case that you were 30-50 damage short of a KO with Night March in the early turns. This forced the opponent to play under Item lock for a turn, which limited your opponent’s options for removing Energy from Mew-EX or being able to disrupt the Energy attached to Mew-EX. Mew has 120 HP so it could also take an extra hit or two from Quaking Punch compared to any Night Marcher that could be KO’d right away.

People weren’t too sure how viable Night March was for U.S. Nationals, so it didn’t see too much play. By Worlds, Night March lists improved, and the possibility of Night March winning Worlds was in the air. Yveltal-EX builds had a similar problem against Night March as it did against Mega Rayquaza / Bronzong; the deck could deal too much damage in the first turns, and even though [card name=”Yveltal” set=”XY” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card] was strong against Pumpkaboo and Joltik, Mew had no trouble dealing with multiple Yveltal throughout a game due to its 120 HP.

The result of Worlds 2015 showed that both hyped archetypes did well, with some interesting decks like [card name=”Donphan” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”72″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Hawlucha” set=”Furious Fists” no=”63″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Gengar-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card] making Top 8 as well. Both of these decks could easily deal with Night March; Donphan’s Spinning Turn meant that a [card name=”Robo Substitute” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card] could be sent Active, while Donphan was safe on the Bench. The Donphan / Hawlucha build also played [card name=”Focus Sash” set=”Furious Fists” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card], so that even if a Night March player brought the Donphan Active, they needed to remove the Focus Sash in order to get a OHKO. A Trevenant / Gengar-EX build could lock Night March out of the game on turn one with a [card name=”Wally” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card] into Trevenant. Gengar-EX’s Dark Corridor also OHKO’d Mew-EX with ease, putting a strain on attackers.

[cardimg name=”Blastoise” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”31″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

The most interesting deck that came out of Worlds 2015 was the one that won. Built and popularized by fellow writer Steve Guthrie, [card name=”Keldeo-EX” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”49″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Blastoise” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”16″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Archie’s Ace in the Hole” set=”Primal Clash” no=”157″ c=”name”][/card] was able to win Worlds by getting Blastoise into play using Archie’s Ace in the Hole on turn one or two with the help of cards like Battle Compressor and Ultra Ball to get hand sizes down to one card. After Blastoise hit the field, Keldeo took the main job of being loaded with Water Energy each turn thanks to Deluge and the combination of [card name=”Superior Energy Retrieval” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”103″ c=”name”][/card] and Battle Compressor. The build Jacob Van Wagner played for Worlds was also ready for Night March. A single copy of [card name=”Articuno” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”17″ c=”name”][/card] was used to force a two-for-one Prize trade on any Pumpkaboo or Joltik from its Delta Plus Ancient Trait, as long as one out of three coin flips were heads for Tri Edge. A single copy of Wailord was also included, which could not be OHKO’d by a Night March build, unless they discarded 11 out of 12 Night Marchers and had a [card name=”Silver Bangle” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”88″ c=”name”][/card] attached to their final one, which would only get KO’d the next turn. Wailord’s High Breaching could OHKO a Mew or Shaymin on the Bench, and was guaranteed to survive the next turn to take a KO on another Pokemon. These two techs swung the Night March matchup into Jacob’s favor, undoubtedly helping him win the tournament.

The inclusion of this set into the format seemed to end Yveltal-EX’s reign in the top-tiers, at least for the time being. Without the partners to beat Mega Rayquaza / Bronzong or Night March decks, the archetype had taken a back seat.

Format: XY – Ancient Origins | Top-Tier Decks: Night March, Seismitoad-EX / Giratina-EX

This format didn’t see much play in the U.S. or Europe; the main thing to talk about is the rotation to XY-on. Main cards like [card name=”Keldeo-EX” set=”Legendary Treasures” no=”45″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”63″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”54″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Hypnotoxic Laser” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] rotated from Standard play, along with staple Supporters like [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”118″ c=”name”][/card]. Three main draw Supporters were viable: [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”XY” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Shauna” set=”XY” no=”127″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Professor Birch’s Observations” set=”Primal Clash” no=”134″ c=”name”][/card]. Night March lost [card name=”Mew-EX” set=”Legendary Treasures” no=”RC24″ c=”name”][/card], but took on a new form playing only [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”HeartGold and SoulSilver” no=”103″ c=”name”][/card] and paired with [card name=”Milotic” set=”Primal Clash” no=”44″ c=”name”][/card]. This made it possible to recover one or two Double Colorless Energy or another Night Marcher from the discard, in case you were running low on Energy or attackers.

[card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] builds took a huge blow with the loss of Hypnotoxic Laser, but gained a new friend in the form of [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card]. The new attacker dealt with any Mega Evolution threats due to Renegade Pulse, and entirely shut down Night March with Chaos Wheel. Night March players were unable to play any Special Energy or Stadiums. The variant played [card name=”Double Dragon Energy” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card] alongside Double Colorless Energy to accommodate for Giratina’s attack cost, using the space gained from Hypnotoxic Laser rotating.

[card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] simply lost too much without Float Stone, Hypnotoxic Laser for damage manipulation, and Garbodor, leaving it with no strong partners. Even in the few tournaments this format had, Yveltal-EX saw little to no play.

Format: XY – BREAKthrough | Top-Tier Decks: Night March, Seismitoad-EX / Giratina-EX, M Manectric-EX

[cardimg name=”Zoroark” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”91″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Since this format is quite recent, I’ll mainly talk about the resurgence of the [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] build. Two Pokemon released in BREAKpoint gave life back to the archetype. [card name=”Zoroark” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] brought mobility back to the deck via Stand In, a rehash of [card name=”Keldeo-EX” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”49″ c=”name”][/card]’s Rush In. There was also a timely reprint of [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card]; Zoroark was now the Standard Keldeo. The other important aspect of Zoroark is Mind Jack. For a single [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Generations” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card], Mind Jack could reach damage levels from 2HKO to 1HKO, depending on the opponent’s Bench size. The Pokemon provided a perfect mixture between utility and attack, all for a single Prize.

[card name=”Zoroark BREAK” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] could also be an option, with 40 extra HP and Foul Play as an attack option for a single Darkness Energy. The best use of Foul Play is to copy [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card]’s Chaos Wheel after using a [card name=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”110″ c=”name”][/card] on one of the Giratina’s Special Energy. The opponent will then be unable to attach Special Energy during their turn to use Chaos Wheel.

The number one problem Yveltal-EX faces now is big Lightning-type Pokemon like [card name=”M Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”24″ c=”name”][/card]. Zoroark is a good option, but needs to BREAK evolve to survive a Turbo Bolt, which can take a long time to set up. Luckily, BREAKpoint introduced [card name=”Gallade” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”84″ c=”name”][/card]. For a single Double Colorless Energy, Sensitive Blade OHKOs any Fighting-weak Pokemon as long as a Supporter has been played. Premonition adds a new level of consistency by being able to control what you draw from your deck each turn. The obvious way to play Gallade is with [card name=”Maxie’s Hidden Ball Trick” set=”Primal Clash” no=”133″ c=”name”][/card]. If you don’t know what a list for this build looks like, I talk about it here.

The addition of these powerful Pokemon as partners allow Yveltal-EX builds to take on another new shape. The deck was able to cement itself back in the top-tier, taking multiple Cities wins in the U.S. and Europe. In the U.K., I instantly picked up the deck for Regionals, and I was able to net two back-to-back wins using Yveltal-EX / Zoroark / Gallade. I also chose the deck for the ECC, and finished in the Top 16.

Format: XY – BREAKpoint | Top-Tier Decks: Night March, Trevenant BREAK, Seismitoad-EX / Giratina-EX

And here we are, the present format. [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Yveltal” set=”XY” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Zoroark” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] builds were able to stick in the top-tiers throughout States. Something notable is how the deck adapted to the format, with most lists playing three to four copies of Yveltal and only a single copy of Yveltal-EX. The power of the card is still strong against most decks, but in a format where the most popular deck, Night March, can access resources easier than ever before due to [card name=”Puzzle of Time” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card], Yveltal-EX becomes too big of a liability in the matchup due to its EX status. The main way for Yveltal builds to beat Night March is by using non-EX attackers like Zoroark and Yveltal to take constant OHKOs on Night Marchers, and try to find a window in which it’s possible to [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card] a [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] and take a KO to swing the Prize trade into your favor. A higher count of Yveltal-EX makes it more likely that it will be your starting Pokemon, and also increases the chances of having to discard Yveltal-EX, which can then be put back onto the Bench via [card name=”Target Whistle” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card].

I believe that the reason Yveltal-EX builds always stick around is because of the partners it gains from format to format. Without Pokemon like [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”54″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card], or [card name=”Gallade” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”84″ c=”name”][/card], there wouldn’t be the extra options to deal with tricky matchups. When Seismitoad-EX / Shaymin-EX came around once Roaring Skies was released, the reason Yveltal-EX builds saw no play was because there were no partners that could stop the onslaught of disruption cards. Imagine if a Pokemon like Carbink from Fates Collide was in the format, which would block the effects of [card name=”Crushing Hammer” set=”Kalos Starter Set” no=”34″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Team Flare Grunt” set=”XY” no=”129″ c=”name”][/card] on your Basic Pokemon’s Basic Energy. Yveltal builds just might have been able to survive.

Advantages of Playing the Same Archetype for a Long Period of Time

Experience: After going through multiple formats with the same deck, it’s much easier to differentiate between the optimal plays and the sub-optimal plays. Making several sub-optimal plays during a game can easily become the difference between a win and a loss, so it is important to practice with decks that you feel you already know well. With experience, you can relate back to a previous game or format to see which play ended up with the best outcome. Even against decks you may not have seen before, some have similar strategies to decks that are in the format now. For example, in the early XY-BREAKpoint format, [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] saw some play in the U.K. Even though I hadn’t done much testing against the archetype, I knew that the deck had multiple similarities to [card name=”Flareon” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card] builds from the Boundaries Crossed – Primal Clash format. This meant I could recall similar strategies in the match against Vespiquen, and make educated plays based on what I knew from before.
Adapting to new formats: Each format usually brings a change to an archetype, like the addition of [card name=”Zoroark” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Gallade” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”84″ c=”name”][/card] when BREAKpoint was released. Since I already know exactly how the deck played before these changes, it makes it much easier to adapt to the new additions. Obviously something like the [card name=”Maxie’s Hidden Ball Trick” set=”Primal Clash” no=”133″ c=”name”][/card] / Gallade engine requires experience on how the deck works in order to use it properly. Fortunately, I know the exact role of the cards I’ve lost played within the deck, which lets me understand what the new cards are meant to do in a game. By not having to learn the entire strategy of the deck, you are one step ahead of the competition.
Always having a play: Sometimes it’s hard to test new decks or ideas due to time constraints. In the U.K., the Regionals are comprised of two sets of six Regionals in six weeks, one weekend after another, so there are weeks where it’s hard to test. If I’ve done some testing with a new concept or archetype but not enough to know for sure whether or not it can get me far in the tournament, I can always fall back on an [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] build for tha day. It’s a solid pick for me, for nearly every tournament.

Disadvantages of Playing the Same Archetype for a Long Period of Time

[cardimg name=”Hand Scope” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”96″ align=”right” c=”custom”]How did they already know what I decided to play…[/cardimg]

Predictable: Although this may not be as much of a problem in the U.S. because of the larger tournament sizes, in the U.K., the player base is not massive. If I end up being paired against someone I know, they will instantly guess that I’m playing an [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] variant, and nine times out of ten, they’re right. This can give them an edge when choosing their opening plays and starter Pokemon. I think the best way around this is to mix up the deck choice once in awhile, which can catch the opponent off guard and make them question your deck the next time you play.
Same-old, same-old: Playing the same deck for each tournament can get repetitive. If the metagame stays the same for a good period of time, chances are some games will seem similar. The best example is probably against something like [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card]. Without Items it can be the same slow wait until you can finally deal some meaningful damage with Evil Ball, just for the majority of your Energy to be removed and for the wait to begin again. A change in deck is, again, the best idea.

I think that’s a good place to finish today. I hope you enjoyed my look back through the Standard format since XY, and saw how Yveltal-EX variants have changed since its beginning. If Yveltal can find the right partners, I’m certain it will stay a strong force in both the Standard format and the Expanded format until it rotates. Fortunately, that doesn’t seem like it’s going to happen anytime soon! If you guys have any questions or comments, feel free to post them below or go check out the Subscriber’s Secret Hideout.

See you next time,

– Ryan Moorhouse

[/premium]