An Agent of Chaos — All About Giratina-EX
Hello PokeBeachers! Dalen Dockery here with another article for you. Today I’m going to discuss my absolute favorite card in the Standard format and one of my favorite cards of all time, [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card]. I’ve played some sort of Giratina-EX deck ever since it was released not too long ago in Ancient Origins, so I’m going to focus on some of my favorite variants as well as others I believe have a lot of potential. Before we get into a bunch of details about specific decks, let’s take a quick look at what makes Giratina-EX such a powerful card.
Giratina-EX’s Strengths
[cardimg name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
While Chaos Wheel’s 100 damage isn’t the most astronomical damage output in the world, the disruption it provides more than compensates for the damage. Almost every single deck played now utilizes some type of Special Energy card, most popularly [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Generations” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Double Dragon Energy” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Strong Energy” set=”Furious Fists” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card]. These cards become completely useless once the Chaos Wheel lock is established. In addition, popular support Tools and Stadiums like [card name=”Rough Seas” set=”Primal Clash” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Dimension Valley” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card], and Spirit Links can’t be used after a Chaos Wheel. With all of these heavily played cards shut off from being used, taking a 2HKO on a Pokemon-EX doesn’t seem as bad anymore.
[card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card]’s Ability is also very powerful, although not nearly as used or as effective as Chaos Wheel. Mega Evolution Pokemon only see occasional play in Standard, with [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”M Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”24″ c=”name”][/card] being the only two surviving Mega Pokemon in the competitive scene, but Renegade Pulse still protects Giratina from all damage dealt by these Pokemon or other Mega Pokemon.
The Big Three
The first three Giratina-EX variants that I will discuss are the ones that have proven themselves to be a noteworthy member of the competitive top decks. These three decks are [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Reshiram” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”63″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Tyrantrum-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY70 ” c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Bronzong” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”61″ c=”name”][/card] ; I will look at each deck on its own and then compare them at the end.
Seismitoad-EX / Giratina-EX
Ever since Giratina-EX was released in Ancient Origins, one of the first partners people have placed it with has been [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card]. Seismitoad-EX / Giratina-EX, deemed to be “ToadTina” for convenience, was the first Giratina-EX deck I ever used, and it led me to a Top 8 finish at Fall Regionals this year, losing to an [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] deck (something I’ve found to be unfortunately common). This familiar combination features two very control-oriented Pokemon-EX boosted by tons of disruption Item and Supporter cards; the Pokemon significantly hinder the opponent’s setup, and the powerful Items like [card name=”Crushing Hammer” set=”Kalos Starter Set” no=”34″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Super Scoop Up” set=”Furious Fists” no=”100″ c=”name”][/card] allow you to wipe away whatever offense they try to muster up. Four [card name=”Puzzle of Time” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] is very common in ToadTina decks, allowing you to reuse your Energy or useful Items. To further the control and disruption of ToadTina, many players opt to add in a [card name=”Slowking” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”21″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”54″ c=”name”][/card] line. Slowking is essentially a [card name=”Crushing Hammer” set=”Kalos Starter Set” no=”34″ c=”name”][/card] except the Energy is moved to another Pokemon rather than discarded, and Garbodor shuts off pesky Abilities like [card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card]’s Giant Water Shuriken, [card name=”Bronzong” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”61″ c=”name”][/card]’s Metal Links, or [card name=”Trevenant” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”65″ c=”name”][/card]’s Forest Curse (although you have to play down a Tool card onto [card name=”Trubbish” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”56″ c=”name”][/card] before they evolve into Trevenant for this to work). [card name=”Zoroark” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] is also occasionally seen in ToadTina decks due to its perfect use of [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”111″ c=”name”][/card] and infinite switching when paired with [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card], but Slowking and, to a lesser extent Garbodor, are more prevalent in ToadTina than Zoroark. Here is the decklist I used to win my local league’s April League Challenge:
[decklist name=”ToadTina” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″][pokemon amt=”11″]3x [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Slowking” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”21″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Slowpoke” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”19″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”41″]3x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Team Flare Grunt” set=”Generations” no=”73″ 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″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Cassius” set=”XY” no=”115″ 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=”Flashfire” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Puzzle of Time” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”109″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Super Scoop Up” set=”Furious Fists” no=”100″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Crushing Hammer” set=”Generations” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Head Ringer” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”97″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Silent Lab” set=”Primal Clash” no=”140″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”8″]4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”XY” no=”130″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Double Dragon Energy” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”97″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
For this event, I chose to use a thicker line of [card name=”Slowking” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”21″ c=”name”][/card] than usual, 2-2 compared to 1-1, just to have fun, and it actually worked quite well! With multiple Slowpoke I was able to draw them fairly quick, and in the games I was able to get out two Slowking, I maintained complete control over my opponent’s Energy for the whole game while [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] slowly whittled down their Pokemon. Combined with the other disruption cards like Crushing Hammer and [card name=”Team Flare Grunt” set=”Generations” no=”73″ c=”name”][/card] and the healing power of Super Scoop Up, I was able to stop a few of my opponents from even taking a single Prize card!
Matchups
ToadTina has always had one seemingly bad matchup, [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] decks. [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] has many annoying aspects to it that ToadTina has to work around, it can hit for massive damage in a very short period of time and it has a ton of health. Without the extra damage provided by 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 in the Expanded format, ToadTina takes significantly longer to score a KO, allowing the opponent to take almost all of their Prizes before you can get rid of a single [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card]. Arguably even more annoying than Yveltal-EX is their army of Baby Yveltal. Both [card name=”Yveltal” set=”XY” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card] XY and [card name=”Yveltal” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card] BKT plague ToadTina in their own way. [card name=”Yveltal” set=”XY” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card] XY loads Dark Energy onto their Benched Pokemon while you slowly KO that one Yveltal, and [card name=”Yveltal” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card] BKT damages multiple of your Pokemon-EX while simultaneously shutting off the extra damage of your [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] with its Fright Night Ability. This matchup is certainly winnable, though. If you can steadily keep their Energy to a minimum, you can rack up quite a bit of damage over time while they struggle to find more Energy under Item-lock.
The release of BREAKpoint brought ToadTina another bad matchup, [card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card]. Frankly put, this matchup is dependent on one thing: whether or not Greninja can manage to set up decently under Item-lock. Once evolved from its weak Basic and Stage 1 forms, both [card name=”Greninja” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card] can tank a handful of Quaking Punches, especially with their [card name=”Rough Seas” set=”Primal Clash” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] to heal themselves, and between attacking and using their Water Shuriken Abilities, they can KO a [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] in as little as two turns! However, Greninja decks can easily draw dead under Seismitoad’s Item-lock, allowing ToadTina to sweep the game with no effort. One tech that would greatly boost this matchup for ToadTina is using [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] instead of [card name=”Slowking” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”21″ c=”name”][/card]. Once Garbodor gets a [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] attached to it, Greninja’s Water Shuriken and Giant Water Shurikens are permanently disabled, putting the two decks on more equal ground. While Greninja still deals more damage than Seismitoad-EX, Garbodor’s Ability lock allows the disruption of [card name=”Crushing Hammer” set=”Kalos Starter Set” no=”34″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Super Scoop Up” set=”Furious Fists” no=”100″ c=”name”][/card] to be impactful, slowly grinding down both Greninja’s HP and resources.
[cardimg name=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”110″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
One good thing ToadTina has going for it is its very positive matchup against the most dominant deck by far in the Standard format, Night March. Seismitoad-EX is a wonderful attacker against Night March since they rely on Item cards like [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] to set up as well as [card name=”Puzzle of Time” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] to recover their [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Generations” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card], greatly limiting them in the number of things they can do. Even if a Night March deck manages to set up well before Seismitoad’s Item-lock begins, the tons of Energy removal ToadTina is equipped with can discard all four of Night March’s precious [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Generations” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card], leaving them with no way to attack. Not only is Seismitoad a powerful attacker against Night March, but so is Giratina-EX! Chaos Wheel’s Special Energy lock flat out stops Night March from attaching any Energy at all, in exchange for letting them use Item cards. Allowing Night March to play Item cards can be quite pesky, though, since most Night March decks play a copy of [card name=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”110″ c=”name”][/card] to discard Special Energy. Xerosic wouldn’t be too big of a deal with Seismitoad since you can simply reattach another [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”111″ c=”name”][/card] the following turn, but attacking with Giratina lets them reuse that Xerosic with both [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Puzzle of Time” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] until you can no longer find another Energy to attach. For this reason, Seismitoad is generally the preferred attacker in the Night March matchup, but Giratina is certainly very effective too, especially if the opponent doesn’t use any [card name=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”110″ c=”name”][/card] .
Other than [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card], and Night March, ToadTina does not have any very favorable or unfavorable matchups. Giratina-EX provides a powerful edge against decks like [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”M Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”24″ c=”name”][/card] with its Mega immunity, and Seismitoad-EX can slow down any deck’s setup greatly. ToadTina can also “steal” many wins, that is, you can get very lucky on [card name=”Crushing Hammer” set=”Kalos Starter Set” no=”34″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Super Scoop Up” set=”Furious Fists” no=”100″ c=”name”][/card] coin flips while they draw dead under Item-lock. One tech that does hurt ToadTina considerably though is [card name=”Jirachi” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY67 ” c=”name”][/card]. Stardust is an incredibly annoying attack for ToadTina, a deck that plays only Special Energy. Jirachi breaks whatever lock you have, whether Quaking Punch or Chaos Wheel, until it is Knocked Out, a process that is made difficult by the protection Stardust gives it. If you ever have the opportunity to [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card] a Jirachi for the KO at any point, it is almost always advisable to do so in order to eliminate the threat it poses immediately.
[card name=”M Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”24″ c=”name”][/card] decks are usually very close games for ToadTina. M Manectric-EX’s Turbo Bolt attaches more Energy than [card name=”Crushing Hammer” set=”Kalos Starter Set” no=”34″ c=”name”][/card] can discard, and its Lightning-typing allows it to utilize [card name=”Rough Seas” set=”Primal Clash” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] which, combined with its naturally high HP, makes it very difficult to score a KO on a M Manectric-EX. For this reason, Seismitoad-EX is a very bad attacker in a Manectric match, putting all of the heavy work on Giratina-EX; fortunately though, Giratina-EX can usually handle this pressure. Giratina-EX is immune to damage from M Manectric, making them resort to [card name=”Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”23″ c=”name”][/card] ‘s Assault Laser to deal damage. If you don’t attach a [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] to Giratina, Assault Laser caps out at 60 damage, allowing you to 2HKO Manectric-EX while it 3HKO’s Giratina-EX.
[cardimg name=”Puzzle of Time” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”109″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
Although this is not necessarily a matchup, ToadTina sometimes struggles in very long games. In a drawn-out game, ToadTina is likely to run out of its [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Super Scoop Up” set=”Furious Fists” no=”100″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Crushing Hammer” set=”Kalos Starter Set” no=”34″ c=”name”][/card], allowing the opponent to begin finally building up a notable field. If this occurs and you aren’t extremely close to winning, your opponent can sweep through your Pokemon-EX with almost no effort. Since these resources are so important in this deck, we use four [card name=”Puzzle of Time” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] to get back whatever we need. Typical targets of Puzzle of Time include [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Generations” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Double Dragon Energy” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Crushing Hammer” set=”Generations” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Super Scoop Up” set=”Furious Fists” no=”100″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card], that’s what makes Puzzle so powerful- you can get back anything you need! The only downside to Puzzle of Time is occasionally only getting to use it one time, since you are required to play two Puzzles of Time at the same time to get back two cards and may have to discard a lone copy with [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Flashfire” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card] or have the last copy stuck in your Prize cards, but the power [card name=”Puzzle of Time” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] provides is much greater than the small setback not even found in every game.
ToadTina is by far the most controlling Giratina variant there is. With the despised [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] as its partner and its army of Item cards, it can cause any deck to crumble and shut down. If you want to play a Giratina-EX variant and like control decks, then ToadTina is the deck for you!
[premium]
Reshiram / Giratina-EX
Contrary to the slow disruption of ToadTina, the next [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] variant is one of the most aggressive ones, [card name=”Reshiram” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”63″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card], a deck that saw moderate success in both States and Cities this season. The goal of this deck is simple, get Giratina-EX powered up as soon as possible and Chaos Wheel to victory. [card name=”Reshiram” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”63″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card] are used to attach multiple extra Fire Energy to Giratina per turn, [card name=”Hydreigon-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”62″ c=”name”][/card] provides mobility to switch between almost all of your Pokemon whenever you need, and the typical [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Hoopa-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”36″ c=”name”][/card] engine lets you draw tons of cards on your first turn. With all of these components of the deck, often aptly called SpeedTina, working together, the lucrative turn one Chaos Wheel is achievable quite often.
[decklist name=”Reshiram/Giratina-EX” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Reshiram” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”63″][pokemon amt=”14″]4x [card name=”Reshiram” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”63″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Hydreigon-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”62″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Flareon-EX” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC6″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Hoopa-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”36″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Jirachi” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY67 ” c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”34″]3x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”AZ” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”91″ 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=”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=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Switch” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”91″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”12″]8x [card name=”Fire Energy” set=”Generations” no=”76″ c=”deck2″ amt=”8″][/card]4x [card name=”Double Dragon Energy” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”97″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
By far the most intriguing card in this deck is [card name=”Flareon-EX” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC6″ c=”name”][/card], a card that many people thought would never see any competitive play whatsoever. Flareon-EX is a tech for this deck that surfaced during the States series, reaching a Top 8 finish by fellow PokeBeach article writer JW Kriewall. Flareon-EX has one main use, attack for considerable damage without using [card name=”Double Dragon Energy” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card]. With Flash Fire, [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card], and an attachment for your turn, you can have [card name=”Flareon-EX” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC6″ c=”name”][/card] powered up and attacking for 110 out of nowhere. Flareon-EX is also extremely helpful in getting through two of Giratina’s biggest foes, [card name=”Jirachi” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY67 ” c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Aegislash-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”65″ c=”name”][/card]. Flareon OHKO’s Aegislash-EX, and without Special Energy Jirachi is practically useless. It’s worth noting that [card name=”Hydreigon-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”62″ c=”name”][/card] can also Shred though Jirachi and Aegislash-EX, but using Flareon is often a much more worthwhile investment due to its higher damage output and lack of needing Double Dragon Energy to attack.
[card name=”Jirachi” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY67 ” c=”name”][/card] and Giratina-EX have great synergy with each other. Jirachi discards your opponent’s Special Energy and often leaves them hesitant to attach any more in fear of [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card] plus Stardust, but if they choose to not attach a Special Energy, Giratina locks them out of attaching it for the rest of the game. Jirachi is also very useful in the Giratina mirror match, as you can use Stardust to break their Chaos Wheel lock if they pull off a Chaos Wheel before you can attach a Double Dragon and then begin Chaos Wheeling yourself.
Another slightly unusual inclusion in the deck is [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card]. Parallel City is one of my personal favorite support cards in the format now and is particularly powerful in Giratina-EX decks like this one. Limiting your opponent to three Benched Pokemon is incredibly useful, especially combined with Chaos Wheel’s Stadium lock to prevent your opponent from changing the Stadium, and provides no drawbacks to you barring a 20 damage reduction in [card name=”Flareon-EX” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC6″ c=”name”][/card]’s attack, often completely insignificant. Parallel City can also be used in the opposite direction to clean up your Bench, specifically [card name=”Hoopa-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”36″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card], while reducing their Fire, Water, and Grass type Pokemon’s damage by 20. Then on your next turn, you can replace the Stadium again with [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card] so that you can Bench more useful Pokemon.
While [card name=”Puzzle of Time” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] isn’t seen in every SpeedTina deck, I find tons of use in them in this deck. Other than [card name=”Flareon-EX” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC6″ c=”name”][/card], nothing in the deck can attack without Double Dragon Energy (let’s be honest, if you’re using Sky Return every other turn with Fire Energy, you’re probably going to lose anyway), so it is imperative to have a steady supply of them. If a game drags on too long or you face a deck with Energy removal, you can lose all four DDE, and Puzzle of Time lets you recover up to two of them back per pair of Puzzles. And if you have two Puzzles but don’t need Energy back, you can still get back other valuable resources like [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] .
Matchups
Like all other Giratina-EX variants, SpeedTina is very good against decks that rely heavily or exclusively on Special Energy such as ToadTina and Night March. [card name=”Jirachi” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY67 ” c=”name”][/card] alone can win you the ToadTina matchup, and Night March often folds to a turn one or two Chaos Wheel. [card name=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”110″ c=”name”][/card] is a common tech in Night March that proves to be annoying for SpeedTina, but with four DDE and [card name=”Puzzle of Time” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card], you have access to more Energy than they can effectively discard.
Much like ToadTina, SpeedTina has an unfavorable matchup to [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] decks, arguably even worse than ToadTina. The major difference between ToadTina and SpeedTina in this matchup is ToadTina’s Energy removal and healing Items, luxuries that SpeedTina does not have. Because of this, a single [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] can sweep through two full-health [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] with no effective response able to be provided by SpeedTina. It is also impossible for a Giratina-EX to OHKO a Baby [card name=”Yveltal” set=”XY” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card], so they can accelerate two or even three Dark Energy onto the field before you can take a Prize card. I’ve found that in this matchup, the best strategy to take is to take as many Prizes as possible by using [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card] on [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Zoroark” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card], but this doesn’t always work since an Yveltal-EX with four or five Energy can Knock Out Giratina-EX much faster than you can take your six Prize cards.
[cardimg name=”Bronzong” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”61″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
Like ToadTina, SpeedTina has favorable [card name=”M Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”24″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] matchups, arguably even a little better than ToadTina’s. With [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Reshiram” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”63″ c=”name”][/card] it is much easier to power up and stream Giratina, and the added [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card] helps tremendously against M Rayquaza-EX. SpeedTina also has a very favorable Night March matchup. Night March is completely reliant on [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Generations” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] to attack, so once Chaos Wheel lock begins, they can no longer attach more Energy to attack. At that point, their only hope is to use [card name=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”110″ c=”name”][/card] multiple times with [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] to discard Double Dragons, but four DDE and four [card name=”Puzzle of Time” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] greatly reduces the impact of this play (similar to the Night March versus ToadTina matchup).
The speed of this Giratina variant greatly improves the [card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card] matchup. You can easily take two or even three Prizes before they can ever evolve into a single [card name=”Greninja” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card], putting you far ahead in the Prize race. From here, the matchup is much more difficult, but using [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card] at the right time to snag a quick Prize card as well as not benching too many liabilities (specifically Shaymin-EX) is the most efficient path to victory. One tech that could be added to SpeedTina to boost the Greninja matchup even more is [card name=”Latios-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”58″ c=”name”][/card]. Because of the extremely low number of Basic Pokemon Greninja decks use, they will often only have one low-HP Basic. If you go first in a case like this, Latios can be used to donk them and take a quick win.
Tyrantrum-EX / Giratina-EX / Bronzong
By far my favorite Giratina-EX variant, [card name=”Tyrantrum-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY70 ” c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Bronzong” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY21″ c=”name”][/card] shares the Energy acceleration goal with SpeedTina but uses a slower yet stronger form of acceleration in [card name=”Bronzong” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”61″ c=”name”][/card]. Once two Bronzong come into play, you can effectively attach three Energy every turn, making Knock Outs seem like nothing at all. [card name=”Tyrantrum-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY70 ” c=”name”][/card] is a nice complement to Giratina-EX, serving as a powerhouse attacker when Chaos Wheel’s slow damage isn’t enough. Both Tyrantrum-EX and Giratina-EX are served well by Bronzong, with both being able to use their attack for a DDE and two Metal Energy. Tyrantrum-EX / Giratina-EX / Bronzong is essentially the middle of the road between the control of ToadTina and the power and speed of SpeedTina.
[decklist name=”Tyrantrum-EX / Bronzong” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Bronzong” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”61″][pokemon amt=”19″]3x [card name=”Bronzong” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”61″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Bronzor” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”95″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Tyrantrum-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY70 ” c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Hydreigon-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”62″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Aegislash-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”65″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Hoopa-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”36″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Bunnelby” set=”Primal Clash” no=”121″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Jirachi” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY67 ” c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”31″]3x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”AZ” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”91″ 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]3x [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Escape Rope” set=”Primal Clash” no=”127″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Switch” set=”Kalos Starter Set” no=”38″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Sacred Ash” set=”Flashfire” no=”96″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]3x [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”10″]6x [card name=”Metal Energy” set=”Generations” no=”82″ c=”deck2″ amt=”6″][/card]4x [card name=”Double Dragon Energy” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”97″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
Tyrantrum-EX / Giratina-EX / Bronzong was the sole focus of my last article, so I won’t go into too much detail on this deck and its matchups (if you’re interested in this deck defintely check that out). Basically, this deck has two main goals to win: either use [card name=”Tyrantrum-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY70 ” c=”name”][/card] to KO almost anything in one shot and replenish its Energy with [card name=”Bronzong” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”61″ c=”name”][/card], or use [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] to lock the opponent out of key cards to win the match, and sometimes a combination of both is necessary to win (more information on the preferred attackers in the matchups section). [card name=”Hydreigon-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”62″ c=”name”][/card] provides a great relief in switching Pokemon, as having two Hydreigon-EX in play as well as a Stadium card gives all of your Dragons free Retreat, letting you switch between Tyrantrum-EX and Giratina-EX at will. [card name=”Bunnelby” set=”Primal Clash” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] is used primarily to get back resources like [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Double Dragon Energy” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card] since this deck has too tight a list to use [card name=”Puzzle of Time” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Jirachi” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY67 ” c=”name”][/card] allows you to slow down decks while you set up [card name=”Bronzong” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”61″ c=”name”][/card] or to break your opponent’s Chaos Wheel lock in a mirror match. Of the Big Three, Tyrantrum-EX / Giratina-EX / Bronzong has by far the most options to use in a game, giving the deck better and more appropriate responses to other cards.
Matchups
While ToadTina and SpeedTina had relatively the same matchups, Tyrantrum-EX / Giratina-EX / Bronzong has quite different matchups. Some matchups are still the same, specifically Night March and [card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card]. [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] wins the Night March matchup in this deck the same way as it does in ToadTina and SpeedTina, and Greninja still decimates the Pokemon-EX in this deck once they set up multiple Greninja. However, the drastic difference between this deck and the other two helps a few matchups.
[card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] decks now aren’t such an unfavorable matchup as they were before with [card name=”Tyrantrum-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY70 ” c=”name”][/card] to OHKO their Yveltal-EX. Tyrantrum’s Energy discarding actually helps in this matchup, reducing the amount of damage Evil Ball does by a large amount. The inclusion of Tyrantrum-EX also helps the [card name=”M Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”24″ c=”name”][/card] matchup, making the matchup so much more favorable than before. With a [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] attached, Tyrantrum can OHKO a [card name=”M Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”24″ c=”name”][/card].
Most of the other matchups are very close to the same as SpeedTina, but all of the in-depth matchups and tech options are in my previous article if you’re interested.
Matchup Against Trevenant BREAK Decks
[cardimg name=”Trevenant BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”66″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
For this final matchup, I am going to consider all three variants as one single archetype to save myself from writing and you from having to read three descriptions that are the same. No matter which of these Giratina-EX decks you play, the matchup against [card name=”Trevenant BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card] is poor. All three of these decks rely on Item cards to set up, making [card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card]’s Forest Curse Ability even more potent. Additionally, all three of these decks use almost all Pokemon-EX which serve as both easy Prize cards from Silent Fear as well as [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card] targets to stall the game.
Once set up, Giratina-EX is actually very effective at handling [card name=”Trevenant BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card]. Chaos Wheel stops them from playing [card name=”Dimension Valley” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card], making it much harder for them to attack consistently because of their rather low Energy count. Additionally, Chaos Wheel prevents their [card name=”Bursting Balloon” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card] from being attached, reducing their damage output to an almost insignificant level. The real problem with this matchup is, as mentioned before, Trevenant’s Item-lock. Even if you manage to set up decently under Forest’s Curse, you have to be careful what Pokemon you bench to avoid getting [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card] stalled. Keeping a small Bench and powering up a Giratina-EX are the two key ways to beat [card name=”Trevenant BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card] decks.
ToadTina has by far the worst time against Trevenant of the three decks. Seismitoad’s Item-lock is minuscule compared to Trevenant’s, especially when comparing the damage outputs of the two. ToadTina also has the most Items of any of the decks, making almost half of the deck dead with Trevenant Active. SpeedTina probably the best chance of beating Trevenant BREAK because of its fast, high damage and large Energy count. While Tyrantrum-EX / Giratina-EX / Bronzong has the same damage output at just slightly slower the speed, it uses many more high-Retreat Cost Pokemon that can get stuck Active for three or four turns because of [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card] while Silent Fear slowly spreads damage.
Comparison of the Big Three / Giratina’s Versatility
Just among these three decks I find it amazing how diverse Giratina-EX decks are. We have ToadTina at one extreme that aims to win a slow, grudging game of resetting damage and removing Energy and SpeedTina at the other with the only goal in mind being to get Giratina-EX attacking as soon as possible. [card name=”Tyrantrum-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY70 ” c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] / Bronzong is somewhere in the middle, being able to play aggressively with Tyrantrum-EX or controlling with Giratina-EX. This variety of playstyles in just a few decks (and even more below, as almost all of those decks have yet another goal in mind) really displays how Giratina-EX is by far the most versatile card in the format (excluding staples like [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card], of course). Just in these three decks, anyone should be able to find a deck that suits them well, if not multiple. Most impressively to me, Giratina-EX hasn’t even been out for a year and hasn’t been able to be used at the World Championships at all, and it’s still had this much success and variety.
Other Giratina-EX Variants
The three Giratina-based decks I previously discussed are the most successful and dominant ones, but that doesn’t mean they’re the only ones that can perform well. Here I will give a brief overview of some of the many more ways you can play Giratina-EX. Some of these decks are seen occasionally competitively, while some are merely rogue ideas that seem to have potential.
Giratina-EX / Aromatisse
[card name=”Aromatisse” set=”XY” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] decks have been successful ever since Aromatisse’s release in XY, now paired with yet another partner in [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card]. The goal of this deck is similar to all other Giratina decks, Chaos Wheel your way to victory but provides an interesting twist to accomplish this. Whereas ToadTina has disruption to slow the opponent’s setup and SpeedTina and Tyrantrum-EX / Giratina-EX / Bronzong rely on Energy-acceleration to out-speed the opponent, this Fairy-type-geared Giratina-EX variant uses the Energy transfer Ability of [card name=”Aromatisse” set=”XY” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] with the powerful healing card [card name=”Max Potion” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”103″ c=”name”][/card] to make one Giratina-EX survive many turns. When Giratina-EX gets damaged but not Knocked Out, Aromatisse can move all the Energy attached to Giratina to another Pokemon ([card name=”Double Dragon Energy” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card] must be moved to another Dragon-type Pokemon or it will get discarded, but this usually isn’t an issue), [card name=”Max Potion” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”103″ c=”name”][/card] heals Giratina’s damage without discarding any Energy, and then Aromatisse moves those Energy back onto Giratina-EX to attack again. Decks that can’t Knock Out Giratina in one shot will be in trouble against Giratina-EX / Aromatisse, possibly spending four or even five turns trying to Knock Out a single Giratina. On the contrary, decks that can consistently KO your attackers in one shot have a big advantage over this deck, your healing cards don’t do much if they leave you with no damage to heal.
One added perk of using [card name=”Aromatisse” set=”XY” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] is the versatility you have for backup attackers. Many non-pure-Fairy Aromatisse decks use [card name=”Rainbow Energy” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”152″ c=”name”][/card] since Aromatisse can move Rainbow just like [card name=”Double Dragon Energy” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card], so you can use any attacker you want; some common “rainbow attackers” for Aromatisse are [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Lugia-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”68″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Trevenant-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”19″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”23″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Malamar-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”58″ c=”name”][/card]. Combining Giratina-EX and possibly other Dragon-type Pokemon like [card name=”Latios-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”58″ c=”name”][/card] with these assorted Pokemon is a viable way to play this deck, choosing appropriate techs based on the metagame. Another option however is to use only Fairy-types with the Dragons. [card name=”Xerneas” set=”XY” no=”96″ c=”name”][/card] can load Fairy Energy into play very quickly, and [card name=”Xerneas-EX” set=”XY” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card] is a slightly more powerful attacker than Giratina-EX. Whichever way you play the deck, Rainbow or straight Fairy, Giratina / Aromatisse can be quite a force to be reckoned with in the right metagame.
Giratina-EX / Vileplume
Similar to ToadTina, [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card] aims to shut down a large portion of the opponent’s deck in Item cards with Vileplume and then further restrict them with Chaos Wheel. With the aid of [card name=”Forest of Giant Plants” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] and draw cards like [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Acro Bike” set=”Primal Clash” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] a turn one Vileplume is rather easy to pull off, meaning if you go first, there’s a big chance that your opponent will never be able to use a single Item card! To make attacking with Giratina-EX on turn two easier, Giratina-EX / Vileplume runs both [card name=”Double Dragon Energy” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”111″ c=”name”][/card], needing only one Double Dragon Energy and either another DDE or a Double Colorless Energy to use Chaos Wheel. Lists for this deck are often very similar in structure to [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card] lists, essentially just trading out the Vespiquen line for Giratina and Double Dragon Energy with just a few other slight modifications.
Giratina-EX / Vileplume is probably the most “all-in” Giratina-EX variant there is; that is, Giratina is the only attacker this deck ever tries to use, meaning a single [card name=”Aegislash-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”65″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Jirachi” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY67 ” c=”name”][/card] can derail the deck completely. However, in a metagame that does not feature heavy amounts of those two counters to Giratina, Giratina / Vileplume can flourish and really take advantage of the dependence decks have now on Item cards.
One twist to the Giratina / Vileplume deck is adding in [card name=”Latios-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”58″ c=”name”][/card], a spin I personally like very much. Latios-EX serves this deck well in many ways, most notably its ability to deal damage going first. As if going first wasn’t already a great advantage for this deck with turn one [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card] being common, Latios-EX can either donk opposing low-HP Basics or can soften up a bulkier Basic for a Knock Out on the following turn by Light Pulse. Speaking of Light Pulse, this attack is actually extremely helpful to the deck. [card name=”Jirachi” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY67 ” c=”name”][/card] is a nuisance to any Giratina deck because of its reliance on Double Dragon Energy, especially in this deck which uses only Special Energy. Latios-EX’s Light Pulse blocks Stardust’s Energy-discarding effect, meaning it does not gain the immunity it normally gets. With Latios-EX, Jirachi is no longer a pain to deal with, and you can “steal” even more games by getting turn one Item lock and a turn one attack.
Palkia-EX / Giratina-EX
[cardimg name=”Palkia-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”31″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
To be honest, I think that this deck is more from my subconscious desire to try new Giratina-EX variants rather than my conscious mind thinking it will be a very good deck, but I still think it is worth discussing. Similar to the [card name=”Virizion-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”9″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Genesect-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”11″ c=”name”][/card] deck that dominated Worlds in 2014, this deck aims to use [card name=”Palkia-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”31″ c=”name”][/card] and its Aqua Turbo attack to load Water Energy onto Giratina quickly. With [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] a turn one Aqua Turbo is not too difficult to achieve, and a turn two Aqua Turbo lets you load up yet another Giratina ready for action. Setting up effectively is extremely easy for this deck too, since [card name=”Hoopa-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”36″ c=”name”][/card] lets you grab two Giratina and a Palkia-EX from a single [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Flashfire” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] .
I have toyed around with the idea of using [card name=”Zoroark” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] in this deck. Almost all of the Pokemon in this deck have hefty Retreat Costs, and while [card name=”Manaphy-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”32″ c=”name”][/card]’s Ability would do the trick nicely, I don’t particularly care for the idea of using Manaphy-EX in addition to [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] as low-HP Pokemon-EX. Float Stone is already played at two or preferably three copies to get a turn one attack with Palkia, so Zoroark would fit in nicely to provide infinite switching with Float Stone. Mind Jack is also a super strong attack, especially for a non-EX, giving the deck another solid attacker than Giratina.
Another option to make retreating easier is [card name=”Hydreigon-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”62″ c=”name”][/card], a common card in Giratina-EX decks. Hydreigon-EX would make starting with a Dragon-type Pokemon another way to get the turn one Aqua Turbo, but only provides its boost to Dragon types. Hydreigon is also not a very strong attacker, especially not compared to Zoroark. The big difference between [card name=”Zoroark” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Hydreigon-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”62″ c=”name”][/card] is speed, Zoroark is better if you want the deck to have longer-lasting resources and a more conservative speed, whereas Hydreigon is much better at providing early assistance.
While I do think this rogue [card name=”Palkia-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”31″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] deck does have potential, I’m not sure exactly how much. The deck mirrors SpeedTina ([card name=”Reshiram” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”63″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card]) with the goal of powering up a Giratina as quickly as possible, so the deciding factor in this deck’s effectiveness is its ability to set up in comparison to the proven successful SpeedTina. After more thorough testing, if the Palkia engine is too slow compared to Reshiram, then Reshiram may end up being a better partner than Palkia. Whichever the case, I think that this deck does indeed have potential to be a viable deck, but only more testing will support this claim.
Conclusion
By itself, [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] is one of the most powerful and versatile cards in the Standard format. It has tons of different partners it can be paired with well, ranging from complete control decks to incredibly aggressive ones; so much that I think there is at least one Giratina variant every single player would enjoy!
Well, that’s all I have for you guys today, so I hope you enjoyed my article and please let me know what you all thought! Until next time,
~Dalen
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