An Elite Expansion — The Elite Format and Three Unusual Expanded Decks
Hello everyone! Alex back with some more insight into the Pokemon TCG! I just got off a week one Regional Championship trip that saw me go 4-4. Yikes! Definitely not one of my best performances I’ve turned in at a major tournament. I made a last minute deck change the night before the tournament, and even though I thought it was the wrong choice, the same 60 card list ended up winning the whole thing! So shout out to TJ and Drew for letting me use their list, even though I tanked with it! It’s time to focus on Edmonton Regional Championships! And as always, don’t be afraid to ask questions if you want or need more help! I’m always willing to talk!
My family worships the Denver Broncos. My Dad spent a good amount of time living in Denver after he got out of the military. He and my mom even met there! An early injury to his knee kept my Dad from playing sports in High School, but that never stopped him from liking football. Originally, he’s from South Dakota, so he had a lot of teams that were all about the same distance away to root for. To give you just a taste of how much our family loves the Broncos, we put John Elway at the top of our Christmas tree every year. Autographed footballs, helmets, and Fatheads litter our office at home. So you can imagine how our family felt in February of this year.
After that rush of the Super Bowl is over, everyone goes back into that dreaded moment in time: the off-season. Sure, the Draft and trade rumors can sometimes be enough to hold you over, but let’s face it, it’s just not the same. Backyard two hand touch, Madden NFL games, and Fantasy Football research are just placeholders for the real thing. This off-season is even longer for those teams that don’t ever taste playoff football (insert jabs at the Bills, Raiders, and Browns here). The same sort of feeling can even strike the Pokemon off-season!
But wait, Pokemon has an off-season? You bet it does! If you’re one of the many people who fell just shy of a World Championship invite, or live too far away from Columbus to go to Nationals, you have a solid four month gap where there is almost no competitive Pokemon short of League Challenges. If you happen to be one of those people, then today is your lucky day! Over the next three articles published by yours truly, I will be taking you on a journey through alternative formats that you and your friends can play over the summer! I will also be discussing some unique Expanded lists at the back half of the article featuring Fates Collide for you crazy kids that need your list fix!
The Elite Format
Overview
Of the three formats I am going to be covering, this one is probably the most unknown. The reason being is because we here in Spokane came up with it! Or at least we believe that we did. Some others may have had a similar idea, but we’ve been able to balance it and make it a viable option for something to do over the summer.
First and foremost, this format does require a bit of preparation, as well as six or more players. It also requires a good deal of proxies, unless you own 10+ copies of every card in existence. In our past experiences, it is always better to print off color or black and white copies, rather than drawing your own when playing in unconventional formats. This is because old cards are not as well known as current format cards, and this can lead to confusion, misplays, and misinterpretation of the rules. It’s always best to print!
[cardimg name=”Puzzle of Time” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”109″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
“It’s like trying to fit four giant puzzle pieces together from different puzzles” is the best way I’ve heard this format described. The most simplest way to explain how to play is that each time before you play, you randomly generate four Pokemon sets from Base Set to the most current expansion. With those four sets, you build decks and play them in a Swiss tournament among your friends!
The best way to go about this is to find a random number generator online somewhere and roll four numbers. Each number is best corresponded to the sets in order of release, so Base Set is number one, Jungle is number two, and so on and so forth. We have also found that it is best to limit the rolls to only one set from Black and White-on. This helps the format not to be so overpowered with the new power creep we have.
We have also found it best to ban all Pokemon-EX cards that have more than 150 HP. If we didn’t most all decks would be centered around the new Pokemon-EX cards, no matter how good, just because of the high HP and tank nature these Pokemon bring. Cards like [card name=”Jirachi-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Celebi-EX” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”9″ c=”name”][/card] are okay, since playing them yields that risk of the two Prize exchange.
Balance Changes
In terms of interacting between older cards and newer cards, there are a few balance changes that we decided to make to keep everything linear. The first change is that every type of Trainer card can only be one type and not two. During the EX series, all cards said both Trainer and Supporter on them. In the Black and White and XY series, cards say Trainer and either Supporter, Item, or Stadium on them. In order to avoid confusion and to keep cards played as they’re indented to, all non Pokemon or Energy cards are either a Supporter, Trainer, or Stadium. This means that cards like [card name=”Skyla” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”134″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Dowsing Machine” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”128″ c=”name”][/card] receive a small nerf. In today’s format, these cards are allowed to grab Stadium and Supporter cards. Under the new rules, these cards can only grab Trainer cards, or essentially cards that act as Item cards.
[cardimg name=”Skyla” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”134″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
Another thing that we’ve made uniform is the way Pokemon Powers, Poke-Bodies, Poke-Powers, and Abilities interact with each other. It loosely follows the “a square is a rectangle but a rectangle isn’t a square” rule. Basically if an effect shuts off or damages anything with a Pokemon Power or Ability, it applies that effect to everything with those four traits. If an effect shuts off or damages anything with a Poke-Body, it only effects Poke-Bodies, and any stagnant Ability or Pokemon Power. Some examples of this include [card name=”Mr. Mime” set=”Jungle” no=”6″ c=”from”][/card] with Invisible Wall and [card name=”Bouffalant” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”110″ c=”from”][/card] with Bouffer. The reciprocal is also true. If an effect shuts off or damages anything with a Poke-Power, it only effects Poke-Powers and any activated Ability or Pokemon Power. Examples include [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”from”][/card] with Set Up and [card name=”Blastoise” set=”Base Set” no=”2″ c=”from”][/card] with Rain Dance. The rule of thumb is if an Ability or Pokemon Power says the words “you may”, then it’s a Poke-Power. If it doesn’t, it’s a Poke-Body.
And the last change we’ve made is small, but definitely needed. Any card with Dark or an owner in its name does not need to have that same Dark or owner card to evolve. So basically this means that [card name=”Brock’s Onix” set=”Gym Heroes” no=”69″ c=”name”][/card] can evolve into [card name=”Dark Steelix” set=”EX Team Rocket Returns” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card], or any other combination of these traits.
Set Up and Game Play
When planning out an Elite Format, it is best to give people a few days of warning. This set up doesn’t work when everyone shows up to play and nobody has rolled random sets yet. If you try to do this, you will end up spending three to four hours just researching the cards, combinations, and details of every set. Even if you are very knowledgeable about all the sets rolled, you will still need to build and print out cards to play these decks, all a very time consuming process. At the height of our interest in this format, we had message threads and texting trees set up to get the word out about what sets were rolled for that week. I even committed a little bit of time to go over what cards were in each set and some cool combinations we could play. This is definitely not a format you can just pick up and run with. It does take a little bit of preparation, but it’s worth it in the end!
For gameplay and set up, we use the older rules where you can attack and play Energy turn one, but no Trainers, Supporters, or Stadiums can be played if you go first. Going first with the newer rules is just too good when mixing old formats and new formats. The coin flip is also performed after the starting Pokemon have been placed faced down.
After all is said and done, you can either do swiss rounds or standard round robin to determine the winner. It’s very hard to make judging decisions sometimes, so it’s good to make sure to keep an open, unbiased mind when playing. After all, this is supposed to be a fun off season format! So do exactly that, have fun with it!
Example Format
Since there isn’t really any more to talk about in terms of strategy or decisions when making this format, I’ve decided to give you an example of some decks that we made through this process. The next two articles will have a lot more strategy and in-depth analysis about the formats, but since this format is always completely random, I don’t have much to offer on how to win your Elite Format. The big reason we do this format is to improve our deck building skills. I believe Pokemon is divided into three distinct aspects: deck building, gameplay, and luck. We can’t control luck, and improving game play comes with practice, so we have to find ways to improve our deck building skills. Alternative formats are by far the best way to increase your deck building skills, since putting value on certain cards can be tricky in standard formats when you have so many outside voices telling you what is right and wrong.
Anyway, I got a little off topic there. In this first example, we played with the sets Aquapolis, Delta Species, Dragon Frontiers, and Plasma Blast. I always get really excited for these formats, so I usually make two or three lists per format just in case anyone forgets a deck. Here is one of the decks I played this format.
[decklist name=”You’re Welcome 2.0″ amt=”60″ caption=”undefined” cname=”Cradily” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”4″][pokemon amt=”22″]4x [card name=”Tropius” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”5″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Cradily” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”4″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Lileep” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”3″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Holon’s Electrode” set=”EX Delta Species” no=”21″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Snorlax δ” set=”EX Dragon Frontiers” no=”10″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Crobat δ” set=”EX Delta Species” no=”2″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Dusknoir” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”104″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Aggron” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”59″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Gardevoir δ” set=”EX Delta Species” no=”6″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Jumpluff” set=”Aquapolis” no=”17″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”29″]3x [card name=”Professor Juniper” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”84″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Caitlin” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”78″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”TV Reporter” set=”EX Dragon Frontiers” no=”82″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Copycat” set=”EX Dragon Frontiers” no=”73″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Town Volunteers” set=”Aquapolis” no=”136″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Root Fossil Lileep” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”87″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”90″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Switch” set=”EX Dragon Frontiers” no=”83″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Energy Switch” set=”Aquapolis” no=”120″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Pokémon Catcher” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”83″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Master Ball” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”94″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”9″]6x [card name=”Grass Energy” set=”Black and White” no=”105″ c=”deck2″ amt=”6″][/card]2x [card name=”Metal Energy” set=”Black and White” no=”112″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Psychic Energy” set=”Black and White” no=”109″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
[cardimg name=”Cradily” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”4″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
It seems like a really cool deck right? Every time that we roll into Plasma Blast I always try to make [card name=”Cradily” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”4″ c=”name”][/card] work! In fact, this is actually the second time we rolled Plasma Blast. The first time we also randomly drew into Holon Phantoms and the card [card name=”Holon Fossil” set=”EX Holon Phantoms” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card]. Pair that with [card name=”Root Fossil Lileep” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”87″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card], and you have yourself a deck that hits [card name=”Lileep” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card] turn one or two almost every single game! Alas, that list is lost to the wind, and this is its little brother. The idea is to get an early Lileep using [card name=”Caitlin” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card], Ultra Ball, and Root Fossil Lileep. After that, drawing into a [card name=”Cradily” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”4″ c=”name”][/card] and using Lifesplosion to get out an array of attackers and Bench sitters to win yourself the game.
[card name=”Tropius” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”5″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Snorlax δ” set=”EX Dragon Frontiers” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] are the only Basic Pokemon in the deck. Both of them provide either great stall, or great draw to get yourself into the desired Lileep hand. Tropius also has a great second attack in case you fall behind early in the game. [card name=”Energy Switch” set=”EX FireRed and LeafGreen” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Gardevoir δ” set=”EX Delta Species” no=”6″ c=”name”][/card] are good ways to either charge up a Lifesplosion, or to take the Energy off of Cradily after you’ve already used the attack. The other Stage 2s are in the deck for various matchups and situations.
A friend ended up piloting the deck for me, as I had a juicy Gardevoir deck I used to win the tournament. After the tournament, he said that [card name=”TV Reporter” set=”EX Dragon” no=”88″ c=”name”][/card] was actually one of the most clutch cards in the deck. This I was quite surprised about, since it was mainly in the deck because there wasn’t a whole heap of draw support in this roll. He said he managed to draw into the Lileep / Root Fossil combo many different times with it, allowing him to get ahead in the game early. Stuff like this just goes to show how cool combos and be generated from this format. It also proves how through research, practice, and analysis of your deck, that you can improve your play just by sitting down and having a few games with friends!
I’ll give you one more example just to really show you what this format can do. For this deck, we rolled the sets Neo Discovery, Skyridge, Secret Wonders, and Dark Explorers.
[decklist name=”Empoleon/Aerodactyl” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Empoleon” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”29″][pokemon amt=”20″]4x [card name=”Empoleon” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”29″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Prinplup” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”28″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]4x [card name=”Piplup” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”27″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Aerodactyl” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”53″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Unown E” set=”Neo Discovery” no=”67″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Unown Z” set=”Secret Wonders” no=”72″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Qwilfish” set=”Secret Wonders” no=”101″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Suicune” set=”Secret Wonders” no=”19″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”34″]4x [card name=”N” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”96″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Desert Shaman” set=”Skyridge” no=”123″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”3″][/card]4x [card name=”Random Receiver” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Old Amber Aerodactyl” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”97″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Switch” set=”Secret Wonders” no=”128″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Pokémon Catcher” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”111″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Rare Candy” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”100″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Night Maintenance” set=”Secret Wonders” no=”120″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]3x [card name=”Twist Mountain” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”101″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”3″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”6″]6x [card name=”Water Energy” set=”Black and White” no=”107″ c=”deck2″ amt=”6″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
Now this deck is not as creative as the last one, since it was an archetype back when Dark Explorers first came out. However, this provides a good example of how to take an existing archetype and update it. This process is very similar to how people alter current format decks once a new set hits. I think it’s kind of cool how the Elite Format can improve your deck building in multiple ways: finding cool concepts that would never work in Standard, buffing old / new cards to make them playable, and getting you prepared on how to look at a set and determine what makes a deck better or worse.
[cardimg name=”Empoleon” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”29″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
My idea with this deck was to create a much faster version of [card name=”Empoleon” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”29″ c=”name”][/card]. I played the penguin for many months, even after it died, and to this day it is still one of my all time favorite decks. Empoleon was never really known for its speed, but I knew if I included some Pokemon like Unown and the old Supporter, Desert Shaman, I would be able to not only out-speed my opponent, but also turn my deck into a faster, harder hitting Empoleon. I also found out that not a lot of cards in this format could hit 140 damage very easily, so I was always going to be able to out-trade my opponents. All I would need was one or two [card name=”Aerodactyl” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] and I would be set for the game.
And there is your crash course on Elite Format! I wish I had a few more words about it, but really there isn’t much more to talk about. In the next two parts of the series, I will be covering Cube drafting for Pokemon, and 100-Card Singleton, or U150 as it is called in Pokemon. Expect a whole lot of insight for those! Our group in Spokane cube drafts at least once a week, so I’ll have a lot to say about that!
Week Three Plays
Now it wouldn’t be a complete article without giving you some of my thoughts on plays for week three of Regional Championships! If you’re going to Edmonton, Salt Lake City, Marlborough, or Kansas City, you’ll be playing in a whole new format that will only be used once for that weekend. The only real place to go for information and theories is online, so I would be doing all of you a disservice if I didn’t throw you at least a couple of lists!
Before I get started, I’m going to be frank with you: I’m not the biggest fan of this set. There are a lot of cute new cards that will help certain decks out, but nothing that is going to drastically shape the format. With that being said, I find myself looking to older ideas that can still pack a punch. Stuff like [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Primal Groudon-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Bronzong” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY21″ c=”name”][/card] are all things I expect to see a lot of come week three.
[premium]
M Manectric-EX / Garbodor
With all of that being said, one of the few decks that saw some success during week one of Regional Championships was [card name=”M Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”24″ c=”name”][/card]. There wasn’t a whole lot of them in the room, but the ones that were there definitely saw success. My girlfriend, Sabrina, was one of those people who made it to the top tables. She finished in 10th, going 6-2 with M Manectric-EX / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”54″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Jolteon-EX” set=”Generations” no=”28″ c=”name”][/card]. I’m super proud of her! I’ll first show you her list, then we’ll go over some changes I would make for week three.
[decklist name=”Manectric/Garb” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”M Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”24″][pokemon amt=”14″]3x [card name=”M Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”24″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]4x [card name=”Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”23″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Trubbish” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”65″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Jolteon-EX” set=”Generations” no=”28″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”37″]4x [card name=”Professor Juniper” set=”Black and White” no=”101″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”110″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”118″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Manectric Spirit Link” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”100″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/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]1x [card name=”Computer Search” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Rough Seas” set=”Primal Clash” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”4″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”9″]6x [card name=”Lightning Energy” set=”Black and White” no=”108″ c=”deck2″ amt=”6″][/card]3x [card name=”Psychic Energy” set=”Black and White” no=”109″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
Right before I went to sleep on the Friday before Seattle Regional Championships, I made the choice to switch off of Manectric. That ended up being a mistake. Sabrina decided to stick with it, taking loses to a slow-playing [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] player, and the Rainbow Road deck that ended up taking second in the tournament. [card name=”M Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”24″ c=”name”][/card] based decks are some of the most consistent options out there for large tournaments. While it may not be flashy and always get you the win, it will always bring you a strong finish. We saw that at U.S. Nationals last year, and continue to see that in every tournament.
Sabrina and I worked very hard on this list. There were many different changes this deck underwent. One of the biggest changes we made was ditching [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] for the [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card]. This allowed the deck to keep pace with the fast nature of Expanded. She would constantly get clutch late game wins once we switched over. Sabrina was a little bit disappointed she couldn’t play her Gold Trainers’ Mail, but I think she was fine with giving that up for a booster box of cards.
[cardimg name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”100″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
One of the cards that missed the cut of the list was [card name=”AZ” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card]. While we did want this card in the deck, it ended up being an error on our part. We assumed that we were playing four Professor Sycamore, when in reality we had cut one for the AZ. This Supporter allows you to get the “soft lock” with [card name=”Jolteon-EX” set=”Generations” no=”28″ c=”name”][/card] against Turbo Dark, Night March, and other decks that only play Basic Pokemon. If you can scoop everything on your side of the field up while limiting your Bench space, Flash Ray can sweep the game. In my Manectric build I ditched the night before, I actually played one AZ and one [card name=”Cassius” set=”XY” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] to increase the chances of this desired effect.
And the last thing we realized that we messed up on was an out to [card name=”Archeops” set=”Noble Victories” no=”67″ c=”name”][/card]. The current list has no way of getting around a turn one evolution lock, and that can be a problem. The new Glaceon-EX, paired with Jolteon-EX and [card name=”Regice” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”24″ c=”name”][/card] would have a great matchup against Manectric-EX if they hit a turn one Archeops. Some cards that could be added to help with this are [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”36″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Wally” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card] (to grab the Garbodor and shut off the evolution lock). In the end it ended up not mattering, since the only Archeops she played against was me, and since I didn’t list myself in her losses sentence, you can guess how that match went!
Moving forward with this list, I feel like there are a few changes we can make to prepare for week three. I don’t really think any of the new cards can be added to [card name=”M Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”24″ c=”name”][/card] / Garbodor without completely changing the partner of Manectric. I do think the Glaceon-EX / Jolteon-EX / Regice combination will work out well, but then we won’t be able to play Garbodor without the list getting all cluttered.
Instead of adding new cards, we’re going to play old cards to counter the new cards. First and foremost I want to add in the [card name=”AZ” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] and the [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC11″ c=”name”][/card]. So I feel like dropping the [card name=”Head Ringer” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card] is a good play. Sabrina never really attacked with [card name=”Trubbish” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”65″ c=”name”][/card]. While using Tool Drop can swing games, I feel like there are enough Tool cards in our format that Head Ringer’s damage increase isn’t going to be game changing at this point. So the easiest change can be drop the Head Ringers and add an AZ and Wobbuffet.
[cardimg name=”Sigilyph” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”52″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
The last quick change that we could consider is actually adding in a [card name=”Sigilyph” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”52″ c=”name”][/card]. The most popular version of Manectric-EX right now seems to be Water based and includes the big three attackers I’ve been mentioning so far; Regice / Jolteon-EX / Glaceon-EX. The Garbodor version does not have a good way to beat a quick [card name=”Primal Groudon-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card]. Sabrina and I decided that this was going to be a tricky matchup anyway, and to kind of hope they set up slowly. If we play Sigilyph, we not have another non-EX attacker to Prize-trade with. Sigilyph is easily countered with a well timed Hex Maniac, so it’s not something that will throw the matchup into our favor, but it does give us another out. The plan would be something to the effect of getting an early M Manectric-EX online and start taking Knock Outs on [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC11″ c=”name”][/card] and maybe even getting some damage on Groudon. From there, we would attempt to 2HKO the Primal, finishing it off with a Sigilyph attack to put them into an awkward situation. It goes without saying that Garbodor would never see the field of play in this matchup. Room for this card can be found by dropping another Tool, most likely a [card name=”Manectric Spirit Link” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”100″ c=”name”][/card].
So in summary, this deck is good, consistent, and doesn’t have a heap of bad matchups. It may not be shiny and new, but I think it is a solid play going into week three.
Vileplume / Walls
Another great pick I think will see success in week three is pairing the Item locking power of [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card] with the natural tanky wall Pokemon such as [card name=”Regice” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”24″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Jolteon-EX” set=”Generations” no=”28″ c=”name”][/card]. This list was not only inspired by PokeBeach editor Oliver King, but also by the deck that took Top 8 at Seattle Regional Championships, piloted by Seth Covitz.
[decklist name=”Vileplume/Walls” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″][pokemon amt=”19″]3x [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Gloom” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”2″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Oddish” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”1″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Regice” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”24″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Jolteon-EX” set=”Generations” no=”28″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x Glaceon-EX (FAC #20)1x [card name=”Aegislash-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”65″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Bunnelby” set=”Primal Clash” no=”121″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”33″]4x [card name=”AZ” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”91″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Professor Juniper” set=”Black and White” no=”101″ 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″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Pokémon Communication” set=”Black and White” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Level Ball” set=”Next Destinies” no=”89″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Sacred Ash” set=”Flashfire” no=”96″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Computer Search” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Forest of Giant Plants” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”74″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”4″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”8″]4x [card name=”Prism Energy” set=”Next Destinies” no=”93″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”111″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
There is so much to love about this deck. It’s the perfect mix of cool, fun, and annoying. I haven’t been able to find the perfect mix of cards, but this is what I have so far.
The goal of the deck is to get a very early Item-lock established. From there, finding the correct wall card for the matchup and just attacking until the cows come home. The only real way to break a lock once it is established is by doing some cool [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card] plays, which can be tricky to pull off under Item-lock. Being limited to one or two Lysandre can prove to be difficult in the long run.
The card that comes out of Fates Collide that helps this deck a lot is Glaceon-EX. While the format doesn’t lend itself to a lot of evolutions, this deck didn’t have a great way to beat [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] decks. [card name=”Gallade” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”84″ c=”name”][/card] can also prove to be difficult for Vileplume to deal with. In combination with [card name=”Aegislash-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”65″ c=”name”][/card], Glaceon-EX can prove to be a valuable partner with the rest of our friends here.
This deck reminds me of a weaker, more situational Rainbow Road deck that uses [card name=”Xerneas” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card] as its main focus. I have always had a soft spot for Rainbow Road, since my roommate Grady and I worked very hard on the perfect list for City Championships, eventually coming away with a win and a Top 4 finish with the deck. I would love to give you an updated list for that deck, but alas, I haven’t been spending much time on it since I had written the deck off before its showing in Seattle Regional Championships. I don’t think I will ever make that mistake again!
Moving back to Vileplume, there are a couple of cards you could consider adding to help boost the consistency of this deck. The first cool card you could add is the new Mew from Fates Collide. Since there isn’t a whole lot of room for multiple of the same attacker, Mew gives you that buffer Pokemon so you can keep the correct attacker on the field at all times! The only two ways to recycle attackers in the deck are [card name=”Bunnelby” set=”Primal Clash” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Sacred Ash” set=”Flashfire” no=”96″ c=”name”][/card], and neither is really the best option in the world. The low HP count of Mew is a little bit troubling, but when you’re tanking with attacks, that doesn’t matter too much. Plus, it gives you another target to [card name=”Level Ball” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] for!
[cardimg name=”Terrakion” set=”Noble Victories” no=”73″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
Another good card to add in is [card name=”Miltank” set=”Flashfire” no=”83″ c=”name”][/card]. While this attacker may not be the wall Pokemon this deck wants to see, it is a good way to get quick damage on to the field. All of the walling attackers attack for very little damage, so it can sometimes be hard to finish off certain Pokemon. Miltank gives you that option for one Energy attachment. We can also look at him the other way, as an early game attacker. Many times when you play an Item lock deck, you opponent will have slow starts. Miltank can be the way to add constant early pressure. I choose not to play [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card], because I’m not very good at drawing into them before Vileplume hits the field, but if you decide to go that route, a constant 100 damage early game can really mess up some people’s days.
And one last card (or cards) I want to mention is Fighting Pokemon, or rather, a way to counter [card name=”M Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”24″ c=”name”][/card] decks. This deck presents the biggest problem to Vileplume / Walls because of the natural ability it has to run both evolution, non-evolution, and non-EX Pokemon to constantly be able to hit your current attacker. This can get very frustrating for sure. So a couple of options we could consider. The first is [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] to at least prevent the Mega from hitting us. I’m not a fan of this idea, since it’s mainly just a stall until you really lose. So from there we have to look into finding cheap, low Energy Fighting attackers. [card name=”Lucario-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”54″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Landorus-EX” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card], and the new Zygarde-EX all attack for one Fighting Energy and can pack a punch on Pokemon with Fighting Weakness. Lucario-EX and Landorus-EX both have common weaknesses that are associated with Manectric decks. Pokemon like [card name=”Mewtwo-EX” set=”Next Destinies” no=”54″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Trubbish” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”65″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Regice” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”24″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Keldeo-EX” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”49″ c=”name”][/card] are all concerns when going up against a Manectric. Grass Pokemon haven’t been paired with Manectric since the World Championships last year with [card name=”Genesect-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”11″ c=”name”][/card] so Zygarde-EX seems like a great idea to throw into the deck! The second attack doesn’t require a Fighting Energy, which is nice, and the Ability to heal a little bit of damage, combined with the 190 HP makes this a good inclusion to fight off M Manectric-EX!
One more aside on finding a good fighting Pokemon. [card name=”Terrakion” set=”Noble Victories” no=”73″ c=”name”][/card] is often forgotten and over-looked when it comes to deck building these days. I am still probably the biggest fan of this card. With a Muscle Band, you can get OHKO on M Manectric-EX with Retaliate and Land Crush. Sure, it will take an extra turn to charge up, but this deck isn’t about speed. Most all of the attackers take multiple turns to charge up. With 130 HP and being a non-EX, this card could definitely turn the M Manectric-EX matchup in Vileplume’s favor.
Manectric / Pyroar
I hate to go back to a concept I’ve already talked about, but I wanted to save the best for last here. I think this is a very sneaky play for week three. It hasn’t been played much at all since it first hit the scene, but I think the meta is just right for this deck to make a return back to the top tables. Check out [card name=”M Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”24″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Pyroar” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card].
[decklist name=”Manectric/Pyroar” amt=”56″ caption=”Free Spaces: 4″ cname=”M Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”24″][pokemon amt=”15″]3x [card name=”M Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”24″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]4x [card name=”Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”23″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Pyroar” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”12″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Pyroar” set=”Flashfire” no=”20″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]3x [card name=”Litleo” set=”Flashfire” no=”18″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”30″]4x [card name=”Professor Juniper” set=”Black and White” no=”101″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”AZ” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”91″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”118″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Blacksmith” set=”Flashfire” no=”88″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Manectric Spirit Link” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”100″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]1x [card name=”Target Whistle” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”106″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Computer Search” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Rough Seas” set=”Primal Clash” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”4″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”11″]7x [card name=”Lightning Energy” set=”Black and White” no=”108″ c=”deck2″ amt=”7″][/card]4x [card name=”Fire Energy” set=”Black and White” no=”106″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
Free Spots – 4
This list is probably as basic as you can get. There’s nothing too flashy or weird going on, just a straight M Manectric-EX / [card name=”Pyroar” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card] list! If you didn’t know before, the whole idea behind this deck is to Turbo Bolt onto Pyroar PHF and use Flare Command to pick off low HP Pokemon on the Bench, most notably [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card]. That is why we include a copy of [card name=”Target Whistle” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card], to repeat KO Shaymin-EX for two Prizes.
[cardimg name=”Pyroar” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”12″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
I left four spaces open in the deck because there are a couple of ways you can go with those spots. The first and easiest way is adding in four [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card]. If you’re worried about consistency, this is the way to go with the deck. The second way to go is adding in four [card name=”Puzzle of Time” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card]. This would allow you access to multiple copies of [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card], Target Whistle, and [card name=”Pyroar” set=”Flashfire” no=”20″ c=”from”][/card]. These one-of cards can sometimes swing certain matchups, so having the ability to reuse them can be big. And the last suggestion I would give to use these four spots for is other cute tech cards, or bumping up counts of current ones. A second Float Stone and a [card name=”Keldeo-EX” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”49″ c=”name”][/card] would be nice for that constant free Retreat. A second Target Whistle would be great so you can take three KO’s on a single Shaymin-EX and win the game outright. More Pyroar from Flashfire would be good for certain matchups like Turbo Dark and Night March. [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] would be nice to speed up the Turbo Bolt process. [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] could be added so Pyroar FLF can hit 110 on a Shaymin-EX. There are plenty of different ways to fill those last four spots! However, I stray away from [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card] in this list because of the focus on evolution Pokemon. Instead, I would add in two [card name=”Mega Turbo” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card] if you’re worried about the Energy attachment issue.
Let’s take a look at some of the matchups this deck would see week three and how it is able to have a positive matchup. I’ll take a look at the decks that saw the most success after week one of Regional Championships.
Matchups
Yveltal-EX / Maxie’s
This matchup should realistically go one of two ways: either you get a fast start and OHKO every Pokemon in their deck, or they get an early [card name=”Maxie’s Hidden Ball Trick” set=”Primal Clash” no=”133″ c=”name”][/card] and completely dominate you. In order to prepare for the latter happening, you could consider playing one [card name=”Mewtwo-EX” set=”Next Destinies” no=”54″ c=”name”][/card] to deal with a rampaging [card name=”Gallade” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”84″ c=”name”][/card]. In this case, [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card] might actually be a smart way to play the deck. Mewtwo-EX is a great tech, since it can OHKO Gallade with just two Energy, and easily get you back into a game where you would normally lose. If they’re playing heavy Dark, or they’re playing the Turbo Dark version with no Maxie’s, you can generally use a quick [card name=”M Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”24″ c=”name”][/card] to charge up a [card name=”Pyroar” set=”Flashfire” no=”20″ c=”from”][/card]. They can deal with both of those attackers, but it’s not super easy. With the Mega, they have to have at least ten Dark Energy in play to OHKO you, which can be extremely hard to pull off. With Pyroar FLF, they have to go find their [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card] to deal with it. Either way you back them into a corner early, and can react to their moves to take a win off of them. I would say a slight advantage is given to [card name=”M Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”24″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Pyroar” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card], but it’s not a steal.
Seismitoad-EX / Bats and Seismitoad-EX / Giratina-EX
Both of these matchups revolve around one thing, [card name=”Rough Seas” set=”Primal Clash” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card]. Being able to heal the limited damage output of these decks, while switching into another attacker is huge. Two [card name=”M Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”24″ c=”name”][/card] alone can win you these matchups. Well, maybe not the [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] matchup, that one is a little bit more tricky. For that, you can fill the four spots you have left with Energy denial cards such as [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”110″ c=”name”][/card]. Pyroar FLF also comes in huge in the Toad / Tina matchup, since all of their Pokemon are Basic. One [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card] can ruin your day, but by then you’ll be able to Flare Command enough [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] to get yourself the win. I think both of these matchups play greatly into your favor. I wouldn’t go as far as to say 80 / 20, but 70 / 30 is more accurate if you want to put a number on it. I would definitely feel comfortable playing this deck against someone who turns over [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card].
Primal Groudon-EX
Flare Command will be the MVP of this matchup. The moment a [card name=”Groudon-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”85″ c=”name”][/card] hits the Bench, you should be able to either [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card], attach and Flare Command, or [card name=”Blacksmith” set=”Flashfire” no=”88″ c=”name”][/card] and Flare Command to lock that puppy in the Active position, something no Groudon player wants. If the Groudon player manages to get back out of the Active, or they have Wobbuffet shutting down Flare Command, you can take cheap, easy KO’s with [card name=”M Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”24″ c=”name”][/card] on [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC11″ c=”name”][/card] until they are forced to go into Primal Groudon-EX, or [card name=”Robo Substitute” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card]. From there, you can start 2HKO’ing the [card name=”Primal Groudon-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card] with all of your attackers. [card name=”Mewtwo-EX” set=”Next Destinies” no=”54″ c=”name”][/card] would also be a nice inclusion for this matchup, as your secondary attacker, [card name=”Pyroar” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card], might not be able to pump out enough damage to satisfy your win condition. [card name=”Entei” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”15″ c=”name”][/card] is also a good idea for aiding in the two shot battle against Primal Groudon-EX once it gets up and running. The more non-EX attackers you can throw at Groudon, the better. In terms of speed and early game advantage, I give Manectric the advantage here. It will all come down to the ability to take that crucial 2HKO on a Groudon to swing it into your favor. I wouldn’t have a heap of confidence here, but I sure wouldn’t be upset to see this matchup.
Trevenant
This matchup is what some would call an auto-win. There are so many factors that play into the favor of [card name=”M Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”24″ c=”name”][/card]. First and foremost is the high count of [card name=”Rough Seas” set=”Primal Clash” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] to constantly heal your Pokemon, while at the same time bouncing their [card name=”Dimension Valley” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card]. The second is the ability to OHKO [card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] with relative ease using Turbo Bolt, or even Assault Laser at times. And the third is being able to Flare Command out of Item-lock and take a Knock Out on a [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] in the same turn. Good Trevenant players will be able to drag the game out, but I think this is one of those matchups where you can win with one eye closed.
M Rayquaza-EX
[cardimg name=”Pyroar” set=”Flashfire” no=”20″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
The name of the game here is speed. The first one to attack wins, ready, go! There isn’t a whole lot of cards you can tech in to help this matchup drastically. [card name=”Mega Turbo” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card] would be the only cards I could think about to improve this matchup any. [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card] is already in the deck to help with a possible [card name=”Altaria” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card], and Flare Command will help to take those ever so great Knock Outs on [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card], which the deck plays four of. I really don’t know who I would favor in this matchup, so I would have to say it would be the deck to attack first. It looks good on paper, but isn’t a steal by any means. 50 / 50, your call!
Night March
And last but certainly not least, everyone’s favorite deck, Night March. Historically speaking, Night March has always caused [card name=”M Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”24″ c=”name”][/card] decks problems, since it can easily tech Maxie’s, and it will generally out-speed and out-trade every Manectric deck out there. The only thing we can really hang our hat on in this matchup is [card name=”Pyroar” set=”Flashfire” no=”20″ c=”from”][/card] to tank while we set up some other attackers. Or at least try to swing the Prize-trade back in to our favor by picking [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] off of the board a couple of times. I’m always scared of Night March now that more copies of [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card] are finding their way into this deck. All we can really hope for is that they miss Hex a couple of turns and we can take cheap KO’s on low HP Night March Pokemon, or they don’t KO us early and we can win trades using Flare Command. It’s a winnable matchup for us, don’t get me wrong, but not one I like to see. It’s 30 / 70, maybe even 35 / 65. More Pyroar FLF might help this matchup out, but it’s nothing to lean on for the entire match.
Conclusion
So all in all, I think this deck could be a sneaky good play for week three. You don’t have a lot of bad matchups, you cover anything and all outs, and you hit hard against random decks you might not expect to see! Plus the added bonus of the natural consistent nature of [card name=”M Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”24″ c=”name”][/card] decks make this a great choice.
And that about does it my friends! I hope these decks gave you a bit more to think about in the up and coming Regional Championships! If I missed something, or you would like clarity on a certain topic please don’t hesitate to ask! I’m going to try to make it up to Edmonton for Regional Championships here soon, so I hope to see you all there!
Until next time,
Alex
[/premium]