1st Place Regionals Report with Yveltal / Maxie’s and the Future of Night March
Hey everyone! Treynor here after a successful Regionals season. I hope you all had fun attending the event or at least checking out the coverage via Pokemon’s official stream. I’ve had a lot of time during my road trips to theorize the format for Nationals and the impact that Fates Collide will have. I’ve also had a lot of time during the Kansas City Regionals to playtest with my good friend and fellow writer, Steve Guthrie. This article will provide you guys with my many of my findings.
As some of you may know, I’m the Madison, Wisconsin Regional Champion for this season. I never would have dreamt that I would ever have the title of Regional Champion! Below, I will give a Regionals recap which includes my deck choice process, the list itself, and the path to winning Regionals. With Nationals on the horizon and some large changes going on in Standard, it’s only fitting that I discuss the future of Night March too, as well as ways to prepare yourself for the upcoming National Championships. By adapting the procedures that I had used to prepare myself for Regionals, you guys will be better prepared for the largest Pokemon TCG event of the season.
I’ve had some time to test Standard; Nationals is going to be exciting with the return of [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”101″ c=”name”][/card]! It will shake up the format and change how some of the best decks in the format will function. Before I begin to describe these huge changes, let’s take a look at my process to winning Regionals.
Wisconsin Regionals — Week 2
I haven’t done well at any Regionals in the last three years. My mindset during every Regionals was that I’d do my best and see what happens. Regionals are incredibly difficult tournaments. They take a lot of endurance to play out because of how many rounds there are. This requires you to keep your play on point the entire nine rounds or so that you play on the first day. It’s more difficult than it sounds.
This Regionals was no different as far as how my tournament preparation went. I did some extensive play testing of different decks and ultimately settled on a Dark list similar to Israel Sosa’s list that he piloted to a Top 8 finish at the Winter Regional Championships. I tested many other decks, such as Night March, [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card], and Turbo Dark. Needless to say, I wasn’t satisfied with any of those decks, so I settled with my standby — a Dark deck that incorporates [card name=”Maxie’s Hidden Ball Trick” set=”Primal Clash” no=”158″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Silent Lab” set=”Primal Clash” no=”140″ c=”name”][/card], and a two count of [card name=”Yveltal” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card]. I liked the flexibility and versatility of the deck, as I knew that I would be facing a plethora of different decks. It’s incredibly hard to predict the metagame at Regionals since there are so many competitors; therefore, I went with the deck that had a great chance against just about everything.
Let’s discuss the deck first, and then I’ll break down how my weekend went in Madison.
The Winning Deck
[decklist name=”Treynor’s Winning List” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Yveltal” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”94″][pokemon amt=”12″]2x [card name=”Yveltal” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”94″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”144″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Yveltal” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC16″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Mewtwo-EX” set=”Next Destinies” no=”98″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”106″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Jirachi-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”98″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”107″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Keldeo-EX” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”49″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Archeops” set=”Noble Victories” no=”67″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Gallade” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”84″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”37″]3x [card name=”Professor Juniper” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”116″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”104″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Maxie’s Hidden Ball Trick” set=”Primal Clash” no=”158″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”AZ” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”117″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Ghetsis” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”135″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”101″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”122″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”110″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Dark Patch” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”93″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”100″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Computer Search” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Silent Lab” set=”Primal Clash” no=”140″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”11″]7x [card name=”Darkness Energy” set=”Call of Legends” no=”94″ c=”deck2″ amt=”7″][/card]4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”111″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
I’ve had a lot of seasoned players ask me what I would change in this list for Week 3, and I honestly couldn’t change a thing. This list is probably one of, if not the, most perfect list I’ve ever played in the game. It drew well at every opportunity and it had the right cards for every situation I found myself in.
The list went 9-1-4 after both days of Swiss. Three of those were intentional draws. If you count the three wins in top cut, the list went 12-1-4 for the weekend, with my one loss being redeemed during day two; I played the same player again and won.
Let’s break the list down in detail:
2 Yveltal BKT (Fright Night)
[cardimg name=”Yveltal” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”94″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
Oh my goodness, I love this card! This card was the huge MVP of the weekend for my deck. I couldn’t begin to describe the many uses this card has, but I’ll do my best to describe some to you guys.
It’s an incredible threat. This deck is all about setting up multiple threats for the opponent. [card name=”Yveltal” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card]’s Pitch-Black Spear attack lets you set up two of the opponent’s Pokemon for easy Knock Outs later in the game. This allows [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] to clean up without devoting too many Energy to it. Additionally, it does all of this while putting the opponent on a clock — Knock Out this Pokemon or it will take two EX KO’s in three turns.
The Ability Fright Night has gives it even more utility. It practically pins Pokemon in place. I’ve made numerous plays using [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card] on [card name=”Keldeo-EX” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”142″ c=”name”][/card] with a [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] on it to pin it in place while I softened up the opponent’s attackers. With so many players relying on a Float Stone’d [card name=”Keldeo-EX” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”142″ c=”name”][/card] for mobility, this card freezes them in their tracks.
The best part about this card is that it’s a single-Prize attacker that must be Knocked Out. This often forces the opponent to make a decision that will hurt them.
1 Mewtwo-EX
This addition got me a lot of questions from people, but its inclusion saved me in many situations. I can’t count how many instances in which I utilized [card name=”Mewtwo-EX” set=”Next Destinies” no=”98″ c=”name”][/card] to do quick damage. This was originally an addition to counter [card name=”Gallade” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”84″ c=”name”][/card] in the mirror match, but this card found uses in plenty of other situations.
Since there is only one copy of the [card name=”Yveltal” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC16″ c=”name”][/card] with Oblivion Wing, there are few attackers that can attack for one Energy. Sure, there is Gallade, but that isn’t always a card that finds its way onto the field. In some matchups, the immediate goal is to attach a single Energy to do some quick damage, sometimes for a Knock Out. Mewtwo is such a large threat for the opponent to deal with because it can attack with only a [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Generations” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card]. As you can imagine, this can present quite the surprise.
On the downside, you can’t [card name=”Dark Patch” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] to Mewtwo; however, you can still threaten huge [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”144″ c=”name”][/card]s in the mirror match with a Double Colorless Energy attached to your Mewtwo on the Bench. It’s especially easy to KO an Yveltal-EX when you use Mewtwo the same turn you put it into play. It is extremely rare that the opponent would foresee the inclusion of this card in your deck.
I’ve had Mewtwo come in handy against [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card] decks in particular. The heavy [card name=”Crushing Hammer” set=”Emerging Powers” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] count hurts Dark decks on occasion since it’s usually combined with a Quaking Punch that denies the use of Dark Patch. With X Ball now at your disposal, you’re able to attach a single Energy and do 80 damage to Seismitoad, and another Energy attachment the following turn will score you the Knock Out.
Starting with Mewtwo is great as well. With a DCE attachment, you’re already doing damage on turn one, which is rare for this deck.
1 Shaymin-EX / 1 Jirachi-EX
This deck doesn’t need to go crazy to get its game plan going. It consistently moves at a moderate pace with the single Supporter usage per turn. This deck also uses [card name=”Silent Lab” set=”Primal Clash” no=”140″ c=”name”][/card] as a central strategy. For these reasons, cutting the [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card] count down isn’t a terrible idea. The [card name=”Jirachi-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”98″ c=”name”][/card] exists almost solely to help get the [card name=”Maxie’s Hidden Ball Trick” set=”Primal Clash” no=”158″ c=”name”][/card] off easier.
The one Shaymin exists in case you need to dig a bit more, outside of a draw Supporter. With that said, Bench space is important in a deck that uses [card name=”Keldeo-EX” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”142″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card], so you don’t want too many Shaymin on your Bench at a time. From my testing, one copy seems to be the ideal count.
1 Darkrai-EX
I never attack with [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card]; I feel like it’s underwhelming. The 60 base damage and 60 snipe damage dealt with [card name=”Yveltal” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card] is far better than a Night Spear with Darkrai. It’s a great card to have on your Bench, though. Dark Cloak is super helpful in almost every matchup. [card name=”Silent Lab” set=”Primal Clash” no=”140″ c=”name”][/card] shuts it off, but usually I replace Silent Lab with a [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card] when I want to get the Dark Cloak Ability back online to get some mobility going.
I know some players included two copies of Darkrai. This would be acceptable if it was used as an attacker, but that’s not the case. The two Fright Night Yveltal do a majority of the attacking.
1 Archeops / 1 Gallade
[cardimg name=”Gallade” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”84″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
Many players prefer two [card name=”Gallade” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”84″ c=”name”][/card] since this deck tends to beat decks that are hurt by [card name=”Archeops” set=”Noble Victories” no=”67″ c=”name”][/card] anyways. The one big exception to this is against [card name=”Flareon” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card].
I wasn’t expecting much Flareon at Regionals, but I did play one in Top 8. Archeops was absolutely my MVP in that matchup since it made evolving so difficult for the opponent, even with copies of [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”36″ c=”name”][/card] in their deck. I chose to keep Archeops to stay with the versatile nature of the deck; I knew it would come in handy against some decks. [card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] isn’t a difficult matchup, but with Archeops on the Bench, the opponent has a difficult time getting a [card name=”Trevenant BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card] out. They have to promote their Wobbuffet in order to evolve, allowing you to use Items once again.
2 Lysandre
In a deck full of one-of Supporters, the two count of [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card] may stand out. I liked being able to toss one of these with [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] while having the other to access via [card name=”Jirachi-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”98″ c=”name”][/card] or drawing. Having one accessible in the deck without having to use a [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”110″ c=”name”][/card] was advantageous in many situations. A lot of games are decided on how many Lysandre are left in a deck, so I found it important to play two copies.
1 AZ
The [card name=”AZ” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”117″ c=”name”][/card] is a tech card for the mirror, but it proves useful in a plethora of other situations. Getting Pokemon that are stuck in the Active spot is what I mainly used it for. Pokemon could be stuck Active by your own [card name=”Silent Lab” set=”Primal Clash” no=”140″ c=”name”][/card] in play, and there’s a lot of instances in which my opponent wanted to stall me with [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card].
When it comes to the mirror match, it’s nice to recharge an [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”144″ c=”name”][/card] that has been damaged. This can certainly save you at least two Prizes during that matchup.
1 Ghetsis
[card name=”Ghetsis” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] is one of the most game-changing turn one cards in the Expanded format. I’ve lost so many games from being Ghetsis’d to nothing before I even had an opportunity to draw a card. This card is even better with [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card] in the format since you can use the two in combination to draw more cards, even if you don’t get a big rip off of your opponent.
I played a single copy to deal with Night March decks. This card also synergized incredibly well with [card name=”Silent Lab” set=”Primal Clash” no=”140″ c=”name”][/card] by locking the opponent out of the game. I’ve won tons games thanks to this card, and I wouldn’t play a deck without it in Expanded.
1 Colress
The [card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”135″ c=”name”][/card] is nice late-game when you need to conserve cards, but need more cards than what [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”101″ c=”name”][/card] offers at that moment. Mid-game N isn’t an ideal draw Supporter, and you don’t always want to discard your hand with [card name=”Professor Juniper” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”116″ c=”name”][/card]. Sometimes you can draw more cards with Colress than you can with Juniper. These extra cards definitely make the inclusion worthwhile.
1 N
I’ve had a lot of players suggest the use of two [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”101″ c=”name”][/card] to help against Night March, but I always argued that [card name=”Ghetsis” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] often functions as a second N. If you’re trying to get rid of the “[card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card] for game” play, [card name=”Ghetsis” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] will remove the opponent’s [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”110″ c=”name”][/card]. It is possible for the opponent to play around it, but it’s a decent option to have if your N is Prized. The chances of N being Prized is small (roughly ten percent), so I don’t let that bother me too much.
2 Float Stone
In most instances, attaching a [card name=”Float Stone” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] to retreat was far better than attaching an Energy to retreat. As a result, I went with a smaller [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card] line and ran more Float Stone to make up for it. The Float Stone had the advantage of being useful when a Darkrai wasn’t on the field. It could also be attached and used when a [card name=”Silent Lab” set=”Primal Clash” no=”140″ c=”name”][/card] was in play. The two Float Stone was a for-sure inclusion in this deck due to the Silent Lab strategy and the one Darkrai.
2 Parallel City
I was debating on [card name=”Reverse Valley” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”110″ c=”name”][/card] versus [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card]. I ended up going with Parallel City primarily due to the [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card] matchup. It also serves a secondary purpose of limiting the opponent’s Bench while not allowing them to go nuts with multiple [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card]. In decks that only play one stadium, such as [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Flareon” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card], it’s incredibly useful.
2 Silent Lab
[cardimg name=”Silent Lab” set=”Primal Clash” no=”140″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
This card was an amazing addition to this deck. It always felt great to watch the opponent discard [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] early in the game because a [card name=”Silent Lab” set=”Primal Clash” no=”140″ c=”name”][/card] was on the field. This card locked my opponents out of various different plays since their Abilities were lost.
Silent Lab was also central to my strategy against [card name=”Primal Groudon-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”151″ c=”name”][/card] decks. It was paramount to shut off their [card name=”Mr. Mime” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”47″ c=”name”][/card] in order to get in a couple Pitch-Black Spears to soften them up.
7 Darkness / 4 Double Colorless Energy
I was pleased with how this Energy line functioned. I know some players played six Darkness Energy, but I found that I wasn’t drawing them frequently enough after having to discard one or two of them early in the game to get some [card name=”Dark Patch” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] off. In this situation, the count is a matter of preference. If you feel comfortable with six basic Energy, go for it.
The Tournament
I entered the tournament having little idea of what I would face. To make matters worse, Expanded has a more diverse metagame than Standard since there are many different sets to choose from. Here’s my round-by-round record which finally brought my Regionals drought to an end:
- 1. Elan Simon (Turbo Dark) WL — TIE
- 2. Jake Jensen ([card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card]) WW — WIN
- 3. Kurt Gearhart (Toad / Tina) WW — WIN
- 4. Christopher Headlee (Maxie’s [card name=”Yveltal” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card]) WLW — WIN
- 5. Shane Conley ([card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card]) LWW — WIN
- 6. Jason Klaczynski ([card name=”Primal Groudon-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”151″ c=”name”][/card]) WW — WIN
- 7. Austin Zettel (Primal Groudon) WW — WIN
- 8. Nick Beaudry (Night March) LL — LOSS
- 9. Eric Gansman ([card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card]) WLW — WIN
As predicted, I faced a plethora of decks, and there was no way I could have predicted the Toad / Tina appearance. Luckily, [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”144″ c=”name”][/card] decks tend to have a solid matchup against that variant. Those rounds were instances in which [card name=”Mewtwo-EX” set=”Next Destinies” no=”98″ c=”name”][/card] dominated and won me the games. [card name=”Yveltal” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card]’s Fright Night Ability also hindered their mobility, practically eliminating [card name=”Keldeo-EX” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”142″ c=”name”][/card] from the game.
Tying Elan early made me feel like I was going to have an unremarkable tournament. Nobody likes starting their day with a tie or loss. He played the matchup well. Game one was back and forth with both of us taking Prizes. Game two, I went second and was [card name=”Ghetsis” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card]’d to garbage and didn’t draw another Pokemon. In game three, we were exchanging Prizes, but he had the upper hand most of the game. I couldn’t get [card name=”Gallade” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”84″ c=”name”][/card] out for the life of me, and that is crucial in this matchup. Time was called, however, and we couldn’t finish the game.
Jason didn’t play a [card name=”Mr. Mime” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”47″ c=”name”][/card] in his version of [card name=”Primal Groudon-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”151″ c=”name”][/card], and it hurt him dearly. Austin Zettel did, however, but he Prized it during game one and I won on a fluke in game two. I had a situation where I had two Prizes left and I had to go through [card name=”Hard Charm” set=”XY” no=”119″ c=”name”][/card] when attacking with Yveltal. I was so used to having the [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”36″ c=”name”][/card] Active that it didn’t occur to me that there was a [card name=”Robo Substitute” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card] in the Active spot when I was attacking, and I was now doing the full 60 damage. Neither of us realized this until it was going into my turn and the judge forced us to correct the damage on Primal Groudon to 180 damage instead of 90 damage. This was huge since now he was only a Pitch-Black Spear away from being Knocked Out. He had a good chance of winning game two, but this mishap ruined it for him. I still feel as if this matchup is favorable against Dark, but my opponent still played well.
Night March is not a favorable matchup for this deck, as you can see by my one loss. It’s difficult when you play a lot of EX attackers. I tried to disrupt my opponent into awful hands with Ghetsis and [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”101″ c=”name”][/card], but my opponent was able to either have a Supporter in hand or draw out of the N in both of our games.
I finished the first day at 7-1-1, which was comfortable for making Top 8. I only needed to win two games the following day.
Here’s my day two record:
- 1. Jake Jensen (Toad / Tina) WW — WIN
- 2. Nick Beaudry (Night March) LWW — WIN
- 3. Jeremiah Williams ([card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Flareon” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card]) — INTENTIONAL DRAW
- 4. Jason G (Turbo Dark) — INTENTIONAL DRAW
- 5. Ross Cawthon ([card name=”Accelgor” set=”Furious Fists” no=”9″ c=”name”][/card] / Wobb) — INTENTIONAL DRAW
Day two was relatively easy for me. I faced a couple of familiar faces during the first two rounds and, fortunately for me, won both rounds so I could draw my way to Top 8. I got redemption against the Night March player I lost to in Swiss. I was luckier with the Ghetsis plays, hitting a sweet Ghetsis for five in game two. In game three, I used N to force my opponent to draw garbage, and I managed to come back.
The rest of the day was intentional draws since I was already 9-1-1. I made it into cut as the third seed with a 9-1-4 record.
Here’s my top cut performance if you didn’t catch the stream:
- 1. Top 8 – Owen Robinson (Vespiquen / Flareon) WW — WIN
- 2. Top 4 – Jason G (Turbo Dark) LWW — WIN
- 3. Finals – Eric Gansman (Trevenant) WW — WIN
My good friend Jay Young was also in the top cut playing Night March, and that was the matchup I was hoping to avoid. Fortunately, I faced Owen instead, who didn’t play a Wobbuffet in his deck. I managed to hit [card name=”Archeops” set=”Noble Victories” no=”67″ c=”name”][/card] in both of our games. This made for an uphill battle for Owen.
The matches against Jason were far closer. Jason had an explosive game one, getting multiple [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”118″ c=”name”][/card] going, along with eight Energy — all by turn two. I couldn’t keep up since my Gallade was Prized. I ended up falling behind quickly. His deck destroyed me in the damage department from [card name=”Hypnotoxic Laser” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Virbank City Gym” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”126″ c=”name”][/card]. In game two, my Gallade was Prized again and I thought it was over for sure. However, I caught him at a moment where he was dead drawing, so I used [card name=”Yveltal” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY06″ c=”name”][/card] to my advantage. This allowed me to break away and take the game. Jason took first turn for game three and had another explosive start, similar to his game one start. My Gallade wasn’t Prized for once, so I got it out swinging. It took four Prizes for me and swept his field, ultimately taking the game. Darkrai’s Weakness came through for me since I was able to destroy the 220 HP Pokemon with my single-Prize, single-Energy attacker.
My first game in the final round against Eric was my best game in the entire tournament. Eric played a super powerful denial game. Seeing as that his Pokemon’s Weakness would lose him the game if he tried the conventional approach, he didn’t have any other option. He led heavily with Wobbuffet since I had Archeops in play. We got to the point where I was up huge on Prizes; however, I was close to decking out. I misplayed by getting out my Gallade. I wanted the Premonition Ability, but it wasn’t worth the liability Gallade ended up being. Eric used [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card] on my Gallade to trap it Active. Fortunately, I top decked a clutch [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Generations” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] that I didn’t think I still had in my deck. In one instance, Eric felt that he could deck me out since I drew my last card. Little did he know, I had a [card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”135″ c=”name”][/card] and was able to use it for four, forcing him to switch gears. There were quite a few moments I could’ve lost in that particular game, but I managed to come through every time. Game two was nothing spectacular; Eric wasn’t drawing what he needed and I was sweeping his field with Yveltal-EX.
Overall, this was a difficult matchup for Eric. He did an incredible job overcoming the odds in a close game one, though.
This deck finished 12-1-4 for the weekend, which I still find unbelievable. It had whatever it needed in any situation that it found itself in.
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The Competitive Mindset
I came into this tournament with a serious problem that has always plagued me when I played this game competitively — I tend to relax a lot and turn down the heat once I reach my own expectations. I believe this is the reason why I always flunk out of the top cut early and rarely win events. Honestly, I only wanted to make day two at this event. I was even tempted to I.D. my way into day two, but after having talked with my buddy Paul Cheville, I was convinced to play it out. I was likely to make day two anyways, but I knew it would feel great to be 7-1-1 instead of 6-1-2. I took his advice and tried to make a situation for myself that would increase my potential for winning the whole tournament.
When I was up and preparing for day two of the competition on Sunday, one of my shower thoughts was that I could be one of the 32 left to win the entire tournament. I never shook that thought off all day. I kept doing whatever I could to win and had my eyes on that Champion trophy. I was in good shape to earn it since I was only two wins away during day two of getting into the Top 8. My biggest moment of adversity was my Top 4 match against Jason. I got stomped game one, and upon seeing my Gallade Prized game two, I felt like it was over. I quickly remembered my thoughts from that morning, and I squirmed my way to pull off the win. If that were the past, I felt as if I would have shut down, but I was determined to make the finals.
Moral of the story — never settle for the minimum that you expect of yourself. You can pull off miraculous wins to get you championship wins. I recognized a problem I had, and I’m sure I’m not the only one. The problem comes from actually acknowledging the problem and finding a way to overcome it. Anyone that registers for a Pokemon event can win the entire thing. Put your eyes on the trophy, and never take your eyes off of it. If there is one thing to take away from my Regionals report, it’s this.
Kansas City Regionals
Not much of an exciting story here, to be honest. I went 2-2-1-drop with the same deck list. I lost to Max Armitage in the first round, who was using my exact deck list. I went on to win my next two games, then tied a game against a [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] deck. In my last match, I played against Turbo Dark, and we had some close games. We went to time and I was going to win game three, but with a 2-1-2 record, I was unable to make Top 8. Anything less than Top 8 would not have given me any points due to my best finish limit (T8 States, T16 States, T16 States, Win Regionals), so I conceded to my opponent to give him a chance to earn his invite that weekend, then I dropped.
My mind wasn’t set on winning. I was kind of tired of Expanded at that point and was looking forward to play testing Standard with my close friends.
The highlight of my weekend was having five or six players come up to me and congratulate me on the win and compliment the deck list. Those players ended up using that same list during this tournament. Many players made a few adjustments, such as replacing the [card name=”Keldeo-EX” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”142″ c=”name”][/card] with another [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card]. Everyone has preferences, but it was quite humbling to hear from top-tier players that they enjoyed my list.
Max made it to Top 4 with the list the way it was. This list now has a Championship, a Top 4 finish, and a Top 8 finish under its belt.
The Future of Night March
Expanded was cool, but now let’s look at how the best deck in Standard changes with [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”101″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Mew” set=”Fates Collide” no=”29″ c=”name”][/card] in the format.
Changes with Fates Collide
Night March was a truly dominant deck during the States season, especially with the release of [card name=”Puzzle of Time” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card]. It was honestly one of the worst formats that I’ve ever played in, since Night March was so utterly dominant. It even had potential to beat its bad matchups due to every other deck being so inconsistent and clunky when compared to Night March. Nonetheless, Fates Collide changes things a lot.
The Return of N
[cardimg name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ align=”left” c=”none”][/cardimg]
The [card name=”N” set=”Black and White Black Star Promos” no=”BW100″ c=”name”][/card] reprint was needed badly in this game. The biggest problem with Night March in the past was that there was no limit to its aggression. There wasn’t any punishment for taking Prizes early, and there wasn’t any need to thin the deck, to a degree, since [card name=”Judge” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”143″ c=”name”][/card] was the only disruption card left and it wasn’t even a good one.
There was no way to attack the opponent’s hand to remove their resources. N’s comeback changes that entirely. Now Night March will get hit hard if it stays aggressive for too long. It will have to change its strategy to Knocking Out attackers instead of grabbing cheap Prizes for a swift victory.
Night March is incredibly susceptible to N due to the nature of the deck. Night March loses its attacker just about every turn, and relies on draw power to get another attacker going. N can make Night March decks skip a beat and prevent them from attacking again.
Not only does N hold Night March in check, but it gives every other deck a consistent draw Supporter to get them out of the early lock. [card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Greninja” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card], and many other decks have had consistency issues in the past, often having to rely on [card name=”Professor Birch’s Observations” set=”Primal Clash” no=”134″ c=”name”][/card] to get going. That era is gone.
Mew
[card name=”Mew” set=”Fates Collide” no=”29″ c=”name”][/card] opens up some possibilities for Night March decks. Initially, it didn’t seem necessary, but I decided to try it anyways. I played one copy in my list and loved it! It allows for more aggression with your Night Marchers, decreasing the overall risk of discarding them early in the game. It’s also is an excellent starter, much better than the dreaded [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] starts that could happen with this deck. Add free retreat on top of this, and playing the card feels like a must. I loved [card name=”Mew-EX” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”120″ c=”name”][/card], and Mew offers some of the same versatility.
Bent Spoon
This card has some general utility in Night March, but it’s primarily used to counter [card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card]. It blocks Silent Fear and protects your Night Marchers. I’m still trying to determine the proper count for these in the list. Of course, [card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] Item locks you, but if you go first, you could possibly get [card name=”Bent Spoon” set=”Fates Collide” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] into play.
The Deck List
Here’s a variation of my States list that I’m currently testing. I’m liking this a lot, and it tends to draw well in spite of [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”101″ c=”name”][/card].
[decklist name=”Night March” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Mew” set=”Fates Collide” no=”29″][pokemon amt=”17″]4x [card name=”Joltik” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”26″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Pumpkaboo” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”44″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Lampent” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”42″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Mew” set=”Fates Collide” no=”29″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]3 x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”106″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3 “][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”39″]4x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”101″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]1x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”101″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Teammates” set=”Primal Clash” no=”160″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”104″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”122″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”110″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”100″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Puzzle of Time” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”109″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Pokémon Catcher” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”83″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Escape Rope” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”120″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Town Map” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”136″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Startling Megaphone” set=”Flashfire” no=”97″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Target Whistle” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”106″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]3x [card name=”Dimension Valley” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”93″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”4″]4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Fates Collide” no=”114″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
I’ve discussed Night March lists in detail plenty of times, so I will only go over the changes that result from the shifting format.
2 Mew
As I’ve said before, [card name=”Mew” set=”Fates Collide” no=”29″ c=”name”][/card] was originally a one-of for me, but now there are two in my list. They have done incredibly well throughout my testing. You’re able to hit for higher Night March Knock Outs early with Mew being the attacker instead of a Night Marcher. Despite Mew having free retreat, I still play one [card name=”Float Stone” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] in the deck. I absolutely hate [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card] starts, and I believe every Night March deck must play two copies of a switch card.
4 Professor Sycamore
[cardimg name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”101″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
I pulled this count out of Andrew Mahone‘s book. I didn’t play four [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card] until week four of States, and I loved it ever since. It’s so nice consistently drawing into another Sycamore after playing one and not having to rely as much on [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card] to draw cards.
1 N
[card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”101″ c=”name”][/card] simply replaces [card name=”Judge” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”143″ c=”name”][/card] in this deck. Both play the same role, except N does it significantly better. Running a one-of is fine since the list plays such a heavy [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”110″ c=”name”][/card] line.
0 Xerosic
I took out [card name=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”119″ c=”name”][/card] since I expect [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] to be played substantially less. It may be a wrong call, but if I hear rumors of Giratina being played, then I’ll consider throwing it back in.
2 Pokemon Catcher
I still love these cards; they remain in my list because they help take Knock Outs on the opponent’s key Pokemon. The strategy of Night March shifts from easy Prizes to strategic Knock Outs, and [card name=”Pokémon Catcher” set=”Kalos Starter Set” no=”36″ c=”name”][/card] does a great job with assisting in these Knock Outs.
The inclusion of Pokemon Catcher does, however, leave you more susceptible to getting [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card]’d to garbage late in the game. If this is a large concern for you, add another [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card] and maybe another [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card].
1 Fighting Fury Belt
Having two copies of this card in the deck is exceptionally powerful, but not necessary. Sure, the extra 40 HP is big against some matchups, but it isn’t the end of the world if you don’t draw into it. I play expecting my Night Marchers to get Knocked Out every turn.
[card name=”Startling Megaphone” set=”Flashfire” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card] isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, and the card makes [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] a false safety blanket since it can be easily removed.
0 Basic Energy
Countless people have asked me if basic Energy are useful in Night March now that [card name=”Mew” set=”Fates Collide” no=”29″ c=”name”][/card] exists. Theoretically, you can have a [card name=”Joltik” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card] on the Bench with a [card name=”Dimension Valley” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] in play and attack for a single Colorless Energy. I’ve thought about this a lot, and I will explain my thought process.
I hate whiffing [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Fates Collide” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card] and I hate being Chaos Wheeled out of the game by a [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card], but I don’t find a basic Energy line to be necessary in a deck that plays [card name=”Puzzle of Time” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card]. Finding the correct combination of cards is intricate, yet I managed to pull it off all the time when I played [card name=”Mew-EX” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”120″ c=”name”][/card] last season. However, last season was vastly different and Night March has changed since then. It can now get away with playing the four copies of [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Fates Collide” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card] and recover them via Puzzle of Time.
There are too many other cards that you could play effectively in place of basic Energy. I will be honest and say that I’ve never tested the deck with basic Energy, but it’s still not out of the question. I may test it sometime before now and Nationals. My current thought process consists of trimming all the fat off of this Night March list to make it as consistent as possible, especially now that [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card] has returned.
Night March Versus the Format
Night March’s favorable matchups don’t change; it’s still an incredibly consistent deck that doesn’t lose to much. However, its favorable matchups aren’t as good as they used to be. [card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] is considered a bad matchup for Night March, yet I’ve seen Night March steal games in top cut against Trevenant. With [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”101″ c=”name”][/card] being reprinted, I no longer foresee that happening anymore. Any sort of poor drawing from the Trevenant player will just make N all the sweeter later in the game.
[card name=”Greninja” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] vastly improves with N as well. This deck was always begging for a draw Supporter that wasn’t [card name=”Professor Birch’s Observations” set=”Primal Clash” no=”134″ c=”name”][/card]. I play four copies of N in my current Ninja list and it’s proving to be successful in shutting Night March out of the game. Greninja’s occasionally slow starts no longer hurt it as much. Furthermore, running [card name=”Octillery” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card] benefits the deck even more with the use of N.
Practically every deck imaginable gets a buff from N’s return, except for Night March. This obviously means that Night March is not going to dominate the format like it did during States. Other decks will rise up to meet Night March’s power level.
Preparing for Nationals
We’re not too far away from Nationals; it’s roughly one month away. If you worked hard to prepare for Regionals, prepare to stay busy. There’s not much of a break before Nationals.
I’ve already mentioned this, but it’s so important that I will say it again; [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”101″ c=”name”][/card]’s return changes a lot with the current format. New decks have emerged to beat the highly aggressive deck that has been dominantly successful at States. There are many great decks out there that have been invalidated in the past by the extreme aggression of Night March and [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card]. Your deck ideas of the past should probably be looked at and tested once again, especially against their toughest matchups. N holds the level of aggressiveness in check and allows your slow startup deck to have a more devastating effect late-game, in addition to a more consistent start due to N’s draw power.
I began testing other alternative decks against Night March. I consider myself an accomplished Night March player that is used to how the deck works, so I feel that I can concentrate on other things and revisit Night March later. You should utilize this approach as well early in your testing. Test things you’re not comfortable with, and use that testing to help you make the decision of whether or not you should play it.
When there’s about a week left before the tournament begins, that’s usually when I narrow myself down to two or three decks and test those against particular matchups, paying attention to the poor ones in particular. Nationals will be a hard tournament to predict the metagame of, but you can always count on seeing [card name=”Greninja” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card], and Night March.
Conclusion
I hope you found my Regionals report inspiring and helpful. I had fun playing the deck, and I definitely had fun with my PokeFamily at Regionals. It truly was inspiring to play on stream, knowing that my closest friends and family from around the country had their eyes on me. It’s what every Pokemon player aspires to do.
The Standard format and Night March will both change up quite a bit. Test my Night March deck above and tell me what you think! Remember that becoming a champion is more than just what is in your deck and how you play; you need to have the right mindset and prepare properly. If you guys have any questions or comments, feel free to hit me up in the Subscriber’s Secret Hideout!
Thanks again to everyone who cheered for me when I was on stream, and thanks to Austen Vance as well for some major help with the Madison winning list.
Good luck at Nationals,
Treynor
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