Haters Gonna Hate — Anti-Meta Plays for Nationals and an Exclusive Interview with Enrique Avila
Hello again ‘Beach goers! My school year is over! That means it’s time to hit the beach, get my bronze on, skateboard, work at the carnival, stay up late, sleep in, and play Pokemon ’til my fingers bleed. I’ve always said that I’m destined to be a teacher, not because I’m patient and happen to be good at teaching, but because I live for summer vacations.
Some of you may have noticed that my next article is premiering sooner than usual. Due to the overwhelmingly positive feedback I’ve received from readers lately, I plan to start writing two full articles each month. I can’t express how humbled I am by the kind words I’ve heard from many of you, so I want to take this opportunity to say thank you to the readers and subscribers that keep this program afloat. Writing for PokeBeach has definitely challenged me to become a better writer, but more importantly, it has challenged me to become a better card player. It’s been an incredible experience to grow and prosper with this program since its onset, and I’m looking forward to the opportunities with PokeBeach that lie ahead.
During my last article, I discussed the three front runners in the Standard format: [card name=”Trevenant BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card], and Night March. These decks were a given, but it’s important to establish solid lists for them before moving forward. Now that we have the front runners in focus, we can explore the progression of the format. In today’s article, I will explain the benefits of playing alternative or anti-meta decks at high profile tournaments while providing lists for three unique decks for Nationals.
I am also honored to be sharing this article with Enrique Avila, who is stopping by to shed some insight on the viability of [card name=”Wailord-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”38″ c=”name”][/card] for the National Championships. For those of you who don’t know Enrique, he finished second at the U.S. National Championships last year with his groundbreaking Wailord deck. More recently, he placed in the Top 4 of Iowa States with a new iteration of Wailord that he and his team had been developing for months. Wailord has been gaining some hype recently because it absolutely trounces all but a couple decks in Standard. It also earned a second place finish at Edmonton Regionals in the hands of TJ Traquair. Make sure to stay tuned for this exclusive interview!
Why go Anti-Meta?
If I say that [card name=”Trevenant BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card], and Night March are the three best decks in the format, why should I bother looking elsewhere? These three decks have earned their spot at the top because of their overall strength and broad range of even to positive matchups. That being said, many players are dissatisfied with the way that matches between the big three decks pan out. The interactions between the top three decks tend to be more luck-based rather than skill-based, which makes these choices frustrating amongst highly skilled players. For example, [card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] is only explicitly favored when it goes first, while Night March fares much better against Trevenant and [card name=”Greninja” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] when it goes first and draws into its [card name=”Puzzle of Time” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] correctly. Though many, like myself, have come to the conclusion that Greninja is the winningest of the top three decks, it is easily the least consistent. Players also tend to agree that the Greninja mirror match is the least fun mirror to play, with both Night March and Trevenant mirrors trailing closely behind.
Since players’ attitudes towards the top three decks are unusually sour this year, the field seems ripe for anti-meta decks at the National Championships. Most anti-meta decks have some sort of glaring weakness that prevent them from prevailing as a top archetype. However, once a format has established itself, players can accurately assess the risk / reward ratio of piloting an anti-meta deck at a big tournament.
Weighing Risk vs. Reward
A risk / reward ratio is used by investors to compare the expected profit of an investment to the amount of risk required to obtain that profit. Smart investors will only take risks that are likely to pay off. They spend time analyzing market trends in order to predict what consumers will spend money on in order to be successful. In the same way, smart Pokemon players only take risks with deck choices that are likely to pay off in some way.
Every deck has its own risk / reward factor that players should consider. For example, the risk of bringing Night March to a tournament is that the deck is extremely high profile. Players may attempt to counter it directly with cards like [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Bursting Balloon” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Articuno” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”17″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Jirachi” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY67″ c=”name”][/card], or [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card]. On the other hand, the reward is that you are playing the fastest, hardest hitting, most consistent deck in the format. You have a chance to beat almost any deck on those merits alone. The top decks in a given format tend to have moderate risk / reward factors. They boast even-ish matchups with a few positive matchups tossed in as well. Conversely, anti-meta decks tend to be more polarized. An anti-meta deck might completely decimate a few top decks while losing horribly to one or two others.
A perfect example of an anti-meta deck that saw success lately was Chrisowalantis Amanatidis‘s Water Toolbox deck that he used to win Germany’s National Championships. Chrisowalantis‘s archetype has gained popularity lately because it can beat Night March, Seismitoad / Giratina, [card name=”Yveltal” set=”XY” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Zoroark” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Trevenant BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card], while only losing outright to decks that feature a prominent Grass-type attacker. Chrisowalantis saw his local metagame honing in around [card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] and Night March, so he took this opportunity to exploit it, and succeeded despite the risks involved. Chrisowalantis was able to give himself a significant edge versus a large portion of the German metagame because of the call he made. In this way, it is possible to negate the risks of an anti-meta deck with a spot-on meta call.
Metagaming
Predicting the meta for a big tournament like Nationals can be an exhausting task. It’s important to expand your network as large as possible to try and find out what players are talking about leading up to the competition. Reading articles on PokeBeach is a perfect way to get started, but another one of my favorite ways to get a feel for the metagame at large is to hop on PTCGO and play for a couple hours. PTCGO is like a worldwide metagame hive. Since matches are being played all day, every day, lists are constantly being tweaked and strategies are constantly emerging. Though I wouldn’t suggest playing whatever you see a lot of on PTCGO, it is a great way to figure out what’s popular, and an excellent tool to utilize for making a deck choice for a large tournament.
To properly asses the risk / reward factor for a given deck, you need to have a keen perception of the metagame. If you fail to correctly assess the risks of an anti-meta deck, you could fall completely flat on your face. Imagine playing [card name=”M Sceptile-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”8″ c=”name”][/card] at Nationals and then running into multiple [card name=”Flareon-EX” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC28″ c=”name”][/card] decks!
As of late, I consider [card name=”Greninja” set=”XY” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card], Night March, and Water Toolbox to be the top four decks to look out for at Nationals. Chrisowalantis‘s rogue deck has made such an impression on the metagame that I now consider it to be an essential archetype in our evolving metagame. When making your selection for Nationals, you can afford to sack one of these matchups if you get lucky and hopefully dodge enough of them during your run. I expect many decks to do well at Nationals that fare poorly versus one of these decks while having good odds against the other three. That being said, I wouldn’t select any deck that explicitly suffers versus two of these decks. It would be difficult to do well at Nationals if you can’t regularly beat 75% of the big decks.
For the remainder of my article, I will review anti-meta or alternative deck choices that take advantage of the already established metagame in some way. I will provide my personal list for each deck before explaining the projected risk / reward factors of piloting it during Nationals.
Mega Sceptile
[card name=”M Sceptile-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”8″ c=”name”][/card] was easily recognized as a powerful card upon its release. It’s a 220 HP Mega Pokemon-EX that is immune to Abilities, has access to [card name=”Forest of Giant Plants” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card], heals, and accelerates Energy. Yet despite the defensive power of the card, it has spent the last ten months living in the shadows of OHKO decks like Night March and [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card]. I’ll spare you the anticipation and let you know that neither of these matchups have been improved. What has improved, though, is Mega Sceptile’s positioning in the Standard format.
[decklist name=”Mega Sceptile” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”M Sceptile-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”8″][pokemon amt=”12″]4x [card name=”M Sceptile-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”8″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Sceptile-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”7″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]1x [card name=”Hoopa-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY71″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Ariados” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”6″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Spinarak” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”5″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”38″]4x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”101″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Fisherman” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”136″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”AZ” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”117″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”100″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Sceptile Spirit Link” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”80″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Mega Turbo” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”86″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Switch” set=”HeartGold and SoulSilver” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Escape Rope” set=”Primal Clash” no=”127″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Revitalizer” set=”Generations” no=”70″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Forest of Giant Plants” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”74″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]1x [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”10″]10x [card name=”Grass Energy” set=”Diamond and Pearl” no=”123″ c=”deck2″ amt=”10″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
As you can see, I prefer a straight forward, no nonsense list. I like the deck to be fast and consistent, aiming to get a turn one or two Jagged Saber and stream them continuously throughout the course of the game. Once this deck sets up, it is extremely hard to take down.
The Risk
[cardimg name=”M Sceptile-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”8″ align=”right” c=”custom”]The big green monster.[/cardimg]
How much of a gambler are you? Are you willing to take the loss to Night March, the very deck that defines Standard? If you’re a gambling man (or woman), step right up! [card name=”M Sceptile-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”8″ c=”name”][/card] is the perfect example of a high risk / high reward deck choice. You take the loss to Night March and [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card], but destroy nearly everything else.
I’ve attempted many strategies to try and get this deck to beat Night March, but none have been a success. I tried [card name=”Jirachi” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY67″ c=”name”][/card], I tried [card name=”Assault Vest” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”133″ c=”name”][/card], and I even considered [card name=”Floette” set=”Flashfire” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card]! But there was just no dice. There’s no way to polish this deck’s terrible Night March matchup. You might recall that [card name=”M Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”24″ c=”name”][/card], a similar archetype in all ways except typing, has access to [card name=”Jolteon-EX” set=”Generations” no=”28″ c=”name”][/card] and still cannot beat Night March.
Despite the fact that this deck can’t beat Night March with any sort of consistency, it could still be a solid call for U.S. Nationals. Last year, [card name=”Raichu” set=”XY” no=”43″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card] was widely considered to be the BDIF leading up to U.S. Nationals. It was collecting National finishes at various competitions around the world, but by the time U.S. Nationals rolled around, few actually played Raichu / Crobat or Night March, the deck it was designed to beat! It’s possible that this year’s U.S. Nationals will follow a similar pattern. People may spend so much effort countering Night March that they leave the door open for a Night March weak deck like Mega Sceptile to thrive!
The Reward
You take the loss to the most high profile deck in Standard, so what! There are some serious dividends to be had with [card name=”M Sceptile-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”85″ c=”name”][/card] if you hit your matchups correctly. Sceptile is heavily favored against [card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Trevenant BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Wailord-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”147″ c=”name”][/card], Water Toolbox, and [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card]. Sceptile has the potential to beat any deck that doesn’t regularly OHKO 220 HP Pokemon-EX. On top of this, Abilities like [card name=”Alakazam-EX” set=”Fates Collide” no=”25″ c=”name”][/card]’s Kinesis, [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card]’s Surprise Bite, and [card name=”Greninja” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card]’s Water Shuriken have no effect on your Mega Sceptile-EX thanks to its Ancient Trait, Theta Stop.
If you think that a gamble like this is far-fetched, it isn’t. Just last summer, Daniel Altavilla finished in the Top 16 of Worlds with a [card name=”M Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”24″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Genesect-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”11″ c=”name”][/card] deck that took brutal losses to both Night March and [card name=”Landorus-EX” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card] / Crobat, both of which were well represented at the tournament. People slide through the cracks with risky plays all the time. Earlier this year, Connor Finton won a States with [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] despite the fact that Night March was still reigning as the undisputed BDIF. Two years ago, Aaron Tarbell won St. Louis Regionals with [card name=”Blastoise” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Keldeo-EX” set=”Legendary Treasures” no=”45″ c=”name”][/card] despite [card name=”Virizion-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”9″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Genesect-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”11″ c=”name”][/card] being the most played deck at the tournament.
Even if you happen to get paired against a Night March deck with Sceptile, all hope is not lost. No deck boasts a 100% to 0% matchup odds. You still have a shot at winning if you set up well and things don’t go perfectly for Night March. Sometimes Night March will struggle to find [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Next Destinies” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] or Prize a ridiculous number of Night Marchers. In these cases, you must take advantage of your opponent’s poor fortune.
Wailord — with Enrique Avila
Not everyone wants to leave their Night March matchup in the air. Some players dislike Night March so thoroughly that they will pick their deck with the intention of defeating Night March 100% of the time. Not many decks can boast that. In fact, [card name=”Wailord-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”38″ c=”name”][/card] is the only deck that gets close to keeping that promise. If you’re a Night March hater, look no further. I’ve recruited the Wailord expert himself, Enrique Avila, to walk you through the newest iteration of last year’s groundbreaking Wailord deck.
Hello Enrique! Thanks for joining us here on PokeBeach. How’s it going?
Hi Andrew! I’ve been doing very well.
What have you been up to lately?
I Just finished up another successful year of school at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. I’m enjoying the freedom of summer before my infamous junior year comes along that is filled with the MCAT and many other academic challenges.
How have you been feeling about your season so far? How many Championship Points do you have?
My season has been quite successful for the amount of time school has demanded out of me. I sit at 317 Championship Points and earned my invite during Madison Regionals two weeks ago.
What would you consider to be the highlight of your season so far?
The highlight of my season was definitely my States run. This is where I made the biggest leap in Championship Points towards my Worlds invitation. I attended three States, managing to Top 8 one and Top 4 another, each with an unorthodox deck choice. For my Top 8 run, I piloted a [card name=”Raichu” set=”XY” no=”43″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card] variant to counter Night March and [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card]. But it was Iowa States that was the real highlight of my season. There I played [card name=”Wailord-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”38″ c=”name”][/card], going undefeated in Swiss, only losing in Top 4 to the eventual champ, who played [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card]. Unfortunately, I suffered from some bad draws in a matchup that generally cannot afford any slip-ups.
What would you consider to be the low point of your season so far?
My low point was during Cities. Cities season occurs during winter break, so I made it a priority to attend as many Cities as I could to rack up Championship Points before school started up again. I failed. I attended a dozen Cities and only received finishes from three. This was pretty demoralizing and put stress on the rest of the season, making big finishes at large tournaments mandatory in order to receive an invite. I was able to overcome this by finishing well at the next few large tournaments that I had managed to attend.
That’s tough man, but congratulations on your Top 4 States finish with Wailord! That had to be exciting to excel with an old favorite.
Thanks man! It was, for sure.
Combined with your Finalist U.S. Nationals performance last year, this makes you the most accomplished Wailord player in the world. Why do you like the Wailord deck, and why do you think that it might be a good choice for U.S. Nationals again this year?
I like [card name=”Wailord-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”38″ c=”name”][/card] as a deck because it is difficult for the opponent to play against. An opponent has to play at optimum efficiency, managing resources and timing plays well in order to win. Even then, Wailord’s beefiness can still prevail in the end.
Personally, I think it could be a great call for U.S Nationals for one major reason: nearly every deck in the format plays [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card].
Anyone who watched you play in the finals of last year’s U.S. Nationals could see that timing plays a huge part in playing Wailord correctly. What are some of the challenges of piloting Wailord in a 50 minute best-of-three series or a top cut scenario?
The biggest challenge to playing [card name=”Wailord-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”38″ c=”name”][/card] is the mental fatigue. Piloting a 50 minute series correctly can get super technical. The deck is monotonous. You have to time things correctly, otherwise your opponent can take advantage and steal games. Another challenge arises if your opponent steals a quick game one. When this happens, you will likely tie or lose that series. The first game in a series is critically important since Wailord lacks the speed to complete two or three games in 50 minutes. That means there is no room for errors!
As we know, playing Wailord in a top cut scenario can get sketchy. Even if Wailord wins game one, your opponent is able to win game two if they take four Prizes before time is called. Then, they can still win the series in sudden death without ever taking all six Prizes! This issue was unavoidable before; however, I’ve come up with a solution to this issue in my newest list.
As the most accomplished Wailord player, is there any insight you could offer to help players navigate their series?
The best advice I can give to navigate a series is to remain calm. Situations can get stressful, and it may seem like you are losing, but it is only the nature of the deck. Let your opponent swing haymakers at you for a few turns. Eventually, their deck will get gassed and it’s smooth sailing from there on out. Mind the clock and search your opponent’s discard pile to keep counts on [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”110″ c=”name”][/card], shuffle draw, and Energy so you can plan your moves accordingly.
Do you have a skeleton list you could share with us?
[premium]
Yes I do. Here is a 50-card skeleton based off of the list Cody Walinski created and played at Illinois States, receiving a Top 8 finish — the same deck I played for a Top 4 finish at Iowa States. The other 10 cards are open for preference so that you can tech for any anticipated threats.
[decklist name=”Enrique’s Wailord” amt=”50″ caption=”Open slots: 10″ cname=”Wailord-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”147″][pokemon amt=”10″]4x [card name=”Wailord-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”147″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Aegislash-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”65″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Durant” set=”Flashfire” no=”61″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”36″]4x [card name=”Pokémon Fan Club” set=”Flashfire” no=”106″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”AZ” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”117″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Skyla” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”149″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Shauna” set=”XY” no=”127″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Team Flare Grunt” set=”XY” no=”129″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Cassius” set=”XY” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”119″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Max Potion” set=”Emerging Powers” no=”94″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”110″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]1x [card name=”Startling Megaphone” set=”Flashfire” no=”97″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Rough Seas” set=”Primal Clash” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”4″]4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Next Destinies” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
Could you describe to us the general strategy of the deck? How do you win games?
The general strategy is to stall your opponent out of resources by healing constantly while removing Energy until they lose all resources and deck out.
Are there any key features about your list that you consider essential to a good Wailord list?
The key features of this list that make it run excellent are the [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Durant” set=”Flashfire” no=”61″ c=”name”][/card]. Those cards took the deck over the top. Shaymin allows me to Sky Return threats, forcing opponents to play more cards in order to prepare backup attackers. This is particularly useful against [card name=”Joltik” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card] in the Night March matchup. It also allows you to take the first Prizes in sudden death scenarios. Thirty damage isn’t a lot, but it is enough that it adds up over time. Every time you plan to play [card name=”AZ” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”117″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Cassius” set=”XY” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] to heal a [card name=”Wailord-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”38″ c=”name”][/card], you can bench Shaymin and Sky Return if you have a [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”HeartGold and SoulSilver” no=”103″ c=”name”][/card] in hand.
The DCE in the list are also used for Durant, which acts as a more effective [card name=”Hugh” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”130″ c=”name”][/card]. Durant’s attack, Chip Off, allows me to bring opponents’ hand sizes down to four while not affecting my own hand. The best part is that you get to randomly choose what they discard, allowing you to force valuable discards such as [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”110″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Puzzle of Time” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card], and Energy.
In this article, I’m discussing the potential risks and rewards of a few anti-meta decks. What would you say are the weaknesses or risks of playing Wailord in the Standard format?
[cardimg name=”Greninja” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”40″ align=”left” c=”none”][/cardimg]
The risk of playing [card name=”Wailord-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”38″ c=”name”][/card] in Standard depends on the prevalence of [card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] variants. [card name=”Greninja” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] causes problems because, once set up, it can continuously pile on damage while bouncing its Water Energy back to the hand via Moonlight Slash. When combined with multiple [card name=”Fisherman” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”136″ c=”name”][/card], this makes an Energy denial strategy nearly impossible. To make matters worse, [card name=”Greninja” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] has free retreat, so the strategy of locking a Pokemon Active is also tough. Despite this, I was able to tie a Greninja player in Swiss at Iowa States. I stole a game because my opponent decided to bench extra Pokemon, fearing a destructive Chip Off attack. This allowed me to [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card] a target with a Retreat Cost and deck my opponent out.
Vespiquen-centric decks are also an obvious issue for Wailord because of the ease at which they can OHKO it with type advantage. Vespiquen decks that play basic Energy or [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card] can also break [card name=”Aegislash-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”65″ c=”name”][/card]’s Mighty Shield Ability, ruining the walling strategy completely.
Traditionally, Vespiquen / [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card] does not play Hex or basic Energy, so the entire deck can be walled by Aegislash-EX. However, due to the fast Item lock of Vespiquen / Vileplume, drawing into the cards necessary to search out Aegislash-EX can be difficult, leading to some awkward situations. Such was the case in my Top 4 match against Zach Zaharis during Iowa States.
What would you consider to be the strengths or rewards of playing Wailord in the Standard format?
Aside from the decks mentioned above, [card name=”Wailord-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”38″ c=”name”][/card] fares well versus the remainder of the metagame, especially against Night March and [card name=”Trevenant BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card].
Night March is Wailord’s best matchup, hands down. I defeated three in swiss at Iowa States thanks to [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Aegislash-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”65″ c=”name”][/card], the beef of the Whales, and Energy denial. Taking quick Prizes on [card name=”Joltik” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Pumpkaboo” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”44″ c=”name”][/card] allow you to save Energy denial cards for turns in which you are unable to attack, giving a second, more aggressive strategy to Wailord-EX. Also, [card name=”Durant” set=”Flashfire” no=”61″ c=”name”][/card] causes issues for Night March since you can easily Chip Off their valuable resources such as [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”EX FireRed and LeafGreen” no=”100″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Puzzle of Time” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Next Destinies” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card].
Trevenant BREAK is another fantastic matchup. [card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] doesn’t do enough damage to threaten a 250 HP Wailord. With [card name=”Rough Seas” set=”Primal Clash” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card], Energy denial, high Supporter counts and healing cards, Wailord walks away with the win, even with Item lock. The best way to play this matchup is to calculate when your Wailord will get KO’d, and heal immediately before. Chip Off is great in this matchup as well, since they play a low amount of Energy. If you can force them to discard any Energy at all, they will be on their back foot.
What are some of the various options for finishing this list off?
There are many viable card options for finishing this list off. I’ll list a few below while providing a brief explanation for each.
[card name=”Puzzle of Time” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card]: I used this card at Iowa States and it was incredibly good. It works well with a high [card name=”Skyla” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”149″ c=”name”][/card] count and allows you to recycle resources that you need for specific situations. However, due to the prevalence of Item lock, it may not be the optimal choice to include in your own list. When under Item lock, Puzzle can clog hands and lead to losses.
[card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card]: In my opinion, this should be an obvious inclusion. It is a Skyla-searchable Energy denial card that can be reused again and again with Puzzle of Time. Even one Enhanced Hammer can go the distance versus many decks that rely on Special Energy.
Tools: [card name=”Assault Vest” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”133″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Hard Charm” set=”XY” no=”119″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] are all viable options to assist in the strategy of denying Prizes.
[card name=”Team Rocket’s Handiwork” set=”Fates Collide” no=”124″ c=”name”][/card]: This card could be cute as a one-of. If you flip well, you can steal games by deck out or discarding precious resources.
[card name=”Bunnelby” set=”Primal Clash” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card]: Another interesting tech to recycle resources or finish off games with a quick Burrow.
[card name=”Team Aqua’s Secret Base” set=”Double Crisis” no=”28″ c=”name”][/card]: This is a card I really wanted to have in my States deck, but unfortunately, it didn’t make the final cut. This card can be evil. If you run your opponent out of Stadiums, you can drop this and [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card] a high-Retreat-Cost Pokemon out in order to draw-pass to victory.
[card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”101″ c=”name”][/card]: Great card, don’t need to say anymore about it.
[card name=”Lugia-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”68″ c=”name”][/card]: This list already plays [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Next Destinies” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card], so Lugia could be a useful inclusion. Some opponents try to super-stack an [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] or play all their Energy down on one Pokemon. Lugia could be a sweet surprise counter for that strategy.
How would you account for various matchups with your final card inclusions?
[cardimg name=”Team Aqua’s Secret Base” set=”Double Crisis” no=”28″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
I would account for various matchups by choosing cards that assist the deck’s function as a whole. This deck is different than others. You can’t really include a single copy of a card for one matchup and hope it completely wins the matchup. When my group modifies this deck, every inclusion must be assisting in the overall strategy of the deck.
If I expect a ton of Night March, which I do, [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card] is a must. If I expect a lot of [card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Team Aqua’s Secret Base” set=”Double Crisis” no=”28″ c=”name”][/card] could be a game-changing inclusion.
Thanks again for joining us Enrique, and good luck at Nationals!
Thanks again for having me Mahone! Good to be here at PokeBeach. Hopefully everything I said can help you all build the best [card name=”Wailord-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”38″ c=”name”][/card] deck if you decide to play it!
Wrapping Up Wailord
Hopefully you guys got as much out of Enrique’s interview as I did! I am super humbled to have such awesome players stop by and help me with my articles. If you have any suggestions for people you’d like to hear from next time, just let me know in the comments. I think it’s important to get multiple players’ perspectives on the metagame and deck construction in order to broaden our own perspectives on the game. As you can see from Enrique’s deck choices for State Championships, he is a Night March hater! But that hate has led him to undeniable success recently; he might be on to something.
Enrique and his friends are working hard to finalize their own [card name=”Wailord-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”38″ c=”name”][/card] list and have decided to keep the final details of their testing private. I’m thankful for him getting us over 80% of the way there, though! I thought that I would take a stab at finishing the skeleton off in order to give you an idea of how I would play it. I’ll be drawing from my own testing, Enrique’s skeleton, and TJ Traquair’s Edmonton Regional Finalist Wailord list to do so.
My Wailord List
[decklist name=”Wailord” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Wailord-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”38″][pokemon amt=”10″]4x [card name=”Wailord-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”38″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Aegislash-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”65″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Durant” set=”Flashfire” no=”61″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”46″]4x [card name=”Pokémon Fan Club” set=”Flashfire” no=”106″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”AZ” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”117″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Skyla” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”122″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Team Flare Grunt” set=”XY” no=”129″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Shauna” set=”XY” no=”127″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Cassius” set=”XY” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Team Rocket’s Handiwork” set=”Fates Collide” no=”124″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”119″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”110″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Puzzle of Time” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”109″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Max Potion” set=”Emerging Powers” no=”94″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”94″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Startling Megaphone” set=”Flashfire” no=”97″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Rough Seas” set=”Primal Clash” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]1x [card name=”Team Aqua’s Secret Base” set=”Double Crisis” no=”28″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”4″]4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Next Destinies” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
It’s worth noting that TJ also included [card name=”Puzzle of Time” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] in his Wailord deck, so I think that four copies is a great way to start. From there, I chose a [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card], two [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card], one [card name=”Team Aqua’s Secret Base” set=”Double Crisis” no=”28″ c=”name”][/card], a [card name=”Team Rocket’s Handiwork” set=”Fates Collide” no=”124″ c=”name”][/card], and a fourth [card name=”Team Flare Grunt” set=”XY” no=”129″ c=”name”][/card]. My goal was simply to boost the consistency of the list Enrique started us off with while providing it with a few additional options. While I agree with Enrique that one card is not enough to swing certain matchups entirely, I think that single copies of cards in this list can get a lot of value because of [card name=”Skyla” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card]’s searching and Puzzle’s recycling ability.
[cardimg name=”Team Rocket’s Handiwork” set=”Fates Collide” no=”124″ align=”left” c=”custom”]Very handy, indeed.[/cardimg]
I chose to include one copy of Fighting Fury Belt, though I would ideally want two. It gives both Wailord and [card name=”Aegislash-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”65″ c=”name”][/card] ridiculous amounts of bulk. Fury Belt might also be Wailord’s only hope of beating a non-[card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card]-centric deck. Aegislash becomes a much more formidable wall with Fury Belt attached. It will be difficult for Vespiquen lists to dig for their [card name=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”110″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Startling Megaphone” set=”Flashfire” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card] while also attempting to play [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card].
Speaking of Vespiquen, one copy of Aqua’s Base also gives you a chance here. If you can [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card] a non-Vespiquen target that your opponent was either forced to bench or had the misfortune of starting with, you can win the game by playing Aqua Base and stalling by confining their Bees to the Bench. As Enrique mentioned, this strategy can also work against [card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card]. [card name=”Greninja” set=”XY” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card] typically plays high counts of [card name=”Jirachi” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY67″ c=”name”][/card]. If they happen to start with one, that Jirachi will be a Lysandre target for the entire game unless they play [card name=”AZ” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] to remove it from play.
Two copies of Enhanced Hammer are there to make sure that you don’t miss a discard on Special Energy. You want to make sure that [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Next Destinies” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] never stick to Night Marchers, Vespiquen, [card name=”Zoroark” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card], or anything. Two copies of Enhanced Hammer ensures that Skyla will net you an out to discarding Special Energy early, even if you have the misfortune of having one Prized. With four Flare Grunt, a [card name=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”110″ c=”name”][/card], four Skyla and two Enhanced Hammer, you boast 11 outs to discarding an early Special Energy attachment on the opponent’s Active Pokemon.
Finally, looking at TJ’s list, he opted to play three copies of Team Rocket’s Handiwork. I have to agree with him here. I like the card in this deck and wish I had room for more. One copy will at least give you an option to be disruptive on turns you would typically just pass away.
Vespiquen / Night March
To wrap things up, I’m going to share with you an old favorite that I have updated and been working on diligently for the past month. I was able to Top 8 Michigan States with [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] / Night March months ago, and I think that the deck is poised better now than ever.
[cardimg name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ align=”right” c=”custom”] Queen Bee [/cardimg]
Straight Night March is in a weird place. The deck has a hard time with both [card name=”Trevenant BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card]. At the best, it has 50-50 matchups versus both front runners. That’s nothing to be confident about. To make matters worse, Night March is also unfavored against [card name=”Wailord-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”38″ c=”name”][/card] and the newly popular Water Toolbox deck, two rogues that are gaining traction because of their great Night March and [card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] matchups. On top of this, people are doing weird things with [card name=”Mew” set=”Fates Collide” no=”29″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Jolteon-EX” set=”Generations” no=”28″ c=”name”][/card] that Night March doesn’t particularly like either. All of this combined with a nail-biter of a mirror match makes Night March look pretty bad right about now as a choice to use for the National Championships.
Vespiquen, on the other hand, is an archetype I can get behind. Vespiquen flips your Wailord and Water Toolbox matchups into near auto win territory while easily disrupting anyone trying to get cute with Jolteon-EX. Vespiquen also hits [card name=”Greninja” set=”XY” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card] for Weakness while faring better against Water Shuriken and Silent Fear due to its respectable 90 HP, and I’m not the first one to notice. Vespiquen decks have been slowly popping up at National Championships around the world, most notably earning a second place finish at Argentina’s National Championships at the hands of Damien Riquel, who beat three Water Toolbox decks en-route to his second place finish.
I’ve attempted nearly every partner for Vespiquen that I can imagine. I’ve tried [card name=”Zoroark” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Raichu” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC9″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”54″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Yveltal” set=”XY” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Bronzong” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY21″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Druddigon” set=”Flashfire” no=”70″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”36″ c=”name”][/card]. At the end of the day, no attacker functions as efficiently and effectively as [card name=”Joltik” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card]. Many people look at this deck and complain that it is a watered down, less consistent version of Night March. But that’s not true. You need to let go of your concept of what a Night March deck is in order to truly appreciate what this deck has to offer for a tournament like Nationals.
[decklist name=”Vespiquen / Night March” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″][pokemon amt=”26″]4x [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Combee” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”9″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Joltik” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”26″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Pumpkaboo” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”44″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Lampent” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”42″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Unown” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”30″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”30″]4x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”XY” no=”122″ 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=”Teammates” set=”Primal Clash” no=”160″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”119″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”110″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Puzzle of Time” set=”BREAKpoint” 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=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Escape Rope” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”120″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Town Map” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”150″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”4″]4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Next Destinies” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
I feel like this deck was ahead of its time back in March. I played it at States in order to give Night March answers to [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Wailord-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”38″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card] — decks that didn’t hit their strides until recently. Now that [card name=”Trevenant BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card] has become a dominating force in Standard, players have been flocking to decks that play [card name=”Rough Seas” set=”Primal Clash” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card], like the ones above, leaving an opening for Vespiquen to finally assert itself as a dominating force in Standard.
My original list has needed minimal updating. The [card name=”Pokémon Catcher” set=”Emerging Powers” no=”95″ c=”name”][/card] have been replaced by two [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card], the [card name=”Judge” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”143″ c=”name”][/card] replaced by [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card], and the [card name=”Float Stone” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] swapped for a second [card name=”Escape Rope” set=”Primal Clash” no=”127″ c=”name”][/card]. I’ve also jammed a [card name=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”110″ c=”name”][/card] in here so you don’t auto lose to [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] or struggle against weird stuff with [card name=”Focus Sash” set=”Furious Fists” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card].
The Risk
There’s not much that I’m explicitly worried about while playing this deck. The usual suspects still make me wary, though. You are truly 50-50 against [card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Trevenant BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card], and Night March. If you’re a better player than your opponent and your list is better than your opponent’s, you may be able to tip these into your favor, but I can’t make any promises. Matchups between the top three decks are notoriously a crap shoot right now, but I’ve done everything I can to try and sweeten these while keeping the deck consistent.
[cardimg name=”Escape Rope” set=”Primal Clash” no=”127″ align=”left” c=”custom”]Rope-a-dope[/cardimg]
Nearly all Greninja BREAK decks play multiple [card name=”Jirachi” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY67″ c=”name”][/card], which is why I’ve doubled up on the [card name=”Escape Rope” set=”Primal Clash” no=”127″ c=”name”][/card] count. Playing two Rope allows you to dodge Jirachi’s Stardust protection consistently, while playing cards like [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”XY” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card] at the same time to further improve the consistency of your attacks. I’ve also toyed with the idea of playing multiple [card name=”Bursting Balloon” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card] in here as a hard counter to Jirachi. Jirachi gets KO’d if it Stardusts into a Ballooned [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card]. In this way, Balloon could buy you extra uses with your [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Next Destinies” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] that you wouldn’t have otherwise.
Balloon also stands to sweeten your matchup versus Night March, but I haven’t found Balloons to be consistent enough to help the Night March mirror. Night March simply has too many ways to get around them. I would love to fit three Balloon in this list, but I can’t justify the space. It’s certainly an idea to keep in mind, however. A thing you can do versus Night March is jam your Bench full of Pokemon so that your opponent cannot [card name=”Target Whistle” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card] your [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] into play. You also have [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card] to bump your own Shaymin from play, should you have to lay one down. Most Night March lists do not play Parallel themselves.
Of all threats, [card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] probably makes me the most nervous. If Trevenant runs hot and the opponent draws you dead, it can win almost anything. But that doesn’t always happen, and oftentimes Trevenant gets run over if it goes second. Vespiquen / Night March stands to be an optimal play if decks like Water Toolbox, [card name=”Wailord-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”38″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Greninja” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] can hate out traditional Night March and Trevenant from the metagame.
The Reward
Finally, the reward! Playing Vespiquen, you’re going to have some close matchups, but you get a plethora of sweet, heavily favorable matchups, and who doesn’t love that? You enjoy all the same positive matchups that Night March boasts, and more! You still beat up on Mega decks like [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”M Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”24″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”M Sceptile-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”85″ c=”name”][/card]. In fact, with 26 Pokemon in deck, [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] plows these targets over easier than ever.
Your [card name=”Yveltal” set=”XY” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Zoroark” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Gallade” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”84″ c=”name”][/card] matchup goes from 50-50 to total decimation. Yveltal does nothing to your Vespiquen. You can completely bypass their [card name=”Target Whistle” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card] by jamming your Bench full at all times. You also operate better than most decks off of [card name=”N” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”96″ c=”name”][/card] because of the built-in draw of [card name=”Unown” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”30″ c=”name”][/card]. It’s not unusual for an N of one or two to grow into four or five cards with Farewell Letter.
The best part about playing Night Marchers, as pointed out by my friend Andrew Wamboldt, is that you completely eviscerate nearly all non-meta decks that people show up with. You don’t have to worry about playing Dark and getting paired against that one guy who’s playing Fairies because his friend thought it would be funny. You don’t have to be worried about anyone playing anything weird. You beat the weird stuff because your deck is simply better than theirs and doesn’t have any easily exploitable weaknesses.
I’ve mentioned this before, but the biggest boon for Vespiquen / Night March is that the anti-meta front runners, Water Toolbox and [card name=”Wailord-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”38″ c=”name”][/card], check out as auto wins. You also have built-in answers to anyone trying to do things with [card name=”Glaceon-EX” set=”Fates Collide” no=”116″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Jolteon-EX” set=”Generations” no=”28″ c=”name”][/card]. When trying to sculpt a play for a big tournament, you have to strike a balance between playing one or two steps ahead of the metagame. You don’t want to be so far ahead of the metagame that your deck is built to beat things you aren’t playing against, but you want to be far enough ahead that you perform well versus the decks everyone is testing against and the decks that will be played to beat those threats. I could write a whole article on trying to strike this balance, but for today, you’ll have to trust that I think Vespiquen resides perfectly in the sweet spot this year.
Conclusion
I literally had to pause writing this conclusion to book a room for the win-a-trip tournament that will be taking place at Origins Game Fair this year. It was just announced that the tournament will be awarding State / Provincial level Championship Points along with a paid trip to the World Championships for the winner and three friends. That’s crazy! I was expecting decent competition at Origins before, but now I’m preparing for quite the competitive experience. I’m stoked about the Prizes and the fact that Pokemon is supporting the exposure that the TCG and VGC will be sure to get at Origins this year. But most of all, I am excited to have the opportunity to play in Nationals format on a large scale, just weeks before the U.S. National Championships!
My next article is going to be a detailed report on what did well at Origins, so make sure to stay tuned in order to keep up with the most up-to-date info on the Pokemon TCG metagame. As always, thanks again for reading and be sure to let me know what you think of the article in the comments below, or hit me up on the Subscriber’s Secret Hideout!
Later trainers!
-Mahone
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