The Nationals Starter Pack — BREAKing the Meta and Good Ol’ Toad

Hello fellow Beachers! I don’t know if you saw my previous article, but I’m back again with more Nationals lists! I want to thank everyone who reads my articles from the bottom of my heart. I appreciate you more than you know!

Last article, I talked about Night March, [card name=”Yveltal” set=”XY” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Bronzong BREAK” set=”Fates Collide” no=”62″ c=”name”][/card]. Today, I’ll give the rest of the lists that I’m testing as well as some analysis of the different matchups my group and I have been testing. This is initial testing, and only time will tell whether or not these lists will perform. However, from discussing the meta with good players and doing a lot of theorymon, this is what I’ve come up with, and hopefully my knowledge will help you guys feel more prepared as well! Today I am going to talk about [card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Trevenant BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card]. These decks have been doing well in the games I have played thus far, and this article will shed some light on the intricacies of these powerhouses. Without further ado, let’s move onto the first deck that I plan to discuss.

[card name=”Greninja” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] is a fairly new deck that experienced some hype surrounding its release, but that hype seemed to fall off somewhat. However, many players recognize Greninja’s strength and versatility. It is also a really durable deck in the current meta, and by that I mean that it has few if any unfavorable matchups and no autolosses. It is a good deck to choose in order to survive a 14 round tournament like Nationals.

Greninja

[decklist name=”Greninja” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″][pokemon amt=”20″]2x [card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Greninja” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”40″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Greninja” set=”XY” no=”41″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]4x [card name=”Frogadier” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”39″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Froakie” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”46″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Jirachi” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY67″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Barbaracle” set=”Fates Collide” no=”23″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Binacle” set=”Fates Collide” no=”22″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Octillery” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”33″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Remoraid” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”32″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”32″]4x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”XY” no=”122″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Fisherman” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”136″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Teammates” set=”Primal Clash” no=”141″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Dive Ball” set=”Primal Clash” no=”125″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Level Ball” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”76″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Startling Megaphone” set=”Flashfire” no=”97″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Sacred Ash” set=”Flashfire” no=”96″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Energy Retrieval” set=”Black and White” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Rough Seas” set=”Primal Clash” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”4″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”8″]8x [card name=”Water Energy” set=”EX Ruby and Sapphire” no=”106″ c=”deck2″ amt=”8″][/card][/energy][/decklist]

The Pokemon

[cardimg name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

To start off, I would like to point out that there are multiple variations of [card name=”Greninja” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card], as with any even somewhat established archetype. Some deckbuilders prefer to use [card name=”Rare Candy” set=”Primal Clash” no=”135″ c=”name”][/card] instead of using Water Duplicates ([card name=”Frogadier” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”39″ c=”name”][/card]’s attack) to set up the board in the early game. In my testing thus far, I have found the Frogadier list to be stronger against the current expected metagame because the Rare Candy version struggles against Item-lock decks like [card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card]. Frogadier’s Water Duplicates, even under Item-lock, can set up three to four [card name=”Greninja” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] the following turn. That’s so much value out of a single card! I included the 2 / 2 split of Greninja over the 3 / 1 because the [card name=”Greninja” set=”XY” no=”41″ c=”from”][/card] works a bit better with the Frogadier version. This combo would potentially allow the Greninja XY to safely sit on the Bench and use its Ability. Of course, this is the main focus of Greninja XY, because achieving consistent use of its Ability can really weaken our opponent’s Pokemon and set up easy KO’s.

[card name=”Octillery” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card] is a consistency boost that fits well in the deck along with [card name=”Dive Ball” set=”Primal Clash” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Level Ball” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card]. In addition to this, the Octillery also makes this deck’s late game [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card] much stronger, because it will never run out of cards, even after an N to one. Two [card name=”Jirachi” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY67″ c=”name”][/card] are included to beat Night March by discarding their Energy, and can buy time in other matchups which we can use to either set up multiple Greninja or flood the opponent’s field with spread damage using all of our Greninja’s Abilities. The most unusual choice in this deck is my decision to include the 1-1 [card name=”Barbaracle” set=”Fates Collide” no=”23″ c=”name”][/card] line. The reason behind playing it is that it can really hurt decks like Night March that heavily rely on Special Energy cards. Our opponent could play around it by playing a Stadium or using [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card], but if they can’t access these cards they might potentially miss an entire turn of attacking, and if that happens, Barbaracle was well worth the inclusion. As the game goes on and our opponent uses the vast majority of their resources, it becomes less and less likely that they will have the Energy they want to attach and either a Hex Maniac or Stadium card. In the meantime, we will also be using N to make the odds that they miss an attack even more likely. The four [card name=”Rough Seas” set=”Primal Clash” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] are included to completely wreck [card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] and support Barbaracle’s Ability.

The Supporters

We have a pretty standard lineup here, with a few one-of techs. [card name=”Greninja” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] is mostly about consistency, and creating a board state with several high HP non-EX’s that our opponent’s will struggle to KO. I love [card name=”Fisherman” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”136″ c=”name”][/card], as it gets us back those valuable Water Energy very easily, and once the board is set up, that is often all that we need. We play three [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card] for the same reason: our board setup is so good, the card is almost guaranteed to hurt our opponent more than it will hurt us. [card name=”Teammates” set=”Primal Clash” no=”141″ c=”name”][/card] snags us two essential cards when a tiny [card name=”Froakie” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”38″ c=”name”][/card] goes down early.

The Trainers

[cardimg name=”Barbaracle” set=”Fates Collide” no=”23″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

What we have here is a lot of Pokemon search. Greninja is a super fun deck to play, in my opinion, since the playstyle is a bit different than all the big Basic decks we are used to nowadays. It revolves much more around retrieving evolved Pokemon from the deck in a prompt manner. That’s why we play seven Balls (Dragonball reference anyone?). If we flood the board with enough frogs, nothing can stop us! The other cards are designed to help us dig through the deck for our attackers. [card name=”Startling Megaphone” set=”Flashfire” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card] clears out any Tools that we don’t want to mess with. [card name=”Sacred Ash” set=”Flashfire” no=”96″ c=”name”][/card] is amazing in this deck! When our opponent thinks they’ve gone through all the frogs, we just bring them back to life. [card name=”Energy Retrieval” set=”Primal Clash” no=”126″ c=”name”][/card] can be clutch in a situation where we can’t play [card name=”Fisherman” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”136″ c=”name”][/card] because we need to play another Supporter.

The Matchups

The [card name=”Yveltal” set=”XY” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card] matchup is in Greninja’s favor because Greninja is a non-EX deck that can take advantage of the fact that the opponent will almost always have to play down at least one to two Pokemon-EX. In addition to this, the non-EX Pokemon that the Yveltal deck plays, such as [card name=”Zoroark” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Gallade” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”84″ c=”name”][/card], are not very efficient in this matchup for multiple reasons. Not only does Greninja have 170 HP which is difficult for the non-EX Pokemon to OHKO, Barbaracle can create situations where the opponent might not be able to consistently attack with these Double Colorless Energy reliant attackers. In contrast, Night March is a much faster deck, and can abuse [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card] to deny the Greninja deck its crucial Abilities. In addition to this, it has [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card] to take easy KO’s on crucial Pokemon in the early game. However, even all of this is usually not enough to swing the matchup in its favor. [card name=”Jirachi” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY67″ c=”name”][/card] in combination with N and the spread damage from Water Shuriken and Giant Water Shuriken make it very difficult for Night March deck to ever take six Prizes before the Greninja deck can.

[card name=”Bronzong” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY21″ c=”name”][/card] is also a good matchup simply because of [card name=”Greninja” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”40″ c=”from”][/card] and [card name=”Rough Seas” set=”Primal Clash” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card]. Anything that stops Abilities really hurts Bronzong decks, and not only do we shut off Abilities, we also have Rough Seas to help remove any damage done to our Pokemon. If the Greninja player gets a turn three Shadow Stitching, it will be very hard for the Bronzong player to setup and consistently attack, especially since [card name=”Genesect-EX” set=”Fates Collide” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card]’s attack discards Energy that aren’t very easy for the deck to get back.

The Fighting / [card name=”Carbink BREAK” set=”Fates Collide” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] matchup is very to similar to the Yveltal matchup in the sense that Greninja has the upper hand simply because it is a non-EX deck and can take advantage of the two Prizes that [card name=”Zygarde-EX” set=”Fates Collide” no=”54″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Regirock-EX” set=”Fates Collide” no=”43″ c=”name”][/card] give. In addition to this, Greninja is much more resource efficient, which can potentially allow the deck to outlast the Fighting deck and make relatively impressive comebacks if things really just don’t go well early.

Another big deck that I think we will see a lot of at Nationals is [card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card]. Luckily, this is also a favorable matchup, because Rough Seas essentially completely shuts down the Trevenant deck. All the Greninja player has to do is consistently attack and manage their Rough Seas well to ensure they don’t get into a situation where the Trevenant can win the Prize-trade by spreading damage and trapping useless Pokemon such as [card name=”Octillery” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Barbaracle” set=”Fates Collide” no=”23″ c=”name”][/card].

The only slightly unfavorable popular matchup is [card name=”M Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”24″ c=”name”][/card]. This is one of those Water / Lightning versus Water / Lighting matchups that will take forever because Rough Seas is healing 30 damage a turn, and both these Pokemon put out around 30 at a time. The main problem Greninja faces is killing a M Manetric-EX due to its 210 HP and Rough Seas allowing it to heal 30 damage every turn. Spreading damage to set up later KO’s is impossible. Obviously Moonlight Slash is the optimal attack as it does the most damage, the numbers work out well in the sense that two Moonlight Slashes and a Giant Water Shruiken KO a M Manectric-EX. However, while this is happening, we can’t start to spread damage to the opponent’s Bench, and they could be retreating between M Manectric-EX to deny us KO’s without using [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card]. All of this is not taking [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card] into account, which can truly change the game.

Next up is a truly scary deck: [card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card]. No one likes to face Item-lock, especially not before even getting to play a turn. I think Trevenant will be a popular choice for Nats, probably more popular than the other turn one Item-lock deck, [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card].

[premium]

Trevenant

[decklist name=”Trevenant” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Trevenant BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”66″][pokemon amt=”15″]3x [card name=”Trevenant BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”66″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]4x [card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Phantump” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”64″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”36″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”37″]4x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”XY” no=”122″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Wally” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”94″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”110″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”AZ” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”91″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”EX FireRed and LeafGreen” no=”100″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Bursting Balloon” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”97″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Level Ball” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”76″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”94″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Dimension Valley” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”93″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”4″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”8″]5x [card name=”Psychic Energy” set=”EX Ruby and Sapphire” no=”107″ c=”deck2″ amt=”5″][/card]3x [card name=”Mystery Energy” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”112″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card][/energy][/decklist]

The Pokemon

[cardimg name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

This list is very focused on consistency, and aims to get the turn one [card name=”Wally” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC27″ c=”name”][/card] into Trevenant every game. [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC11″ c=”name”][/card] is definitely the best starter if we are going second because it adds some additional disruption on that first turn before you get out Trevenant by blocking Abilities. This makes it so our opponent can’t play [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card], really crippling their draw. It can make getting the turn one Trevenant a bit tougher sometimes, but it usually isn’t the deciding factor in terms of whether or not we pull off the Wally. The rest of the list is pretty standard.

The Supporters

Like I previously mentioned, this list is focused on putting out [card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] as fast as possible, that’s why we play three [card name=”Wally” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card]. [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card] is an interesting card here, because we don’t want to play it when our opponent has a dead hand full of unplayable Trainers, but we  also don’t want them to hoard their hand and save up for a big play to get around Trevenant. Therefore, I think it’s best to N fairly frequently to help make sure our opponent isn’t saving up the combo pieces they need.

The Trainers

[card name=”Crushing Hammer” set=”Generations” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] are not included in the deck because this list is focused on consistently getting that turn one Trevenant and attempting to lock your opponent out of the game. If the turn one Trevenant is missed, this deck honestly becomes a lot worse. At that point, our opponent gets one or two turns to play Trainers and attempt to setup for big [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card] play in the upcoming turns. This is why I built this deck to be as consistent as I possibly could, and I truly think it is the best way to approach deck building most of the time.

The [card name=”Bursting Balloon” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card] are a great option for Trevenant, because it’s kind of difficult to OHKO Trevenant without playing Trainers, and the opponent can’t remove the Balloon any other way than hitting into it. [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ c=”name”][/card] retrieves our Trevenant line, and we play it over [card name=”Sacred Ash” set=”Flashfire” no=”96″ c=”name”][/card] just in case we need to bring back an Energy. Four [card name=”Dimension Valley” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] is optimal to make sure we hit it and start attacking ASAP.

The Matchups

[cardimg name=”Crushing Hammer” set=”Generations” no=”60″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

The [card name=”Yveltal” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC16″ c=”name”][/card] matchup is difficult due to an uphill Prize-trade. Trevenant’s Weakness really hurts it a lot here. However, the matchup is definitely winnable if we approach things correctly and get a quick [card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] on the board. The strategy going into this matchup is to Item-lock our opponent as fast as possible, while beginning to stack damage up on Pokemon which will allow [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC11″ c=”name”][/card] to act as a big sweeper in the mid to late game. One of the most important cards in the matchup is [card name=”Bursting Balloon” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card] because it sets up a KO against a Pokemon-EX for Wobbuffet when combined with one Silent Fear. One of the reasons a lot of people might think this matchup is worse than it is for Trevenant is because a lot of the games where the Yveltal side wins are complete blowouts that result from extremely aggressive starts from the Yveltal deck.

Toad has been one of my favorite decks for a while, and that’s because the card is so inherently strong. Nothing has really changed about that, so some sort of Toad variant had to make my testing list.

Speed Seismitoad-EX

[decklist name=”Seismitoad” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″][pokemon amt=”7″]4x [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”49″]4x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”XY” no=”122″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Delinquent” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”98″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”AZ” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”91″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”110″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/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″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”EX FireRed and LeafGreen” no=”100″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Crushing Hammer” set=”Emerging Powers” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Puzzle of Time” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”109″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Super Scoop Up” set=”EX FireRed and LeafGreen” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Red Card” set=”XY” no=”124″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Head Ringer” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”97″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”94″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Startling Megaphone” set=”Flashfire” no=”97″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]3x [card name=”Rough Seas” set=”Primal Clash” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”3″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”4″]4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Next Destinies” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist]

The Pokemon

This deck will most likely catch the opponent off guard as this type of [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] deck isn’t really played anymore, this could lead to the opponent making additional mistakes because they aren’t familiar with the situation. The goal of the deck is to lock our opponent out of the game with a high pressure start and make it very hard for the opponent to actually setup. The deck is honestly just a cluster of the most disruptive cards in the game. If you’re looking to play a more control-style deck, this is actually perfect for you! The Pokemon line is self explanatory, as all we are trying to do is use Quaking Punch the entire game.

The Supporters

In addition to the usual [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card] that are in pretty much every deck, we also have a decent amount of tech Supporters. [card name=”Delinquent” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”98″ c=”name”][/card], while absolutely deadly when paired with [card name=”Red Card” set=”Generations” no=”71″ c=”name”][/card], can actually be decent overall disruption as well. [card name=”AZ” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] can be clutch if we need to get a Pokemon off the board, whether it just needs to retreat or is heavily damaged. [card name=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”110″ c=”name”][/card] is for Energy / Tool removal under Item-lock, and can be easily accessed via [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] in other situations. [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card] helps deal with things like [card name=”Aegislash-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”65″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card], and other Pokemon that have pretty brutal Abilities. It can also be used early on against decks like Night March to really slow them down before you lock them out of the game with Quaking Punch.

The Trainers

The [card name=”Puzzle of Time” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] are extremely important in this deck, so I always try to get the highest amount of value out of them as I possibly can. They can be used to get back precious [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Fates Collide” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card], or just let us reuse some disruption cards. [card name=”Super Scoop Up” set=”Furious Fists” no=”100″ c=”name”][/card] act as a Switch if we start with [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card]. They help deny our opponent Prizes by picking up damaged Seismitoad-EX. The [card name=”Rough Seas” set=”Primal Clash” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] are in there to act as a counter Stadium for pesky ones that get in the way, such as [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Silent Lab” set=”Primal Clash” no=”140″ c=”name”][/card].

The Matchups

When it comes to [card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card], I do choose to include Rough Seas in my deck, which helps me heal a lot of the damage that Trevenant has of offer, but the true killer in this matchup is being Item-locked nearly the whole game. In addition to this, Quaking Punch kills very slow, especially without any buffs. This makes it really difficult to not just run out of steam and get locked out of the game before six Prizes are taken.

Conclusion

Nationals is still nearly a month away, and a lot can happen in a month. However, I think these decks are currently a good place to get started if you are already testing. I definitely expect some things to change between now and then, in terms of the expected decks and the lists that I think are the strongest heading into the tournament. However, if you wait until the last second to start preparing, you really are hurting yourself. Even if you end up playing some games now with decks that you don’t play at Nationals, which is bound to happen to most people, you still get a lot out of just playing some Pokemon. This will allow you to be ready for your more crucial testing as the event gets closer. It will allow you to get a good understanding of all the popular decks if you don’t have that already, and it will allow you to truly refine the “best” decks that are usually a safer call for an event like Nationals. I hope that this article can assist you in getting some quality testing done, and I wish you all the best of luck going into the event! I’ll see you there!

~Nicholena

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