The Steam Palace — An Interview with Nick Robinson and a Look at Volcanion-EX
Hey PokeBeach readers! How are you guys doing? I’m doing alright dealing with post-Nationals depression while doing some Worlds testing every now and then. I’ve kept myself busy playing other games I had been neglecting while testing for Nationals, such as catching up with my X-Wing testing for that particular Worlds. I know a lot of you guys are playing Pokemon GO and are having a blast with that. Let me pull you from that for a moment to get focused on the TCG side of Pokemon.
I’ve taken the time to schedule and conduct an interview with the Pokemon TCG U.S. National Champion Nick Robinson. I’ve known Nick ever since he started playing, since his league are a mere three hours away from me. Nick and I have clashed at Cities and States in Iowa and Nebraska, so I was very familiar with his playing ability well before Nationals, and his National Championship win was no surprise to me.
I’ve also been speckling some testing of Volcanion-EX as well here and there. I’ll be talking about it quite a lot later in the article. For those of you not going to Worlds, I am including a list for both our current format and post rotation. A lot changes with rotation of course, losing staple cards for fire decks such as [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Blacksmith” set=”Flashfire” no=”88″ c=”name”][/card]. Volcanion’s high damage output should allow it to be a contender.
Interview with Nick Robinson
[cardimg name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
Like I mentioned earlier, Nick Robinson is a friend of mine, since we both compete in the same area. Nick plays in the Des Moines area of Iowa, which has a pretty big Pokemon scene, sporting a budding star in Kiernan Wagner, a Senior that is moving up to the Masters division next year. As some of you know, the two fellows that ended up in jail following Worlds in 2015, were from Iowa and were a big part of the culture and the competitive player base in Iowa. Dane Schussler also was a major competitive player in Iowa and unfortunately passed away late last year. Needless to say, Iowa’s competitive Pokemon scene was hit very hard.
The new blood in Iowa came through with Nick Robinson and many of his testing partners, which I was very impressed with upon meeting the majority of them in Madison for Wisconsin Regionals. Obviously, they’ve made an impact very quickly on competitive Pokemon across the nation.
Nick made a very strong deck choice for Nationals, and I am going to take some time here to breakdown [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] / Night March a little prior to revealing my interview with Nick.
Vespiquen / Night March
This was a deck that I was considering the night before Nationals. I know, most of you all know from reading my prior articles, that I don’t like to be in that position prior to a big tournament. The play I went with, [card name=”M Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”24″ c=”name”][/card], was a really risky play since it had a mediocre Night March matchup. So it was smart for me to consider another deck before showing up at Nationals and turning my deck list in.
The version of this deck that I would have run, would have been more similar to Andrew Wamboldt’s list, except I would have played [card name=”Pokémon Catcher” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”111″ c=”name”][/card]. My version was still drastically different than the one that Nick piloted for a first place finish at U.S. Nationals.
[card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] / Night March was such a solid play for the tournament, since it had an incredibly positive Water Box matchup ([card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Manaphy-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”32″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Rough Seas” set=”Primal Clash” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card]), in addition to having the positive matchups that Night March decks had. It also provided a good counter to [card name=”Jolteon-EX” set=”Generations” no=”28″ c=”name”][/card], in addition to providing some defense against lategame [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”101″ c=”name”][/card]s with [card name=”Unown” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”30″ c=”name”][/card].
When I first arrived at U.S. Nationals, the first players that I saw were fellow writers Steve Guthrie and Andrew Mahone. Andrew was piloting [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] / Night March while Steve was piloting [card name=”Bronzong” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY21″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Genesect-EX” set=”Fates Collide” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card]. The matchup looked really close and it really piqued my interest in Andrew’s deck. I couldn’t really think of much that it lost against flat out, since it could play around [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] (even though it’s still not a great matchup) and Item-lock decks, such as [card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] didn’t seem too popular.
I ultimately stuck with my guns and played [card name=”M Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”24″ c=”name”][/card] since I felt that it had very powerful matchups of its own, and that it tested incredibly well for me, whereas my testing with [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] / Night March didn’t go quite so well. Here is the list that I was testing and that I would have taken with me to Nationals.
[decklist name=”vespmarchme” 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=”Lampent” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”42″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Pumpkaboo” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”44″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Unown” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”30″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”30″]4x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ 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=”VS Seeker” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”110″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”122″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ 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=”Kalos Starter Set” no=”36″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Escape Rope” set=”Primal Clash” no=”127″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Town Map” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”150″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Startling Megaphone” set=”Flashfire” no=”97″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” 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=”Phantom Forces” no=”111″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
As you can see, the list is very similar to the one Andrew Wamboldt did very well with at Origins, placing in the Top 8. Andrew Mahone ultimately made the decision to add the [card name=”Pokémon Catcher” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”111″ c=”name”][/card], citing the need to KO [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] off the Bench since removing its Energy probably wasn’t enough anymore. I’ll breakdown some of the conversation I had about specific cards with Andrew about this list.
4-4 Vespiquen
The thick [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] line is what really sticks out to a lot of people. I cannot stress enough that this version of the deck is more of a [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] deck and not a Night March one. Since I played no [card name=”Dimension Valley” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Joltik” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] are the two attackers. I felt very comfortable with the thicker Pokemon count and the thicker [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] count as well, since hitting these [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] off of [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”XY” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card] was the key to attacking with them.
Three Unown
I’ve played with four [card name=”Unown” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”30″ c=”name”][/card] for the longest time, but I never found there to be much of consistency drop off between three and four [card name=”Unown” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”30″ c=”name”][/card]. I tested this deck heavily for Missouri States as well as the night before Nationals, and I never once felt the need to go to four [card name=”Unown” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”30″ c=”name”][/card]
[cardimg name=”Unown” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”30″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
Four Professor Sycamore
A four count of [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”101″ c=”name”][/card] seems pretty crazy to see in a Night March list. But remember that this is a [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] list and not a Night March one. Most versions of Night March are playing three [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”XY” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card], but some are even more crazy and are getting away with playing two copies of the card. That’s insane.
The four copies has numerous benefits for the deck. You’re more likely to start a [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”XY” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card] in your opening hand. You’re also far less reliant on [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] draws. In addition to that, it sort of makes up for the lack of [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”100″ c=”name”][/card] in the deck. I’ve always been a fan of [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”XY” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card] counts being heavy in Night March decks.
One Switching Card
This was the biggest concern I had about this list. Andrew Mahone also had this concern, but he was pretty sure that starting with a poor starter wasn’t as bad as I was making it out to be. His opponent would Knock Out the Pokemon anyway or he would eventually hit his one [card name=”Escape Rope” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”120″ c=”name”][/card].
I didn’t feel too sure about that. I was debating cutting a 1-1 [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] line for a [card name=”Float Stone” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] and another card, such as a [card name=”Dimension Valley” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card]. I didn’t test further, however, a bad start with an [card name=”Unown” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”30″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Pumpkaboo” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”44″ c=”name”][/card] never really hurt me in my testing.
Startling Megaphone
[card name=”Startling Megaphone” set=”Flashfire” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card] was a card many decks played at Nationals. The meta was heavy and full of Pokemon-EX decks playing [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card], pushing their HP to 220, which was very hard for us to hit in the early to mid game. Startling Megaphone also gives us our Abilities back against a [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card], at least temporarily.
Let’s talk about the differences between Nick’s list and mine.
Nick’s List
[decklist name=”Nickdeck” amt=”60″ caption=”undefined”undefined][pokemon amt=”25″]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=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Combee” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”9″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]4x [card name=”Unown” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”30″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”106″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”31″]4x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/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″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”101″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”104″ 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=”Ultra Ball” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”122″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Puzzle of Time” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”109″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]1x [card name=”Startling Megaphone” set=”Flashfire” no=”97″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Escape Rope” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”120″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”94″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Town Map” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”136″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Dimension Valley” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”93″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”4″]4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Fates Collide” no=”114″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
This is the list Nick used to win the U.S. National Championships with.
The Differences
[cardimg name=”Dimension Valley” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”93″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
I think there are more differences to our lists than similarities. It seems that Nick’s list is more of a Night March list with a [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] on the side to handle [card name=”Jolteon-EX” set=”Generations” no=”28″ c=”name”][/card] and to really stick it to the Water Box decks out there. Another difference is that Nick chose to play the four [card name=”Unown” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”30″ c=”name”][/card], which I can understand. [card name=”Unown” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”30″ c=”name”][/card] provides a lot of benefits for the deck. More than just boosting [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card]’s damage output, but also being a way to draw out of an [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”101″ c=”name”][/card] when you play [card name=”Unown” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”30″ c=”name”][/card] on your Bench in advance.
Two [card name=”Dimension Valley” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] is also an incredible addition since it really unlocks [card name=”Pumpkaboo” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”44″ c=”name”][/card] as an attacker, whereas in my list, [card name=”Pumpkaboo” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”44″ c=”name”][/card] was just discard pile fodder. [card name=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”119″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card] find their way into this list and they came in super clutch in the finals when Nick faced a [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] deck. This is a strong combo in that the [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] is usually Chaos Wheeling with a [card name=”Double Dragon Energy” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card] and a [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”HeartGold and SoulSilver” no=”103″ c=”name”][/card] attached. Meaning that both cards are removable in the same turn fairly easily with a double [card name=”Puzzle of Time” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] play with [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card] or with a [card name=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”119″ c=”name”][/card] plus [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card] combination. I don’t think I would have played both cards, since they’re not incredibly effective against a [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] with a [card name=”Double Dragon Energy” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card] and two Basic Energy, which is what I was really expecting. [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] was a very surprising thing to see in the finals, since I felt like the deck had quite a few poor matchups. Another thing I play that he doesn’t is the two copies of [card name=”Pokémon Catcher” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”111″ c=”name”][/card]. My strategy against [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] has always been throwing a ton of Pokemon away, and hitting one of my two [card name=”Pokémon Catcher” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”111″ c=”name”][/card]s and Knocking Out the [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card].
Similarities
The remainder of the Pokemon line is relatively the same, so let’s move straight to the Trainers. Nick seems to value having four [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”101″ c=”name”][/card] as well, since he sports four copies in his list. The standard [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Puzzle of Time” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Supreme Victors” no=”140″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] counts are all there that form the core of any Night March and [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] deck. [card name=”Town Map” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”136″ c=”name”][/card] is still in the list too for the great plays you can make with it with [card name=”Puzzle of Time” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] pieces getting fetched from the Prizes. Also, Nick plays one switch card in his one [card name=”Escape Rope” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”120″ c=”name”][/card]. Now, [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Unown” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”30″ c=”name”][/card] starts are still awful. However, the advantage this list has over mine is that Nick unlocks [card name=”Pumpkaboo” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”44″ c=”name”][/card] as an attacker with his two [card name=”Dimension Valley” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card], so starting [card name=”Pumpkaboo” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”44″ c=”name”][/card] isn’t so much a bad thing in Nick’s list.
Let’s get to the interview.
[premium]
Interview with Nick Robinson
First off, has the magnitude of winning the U.S. National Championship hit you yet?
To be honest, it still hasn’t felt like it’s hit me. I’ve gotten a lot of congratulations and stuff and like, wow dude, this is so unreal.
It is unreal!
It really is, it feels really good for sure. I don’t know, maybe when I get to Worlds, it will really hit me. Just the fact that I will be playing in the World Championships just gets me really excited. I mean, winning U.S. Nationals is a huge accomplishment, it’s really cool, but of course getting to Worlds was my number one goal for this season.
Also since you now have enough points you get to start at day two.
Yeah, of course that’s big too.
See, that’s huge, this is your first Worlds invite right?
Yeah, it is.
Even better! So before the tournament, you were sitting at 272 Championship points, and you were at your last chance to earn your invite. So what was your mindset before going into this tournament?
Of course I really felt like I needed to do well. But the main focus was to have fun and to let the wins come naturally that way.
Of course, that’s the ultimate competitor mindset in my opinion. So were you feeling like it didn’t matter too much if you didn’t earn the invite?
Yeah, if I get it, I get it. If I don’t, I don’t. I just wanted to go and have fun.
Were you going to go to Worlds anyway?
No, probably not. The money and school would have deterred me.
So what were your thought processes and what were your testing strategies before you picked Vespiquen / Night March?
Essentially the way it worked out, Kiernan and I built the deck at first, and the way that we built that deck was nothing like what the 60 cards that I played for Nationals was like. We felt initially thought the deck was super bad! It felt super inconsistent and it just sucked. So we tried many other decks, and then we saw our friend Ishaan playing the deck and he said that the deck was super good. So we looked at his list, and we saw how he played the four [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”101″ c=”name”][/card] and we built our deck around his, and I felt like we built it pretty dang perfect for the tournament.
Yeah, I saw your list, and I really couldn’t think of a better way to build that deck. I felt like your list was much better than the one I tested. I really liked your inclusion of the two Dimension Valley, so that you activate Pumpkaboo as an attacker. Which most Vespiquen / Night March decks don’t.
I know when I was on stream in Madison, against Jason Klaczynski, I felt a lot of pressure and I misplayed a couple times in my first turn on stream. Did you feel nervous at all on stream or did you keep your head cool for the most part?
I felt like I kept my head really cool for the most part. When I play games, I tend to get very focused. I tend to blank out everything else when I play. I don’t focus on the huge crowd of people to my right or anything. When I play, I just play to win.
Okay, so how did you feel when you knew you were going to face Trevenant in Top 8?
Knowing I was going to face a [card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] in Top 8, I was a little nervous. Luckily for me, Josh Marking found out that people were saying that Michael can’t beat Night March or something. I don’t know how that works with [card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] and Josh found out that he didn’t play any [card name=”Bursting Balloon” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card]. Michael also admitted to me before our Top 8 Matches that his two losses were to Night March. I felt a bit better about it, but I for sure got lucky during our game.
[cardimg name=”Bursting Balloon” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”97″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
I knew you were going to have a hard time, and I knew it was going to be really dependent on what was in your hands, but when I found out he wasn’t playing Bursting Balloon, I felt like it could go either way.
Anyways, how did you feel going in to your finals match?
Going in to my finals match I was a little worried, just because [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] can both be bad for a Night March deck. Of course the [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] really help against the [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card], but you still have to get around the [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] using Chaos Wheel. But of course, as most people found out, I played [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”119″ c=”name”][/card]. So I for sure felt like I was in a great position to win the series.
Going back to your list, I know most Night March decks play two Lysandre. Did the one ever really hurt you?
It didn’t bother me that much. There were some games where it was prized, but it wasn’t super significant. I’ve always had [card name=”Town Map” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”150″ c=”name”][/card] to get it out of the Prizes if I needed to. [card name=”Town Map” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”150″ c=”name”][/card] was definitely the MVP of that deck.
So why did you play Vespiquen / Night March over straight Night March?
I was expecting more of the Water Box going around to be more of a presence. I felt like more people were preparing to play against the straight Night March decks, but not as much the [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] / Night March. It’s also really good against [card name=”Jolteon-EX” set=”Generations” no=”28″ c=”name”][/card] since [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] just destroys that.
Final question, what are your thoughts for Worlds?
I still believe that Night March / [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] is still an incredible deck. I feel like the majority of the meta is going to be Night March style decks and also decks that counter it, such as [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card].
So would you change your list at all?
I would definitely test some more. But I feel like the list is close to perfect, if not perfect.
I know that you’re in Florida right now and you’re taking a much needed break from Pokemon. We’ll go ahead and conclude the interview here. Congratulations Nick, that’s a huge victory for the Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri.. Midwest region. To bring a National Championship here to this region. Also it’s a huge morale boost for your community in Iowa that was hit with just about everything that happened. I hope to see you all travel next season. I will definitely be seeing you in Nebraska next season. Have a good one Nick.
Of course, you too!
Moving Forward
Unfortunately, Karen is not printed in the newest set. So a lot of my playtesting with Volcanion-EX isn’t as valid as it used to be since I feel the deck has a mediocre Night March matchup. However, not all is lost, since I did a little bit of messing around with the deck in a Primal Clash and on format. I will discuss and include both lists in this article.
Current Format (XY – Steam Siege)
When I first saw Volcanion-EX, the biggest question I had was whether or not Volcanion-EX’s Ability could stack. Since it could, your Pokemon could hit huge numbers in addition to being able to throw Fire Energy in the discard pile to use with [card name=”Blacksmith” set=”Flashfire” no=”88″ c=”name”][/card]. I also realized how powerful the Basic Volcanion is from the set, since it allows some sort of Energy power up to happen, and with Volcanion-EX’s Ability, it does a ton of damage for one Energy.
Here is a list that I’ve been testing.
[decklist name=”Volcanioncurrent” amt=”53″ caption=”” cname=”Flareon-EX” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC28″][pokemon amt=”12″]4x Volcanion-EX (Steam Siege)3x Volcanion (Steam Siege)2x [card name=”Flareon-EX” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC28″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”106″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Hoopa-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”89″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”37″]4x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”104″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”101″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Blacksmith” set=”Flashfire” no=”88″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”AZ” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”117″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Fisherman” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”136″ 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=”Roaring Skies” no=”110″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”122″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”100″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Startling Megaphone” set=”Flashfire” no=”97″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Scorched Earth” set=”Primal Clash” no=”138″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”11″]11x [card name=”Fire Energy” set=”Diamond and Pearl” no=”124″ c=”deck2″ amt=”11″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
The list is really unique, so I’ll try to explain everything I can.
Card Explanations
Three Volcanion
The Volcanion from Steam Siege is an incredible card. Its first attack does 20 damage in addition to taking two Fire Energy from the discard pile and attaches them to two Pokemon on your Bench. With Volcanion-EX‘s Steam Up Ability, this can hit for up to 140 damage. Even more with a [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] attached. Volcanion is also a Pokemon with 130 HP that is a Basic. So it two hits most Pokemon while powering up your other Fire types.
Four Volcanion-EX
You’ll rarely ever use all four, typically you want three on your Bench to use Steam Up three times. Its attack is great in a pinch, such as when you’re being affected by [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card]. With [card name=”Float Stone” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card], you should be able to Retreat somewhat easily to go back into attacking with a Volcanion or a [card name=”Flareon-EX” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC28″ c=”name”][/card].
Two Flareon-EX
[cardimg name=”Flareon-EX” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC6″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
[card name=”Flareon-EX” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC28″ c=”name”][/card]’s Flash Fire Ability works incredibly well to get around Volcanion’s limitation in that it has to attach a single Fire Energy to two Pokemon. [card name=”Flareon-EX” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC6″ c=”name”][/card]’s Ability allows it to move that second Energy over to it. [card name=”Flareon-EX” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC28″ c=”name”][/card] also has an unlimited damage ceiling, and its ability to Knock Out opposing Pokemon in one hit is incredible with Volcanion-EX on your Bench.
One Fisherman
Later in the game, you do tend to run out of steam (no pun intended) since the majority of your Fire Energy hits the discard pile. [card name=”Fisherman” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”136″ c=”name”][/card] in this deck is similar to [card name=”Fisherman” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”136″ c=”name”][/card] in [card name=”Greninja” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] decks. It’s for that last turn push that will win you the game. Or in this case, it’s for surprise Steam Ups to hit perfect numbers.
One Blacksmith
This may come as a surprise to some people, but this deck doesn’t need crazy Energy acceleration with Volcanion in the list. You can cut a Volcanion for another copy of [card name=”Blacksmith” set=”Flashfire” no=”88″ c=”name”][/card] if you want to pull off turn one bursts more often, but I ended up going with the more conservative route.
Two Scorched Earth
[card name=”Scorched Earth” set=”Primal Clash” no=”138″ c=”name”][/card] is a good way to discard Fire Energy while under Ability-lock. It’s pretty good to draw cards with too. Ideally you want to play it over your [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card] when you have an incredibly full Bench and discard your [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card] with your Bench being limited to five once again. But its draw power is effective since you play so many Fire Energy.
Two Sky Field
You play a lot of Pokemon, and since you require three Volcanion-EX on your Bench pretty much all the time, you may need to make some more room on your Bench for other Pokemon. [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card] solves that problem since it gives you the Bench space for multiple attackers.
Two Fighting Fury Belt
[card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] is undoubtedly powerful. It makes your main attacker, Volcanion, go from 130 HP to 170. In addition to that, with your Steam Ups, you’re hitting for 60, 90, or 120 damage, which is perfect math in a lot of instances.
Three Float Stone
Volcanion-EX has a huge Retreat Cost, and it’s a huge [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card] stall target on your Bench. [card name=”Float Stone” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] helps it get away, in addition to creating free retreaters on your Bench. The high count is due to the sheer amount of high Retreat Cost Pokemon that this deck plays on its Bench.
One Startling Megaphone
Ability-lock is brutal, so we need to deal with [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] in some way.
Two Max Elixir
[cardimg name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
Two is an awkward number for this deck, but the deck accelerates fairly well already. This card is being taken advantage of in this deck because it plays such a high Basic Energy count. These can easily be cut for another [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] or another [card name=”Blacksmith” set=”Flashfire” no=”88″ c=”name”][/card] if you prefer that.
No Entei
[card name=”Entei” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”14″ c=”name”][/card] is an honorable mention in this deck, and if I had known Karen wasn’t going to be printed, I would have tested with a couple of these in my deck. They aren’t hard to fit, and I’m making sure to mention them here in case you do decide to play this deck. [card name=”Entei” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”14″ c=”name”][/card] in an incredible card to hit Night March decks with. The biggest concern against Night March is that they will use [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card] against you constantly, making your Volcanion only hit for 20 damage, which doesn’t really Knock Out anything. With Entei, that isn’t a big deal since you can Knock Out just about anything even with very few Pokemon on their Bench. It also hits good numbers with Steam Up. You could replace the [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card] with Entei if you’d like.
Matchups
Night March (40-60)
This isn’t a great matchup, but it is a manageable one. Whenever the Night March player uses Hex Maniac things become problematic, since it forces you to attack with a Pokemon-EX such as [card name=”Flareon-EX” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC28″ c=”name”][/card] or Volcanion-EX. You can attack using the regular Volcanion’s second attack, however, that takes three Energy to power up. You can maybe make this better if you played a couple of copies of [card name=”Entei” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”14″ c=”name”][/card], but even then, I wouldn’t consider this matchup favorable.
Darkrai-EX / Giratina-EX (60-40)
I like this matchup a lot, but it could be a slight problem if they play [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card]. You should be able to OHKO everything in the deck with relative ease. [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card]’s Chaos Wheel will barely set you back, unless they [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card] a Volcanion-EX without a [card name=”Float Stone” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card]. Volcanion will win this Prize-exchange, since the regular Volcanion with the help of some Steam Ups will be able to 2HKO every Pokemon in this deck.
Metal (70-30)
You hit [card name=”Genesect-EX” set=”Fates Collide” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card] for Weakness, and force them to have to work to take Knock Outs on even your small Volcanion. You can use [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card] on some turns and attack with a Volcanion-EX or [card name=”Flareon-EX” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC28″ c=”name”][/card] to prevent them from recovering Energy.
Water Box (50-50)
Weakness does hurt quite a bit, however, you’re both exchanging OHKO’s. [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card] Quaking Punches the little Volcanion for 80 usually, which is a two hit going both ways, as the little Volcanion hits the [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card] for 110 with three Steam Ups. [card name=”Flareon-EX” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC28″ c=”name”][/card] and Volcanion-EX should be able to easily take one shots on any Pokemon in the Water Box deck.
Post Rotation (PRC – Steam Siege)
Rotation doesn’t hurt this deck too drastically. In fact without Night March in the format, it helps it quite a bit.
Here’s a list I’ve played a bit to try its consistency out. I do admit that my testing for after rotation is sort of limited. I am going to Worlds after all and my Pokemon time isn’t what it used to be before Nationals.
[decklist name=”volcanionrotation” amt=”52″ caption=”” cname=”Entei” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”14″][pokemon amt=”13″]4x Volcanion-EX (Steam Siege)3x Volcanion (Steam Siege)2x [card name=”Flareon-EX” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC6″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Entei” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”14″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Hoopa-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”89″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”34″]4x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”XY” no=”122″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”104″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”101″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Fisherman” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”136″ 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=”Supreme Victors” no=”140″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”90″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”100″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”12″]12x [card name=”Fire Energy” set=”Call of Legends” no=”89″ c=”deck2″ amt=”12″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
The list didn’t change too much since the previous list didn’t benefit too much from cards like [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card]. Let’s breakdown what’s different about the list, and what we lost with rotation.
One Entei
Night March is gone, but [card name=”Entei” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”14″ c=”name”][/card] is still an incredible attacker. It still hits for great numbers, and this will be needed without the aid of our Steam Up Abilities. I expect there to be a lot of [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] played with the lack of Tool removal in this format, so you need an attacker that can KO the [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] with a [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card].
Three Fighting Fury Belt
[card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] will be an incredible card with no Tool removal. This card will seriously be insane since it’s a straight 40 HP boost with no way to get rid of it. Your opponent will just have to chew through the 170 HP Volcanion and 220 HP Volcanion-EX.
Three Max Elixir
I had some space and I wanted to make up for the loss of [card name=”Blacksmith” set=”Flashfire” no=”88″ c=”name”][/card]. [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card] can somewhat give us some acceleration in the early game, maybe even getting easy turn one attacks going for a lot of damage with the help of Steam Up. We do play 11 Fire Energy, so hitting these should be pretty common.
One Ninja Boy
[cardimg name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
This is a pseudo [card name=”AZ” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”117″ c=”name”][/card]. [card name=”AZ” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”117″ c=”name”][/card] was in the list to get a Pokemon out of the Active spot without the use of a [card name=”Float Stone” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card]. Ninja Boy will just simply allow you to replace said Pokemon now. It’s got other cute plays too. You can charge up a Volcanion-EX with Volcanion‘s first attack and replace it with a [card name=”Flareon-EX” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC6″ c=”name”][/card].
Two Parallel City
I’ll describe in a later section how this burns [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] decks bad. [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] will be the deck to beat after rotation, so every deck that has issues with it should probably be playing a couple copies of [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card].
What We Lost with Rotation
As you can see there is absolutely no Tool removal in the format. No [card name=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”119″ c=”name”][/card]. No [card name=”Startling Megaphone” set=”Flashfire” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card]. I remember the days of the HGSS – NVI format where [card name=”Eviolite” set=”Noble Victories” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] was prevalent and there was no way to remove it. There was a light at the end of the tunnel with [card name=”Tool Scrapper” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”116″ c=”name”][/card] in Dragons Exalted. We don’t have a light, at least for the near future. This makes [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] incredibly powerful in this format and it forces decks like Volcanion to have to [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card] it early before it makes an impact.
[card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] is going to be the big card that I expect people not to be able to deal with going away. This will make decks like [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card] popular, since unlike Night March and [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] decks, it doesn’t get extra damage from discarded Pokemon. [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card] decks should be making a return and [card name=”Greninja” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] will be played more often as well. [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] aside, I don’t expect there to be too drastic of a change. We still have [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card] and other staples such as [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Fates Collide” no=”113″ c=”name”][/card]. I think what will happen is that you will find certain cards that you were used to deck building with gone and simply just find it annoying. Little cards such as [card name=”AZ” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”117″ c=”name”][/card] are an example of that.
Matchups and the Post-Rotation Landscape
It’s hard to predict a format that doesn’t even exist yet, but I will take a stab at it.
M Rayquaza EX (40-60)
The [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card] deck will most likely be the most played deck in the game at this point. [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card] still exists in this format and can make life difficult for the Volcanion player. However, Volcanion should still be able to take OHKO’s on turns where the Volcanion deck isn’t getting Ability locked. [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card] with some crucial [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”101″ c=”name”][/card] plays will be devastating for the [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card] player. I almost wanted to say this was 50-50, but I feel that [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card] chains can be very difficult for the Volcanion deck to have to deal with. [card name=”Entei” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”14″ c=”name”][/card] will come in very clutch in this matchup.
Raichu Decks (60-40)
[cardimg name=”Raichu” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC9″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
[card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Entei” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”14″ c=”name”][/card] will be important cards in this matchup, similar to the [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] matchup. [card name=”Raichu” set=”XY” no=”43″ c=”name”][/card] is a little different than [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] because it won’t be using [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card] every turn. They need to play Supporters to respond to constant Knock Outs of their [card name=”Raichu” set=”Generations” no=”27″ c=”name”][/card]. [card name=”Raichu” set=”XY” no=”43″ c=”name”][/card]’s support Pokemon may include odd Pokemon such as [card name=”Xerneas” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Ninetales” set=”Primal Clash” no=”21″ c=”name”][/card]. They may get some OHKO’s going with [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card] in play, however, play [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card] at key moments and this shouldn’t be a problem for you.
Greninja (30-70)
This is an awful matchup that you’re going to need to use your own [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Entei” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”14″ c=”name”][/card] a lot. [card name=”Greninja” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] just about KO’s all of your Pokemon in one attack thanks to Weakness. I really don’t know what you can do in the Volcanion deck to alleviate this. Getting a good start and rushing down the [card name=”Greninja” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] deck before it can set up if your only hope really.
Quad Zoroark (50-50)
[card name=”Zoroark” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] gets really interesting with the rotation. It doesn’t lose many of its attackers (I’m considering [card name=”Gallade” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”84″ c=”name”][/card] gone because of the loss of [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card]). [card name=”Yveltal” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC16″ c=”name”][/card] is still in this format and can still power up your attackers with Oblivion Wing. This card also takes advantage of all the [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card] being played. Against Volcanion, however, it should be getting one shots very often. Be smart with your Bench. You probably won’t need more than one or two Volcanion-EX to steam up with on your Bench. Use [card name=”Flareon-EX” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC28″ c=”name”][/card] with a [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] to stream Knock Outs on their attackers. Be wary of Captivating Pokepuff and discard your Pokemon out of your hand if you think that you will be hit with one of those.
Conclusion
Nick and I had an awesome interview and he was a great guy to have a conversation with. His list was top tier and so was his play in top cut. [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] / Night March was a killer deck, which should not have come as a surprise to anyone. My version of the deck was drastically different than the one that Nick took to a National Championship win, but mine really had a different focus.
Volcanion is an interesting deck beyond rotation and in our current format. In our current format it had a lot more to gain with Karen being printed, but it’s a playable deck even without Karen. Post-rotation, it doesn’t lose much and still is a big contender in my mind.
I’ll probably have one more article out before Worlds, so I will discuss more testing then with some more plays for Worlds and after rotation.
Till next time!
~Treynor
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