Around the World — Ten Strong Plays for the World Championships
Hello everyone! Alex back here with the crash course on the World Championships! For this go around, I’ll be giving you the quick hitting facts about the most popular decks heading into the weekend in San Francisco! I hope to see you all there, so make sure to come say hi! I’ll be the cute guy with the beard rocking the PokeBeach polo.
Excuse me while I talk about football again real fast. Last time I talked about the Broncos, we had just come off that Super Bowl win. I’m still holding on to that excitement, and will definitely be reminding people who the champions are in this up and coming season. That’s because the Broncos won’t be the same team as last year. We don’t have Peyton.
[cardimg name=”Rapidash” set=”Generations” no=”15″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
The Broncos have quite the difficult decision ahead of them; who will replace the greatest quarterback of all time? According to the media, the race at quarterback at training camp is dead even. I just hope that Mark “Butt Fumble” Sanchez isn’t the answer.
This decision is a big one for the Broncos, as it will determine where the next few seasons go. Sure, we still have that strong defense that will keep us in games, but without the sheriff, who knows where we’ll finish. This brings me to my decision of what to play for the World Championships. If you’re like me, you take forever to make a decision, and usually end up waiting too long and underperforming. I feel like my choice on deck is a lot harder than the Broncos decision at quarterback. If you’re like me, you’ve been researching everything possible on the internet to help in that selection process. To help you out, I’ve detailed my top picks going into the World Championships!
Excluded Decks
Now before I dive into the top ten decks I expect to see the most and be the best for the World Championships, I’m going to quickly go over why a few decks missed the cut. Don’t get me wrong, there is a very good chance that these decks will still see quite a bit of play, but in terms of seeing them in late rounds of the tournament, I think it’s almost safe to say your chances of playing against these decks are lower than the top 10.
Greninja
To be honest, I’ve actually heard a little bit more hype behind this deck going into the World Championships. I’m not quite sure why, but if I had a guess, it would be to the expected shift in the metagame. I think people are jumping on the seemingly good matchup that this deck has against the top contender of Night March. I, like many others not on this mode of thinking, disagree with [card name=”Greninja” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] having a good Night March matchup. Night March players are likely to bump up to two copies of [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card] going into San Francisco because of the mirrored hype of [card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card]. Night March can usually grab an early lead and then spam Hex Maniac until they win. It will see play, but I would be surprised to see it at the top tables.
M Manectric-EX
Alas, the deck that was going to be my number one pick for the World Championships was ruined by the lack of Karen. If you saw my previous article on my National Championships run, you would have read that I went 7-1 against things not named Night March, and 1-6 against things named Night March. If we had gotten Karen in our Worlds format, I would have teched a [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] or two into my Manectric build and been seemingly fine against my worst matchup. Since I expect to see almost 50% of the field playing Night March, I’m going to stay away from anything that has a difficult matchup against that deck.
M Rayquaza-EX
Speaking of decks that have a bad Night March matchup, I bring you [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card]. Not only did the lack of Karen hurt this decks chances against Night March, but the printing of Pokemon Ranger to deal with [card name=”Jolteon-EX” set=”Generations” no=”28″ c=”name”][/card] all but put a nail in the coffin of this matchup. I’m sure something like [card name=”Altaria” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] would help the Night March matchup, but I haven’t done enough testing or theory to prove otherwise. There might be a way to flip this matchup to a more even trade, but I think Night March has all the tools it needs right now to beat M Rayquaza-EX.
Top Decks For Worlds
As a disclaimer, these decks are in no order at all. If I can’t even think of what to play for myself, there’s no way I can tell you what decks trump other decks in terms of play. However, I can tell you what 10 decks to test against for World Championships. These are the decks decks that I would test my ideas against in a giant testing circle to be fully prepared for San Francisco.
For each deck I’ll be giving you the full run down of matchups, tech cards, and basically a quick overview of everything you need to know for and against the deck! For the matchup sections, I’ll be going over how they stack up against the other decks on this list. Let’s get started!
Night March
Skeleton List
[decklist name=”a” amt=”43″ caption=”” cname=”Joltik” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”26″][pokemon amt=”14″]4x [card name=”Joltik” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”26″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Pumpkaboo” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”44″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Lampent” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”42″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”26″]3x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″]1x Pokemon Ranger (STS #104)[/card]4x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Fates Collide” no=”113″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Target Whistle” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”106″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Escape Rope” set=”Primal Clash” no=”127″ 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]
Free Slots – 16
Good Matchups
Yveltal / Zoroark / Gallade
[cardimg name=”Target Whistle” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”106″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
I’ve heard a lot of people think that this matchup is closer to even. I would disagree with those people, and it all has to do with the Prize-trade. As of late, [card name=”Yveltal” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC16″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Zoroark” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Gallade” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”84″ c=”name”][/card] players have been leaning toward a more non-EX centered build. Stuff like four Zoroark and multiple Gallade have rendered [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY08″ c=”name”][/card] useless. However, those players haven’t completely abandoned Pokemon-EX, since they still play [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY08″ c=”name”][/card]. Night March has all the tools it needs to trade well with the big Pokemon-EX. The speed alone can be hard to deal with. You can’t out-trade Night March often.
Darkrai-EX / Giratina-EX
With the release of Pokemon Ranger, [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] is no longer a soft lock for dealing with Night March. To be fair, it never truly was, since a couple of [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”110″ c=”name”][/card] drops could get you out of the lock. Because of the reliance on strictly Pokemon-EX attackers, and Energy-acceleration based on [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card], this matchup generally sways in the favor of Night March.
Bad Matchups
Trevenant
Turn one Item-lock is never a fun thing for Night March to have to deal with. Throw into the equation either [card name=”Bursting Balloon” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card] or Hammers, and things are generally not going to swing in your favor. Without the aid of [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card], a simple Silent Fear becomes a major liability in the matchup. Not to mention that [card name=”Dimension Valley” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] only clunk up your hand, since the Trevenant player will likely be dropping theirs early. No Items for Night March is really just a disaster.
Vileplume / Vespiquen
Like I said above, no Items for Night March is a disaster. [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card] has the most success of getting out that turn one and shutting down all Items. Missing the turn one can be fairly bad, since the trade doesn’t usually work in Vespiquen’s favor, since benching [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] is a central part of the turn one lock. Recycling [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Fates Collide” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card] is also a lot harder in Vileplume. Regardless, it’s still a favorable matchup for Vespiquen, since sitting that turn one Vileplume is rather easy.
Why Play This Deck
You want to win the World Championships. Seriously though, this deck has easily proven to be the best deck in the format by a long shot, something we haven’t had in quite some time. Even when [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Slurpuff” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”69″ c=”name”][/card] was running through everyone, some people still held on to the belief that it wasn’t the best. With Night March, nobody can say that. Night March is the indisputable best deck in the format. At the World Championships, be prepared to play against nothing but Night March, and decks that counter Night March.
Why Not To Play This Deck
You’re scared that too many people are hyping it up. That’s the exact reason why I won’t be piloting this deck. The only way you don’t know about the success of Night March is if you took an adventure to the Moon for the last few months, and just got back and haven’t turned on your computer yet. Since everyone knows about how good this deck can be, many people are most likely going to elect to play counter decks. I’m scared that my luck will run dry and I’ll play against nothing but [card name=”Trevenant BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card].
Tech Cards
Oh man, where to start. The space in this deck is unreal, and with [card name=”Puzzle of Time” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] providing plenty of backup support, the possibilities are endless for tech cards. The two newest and most talked about techs are going to be Captivating Poke Puff and Pokemon Ranger. Poke Puff is going to be the alternative or supplement to [card name=”Target Whistle” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card], depending on if you want to play one or both. I’m of the belief that Target Whistle is going to be the better play, since it is guaranteed, and people will be too scared of Poke Puff to really effectively play around it. Pokemon Ranger is what takes Night March from good to great. [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Jolteon-EX” set=”Generations” no=”28″ c=”name”][/card] have always been the counter cards to Night March. Now that Pokemon Ranger takes away all three of those options, there is no stopping the potential of Night March.
Tech Cards Against Night March
Item-lock is pretty much the only tech at this point, and it’s not even a tech. Sure you could throw some [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card] in your deck with hopes that the Night March player doesn’t have the response next turn, but how often does that happen? Your best bet is to use Enhanced Hammer and [card name=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”110″ c=”name”][/card] in a deck that you can also tech in a [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] and hope you catch them with a dead hand. You have to either build your deck to counter Night March, or just take the autoloss to one of the biggest decks in the format.
Chances of Playing Against Night March
Super incredibly high! I wouldn’t be surprised to see over 50% of the players at the World Championships playing this deck. Think about that meta share for just a moment. If all the other decks on this list alone were played an equal amount, and mind you that’s not counting decks that aren’t on this list, the next highest total would be under 6% play rate. That’s insane. Pretty much, if you’re not playing Night March, you should at least play to beat it.
Alternative Versions
Straight Night March is probably the way to go for the World Championships, since Pokemon Ranger does the things that [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] does for it, and then some. I’m sure there will still be a good portion of the playerbase still leaning toward playing Night March / Vespiquen, so make sure to be on the lookout for that as well. Other than that, the only other real version of the deck includes [card name=”Maxie’s Hidden Ball Trick” set=”Primal Clash” no=”133″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Gallade” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”84″ c=”name”][/card] to deal with things like [card name=”M Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”24″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card]. Having a bulkier attacker is never a bad thing, since most of the strategy of being Night March revolves around OHKO’ing all of the low HP Pokemon.
Other Articles on Night March
- The Road to San Francisco — Picking a Deck for the World Championships
- The Steam Palace — An Interview with Nick Robinson and a Look at Volcanion-EX
- The Testing Circle — Four Decks to Focus on for Worlds
Water Box
Skeleton List
[decklist name=”aaa” amt=”46″ caption=”” cname=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″][pokemon amt=”9″]3x [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Manaphy-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”32″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Hoopa-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”36″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Regice” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”24″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”27″]4x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”AZ” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”91″ 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=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Energy Switch” set=”Generations” no=”61″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”2″][/card]4x [card name=”Rough Seas” set=”Primal Clash” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”10″]10x [card name=”Water Energy” set=”Generations” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”10″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
Free Slots – 14
Good Matchups
Trevenant
High HP, [card name=”Rough Seas” set=”Primal Clash” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card], and Item-lock, all of the things that [card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] doesn’t like to see that Water Box has. The only thing the Water Box player has to do is draw into Supporters and Stadiums and the game is over. The low damage output of Trevenant can’t keep up with the healing of Water Box. The only real chance that Trevenant has in this matchup is to [card name=”Red Card” set=”Generations” no=”71″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Crushing Hammer” set=”Generations” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] in the same turn and hope the Water Box player draws dead from then on out.
Night March
This matchup actually swings one of two ways. If Night March plays [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card], then Water Box can definitely struggle with the Grass Weakness of [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card]. If it doesn’t play Vespiquen, then Seismitoad-EX and [card name=”Articuno” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”17″ c=”name”][/card] can turn the tides of games. An early Item-lock on Night March can be played around, but is still somewhat difficult to deal with. Articuno can take those clutch two Prizes in the mid to late game to switch the Prize-trade in the favor of the Water Box player.
Bad Matchups
Vileplume / Vespiquen
[card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] just cuts through Seismitoad-EX like it’s nothing. [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card] will always have at least one turn of Items to compress all of the unwanted Pokemon so that Vespiquen can just take over games. Not having access to [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card] can also prove to be difficult for the Water Box player to struggle through.
Vespiquen / Bats
[cardimg name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
Just like above, Seismitoad-EX has a difficult time dealing with Vespiquen. The Bats don’t offer much to the matchup, but they can be used as early fodder to power up Bee Revenge. Or, if you’re feeling cute, you can try to use most of your Bat drops to take a Knock Out on a [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card], since their only ways of healing off the damage are in the forms of Sky Return and [card name=”AZ” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card]. Vespiquen / Bat decks also often opt to play [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card], another card that Seismitoad-EX really does not like to see.
Why Play This Deck
Consistency. That’s the biggest and best thing about this deck. With the high Energy count, you’re most always going to hit a [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card]. Playing [card name=”Energy Switch” set=”Generations” no=”61″ c=”name”][/card] is also one of the most satisfying feelings in the game. There’s just something about pulling off a cool Energy Switch play that makes this choice of deck worth running in a large tournament. Despite the same typing throughout the deck, there is surprisingly a lot of options. Even lesser cards like [card name=”Aurorus-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY102″ c=”name”][/card] are viable in a deck like this to give you that one shot potential. You can tweak this deck to your liking in almost every way.
Why Not To Play This Deck
Matchups. Yes, this deck does have a lot of outs to a lot of decks, but generally speaking you don’t absolutely dominate any one matchup except for [card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card], I would say most of the matchups hover around the 60 / 40 range. If you’re a good player, you can sway these numbers a tad in either direction, but most of the time you’re going to be fighting an uphill battle.
Tech Cards
I already mentioned Aurorus-EX as an amazing tech to get OHKO’s, but here I’m going to talk about [card name=”Glalie-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”34″ c=”name”][/card]. I know that most Water Box lists like to run [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] over [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card], and I understand the thought process behind that. Glalie-EX does the same thing that Aurorus-EX does in providing the one shot, but Glalie-EX does it for one less Energy. Taking that tradeoff could be worth it at times, so it’s something to think about for sure. You could also tech in a random [card name=”Giovanni’s Scheme” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”138″ c=”name”][/card] to hit some better numbers. Or heck, if you wanted to get really weird, you could also tech in a [card name=”M Glalie-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”35″ c=”name”][/card]! Just spit balling ideas here.
Tech Cards Against Water Box
I’ve got two good ones for this matchup. The first is Pokemon Ranger to deal with the Item-lock of [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card]. This deck relies fairly heavily on getting ahead early with Quaking Punch, tanking up the damage, then sweeping lategame with Grenade Hammer or a backup attacker. If you can break through that lock for even one turn, it will prove worth it. The second tech is [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card]. The limited damage output of the bulk of the attackers in Water Box can really be capitalized on by reducing their damage even further. Plus, countering Rough Seas is a big part of the strategy in going against this deck. The more Stadiums you can play to counter Rough Seas, the better.
Chances of Playing Against Water Box
Honestly? I expect not very high chances of playing against this deck. The recent hype of teching in [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] into Night March could really prove difficult for Water Box to find the upper tables. Taking a big negative matchup to the biggest deck in the format is something I wouldn’t do. Pokemon Ranger being released also didn’t help this deck’s chances of surviving through World Championships. I don’t think the metagame is quite properly positioned for Water Box to be a good play, and I believe a lot of people agree with me on that assessment of the meta.
Alternative Versions
This deck doesn’t get too weird too often, since consistency is the name of the game when it comes to Water Box. Outside of the occasional [card name=”Aurorus-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY102″ c=”name”][/card] tech, I haven’t seen too many drastically different lists. There are some people trying to go with the [card name=”Palkia-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”31″ c=”name”][/card] route, and while that may not be a terrible play, I just don’t think it’s all that necessary. I would rather Item-lock someone with my two early Energy attachments. Accelerating Energy has never been an issue for Water Box, so I feel like that version is a little redundant.
Other Articles on Water Box
- A Day at a Time — A National Championship Review and Commentary on Time
- The Testing Circle — Four Decks to Focus on for Worlds
[premium]
Trevenant BREAK
Skeleton List
[decklist name=”trev” amt=”51″ caption=”” cname=”Trevenant BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”66″][pokemon amt=”13″]2x [card name=”Trevenant BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”66″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/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=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC11″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”30″]3x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Wally” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC27″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Team Flare Grunt” set=”Generations” no=”73″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Fates Collide” no=”113″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]1x [card name=”Red Card” set=”Generations” no=”71″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Head Ringer” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”97″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Dimension Valley” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”93″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”8″]4x [card name=”Psychic Energy” set=”Generations” no=”79″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Mystery Energy” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”112″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
Free Slots – 9
Good Matchups
Night March
This matchup is pretty much the sole reason I’m considering this deck for the World Championships. Sure, I’m a little bit scared of some of the Dark decks floating around still, and being Item locked yourself is never fun, but I still like this deck for the sole reason of having a great Night March matchup. The Hammer version of this deck makes it very hard for Night March to keep up with attachments, where as the [card name=”Bursting Balloon” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card] version keeps the Prize-race heavily in your favor. No matter how you slice it, this is probably the best matchup for [card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card].
Vespiquen / Bats
This matchup is also a steamroll. It can get a little bit sticky if the Vespiquen player has some Dark Pokemon up their sleeve, but usually there are ways around that. If you can take out their one or two Dark techs, you can win it lategame based purely on the low HP of their Pokemon. Combined with the fact that Item-lock means no [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card], you’re going to run them into a dead draw more often than not.
Bad Matchups
Yveltal / Zoroark / Gallade
Nothing but Dark Pokemon coming right at you to OHKO repeatedly. Usually one or two Dark Energy alone can take a big portion of the Prizes in this matchup. The Hammer version of Trevenant can sometimes keep pace with the Energy drops of Dark, but the moment an [card name=”Yveltal” set=”XY” no=”78″ c=”from”][/card] comes out to play, the match is all but over.
Dakrai-EX / Giratina-EX
[cardimg name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
Another deck that has nothing but Dark Pokemon coming at you. When Grady, my roommate, and I test this matchup, it always goes in favor of the [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card], since all they need is that one turn to [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card] and they’re home free. [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Hydreigon-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”62″ c=”name”][/card] aren’t even needed in this matchup, as one Darkrai-EX can go the distance with its 180 HP and Psychic Resistance.
Why Play This Deck
Play this deck if you want to beat Night March, simple as that. There isn’t much more to say on that topic, as this deck usually has its way with Night March. The other reason to play this deck is the simple fact that it can steal games. A lategame [card name=”Red Card” set=”Generations” no=”71″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card] with Item-lock can sometimes win games all on its own, even against bad matchups.
Why Not To Play This Deck
You’re scared of the counter to the counter. It’s one of those crazy rock paper scissors situations that we seem to be running into a whole lot more often in Pokemon these days. The thought process is, that if everyone is going to be countering Night March and playing [card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card], then I should play Dark to counter them! This thought process usually ends up going in circles, and can be hard to pinpoint which of the decks to play, but that’s just the format we live in, every deck loses to something else.
Tech Cards
Like Night March, Trevenant has a lot of wiggle room to work with. I’ve already mentioned the Balloon versus Hammer idea, but this deck can be so much more. Things like [card name=”Red Card” set=”Generations” no=”71″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Head Ringer” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card] have become standard to combat the [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] loop strategy, and [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC11″ c=”name”][/card] is included to deal with [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card] based decks. But one of the techs I liked the most that I saw was [card name=”Alakazam-EX” set=”Fates Collide” no=”25″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”M Alakazam-EX” set=”Fates Collide” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card]. Sure, it might be a little bit clunky, but the damage that these two can inflict for just a single Energy can be worth it to end a game.
Tech Cards Against Trevenant
[card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card] is the biggest and best tech for Trevenant. If you find find a deck you like, and then tech in two Hex, you improve your matchup by just enough to give you a fighting chance if you get into the early lock situation. Most decks will have a natural out to Trevenant in the form of big bulky attackers, or in the form of the [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] loop, but Hex will swing the matchup in your favor just enough to play down those Items you need to get back into the game.
Chances of Playing Against Trevenant
Behind Night March, I feel like this deck is the second most likely to get played. I think the temptation to play a deck that can steal games just by nature of the cards and the formats is going to be too powerful for people to shy away from. In an eight or nine round tournament, expect to play against this deck at least twice. The way I see it, you’re going to play against four Night March, two [card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card], and two or three of anything else during day one.
Alternative Versions
I’ve already talked about it a lot, and that’s the [card name=”Bursting Balloon” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card] versus Energy-denial argument when it comes to [card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card]. I am personally a fan of the Energy-denial version, since it gives you a chance to outplay many of your bad matchups. With Bursting Balloon, a [card name=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”110″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card] can be used to play around Balloons, rendering the card useless. Hammers can’t be outplayed. I have seen some people play both in their lists, which I think is amazing if it doesn’t take away from the consistency of your deck.
Other Articles on Trevenant
Vileplume / Vespiquen
Good Matchups
Zygarde-EX / Vileplume
Both decks look to go off turn one with the Item-lock and attachments. I think this matchup is swung in the favor of [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] because of the thicker Vileplume lines, the Grass Weakness on [card name=”Zygarde-EX” set=”Fates Collide” no=”54″ c=”name”][/card], and the favorable Prize-trade of a Pokemon-EX versus a non-EX. I mean sure, this matchup does have a lot to do with who gets the Energy drops and the first Vileplume, but in general, I think Vespiquen comes out on top of this matchup more often than not. Plus, you can always go with the tried and true strategy of just not going into Vileplume and trying to take the Prize-trade early.
Night March
I’ve said it before, and I’m sure I’ll say it again, Night March is not a fan of turn one Item-lock. [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card] is the deck that is best equipped to achieve that magnificent turn one lock. Missing an Energy drop is the only thing that hurts this matchup. Plus, if you’re one of those cool kids that play [card name=”Jolteon-EX” set=”Generations” no=”28″ c=”name”][/card], your opponent is going to have to draw into either [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card] or Pokemon Ranger to get through the lock.
Bad Matchups
Darkrai-EX / Giratina-EX
[card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card] decks usually don’t have a fantastic way to get around Chaos Wheel. Even with a couple of tech Pokemon Ranger, Vileplume is still going to struggle against [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card]. There are a few other things to can help out, like [card name=”Jirachi” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY67″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”110″ c=”name”][/card], but hitting both of those under Item and Special Energy lock can be difficult. You’ll be able to steal a game here and there just because of the early game lock, but in the long run, I think you lose this more often than not.
Metal
[cardimg name=”Aegislash-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”65″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
This matchup comes down to [card name=”Aegislash-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”65″ c=”name”][/card]. Like I said above, it’s hard to draw into those tech Supporters like Pokemon Ranger and [card name=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”110″ c=”name”][/card] when you’re playing [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card]. The same theory goes for Aegislash-EX and Hex Maniac. Plus, even if you do play Hex and manage to hit it in a game, you’re giving your opponent a turn of Items, not a thing Vileplume is too keen on doing.
Why Play This Deck
You want easy wins. This deck is considered by many to be fairly auto pilot. While I don’t disagree with those people, I feel like it takes a lot more skill to master this deck. Easy to learn, hard to master. By that stretch, if you practice the daylights out of this deck, and become really good with it, you’ll hit enough good matchups, and steal enough games to advance very far into the day.
Why Not To Play This Deck
It’s very fragile. And also luck dependent a little! Lategame the only thing you want to do is draw into you Energy, and if you fail to do this, you can find yourself with a low deck count and in a hole. It’s not like this deck has no comeback potential, as I’ve seen people opt to play multiple [card name=”Bunnelby” set=”Primal Clash” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] in their deck to help recycle Energy counts, but the point still stand of over extension. You can find yourself winning one moment, and in a flash losing the next.
Tech Cards
This deck is less about teching one ofs in, and more about upping the counts of certain counts you like. With the intention of burning through your deck on turn one, you’re unlikely to hit the tech cards at the exact right time you need it. So you’re better off playing stuff like a fourth [card name=”AZ” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card], a third [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card], a third [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card], and stuff like that to give you better odds of longevity in your matches
Tech Cards Against Vespiquen / Vileplume
[card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card] are the two MVPs against this deck. We all saw Paul Johnston win against Vespiquen / Vileplume in the Top 8 of the U.S. National Championships by playing Lysandre, after Lysandre to keep pulling up Vileplume and sticking them in the Active. With Hex Maniac, you can get that [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Fates Collide” no=”113″ c=”name”][/card] for the last Pokemon you need, or grab the [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] for [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card] to hit an Energy on the next turn. Playing higher counts of both of these cards can be beneficial. Also, if your deck can manage it, a [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC11″ c=”name”][/card] or two can either cripple their opening set up by blocking [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card], or give you that turn or two of Items necessary to make a comeback.
Chances of Playing Against Vespiquen / Vileplume
After [card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] and Night March, I would expect to play this deck the next most amount of times. I’ve heard a lot of people on the teams I’m on talk about Vileplume / Vespiquen like it’s the answer to all of their life problems. Flat Tire? Vileplume / Vespiquen. Rent is due? Vileplume / Vespiquen. What do I play for the World Championships? Vileplume / Vespiquen!
Alternative Versions
I touched on it earlier, but the version with [card name=”Jolteon-EX” set=”Generations” no=”28″ c=”name”][/card] and Basic Energy is starting to get talked about a lot more as the mainstay of this deck. It’s almost less of an alternative version, and more of a common combination at this point. There was once upon a time when I saw a version that played both Jolteon-EX and [card name=”Regirock” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] during the Cities format, and while I don’t expect that version to see much play, it is something to think about when testing this deck out.
Yveltal / Zoroark / Gallade
Skeleton List
[decklist name=”aa” amt=”50″ caption=”” cname=”Zorua” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”89″][pokemon amt=”11″]2x [card name=”Zoroark” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”91″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Zorua” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”89″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Yveltal” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC16″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Yveltal” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”94″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY08″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Gallade” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”84″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”29″]2x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Maxie’s Hidden Ball Trick” set=”Primal Clash” no=”133″ 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=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Fates Collide” no=”113″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Target Whistle” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”106″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Reverse Valley” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”110″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”10″]6x [card name=”Darkness Energy” set=”Generations” no=”81″ c=”deck2″ amt=”6″][/card]4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Fates Collide” no=”114″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
Free Slots – 10
Good Matchups
Darkrai-EX / Giratina-EX
This matchup should just be a cake walk if you can manage to get a [card name=”Gallade” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”84″ c=”name”][/card] into play early. Sensitive Blade one shots [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] without getting one shot back by [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card]. When Giratina-EX says hello, you can Stand In and go into [card name=”Zoroark” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] for the two shot, or go into [card name=”Yveltal” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC16″ c=”name”][/card] and accelerate. If [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card] comes down followed by a Chaos Wheel, Pokemon Ranger can take care of that problem! You have answers to just about everything they do.
Water Box
I don’t believe I’m wrong on this one, but I can see how a lot of arguments could be made that this matchup is a little bit closer. Instead, I’ll remind you that [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY08″ c=”name”][/card] can deal with [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] fairly well. Also, having outs to [card name=”Regice” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”24″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Glaceon-EX” set=”Fates Collide” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] in the forms of [card name=”Zoroark” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Gallade” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”84″ c=”name”][/card] are also cause for concern for the Water Box player.
Bad Matchups
Night March
The strategy against Night March is that of the Prize-trade race with your [card name=”Yveltal” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC16″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Gallade” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”84″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Zoroark” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] counts. However, the moment you miss an attack, or the moment they can Captivating Poke Puff or [card name=”Target Whistle” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card] out a [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] is the moment that this matchup turns. It’s not an unwinnable matchup by any stretch, it’s just that you’re racing a cheetah while you’re on a Jet Ski. Eventually you’re going to run out of water.
Metal
[cardimg name=”Zoroark” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”91″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
[card name=”Genesect-EX” set=”Fates Collide” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card] is surprisingly a very hard card to deal with in this matchup. If they want, they can discard all of the Energy on their attack, leaving your [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY08″ c=”name”][/card] useless, or they can leave them on and take easy KO’s against [card name=”Yveltal” set=”XY” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Zoroark” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card]. [card name=”Aegislash-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”65″ c=”name”][/card] can also prove to be a difficult opponent, as most of your attackers use [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Fates Collide” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card], meaning a turn will have to be spent charging up those attackers. It’s winnable, but difficult.
Why Play This Deck
It’s comfortable. Most people that play this sort of deck have played it for a long time, and they know it better than anyone. I’m not saying the only reason you should play this deck is because you like it, it does have very solid matchups against the board, I’m just saying that people picking up this deck might have to practice an extra amount to really understand every single matchup. You’re never going to be out of options when playing this deck, since it has answers to almost everything out there. The power may not be what it once was, and that might be a reason it’s fallen out of favor, but it’s still a top pick going into World Championships either way.
Why Not To Play This Deck
Like I just said, lack of power. Your opponent can play around [card name=”Zoroark” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] by benching a limited amount of Pokemon, something that this format naturally lends itself to with [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”AZ” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] being everywhere. You can also hold back on loading up an attacker with a lot of Energy, something [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY08″ c=”name”][/card] takes advantage of. It has decent matchups everywhere, but the lack of damage output can sometimes scare me.
Tech Cards
[card name=”Target Whistle” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card] is probably the best card to tech into this deck. Like I said before, damage output on the Zoroark heavy builds can be mitigated by limiting the Bench. Target Whistle, and by extension Captivating Poke Puff can be used to boost Zoroark damage, and at the same time provide targets for [card name=”Gallade” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”84″ c=”name”][/card] to hit. I don’t think it’s quite yet standard in all versions of this deck, but it definitely should be.
Tech Cards Against Yveltal / Zoroark / Gallade
Probably the best tech against this deck is [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card]. Sure, [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card] is a close second for this category, but I want to talk about the Hammer for a moment. Oftentimes I see YZG players get all frisky with the Double Colorless Energy attachments and just go wild. With no real way of recycling them, you can set them a turn back while at the same time denying resources with Enhanced Hammer. This card doesn’t quite have the same effect on decks like Night March or [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card], since both of those decks play [card name=”Puzzle of Time” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card], but it works wonders in this matchup!
Chances of Playing Against Yveltal / Zoroark / Gallade
Honestly probably not that high, however with what I said about about being a comfort pick, I think I could be surprised by the amount of Yveltal / Zoroark / Gallade in the room on that day. A lot of top plays that used this deck all season will continue to do so, so you’ll definitely see at least one near the top tables. This deck has the potential to either flop hard, or make it big, but not much in between.
Alternative Versions
One of the more popular versions of this deck was played quite a bit at U.S. National Championships, and that was the Quad [card name=”Zoroark” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] version. It’s pretty much the same deck as above, but instead of playing the thin 2-2 Zoroark like, you play a much thicker 4-4 line with a couple of [card name=”Zoroark BREAK” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] sprinkled in.
Links
Zygarde-EX / Vileplume
Skeleton List
[decklist name=”VZ” amt=”53″ caption=”” cname=”Zygarde-EX” set=”Fates Collide” no=”54″][pokemon amt=”15″]2x [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Gloom” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”2″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Oddish” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”1″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Zygarde-EX” set=”Fates Collide” no=”54″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Carbink BREAK” set=”Fates Collide” no=”51″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Carbink” set=”Fates Collide” no=”50″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Lucario-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”54″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”29″]3x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”AZ” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”91″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Korrina” set=”Furious Fists” no=”95″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”2″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Fates Collide” no=”113″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Level Ball” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”76″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Heavy Ball” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”140″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Forest of Giant Plants” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”74″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”9″]5x [card name=”Fighting Energy” set=”Generations” no=”80″ c=”deck2″ amt=”5″][/card]4x [card name=”Strong Energy” set=”Fates Collide” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
Free Slots – 7
Good Matchups
Darkrai-EX / Giratina-EX
There is nothing in [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] that is of any help in this matchup. [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card] makes it incredibly hard to accelerate Energy in the form of [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card], Zygarde-EX and Lucario-EX hit Darkrai-EX for Weakness, and [card name=”Carbink” set=”Fates Collide” no=”50″ c=”name”][/card] blocks both of the main attackers from attacking. A [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card] here and there might slow Zygarde-EX down a little bit, but this matchup is incredibly one sided.
Seismitoad-EX / Giratina-EX
Also along the same lines as above, neither of the main attackers of this deck has any way to deal with Carbink in a efficient way. Not to mention the low damage output of the deck really struggles with a healing Zygarde that tanks up most all of your hits, while swinging back like a truck. Sprinkle in the Item-lock, and you have yourself a very unfavorable matchup for Seismitoad-EX / Giratina-EX.
Bad Matchups
Vespiquen / Bats
Both of these write ups are going to sound similar to each other, and to the Water Box write up. Your main attacker is weak to Grass, and that is super troublesome when it comes to [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] based decks. The Item-lock is a little bit of an issue for Vespiquen to deal with, but then again Vileplume / Zygarde-EX isn’t really known for getting that quick turn one Vileplume.
Vileplume / Vespiquen
Again, a Grass Weakness is nothing Zygarde-EX really likes to see. Plus, with an unfavorable Prize-race, this matchup can get fairly one sided real quick. There are ways, like [card name=”Lucario-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”54″ c=”name”][/card], that Zygarde / Vileplume can deal with this matchup, but under that quick turn one Item-lock, it’s not easy to get them running. This matchup is closer than I described, but no Zygarde player wants to see this matchup.
Why Play This Deck
[cardimg name=”Zygarde-EX” set=”Fates Collide” no=”54″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
Solid matchups. If you go down the list of the decks, and then some, you’ll find a lot of winnable matchups without any real autolosses. Even the negative matchups aren’t that bad, along the lines of 40 / 60 at worst. The thing that keeps people away from this deck is the lack of experience. This deck isn’t very battle tested since it’s the newest on the list. It’s a great deck, with great matchups, and plenty of options to get around everything else. Honestly, this is probably “the play” for World Championships, yet so many people will pass on it.
Why Not To Play This Deck
It’s clunky. This deck, since it plays the thinner line of Vileplume, actually has a fair amount of Items and Supporters to go along with it. With all that in mind, the deck can sometimes clunk up, and you can be left with big hands and only one or two playable cards. Usually the large hand size isn’t too much of an issue, but often times I’m finding myself wanting to do more with my turn than just play one card.
Tech Cards
Honestly playing a [card name=”Focus Sash” set=”Furious Fists” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] or two wouldn’t be the worst idea in the world. This deck does play an above average count of [card name=”AZ” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card], usually around three or four, so picking up the Vileplume to place the Focus Band wouldn’t be the hardest thing to accomplish. Throwing a Focus Band on a [card name=”Carbink BREAK” set=”Fates Collide” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] can be fantastic against decks that manage to hit their one or two of Hex Maniac to hit into Carbink with a Pokemon-EX.
Tech Cards Against Zygarde / Vileplume
Similar to [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card], the tech here is going to be [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card]. Getting that turn to shut off Items is going to be massive against a big tanky deck like this. In some situations it’s going to be hard to draw into, but it will help on the turn or two you get to dump those useless Items from your hand.
Chances of Playing Against Zygarde / Vileplume
I would say low. Not a lot of people picked up on this idea for National Championships, although those who did saw success. I think the same thing will be true, especially with the rise in popularity of Vileplume / Vespiquen. It will be played, and it should be played, but I wouldn’t worry all too much about this deck. Test against it, since you’ll need that practice, but you can take the autoloss to it and still be peachy.
Alternative Versions
Since this is a new concept, there aren’t many different versions of this deck. It’s all fairly standard right now, [card name=”Zygarde-EX” set=”Fates Collide” no=”54″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Lucario-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”54″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Carbink BREAK” set=”Fates Collide” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] all shine here. Nothing too fancy.
Vespiquen / Bats
Skeleton List
[decklist name=”aa” amt=”52″ caption=”” cname=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″][pokemon amt=”24″]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]3x [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Golbat” set=”Generations” no=”31″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Zubat” set=”Generations” no=”30″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Yveltal” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC16″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Yveltal” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”94″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Bunnelby” set=”Primal Clash” no=”121″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”20″]4x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]1x [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”AZ” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”91″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Fates Collide” no=”113″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”4″][/card]1x [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”8″]4x [card name=”Darkness Energy” set=”Generations” no=”81″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Fates Collide” no=”114″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
Free Slots – 8
Good Matchups
Water Box
Most all of the attackers in Water Box are weak to Grass, and since [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] is you main attacker, you can start cutting through that deck rather easily. Most of the time Vespiquen will be trading early game Prizes with Pokemon-EX, getting you ahead in the race. The only thing the Water Box player has to fall back in is early game Item-lock stealing a quick game if you draw poorly.
Night March
This is one of those matchups where your Bats are pretty much going to take over. Using a combination of [card name=”Yveltal” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC16″ c=”name”][/card] and Bat drops, you can usually coast your way to a victory here. A well timed [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card] by the Night March player can be pretty brutal, but generally if you can out trade them, you should find yourself winning this more often than not.
Bad Matchups
Trevenant
[cardimg name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
The natural low HP of most every Pokemon in this deck is brutal for [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card]. Even with a decent amount of Dark attackers, you generally won’t find a good way out of this matchup. No amount of [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card], or any other standard tech against Trevenant really solves this horrible matchup. You might be able to outplay someone, but even with a simple [card name=”Red Card” set=”Generations” no=”71″ c=”name”][/card], the [card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] player can easily take victory.
Itself
Honestly kind of a cop out answer, but think about it. Vespiquen variants are naturally supposed to have counters to everything in the format, they’re the most toolbox deck out there. With that being said, the moment you start loading everything into one pile of 60 cards, trying to solve the format while at the same time trying to achieve world peace and end hunger, you’re going to run into a few consistency issues.
Why Play This Deck
As I just stated, this deck has an answer to nearly everything in the format. You want to beat Night March? Try to out trade them. You want to beat Trevenant? Go with your Dark attackers early and fast until they can’t keep up. You want to beat Water? Vespiquen cuts right through the Grass Weakness like it’s nothing. No matter what you face, you can always have a response in one form or another. Even if you play against something you’re not prepared for, you can always fall back on the “swing with Vespiquen,” strategy.
Why Not To Play This Deck
Consistency is the biggest issue here. No matter how hard you try to build this deck, you’ll always run into those few games where nothing seems to get going. This deck is prone to clumping, dead draws, and about every other type of bad start you could imagine. If you’re willing to take that risk going into the most important tournament of the year, then this is the deck for you! However, if you don’t want to lose to yourself, then stay away from this puppy for sure.
Tech Card
The best tech I have for this deck is in the form of [card name=”Maxie’s Hidden Ball Trick” set=”Primal Clash” no=”133″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Gallade” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”84″ c=”name”][/card]. I’ve already expressed my love for Gallade in previous articles, so make sure to check those out for some mushy words about the guy. But in short, Premonition is a great Ability to have in every matchup, specifically in Item-lock matchups where you can control your top deck to keep drawing into Energy and Supporters. Having a backup attacker in the deck specifically to take two Prizes of [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] is also a nice plus. Since we already play a [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] engine, this combo isn’t hard to fit into the deck.
Tech Cards Against Vespiquen / Bats
[card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card] is a really hard card for this deck to deal with. The Bat damage is what keeps this deck in the game against things like Night March and Vespiquen. The early game Sneaky Bite and Surprise Bite can really stack up against big Pokemon-EX. Lategame Bat drops can help you finish off a [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] that you used Pitch Black Spear on. A well timed Hex Maniac can really throw your entire game off. At least that’s what we’ve found in testing.
Chances of Playing Against Vespiquen / Bats
Fairly low. I’ve heard a few musings here and there about a couple of people wanting to play this deck, or at least testing it, but not many of them are completely dedicated. I will throw some bias in there and say that this deck is on the final 10 list because I can see someone throwing a really good list together and making a deep run with it. That person is not me, but I can see someone else doing it!
Alternative Versions
There are so many ways to build Vespiquen. You can drop the Bat line entirely and go with a more toolbox oriented deck. If you’ve read my past articles, you know I’m a fan of [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] in this kind of deck. I also outlined a version with [card name=”Xerneas” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card] in my past article. Right now I’m actually working on a Dark / Bats variant without Vespiquen that seems to be getting some hype as of late. With outs to both Trevenant and Night March, that one seems like a good option as well.
Darkrai-EX / Giratina-EX
Skeleton List
[decklist name=”a” amt=”46″ caption=”” cname=”Darkrai-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”74″][pokemon amt=”8″]2x [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”74″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Yveltal” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC16″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Hoopa-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”36″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”26″]4x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Fates Collide” no=”113″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”12″]8x [card name=”Darkness Energy” set=”Generations” no=”81″ c=”deck2″ amt=”8″][/card]4x [card name=”Double Dragon Energy” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”97″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
Free Slots – 14
Good Matchups
Trevenant
As we near the end of the article, you’re going to start noticing quite a bit of overlap. We’re getting to the point where a couple of these decks at the bottom have been talked about already. But yes, [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] has a fantastic matchup against Trevenant because of the high HP count, the Dark typing on Darkrai-EX, and the Psychic Resistance. Trevenant can get lucky and steal this game, but it’s rather unlikely.
Vileplume / Vespiquen
As also previously stated before, one Chaos Wheel can really make all the difference in this matchup. There isn’t a great way for [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] to tech their deck out to deal with Special Energy hate. It’s an uphill battle the moment Giratina-EX is able to attack. Just make sure you play at least two Hex Maniac in this deck so you will be able to charge up Giratina-EX in time before it gets [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card]’d.
Bad Matchups
Yveltal / Zoroark / Gallade
[cardimg name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”118″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
[card name=”Gallade” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”84″ c=”name”][/card] just cuts through this deck like it’s nothing. It one shots both [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] without getting Knocked Out back. Giratina-EX can hold back the onslaught of [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Fates Collide” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card] attachments, but it’s only a matter of time before [card name=”Zoroark” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY08″ c=”name”][/card], or [card name=”Gallade” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”84″ c=”name”][/card] starts coming at you. The Prize-trade usually just ends up spiraling out of control.
Zygarde-EX / Vileplume
Another matchup previously discussed in this article, [card name=”Zygarde-EX” set=”Fates Collide” no=”54″ c=”name”][/card] can be a lot for [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] to deal with. Item-lock shuts off the Energy acceleration, and the constant healing from Cell Storm make this matchup very one sided.
Why Play This Deck
Because of the track record this deck boasts. Not only did it get leaked and have a great showing at Origins, but it did very well internationally and at U.S. National Championships. When this deck goes off, there is no stopping the heavy damage this deck puts out early. With the chance to donk though [card name=”Latios-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”58″ c=”name”][/card], and all of the tech Dragon attackers, this deck can function like a heavy hitting toolbox deck of sorts.
Why Not To Play This Deck
Because of the poor matchups. Honestly, on paper this deck doesn’t have a lot of fantastic matchups, at least not in my predicted World Championship meta where everything is Night March and Item-lock. It fares well against the big Pokemon-EX decks like Metal and Water Box, but I expect both of those decks to see a decline in play based off my predictions of the meta.
Tech Cards
Most commonly, the best tech, or I should say most common tech for this deck is [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card]. This give the deck a fighting chance against Item-lock if you can combo it with a [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card] drop or if you go first. [card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card] is where the Garbodor idea came from. Darkrai-EX / Giratina-EX always had a fairly good game plan against everything but Greninja. With both [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card] and Garbodor in play, you can just absolutely shut down Greninja. It works well against a lot of other decks as well!
Tech Cards Against Darkrai-EX / Giratina-EX
[card name=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”110″ c=”name”][/card] is going to be one of your best friends here. Essentially, Xerosic takes away either 40 damage from Dark Pulse by stripping off [card name=”Double Dragon Energy” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card], or 40 HP in the form of stripping off [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card]. Both of these options can help win games late. The best part of it all is that Xerosic fits into every single deck! I’ve talked about my love of Xerosic in the past, and about my mistake for not playing it in my deck at the U.S. National Championships, but I won’t be making that same mistake for San Francisco!
Chances of Playing Against Darkrai-EX / Giratina-EX
It’s really hard to say. At the U.S. National Championships I saw a really good amount of this deck. [card name=”Jolteon-EX” set=”Generations” no=”28″ c=”name”][/card] was my hard counter to the deck, so now that Pokemon Ranger is out, we might see an increase in play. Although that might not be the case, since Pokemon Ranger also shuts down Chaos Wheel. I feel like if you build the Darkrai-EX / Giratina-EX deck with a focus on trying to beat Night March, this deck could see a little bit of play, but on the same coin is the lackluster feel of the deck. It might just be a one and done type of combination.
Alternative Versions
I already mentioned the [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] version, but I did see an international version that played [card name=”Zoroark” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card]. The idea behind this being to have a good backup non-EX attacker to help trade with. Also, if you’re not a fan of [card name=”Hydreigon-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”62″ c=”name”][/card] for the Retreat aid it brings, then a simple Zoroark plus [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] combination can help big time.
Seismitoad-EX / Giratina-EX
Good Matchups
Night March
Item-lock and Special Energy lock are two things that Night March just does not like to deal with. Sure, [card name=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”110″ c=”name”][/card] and Pokemon Ranger are going to be really clutch in this situation, but missing two or three turns of Items can really put Night March behind; a place it’s not used to being.
Bad Matchups
Vespiquen / Bats
This matchup is not in the favor of [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card]. The Item-lock in the early stages of the game can be troublesome to get going, but once you get that [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] online and rolling, it’s very hard for the Seismitoad-EX / Giratina-EX player to catch up. A well timed Pokemon Ranger can also shut off the Item or Special Energy lock for enough turns to give the Vespiquen player an even bigger advantage.
Why Play This Deck
The ability to lock people our of different types of situations can never be under estimated. Basically, you get to pick and choose when they get to play their cards the want to play. If you’re good enough at knowing the matchups, and can predict when your opponent will switch gears, then this may be just the deck for you!
Why Not To Play This Deck
[cardimg name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
There are three major things why I think this deck shouldn’t be played at all. The first is the low damage output. You’re going to be slowing your opponent down in the early stages of the game, but if they can bring it to the mid or late game, I feel like the predictable damage output every turn can prove difficult. The second is the large reliance on Special Energy cards. This leaves you prone to cards like [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”110″ c=”name”][/card], and even [card name=”Jirachi” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY67″ c=”name”][/card]. And the third reason to not play this deck is Pokemon Ranger. This new card shuts down both of your attacks, and can get opponents back into the game. If this card wasn’t out, I would maybe say you should play this deck, but because of Pokemon Ranger and the other two reasons, I would stay away.
Tech Cards
I would actually like to see someone go back to [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] with Toad. We haven’t seen that for a while, but I feel like enough skilled players could make their way back to home base here. Garbodor has seen a massive decline in play recently, and that usually is a sign for things to start up again in the Ability blocking department.
Tech Cards Against Seismitoad-EX / Giratina-EX
Anything and everything with Energy hate. It can be so easy to peel off Energy against this deck in the forms of [card name=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”110″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Team Flare Grunt” set=”Generations” no=”73″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Jirachi” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY67″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card]. Sure, they have [card name=”Puzzle of Time” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] to reuse said Energy, but they would rather spend those Puzzles on other disruption cards or on consistency like [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card]. Pokemon Ranger is also an obvious inclusion on this list, since it shuts down the entire deck.
Chances of Playing Against Seismitoad-EX / Giratina-EX
Slim I would say. Pokemon Ranger’s release really hurt the chances of this deck going far, and I think enough people realize that. Along with the fact that since every deck plays Double Colorless Energy now, or so it seems, people are teching in more cards like Xerosic and such. I don’t think this deck is in a good position to go far at the World Tournament, yet a few people will still hold onto it.
Alternative Versions
Besides going to the Garbodor route, there really isn’t much of a variety in this archetype. There are versions that play [card name=”Slowking” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”21″ c=”name”][/card] and such, but I’m pretty sure those have long died out. I’m trying to think of different decks that are similar that I can talk about here. There is of course the old [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card] deck that people tried to play at the start of the season. Honestly, that wouldn’t be the worst choice ever for San Francisco, since nobody really expects it and it should beat Night March. It’s something to look into I guess.
Metal
Skeleton List
[decklist name=”a” amt=”48″ caption=”” cname=”Bronzong BREAK” set=”Fates Collide” no=”62″][pokemon amt=”14″]1x [card name=”Bronzong BREAK” set=”Fates Collide” no=”62″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]3x [card name=”Bronzong” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY21″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Bronzong” set=”Fates Collide” no=”61″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Bronzor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Genesect-EX” set=”Fates Collide” no=”64″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Aegislash-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”65″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”25″]4x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”AZ” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”91″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Fates Collide” no=”113″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”9″]9x [card name=”Metal Energy” set=”Generations” no=”82″ c=”deck2″ amt=”9″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
Free Slots – 12
Good Matchups
Trevenant
Mostly, this matchup is all about [card name=”Bronzong” set=”Fates Collide” no=”61″ c=”from”][/card]. If you manage to get this puppy out, theres a very slim chance the [card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] player will have much of a chance. That being said, it can be quite difficult to find and evolve Bronzor under Item-lock, which makes this matchup close. If you’re smart about your Bronzor drops, and you [card name=”AZ” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] at the right time, you can still swing this matchup heavily in your favor by tanking with a big [card name=”Genesect-EX” set=”Fates Collide” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card]. Just don’t discard your Energy and two shot their [card name=”Trevenant BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card].
Vileplume / Vespiquen
[card name=”Aegislash-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”65″ c=”name”][/card] is the MVP here. [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] decks don’t really play [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card], so they’re resorted to playing Basic Energy onto their Vespiquen to attempt to get the KO. Granted if you don’t hit your Aegislash-EX, things can get a little sticky, but the moment you get one out, you should be able to cruse to a victory. If they play [card name=”Jolteon-EX” set=”Generations” no=”28″ c=”name”][/card] and go into it, odds are you’ll deck them out first, since they spent their entire turn one scorching through their deck. It should be an easy win.
Bad Matchups
[cardimg name=”Genesect-EX” set=”Fates Collide” no=”64″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
Darkrai-EX / Giratina-EX
I feel like this matchup is winnable for Metal, but more often than not it goes in favor of the [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] player. The reason being is because of the early game pressure put on by Darkrai-EX that it can sometimes make it hard to come back from. Throw in the fact that Darkrai-EX / Giratina-EX can play a heavy count of Hex Maniac or even Garbodor, and you have a matchup that isn’t the best thing for Metal to see.
Vespiquen / Bats
Between the Bat drops and the unfavorable Prize-trade, I would say that this matchup tends to lean toward the Vespiquen / Bats player. There aren’t a lot of truly bad matchups for Metal, as it seems to go even with a lot of the decks out there, so putting this one on this list might be a bit of a stretch. [card name=”Aegislash-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”65″ c=”name”][/card] can cause some issues, but since it’s so easy to get Hex Maniac out with the Battle Compressor engine make it relatively easy to get around.
Why Play This Deck
The matchups are what gives this deck the success that I foresee it having. Against the big three of [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card], and Night March, you should have a relatively easy time. [card name=”Aegislash-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”65″ c=”name”][/card] for Night March and Vespiquen and [card name=”Bronzong” set=”Fates Collide” no=”61″ c=”from”][/card] for Trevenant. [card name=”Bronzong BREAK” set=”Fates Collide” no=”62″ c=”name”][/card] also helps against Night March as well. You have the tools necessary to go toe to toe with the biggest decks of the format.
Why Not To Play This Deck
You’re scared of everything else. Metal does have great matchups against some of the top decks to come, but against everything else it can struggle against. Not to mention that the deck can be quite inconsistent at times, having to set up multiple [card name=”Bronzor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] on your Bench, while benching [card name=”Hoopa-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY71″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] to get that early start you desire.
Tech Cards
This may sound obvious, but it’s a card I’ve seen go by the wayside recently, and that’s [card name=”Heatran” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”63″ c=”name”][/card]. You don’t play [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Fates Collide” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card], and that is one of the big reasons why it hasn’t gotten much play, but it gives you that one extra non-EX attacker to help take easy KO’s on [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card]. The other, newer Pokemon that can do the same thing that I expect to see a little bit of in San Francisco is Cobalion. A revenge attack in the form of two Energy on a non-EX could be what this deck needs to compete with decks other than the big three.
Tech Cards Against Metal
[card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card] might just be the best option here. Most every Metal deck out there relies on Metal Links to get them going. With out it, there is very little Energy-acceleration. Many people have opted to play [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card] in their builds to combat this issue. While that’s groovy and all, it doesn’t help you much mid to late game when all the Energy is no longer in your deck. Plus, Hex helps in so many other matchups as well. There’s no reason not to play it!
Chances of Playing Against Metal
I would say a fair “medium.” There will definitely be people playing it solely because of the great matchups it has with the big three, and there will be people playing it out of comfort. Last year at the World Championships I played [card name=”Klinklang” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card], so I’ve been leaning toward Metal a poetic play, of sorts. Playing the same deck in back to back World Championships? Now that’s something I can get behind.
Alternative Versions
A deck that seemingly feel off the face of the Earth, but would be a good play for World Championships is Metal / Dragons. [card name=”Tyrantrum-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY70″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] are both proven to be excellent attackers, and throwing them in a Metal engine is what garnered so much success in the early stages of this season. I’m not quite sure why people stopped playing these cards, but I can tell you that if I had a little bit more knowledge and know how on these types of decks, I would strongly be considering them for the World Championships.
Conclusion
And there you have it folks! It turned out to be a lot longer than I had thought it would be, but none-the-less, an all encompassing article on the World Championship format! I was going to throw in a little section about some cool deck concepts I have for the tournament, but this article has already gotten long enough. If you would like some bonus lists, message me and I shall make it rain! Hopefully I’ve made your decision on what deck to play easier.
Until next time,
Alex
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