Cheers to a New Format — The Implications of the Rotation and Two New Decks
Hello Beach goers! Hope all is well. At the time of writing this I am leaving for San Fransisco tomorrow and couldn’t be more excited! I have been testing fervently the past few weeks and I am feeling good about Worlds, but before I head out, I wanted to stop by and shed some insight on the upcoming format. The 2016-2017 season is already shaping up to be a groundbreaking one. With huge changes to the year’s tournament structure, new Alola Pokemon revealed and a massive upheaval of Standard on the horizon, I am anxious as ever to get working on my 2017 Worlds invitation. It’s a great time to be a Pokemon trainer! In today’s article I will be looking at the new Primal Clash – Steam Siege format, discussing the forthcoming metagame in depth. I will also be reviewing a couple brand new decks that I have sleeved up for the fall. There’s a lot of new ideas in this article. My closest friends and I have been huddled up in my apartment grinding out games and lists all week, and I am excited to share with you the fruits of our labor.
As a quick side note, I wrote a motivational article about the life of a competitor at the dawn of the 2015 season, here. I just read through the piece again and it blew me away. It’s a timeless piece about assessing your goals and strategy within the Pokemon TCG and starting off a new season on the right foot. It’s the perfect article to read to get mentally prepared for the upcoming season. In fact, looking back at old articles is one of the sweetest part of being a PokeBeach premium subscriber. The longer our program exists, the more wisdom and experience you have at your fingertips!
Format Forecast
With Night March and [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] rotating out of Standard, the format slows down considerably. Now that there is no longer a deck that can consistently topple three 200+ HP Pokemon-EX in three turns whilst only promoting non-EX attackers, there are numerous deck options available to us in Standard. Imagine that! The landscape is much different than what we might be used to, but the general consensus seems to be that the game is rotating to a much more healthy and enjoyable state, and I have to agree. Below, I will review a number of significant changes to the format so that you can get an idea of how my proposed decks will function within the new metagame.
No Night March
The loss of Night March is easily the most liberating asset of the new format. Without Night March, Psychic and Lightning weak Pokemon-EX can re-enter the game. Most notably, this means that [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card] become instantly playable. It also means that Dark decks can afford to play a copy or two of [card name=”Lugia-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”68″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] without fearing for their safety.
Night March leaving the format also means that, most of the time, decks can afford to take a turn or two to set up. There is much less emphasis on the strength of your deck’s first turn when you aren’t on a three to four turn game timer, making evolution and Stage 2 decks plausible as well.
No Seismitoad-EX
Next in line of exciting rotations is [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card]. This card morphed into an absolute monster during its two year reign in Standard, spawning multiple popular archetypes such as Seismitoad-EX / [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card], Seismitoad-EX / [card name=”Slurpuff” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”69″ c=”name”][/card], Seismitoad-EX / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Legendary Treasures” no=”68″ c=”name”][/card], Seismitoad-EX / Fairy Box, and Water Box. The card was also seen as a tech in Dark decks, Metal decks, and even [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] decks. It turns out that producing an Item-lock for a single Energy is really good! But now, it’s time to lay our Frog Prince to rest. Finally! With Toad out of the picture, the doors are open wide for Fire to blaze through Standard.
PokeBeach writer Matt Price was over my apartment yesterday with his newly built [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card] deck. The deck functioned wonderfully! I was truly impressed. I even invested into a few copies of [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card] myself after seeing the deck’s magic first hand. The synergy between [card name=”Volcanion” set=”Steam Siege” no=”25″ c=”name”][/card], Volcanion-EX, and cards like [card name=”Fisherman” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”136″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Energy Retrieval” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] is really impressive. Matt was regularly using Volcanion’s acceleration attack, Power Heater, for over 100 damage! Ridiculous!
With Water losing Seismitoad-EX, I think that Water archetypes will compensate by shifting towards [card name=”Primal Kyogre-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card]. Apologies to [card name=”M Gyarados-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”27″ c=”name”][/card], I’m not quite a believer in you yet! If Volcanion becomes popular, which I anticipate that it will, Grass decks such as [card name=”M Sceptile-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”8″ c=”name”][/card] take a serious hit as well, improving the survivability of archetypes like Primal Kyogre-EX.
No AZ
[card name=”AZ” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] had become a staple in many Pokemon-EX centric decks because of its ability to heal, switch, and re-use Abilities such as [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card]’s Set Up. Though valuable, its loss in Pokemon-EX decks can be mitigated by playing other cards, like [card name=”Switch” set=”HeartGold and SoulSilver” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Max Potion” set=”Emerging Powers” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card]. But there is one archetype in particular that will miss this Supporter more than any other: [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card].
Until now, Vileplume decks have been able to play entire suits of AZ to ensure that their Vileplume never gets stuck Active. AZ has also been utilized in Vileplume to break the Item-lock temporarily, allowing the player to use the Items in their hand before laying the entire Evolution line back down with [card name=”Forest of Giant Plants” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card]. Without AZ, Vileplume decks will take a serious hit in potency. Of course they can still utilize switch Supporters such as [card name=”Olympia” set=”Generations” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card], or resort to the [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] / Vileplume strategy of attaching a [card name=”Float Stone” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] to [card name=”Oddish” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”1″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Gloom” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”2″ c=”name”][/card] before evolving into Vileplume, but even then, AZ will be missed for its Ability to clear the Bench and break the self inflicted Item-lock. As the sole Item locker remaining in Standard, I expect Vileplume to continue to maintain its footing in the metagame, but lists will definitely need to compensate for the loss of AZ.
No Battle Compressor
Many argued that it wasn’t Night March that spoiled last year’s Standard, but rather, [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card]. Battle Compressor made aggressive decks overwhelmingly fast. By ditching resources that were not needed and discarding one-of Supporters that could then be fetched with [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Supreme Victors” no=”140″ c=”name”][/card], agro-style decks were able to get exactly what they wanted, when they wanted it. Combined with the draw power of [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”100″ c=”name”][/card] and the retrieving power of [card name=”Puzzle of Time” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card], there was nothing to stop a deck like Night March from setting up exactly the way it wanted to on the first turn of the game.
[cardimg name=”Klefki” set=”Steam Siege” no=”80″ align=”right” c=”custom”]Could be the key to Vespiquen?[/cardimg]
Though Night March has rotated, [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] remains and will sincerely miss the discarding power of Battle Compressor to power up her Bee Revenge attack. All hope is not lost for the Queen Bee, however. Let’s not forget that [card name=”Flareon” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card] was a successful archetype way before [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] was released. How could we forget that Dylan Bryan finished in the Top 16 of the World Championships in 2013 with Flareon pre-Battle Compressor?
More recently, Alex Hill saw success with a Vespiquen / [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card] list that only played two Battle Compressor during States last year. The list picked up the slack by playing Basic Energy and alternative attackers like [card name=”Jolteon-EX” set=”Generations” no=”28″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Regirock” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card]. Even though Vespiquen no longer has Battle Compressor at its disposal, it can still discard Pokemon by using cards like [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”XY” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Unown” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”30″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Klefki” set=”Steam Siege” no=”80″ c=”name”][/card].
Klefki is an interesting card out of the new set that helps [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] get the discard numbers she wants. Using Klefki’s Ability, Wonder Lock, Klefki can leave the Bench and attach itself to another Pokemon as a Tool that prevents damage from Mega Pokemon for one turn. After the opponent’s turn is over, Klefki gets discarded. A neat trick you can do if you have both Klefki and Unown on your Bench is use Wonder Lock to attach Klefki to Unown, then Farewell Letter to discard both cards immediately.
Aside from affecting Vespiquen and the general speed of the format, the loss of Battle Compressor will also change the way decks are built. One-of Supporters cannot be relied on to patch matchups anymore. One copy of [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card] will not be enough to stop Ability decks and a one-of copy of Ranger will not be enough to stop [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card]’s Chaos Wheel. Battle Compressor allowed us to search these Supporters out, making them instantly useable with [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”110″ c=”name”][/card]. Now that it’s gone, we will generally need to play enough copies of a Supporter to draw into them naturally. Don’t get me wrong though. One-of Supporters will still see play, but they will not be nearly as reliable as they used to be.
No Tool Removal
One of the most startling (pun intended) realizations of the new format is that there is no form of Trainer-based Tool removal. The rotation of both [card name=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”110″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Startling Megaphone” set=”Flashfire” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card] means that there is no longer a convenient way to remove Tools from the defending Pokemon. This has a number of implications. Lately, [card name=”Startling Megaphone” set=”Flashfire” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card] has become a near staple in every deck in order to keep [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] in check. But now, Fury Belt can go completely unchecked. Basic Pokemon like [card name=”Volcanion” set=”Steam Siege” no=”25″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Raikou” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Yveltal” set=”XY” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card] are ridiculous to deal with when they are boasting over 160 HP. Pokemon-EX are even more ridiculous to deal with when they have over 200 HP. Viable decks will have to account for the fact that Basic Pokemon now just have 40 more HP thanks to Fury Belt now.
[cardimg name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ align=”right” c=”custom”]Fury Belt is really really good now![/cardimg]
The other major implication of no Tool removal is, of course, [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”54″ c=”name”][/card]. Without Tool removal, Garbodor’s Garbotoxin Ability is free to block whatever Ability it wants. The only reasonable way to break Garbodor’s Ability lock now is to drag it into the Active position and KO it. This will be a challenge for many Ability based decks, like [card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card], to do.
Now Garbodor is only as good as Abilities are, this is true. Garbodor will be a waste of space in any deck unless it deals with a number of threats sufficiently. It’s true that Garbodor keeps the opponent from using [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card]’s Set Up, but it also keeps you from using Set Up. My experience with Garbodor has been that you need a tanky and low maintenance attacker for it to be the most useful. This is why [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”Legendary Treasures” no=”88″ c=”name”][/card] / Garbodor was so powerful back in its day. Perhaps now Garbodor can be paired with [card name=”Zygarde-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY151″ c=”name”][/card], taking advantage of the card’s natural healing with Cell Storm and insane 230 HP with Fighting Fury Belt attached.
Mega Ray Gets Buffed
With Night March out of the picture, there is a new speed deck in town, [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card]. Players have been hyping Mega Ray since the rotation announcement, and it’s legit, the deck is very powerful. With [card name=”M Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”24″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Joltik” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card] both out of format, the only reasonable Lightning attackers that remain are [card name=”Raichu” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC9″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Zebstrika” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”49″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Raikou” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card]. Raichu is, of course, excellent against Mega Ray, but loses [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card], making it less potent against other threats. Raikou is neat, but requires [card name=”Magnezone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”54″ c=”name”][/card] set up in order to accelerate. Although he’s not a Lightning attacker, [card name=”Zoroark” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] is probably Mega Ray’s top threat in Standard. Zoroark is splashable and can be used in a number of decks in order to punish Mega Ray for filling its own Bench. Since it’s also a useful mobility card, I expect to see a lot of [card name=”Zoroark” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] in the format to come.
Mega Ray also loses [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card], meaning that the deck won’t be quite as fast as it used to be. Although the list will need to be constructed differently, there are still a host of options for Mega Ray to chose from. Mega Ray could play [card name=”Milotic” set=”Primal Clash” no=”44″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Mega Turbo” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card], or even the new [card name=”Clawitzer” set=”Steam Siege” no=”34″ c=”name”][/card] to help keep the momentum going. It even gets access to the new [card name=”Special Charge” set=”Steam Siege” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card], meaning that it has more access to [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Legendary Treasures” no=”113″ c=”name”][/card] than ever before!
My only real concern with Mega Ray is, of course, [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card]. Because Parallel City exists, I feel like Mega Ray will never be able to become the format defining deck. Parallel City and Raichu will be able to keep Mega Ray in check during the year to come. That being said, Mega Ray still boasted a handful of top finishes last year, including the Canadian National title, despite the existence of Night March and Parallel City. So the future is definitely bright for this explosive archetype.
[premium]
Yveltal / Zoroark / Octillery
With the introduction of the new format, [card name=”Zoroark” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] loses almost nothing. Just [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Target Whistle” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card] really. In fact, this list is very similar to the list that JW Kriewall, Matt Price, Justin Boughter, and I have been testing this week for the World Championships. With [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] seeing hype as well, Zoroark has the world to gain in the upcoming format.
[decklist name=”Yveltal / Zoroark / Octillery” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Zoroark BREAK” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”92″][pokemon amt=”20″]2x [card name=”Zoroark BREAK” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]4x [card name=”Zoroark” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”91″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Zorua” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”89″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Yveltal” set=”XY” no=”78″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Octillery” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”33″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Remoraid” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”32″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY150″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Yveltal” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”94″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”30″]4x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”101″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”N” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”96″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Giovanni’s Scheme” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”138″ 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=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Level Ball” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”76″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Captivating Poké Puff” set=”Steam Siege” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ 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=”Diamond and Pearl” no=”129″ c=”deck2″ amt=”6″][/card]4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Fates Collide” no=”114″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
Right off the bat you will notice that this [card name=”Zoroark” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] list is different than the ones you’re used to seeing by now. Zoroark has been an evolving archetype, and I don’t think it has necessarily been perfected yet. Last year’s lists played the [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Maxie’s Hidden Ball Trick” set=”Primal Clash” no=”158″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Gallade” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”84″ c=”name”][/card] engine, but without Battle Compressor, that entire engine falls apart. Leading up to Nationals and Worlds, lists began to phase out the Gallade engine in favor of thicker Zoroark lines. Many of these lists were sloppily built, however. The Supporter lines remained thin even though the deck no longer played many Battle Compressor and the deck retained [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”100″ c=”name”][/card] even though the card did little to actually make the deck run. I noticed that when I was testing with other player’s lists, I was having trouble setting up Zoroark and pulling off [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card] plays, the essence of what the deck is supposed to do! Frustrated, I took the entire deck to the chopping block.
Card Explanations
Octilllery
[cardimg name=”Octillery” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”33″ align=”right” c=”custom”]Octomom[/cardimg]
Since I was struggling to set up consistently, I began to consider [card name=”Level Ball” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] in the deck. Level Ball was a valid idea, but it was only useful for getting Zorua and I didn’t like that. Then I considered that perhaps the deck would draw better if we used Level Ball as part of the draw engine by including [card name=”Octillery” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card]! JW gave me the same sarcastic response that he gives me every time I pitch a bad idea, but he humored me and let me try it anyways. I scrapped every non-essential card from the list and jammed an Octillery in there. To our amazement, the deck began to draw absolute fire with Octillery and Level Ball included. Not only did the deck set up more consistently with Octillery, it was also completely impervious to [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card]!
The synergy doesn’t stop there though. Zoroark’s Stand In Ability makes it so that Octillery is never a liability on the Bench. Octillery also grants the list more consistent draw throughout a game than two copies of [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card]. With Octillery, its simple to set up multiple Zoroark, hit [card name=”Captivating Poké Puff” set=”Steam Siege” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card], draw into [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Next Destinies” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] and Lysandre targets on the Bench. Simply put, Octillery allows this archetype to execute it’s primary strategy more often than it used to. Octillery also makes this deck the king of N wars, asserting it as a top contender in the new Standard format.
Captivating Poke Puff
[card name=”Captivating Poké Puff” set=”Steam Siege” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] is a sweet card. (Pun unintended, I had to shake my head after this one). It allows you to peek at your opponent’s hand and put any Basic Pokemon you find there into play. I’m not going to lie, Zoroark really misses [card name=”Target Whistle” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card]. The list that I’m testing for Worlds has a split between Whistle and Puff, but since our beloved Whistle is rotated, Captivating Poke Puff will have to do. And it does a pretty decent job at that! The card is nice for halting the opponent’s momentum on the first turn of the game, forcing them to bench cards like [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Hoopa-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY71″ c=”name”][/card] before they intend to. It’s also nice for taking a look at your opponent’s hand in order to inform your own plays. With three copies, you’re pretty aggressive about looking at your opponent’s hand and forcing them to bench things, boosting Zoroark’s damage while giving him weak targets in the process.
[cardimg name=”Captivating Poké Puff” set=”Steam Siege” no=”99″ align=”left” c=”custom”]Puff the magic Trainer.[/cardimg]
What I don’t like about this card is that the opponent can play around it by discarding their excess Pokemon with cards like [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card]. To mitigate this, we play high counts of [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card], allowing you to N your opponent to six new cards, then Puff them in hopes of hitting a target or two.
Fright Night Yveltal
With no way to conveniently remove Tool cards in Standard, Fright Night [card name=”Yveltal” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card]’s stock goes through the roof. It’s not uncommon to hit into a Basic for big damage with [card name=”Zoroark” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card], then promote Yveltal the following turn, activating Fright Night to KO the Pokemon without attacking. Let me give you an example. Say you are able to Mind Jack an opposing [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] wearing a Fury Belt for 170 damage. Dang! That’s not enough for the KO. Giratina-EX then uses Chaos Wheel to KO your Zoroark. After Zoroark falls, you just promote your Fright Night Yveltal, deactivate Fury Belt, and take a KO in the process. You’ll collect your two Prizes, and your opponent will have to promote something new. Using a backup Zoroark, you will be able to Stand In and then retreat to whatever attacker you wish to use next.
Additionally, Fright Night Yveltal’s attack, Pitch Black Spear, is perfect for cleaning up damaged Pokemon-EX that Zoroark may not have been able to OHKO himself. Pitch Black Spear also pairs well with [card name=”Captivating Poké Puff” set=”Steam Siege” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card], allowing Yveltal to prey on Shaymin-EX that the opponent never intended to Bench!
Yveltal-EX
With Night March out of the picture, [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY150″ c=”name”][/card] is welcomed back to the party. We’re still only playing one copy of the card, since the deck isn’t built to do big damage with Yveltal, but it is still useful incase you need a Pokemon that can tank a hit or two. I’m also considering testing [card name=”Lugia-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”68″ c=”name”][/card] in this spot, since it can attack for just a DCE, but I don’t know if I’ll end up keeping either in here since I’m not playing [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] to get the most use out of them. Ultimately, Yveltal-EX helps make the deck more well rounded by giving it another Pokemon that isn’t weak to Fighting.
Giovanni’s Scheme
Since [card name=”Target Whistle” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] are gone, it’s more important than ever that we have another way to boost [card name=”Zoroark” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card]’s damage output. [card name=”Giovanni’s Scheme” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”138″ c=”name”][/card] has been in and out of this deck since Cities last year, but I think that its inclusion is essential now. It also doubles as a consistency card in a pinch, and you can’t argue with that!
Other Options
Dark has traditionally been a type that is very open to techs, and this list is no different. Below I will review the handful of other cards I have considered for this list. This deck is sure to continue to change and evolve as the metagame comes into focus. The cards that I consider flexible in here right now are the [card name=”Reverse Valley” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”110″ c=”name”][/card], the third [card name=”Level Ball” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card], the third [card name=”Yveltal” set=”XY” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card], and the second [card name=”Zoroark BREAK” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card].
Pokemon Ranger
[cardimg name=”Pokémon Ranger” set=”Steam Siege” no=”113″ align=”right” c=”custom”]It was $10 but I had to buy one of these full arts![/cardimg]
I would like to find room for a [card name=”Pokémon Ranger” set=”Steam Siege” no=”113″ c=”name”][/card] in here to help with [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] and Stardust [card name=”Jirachi” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY67″ c=”name”][/card]. However, I’ve justified its exclusion since we have Basic Energy in the deck and can combat these threats with [card name=”Yveltal” set=”XY” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card]’s Oblivion Wing. I’m also trying to keep away from one-of Supporters as much as I can this format, since I know that they will be more difficult to reach.
Fighting Fury Belt
I’m conflicted about [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] in this deck. On one hand, [card name=”Yveltal” set=”XY” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY150″ c=”name”][/card] become absolute tanks with the Tool. On the other hand, our primary attacker, [card name=”Zoroark” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card], has no use for it. For now, I’ve settled on two [card name=”Reverse Valley” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”110″ c=”name”][/card] instead of Fighting Fury Belt. This feels a little silly since Tools are stronger than they’ve ever been right now, but I’m okay with the decision since Fighting Fury Belt doesn’t help our hero, Zoroark, out. I may end up conceding to the power of Fury Belt though and finding room for a copy or two in here. Baby Yveltal with 170 HP is too sweet to pass up.
Pokemon Catcher
[card name=”Pokemon Catcher” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card] would be a great inclusion for this deck. Since Item-lock is on the decline with [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] both rotated, it’s a better time than ever to play Pokemon Catcher. Catcher was great for KO’ing [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] in Night March and not much is different here. Catcher gives Zoroark even more access to your opponent’s Benched Pokemon, which is exactly what we want from this deck. I could see finding room for two Pokemon Catcher in this list, but I wouldn’t cut into the [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card] count in order to do so. Two copies of Lysandre is too good right now without [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card].
M Mewtwo-EX / Clawitzer
My beautiful full art [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”160″ c=”name”][/card] have been sitting in my binder, rotting, waiting for their day to shine. And finally, their opportunity has come! Since there are no other popular Psychic attackers in format, Mewtwo can finally rise and become the tank I always knew he could be. Now, I have to preface this with the fact that, yes, this deck does have some glaring Weaknesses. You’re not going to do very hot against your friend’s [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card] deck. You probably won’t do very well against [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] either. That being said, this deck will absolutely blow out any deck that is not prepared to handle a gigantic self-healing M Mewtwo-EX.
[decklist name=”Mega Mewtwo / Clawlitzer” amt=”60″ caption=”undefinedundefined” cname=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”160″][pokemon amt=”14″]3x [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”160″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]4x [card name=”Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”62″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Clawitzer” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY146″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]3x [card name=”Clauncher” set=”Steam Siege” no=”33″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”35″]4x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”101″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Pokémon Ranger” set=”Steam Siege” no=”113″ 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=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”100″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Mewtwo Spirit Link” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”144″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Special Charge” set=”Steam Siege” no=”105″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Switch” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”135″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]3x [card name=”Shrine of Memories” set=”Primal Clash” no=”139″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”11″]4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Next Destinies” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Rainbow Energy” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”152″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Psychic Energy” set=”EX Ruby and Sapphire” no=”107″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
[card name=”Clawitzer” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY146″ c=”name”][/card] is the real deal in this deck. The card is insanely fun to play. Get one set up and you’ll be slapping [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Next Destinies” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] onto your [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card] with Mega Booster like there’s no tomorrow. This is my second draft of the list that I’ve been testing this week, and so far the deck has fared favorably against Matt Price’s [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card] and my own [card name=”Zoroark” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] listed above. The feeling is very reminiscent of classic [card name=”Mewtwo-EX” set=”Next Destinies” no=”54″ c=”name”][/card]: get a big Mewtwo going and destroy everything. The fun part is, this list has some serious tricks up its sleeve. And if nothing else, this list is great for a reminiscent trip back to the glory days of [card name=”Mewtwo-EX” set=”Next Destinies” no=”54″ c=”name”][/card] in 2012.
Card Explanations
Clawitzer
[cardimg name=”Clawitzer” set=”Steam Siege” no=”34″ align=”right” c=”custom”]Clawitzer is my dude forreal.[/cardimg]
I can’t sing Clawitzer’s praises enough. The card is so cool in this deck. We play a 3-2 [card name=”Clauncher” set=”Steam Siege” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Clawitzer” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY146″ c=”name”][/card] line since you really only need to set one up for the deck to work properly. With one Clawitzer set up, (or Claw-buddy as JW has so affectionately named him), It’s possible to attach two [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Next Destinies” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] onto a [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card] in one turn. That’s 130 base damage with Psychic Infinity if the opponent has no Energy attached. If they have two Energy attached, it’s 190. Three, and we’re swinging for 220. I can’t express how easy it is to absolutely dump Energy onto your Mega Pokemon-EX with Clawitzer set up. If you manage to get both on board, the deck goes up in flames and is actually too hot to handle. Kidding… but forreal, its insane. Your ideal board state is two [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”160″ c=”name”][/card] and two Clawitzer with space for a [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] to set up if need be. If Bench space is tight, one Clawitzer is enough to get this deck up to speed. If your opponent [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card]s Clawitzer and KO’s it, you generally won’t care because that means that they aren’t targeting your Mewtwo. We also play [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ c=”name”][/card] to recover Basic Energy and Pokemon in the case of unfortunate discards or KO’s. On top of all of this, Clawitzer is a super cool Pokemon that I didn’t even know existed until this set dropped. Oops! You’d be smart to pick up a play set of this dude while he is cheap since the Howitzer Pokemon is undoubtedly bound for greatness, and if not greatness, radness.
Double Colorless, Rainbow Energy, Psychic Energy
We play eight Special Energy for our Clawitzer to accelerate along with three Basic Energy to attach manually. I just about had a meltdown when I realized that [card name=”Mystery Energy” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”112″ c=”name”][/card] had rotated, since that was the Energy I had in mind for this deck originally. Thankfully, [card name=”Rainbow Energy” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”152″ c=”name”][/card] works fine with the deck’s strategy as well, allowing us to power up [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card] with Mega Boost while also fulfilling the Energy requirement for [card name=”Mewtwo-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY107″ c=”name”][/card]’s Shatter Shot and Damage Change. It almost goes without saying, but [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Next Destinies” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] is absolutely bonkers with Mega Mewtwo as well. For every Double Colorless you accelerate to Mewtwo, you add sixty damage to your damage output. If you accelerate two in a turn, that’s a 120 damage increase out of thin air.
My original list only played the eight Special Energy with two [card name=”Special Charge” set=”Steam Siege” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card] but I quickly came to the conclusion that this was not enough Energy to draw into naturally. I then added three Basic Psychic Energy and have been very satisfied with the results. With eleven Energy, it’s not unusual to get an attachment turn one along with two attachments the following turn. It’s also not uncommon to pull off the turn two Damage Change after taking a big hit from a speedier deck.
You have to be careful with your [card name=”Rainbow Energy” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”152″ c=”name”][/card], since they do place 10 damage on your [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card] when you attach them from the hand. This issue is largely irrelevant though since we are going to be making a lot of big plays with Damage Change.
Shrine of Memories, Parallel City
[cardimg name=”Shrine of Memories” set=”Primal Clash” no=”139″ align=”right” c=”custom”]Its about time this card saw play![/cardimg]
We can thank JW Kriewall for this one. I was thinking that the deck would play two [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card] and call it a day, but JW assured me that [card name=”Shrine of Memories” set=”Primal Clash” no=”139″ c=”name”][/card] would be optimal, giving you the option to heal your [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card]. In practice, having access to Damage Change has been phenomenal. I started with one copy of Shrine of Memories and quickly upped the count to two and finally three copies. Damage Change is so essential to this deck’s strategy that I could imagine running a fourth copy of Shrine. With Shrine activated, [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card] can shrug off any hit that is not a OHKO. Since Mewtwo usually always OHKO’s with Psychic Infinity, Mewtwo will almost always have a fresh target to Damage Change with. In the rare case that you are facing down a target with damage on it already, you can [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card] a fresh target and Damage Change with it instead. The two pronged offense of Psychic Infinity and Damage Change is potent, and gives Mewtwo the flexibility it needs to be a serious contender in Standard.
I still have one copy of [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card] in the deck to remove [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] from play. It also doubles as a means to nerf [card name=”Zoroark” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card]’s damage output. If Mega Ray becomes a serious problem, we can up the Parallel City count even more.
No Hoopa-EX
[card name=”Hoopa-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”36″ c=”name”][/card] definitely isn’t bad in here. My original list played [card name=”Hoopa-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY71″ c=”name”][/card]. Scoundrel Ring is undoubtedly useful for setting up [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card], but Hoopa took up too much Bench space. In order to compensate for Hoopa taking up too much room, my original list also played two copies of [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card]. I have since realized that [card name=”Shrine of Memories” set=”Primal Clash” no=”139″ c=”name”][/card] is the best Stadium for this deck, and in order to leave room for [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Clawitzer” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY146″ c=”name”][/card] on the Bench, Hoopa had to get the axe.
When I relied on Hoopa, I was also losing to [card name=”Zoroark” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] more often. My Bench was always packed. Opting not to play Hoopa has made me more calculated and careful with my cards, resulting in higher quality play with the deck overall. Instead of spamming multiple [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card] early on, it’s usually better to go for one Mega Mewtwo and Damage Change early so that it survives into the mid or late game while you set up backup Mewtwo.
Special Charge
[card name=”Special Charge” set=”Steam Siege” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card] is obviously amazing in this deck. With eight Special Energy, you’ll have plenty of targets for Special Charge throughout the game. Special Charge also allows you to play some pretty neat tricks with your Energy. Early on in the game, if you have a hand full of Special Energy, a Special Charge and an [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card], you can use Ultra Ball to discard the Special Energy, Charge them back into the deck and proceed from there. As the game progresses, you may decide that you want to retreat a [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card]. This isn’t a problem either, as you can usually just Charge the Energy back into the deck. I haven’t had any issues with Energy shortage yet with two Special Charge. It seems like the perfect count. As your deck thins down later in the game, Charge gets even better, tossing [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Next Destinies” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] back into your small deck so that you can Mega Boost them for huge game winning plays.
Switch
I was nervous about this deck’s mobility at first, but as I continue to test I’m less worried. My list started with three copies of [card name=”Switch” set=”Black and White” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card]. I rarely used them at all so I cut to two. I logged more games and I was still using the card very sparingly, maybe once every three games, so I finally cut to the one copy you see in the list now and it seems to be working okay. Two copies of Switch is probably safe, but truthfully the card isn’t really needed in here. Everything retreats for a [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Next Destinies” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] can Sky Return if it ever gets stranded Active. I like to have the Switch in the deck incase I start with Shaymin, but if you start Shaymin going second you can just Sky Return on turn one anyways. [card name=”Olympia” set=”Generations” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card] might be the ideal switch card for this deck, but I much prefer Switch’s simplicity and instant playability.
Other Options
This list is brand new and there’s still a lot of room for growth even though my original testing shows the deck to be very strong. I’ll review a few of my other ideas for the list below.
Assault Vest
[cardimg name=”Assault Vest” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”133″ align=”right” c=”custom”]Mewtwo the tank.[/cardimg]
We could go a very different route with this deck by slowing things down, removing a couple [card name=”Mewtwo Spirit Link” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”144″ c=”name”][/card] and replacing them with [card name=”Assault Vest” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”133″ c=”name”][/card]. By going the Assault Vest route, we are really committing to the tank Damage Change strategy. That being said, it is extremely difficult for any deck in format to OHKO a [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card] with an Assault Vest, so the strategy could be viable. Most notably, [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] will have a difficult time OHKO’ing a Mega Mewtwo flaunting an Assault Vest. In my testing though, I haven’t had any issues tanking with Mewtwo without Assault Vest, so I’m not sure that the card is needed. It’s definitely worth considering though. I expect Special Energy to be huge in the upcoming format.
Dive Ball / Repeat Ball
A single [card name=”Dive Ball” set=”Primal Clash” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card] or two could be useful for setting up [card name=”Clauncher” set=”Steam Siege” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Clawitzer” set=”Steam Siege” no=”34″ c=”name”][/card]. I don’t usually have trouble setting a Clawitzer up, but of course, additional consistency is never a bad idea. Similarly, [card name=”Repeat Ball” set=”Primal Clash” no=”136″ c=”name”][/card] could be useful in here as well for setting up a second Clawitzer or [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card]. Since we have two Pokemon to set up, I like the idea of having additional Ball search in the deck. I really like that these cards search without a discard. They may not be completely necessary, but they could increase the functionality of the deck just a notch, which I like.
More Hex Maniac
[card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card] is really good. I didn’t have to tell you that, but a turn one [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card] stops a lot of decks, most notably [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card], in its tracks. If we played two or even three copies of [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card], we would be able to hit a turn one Hex Maniac fairly often. This deck tends to really go off on turns two and three. More Hex Maniac will slow the opponent down so that they have trouble keeping up with the onslaught that your Mewtwo are dishing out. Hex Maniac is also really good against [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card], which completely relies on Steam Up to dish out reasonable damage.
Finally, high counts of Hex could be the key to beating [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] based decks. If you are able to hex your opponent enough so that they stumble while setting up, you will be able to flood your field with Energy so that by the time Giratina uses its hefty Chaos Wheel, you’ll be able to easily return the KO with a Psychic Infinity.
Conclusion
And that’s it! That’s what I got! This article is the bookend of one crazy week. I’ve been writing for hours on end today and I literally leave for San Fransisco in less than five hours! And I still have to pack! And clean! And sleep! (I might have to sleep on the plane, lets be honest.) I’m really excited and nervous to compete in Worlds this year. I feel like I’ve built up an impossibly high standard for myself and I’m worried that I won’t be able to live up to it. On top of that I feel like there are so many variables in this format that I can’t account for. [card name=”Trevenant BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card] is crazy, Night March is crazy, needless to say, I am really looking forward to playing next format.
But this is the moment I’ve been preparing for all year. At the very least, I want to be proud of the way I compose myself and the way I play. It’s a blessing to be able to compete at such a high caliber event with many of my closest friends. I’ll do my best to keep my composure, even though I’m sure I’ll be freaking out all week leading up to the event.
I want to take a moment to sincerely thank you guys for following my writing this summer. I’m constantly humbled by the fact that you all tune in to what I have to say about this game. If you happen to see me in San Fransisco, please stop me to say hello! Wish me luck!
Later Trainers,
~Andrew Mahone
[/premium]