Let’s Fire It Up — What’s Good from Steam Siege and a Look at Volcanion-EX

Aloha everyone! There’s a lot of exciting news coming out for Pokemon recently. With all of the news about Sun and Moon coming out, there’s a lot to look forward to in the world of Pokemon. In the realm of the TCG, we have a brand new set that just released not too long ago, which means new decks, new strategies, and changes to already existing decks. My favorite part about new set releases is the deck ideas that pop up and how deck building changes. It offers a fresh take on decks and challenges players to alter their decks to be able to overcome new obstacles posed by a new set.

However, not all sets of cards are created equally. Some are good and some are bad, which can greatly or insignificantly alter the metagame. For example, I loved Noble Victories as a set because it offered a lot of great cards that found a home in the metagame immediately and throughout its time in Standard. [card name=”Terrakion” set=”Noble Victories” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Durant” set=”Noble Victories” no=”83″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Eelektrik” set=”Noble Victories” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] are all great cards that emerged from this set that were popular and a part of great decks at one point. The best part is there are numerous other cards from this set that had an impact on the format at some time. It’s one of my favorite sets that I’ve been able to play around with, and continues to hold value to this day.

So, whenever a new set is released, I always try to look at the cards within a specific meta as well as in a vacuum. This lets me know both if a card is worth getting on release, waiting to get it later on or skipping it altogether. If I know a card will be good in the current metagame, I’ll pick it up immediately to keep my options open. By looking at card specifically on its own merit, I can decide whether or not the card on its own is good and whether or not I should buy it. There are a lot of factors that go into deciding on if a card is worth a spot in your binder, and I’ll be doing my best to inform you all about what I think are the cards that are worth your money, and which ones are good to skip.

The Immediate Purchases

[cardimg name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”26″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

There are some cards that are just going to be immediately useful in the coming formats. For anyone attending Worlds, there are certain archetypes that are worthwhile to explore. For everyone else, there are certain cards that could be a worthwhile venue to try as well. Either way I think these cards are going to be the ones you’ll want to have on hand just in case because they could make a serious impact if used properly.

Volcanion, Volcanion-EX

This is the most obvious pick up of the set. These two cards have a natural synergy with each other, which allows them to create a deck archetype all on their own. [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card] has an Ability called Steam Up which lets you discard a Fire Energy from your hand, and makes all of your Basic Fire Pokemon’s attacks do 30 more damage. The best part about this Ability is it stacks between multiple [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card], so the max damage increase you can have is a whopping 120 damage! This Ability pairs well with the regular [card name=”Volcanion” set=”Steam Siege” no=”25″ c=”name”][/card]’s first attack, Power Heater. For a single Fire Energy, it does 20 damage and attaches a Fire Energy from your discard pile to two of your Benched Pokemon. Energy acceleration is always a useful strategy because it allows you to break the normal attachment rule for the turn and creates a very strong board state. Combine that with the ability to boost damage and you have a very powerful combination.

Stick around to the end of the article where I go much more in depth on this deck concept, complete with a deck list and break down on the overall strategy!

Xerneas BREAK

Next up we have [card name=”Xerneas BREAK” set=”Steam Siege” no=”82″ c=”name”][/card]. [card name=”Xerneas BREAK” set=”Steam Siege” no=”82″ c=”name”][/card] gives Fairy types a bit of a boost in power that it’s been lacking since it first came out. It has always seemed like Fairy Pokemon were on the verge of being really good, but lacked a reliable source of damage output to really put it over the top. [card name=”Xerneas BREAK” set=”Steam Siege” no=”82″ c=”name”][/card] gives Fairy Pokemon a more reliable source of damage that synergizes well with [card name=”Xerneas” set=”Steam Siege” no=”81″ c=”name”][/card]’s Geomancy attack. The attack, Life Stream, does 20 damage times the number of Energy attached to all your Pokemon. This BREAK works especially well since [card name=”Xerneas” set=”Steam Siege” no=”81″ c=”name”][/card] is a Basic Pokemon and doesn’t need to evolve before being able to BREAK evolve. It also works well with [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”111″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Double Dragon Energy” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card], which will add an extra 40 damage for one Energy attachment. With Geomancy, [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Mega Turbo” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card] available to accelerate Energy, there are plenty of options that could help make this a formidable deck this season.

Yanmega, Yanmega BREAK

[card name=”Yanmega” set=”Steam Siege” no=”7″ c=”name”][/card] is probably my favorite card from this set. It’s a lot like [card name=”Yanmega” set=”Triumphant” no=”98″ c=”name”][/card] from Triumphant, but with a slightly different Ability. [card name=”Yanmega” set=”Steam Siege” no=”7″ c=”name”][/card]’s Ability is Sonic Vision, which allows [card name=”Yanmega” set=”Steam Siege” no=”7″ c=”name”][/card] to attack for free if you have exactly four cards in your hand. With 110 HP, free Retreat and a good attack, [card name=”Yanmega” set=”Steam Siege” no=”7″ c=”name”][/card] has a lot of potential to be a good deck in the coming format. Its attack normally costs three Colorless Energy and does 50 damage plus 70 more if the defending Pokemon has a Tool attached to it. With [card name=”Yanmega” set=”Steam Siege” no=”7″ c=”name”][/card]’s Ability, you have the potential to do 120 damage for no Energy. [card name=”Yanmega BREAK” set=”Steam Siege” no=”8″ c=”name”][/card] gives [card name=”Yanmega” set=”Steam Siege” no=”7″ c=”name”][/card] a more stable form of damage output as well as boosting its HP to 140 instead of 110. Again, for three Energy the attack does 100 damage and ignores Weakness, Resistance, and all other effects on the defending Pokemon. So, you have the potential to do 100 damage for free consistently every turn.

[cardimg name=”Yanmega” set=”Steam Siege” no=”7″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

While it doesn’t hit for Weakness, it is a consistent form of damage if your opponent doesn’t have a Tool attached. However, Mega Pokemon seem to be on the upswing for the coming format, which means there is a higher possibility for tools like Spirit Links to be on your opponent’s main attackers. [card name=”Yanmega” set=”Steam Siege” no=”7″ c=”name”][/card] also gets the benefits of [card name=”Forest of Giant Plants” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] and the Eeveelutions that give [card name=”Yanmega” set=”Steam Siege” no=”7″ c=”name”][/card] the ability to hit for Grass, Fire, and Water Weakness, all of which could be very effective next format to hit Pokemon like [card name=”Zygarde-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY151″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”M Sceptile-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”8″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] for big OHKO’s for no Energy at all. The main obstacle in this deck’s path is [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card], which shuts down your whole strategy. While [card name=”Yanmega” set=”Steam Siege” no=”7″ c=”name”][/card] seems like a big player in the upcoming months, it may need a partner in background to take care of certain threats.

Klefki

I have personally always loved [card name=”Klefki” set=”Steam Siege” no=”80″ c=”name”][/card] as a Pokemon and now it finally has a card that could be very useful next format. It has an Ability called Wonder Lock, which lets you attach [card name=”Klefki” set=”Steam Siege” no=”80″ c=”name”][/card] from your Bench to one of your Pokemon as a Pokemon Tool. While it is attached, prevent all damage done to that Pokemon by your opponent’s Mega Pokemon. Then you discard it at the start of your next turn. Mega Pokemon are looking very strong next format, which makes [card name=”Klefki” set=”Steam Siege” no=”80″ c=”name”][/card] a powerful counter to those Pokemon. It does get discarded when your turn starts again, so cards like [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ c=”name”][/card] are going to be very important to keep [card name=”Klefki” set=”Steam Siege” no=”80″ c=”name”][/card] around. It works well in decks like [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] because it helps prevent damage while giving you an option to discard Pokemon outside of [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”XY” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card] since [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] is leaving the format.

Clawitzer

[card name=”Clawitzer” set=”Steam Siege” no=”34″ c=”name”][/card] is a very interesting Pokemon that has the potential to be very good next format if Mega Pokemon become popular. Its Ability is Mega Boost, which lets you attach a Special Energy card from your hand to one of your Mega evolved Pokemon once per turn. [card name=”Double Dragon Energy” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Fates Collide” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card] are probably the most likely targets of this Ability, but since any Special Energy can be targeted, there are a lot of possibilities for this card. It is a Stage 1 and the energy has to be in your hand to use the Ability, so maybe a thinner line of Clawitzer would be best to get the most use out of the card’s Ability. I would mark this down as an immediate purchase just due to its potential to help boost the consistency of Mega focused decks.

Special Charge

[card name=”Special Charge” set=”Steam Siege” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card] is a really interesting Item card that I think will be really impactful next format. It’s an Item that shuffles two Special Energy cards from your discard pile back into your deck. Since you are only able to have four copies of a Special Energy in your deck, [card name=”Special Charge” set=”Steam Siege” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card] lets you to manage your resources a bit more easily since you have a way to get back your Special Energy. I think it is used best like how Super Rod is used: as a one-of. Playing more than one copy is taking away valuable spots in your deck, but a single copy can completely change how your deck runs in the late game. Any deck that relies solely on Special Energy may want to consider running a second copy, but for most cases I think one will be sufficient.

Pokemon Ranger

[cardimg name=”Pokémon Ranger” set=”Steam Siege” no=”113″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

[card name=”Pokémon Ranger” set=”Steam Siege” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card] is a really cool Supporter that really helps to counter a lot of problems decks are having. Ranger removes any effects from attacks on all Pokemon and both players. Attacks like Quaking Punch, Flash Ray, Stardust, and Chaos Wheel can have all of their effects removed with [card name=”Pokémon Ranger” set=”Steam Siege” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card]. This opens a lot of doors for decks that struggle against attacks like these because they now have a way around certain autolosses and bad matchups. [card name=”Pokémon Ranger” set=”Steam Siege” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card] does not prevent future effects of attacks like [card name=”Yanmega BREAK” set=”Steam Siege” no=”8″ c=”name”][/card]’s attack, but having an out to crippling attacks is too good to pass up.

Captivating Poke Puff, Ninja Boy

I’m putting these last two cards together because they’re both very niche at the moment, but I always recommend getting all the Trainers from each set because it’s hard to know when a Trainer will be playable. Right now [card name=”Captivating Poké Puff” set=”Steam Siege” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] only really has a home in [card name=”Zoroark” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] decks, but it is a cool effect with some benefits. It lets you look at your opponent’s hand and put any Basic Pokemon you find there onto their Bench. Being able to look at your opponent’s hand is a strong effect since it shows you the strength of their hand, what plays they could make on their next turn and whether or not you should play that [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card] you’ve been holding onto. What separates this card from [card name=”Hand Scope” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”96″ c=”name”][/card] is the added benefit of forcing your opponent to bench Pokemon they don’t want to in order to give you an edge.

[card name=”Ninja Boy” set=”Steam Siege” no=”103″ c=”name”][/card] is an interesting card, but I don’t exactly know what the best use for it is right now. So, I think it’s best to pick it up and play around with it for a while until you find a good way to utilize its effect.

Future Buys

These are the cards that may not be immediately useful, but you may want to look into snagging them up at some point in the future. These three cards are ones to keep your eyes on, and I think they have the potential to be very good at some point in their life span.

[premium]

Bisharp

[card name=”Bisharp” set=”Steam Siege” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card] is kind of a cool card. It’s one of the new dual-type Pokemon that this set introduced, and the typing it has makes it a interesting tech option in the future. Its first attack is the typical revenge attack for one Colorless Energy, which does 30 damage plus 60 more if one of your Pokemon was Knocked Out by your opponent’s attack. It’s a Dark and Metal type Pokemon, so there’s the potential to hit for Weakness on two different types most notably Fairy Pokemon. Most Fairy Pokemon is weak to Metal and after the new rotation, Metal loses a lot of its main attackers and Energy acceleration in the form of [card name=”Bronzong” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”61″ c=”name”][/card]. Pair that with the new [card name=”Xerneas BREAK” set=”Steam Siege” no=”82″ c=”name”][/card] and you could see a strong counter to a potentially strong Fairy deck. Since its attack is Colorless, it can be splashed into a lot of decks as a 1-1 line or more.

Volcarona

[card name=”Volcarona” set=”Steam Siege” no=”15″ c=”name”][/card] is very similar to the [card name=”Lilligant” set=”Emerging Powers” no=”14″ c=”from”][/card] with their attacks, which could make it a cool fringe play like Lilligant used to be. For a Grass Energy, it does 20 damage and then you flip a coin. If heads, your opponent’s Active Pokemon is Confused and if tails it’s Paralyzed. While [card name=”Victini” set=”Noble Victories” no=”14″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Trick Coin” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”108″ c=”name”][/card] are both no longer in Standard making it difficult to control the outcome of your flip, there could be an interesting lock deck lurking somewhere. Having both a Fire and Grass typing also lets [card name=”Volcarona” set=”Steam Siege” no=”15″ c=”name”][/card] hit for two types of Weakness, while also getting to abuse [card name=”Forest of Giant Plants” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card].

Weavile

[card name=”Weavile” set=”Steam Siege” no=”61″ c=”name”][/card] is an interesting Pokemon that has the same Ability as [card name=”Masquerain” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”2″ c=”from”][/card]. As often as you like during your turn you can put a Tool attached to one of your Pokemon back into your hand. Spirit Links, [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card], and other Tools can now be easily replaced from Pokemon who are about to be Knocked Out, and conserved for later use. [card name=”Weavile” set=”Steam Siege” no=”61″ c=”name”][/card] doesn’t seem to have any specific use right now, but it does have a strong Ability that might be able to be abused at some point down the line.

There were a lot of interesting cards that came out of Steam Siege, but overall the set feels a bit lackluster. There were a lot of interesting attackers, but the format is still a bit too fast for the Stage 2s in this set, which is a shame because there were some really cool Stage 2s in the set. [card name=”Infernape” set=”Steam Siege” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Ampharos” set=”Steam Siege” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Chandelure” set=”Steam Siege” no=”50″ c=”name”][/card] all have a lot of potential, but it’s hard to recommend picking up these cards because the current format is just not conducive for these types of Pokemon. I suggest picking up singles of this set over purchasing packs or boxes of this set.

A Look at Volcanion

Now it’s time to talk about my favorite deck that’s come out of this set: [card name=”Volcanion” set=”Steam Siege” no=”25″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card]! It’s a consistent and powerful deck that offers a strong play for Standard next season. The list I’m going to include below is Primal Clash through Steam Siege since I think it will be the more exciting format over Expanded.

The List

[decklist name=”Volcanion” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Volcanion” set=”Steam Siege” no=”25″][pokemon amt=”13″]4x [card name=”Volcanion” set=”Steam Siege” no=”25″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”26″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Flareon-EX” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC6″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Hoopa-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”36″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Entei” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”14″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”35″]4x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Fisherman” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”136″ 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=”Flashfire” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Escape Rope” set=”Primal Clash” no=”127″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Professor’s Letter” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”146″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Energy Retrieval” set=”Primal Clash” no=”126″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Rough Seas” set=”Primal Clash” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”12″]12x [card name=”Fire Energy” set=”EX Ruby and Sapphire” no=”108″ c=”deck2″ amt=”12″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

This list is very similar to the one I was testing for the World Championships, except I also played a [card name=”Blacksmith” set=”Flashfire” no=”88″ c=”name”][/card] for additional Energy acceleration. Aside from that one card, everything else in the deck remained legal for the 2016-2017 season, which made it easy for me to adapt it for the new Standard format. Overall, I feel like this deck works very well without Blacksmith and is still a top contender for Standard next season.

The Basic Strategy

[cardimg name=”Volcanion” set=”Steam Siege” no=”25″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

[card name=”Volcanion” set=”Steam Siege” no=”25″ c=”name”][/card] reminds me a lot of the [card name=”Virizion-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”9″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Genesect-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”11″ c=”name”][/card] deck that was very popular a few seasons ago. The main focus of the deck is to pump up damage with [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card]’s Steam Up Ability, then use [card name=”Volcanion” set=”Steam Siege” no=”25″ c=”name”][/card]’s Power Heater attack to accelerate the Energy you discarded with [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card] back onto your Bench. At maximum, [card name=”Volcanion” set=”Steam Siege” no=”25″ c=”name”][/card] can put out 140 damage for one Energy, which can OHKO Pokemon like [card name=”Yveltal” set=”Steam Siege” no=”65″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Xerneas” set=”Steam Siege” no=”81″ c=”name”][/card] while also accelerating Energy to other [card name=”Volcanion” set=”Steam Siege” no=”25″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Flareon-EX” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC6″ c=”name”][/card], or [card name=”Entei” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”14″ c=”name”][/card]. Since [card name=”Volcanion” set=”Steam Siege” no=”25″ c=”name”][/card] only gives up one Prize when it’s KO’d, it’s going to be your main attacker with everything else as a backup attacker.

Card Choices

Four Volcanion, Four Volcanion-EX

With the testing I’ve done, I think it’s important to play four of each [card name=”Volcanion” set=”Steam Siege” no=”25″ c=”name”][/card] because they both synergize so well with each other and having as many as possible on the field at once will give you the best odds of pulling off high damaging attacks every turn. It’s best to have at least three [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card] on your Bench at all times with one or two [card name=”Volcanion” set=”Steam Siege” no=”25″ c=”name”][/card] on the field to make sure you always have one to attack with. Since there isn’t any form of Tool disruption in Standard, you can prioritize putting [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] on your [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card] without worrying about them getting stuck in the Active position, making it easier to make sure you keep [card name=”Volcanion” set=”Steam Siege” no=”25″ c=”name”][/card] attacking at all times.

One Flareon-EX, One Entei

[card name=”Flareon-EX” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC6″ c=”name”][/card] partners really well with this deck because of its Ability, which lets you move a Fire Energy attached to one of your Pokemon to [card name=”Flareon-EX” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC6″ c=”name”][/card]. Since [card name=”Volcanion” set=”Steam Siege” no=”25″ c=”name”][/card] attaches Energy to two different Pokemon, you can attach one to [card name=”Flareon-EX” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC6″ c=”name”][/card] and one to another Pokemon to be able to attack with or move it to [card name=”Flareon-EX” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC6″ c=”name”][/card] on a different turn. Add [card name=”Flareon-EX” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC6″ c=”name”][/card]’s basically unlimited damage output with [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card]’s Steam Up and you have the ability to put out a lot of damage very quickly. [card name=”Entei” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”14″ c=”name”][/card] can also do a lot of burst damage if your opponent has a full Bench thanks to Steam Up. Even if your opponent has a smaller Bench, [card name=”Entei” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”14″ c=”name”][/card] can still deal a decent amount of damage thanks to [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card].

One Professor’s Letter, One Energy Retrieval

These are probably the two most important Items in the deck. Having ways of consistently being able to use Steam Up every turn is the reason this deck is as strong as it is. Basically these cards each give you an additional 60 damage throughout each game. Not having to use a Supporter for either effect is amazing since you can have an out for a KO to grab off a [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”XY” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card] or utilize a [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card] with either card to get easy KO’s on Pokemon like [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card].

Two Sky Field, One Rough Seas

[cardimg name=”Flareon-EX” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC28″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

[card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card] is an important card in the early turns for this deck. Since this deck requires having a lot of Pokemon-EX on the field at once, you’ll need to play a [card name=”Hoopa-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”36″ c=”name”][/card] to get going early on. [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card] lets you get all the [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card] you need into play while also using Set Up and getting your attackers into play as well. Without [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card] your Bench becomes cluttered with Pokemon you don’t want to be there and slows down your set up. It also acts as a counter Stadium, and allows your opponent to have a larger Bench for [card name=”Entei” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”14″ c=”name”][/card] to take advantage of. I chose to play a single copy of [card name=”Rough Seas” set=”Primal Clash” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] just for [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card] to heal damage. It can also bounce your [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card] and get your [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Hoopa-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”36″ c=”name”][/card] off of the field. I thought about including [card name=”Scorched Earth” set=”Primal Clash” no=”138″ c=”name”][/card] instead, but most of the time you can’t afford to discard Energy that isn’t used for Steam Up.

12 Fire Energy

12 Fire Energy seems to be a good number to be able to consistently use Steam Up two or three times each turn for most of the game. With [card name=”Fisherman” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”136″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Energy Retrieval” set=”Primal Clash” no=”126″ c=”name”][/card], you should be able to always keep Energy in your hand every turn in the late game, and in the early game, [card name=”Professor’s Letter” set=”XY” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] will help you get the Energy you need early on as well. With 12 Energy, you should also be able to naturally draw into Energy each turn as well.

Immediate Thoughts

At first, I was skeptical about how good this deck would actually be. I wasn’t sure if it was just a gimmick or a real contender. After getting a chance to play with the deck firsthand, I’ve concluded that there really is a chance for this deck to be good. It struggles a bit against [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC11″ c=”name”][/card], the deck can work around it if it has a couple of turns to set up and get going. It only takes three Energy for most of your attackers to be able to OHKO [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”36″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card], so with [card name=”Volcanion” set=”Steam Siege” no=”25″ c=”name”][/card]’s Power Heater, it shouldn’t take long at all to be able to counter both threats. [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card] poses a bit more of a threat since it can be reused at key points where you need to Steam Up for a big OHKO, but it can only be used so much before your opponent is forced to use a different Supporter.

Mega Pokemon that can OHKO your [card name=”Volcanion” set=”Steam Siege” no=”25″ c=”name”][/card] with a [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] attached can be a big problem too since you’ll be forced to two-shot them while they can OHKO you. That’s where I think [card name=”Klefki” set=”Steam Siege” no=”80″ c=”name”][/card] could be a big help for the deck. It would give you an extra turn to get an attack off, while forcing your opponent to use a [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card] or not attack.

[card name=”Ninja Boy” set=”Steam Siege” no=”103″ c=”name”][/card] could also be a valuable inclusion for the deck as a Switch-type card as well as a way to search out specific attackers. [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card] has a hefty three Retreat Cost, which can be problematic if it gets stuck in the Active. There are also a lot of times when you have to put Energy on a [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card] that might be better off on another Pokemon at another point in the match. [card name=”Ninja Boy” set=”Steam Siege” no=”103″ c=”name”][/card] would be a surprise move to get it out of the Active and getting that Energy on a better attacker.

Conclusion

I had a lot of fun talking about this set, and I think it has a lot of potential going for it. However, I think a lot of that potential is dwarfed by how the metagame is right now. It’s still focused on speed, although it feels like it’s slowed down a little bit, and big Basic Pokemon are ruling the format. A lot of the Stage 2s that have the potential to be very good will probably never get a chance to see play until the format slows down significantly.

As for [card name=”Volcanion” set=”Steam Siege” no=”25″ c=”name”][/card], I hope that some of you understand the deck a little bit better and are as excited to mess around with it as I am! I’m going to keep working on it, and may dedicate an entire article to it once the metagame becomes a little bit more defined. By then, I should have a concrete list that will be tournament ready. Until that time comes, I think this is a good starting point to see where the deck goes.

Hope you all enjoyed the article!

Until next time, Trainers!

~Matt

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