Plasma Power — A Complete Look at Team Plasma in Expanded

Hello, all of you Beachers! Dalen again with another article for you guys. Relieving the anxiety and curiosity of Pokemon players everywhere, TPCi has finally released information on the 2016 – 2017 competitive season. In the announcement (a summary of which can be found here) we learned that Regionals will now be spread more evenly throughout the season, and that they will be both Standard and Expanded. With all of the National Championships in the past and the 2016 World Championships freshly completed, many players are still fixed onto Standard, as all Nationals and Worlds were Standard. So, in this article, I want to discuss the Expanded format to help readjust players’ focuses for Regionals, and I have one deck in particular I will discuss. This deck has seen tremendous play in the past, but has now fallen off of the map almost entirely; however, I still feel like it is a very strong deck and should not be underestimated. This deck is none other than Team Plasma, one that has seen immense success as well as play in the past. Notable finishes for the deck include 2013 Worlds Masters runner-up, 2013 Worlds Juniors runner-up, 2013 Worlds Seniors champion, and 2014 Worlds Juniors champion.

Team Plasma

Players from the 2012 – 2013 competitive season are sure to remember this deck from Nationals and Worlds that year, as it was by far the most dominant deck. Plasma decks have many great features that make them so powerful, first of all, they are extremely fast. [card name=”Thundurus-EX” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”38″ c=”name”][/card]’s Raiden Knuckle provides amazing Energy acceleration and recycling power, and Plasma was also gifted with [card name=”Colress Machine” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”119″ c=”name”][/card] to accelerate even more Energy onto the board. Not only are Team Plasma decks fast, but they are also quite powerful. [card name=”Deoxys-EX” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card], the core of the deck, can ramp up your Plasma Pokemon’s attacks by up to 40 damage with four Deoxys-EX in play. Most of the featured Plasma Pokemon also have naturally high-damaging attacks, like [card name=”Kyurem” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”31″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Lugia-EX” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”108″ c=”name”][/card]. Combining strong attackers with all of the damage modification, Team Plasma decks rarely have difficulty taking KOs when necessary. Arguably the best aspect of Plasma decks, and by far my favorite, is their versatility (as seen below in the deck list). With all of the “multi-colored” Energy in the deck, [card name=”Prism Energy” set=”Next Destinies” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Rainbow Energy” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”152″ c=”name”][/card], you can effectively utilize any type of attacker to tailor the deck to a specific metagame.

[decklist name=”Team Plasma” amt=”56″ caption=”Techs/Open Slots: 4″ cname=”Kyurem” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”31″][pokemon amt=”15″]4x [card name=”Deoxys-EX” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”53″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Thundurus-EX” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”38″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Kyurem” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”31″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Lugia-EX” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”108″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Keldeo-EX” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”49″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Hoopa-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”36″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Jirachi-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Absol” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”67″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”29″]3x [card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”118″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Professor Juniper” set=”Black and White” no=”101″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ 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=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Colress Machine” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”119″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Sacred Ash” set=”Flashfire” no=”96″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Computer Search” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]3x [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”12″]4x [card name=”Prism Energy” set=”Next Destinies” no=”93″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Plasma Energy” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”106″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Rainbow Energy” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”152″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Fates Collide” no=”114″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

Free Slots – 4

Card Choices

Many of the cards in the deck list above are typical of Team Plasma decks and some cards can be easily justified for their particular inclusion. However, others are either so strange I feel the need to explain them or I just want to explain them to highlight certain points.

Absol

[cardimg name=”Absol” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”67″ align=”right” c=”custom”]The face of Absol-ute terror![/cardimg]

Ever since its release, [card name=”Absol” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”67″ c=”name”][/card] has always divided players on its usefulness. Some competitors have opted not to use Absol in a deck that can take advantage of it, notably Jason Klaczynski in his 2013 World Championships winning [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”63″ c=”name”][/card] deck. Others, myself included, have always loved the card and used it whenever possible; for the longest time, I even ran two copies of it in my [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”63″ c=”name”][/card] decks to surprise players that didn’t expect it. However, this is a deck that I feel needs Absol no matter what, as it is simply too good to pass on. Absol has [card name=”Colress Machine” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”119″ c=”name”][/card] to allow for a one-turn power-up and [card name=”Deoxys-EX” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] to buff its damage. Even more, this Team Plasma deck abuses [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card] to get more explosive starts with [card name=”Hoopa-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”36″ c=”name”][/card], and your opponents will often play more than five Benched Pokemon when they can, thanks to your Sky Field; Absol punishes these types of plays more than anything. The last reason I feel Absol is absol-utely worth it is because, like [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”63″ c=”name”][/card], it hits [card name=”Trevenant BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card] for Weakness. Trevenant decks have had way too much success to ignore, so this deck is designed to have a naturally favorable Trevenant matchup, with which Absol can help greatly.

Jirachi-EX

Many Expanded decks used [card name=”Jirachi-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] as a consistency boost like [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card], but Jirachi-EX is almost a must in this deck. With all of the one-of Supporters, Jirachi-EX lets you search out the one you need at the right time. Jirachi-EX is a great target to grab from [card name=”Hoopa-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”36″ c=”name”][/card], letting you snag a [card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”118″ c=”name”][/card] to draw a ton of cards with the Bench you just filled up, or [card name=”Professor Juniper” set=”Black and White” no=”101″ c=”name”][/card] if your opponent has too few Benched Pokemon for Colress to be worth using. Of course, Jirachi-EX can also be saved for later in the game to fetch [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card] when you desperately need to Knock Out one of their Benched Pokemon. Either way you use it, Jirachi-EX is a stellar addition to any deck, especially this one.

Techs

Here are some other techs and possible inclusions I would consider switching to in the deck. When it comes to these techs, there are two pieces of advice I offer. Firstly, try to keep your deck aligned in the same general direction; don’t add cards like [card name=”Hypnotoxic Laser” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] if you plan to take most Knock Outs with [card name=”Lugia-EX” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”108″ c=”name”][/card]. Secondly, and most importantly, make sure that your deck is still consistent after you insert your techs. Even if your deck has a counter to every other deck but can only set up properly half of the time, you’ll still end up losing a majority of your matches.

Darkrai-EX

[card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”63″ c=”name”][/card] is a very common card in the Expanded format, but a Team Plasma deck is the last place many people would expect to find one. This tech is one I learned from new PokeBeach writer Zander Bennett back in 2014 when I faced him at the Tennessee State Championships. Darkrai-EX’s purpose is to make it where you can Retreat without having a [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] attached, provided you have a [card name=”Prism Energy” set=”Next Destinies” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Rainbow Energy” set=”EX Legend Maker” no=”81″ c=”name”][/card]. Even though the ideal switching method is [card name=”Keldeo-EX” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”49″ c=”name”][/card] plus Float Stone, sometimes your Float Stone get discarded or you can’t attach one due to Item-lock (which isn’t too uncommon in Expanded with [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] being popular decks), so Darkrai-EX gives you a much easier time switching between Pokemon. Darkrai-EX is also quite an effective attacker against [card name=”Trevenant BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card], as it’s able to OHKO even their BREAK evolutions. All in all, Darkrai-EX is a very versatile and extremely beneficial tech in Plasma and I defintely would want to play it in most Team Plasma decks.

Landorus

[cardimg name=”Landorus” set=”Black and White Black Star Promos” no=”BW79″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

While [card name=”Landorus” set=”Black and White Black Star Promos” no=”BW79″ c=”name”][/card] is a very metagame-dependent tech, it is certainly a strong one. Landorus happens to be a Team Plasma Pokemon, getting Deoxys-EX’s spectacular Power Connect support, and it is Fighting, giving you even more type coverage against the wide array of Expanded decks. The main purpose of Landorus is to make KOing things like [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”118″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”M Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”24″ c=”name”][/card] much easier. Rock Tomb all but guarantees a OHKO on a Fighting-weak Pokemon, but due to its Energy-intensive cost it is rarely used. Instead, Extrasensory is Landorus’ preferred attack, able to get the job done the same for only a little more effort, you have to have the same number of cards in your hand as your opponent. Extrasensory can deal 110 damage with a [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] attached and all four [card name=”Deoxys-EX” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] in play, which is perfect to one-shot M Manectric-EX or Darkrai-EX with [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card]. If you expect a decent showing of these Fighting-weak Pokemon at an upcoming Expanded event, [card name=”Landorus” set=”Black and White Black Star Promos” no=”BW79″ c=”name”][/card] would be a great tech.

Lugia-EX

[card name=”Lugia-EX” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”108″ c=”name”][/card] is already featured in this deck, but I would be quick to add another. Its Overflow Ability is one of the most powerful ones in the game, and its high Energy cost is mitigated by [card name=”Thundurus-EX” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”38″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Colress Machine” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”119″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Fates Collide” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card]. While I wouldn’t focus the deck entirely on Lugia-EX, having a second copy would make the first one getting Knocked Out or discarded almost irrelevant. With Lugia-EX, you can have crazy games that can be over in as little as three turns. Take the following situation, for example, even if it may be a little hard to pull off:

You go second, starting with [card name=”Thundurus-EX” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”38″ c=”name”][/card] against your opponent’s Pokemon-EX. After their turn, you manage to get down a Lugia-EX and three Deoxys-EX thanks to [card name=”Hoopa-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”36″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card]. You end your turn by using Raiden Knuckle to place a [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Fates Collide” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card] on Lugia-EX. After they deal some damage to Thundurus-EX, you retreat (either manually or with [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card]) into Lugia-EX, attach a [card name=”Plasma Energy” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”127″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Colress Machine” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”119″ c=”name”][/card] another Plasma Energy to it, beef up the Lugia-EX with a [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card], and take three Prize Cards by KOing their Pokemon-EX with Plasma Gale. Your opponent is unable to Knock Out Lugia-EX on the following turn, so you simply [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card] their [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card], attach any Energy to replace the discarded Plasma Energy, and take your last three Prizes with Plasma Gale.

While games like that definitely won’t occur all the time, they can happen much more often than one might think. [card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”118″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] make the deck incredibly explosive, so never underestimate Plasma decks’ speed.

One side note about adding in a second Lugia-EX: if I did so, I would probably drop down to two [card name=”Rainbow Energy” set=”XY” no=”131″ c=”name”][/card] so that I could add another [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Fates Collide” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card]. Having multiple Double Colorless Energy makes Lugia-EX so much more of a threat than only having one.

[premium]

Ghetsis

One of the most powerful and devastating Supporter cards ever, [card name=”Ghetsis” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”101″ c=”name”][/card], one of the leaders of Team Plasma, finds himself a welcome home in a Team Plasma deck. If you go first and manage to play Ghetsis as your Supporter, you can strip your opponent of all of his or her valuable Item cards that make for a good setup; I even had a game at a Regional Championships this past season in which my turn one Ghetsis left my opponent at zero cards! Ghetsis is not only effective during the early turns of the game, though. The best part about Ghetsis is that you can easily search it out with [card name=”Jirachi-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] if you wish to run it. You can play [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card] for [card name=”Hoopa-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”36″ c=”name”][/card] and then use Hoopa’s Scoundrel Ring to search out a [card name=”Deoxys-EX” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card], a [card name=”Thundurus-EX” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”38″ c=”name”][/card], Jirachi-EX, or a [card name=”Lugia-EX” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”108″ c=”name”][/card] depending on what you need.

During the later stages of the game, many players will hold their [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] until they’re ready to use them so that they can pick the right Supporter for the situation, so you can often rob them of VS Seeker before they can use them, leaving you all but safe from a [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card].

Giovanni’s Scheme

If you think back to the section where I discussed how [card name=”Deoxys-EX” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] makes your attacks so much more powerful, [card name=”Giovanni’s Scheme” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”138″ c=”name”][/card] does the same thing. Giovanni is the last piece Plasma needs to pump out Knock Outs, raising your damage cap with [card name=”Lugia-EX” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”108″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Kyurem” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”31″ c=”name”][/card] to 200. The neat thing about Giovanni, though, is it also doubles as a draw Supporter. In a pinch, you can use Giovanni as a small hand refresher which can occasionally be a life-saver. After all, this Plasma deck is all about versatility, so Giovanni finds himself a perfect home with his double-trouble effect.

Target Whistle

[cardimg name=”Target Whistle” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”106″ align=”right” c=”custom”][/cardimg]

I might be slightly biased by my affection for this card, but I see [card name=”Target Whistle” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card] as a wonderful tech in a Plasma deck. [card name=”Lugia-EX” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”108″ c=”name”][/card] preys on low-HP Pokemon-EX like [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Jirachi-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card], so being able to drag one back onto the field from your opponent’s seemingly safe discard pile can be game changing. Even if Lugia-EX is unavailable for use at that time, [card name=”Thundurus-EX” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”38″ c=”name”][/card] can still take just as much advantage on Shaymin-EX as Lugia-EX can. With three [card name=”Deoxys-EX” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card], or two and a [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card], Thundurus-EX can OHKO Shaymin-EX for two Prize cards, attaching another Energy to a Benched Pokemon for when Thundurus-EX gets KOd himself. Another reason Target Whistle is strong in this particular build of Plasma is the two [card name=”Absol” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”67″ c=”name”][/card]. Like the familiar [card name=”Zoroark” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card], Absol does more damage for every Benched Pokemon your opponent has. If you use Target Whistle to place another Benched Pokemon down for them, you can catch them off guard to get that last 20 damage they thought you couldn’t reach. Target Whistle also has other niche purposes, such as placing a Night March Pokemon back onto their Bench to lessen the damage Night March deals, or to stop your opponent from abusing [card name=”Exeggcute” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”4″ c=”name”][/card] as discard fodder.

Special Charge

[card name=”Special Charge” set=”Steam Siege” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card], like Target Whistle, is another card that I’m particularly fond of. Since Thundurus-EX can already recycle Special Energy, Special Charge isn’t used solely for that purpose. Instead, it makes [card name=”Colress Machine” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”119″ c=”name”][/card] plays possible in the later stages of the game. With how fast the Plasma deck goes, it is entirely possible for all four [card name=”Plasma Energy” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”127″ c=”name”][/card] to be on the field, in your hand, or in the discard pile after four or five turns, especially if you’ve [card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”118″ c=”name”][/card]’d for upwards of 10 cards multiple times, so you can use Special Charge to shuffle back two of those discarded Plasma Energy back into the deck to make [card name=”Colress Machine” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”119″ c=”name”][/card] work again. Of course, it can also be used just to put back [card name=”Rainbow Energy” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”152″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Prism Energy” set=”Next Destinies” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] when Thundurus isn’t ideal to use. If you do include Special Charge, you could even add another [card name=”Colress Machine” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”119″ c=”name”][/card]. I’ve never liked having four Colress Machine in Plasma decks, simply because you can rarely ever use all four and not have one be a dead card, but with Special Charge, you essentially have six Plasma Energy, so four Colress Machine isn’t overkill anymore.

Different Ace Specs

Since there’s so many different Ace Specs that all have their own uses, I chose to write about them all together. In the sample deck list, my Ace Spec of choice was [card name=”Computer Search” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card]. Computer Search is never a bad Ace Spec to use since it provides so much consistency, but there are other plausible options for this deck. One of these choices is [card name=”Life Dew” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card]. Popularized by Ryan Sablehaus in his 2nd Place finish at U.S. Nationals 2013, Life Dew can ideally force the opponent to KO a non-EX attacker, [card name=”Absol” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”67″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Kyurem” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”31″ c=”name”][/card], for zero Prize Cards. If they choose to KO a different Pokemon via [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card], the threat of the attacker still remains. Another good Ace Spec choice is [card name=”Dowsing Machine” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”128″ c=”name”][/card]. Whereas Computer Search makes the deck more powerful in the early game, Dowsing Machine does the same thing but in the late game. Dowsing Machine is incredibly versatile, acting as any Trainer card you need it to be. Having a fifth [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] or a fourth [card name=”Colress Machine” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”119″ c=”name”][/card] can often be game-changing. The final Ace Spec I feel is a good inclusion in Plasma decks is, by far, the most all-or-nothing one, but it can make for some incredible plays, [card name=”Scramble Switch” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”129″ c=”name”][/card]. Back when Plasma first came out right before Nationals in 2013, Scramble Switch was the Ace Spec I immediately gravitated to, and that was the Ace Spec I used for that year’s Nationals. Rarely ever, if at all, did I regret the choice, if your opponent doesn’t expect Scramble Switch coming, you can make plays that completely alter the course of the game. You can turn a [card name=”Kyurem” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”31″ c=”name”][/card] into a [card name=”Lugia-EX” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”108″ c=”name”][/card] to take an extra Prize to win the game, or you can move all the Energy from a damaged attacker to a fresh one to conserve those Energy cards. The possibilities are endless, it seems, when it comes to Scramble Switch.

Hex Maniac

An extremely splashable Supporter card, [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card] is found in decks of all kinds, both in Expanded and Standard. In Team Plasma decks, unlike with most others, Hex Maniac is a very double-edged sword. If you use Hex to shut down an opponent’s pesky Ability, you lose out on one of the main Abilities on which this deck is centered, [card name=”Deoxys-EX” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card]’s Power Connect. Additionally, if you’re attacking with [card name=”Lugia-EX” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”108″ c=”name”][/card], Overflow gets shut down, meaning you don’t get that amazing extra Prize Card that makes Lugia-EX so great. However, if you’re not attacking with Lugia-EX and you don’t need the extra damage from Deoxys-EX, Hex Maniac doesn’t have any horrible negative consequences for you. Against decks with Pokemon like [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Aegislash-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”65″ c=”name”][/card], or [card name=”Blastoise” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”31″ c=”name”][/card], Hex Maniac can be a lifesaver. Like I’ve said before, it all comes down to the focus of your deck. If you plan to take as many KOs as possible with Lugia-EX, Hex Maniac probably isn’t worth using, but a [card name=”Kyurem” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”31″ c=”name”][/card]-centered variant could find great use out of it.

Max Potion

Simon Narode’s 2013 World Championships runner-up Team Plasma deck ran two copies of [card name=”Max Potion” set=”Emerging Powers” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card], and for good reason. Whenever one of your attackers swoops in to deal massive damage but doesn’t get Knocked Out in return, you can retreat to [card name=”Thundurus-EX” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”38″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Max Potion” set=”Emerging Powers” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card] the damaged Pokemon, and use Raiden Knuckle to reattach one of those discarded Energy while finishing off their damaged Active Pokemon or softening up a fresh one. In the current metagame of the Expanded format, Max Potion isn’t quite as strong as it was a couple of years ago since many decks in Expanded aim to OHKO whenever possible, but against decks that are incapable of doing so, [card name=”Max Potion” set=”Emerging Powers” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card] can essentially waste one of your opponent’s entire turns.

Pokemon Ranger

[cardimg name=”Pokémon Ranger” set=”Steam Siege” no=”104″ align=”right” c=”custom”][/cardimg]

[card name=”Pokémon Ranger” set=”Steam Siege” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card] is another very situational tech, but there are times that not having it can cost you the game. One example of this is [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card]. If you face a Giratina-EX deck and they are able to take away all of your Energy and then use Chaos Wheel, you have no way of attacking them since you can’t attach any of your Energy. Or, if you face a deck that uses [card name=”Jolteon-EX” set=”Generations” no=”28″ c=”name”][/card] and they achieve the ideal setup of a Jolteon-EX Active and nothing Benched, nothing can damage the Jolteon-EX, leading to an instant loss. With [card name=”Pokémon Ranger” set=”Steam Siege” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card], though, you can negate both of those harmful effects from your Pokemon so that you can turn autoloss situations into more even games. The problem with running Ranger, however, is that not many decks use Jolteon-EX or Giratina-EX anymore, Ranger has significantly decreased the little amount of Expanded play they had to essentially nothing. Some areas may still have these troublesome Pokemon running around, in which case a Pokemon Ranger would be ideal, but otherwise there are other cards that would serve the deck much better.

Ninja Boy

Ninja Boy does almost the same thing as [card name=”Scramble Switch” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”129″ c=”name”][/card] except with a little less versatility in exchange for a little more re-usability. The idea behind [card name=”Ninja Boy” set=”Steam Siege” no=”103″ c=”name”][/card] is that you can build up a [card name=”Kyurem” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”31″ c=”name”][/card] on the Bench and then all of a sudden turn it into a [card name=”Lugia-EX” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”108″ c=”name”][/card] to take an extra Prize card upon taking a Knock Out. On one hand, Ninja Boy is a Supporter and is thus recyclable with [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] and also does not take up your Ace Spec slot, but it cannot “heal” the damage off of a Pokemon like Scramble Switch can. Both are great options for Plasma decks, and what it really comes down to is your preference for your Ace Spec slot. If you really like the idea of [card name=”Life Dew” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card] to make your opponent take a wasted KO or [card name=”Computer Search” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] for its unmatched consistency and search power but also love the concept of changing attackers at the last minute, then Ninja Boy is a the card for you, but if Life Dew and Computer Search aren’t so appealing, Scramble Switch is a great choice.

Shaymin-EX (Generations Elite Trainer Box Promo)

The new [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY148″ c=”name”][/card] Promo we got out of the Generations Elite Trainer Box serves one purpose, and one purpose only, which is to make [card name=”Trevenant BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card] decks much better matchups. [card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] decks rely on spreading damage across your board with both its Silent Fear and Tree Slam attacks; Shaymin-EX heals 20 damage from each of your Benched Pokemon once per turn for no cost, so Trevenant has no effective way of taking Prize Cards. With [card name=”Keldeo-EX” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”49″ c=”name”][/card] they can’t try to [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card] Shaymin-EX Active to stall, especially if you choose to run the [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”63″ c=”name”][/card] tech too. Against other decks, Shaymin-EX is essentially useless, but it alone makes facing Trevenant BREAK decks much less scary.

Virizion-EX

Special Coniditions have long run rampant in the Expanded format. Cards like [card name=”Hypnotoxic Laser” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Accelgor” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”11″ c=”name”][/card] have been played for years, and still see occasional play. While [card name=”Keldeo-EX” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”49″ c=”name”][/card] has always been the go-to answer to these dastardly Special Condition-inflicting cards, but even Keldeo-EX itself is susceptible to Special Conditions. At Virginia Regionals this season, I lost a best of three [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] mirror match solely because of horrible [card name=”Hypnotoxic Laser” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] flips. The first game my Keldeo-EX was already KOd when I needed it, and the second game my Keldeo-EX got stuck Asleep by [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card] plus [card name=”Hypnotoxic Laser” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card]. [card name=”Virizion-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”9″ c=”name”][/card] is a great way to avoid this happening altogether; by having one of your [card name=”Rainbow Energy” set=”XY” no=”131″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Prism Energy” set=”Next Destinies” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] attached to a Pokemon, it becomes immune from all Special Conditions. The best part is, even if the Special Condition was inflicted before Virizion-EX or the Energy was played, the Pokemon can remove its Special Condition upon Verdant Wind triggering. While Special Conditions aren’t as prevalent as they once used to be, Virizion-EX is still a great, sure-fire way to prevent games being lost by unlucky Special Conditions.

Genesect-EX

[cardimg name=”Genesect-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”11″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

The final tech I’ve often considered running in this deck is [card name=”Genesect-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”11″ c=”name”][/card]. The goal of Genesect-EX is identical to most of the other techs I’ve discussed, to add versatility to the deck to give it appropriate responses to any situation. Genesect-EX does so by effectively letting you [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card] something and play another Supporter in the same turn. By attaching a [card name=”Plasma Energy” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”127″ c=”name”][/card] to Genesect-EX, you get to drag up any of your opponent’s Benched Pokemon, meaning you can refresh your hand with a [card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”118″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Professor Juniper” set=”Black and White” no=”101″ c=”name”][/card] without passing up on a powerful “Gust of Wind” effect. Genesect-EX is also the only Grass-type Pokemon found in the deck, giving you yet another Weakness advantage against the ever-so-popular [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card]. Unless the annoying Toad has equipped itself with a [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card], Megalo Cannon OHKOs it, and even if Seismitoad-EX has a Fighting Fury Belt attached, a single [card name=”Deoxys-EX” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] on the Bench provides enough of a damage boost to still make it an OHKO.

Cards to Cut

All of these techs sound wonderful, but the hard part is deciding what cards to remove to make space for these techs. Even with four open slots, there may be five or more techs you want to add, so these are some of the first cards I would take out.

Absol

It may seem a bit ironic that [card name=”Absol” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”67″ c=”name”][/card] is one of the first cards I would cut after I praised it for how powerful it is, but remember, in a deck like this, it is imperative to keep the focus of the deck directed in one way or another. So, if you prefer the [card name=”Lugia-EX” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”108″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Kyurem” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”31″ c=”name”][/card] combination rather than the [card name=”Absol” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”67″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Kyurem” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”31″ c=”name”][/card] one, it would be wise to cut Absol for Lugia-EX. Now, say you enjoy all three Pokemon, Absol, Lugia-EX and Kyurem, and want to use all three in the deck. In this case, you could still cut one of the Absol. While it is a very strong attacker, having two isn’t absolutely necessary, especially if you already have two Kyurem and a Lugia-EX.

Sacred Ash

Personally, I never like playing a deck without some sort of recovery card in case something happens to your Pokemon or Energy, but Plasma is a deck that doesn’t have to absolutely have one. With so many different potent attackers, you can easily win a game after having to discard a [card name=”Kyurem” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”31″ c=”name”][/card] or a [card name=”Lugia-EX” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”108″ c=”name”][/card]. However, one reason I do include [card name=”Sacred Ash” set=”Flashfire” no=”96″ c=”name”][/card] in this deck is the fact that the deck does rely heavily on [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card] to keep multiple attackers in play in addition to as many [card name=”Deoxys-EX” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] as possible. If the Stadium gets changed, you have to discard three of your Benched Pokemon (assuming you had the maximum of eight in play with Sky Field). Discarding Pokemon like [card name=”Hoopa-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”36″ c=”name”][/card] , [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Jirachi-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] is actually beneficial, but discarding the rest of your Pokemon is often painful. When this happens, you can simply Sacred Ash the Pokemon back into the deck, and then you’re set to go. However, like I said, this deck does have plenty enough attackers to finish most games anyways, so Sacred Ash isn’t always necessary.

Final Thoughts on Techs

[cardimg name=”Lugia-EX” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”108″ align=”right” c=”custom”][/cardimg]

I’ve mentioned some of this in a couple of the individual tech descriptions, but I feel a little bit of a wrap-up would be helpful. When considering what techs to add to improve certain matchups, always make sure the tech is justified. That is, if the matchup is already winnable without the tech, you probably don’t have a need for it, or if the tech doesn’t make the matchup much more favorable or winnable, there’s probably a better way to use that slot. Also try to make sure the matchups you tech for are worth teching for. If you think you have an autoloss to a certain deck, but that deck won’t even take up 5% of the metagame, it’s often better to accept the autoloss to a deck that won’t see much play than to waste a tech slot for it. One way to help decide which techs are the best to use is to determine which techs are the useful in the most matchups. While running four techs that all help a separate matchup certainly isn’t a bad idea, if there’s a single tech that helps multiple matchups, using it would be preferred. Another key to always remember is consistency over techs. Make sure your deck is operational and consistent even after you insert your techs, otherwise your teched-out deck will still lose too many games. The final note I have on techs is, like I said a couple of times briefly before, make sure your techs work with each other. Some good tech combinations would be less [card name=”Absol” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”67″ c=”name”][/card] / more [card name=”Lugia-EX” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”108″ c=”name”][/card], a [card name=”Special Charge” set=”Steam Siege” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card] and a fourth [card name=”Colress Machine” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”119″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Life Dew” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Computer Search” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] with [card name=”Ninja Boy” set=”Steam Siege” no=”103″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Target Whistle” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card] with more [card name=”Absol” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”67″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Genesect-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”11″ c=”name”][/card] with [card name=”Target Whistle” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card]. Other techs also play off of these techs when it comes to their utility. For example, running [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card] in the more [card name=”Lugia-EX” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”108″ c=”name”][/card] variant wouldn’t be ideal. As long as you keep a consistent deck with versatile techs that build on each other, you can’t go wrong.

Matchups

Night March

Plasma’s Night March matchup is a very close one, and it can sway either direction depending on what techs each deck chooses to play. If the Plasma deck uses more non-EX attackers like [card name=”Kyurem” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”31″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Absol” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”67″ c=”name”][/card] than Pokemon-EX attackers like [card name=”Lugia-EX” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”108″ c=”name”][/card], Plasma becomes a little more favored in the matchup. Kyurem is an especially powerful attacker against Night March since Frost Spear deals damage to both their Active Pokemon and one of their Benched Pokemon. If they have a [card name=”Joltik” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card] sitting on the Bench, Frost Spear can KO it in addition to the Active Pokemon. Absol is also a powerful attacker to use against Night March; if their [card name=”Pumpkaboo” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”44″ c=”name”][/card] has a [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] attached, Frost Spear is incapable of OHKOing the Pumpkaboo without the use of [card name=”Giovanni’s Scheme” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”138″ c=”name”][/card], since, even with four [card name=”Deoxys-EX” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] and a [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card], Frost Spear only hits for 90. Absol, on the other hand, only needs a single Deoxys-EX in play and for them to have at least one Benched Pokemon or, more simply, for them to have two or more Benched Pokemon, and Mind Jack will deal a KO for the same Energy cost as Kyurem. While attacking with non-EXs is usually preferable, don’t forget about how good [card name=”Thundurus-EX” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”38″ c=”name”][/card] is. Thundurus-EX can easily take two Prizes against a [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card], keeping the Prize-trade even, but doing so nets you an extra Energy attachment. While [card name=”Lugia-EX” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”108″ c=”name”][/card] can be game-winning against Night March, taking three Prizes against a Shaymin-EX or turning one of their Night Marchers into a Pokemon-EX, it’s a very dangerous play to do so. Lugia-EX has the dreaded Lightning Weakness on which Joltik preys, and since Lugia-EX is so Energy-intensive to work, investing too many resources on a Plasma Gale just to get it derailed by a tiny bug can really hurt in the long run.

Since this matchup revolves around taking KOs every turn and keeping yourself a favorable Prize-trade, I’ve found it beneficial to go second if possible. It doesn’t take much to fire off a Raiden Knuckle or Frost Spear on the first turn of the game for a Knock Out, yet they need seven (if you use Kyurem) or nine (if you use Thundurus-EX) Night March Pokemon in the discard pile to return the KO. A late game [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] can often give Night March an unplayable hand, in which case you can take yet another leap ahead in the Prize-trade. Just make sure you take as many Prizes as you give away (or more, of course), and this matchup becomes surprisingly favorable.

Yveltal-EX / Maxie’s

One of the nice things about Plasma is its slightly positive matchup against the most popular deck in Expanded, [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Maxie’s Hidden Ball Trick” set=”Primal Clash” no=”133″ c=”name”][/card]. [card name=”Thundurus-EX” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”38″ c=”name”][/card] hits both [card name=”Yveltal” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] for Weakness, leaving [card name=”Gallade” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”84″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”63″ c=”name”][/card] to be their only efficient attacker to combat Thundurus-EX. If they respond to Thundurus-EX with a Gallade, a [card name=”Deoxys-EX” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] with a [card name=”Plasma Energy” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”127″ c=”name”][/card] can OHKO the Gallade. If you decide to tech in the Plasma [card name=”Landorus” set=”Black and White Black Star Promos” no=”BW79″ c=”name”][/card], you can OHKO Darkrai-EX with no trouble, making the matchup a breeze. One thing that can make this matchup very annoying, however, is the newer variant aptly called “SosaTal” after being popularized by Israel Sosa, which discards the use of [card name=”Hypnotoxic Laser” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Virbank City Gym” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”126″ c=”name”][/card] for the more disruptive Stadium cards [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Silent Lab” set=”Primal Clash” no=”140″ c=”name”][/card]. The Laser / Virbank variant usually isn’t too difficult because of [card name=”Keldeo-EX” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”49″ c=”name”][/card]’s ability to get your Active out of its special conditions. With the annoying Stadiums though, they can really slow down your setup. If you have to go second and they manage to drop a Silent Lab, you lose the chance to use [card name=”Hoopa-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”36″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Jirachi-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] as well as [card name=”Deoxys-EX” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] to make KOs easier, unless you have a counter Stadium in [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card]. To make matters worse, once you manage to get around Silent Lab and build up a respectable field, a well-timed [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card] can set you back even farther. For this reason, I would always try to save your extra Sky Field and your [card name=”Sacred Ash” set=”Flashfire” no=”96″ c=”name”][/card] for when your opponent plays their [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card]. If you don’t have access to these, the matchup becomes a much more uphill battle, despite all of the Weakness advantages you have over them. Ultimately, the matchup is quite favorable for Plasma if you can get everything rolling like it should be, but a slow setup can be its demise.

Trevenant BREAK

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

[card name=”Trevenant BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card] decks can be either a great or poor matchup, depending on what techs you choose to use. If you add either of the Dark types, [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”63″ c=”name”][/card] or an additional [card name=”Absol” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”67″ c=”name”][/card], the matchup becomes quite a bit better since you can abuse Trevenant’s Dark Weakness. Another tech that makes the matchup favorable for Plasma is [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY148″ c=”name”][/card] (Promo). Shaymin-EX’s constant healing Ability (Aroma of Gratitude) makes Trevenant BREAK’s spread damage essentially useless, taking away its main win condition. The final tech that can improve the Trevenant matchup by a noticeable amount is actually [card name=”Genesect-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”11″ c=”name”][/card]. With only one [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card] and one [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card] in the deck, you only have two ways to break [card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card]’s Item-lock, but Red Signal turns [card name=”Plasma Energy” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”127″ c=”name”][/card] into a mini Lysandre, giving you six ways to break their Item-lock instead of two. Another great thing about Genesect-EX is you can still play another Supporter after using Red Signal, so if Forest’s Curse has been trapping unusable [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] in your hand, you can make great use of them after a Red Signal. Without these techs, the matchup is definitely in the favor of Trevenant, yet it remains winnable. Plasma’s attackers have extremely high and quick damage outputs, so you can sometimes rush Trevenant down, Knocking Out their [card name=”Trevenant BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card] faster than they can set them up, but all of their disruption Items and Supporters often puts a quick halt to that.

Seismitoad-EX / Crobat

[card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card] is another Item-lock deck like [card name=”Trevenant BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card], but this deck is usually much less painful to face. With the exception of [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card]’s damage is strictly limited to your Active Pokemon, meaning you can build up a big hitter on the Bench without too much to fear, barring a ton of Crobat damage or a [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card]. Seismitoad-EX’s biggest damage booster, [card name=”Hypnotoxic Laser” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card], is significantly weakened by [card name=”Keldeo-EX” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”49″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Virizion-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”9″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Genesect-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”11″ c=”name”][/card] can hit the Toads for Weakness. The biggest pain in this matchup is, like with [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] decks, their counter Stadium in [card name=”Silent Lab” set=”Primal Clash” no=”140″ c=”name”][/card]. Silent Lab makes it where Keldeo-EX and Virizion-EX can’t rescue you from Hypnotoxic Laser’s Special Conditions unless you have a [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card] ready, and you again lose the ability to use [card name=”Deoxys-EX” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card]’s incredible Power Connect. Since Silent Lab is so annoying for Plasma, always try to keep a Sky Field handy whenever you can. Seismitoad-EX’s damage output is nothing amazing, so just stay patient, conserve your resources, and be aggressive when the time is right.

M Rayquaza-EX

Matches against [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] are often similar to the ones against [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card]. Once you manage to set up, there’s usually nothing Rayquaza decks can do, [card name=”Thundurus-EX” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”38″ c=”name”][/card] hits Rayquaza-EX for Weakness and can even OHKO a Mega under the right circumstances (all four [card name=”Deoxys-EX” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card], a [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card], and a [card name=”Giovanni’s Scheme” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”138″ c=”name”][/card]). [card name=”Absol” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”67″ c=”name”][/card] is also an amazing attacker in this matchup, since Rayquaza decks usually like to fill their Benches up to eight with [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card]. The one thing that makes this matchup difficult, however, is [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card]. Mega Rayquaza decks typically like to chain Hex Maniac to make your setup very lackluster while Emerald Break OHKOs anything you send up. If you do manage to build a decent field despite Hex, you still lose access to Power Connect, which makes OHKOs nearly impossible. If they do miss a beat with Hex, you can take major advantage of their loss and pull way ahead.

Rainbow Road

[cardimg name=”Xerneas” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”107″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

In theory, Rainbow Road matchups are the same as Night March matchups, maintain a favorable Prize-trade and win. The problem with this, though, is that it is much harder to take cheap KOs against Rainbow Road. [card name=”Xerneas” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card] has an annoyingly high 120 HP, meaning you need to invest at least three Energy to OHKO it (unless you use [card name=”Absol” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”67″ c=”name”][/card] while they have a large Bench), yet it can plow through your Pokemon-EX like they’re Weedle. The best way I’ve found to keep up the positive Prize-trade is to ignore the Xerneas entirely. Instead, take the easiest KOs you can based on Weakness and HP: [card name=”Thundurus-EX” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”38″ c=”name”][/card] on [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Kyurem” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”31″ c=”name”][/card] on [card name=”Ho-Oh-EX” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”22″ c=”name”][/card]. However, if you can manage to power up your [card name=”Lugia-EX” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”108″ c=”name”][/card], by all means, take the KO on the Xerneas. Because of Overflow, you’re still taking a “Pokemon-EX KO”, but you’re also removing their main attacker. Like against most other decks, [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] is very powerful in the late game, since they can easily draw a few cards clogged up by Energy and useless Pokemon. Again, just maintain a favorable Prize-trade by taking advantage of Weakness, and you’ll be fine.

Speed Lugia

Before I wrap up this article, I want to (briefly) talk about one variant of the Team Plasma deck that has potential, although I do feel it is inferior to the original. This deck is Speed Lugia, a deck that tries to win with [card name=”Lugia-EX” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”108″ c=”name”][/card] as soon as possible with no backup plan. Here’s a sample list for the Speed Lugia deck.

[decklist name=”Speed Lugia” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Lugia-EX” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”108″][pokemon amt=”12″]4x [card name=”Deoxys-EX” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”53″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Lugia-EX” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”108″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Hoopa-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”36″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Keldeo-EX” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”49″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”40″]3x [card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”118″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Professor Juniper” set=”Black and White” no=”101″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ 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]4x [card name=”Colress Machine” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”119″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Acro Bike” set=”Primal Clash” no=”122″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Pokémon Catcher” set=”Emerging Powers” no=”95″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Special Charge” set=”Steam Siege” no=”105″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Target Whistle” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”106″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Computer Search” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]3x [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”8″]4x [card name=”Plasma Energy” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”127″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Fates Collide” no=”114″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

As you can see, this deck really is all about Speed. In most games, the goal is to get a turn one Plasma Gale if you go second, or a turn two Plasma Gale if you go first. With [card name=”Special Charge” set=”Steam Siege” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Thundurus-EX” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”38″ c=”name”][/card] isn’t necessary to recycle Plasma Energy, so you can scrap the Thundurus and [card name=”Kyurem” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”31″ c=”name”][/card] completely to increase the focus on Lugia-EX. Since this is the case, you also have no need for the multicolored Energy cards; after all, this deck is Lugia-EX or bust.

I won’t go into too much detail on the Speed Lugia deck for two reasons. First, many of the cards it contains are self-explanatory or were explained in the first Plasma deck’s description. Second, the first Plasma “Toolbox” deck is, in fact, better than Speed Lugia. While Speed Lugia can, at times, be very lethal, it severely lacks proper responses to many situations that can arise. What makes Team Plasma decks so strong is the variety of cards you can include that all work together wit great synergy, very reminiscent of the SP Pokemon that dominated the game in 2009 and 2010. With the tons of options the Toolbox variant has, there’s almost no situation it can’t weasel its way out of, but Speed Lugia sacrifices all of these options and choices for raw power, a very headstrong move.

Conclusion

Although many players have let it slide into the past as a faint memory, Team Plasma decks are still just as strong as they once were, now equipped with even more tools added to their huge arsenal. Not only does it have the surprise factor of nobody expecting it to be played, but it also can throw many players for a loop with all of the techs it can incorporate. Plasma has no autolosses and very few terrible matchups, and it is certainly still a powerful play.

Well guys, that’s all I have for you today. I hope you all enjoyed reading about a deck you thought was dead and gone, and hopefully it sparked you to go test the deck out. Congratulations to all of those that performed well at the World Championships this year and / or had a great season overall. I wish you all the best of luck beginning the 2016 – 2017 season with all of the structure changes the game is seeing. Until next time,

~Dalen

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