A Comprehensive Guide to Deck Building Featuring Water Box in the New Standard Format

By: Matt Price · Posted Sep 18, 2016 at 5:43 PM · 0 Comments

Hello everyone! Worlds has come and gone, and now it’s time to set our sights on the 2016 – 2017 season. I had a blast in San Francisco with sight seeing, being with friends, meeting players from all over the world, and, of course, competing.

My Worlds Recap

I ended up settling with Quad [card name=”Zoroark” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] deck that I thought had a good chance against most of the meta I was expecting to show up at the event. I felt confident against decks like Night March, [card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card], Water Box, and [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card]. I went into the event expecting a meta similar to U.S. Nationals, and I was kind of right. From what I saw at the event, all of those decks were represented with the addition of [card name=”Greninja” set=”XY” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card] decks. I didn’t expect to see [card name=”Greninja” set=”XY” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card] at all, but I never played against it in my time in the event. I felt comfortable with the deck, and I never had a bad set up the entire event. The deck ran smoothly with a few kinks here and there, but overall worked as planned almost every game.

Here’s the list I used.

[decklist name=”Zoroark” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Zoroark” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”91″][pokemon amt=”18″]1x [card name=”Zoroark BREAK” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Zoroark” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”91″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Zorua” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”90″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Octillery” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”33″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Remoraid” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”31″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Yveltal” set=”XY” no=”78″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/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]1x [card name=”Druddigon” set=”Flashfire” no=”70″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”32″]4x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”110″ 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]3x [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Level Ball” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”76″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Target Whistle” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”106″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Captivating Poké Puff” set=”Steam Siege” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Startling Megaphone” set=”Flashfire” no=”97″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”10″]6x [card name=”Darkness Energy” set=”XY” no=”138″ c=”deck2″ amt=”6″][/card]4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Fates Collide” no=”114″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist]

With Zoroark as the main attacker, I needed as many ways to keep my opponent’s Bench as full as I could. Multiple copies of [card name=”Captivating Poké Puff” set=”Steam Siege” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Target Whistle” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card] really helped keep my opponent’s Bench full at all times, and the three copies of [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card] made it easy to get consistent KOs on [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] and other threats being built up on my opponent’s Bench. Ideally I would be able to take a KO on a [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] three turns in a row for a quick game. The reality was that I often had to settle for two [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] Knock Outs and take my last two Prizes some other way.

[cardimg name=”Octillery” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”33″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

The MVP of the deck was definitely [card name=”Octillery” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card] every game. [card name=”Octillery” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card] allowed me to take a lot of Prizes quickly while also being able to recover from an [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card] to two or three thanks to Abyssal Hand. It also let me aggressively N my opponent to a small hand size without much repercussion. Whenever I was able to get two [card name=”Octillery” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card] out at once, there was no way for my opponent to stop me from getting the Energy, [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card], or anything else I needed at the end of the game. I was able to burn through my deck over the course of the game to where I had only a few cards in deck that I could Abyssal Hand for when needed. With a high N count, I also never had to worry about decking out.

I felt confident going into day one of Worlds because my list was consistent and had neutral to positive matchups against every deck I expected to be at the event. With that being said, I ended up with a 2-2-1 record before dropping from the event. I left feeling unsatisfied, but I wasn’t discouraged. This is a rundown of what I played against during my five rounds of play.

Round 1: [card name=”M Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”24″ c=”name”][/card] (LL)
Round 2: Night March (WW)
Round 3: [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Yveltal” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card] (WLL)
Round 4: Night March (WW)
Round 5: [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Zoroark” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Bursting Balloon” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card] (Tie)

My two wins came against my best matchup, Night March, which I expected to see a lot more of than I did. My two losses and my tie came against high HP Pokemon-EX that could easily OHKO my main attacker. To add insult to injury, each of the three decks played multiple copies of [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card], which made it impossible to take big KOs when I needed to. All these factors added up to a bad position for me to be in and a mediocre tournament performance. Where I went wrong was in my deckbuiding. I chose to play it extremely safe and forgo including any Stadiums despite knowing that [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card] was a real threat. At the time, I figured that most people wouldn’t be playing it for the most part, but I was proved wrong consistently throughout the event.

Thoughts from Worlds

It’s been a few weeks since Worlds, and I’ve had some time to reflect and think about my performance and the tournament as a whole. With classes starting up again and my job having me work almost everyday, I won’t have a lot of time to dedicate to deck building and testing for the events that are about to come up, which means that any time that I do have to focus on Pokemon has to be meaningful. I kept thinking about the deck I used at Worlds, and where I could have improved on the list. I remember at one point I included several copies of [card name=”Reverse Valley” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”110″ c=”name”][/card], but cut them for a boost in consistency.

After spending some time mulling over my oversight, I figured that the bulk of my time needs to spent on deck building and trying to get in games when I can. My mistake at Worlds got me thinking a lot about deck building and how I can improve how I create lists. Having a solid deck list and a general knowledge of its matchups is the first step in having a good tournament experience. The second step is learning the ins and outs of each matchup and understanding the intricacies of what to do in certain scenarios.

However, I’ll be focusing on mostly deck building in this article. I’m going to walk you all through my process of deck building as well as try to explain how to consider cards, decks and matchups when crafting your deck. To help illustrate my points a little bit better, I’ll be using a deck from Standard that I have a lot of fun playing and think could be a solid choice for any upcoming Standard events: Water Box!

Hopefully this will be a good starting point for you as we all buckle down for the 2016 – 2017 season, so let’s get started.

[premium]

Step 1: The Planning Stage

Most of my deck building process happens before any cards are taken out of my binder. I don’t physically build a deck until I have a solid idea of what I hope to accomplish with it and have a solid list that I want to try. Until that point, most of my process is purely theoretical.

Choose an Archetype

[cardimg name=”Articuno” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”17″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Everything has to start somewhere, and deck building is no exception. The most obvious starting point is to choose an archetype that you want to build a deck around. Whether it’s an established archetype, like [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card], or [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card], or something you want to try out that’s less established, it’s important to identify the core idea behind your deck. I always ask myself the same question before I begin making a deck list.

What is this deck’s goal? Is it built to tank damage? Deck out my opponent? Lock them? Outspeed them? What does this deck do that makes it viable?

By establishing the goals of your deck up front, you get an idea of what you be aiming to accomplish with that particular deck as well as how you should build it.

The example I’m using is Water Box, so the archetype has already been chosen. The way it was played last format is very similar to how it’s played now. The main difference is the lack of [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] as a main attacker. Before, Water Box was able to slow the game down greatly with Quaking Punch to allow it to set up its attackers like [card name=”Articuno” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”17″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Regice” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”24″ c=”name”][/card]. Without [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card], the overall strategy of the deck seemingly remains the same but with a bigger emphasis on being fast paced and locking out your opponent with [card name=”Regice” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”24″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Glaceon-EX” set=”Fates Collide” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card].

Identify the Essentials

The next part of the planning stage is identifying the essential cards that will take up most of the spots in the deck. I immediately focus on filling in the basic Pokemon, Supporters, Trainers and Energy that I know a certain deck plays. Cards like [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Flashfire” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”XY” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card], and so on are immediately put in at maximum counts because they’re standard in almost every deck. I know from past experience that this deck also plays Pokemon like [card name=”Manaphy-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”32″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Articuno” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”17″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Regice” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”24″ c=”name”][/card] so I set aside some spaces for those as well. No matter what deck you want to play there is a basic idea of how many of certain cards you should play. Evolution based decks are more likely to run a high count of Evolutions at a 4-4 or 3-3 line while techs and supporting attackers will have smaller counts.

Established archetypes make this part a lot easier because you should already have an idea of what cards you need to play. Building an idea from scratch will require a lot more time and effort be put into them because it’s less clear what needs to be included. For Water Box, [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Energy Switch” set=”Furious Fists” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card] are standard inclusions to the deck along with [card name=”Rough Seas” set=”Primal Clash” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] and a high count of [card name=”Water Energy” set=”Generations” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card]. From there you can fill in other cards that would be a good fit for the deck, and draft your first list. I don’t recommend sleeving up the deck right after your first draft since it’s basically a prototype for a better draft down the road. Instead, I always write down my initial list and review it from there.

Here was my first draft of Water Box that I made for Standard. It’s changed a lot since this list was made, and I plan to show you the evolution of the deck into what I have right now.

[decklist name=”WaterBox v1″ amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Regice” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”24″][pokemon amt=”11″]3x [card name=”Regice” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”24″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Glaceon-EX” set=”Fates Collide” no=”20″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Manaphy-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”32″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Articuno” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”17″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Hoopa-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”36″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”37″]4x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”XY” no=”122″ 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=”Ninja Boy” set=”Steam Siege” no=”103″ 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]4x [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Energy Switch” set=”Furious Fists” no=”89″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]3x [card name=”Rough Seas” set=”Primal Clash” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”12″]12x [card name=”Water Energy” set=”Generations” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”12″][/card][/energy][/decklist]

This is a very basic Water Box list. Since [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] is gone from Standard, I elected to fill in those slots with the other attackers like [card name=”Regice” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”24″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Articuno” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”17″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Glaceon-EX” set=”Fates Collide” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card]. Since there is a large presence of Mega Pokemon, which are both Pokemon-EX and evolved Pokemon, it only made sense for a beefed up count of [card name=”Glaceon-EX” set=”Fates Collide” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Regice” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”24″ c=”name”][/card]. Both of their main attacks prevent damage done to them by Megas, while [card name=”Regice” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”24″ c=”name”][/card] can also tank against regular Pokemon-EX and [card name=”Glaceon-EX” set=”Fates Collide” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] can take care of non-EX evolved Pokemon. The deck now goes for a soft lock against all kinds of Pokemon while also being able to somewhat tank hits thanks to [card name=”Rough Seas” set=”Primal Clash” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card].

Step 2: The Revision Stage

So we have our first draft of a deck. It’s overall solid and could be played as is without too many hiccups consistency wise. Before we go ahead and call it a day, it’s important to look at the deck’s strengths and weaknesses to address any flaws in the deck that need altered and see where it excels. The best way to do this is to play a couple of games against another deck to check its consistency, damage output and anything else that you may not be able to see just from looking at a list.

Acknowledging Strengths and Weaknesses

Let’s start by identifying the main strengths of the deck as it is right now.

It has several attacking options which can lock down several different types of Pokemon.
There is a high amount of consistency. With seven draw Supporters, two [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Hoopa-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”36″ c=”name”][/card], and four [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card], it’s highly probable that you’ll be able to keep your hand refreshed and set up properly.
12 Energy is the ideal amount to consistently hit [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card] and attach an Energy almost every turn. This will keep your attackers flowing constantly and prevent dead turns where you aren’t attacking.
The majority of your attackers are non-EX Pokemon, which can sway the Prize-trade into your favor if you can take the majority of your prizes off of Pokemon-EX.

Now let’s examine the weaknesses. Afterwards, we can reexamine the deck and apply changes accordingly.

[card name=”Regice” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”24″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Glaceon-EX” set=”Fates Collide” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] are only able to create “soft locks” that can be disrupted by a myriad of cards including [card name=”Pokémon Ranger” set=”Steam Siege” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Escape Rope” set=”Primal Clash” no=”127″ c=”name”][/card].
The damage output is rather lackluster. [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] was able to create a hard lock against your opponent while also having the ability to use Grenade Hammer as a form of damage output.
A lot of decks in Standard have options that can easily OHKO your Pokemon. This factors in mostly with the fact that your “locks” can be easily overcame, and without a high enough damage output, you’ll be struggling to trade Prizes effectively.
All of your attackers are Basic Pokemon, which makes the deck especially weak to [card name=”Jolteon-EX” set=”Generations” no=”28″ c=”name”][/card].

[cardimg name=”Imakuni?” set=”Generations” no=”63″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Most of the strengths of this deck right now are its consistency and versatility. As a general rule, I always try to make my first build as consistent as possible. Consistency is the most important part of any deck because it allows you to execute your deck’s strategy every game, which will give you a higher chance of winning. After consistency, you should check for how effective your deck’s strategy is. Does it do what you wanted it to do? Does it do it effectively? Is it easy for your opponent to overcome? Is there a way to do it better?

As good as it is to have a consistent deck, there is a glaring problem the deck faces: its low damage output. With the build as it is right now, the most damage you can do is 130 and that’s only if you flip three heads with [card name=”Articuno” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”17″ c=”name”][/card]’s Tri Edge. Realistically, your max damage output is going to be 80 damage from either [card name=”Regice” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”24″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Glaceon-EX” set=”Fates Collide” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card]. While the lock effect does help give some longevity to those Pokemon, if your opponent has an out to get around that effect, you won’t even be able to 2HKO their attacker unless it’s a non-EX. Even then, always having to two-shot your opponent’s Pokemon isn’t great, especially if they are able to OHKO you every turn.

Although there are a lot of problems with this deck, that doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s time to give up and move on to the next deck. It just means that it’s time to take a step back and reevaluate the deck and try to patch up the deck if at all possible.

Assessing the List and the Second Draft

So, what can we do to solve the main issues with the current build? In this case it’s damage output, so the first step is to find a better attacker that we can utilize. Depending on what problems you’re having, this step will be a little bit different. For example, if you have problems with consistency, check out more Supporter options or Items that give consistency.

After spending some time looking through card scans, I’ve come up with a list of potential attackers that could be included to help increase our damage ceiling or give us an edge against certain decks.

Aurorus-EX

[card name=”Aurorus-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY102″ c=”name”][/card] has a beefy 180 HP, and an attack that hits for a whopping 160 damage with Crystal Breath, more HP and damage than any attacker currently in the deck. Out of all the attackers I looked through, [card name=”Aurorus-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY102″ c=”name”][/card] definitely had the best consistent damage output at 160 damage. While by itself Crystal Breath can’t OHKO many Pokemon-EX, it can OHKO things like [card name=”Magearna-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Jolteon-EX” set=”Generations” no=”28″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card], and any 170 HP Pokemon-EX like [card name=”Hoopa-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”36″ c=”name”][/card] as long as it has a [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] attached. The major drawback of this attack is that it can’t be used in successive turns and it has a hefty four Energy attack cost making it a huge investment to attack with.

[cardimg name=”White Kyurem” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY128″ align=”right” c=”custom”]Blast from the past.[/cardimg]

White Kyurem

[card name=”White Kyurem” set=”Fates Collide” no=”21″ c=”name”][/card] is similar to the [card name=”Kyurem” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”31″ c=”name”][/card] from Plasma Freeze which was played heavily in Plasma decks a few years back. It has slightly more HP than [card name=”Regice” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”24″ c=”name”][/card] at 130 HP and is mostly interesting because of its second attack, Blizzard Burn. Blizzard Burn does 130 damage and [card name=”White Kyurem” set=”Fates Collide” no=”21″ c=”name”][/card] can’t attack during your next turn, which can be a problem like [card name=”Aurorus-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY102″ c=”name”][/card], but the attack cost is cheaper. A cheaper attack cost makes it more likely that you can chain attacks between [card name=”White Kyurem” set=”Fates Collide” no=”21″ c=”name”][/card]. 130 damage is also the perfect amount to OHKO non-EX Pokemon like [card name=”Yveltal” set=”XY” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Xerneas” set=”XY” no=”96″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] as well as low HP Pokemon-EX like [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card]. [card name=”White Kyurem” set=”Fates Collide” no=”21″ c=”name”][/card] also has the added benefit of only giving up one Prize when it’s Knocked Out, making it a solid inclusion to the deck.

Suicune

[card name=”Suicune” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”30″ c=”name”][/card] is an interesting card because it has an Ability similar to [card name=”Magearna-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card]’s and has an attack that deals out a respectable amount of damage. 110 damage is just enough to OHKO a [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card], and 2HKO most Mega Pokemon and Pokemon-EX. It’s also worth noting that [card name=”Suicune” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”30″ c=”name”][/card] has an off Weakness to the rest of the attackers that have been mentioned. [card name=”Regice” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”24″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”White Kyurem” set=”Fates Collide” no=”21″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Articuno” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”16″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Glaceon-EX” set=”Fates Collide” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Aurorus-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY102″ c=”name”][/card] all are weak to Metal while [card name=”Suicune” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”30″ c=”name”][/card] is weak to Grass. With [card name=”M Scizor-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] becoming somewhat popular, [card name=”Suicune” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”30″ c=”name”][/card] may be a good inclusion to try and combat Metal-type Pokemon like [card name=”Scizor-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Cobalion” set=”Steam Siege” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card].

Lugia-EX

[card name=”Lugia-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”68″ c=”name”][/card] is a big Pokemon-EX attacker that can put out a lot of damage very quickly. Its Aero Ball attack functions exactly the same as [card name=”Mewtwo-EX” set=”Next Destinies” no=”54″ c=”name”][/card]’s X Ball, which can be powered up easily through [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Energy Switch” set=”Generations” no=”61″ c=”name”][/card]. The main use for [card name=”Lugia-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”68″ c=”name”][/card] is as a quick burst attacker that can deal a lot of damage very quickly. Its low Energy cost combined with a high potential damage output makes it very attractive for a deck like this, which runs a lot of high cost attackers. It’s also not weak to Metal like many other attackers, but its Weakness to Lightning Pokemon makes it easy prey for Pokemon like [card name=”Zebstrika” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”49″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Raichu” set=”XY” no=”43″ c=”name”][/card]. The last benefit of [card name=”Lugia-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”68″ c=”name”][/card] is its option to use its second attack. While 150 damage for four Energy isn’t great, it has the ability to discard your opponent’s Stadiums as well. This could be useful against decks like [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] to get their [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card] out of play or against a [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card] to counter their [card name=”Shrine of Memories” set=”Primal Clash” no=”139″ c=”name”][/card]. However, both of those decks are able to OHKO you back almost immediately and with little effort, so the attack should only be used out of necessity.

Lugia

The baby [card name=”Lugia” set=”Fates Collide” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card] is a card I really like. It’s almost exactly like [card name=”Bouffalant” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”110″ c=”name”][/card] from Dragons Exalted, which was one of my favorite cards a few years back. I think [card name=”Lugia” set=”Fates Collide” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card] could have a useful purpose here as well as it is able to OHKO [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] with ease and can put a real dent into any Pokemon-EX that gets in the way. Since Standard is very Pokemon-EX heavy right now, it won’t be hard to find a target for [card name=”Lugia” set=”Fates Collide” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card] to swing at either. It’s underwhelming against non-EX Pokemon, but with tools like [card name=”Ninja Boy” set=”Steam Siege” no=”103″ c=”name”][/card] at our disposal, we can use it to surprise opponents with [card name=”Lugia” set=”Fates Collide” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card] and take some easy KOs.

Vaporeon-EX

The last Pokemon I thought to include was [card name=”Vaporeon-EX” set=”Generations” no=”24″ c=”name”][/card]. While it doesn’t have a particularly high damage output and its second attack isn’t great, it does have a few things going for it. The first thing is its Weakness to Grass, which gives you more options against different decks. The second thing is that it has the ability to OHKO 130 HP Pokemon that are seeing a lot of play right now despite the pretty bad stipulation on its second attack. Lastly, it can heal itself. [card name=”Vaporeon-EX” set=”Generations” no=”24″ c=”name”][/card]’s first attack lets it heal damage of off itself while also doing damage. Although it wouldn’t be used all the time, there are niche circumstances where this could be useful if you’re preparing to [card name=”Ninja Boy” set=”Steam Siege” no=”103″ c=”name”][/card] or can take a Knock Out with the attack. This is probably the weakest attacker on the list, but I think it could serve a niche role in the deck if used properly.

There are a lot of options that could fill in the gaps this deck currently has. While it would be nice to include most of these cards, it’s not feasible to create enough space in the deck to include everything while also maintaining a consistent deck. It’s also not always entirely clear what option is the best fit for your list, and it may take some time of playing the deck and trying new options before you are able to settle on something. When you know what options you have available to you, it may take some time before you’re able to nail down what works and what doesn’t.

I took some time to try out a few options for Water Box, and after many games, I’ve come up with a list that works well and offers a lot of versatility.

[decklist name=”WaterBox v2″ amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”White Kyurem” set=”Fates Collide” no=”21″][pokemon amt=”12″]2x [card name=”White Kyurem” set=”Fates Collide” no=”21″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Regice” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”24″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Manaphy-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”32″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Articuno” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”17″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Aurorus-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Glaceon-EX” set=”Fates Collide” no=”20″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Hoopa-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”36″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”36″]4x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”XY” no=”122″ 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]2x [card name=”Ninja Boy” set=”Steam Siege” no=”103″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”2″][/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=”Energy Switch” set=”Generations” no=”61″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]3x [card name=”Rough Seas” set=”Primal Clash” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”12″]12x [card name=”Water Energy” set=”XY” no=”134″ c=”deck2″ amt=”12″][/card][/energy][/decklist]

This second draft already feels a bit more powerful than the last. It has a lot more options and runs just as smoothly as before. Before I move on to the last stage of deck building I always go through, I’m going to give a rundown on what cuts I made and why I made the changes I did.

[cardimg name=”Ninja Boy” set=”Steam Siege” no=”103″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

-1 Glaceon -1 Regice

As I stated above, the soft locks that [card name=”Regice” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”24″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Glaceon-EX” set=”Fates Collide” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] make aren’t strong enough on their own to carry the deck. I do however think that they are useful tools that should be utilized whenever you can. I chose to go with [card name=”Regice” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”24″ c=”name”][/card] more over [card name=”Glaceon-EX” set=”Fates Collide” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] because it has the option to Paralyze your opponent and is more versatile against Pokemon-EX decks as it’s able to block both normal Pokemon-EX and Megas. Depending on what kind of meta you’re expecting, it may be best to swap a [card name=”Regice” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”24″ c=”name”][/card] with another [card name=”Glaceon-EX” set=”Fates Collide” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] as it can prevent Pokemon like [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] from hitting into you.

-1 Trainers’ Mail -1 Fighting Fury Belt

The fourth [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] was not too difficult for me to justify cutting. Three [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] will add a bit of consistency to the deck, while also not clogging up space for other more useful cards. The [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] was a difficult cut, but its main use is to keep low HP Pokemon, particularly [card name=”Manaphy-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”32″ c=”name”][/card], alive for longer since they are easy prey for many decks. It also helps [card name=”Articuno” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”17″ c=”name”][/card] hit 110 damage with Tri Edge, so I couldn’t justify cutting more than just the one. For the most part the extra 10 damage doesn’t make a huge difference, but there are situations where it is useful. This is a card I could see being added back into the deck.

+2 White Kyurem +1 Aurorus-EX

These additions to the deck are pretty simple. I added three new attackers in the form of [card name=”White Kyurem” set=”Fates Collide” no=”21″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Aurorus-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY102″ c=”name”][/card] to help increase my damage output. I ultimately wanted to make sure I had an attacker I could identify as a “main attacker,” which needed to have a good damage output and good HP. I ended up going with [card name=”White Kyurem” set=”Fates Collide” no=”21″ c=”name”][/card] because of its Blizzard Burn attack. Being able to consistently hit 130 damage makes [card name=”White Kyurem” set=”Fates Collide” no=”21″ c=”name”][/card] the star of the deck, and when it can’t attack the following turn, it’s supported by a multitude of other Pokemon to finish the job.

+1 Ninja Boy

The other more subtle change to the list is the second copy of [card name=”Ninja Boy” set=”Steam Siege” no=”103″ c=”name”][/card]. It greatly increases the versatility of the deck and really emphasizes the “toolbox” aspect of the deck. [card name=”Ninja Boy” set=”Steam Siege” no=”103″ c=”name”][/card] helps clear off [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], which become liabilities the longer the game proceeds. It also helps get attackers onto the field without having to use an [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Flashfire” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] and manually attaching to the new Pokemon. [card name=”Ninja Boy” set=”Steam Siege” no=”103″ c=”name”][/card] turns any Pokemon into the attacker that best fits the situation making it an easy choice to add another copy of to the deck.

Step 3: The Tweaking Stage

We’ve come to the end of my deck building process, but there’s still a bit of extra work that can be done to really refine your deck for a specific meta. The tiny little tweaks you can make here and there to ensure that you have the best chance possible of pulling out a win. I’m talking about techs that you can add to help strengthen your matchups and pull matches into your favor. There are a lot of ways you can tech cards into a deck and several different types of techs you can use. If you’re not sure what makes a tech good or want to know more about how techs can impact a game, check out one of my other articles all about techs right here on PokeBeach!

Techs are one the hardest parts of deck building. It’s hard to know where to shift things, what to cut for a tech, or how it will affect your other matchups. Techs are generally used to counter a matchup or another card that swings the match in your opponent’s favor. In order to know which techs would be useful, you have to know your matchups.

Considering Matchups

This can be done through testing as well as just knowing the strengths and weaknesses of each deck and how they stack up against each other. No matter how you go about it, you should always have an understanding of how you should play against certain decks and the odds of winning different matchups before you start playing. Know what your opponent’s strategy is and picture yourself playing their deck. How would you play the deck? How would you respond to your actions? What are you hoping to accomplish this turn? This will help you make choices that can disrupt your opponent such as choosing to not take an easy Prize because you know they’re going to [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card], so you choose to [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card] something else and start putting damage on it.

[cardimg name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″ align=”right” c=”custom”]The deck to beat.[/cardimg]

When you know how to play your matchups and what your odds are of coming out on top are, you can be begin to work on fixing your bad ones. Feel free to make a list of matchups and what the perceived odds are to win. If you see that you have a bad matchup against a rogue or unpopular deck, I would suggest not focusing too much on fixing it. The odds that you run into at all are low, so there’s no reason to sacrifice consistency or your other matchups, for one that you may never play against. You can’t beat everything, so feel free to take an autoloss every once in a while. If you see a deck on that list that you think is going to be popular and you have a bad matchup against, then that might be your best starting point.

Start by identifying where your deck struggles against it, and from there figure out where you can solve the issue.

For example, Water Box can struggle against [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card] since it can easily OHKO most of your Pokemon. Also, since your Pokemon can’t OHKO it back, you’re forced to hit into it multiple times. As a result, it can easily Damage Swap the chip damage away and continue to run through your Pokemon. One way you can deal with [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card] is [card name=”Mew” set=”Fates Collide” no=”29″ c=”name”][/card]. [card name=”Mew” set=”Fates Collide” no=”29″ c=”name”][/card] lets you copy the attacks of your Basic Pokemon, which can then hit [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card] for Weakness. The main problem with this strategy is [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card]. Without any form of Tool removal in Standard, Garbodor can only be taken care of by KOing it. So, you would have to take a turn to KO the [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] before [card name=”Mew” set=”Fates Collide” no=”29″ c=”name”][/card] can really shine. However, if you can KO the [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] with [card name=”Articuno” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”17″ c=”name”][/card], then you keep the Prize-trade in your favor.

Techs Versus Consistency

The final point I want to make is to not let yourself become too caught up in putting in techs for all your bad matchups. If you start to over saturate your deck with techs, you’re going to lose consistency and ultimately struggle to keep up often. There’s a fine line between a deck with a lot of consistency but no extra options and a deck with a lot of options and no consistency. The key is to find that balance between the two, which comes with spending a lot of time working on and refining a deck. Don’t be afraid to try new options, because there are a lot of different ways to pilot a list.

Final Thoughts

Deck building takes time and practice, but hopefully this guide was able to show you how intricate the process can be. There are a lot of different ways to build a deck, but in order to build a deck well there has to be a sense of balance. Sometimes the best option is to go with a consistent list like the one I used at Worlds and hope that you don’t hit bad matchups. Sometimes it’s better to play around with your list and add in some different features to improve it overall. With the copious amount of lists available, it’s a lot easier to just get a deck online and play it as is. However, it’s far more engaging to come up with your own list than it is to take one that is given to you. Not every list you find is perfect so feel free to take ideas and concepts, and criticize them. Change parts that you don’t like and try it out. Deck building is one of the parts of the Pokemon TCG that separates good players from great players.

That’s all I got for today everyone. I hope you enjoyed the article. If you liked this type of article, let me know. If you’d rather see more deck centered content, let me know as well. I’m open to any and all ideas you guys have.

Until next time,

Matt Price

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