Count to Four — Explaining Card Counts and Four Expanded Decks for Arizona

Hello everyone, Chris Collins returning with another article! I hope all of you are as pumped as I am to start a new season. A new season means a clean slate and another race to the top. Going into Nationals and Worlds, the format felt stale. It revolved around Night March and ways to beat it, and I didn’t have much insight on these secret decks that were knocking on our front door. Now, with the rotation, and some long awaited Expanded tournaments around the corner, expect me back in full motion. I’m hungry to win something big this season and hopefully that hunger will also reflect in my articles throughout the year.

[cardimg name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

For this article, I wanted to take it back to the basics and refresh some views on the format and how it should be played. Now, I know that most of you are in the preparation stages of big competitions to come, and while some of you are preparing for Orlando Regionals next month (with the brand new addition of Karen), I also know that some of you will be attending Phoenix Regionals – or are even attending both competitions. With our last big tournament without Karen coming rapidly towards us, I expect decks such as Night March and [card name=”Flareon” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] to go out with a big bang before they will be removed from the metagame. I also expect [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”144″ c=”name”][/card] variants to be by far the most popular archetype. Most of Arizona Regionals has been occupied by SoCal in years past, and if you know anything about SoCal or California in general, you’ll know that they love their Yveltal – but enough on that. I want to talk about something I think us players need a little bit of a refresher on, and that is the optimal counts for each card in our deck.

Counting Cards with Night March

Sometimes when I’m looking at a list and see something such as one [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card] or one [card name=”Float Stone” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] without any good way to put it in your hand, it makes me cringe a little bit. This made me want to talk about how I feel card counts should be determined. Now while most of these opinions may seem quite obvious, some may surprise you. I will be using a fan favorite, Night March, as a template and explain exactly why I have a certain count of a card. This deck is undeniably the most consistent deck in the format, and it’s easy to see why. With powerful search options and leaving room to play an off Supporter (such as [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card], etc.) while still playing an adequate turn makes the deck a utility monster as well as highly aggressive and fast. While the deck was more critically acclaimed in last year’s Standard format, make no mistake: it’s almost as impactful in Expanded, and that’s the version I will be covering here. Rather than simply showing a deck list and explaining my inclusions, I’ll be going into detail on the counts of each card, and why they fit.

[decklist name=”Night March” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Joltik” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”26″][pokemon amt=”17″]4x [card name=”Joltik” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”26″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Pumpkaboo” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”44″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Lampent” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”42″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”106″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Mew” set=”Fates Collide” no=”29″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Mr. Mime” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”97″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”39″]3x [card name=”Professor Juniper” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”116″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”101″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”104″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Teammates” set=”Primal Clash” no=”160″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Ghetsis” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”110″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”122″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”100″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Puzzle of Time” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”109″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]1x [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Escape Rope” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”120″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Startling Megaphone” set=”Flashfire” no=”97″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Captivating Poké Puff” set=”Steam Siege” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Special Charge” set=”Steam Siege” no=”105″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Town Map” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”136″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Life Dew” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”107″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]3x [card name=”Dimension Valley” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”93″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”4″]4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”HeartGold and SoulSilver” no=”103″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

Four Copies of a Card: The Essentials

[cardimg name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ align=”right” c=”custom”]”Darn! If only I played four VS Seeker.”[/cardimg]

When you are playing four copies of a card, at least one of three statements needs to be true.

You Want this Card in Virtually Any Opening Hand and it’s a Crucial Card for Your Setup

Cards such as [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”100″ c=”name”][/card] are the main cards that fit into this category, as all of these are more than welcome in an opening hand and will even see play throughout almost every stage of the game. Other cards that can be included in this category are [card name=”Korrina” set=”Furious Fists” no=”111″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Professor Juniper” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”116″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card].

This Card’s Impact is so Game-Changing that You Can Easily See Yourself Playing All Four Copies of this Card in a Game

The two main cards that fit under this category are [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”110″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Puzzle of Time” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] as they play a role of recovering crucial cards and have cover a broad enough range of cards to merit the full four. Having these cards in your hand in almost any situation could be the difference between a win and a loss; knowing how often these situations may occur merits the full count in and of itself. Some other cards that can be included in this list are [card name=”Dark Patch” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Hypnotoxic Laser” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Crushing Hammer” set=”Emerging Powers” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card].

The Card is so Essential to your Strategy that Nothing but Four Copies will Suffice

Of course, the main targets of this statement are your Night March Pokemon, but it also applies to [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Fates Collide” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card]. Running any less than four copies of this card will easily question your sanity. To ensure the maximum output for the deck, may it be in damage or in consistency or functionality, four is a recommended number for these cards to say the least. Other cards that may fit under this category are main attackers (not all of them), a crucial Stadium such as [card name=”Dimension Valley” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card], and other Special Energy such as [card name=”Rainbow Energy” set=”HeartGold and SoulSilver” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card]. While there are some main attackers that you do not want four copies of, such as [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Landorus-EX” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”144″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”144″ c=”name”][/card], keep in mind they all have two things in common. They all have alternate attackers behind them and they are all Pokemon-EX. If three Pokemon-EX get KOd, you lose the game. If you are also running some sort of recovery tool such as [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ c=”name”][/card], there is no reason you should run more than three Pokemon-EX attackers unless it applies to one of the other categories above.

Three Copies of a Card: Still Important

These cards typically fall under one of two categories.

They are Cards that Ideally You Would Play Four of, but can be Cut if Space is Needed

The card that resembles this in my Night March list is [card name=”Professor Juniper” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”116″ c=”name”][/card]. While I view this as a powerful card that I can see myself playing all four copies of and would like to see in an opening hand, playing four of them isn’t necessary and one copy can be cut to fit in a tech. Missing one of these cards usually won’t make a huge impact on the game. Other cards that may fit into this category include [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”100″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Energy Switch” set=”HeartGold and SoulSilver” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card].

They are Cards that Should be Seen Often, but not in Every Hand

[card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card], in this deck in particular, fits under this category perfectly. While Shaymin-EX will help you dig for certain cards in dire situations, it isn’t necessarily needed – or even wanted – in every turn / hand of the game. Running four of this card also increases the risk of starting with it, so that right there is a situation where you wouldn’t want Shaymin-EX in every hand. The other card that fits under this category, [card name=”Dimension Valley” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card], is also a card that I see as necessary, but not as something I need in every hand as it could take the place of a card I need. Other cards that may fit under this category include [card name=”Float Stone” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card], or a crucial Pokemon that plays a secondary role such as [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card].

[premium]

Two Copies of a Card: Tech Territory

You should only play two copies of a card in your deck in the following circumstances.

It is a Tech Card that Needs to see Multiple Plays in Game to Make a Real Impact

[cardimg name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Cards such as [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card] and Stadium cards like [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Silent Lab” set=”Primal Clash” no=”140″ c=”name”][/card] come to mind when I say this. Disruptive cards like these have virtually no impact when played as a one-of that typically can’t be recycled, as a response to this is easy to form and doesn’t put pressure on your opponent. Cards that may also fall under this category include [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”36″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card].

It is a Card that is Essential for You to see During a Game, but Usually Only Once

Playing two copies of this card increases your chances of seeing it and, more importantly, to avoid prizing it. A deck that is abundant with these sorts of cards is [card name=”Archie’s Ace in the Hole” set=”Primal Clash” no=”157″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Blastoise” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] as they play two Blastoise, two Archie’s Ace in the Hole, and even two [card name=”Jirachi-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”98″ c=”name”][/card] to ensure a key component won’t be prized when it is needed to get the Archie’s off. One card most people can agree on that sees the same use is [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card]. You don’t want to draw into a hand with only [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card] to bail you out, and see that your lone copy of Shaymin-EX is prized and lose the game because of it.

It is a Card You Love to See Late Game, but not Early Game

The biggest and most popular example I can think of that fits this criterion is [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card]. This is a game-winning card and is a card you almost always want to see at some point in the game, but usually not early on. To counteract our chances of running into Lysandre in an opening had, we would play two to ensure that we see at least one copy a game and that we can put it back to our hand when we need it with [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”110″ c=”name”][/card]. Other cards included in this category include [card name=”Mega Turbo” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”135″ c=”name”][/card].

It is a Card that Plays a Supporting Role, but is not Essential to Your Strategy

[card name=”Jolteon-EX” set=”Generations” no=”28″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] are both cards that are commonly played as a two-of due to them playing the supporting cast role well. A deck I believe to be guilty of having multiple of these types of cards is Dark. Playing cards like [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”144″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Yveltal” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card] at these minuscule counts shows that there is no clear “main attacker” in this style of deck as it plays its strategy much like a toolbox deck.

One Copy of a Card: One Use, One Game

As you can see, my deck is filled with one-of cards, and I’ll be explaining how I can get away with this. Normally, you can expect to see one-of cards once a game, so it’s important that they fall into one of these two categories.

This is a Card that Only Needs to see Play Once in a Game to See its Whole Value and isn’t Necessary to See

The perfect example for this category is [card name=”Town Map” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”136″ c=”name”][/card] as it actually only needs to be played once as you cannot play another Town Map as it will have no effect. Other cards that see a similar effect include [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Special Charge” set=”Steam Siege” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card], and most other recovery cards as I can only realistically see myself ever playing or needing it once a game, but I can still win games without them.

This Card is Searchable

All of my one-ofs outside of Town Map and Special Charge fall under this category. These are tech cards I play to give myself some sort of edge, whether it be proactively or reactively. At first glance, there doesn’t seem to be a way I can search out these cards (outside of [card name=”Mr. Mime” set=”Generations” no=”52″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Mew” set=”Fates Collide” no=”29″ c=”name”][/card] with [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card]), but with the power of [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] to discard said card and [card name=”Puzzle of Time” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”110″ c=”name”][/card] to retrieve said card from my discard pile and put it into my hand, nearly every card in the deck is searchable. [card name=”Teammates” set=”Primal Clash” no=”160″ c=”name”][/card] is also a good back-up option to get any card I want from the deck. This lets me run some obscure tech cards as one-ofs to relative success with the outs of search I have access to in this deck.

Ace Specs like [card name=”Life Dew” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card] are the exception. Only one copy is played because you are only allowed one Ace Spec per deck.

Seismitoad-EX / Giratina-EX: Feeling Lucky?

Being outside of any Top 8 in the Spring of last year, [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] seems to be on the decline. With decks like [card name=”Yveltal” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Trevenant BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card] having pretty good matchups against it in the recent past, it makes perfect sense why Toad and Snake can’t quite take it all the way. But [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY148″ c=”name”][/card], from the Generations Elite Trainer Box, of all things, may help improve the matchup. Its Ability, Aroma of Gratitute, heals 20 damage from each of your Benched Basic Pokemon once a turn. In combination with [card name=”Keldeo-EX” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”142″ c=”name”][/card] to heal your “Active” and the emphasis of Bench damage in this format, the damage this little guy heals adds up fast. Healing at least 40 damage in total from [card name=”Yveltal” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card]’s Pitch Black Spear and neutering [card name=”Trevenant BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card]’s Silent Fear to 30 to one Pokemon and 10 to the rest is nothing to scoff at. The beautiful part of this is that it doesn’t stop there. With this deck’s disruptive power, full attacks can be wiped away from this card alone. Along with other decks such as Night March, [card name=”Flareon” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”5″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card] still holding their places in the meta, this deck could go all the way if it can hit what it needs to. Here’s what a list with the new inclusion looks like.

[decklist name=”Seismitoad/Giratina ” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”106″][pokemon amt=”11″]3x [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”106″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”93″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”106″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Hoopa-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”89″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Keldeo-EX” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”142″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Jirachi-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”98″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY148″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”42″]3x [card name=”Professor Juniper” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”116″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”101″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”104″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”135″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Ghetsis” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”AZ” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”117″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”119″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Team Flare Grunt” set=”XY” no=”129″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”110″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”90″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Hypnotoxic Laser” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”123″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Super Scoop Up” set=”Diamond and Pearl” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Crushing Hammer” set=”Emerging Powers” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”94″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Computer Search” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Virbank City Gym” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”126″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Silent Lab” set=”Primal Clash” no=”140″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”7″]4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”HeartGold and SoulSilver” no=”103″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Double Dragon Energy” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”97″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

When I tossed this list around to a few friends, the first thing they point out is my lack of four [card name=”Professor Juniper” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”116″ c=”name”][/card] as it is considered a staple in decks that don’t play [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card], but I didn’t like the idea of having only two [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”101″ c=”name”][/card] and having four Professor Juniper. Something important to note with this deck is that having access to almost all of your resources during a game is critical as most can be played effectively in any matchup. Having something such as a painful Professor Juniper could hurt you down the line as every card has value in this deck. Something else you have to realize is how powerful N is in a [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card] deck (or any lock deck). Potentially drawing your opponent into a hand full of Items is a game-winning play, so increasing your outs to do such thing only seems logical. I shared this same logic heading into Worlds this year, where I played four N in my Water Box deck, but at the sacrifice of only playing three [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”110″ c=”name”][/card] – which was a mistake. Nevertheless, N was a card that did help me get out of a lot of hairy situations and squeeze out a win, so the card’s power in the deck still shone.

One possible change to the deck is going down to two [card name=”Double Dragon Energy” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card] with the help of [card name=”Special Charge” set=”Steam Siege” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card]. The main reason the third Double Dragon Energy is needed in this deck is to always allow myself access to a Chaos Wheel when I may need it in the later stages of a game. Special Charge essentially plays the same role, but it has its pros and cons. Special Charge recycles not only Double Dragon Energy, but also your [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”HeartGold and SoulSilver” no=”103″ c=”name”][/card], which is clearly a superior Energy in the deck as far as playability. Special Charge also lets you be much more reckless with your Energy, even going as far as to [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card] them away without hesitation as Special Charge makes them a resource that can be recovered. Also, with the release of [card name=”Pokémon Ranger” set=”Steam Siege” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card], the deck does not see near as much emphasis on [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card], so only running two Double Dragon Energy can be easily justified. The bad news is that Special Charge puts your Energy back into your deck, requiring you to further draw into them. With a Double Dragon Energy, you can attach this immediately and have the out to a Chaos Wheel a turn sooner. Another argument against Special Charge is that playing only two Double Dragon Energy makes you dig for them, which may present a real issue. On the other hand, I can look at a lot of hands and see Double Dragon Energy as a completely dead card. Right now, I still have the third Double Dragon Energy to be safe, but when playing this deck, keep that Special Charge in the back of your mind.
[cardimg name=”Delinquent” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”98″ align=”right” c=”custom”]The odd “woman” out.[/cardimg]

In this deck, [card name=”Delinquent” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”98″ c=”name”][/card] has locked up the spot of the 61st card and it pains me so that I can’t find anything to cut for it. This list as I see it right now is airtight as it contains every card you would want in this deck, but Delinquent, while a luxury card, can serve a more than a clutch role in this deck. With the ability to get rid of an opposing [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Silent Lab” set=”Primal Clash” no=”140″ c=”name”][/card] (or any unwelcome Stadium for that matter) and to catch your opponent off guard by wiping their hand, this card’s versatility as an off Supporter will win you games by itself. But as I stated before, I cannot see myself cutting any card from this list for it. This card may actually have some more value than other cards in this deck, but including this luxury card will come at the sacrifice of a critical card in this deck as all of them play a specific role and do so beautifully. Some possible cuts I can see from the list include [card name=”AZ” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”117″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Team Flare Grunt” set=”XY” no=”129″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Primal Clash” no=”162″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Double Dragon Energy” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card] or, so help me, [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY148″ c=”name”][/card]. As you can see, any cut I make to this list is painful and its absence will be felt in one way or another.

Beating Yveltal

With the uproar of Dark after it winning a whopping seven Regionals last season in North America, there isn’t much of question of what will be the most popular deck going into Arizona. Out of all the decks in the meta I wouldn’t want to take a loss to, it would certainly be Yveltal. To take Treynor Wolfe’s Madison winning deck for example, both [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Silent Lab” set=”Primal Clash” no=”140″ c=”name”][/card] can be detrimental cards to our strategy. The one out we can reliably use to beat the behemoth is to wear them out of their Energy and to “out-exchange” them. What I mean by this is that we are going to need to flip a few heads, but there are a few ways to remove some luck from our strategy, which is why I currently play two [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Primal Clash” no=”162″ c=”name”][/card] in the list. Them playing four [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”HeartGold and SoulSilver” no=”103″ c=”name”][/card] along with most other decks in the format makes Enhanced Hammer powerful and can slow down your opponent. Applying early pressure while ridding your opponent of their most crucial resources in one way or another is how this deck wins, and Yveltal is no different.

Flareon / Vespiquen: Surviving Against Yveltal

With an extremely high damage cap for not much investment, [card name=”Flareon” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] has been a powerhouse deck that has always done well, despite the odds. Having made Top 8 consistently throughout the season has put this deck into a position in where it is expected, but the funny part about this is that you don’t see people specifically countering the deck right now. The deck is relatively on the down-low compared to as per usual, but that’s only because [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”144″ c=”name”][/card], a matchup that may be conceived as unfavorable for Flareon / Vespiquen, is at an all time high. The main reason this may be a bad matchup is because of [card name=”Archeops” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”110″ c=”name”][/card]. To be honest, I don’t see how Yveltal can win this matchup consistently without Archeops, but with Archeops and having the tools to work with it at optimal levels with cards like [card name=”Silent Lab” set=”Primal Clash” no=”140″ c=”name”][/card], it’s easy to see how this can be a difficult matchup. With some luck on Yveltal’s side, they will almost surely win. To counteract what has been claimed to be the BDIF, we play a ton of answers to Archeops in this list. As we need to work around this card most of the game, running multiple answers to the card that shuts off any sort of offensive pressure is key. Here’s what my list currently looks like.

[decklist name=”Flareon/Vespiquen” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Flareon” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”12″][pokemon amt=”28″]4x [card name=”Flareon” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”12″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]1x [card name=”Jolteon” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”26″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Eevee” set=”Furious Fists” no=”80″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Combee” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”9″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Unown” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”30″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”106″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”36″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Jirachi-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”98″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Exeggcute” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”25″]3x [card name=”Professor Juniper” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”116″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”101″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Teammates” set=”Primal Clash” no=”160″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”104″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Blacksmith” set=”Flashfire” no=”88″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Ghetsis” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”110″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”122″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Life Dew” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”107″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”7″]4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”HeartGold and SoulSilver” no=”103″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Fire Energy” set=”EX Power Keepers” no=”104″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

One thing you can notice straight off the bat is that this list runs [card name=”Ghetsis” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card]. While this isn’t a common choice in this deck, it is an effective one, to say the least. Going first into anything that isn’t Item-lock, all this deck needs to set up are a few [card name=”Eevee” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Combee” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”9″ c=”name”][/card]; the rest of the setup can be done next turn. This makes something such as a turn one Ghetsis a fine play. Using this will slow down the game to a pace that is optimal for you, but more importantly, this card is key to countering [card name=”Archeops” set=”Noble Victories” no=”67″ c=”name”][/card] as you pretty much shut down the opportunity for your opponent to get a turn one Archeops, buying yourself, at minimum, a turn of evolving. This one turn can easily be enough to win you the game as you can out-exchange the main deck that uses this card, [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”144″ c=”name”][/card]. Along with [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”36″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card], evolution should not be too much of a problem, but out of all the answers to Archeops listed – all of which we play – I find [card name=”Ghetsis” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] to be by far the most effective in a scenario where you get to go first.

[cardimg name=”Ghetsis” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”101″ align=”right” c=”custom”]The real king of the format.[/cardimg]

Historically, [card name=”Flareon” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] has been known to run 3-1 [card name=”Fire Energy” set=”EX Power Keepers” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Blacksmith” set=”Flashfire” no=”88″ c=”name”][/card] to compensate for the lack of [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”HeartGold and SoulSilver” no=”103″ c=”name”][/card], but I have a new option to introduce to you, dear reader. [card name=”Special Charge” set=”Steam Siege” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card] has been a star player in this article through and through as it has been either included or debated in every deck I have talked about, and this deck is no exception. This allows you to have more than four Double Colorless Energy to work with without having to get creative with how to provide elsewhere. In this deck, I think two would be a appropriate count as it’s “a card that is essential for you to see during a game, but usually only once.” Since you are exchanging four cards for two cards, the main pro of this change would be the added space. If I were to make the change to Special Charge, [card name=”Pokémon Ranger” set=”Steam Siege” no=”113″ c=”name”][/card] would be a card that that is near necessary as you will need an answer to [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card]. With Blacksmith, Giratina-EX was not a huge deal for this deck, but it is when you remove it. This leaves us with only one free spot to work with, so the things you can add into the deck are going to be things like [card name=”Gallade” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”84″ c=”name”][/card] with [card name=”Maxie’s Hidden Ball Trick” set=”Primal Clash” no=”158″ c=”name”][/card] (this will require you to cut one additional card), [card name=”Mr. Mime” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”47″ c=”name”][/card], or another Stadium such as [card name=”Tropical Beach” set=”Black and White Black Star Promos” no=”BW50″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card]. Don’t forget to change your [card name=”Eevee” set=”Furious Fists” no=”80″ c=”name”][/card], as the Energy Evolution one is pretty useless with no Fire Energy. Personally, I like the Blacksmith option more because of its versatility due to [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”110″ c=”name”][/card] and its synergy with Energy Evolution Eevee and its ability to get past Archeops. Nevertheless, it’s an option to keep in the back of your head.

In a few successful variants of this deck, they were able to fit in a 1-1 [card name=”Gallade” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”84″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Maxie’s Hidden Ball Trick” set=”Primal Clash” no=”158″ c=”name”][/card]. Having most of the components that fit a [card name=”Maxie’s Hidden Ball Trick” set=”Primal Clash” no=”133″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Archie’s Ace in the Hole” set=”Primal Clash” no=”124″ c=”name”][/card] deck, Gallade adds a fine layer of depth to your offensive pressure. The main reason I would see to play this card is to counter Turbo [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”118″ c=”name”][/card] as Gallade does massive work in that matchup. Gallade can see play in every matchup though as Premonition is never an Ability you don’t want on your board. The question is, though, do you need it? Gallade is definitely more of a luxury card than a necessity. When I take a look at the list I have above, I don’t see myself adding it in only due to space. The only way I can see myself playing Gallade is to make that change I was talking about above, which is to cut my [card name=”Fire Energy” set=”EX Power Keepers” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Blacksmith” set=”Flashfire” no=”88″ c=”name”][/card] in exchange for two [card name=”Special Charge” set=”Steam Siege” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card], but even then, you still need to make room for a slot as [card name=”Pokémon Ranger” set=”Steam Siege” no=”113″ c=”name”][/card] would be needed to deal with [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card]. A cut you could make is [card name=”Exeggcute” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card] as the card is also a luxury and I find Gallade to have a little bit more value than an Exeggcute. As stated before though, I find the Blacksmith combo to be superior to Special Charge, so space is still hard to find in this deck.

Donphan: The Re”turn” of a Personal Favorite

If you know anything about me, I love me some [card name=”Donphan” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”72″ c=”name”][/card]! Actually, to be honest, I’m not a huge fan of the Pokemon itself, but the deck’s playstyle is like comfort food to me. Having a ton of results with one deck does that to you sometimes. The main reason Donphan has been a receding force in the meta is because of the rise of [card name=”Trevenant BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card], as that matchup is not the greatest. Holding the title of the #2 deck for quite some time and Donphan already losing [card name=”Archeops” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”110″ c=”name”][/card] on paper doesn’t help with the deck’s popularity either, but even all this aside, the deck still has hope. As [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”144″ c=”name”][/card] rises in popularity, [card name=”Trevenant BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card] falls and decks like Night March and even [card name=”M Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”120″ c=”name”][/card] rise. With this in mind, if we can have a favorable matchup versus Yveltal, we have quite the meta call on our hands. With [card name=”Focus Sash” set=”Furious Fists” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Robo Substitute” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card] making the Night March matchup extremely favorable and us looking at a rather EX-based format, I don’t see why the deck can’t go deep in the tournament. Here’s my current list.

[decklist name=”Donphan” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Donphan” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”72″][pokemon amt=”14″]4x [card name=”Donphan” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”72″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Phanpy” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”71″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Hawlucha” set=”Furious Fists” no=”63″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”36″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Zekrom” set=”Black and White” no=”114″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”36″]4x [card name=”Professor Juniper” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”116″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”101″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Korrina” set=”Furious Fists” no=”111″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”104″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”135″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”110″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Robo Substitute” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Focus Sash” set=”Furious Fists” no=”91″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”122″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Silver Bangle” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”88″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ 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=”Fighting Stadium” set=”Furious Fists” no=”90″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”10″]4x [card name=”Strong Energy” set=”Furious Fists” no=”104″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Fighting Energy” set=”EX Emerald” no=”106″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”HeartGold and SoulSilver” no=”103″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

[cardimg name=”Zekrom” set=”Black and White” no=”114″ align=”right” c=”custom”]”I would build a great, great wall on our southern border and make Yveltal pay for it!”[/cardimg]

When I was thinking about this deck going into Phoenix, all I could think about was Yveltal and its Archeops. At first I tried [card name=”Evosoda” set=”Generations” no=”62″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Jolteon” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card] and that kind of worked, but then I thought: What if we go back to the walls? For the most part, the straight version with no walls except for [card name=”Robo Substitute” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card] was far superior due to consistency and mobility, but now that Donphan has to improve its matchups to stay alive, walls seem like a better option. In this list, I only decided to play two different ones due to cards like [card name=”Reshiram” set=”Black and White” no=”113″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Kyurem” set=”Noble Victories” no=”34″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Sigilyph” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”118″ c=”name”][/card] not making too huge of a difference, but the two walls we do run are important. The inclusion of [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”36″ c=”name”][/card] is to counter Archeops, but [card name=”Zekrom” set=”Black and White” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card] is the one I want to go more in depth with its uses. A common answer to this deck is using either non-EX Yveltal and combining it with Archeops so that way the only offensive pressure this deck can offer is a [card name=”Phanpy” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”71″ c=”name”][/card], which isn’t near enough to win a game. Zekrom offers us a brilliant answer to this strategy and is an amazing wall to put up against Yveltal in general. With Yveltal’s sheer popularity alone, this card has its merits. Something I’ve considered also is cutting to one Zekrom as it seems like it “only needs to see play once in a game to see its whole value and isn’t necessary to see.” This can offer you the space to add in a third Wobbuffet, a third [card name=”Hawlucha” set=”Furious Fists” no=”63″ c=”name”][/card], or the fourth Robo Substitute. Space is quite tight in this deck, so anything we can cut for more room is appreciated.

While this list above is a walls-based variant of the deck, this does not make the straight version with four Hawlucha, four Robo Substitute any less viable. When running the straight version of this deck, you cut the walls like Wobbuffet and Zekrom as well as the [card name=”Float Stone” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card]. The deck gains a ton of space when all of these are cut. In exchange though, we still must run answers to Archeops and [card name=”Yveltal” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card]. Instead, you can run [card name=”Evosoda” set=”XY” no=”116″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Jolteon” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card], but there may be even better answers than even that. The beautiful thing about Donphan is that there are so many things you can do to to counter certain decks effectively. To be honest, I can see something where you run Wobbuffet and Jolteon, similar to the one that had quite a bit of success this time last year. The main thing to take from this is that nothing is set in stone, but right now, I am leaning towards the walls-heavy version because both Wobbuffet and Zekrom have a lot of synergy together as they can both utilize Float Stone efficiently. The things Donphan can synergize with vary, and that can either make this a box deck or a more consistent deck.

Conclusion

As you can see, Expanded is a much more diverse format than meets the eye. Even though [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”144″ c=”name”][/card] currently reigns supreme, it doesn’t mean it can’t be beat. Some decks I would have liked to talked about that weren’t quite included in this article include [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”36″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Accelgor” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”11″ c=”name”][/card], Turbo [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”118″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card]. With this wide array of decks to choose from, I think that while Yveltal still has the highest chance to win the whole thing, but the room for something new to pop up is certainly there. With a grand total of 22 sets (not including mini-sets and Promos) to work with, there will always be room for something new to pop into the meta. I look forward to seeing quite a few of you guys at Arizona; guesses are that this one will have over 500 people there! I know it will be a blast and will certainly be exciting!

~Chris Collins, 22 / 500

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