Iron Crushing the Format: An In-Depth Mega Scizor Review
Hello, friends. I’m PMJ, back again with another monthly article! The 2017 season is underway and with fall Regionals fast approaching, one might be wondering what deck to play. There are plenty of viable decks out there, but there is one deck in particular that I feel stands out as a potential top threat for the early 2017 season, and that deck is [card name=”M Scizor-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”120″ c=”name”][/card]. In this three-part article, I’ll first go over what makes Mega Scizor so formidable, and show you a skeleton list that you can tweak to your liking. Next, I’ll recommend different techs you can use to fill in the empty spaces. Finally, I’ll be going over matchups for most decks you should expect to see in a tournament setting, as well as what techs you can use to help swing the fight in your favor. Let’s get right to it.
Part 1: Card Overview and Skeleton List
[cardimg name=”M Scizor-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”120″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
Let’s just start from the top and work our way down. Mega Scizor boasts a Metal typing, which is a decent typing right now. Many contenders for tier one are either weak to Metal ([card name=”Xerneas” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Xerneas BREAK” set=”Steam Siege” no=”82″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”112″ c=”name”][/card]) or are Psychic, which Mega Scizor resists ([card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”160″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”112″ c=”name”][/card]). Unfortunately, the typing comes with an awful weakness to Fire that [card name=”Volcanion” set=”Steam Siege” no=”25″ c=”name”][/card] and friends love to prey on, but there’s nothing we can do about that. The best part about Mega Scizor’s typing is that the only relevant Pokemon that resists Metal, [card name=”Jolteon-EX” set=”Generations” no=”28″ c=”name”][/card], is so frail that it is 2HKOed even through Resistance and [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card], which means that you can score KOs very consistently on anything you go up against.
Next, Mega Scizor has a decidedly average 220 HP, and I can’t believe I’m saying that. Times sure have changed, huh? Anyway, 220 life is right on the mark in terms of Mega Pokemon HP. There are a few outliers, but 210-220 is where most Megas sit. That extra 10 HP actually makes all the difference–it requires [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card] to have a full [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card]-enhanced Bench of 8 to OHKO, for example–so it’s better to sit on the upper end than the lower.
Iron Crusher is an excellent attack – no two ways about it. For just two Metal Energy, you can swing for 120 and the disruption method of your choice. Both [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Fates Collide” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Double Dragon Energy” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card] are sure to be popular, and no deck likes having them discarded so consistently. You can otherwise opt to discard any Stadium in play, even if it’s your own, and that can open up some interesting plays as well. Since the attack only costs two Energy, there is fantastic synergy with [card name=”Mega Turbo” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card], allowing you to go from clean to fully powered up in a single turn. As I mentioned before, the attack also does just enough damage to cleanly 2HKO every threat in the format; the only Pokemon capable of surviving two Iron Crushers without healing first is [card name=”Wailord-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”147″ c=”name”][/card]. Mega Ray? Dead. Mega Mewtwo? Toast. Even [card name=”Zygarde-EX” set=”Fates Collide” no=”54″ c=”name”][/card] with a [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] goes down in two hits, assuming they don’t heal with Cell Storm, of course. On that note, Mega Scizor struggles a bit against decks that run healing cards like [card name=”Olympia” set=”Generations” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Pokémon Center Lady” set=”Generations” no=”68″ c=”name”][/card]; healing even just 30 damage can be enough to prevent 2HKOs from Iron Crusher since its damage output is so low.
I already touched on the bottom stats at the start of this section, but I’ll explain it all in further detail here. As is typical of most Metal Pokemon, Mega Scizor is weak to Fire. I know, I know, [card name=”Volcanion” set=”Steam Siege” no=”25″ c=”name”][/card], right? That’s actually not as big a deal as you might think, though don’t get me wrong – the matchup is about as close to an auto-loss as you can get. The good news is that, at least right now, Volcanion isn’t that great. It struggles to OHKO Mega Pokemon like [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card] while Ray easily swings for 180 and the one-shot. [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”160″ c=”name”][/card] also has a very easy time against Volcanion. With so many Lysandre targets, Mewtwo can easily gust up a Shaymin or a Hoopa and Damage Change its damage away, to say nothing of the OHKO potential of Psychic Infinity thanks to all the Energy that Volcanion puts into play. [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] also cripples the deck immensely, shutting down [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card]. In addition to that, everyone’s favorite ninja frog [card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card] is still very much alive and well, having lost only [card name=”Greninja” set=”XY” no=”41″ c=”from”][/card] in the rotation. [card name=”Yveltal” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”94″ c=”custom”]Fright Night Yveltal[/card] is also a huge thorn in Volcanion’s side; Fright Night disables Float Stone, allowing the bird player to lock a Volcanion-EX up front with [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card] and Pitch-Black Spear his way to the easiest four Prizes ever. With all that said, Volcanion is still a good deck, but until it gets a way to handle its biggest problems, it will likely be tier two or three at best. There’s no denying it absolutely dominates Mega Scizor, though.
They say that no Resistance is the worst Resistance, and fortunately we don’t have to worry about that because Mega Scizor has a very welcome Psychic Resistance. Right now, the only Psychic-type attackers worth noting are [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”160″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”112″ c=”name”][/card], and neither of those two particularly like fighting against Mega Scizor anyway.
Finally, Mega Scizor has a Retreat Cost of two. This isn’t ideal, but it’s balanced, and honestly it’s almost irrelevant. With Mega Turbo recycling your Energy for you, it’s very easy to retreat, bring up a fresh attacker, and deal with your damaged Pokemon later.
Let’s go over an outline for what this deck looks like.
[decklist name=”seezzorrrrrr” amt=”50″ caption=”Open slots: 10″ cname=”M Scizor-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”120″][pokemon amt=”14″]4x [card name=”Scizor-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”119″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”M Scizor-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”120″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Trubbish” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”56″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”106″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Hoopa-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”36″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Cobalion” set=”Steam Siege” no=”74″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”28″]4x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”Steam Siege” no=”114″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”101″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”104″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”2″][/card]4x [card name=”Scizor Spirit Link” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”111″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”100″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”122″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”110″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”8″]8x [card name=”Metal Energy” set=”Generations” no=”82″ c=”deck2″ amt=”8″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
Open spots: 10
Before we talk about what to fill those ten open spots with, let’s go over the non-negotiable stuff first.
4-3 M Scizor-EX
This is your main attacker, so we want to max out [card name=”Scizor-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”119″ c=”name”][/card] counts. We only need three Mega Scizor since after three of them die, it’s game over. If you discard one early, use [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ c=”name”][/card] to get it back.
2-2 Garbodor
Garbodor’s main job is to stop Abilities that could hinder us. There are two big ones: [card name=”Carbink” set=”Fates Collide” no=”50″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card]. Both Abilities stop Mega Scizor cold – you can’t even discard the Energy without first handling the Ability. Its secondary job is just general Ability denial. [card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Yanmega” set=”Steam Siege” no=”7″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Yveltal” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Zoroark” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] all have strong Abilities that we’d love to shut down. Set Up and Scoundrel Ring are the only Abilities we make use of, and ideally we’ll use them before [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] gets into play, so Garbodor is a natural fit.
1 Shaymin-EX and 1 Hoopa-EX
[card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card] is draw. Bench space is kinda tight, so we don’t want to run too many. We’re running Garbodor, so [card name=”Octillery” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card] is not desirable for this deck. [card name=”Hoopa-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card]’s job is to get Scizor up and running. Depending on what you start with, you can mix and match the Pokemon you fetch. I personally prefer to take two Scizor and a Shaymin (or just two Scizor if I already have Shaymin-EX in hand).
[cardimg name=”Cobalion” set=”Steam Siege” no=”74″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]1 Cobalion
[card name=”Cobalion” set=”Steam Siege” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] is your answer to [card name=”Regice” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”24″ c=”name”][/card]. A Regice with [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] attached will get OHKOed by Revenge Blast after your opponent has taken only two Prizes. During the late game, Cobalion can actually out-damage Mega Scizor for the same amount of Energy, all while only giving up one Prize. Good stuff.
4 Professor Sycamore, 2 N, 2 Lysandre
Four [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”Steam Siege” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card] is a given. We want to draw as much as we can and no card is better at that than Sycamore. [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”101″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card] are both pretty standard. With the absence of [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card], decks can no longer get away with running just one Supporter and relying on [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”110″ c=”name”][/card] to get it back.
4 [card name=”Scizor Spirit Link” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”111″ c=”name”][/card], 4 [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Fates Collide” no=”113″ c=”name”][/card], 4 [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card], 4 [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”110″ c=”name”][/card]
All four of these Trainers are staples, and we need to max counts of them. The reason we run four links even though we only have three Mega Scizor is just to maximize our chances of getting a linked Scizor-EX on the first turn.
2 [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card]
This is the key to getting Garbodor online without being a sitting duck if he gets gusted out. If you’re really desperate, you can attach the fourth Spirit Link to him, but I wouldn’t recommend it unless you include other ways of getting him out of the Active spot in case of Lysandre stalling.
1 Super Rod
[card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ c=”name”][/card] is important for recycling Pokemon discarded early, as well as putting a couple Energy back into your deck. You should only ever have to use this once a match anyway; sometimes, if you run really hot, you won’t have to use it at all.
1 Parallel City
[card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card] is the best Stadium in format right now. It has so many offensive and defensive uses that I believe every single deck needs at least one ([card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Xerneas” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”107″ c=”custom”]Rainbow Road[/card] excused for obvious reasons). In this deck, Parallel City is used to discard Shaymin-EX and Hoopa-EX from your side of the field, leaving you with either two Scizor and Garbodor or Garbodor, Scizor, and Cobalion, depending on the deck you’re up against. Dropping the blue side on you also cuts damage from [card name=”Greninja” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Yanmega” set=”Steam Siege” no=”7″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Volcanion” set=”Steam Siege” no=”25″ c=”name”][/card], greatly hindering their KO potential (Parallel City’s effect resides on the attacker, so it’ll even reduce damage from [card name=”Yanmega BREAK” set=”Steam Siege” no=”8″ c=”name”][/card]!). Turning the blue side to your opponent is recommended against Mega Rayquaza and Rainbow Road. You can also force your opponent to make some tough calls if you [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card] their Shaymin before dropping Parallel City, eliminating one of their obvious discard options. Don’t forget that you don’t have to discard anything with Iron Crusher; go ahead and leave it in play. Once your opponent finally plays a counter stadium, you can easily crush it on your turn.
8 Metal Energy
This is bare minimum. Mega Scizor only needs two, but that doesn’t mean anything if we can’t draw into them. My personal preference for this deck is nine, but just experiment and see how you like different counts.
Part 2: Filling the Deck (Choosing Techs)
[card name=”M Scizor-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”120″ c=”name”][/card] doesn’t require very many bells and whistles to do its job. It’s a very effective, straightforward deck, and that’s one of its biggest strengths. That strength allows us to have a little fun with our Trainer selection. I won’t give any specific numbers for most of these, but I will explain what makes them worthy of inclusion in this deck.
Another Shaymin-EX
If you don’t like the idea of running just one [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card], you can add another one for consistency’s sake, but starting with it is awful. In Shaymin’s defense, it retreats for one (whereas [card name=”Trubbish” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”56″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Cobalion” set=”Steam Siege” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Hoopa-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card] all retreat for two) allowing you to save your Float Stones for the Pokemon that really need them. I also don’t like the idea of having two Shaymin-EX in play, because that means I’ll have to leave an undesirable Pokemon in play when I use [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card].
Crushing Hammer and Enhanced Hammer
When it comes to Mega Scizor, Energy denial is the name of the game, and both of these cards can help to that end. A heads flip on [card name=”Crushing Hammer” set=”Generations” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] followed up by an Iron Crusher can leave a Mega Rayquaza half dead and with no Energy, forcing your opponent to have both the [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Fates Collide” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Mega Turbo” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card] in hand in order to continue attacking. [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Primal Clash” no=”162″ c=”name”][/card] into Iron Crusher can discard two Special Energy in one turn, which can be devastating to decks that use [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card]. Running Enhanced Hammer also grants you more freedom with Iron Crusher; either discard two of their Special Energy in play or discard both a Special Energy and their Stadium.
[cardimg name=”Team Flare Grunt” set=”Generations” no=”73″ align=”left” c=”none”][/cardimg]Team Flare Grunt
Do you hate flipping tails with Crushing Hammer? I sure do. Take out the middleman with [card name=”Team Flare Grunt” set=”Generations” no=”73″ c=”name”][/card]. During mid to late game, you might find you’ve got a turn where you don’t need a draw Supporter, making this card quite appealing.
Pokemon Ranger
There may come a time where [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] explodes and starts attacking before you’ve activated [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card]. If that happens, you’re in big trouble; without Garbotoxin, your strategy goes out the window and you’re stuck fumbling around with [card name=”Scizor-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”119″ c=”name”][/card] trying to get a 2HKO. [card name=”Pokémon Ranger” set=”Steam Siege” no=”113″ c=”name”][/card] can buy you the turn you need to get Garbodor going. Ranger can also stop [card name=”Regice” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”24″ c=”name”][/card] from stalling you, but [card name=”Cobalion” set=”Steam Siege” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] is a much better option.
[card name=”Giovanni’s Scheme” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”162″ c=”name”][/card]
Even though Iron Crusher does a solid 120 damage, there are a few Pokemon that sit just outside of that range; [card name=”Greninja” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Zoroark BREAK” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Yanmega BREAK” set=”Steam Siege” no=”8″ c=”name”][/card] are the important ones. Giovanni’s Scheme turns what would otherwise be an embarrassing 2HKO into a solid OHKO, keeping the pressure on and preventing any [card name=”Max Potion” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”103″ c=”name”][/card] shenanigans the decks may try to employ. Giovanni’s Scheme also doubles as a draw card, so don’t be afraid to use it if you need a few extra cards that you don’t wanna Sycamore away just yet.
Pokemon Center Lady
Now that Night March is a thing of the past, the idea of 2HKOing something is no longer frowned upon. If you ever find yourself taking no more than 130 damage from a hit, using [card name=”Pokémon Center Lady” set=”Generations” no=”68″ c=”name”][/card] ensures you’ll survive a second hit, forcing a 3HKO instead of a 2HKO. This is most useful in the mirror, but it has its uses elsewhere.
Mega Turbo and Max Potion
I mentioned this combo in the card overview. After healing with a Max Potion, one attachment plus Mega Turbo means you’re up and running again in the same turn. Even if you don’t have the Mega Turbo to get an Energy back, you can still retreat and heal, then manually attach one.
Evosoda
[card name=”Evosoda” set=”Generations” no=”62″ c=”name”][/card] lets you fetch Garbodor or Mega Scizor from your deck without having to blow two cards to do it. It can be helpful if you either don’t run Hoopa-EX or have a low size hand that you might not want to discard to pay Ultra Ball’s cost.
Hex Maniac over Garbodor
[card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] stops all Abilities cold, but let’s be honest with ourselves, he’s by no means invincible. One Lysandre is all you need to take that thorn out of your side. The only deck in this format that can’t do 100 damage in one turn without the use of its Abilities is [card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card]. [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card] does what Garbodor does, except for one turn. Giratina-EX isn’t immune to [card name=”Scizor-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”119″ c=”name”][/card], only Mega Scizor, so there’s a case to be made for Garbodor’s removal, but I personally wouldn’t recommend it.
[cardimg name=”Puzzle of Time” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”109″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg][card name=”Puzzle of Time” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card]
We don’t have a thick, complicated Pokemon line or a lot of Energy, so this powerful card fits this deck like a glove. Being able to recycle important cards or tech options can win games. If you find yourself without a draw option, using a single Puzzle can help get you a draw Supporter or a VS Seeker. It also might make your opponent N you, in which case, job done, you’ve got a new hand.
[card name=”Switch” set=”Kalos Starter Set” no=”38″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Escape Rope” set=”Primal Clash” no=”127″ c=”name”][/card]
You have two Float Stones, but you won’t always have them in your hand. If you prize one or are forced to discard one early, you’re stuck with just the one, which you should of course use on Garbodor (unless you are fighting a deck that does not require Garbodor’s use). An extra switching card can help you get Hoopa or Cobalion out of the Active spot if they get gusted up front.
More Parallel City
Scizor has virtually universal Stadium control thanks to Iron Crusher. Removing the Stadium is entirely optional, however, and we can keep it in play if it suits us. Running a thicker [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card] count can really put the hurt on a lot of decks
[card name=”Reverse Valley” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”110″ c=”name”][/card]
This is a decent Stadium to choose if you want to keep one in play. Reverse Valley plus Shield Energy (see below) can shave twenty damage off of all attacks, which is pretty cool.
Max Elixir
[card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card] accelerates your Energy. Since you only need two to attack, being able to attach multiple Energy in one turn can really help against fast decks like [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card] where you need to keep up the pressure early on. If you do add Max Elixir, you’ll definitely want to add some more basic Energy to increase your chances of hitting them.
Professor’s Letter
A natural fit in decks that run low amounts of Energy, [card name=”Professor’s Letter” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”146″ c=”name”][/card] can be just the thing to get the Energy you need in a key moment.
Town Map
Always a good 61st card, but if you find you’re running low amounts of several cards, [card name=”Town Map” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”150″ c=”name”][/card] is a fine addition to help improve your consistency.
[card name=”Shield Energy” set=”Primal Clash” no=”143″ c=”name”][/card]
Since [card name=”Bronzong” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”61″ c=”name”][/card] is rotated, this long-ignored Energy can finally get a chance to put in work. There are a couple notable situations where the damage reduction can save you. The first is against Giratina-EX, this deck’s bane. Shield Energy prevents a [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card]-enhanced Chaos Wheel from 2HKOing you. It also effectively removes [card name=”Xerneas” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card]’s Rainbow Force attack’s base damage, forcing them to have 8 types on their Bench to OHKO you. Lastly, it increases the damage limit for Pokemon Center Lady 3HKO shenanigans to 140 instead of 130 (adding Reverse Valley pushes it to 150). Now for the bad news: it’s a Special Energy, leaving you vulnerable to Enhanced Hammer and [card name=”Jirachi” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY67″ c=”name”][/card]. If you get Chaos Wheeled before you attach it, you can’t attach it, and that can be costly. And because the card specifically prohibits it, you can’t attach it to Shaymin-EX if you need to retreat without using a Float Stone (I recently had a game where this happened! It was every bit as painful as you’d expect). It’s not completely awful, though, so if you do decide to add it, I’d only add one or two, and don’t add any if you use Max Elixir.
More Metal Energy
If you don’t like the idea of running only eight Energy, feel free to add a couple more. Ten is the absolute maximum I would consider.
Part 3: Matchups
Feel free to disagree with me on any or all of these. I’ll be happy to discuss this with you in the thread proper!
When you win the flip, always choose to go first. Your deck is an evolution deck and you need to be able to evolve as soon as possible.
vs. [card name=”M Scizor-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”120″ c=”name”][/card]: depends on techs
The mirror really and truly depends on the techs you use. Neither of you need to set up Garbodor, so you can feel free to discard it, or set it up just to get it out of your hand. During the late game, [card name=”Cobalion” set=”Steam Siege” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] with [card name=”Shield Energy” set=”Primal Clash” no=”143″ c=”name”][/card] attached can survive Iron Crusher, allowing you to live long enough to 2HKO (assuming they don’t hammer it off you first; you’ll still need an Energy to replace it after Iron Crusher, though). [card name=”Pokémon Center Lady” set=”Generations” no=”68″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Max Potion” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”103″ c=”name”][/card] are clutch in this fight; forcing them to 3HKO you can swing the match in your favor. Be sure to use [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card] the second you get it to wipe Shaymin from your side of the board. You can guarantee they’ll do the same, so try to KO it before that happens. This is one matchup that can be decided from the opening flip.
vs. [card name=”Volcanion” set=”Steam Siege” no=”25″ c=”name”][/card] and Friends: RIP
If there ever was a card that could claim to be anti-Scizor, Volcanion is it. The deck doesn’t run Special Energy and doesn’t particularly care if you remove its Stadium. It not only hits you for Weakness, but accelerates Energy from the discard pile, rendering every hammer in your deck worthless. [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] stops [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Flareon-EX” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC6″ c=”name”][/card] from using their Abilities, but can’t stop Volcanion from accelerating Energy to them; once either of them gets three Energy on it, it’s game over. Your opponent doesn’t even have to use them; Volcanion’s Steam Artillery attack does just enough to OHKO Garbodor and Volcanion only gives up one Prize, making it trade very favorably with Mega Scizor. If you tech in [card name=”Weakness Policy” set=”Primal Clash” no=”142″ c=”name”][/card], you’ll have to either use [card name=”Weavile” set=”Steam Siege” no=”61″ c=”name”][/card] to swap the Tools around (which means you can’t use Garbodor) or sac a turn in order to evolve, neither of which are recommended. In order for Mega Scizor to stand a chance against this deck, you’d have to get Garbodor out turn two, Lysandre and 2HKO their Volcanion-EX without them running away, and then gust out a [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card] for the win. It’ll never happen. Sorry, but this is the auto-loss. If you face it, do your best, but don’t expect to get out of this one alive without some seriously awful draws from your opponent.
vs. [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”160″ c=”name”][/card]: 55-45
Mega Mewtwo’s strength comes from taking advantage of the Energy you have in play, as well as being able to use Damage Change via [card name=”Shrine of Memories” set=”Primal Clash” no=”139″ c=”name”][/card] to fully cure itself. Since Mega Scizor won’t have more than two Energy attached to it, and has Psychic Resistance, Mega Mewtwo needs a minimum of six Energy to OHKO you. You don’t have to worry much about Damage Change since it will never OHKO you, but it will OHKO Shaymin, so you should get it off of your side of the field as soon as you can. This is a matchup where you don’t have to use Garbodor if you don’t want to, but doing so will prevent them from using more than one Shaymin. Still, Iron Crusher discards their [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”HeartGold and SoulSilver” no=”103″ c=”name”][/card] and some lucky Crushing Hammer flips can prevent their Benched Pokemon from setting up too much. [card name=”Mega Turbo” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card] is definitely a pain, allowing for a potential clutch play. Iron Crusher prevents them from using Damage Change more than once per Stadium, so don’t expect them to play it unless they’re going to drop your 120 on your Shaymin. The key to coming out on top is by keeping the pressure on, and maybe a few lucky hammer flips. [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card] also shines here, allowing you to discard both their [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”111″ c=”name”][/card] and the Shrine of Memories in a single turn. Thanks to [card name=”Dimension Valley” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] rotating, you should be able to take one Mewtwo down before it gets a chance to Damage Change. Knock Out a second Mewtwo and [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card] their Shaymin for the game.
vs. [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card]: 45-55
You’re playing a deck that 2HKOs against a deck that OHKOs and that’s not good news for you. Ironically, a good way to approach this fight is to fight around Rayquaza; Iron Crusher OHKOs Shaymin-EX, as well as [card name=”Manaphy-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”116″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Glaceon-EX” set=”Fates Collide” no=”116″ c=”name”][/card], if they play them. Hammers are indispensable in this battle, but they alone won’t win it for you. This deck also plays Mega Turbo in order to get the same one-turn attack strategy that Mega Scizor employs, although in addition to the Mega Turbo, Ray needs a [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Fates Collide” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card] to pull it off as opposed to a basic Energy. The good news for you is that they have to have eight Pokemon Benched in order to OHKO you, and that’s very difficult to do when they can’t keep [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card] in play for longer than one turn. The combination of [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”101″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card] will make it very difficult for them to mount a meaningful offense once you put it into play. If you can ever force them to pass a turn or just avoid the Emerald Break OHKO, you’ll be in great shape. Your constant disruption of their resources means they will be flying through their deck as fast as they can to keep the pressure on. Don’t get complacent, though; Ray’s early game is incredible and they can easily OHKO your Scizor-EX if they go second. They will almost definitely come ahead on Prizes in the early game, but if you can manage to mount a defense, you should be able to come out on top.
[cardimg name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”93″ align=”left” c=”none”][/cardimg]vs. [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”118″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card]: 60-40
If you can get a [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] onto Garbodor, this matchup improves significantly. With that said, do not be so careless as to evolve all of your Scizor-EX; all they need is Lysandre and a single Chaos Wheel to OHKO Garbodor, and once he goes down, your odds of winning this fight go down the toilet if all you have on the field are Mega Scizor. Giratina-EX should be your #1 priority in this battle; take him down to prevent Renegade Pulse from walling you and to effectively remove their ability to attach [card name=”Double Dragon Energy” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card]. Without those easy boosts, Darkrai-EX hits like a puppy, making it much easier to defeat. Be wary of [card name=”Yveltal” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”94″ c=”custom”]Fright Night Yveltal[/card]; the last thing you want is it locking your Hoopa-EX in the Active position. Garbotoxin shuts him off, so do try to keep him alive.
vs. [card name=”Yanmega BREAK” set=”Steam Siege” no=”8″ c=”name”][/card]/ [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card]: 70-30
This deck is Vespiquen’s last stand before Karen stomps it out forever. It utilizes [card name=”Klefki” set=”Steam Siege” no=”80″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Unown” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”30″ c=”name”][/card], and Yanmega BREAK to fuel Bee Revenge. With no Tool removal in format, Klefki becomes super annoying, preventing us from KOing Vespiquen for a turn (Klefki doesn’t prevent effects of attacks, so you can still discard Vespiquen’s [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Fates Collide” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card] with Iron Crusher). [card name=”Bursting Balloon” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card] is also something we have no way of dealing with outside of Lysandre. Yanmega BREAK also has 140 HP, enough to survive Iron Crusher without a boost from [card name=”Giovanni’s Scheme” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”162″ c=”name”][/card]. Garbodor virtually prevents Yanmega BREAK from attacking (they could still attach DCE to it, but they will likely save it for Vespiquen, who actually needs it), but Vespiquen can still KO it easily or just discard the Yanmega line entirely for a gigantic boost to Bee Revenge’s power. Fortunately, while Vespiquen can hit for giant numbers, it’s almost impossible for them to OHKO Mega Scizor. This is definitely a fight that Pokemon Center Lady could come in handy in. The fact that they’re reliant on Special Energy means they can just fall apart during the late game once their deck is thin and they’ve expended most of their resources. Once Karen drops, however, this deck will be a thing of the past. It’s a minor annoyance and you should still be able to defeat it handily. You just have to survive long enough to run them out of Energy. [card name=”Max Potion” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”103″ c=”name”][/card] will go a long way here.
vs. [card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Talonflame” set=”Steam Siege” no=”96″ c=”name”][/card]: 80-20
Getting Garbodor up and running can slow them down a lot. They’ll use Bursting Balloon to try and stall, but Greninja’s damage output is so weak without access to Giant Water Shuriken that you have no reason to fear it. Just cut right through it and eat the 60. You can’t afford to let them get multiple Greninja in play. [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card] also drops their damage down to embarrassing levels if they can’t remove it from play. Adding Giovanni’s Scheme to this deck improves this matchup to almost auto-win levels; Iron Crusher now OHKOs both Greninja and Talonflame and prevents Max Potion stalling. As if this matchup wasn’t already easy enough, they can’t even OHKO Garbodor after a Lysandre. If you use Max Potion yourself, just save it for Garbodor. Easy win. Strangely enough, the most difficult part of this fight is keeping Talonflame under control. Aero Blitz greatly increases its deck’s consistency, but it’s weak to [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”101″ c=”name”][/card]. Ideally, it will only get to Aero Blitz twice: once on its first turn (going second) or second turn (going first) and once on the following turn, or sometime later. By that point you should have the Iron Crusher train rolling along and it will die easily.
vs. Fairies / Giratina-EX: 90-10
By “Fairies,” I am lumping both [card name=”Xerneas BREAK” set=”Steam Siege” no=”82″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”156″ c=”custom”]M Gardevoir-EX (Brilliant Arrow)[/card] together since their decks employ a similar strategy: flood the field with Fairy Energy and do massive damage with Life Stream or Brilliant Arrow, respectively. No matter the attacker, this fight is still a layup. Both Pokemon are OHKOed by Iron Crusher from turn two onward. They will never get enough Energy in play to OHKO, let alone 2HKO. The only thing stopping you from completely steamrolling them is Giratina-EX, but even that can be circumvented. Two [card name=”Scizor-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”119″ c=”name”][/card] with Float Stones on them can just retreat for each other every turn, trolling Giratina and still OHKOing every fairy they send forward.
vs. [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”112″ c=”custom”]M Gardevoir-EX (Despair Ray)[/card]: 100-0
The strategy here is to use multiple copies of [card name=”Hoopa-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card] to burn through your deck, discard them with Despair Ray, recycle them with [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ c=”name”][/card], and repeat. Not only is M Gardevoir-EX OHKOed by Iron Crusher, but it’s impossible for them to OHKO you thanks to your HP and Psychic Resistance. At worst, you’ll trade two prizes for their four. You don’t even have to set up Garbodor, though it’s no big deal if you do. They can’t use Scoundrel Ring or Set Up with it in play, so they’ll definitely Lysandre it, but you’re still trading one prize for two – and it’s not like allowing them their setup will put you in danger of being OHKOed. This deck gets much better with Karen in the format, but spoiler alert: it’s still an auto-win for you.
[cardimg name=”Xerneas” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”107″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]vs. Rainbow Road: GG EZ
This deck functions much like [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card], but now they 2HKO you and you OHKO them. Their main attacker is [card name=”Xerneas” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”107″ c=”from”][/card], and the idea is exactly the same as Rayquaza; load up the Bench and attack for huge damage. The catch is that this deck needs different colors of Pokemon on the Bench in order to get that huge damage. Because of this stipulation, it’s very difficult for them to get enough Pokemon in play to OHKO you (but they can do it). They might get a KO early on before you Mega Evolve, but once Mega Scizor hits the field it’s all downhill for them. Like Rayquaza, Rainbow Road relies on [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Fates Collide” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card] to stream attacks; due to Xerneas’s low HP, they utilize [card name=”Exp. Share” set=”Primal Clash” no=”128″ c=”name”][/card] to conserve their basic Energy, meaning all they need is another DCE to keep the attacks coming. Use [card name=”Crushing Hammer” set=”Emerging Powers” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Team Flare Grunt” set=”Generations” no=”73″ c=”name”][/card] to discard their basic Energy before you KO them and leave them with nothing to share. This deck still gets hurt by Parallel City, but thanks to the dual-types that Steam Siege gave us, Xerneas can still do respectable damage with just three Pokemon on the Bench. That, along with the fact that Xerneas only gives up one Prize on defeat, are important positives for this deck. [card name=”Carbink” set=”Fates Collide” no=”50″ c=”name”][/card] is a card I’ve seen used to help stop Pokemon-EX, but you’ve got Garbodor for that. If worse comes to worst, just Lysandre around it, but you should have no issues with this fight.
Closing Thoughts
[card name=”M Scizor-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”120″ c=”name”][/card] is undoubtedly a strong deck. I believe it to be a good choice for any upcoming tournaments you may partake in. It has only one terrible matchup and the rest are either superbly favorable or definitely winnable. What do you think of my matchup analysis? Did I miss any big ones, or do you think I’ve gone way off the mark somewhere? Drop me a message in the thread and let me know what you think! Until next time,
Your pal, PMJ