The Big Three — M Rayquaza-EX, M Mewtwo-EX, and Darkrai-EX / Giratina-EX in Standard

Hi PokeBeach! I’m back with another article for ya’ll. For everyone who made the long journey to San Francisco, I hope you had fun! California was much colder than I had anticipated, but I had fun nonetheless. I flew out the Sunday before with Igor Costa to hang out in Cali for a bit before the event. Here are my brief thoughts on the actual event itself. It was obviously a huge disappointment to everyone who wanted to hang out and spectate their significant others, friends, or favorite players, and I wish they would have anticipated that and booked a bigger venue. There also wasn’t a ton to do within easily walkable distance besides go to the mall, so fans and relatives were pretty much relegated to their rooms. I had a Hearthstone event to play in so that gave me something to do, and I had fun testing Pokemon as well.

That being said, the whole competitive atmosphere of Worlds is like none other, and I could feel the level of dedication, passion, and excitement in the air. It honestly reinvigorated my enthusiasm for the game, and I am hyped for this next competitive season like I haven’t been in a good minute. I can’t wait to attend my first tournament and get back into playing full-time! I’ll also be playing PTCGO every Tuesday night on my Twitch channel.

Pokemon really is a game that never leaves your heart, even if you think you’ve made your peace with it. The high level of competition at Worlds was inspiring, and I hope through my articles and discussions I can continue to contribute to the conversation in a meaningful way. As a writer, I plan to do my best to help improve not only my readers’ competitive play, but my own as well through sharing other writer’s articles, having enlightening conversations on the Subscriber’s Secret Hideout, and practicing in monthly tournaments. The premium program is really a great resource, so those of you who can take advantage should definitely do so! I know for a fact that the writers are always actively thinking of new and creative ideas. They’re a unique group of people who are very passionate about the game they play and bringing their knowledge to their readership. The Facebook group chat moves so fast I can’t even keep up!

Since this is my first article of the season, I’ll be focusing on what I think will be the three most popular decks right now. I have heard the most talk about [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card]. Next time I’ll focus on decks to counter the meta, but it’s important to begin with a good understanding of what’s being played and what ideas are being tossed around. Without further ado, let’s look at everyone’s favorite speed deck.

M Rayquaza-EX

[decklist name=”Mega Ray” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″][pokemon amt=”15″]3x [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]4x [card name=”Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”75″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Hoopa-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY71″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Manaphy-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”116″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Bunnelby” set=”Primal Clash” no=”121″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”36″]4x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”XY” no=”122″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”101″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Pokémon Ranger” set=”Steam Siege” no=”104″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”EX FireRed and LeafGreen” no=”100″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Mega Turbo” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”86″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Rayquaza Spirit Link” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”87″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Switch” set=”EX Ruby and Sapphire” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Escape Rope” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”120″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”4″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”9″]5x [card name=”Water Energy” set=”EX Ruby and Sapphire” no=”106″ c=”deck2″ amt=”5″][/card]4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”HeartGold and SoulSilver” no=”103″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

So this deck has been around for a while now, and it’s always been viewed as a bit of a glass cannon. Previously, it has been considered inconsistent, but when it pops off, nothing can stop it. I think now since a lot of cards that consistently thrashed it have been done away with (like our boy [card name=”M Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”24″ c=”name”][/card]), ol’ Ray is looking a lot more stable and reliable.

The Pokemon

There are a couple of different ways to play the deck. I have seen lists focusing on Water techs, like I have here, lists focusing on using Metal Pokemon like [card name=”Magearna-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card] to protect from Special Conditions, and even lists utilizing [card name=”Zoroark” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] to do both. The reason I chose the Water version is because there aren’t that many Special Conditions to worry about. The only relevant thing I can think of is [card name=”Froakie” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”38″ c=”name”][/card]’s Bubble, so I don’t think that’s enough to warrant that build of the deck. Zoroark seems good in theory, but it requires too many slots and can clog up your hand unnecessarily. Basically, it’s just a bit more messy than I want to deal with at this point, but I appreciate its utility in being a jack of all trades. The [card name=”Manaphy-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”32″ c=”name”][/card] gives us an easy way to make our M Rayquaza-EX mobile so that’s my pick to build for now. Keeping the other versions in mind is important, to know what our opponents might be playing and ways we can adapt the deck in the future.

The [card name=”Hoopa-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”36″ c=”name”][/card] count has been upped from the typical one because it’s just so good for filling up our Bench. Our opponent is pretty likely to be running [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card] and play it against us, so we’ll be able to discard the Hoopa-EX and just play a new one to re-up the Bench after slapping down a [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card]. Ditto for the four [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card], I know they are easy Prizes a lot of the time but our goal is to overwhelm them so much they don’t have time for that jazz. We need to play a non-EX to force a seventh Prize. Alternatively, we could play a [card name=”Regice” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”24″ c=”name”][/card] instead, but [card name=”Bunnelby” set=”Primal Clash” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] helps us to re-use resources we may have hastily discarded in our rush to set up a M Rayquaza-EX.

[premium]

The Supporters

[card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card] are our regular draw Supporters. We’ll likely be ahead on the Prize count quickly so we only need one N, but we want to have it as an option in the deck in case we are playing a mirror or the situation gets out of hand. [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card] is another staple and obvious inclusion. Right now we don’t have a non-EX attacker to answer any opposing [card name=”Regice” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”24″ c=”name”][/card], so I’ve included one copy of [card name=”Pokémon Ranger” set=”Steam Siege” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card]. Hex Maniac gives us an out to deal with [card name=”Carbink” set=”Fates Collide” no=”50″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card].

The Trainers

We have our standard 4-4-4 line of [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Fates Collide” no=”113″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] that we want to see in a consistent [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] list. [card name=”Mega Turbo” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card] lets us get powered up quickly. [card name=”Acro Bike” set=”Primal Clash” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card] could have synergy here, so if we find ourselves wanting the deck to be a bit faster, that’s a doable change. One [card name=”Switch” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] and one [card name=”Escape Rope” set=”Primal Clash” no=”127″ c=”name”][/card] lets us move around in a sneaky way to combo with [card name=”Manaphy-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”32″ c=”name”][/card]’s free retreat and lets us attack with basically whatever we want any turn we want. Since we play two [card name=”Hoopa-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”36″ c=”name”][/card] it does have a chance of being [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card]d up for our opponent to try to recover from our brutal M Rayquaza-EX onslaught. We’ll want to recover from [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card] damage by playing two [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ c=”name”][/card], so we can make sure to have enough damage throughout the entire game to take our full six Prizes. Four copies of [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card] ensures that we always have it to counter said Parallel City (and any other Stadium our opponent throws at us). Not to mention we need it to OHKO stuff.

[cardimg name=”Special Charge” set=”Steam Siege” no=”105″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Other cards that have merit in this deck are definitely [card name=”Puzzle of Time” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Special Charge” set=”Steam Siege” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card]. [card name=”Bunnelby” set=”Primal Clash” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] can do the job of these cards, but it’s more inefficient since it wastes a turn of attacking. I prefer to just plan out my resources instead of slowing down my setup with cards that are useless in the beginning of the game, but they can definitely help mitigate the weak middle to late game.

The Matchups

One of this deck’s weaknesses is that it can burn through its resources very quickly, so we need to keep that in mind. [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Bunnelby” set=”Primal Clash” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] help to mitigate this a bit, but what our opponent will usually try to do is take advantage of that. [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] has a pretty good matchup against [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card], because it can OHKO M Mewtwo-EX fairly easily. It just has to make sure to set up correctly while conserving as many resources as possible. Garbodor is a bit of a thorn in our side in this matchup because we can’t use [card name=”Manaphy-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”32″ c=”name”][/card]’s Ability to retreat for free, and obviously our [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] are dead cards when the pile of garbage is set up as well. We have to be careful about benching something we don’t have a way to retreat.

There are a couple versions of Dark that we could play against. A [card name=”Zoroark” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card]-heavy version will be tricky to deal with, because we can’t really just go benching eight Pokemon without getting massively punished. Against [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card], we just have to make sure to go for the Energy, which might be an obvious strategy. [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card] helps deal with [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card], but we need to spread out our Energy in this matchup, because if we let [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] take a KO, we’ll be in a rough spot since we can’t play [card name=”Pokémon Ranger” set=”Steam Siege” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card] and Hex Maniac in the same turn. The ability to choose between the Supporters comes in handy, however.

Another deck that’s becoming popular is called “Rainbow Road.” It consists of [card name=”Xerneas” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card], which does 10 plus 30 for each different type of Pokemon on your Bench. The deck fills its Bench with dual types to take full advantage of this bonus. It also plays Sky Field, so the amount of damage it can dish out is pretty significant (which is the understatement of the century). I haven’t tested this matchup too much yet, but it seems unfavorable in theory. The best we can do is hope that they miss a turn and we can stream OHKOs on their Xerneas without them also doing so. Essentially, it’s going to come down to who draws better.

Check out Alex Koch’s version of Rainbow Road here.

There’s also a new Fire deck playing both [card name=”Volcanion” set=”Steam Siege” no=”25″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card]. In this matchup, we should go for the Volcanion-EX, especially ones with Energy attached. If Volcanion is ever ready to go, that’s when we should play Hex Maniac to stop them from taking an OHKO. They will try to feed baby Volcanion to our [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card], so [card name=”Escape Rope” set=”Primal Clash” no=”127″ c=”name”][/card] can come into play to foil that strategy and force them to send up a Pokemon-EX. Overall, if M Rayquaza-EX sets up well, I think it has the edge over Volcanion.

M Mewtwo-EX / Garbodor

[decklist name=”Mewtwo/Garb” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″][pokemon amt=”13″]3x [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Mewtwo-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY107″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”61″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Trubbish” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”56″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/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]2x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”101″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”2″][/card]4x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”EX FireRed and LeafGreen” no=”100″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Mega Turbo” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”86″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Mewtwo Spirit Link” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”144″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Shrine of Memories” set=”Primal Clash” no=”139″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Silent Lab” set=”Primal Clash” no=”140″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”11″]7x [card name=”Psychic Energy” set=”EX Ruby and Sapphire” no=”107″ c=”deck2″ amt=”7″][/card]4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”HeartGold and SoulSilver” no=”103″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

Everyone has been talking about this deck, and when I tried it, I saw the reason for the hype myself. The deck is just insanely powerful and consistent, there’s not much that can slow it down. Even under less-than-ideal conditions, the deck can somehow find itself in a winning position.

The Pokemon

The goal of this deck is to be able to use each version of Mewtwo’s stellar attacks depending on what the situation calls for. One [card name=”Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”62″ c=”name”][/card] does 30 for each Psychic Energy, and the second attack exchanges damage counters. We play two of this one, clearly. The other [card name=”Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”61″ c=”name”][/card] does a relatively vanilla 30 and 120. This one is generally not as good, but we play it to use in the mirror to easily OHKO our opponent’s [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card]. The M Mewtwo-EX has the best attack of them all, though. It’s like the X Ball of the past, only much, much better. These attacks are so strong, we don’t use Abilities or care about them at all. And we don’t want our opponent to either. That’s where our old buddy [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] comes in. That’s right, he’s back! Aren’t you excited? After we use our [card name=”Hoopa-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”36″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] to set up our board, we’ll slam down a [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] on that [card name=”Trubbish” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”56″ c=”name”][/card].

The Supporters

Maybe I should discontinue this section and just lump it in with the Trainers, because we don’t play anything cool in this deck. Just the standard [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card] core. No Supporter tricks up our sleeve, then.

The Trainers

We have the 4/4/4 core again, so we won’t go over that. Consistency is key. Spirit Links help us get out [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card] quickly, and [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] loves [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] like a kid loves cake. You get the picture. [card name=”Mega Turbo” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card] gets us Energy quickly, and [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ c=”name”][/card] is here to save us in case we need to discard too many Pokemon or Energy too quickly. [card name=”Shrine of Memories” set=”Primal Clash” no=”139″ c=”name”][/card] is good, but we don’t need to commit to Damage Swapping every turn. We basically only want to do that once per game, and most of the time we will be using Psychic Infinity. Whenever our Mewtwo collects enough damage, we can Lysandre up a [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] and Swap that damage right to it, then go back to hitting for 190 or so when they bring up a new attacker. M Mewtwo-EX is pretty hard to KO, especially OHKO.

We play a couple different Stadiums in this deck. One [card name=”Silent Lab” set=”Primal Clash” no=”140″ c=”name”][/card] can be clutch in the beginning of the game, because after we use our [card name=”Hoopa-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”36″ c=”name”][/card] and Shaymin-EX, we still can’t get Garbodor out without waiting a turn, so Silent Lab tries to do the same thing and prevent Shaymin-EX and other pesky Abilities. [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card] is there to limit the Bench against [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] to make getting a KO more difficult.

The Matchups

We already talked about the [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] matchup a little, but let’s think about what we should do from this side of the game. Seven Energy (four on our [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card] and three on their M Rayquaza-EX) spells a KO for us. That’s not too hard to achieve by using [card name=”Mega Turbo” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card]. [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Silent Lab” set=”Primal Clash” no=”140″ c=”name”][/card] make it difficult for Rayquaza to power up a second attacker, even if they get to swinging with the first one quickly. [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card] can also put a damper on their plans, especially if we play it, [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card] them, and then KO their attacker. Rayquaza can miss a beat, and Mewtwo can easily get control of the game.

[card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] has a Resistance to Mewtwo, so it’s a bit harder to KO. If they play [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] is a good answer. However, if they don’t, it’s not necessary to set it up. They’ll bench [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card], which are easy targets. Also, the more Energy they load on the board, the better. Their Energy powers up our attack, whereas ours doesn’t help them in the same way. It’ll be easier for [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card] to take a KO on a Darkrai-EX than the other way around.

Parallel City is the key to beating Rainbow Road, since they need to bench a lot of Pokemon the same way M Rayquaza-EX does. It’s also very easy for Mewtwo to OHKO [card name=”Xerneas” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card]: all it needs is a single [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Fates Collide” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card]. Mewtwo definitely has the edge in this matchup. Meanwhile, against [card name=”Volcanion” set=”Steam Siege” no=”25″ c=”name”][/card], Garbodor really shines. It prevents them from using Steam Up, which makes it very difficult for them to get an OHKO. This forces them to deal 130 twice in order to KO a Mewtwo, and then we can [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card] up a Shaymin-EX to use Damage Change, taking two Prizes while also completely healing our Mewtwo. That’s pretty good, isn’t it? Not to mention, when Volcanion attacks with three Energy, only three Energy on our [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card] will KO it, four if they have [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] attached. If they try to use [card name=”Flareon-EX” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC6″ c=”name”][/card], it’s even easier to KO.

Darkrai-EX / Giratina-EX / Garbodor

[decklist name=”Dark” amt=”60″ caption=”undefined” cname=”Darkrai-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”74″][pokemon amt=”12″]2x [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”74″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Trubbish” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”56″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Yveltal” set=”Steam Siege” no=”65″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”35″]4x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”XY” no=”122″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”N” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”96″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”2″][/card]4x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”EX FireRed and LeafGreen” no=”100″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ 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]3x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”94″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Escape Rope” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”120″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”13″]10x [card name=”Darkness Energy” set=”Diamond and Pearl” no=”129″ c=”deck2″ amt=”10″][/card]3x [card name=”Double Dragon Energy” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”97″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

As I mentioned before, there are multiple ways to play this deck as well. A Dark deck doesn’t have to focus on [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card]. An Yveltal focus is also good, and [card name=”Zoroark” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] has merit too. All three builds seem good to me, so I’d suggest going with whichever one suits your personal play style. Dark has reliability, strength, and consistency going for it, as always. Most of its matchups are fairly even, and it’s usually a safe play, especially with no strong Fighting or Lightning decks in the format right now. This list is based on Nik Campbell’s (thanks Nik), but I have changed a few cards. Nik played one [card name=”Olympia” set=”Generations” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card] and one [card name=”Special Charge” set=”Steam Siege” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card]. He won a League Challenge with his list.

[cardimg name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”74″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

The Pokemon

Mostly what we’re going to want to do with this deck is go with whatever we can. It sounds weird, but it’s the truth. If we start with [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card], we probably will just start building up Energy and swinging. We’ll try to set up [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] while we chip away with Darkrai-EX, using our [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card] to power it up. Giratina-EX can be a huge problem for a lot of decks to deal with. Forcing our opponent to play around our effects instead of vice-versa can’t be underestimated. Also, a lot of the format right now features Mega Pokemon, so they’ll have to either set up [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] or use [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card] more than they want to. Yveltal is still amazing for adding Dark Energy to the board and powering up attackers. It’s also not a bad non-EX attacker in itself, dealing 110 damage with [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card]. In games where we don’t need to take advantage of Giratina-EX’s Ability, we can set up our own Garbodor.

The Supporters / Trainers

Our support core is the standard crew of [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card]. Follow that up with the 4 / 4 / 4 trifecta and we are good to go. We also play four [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card] to get those Dark Energy on the field fast. Once again, [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] give us mobility and are food for [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card]. [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] is great on [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] and baby [card name=”Yveltal” set=”Steam Siege” no=”65″ c=”name”][/card] to boost their HP and help to hit important numbers. It makes the math a lot better, it’s impossible to explain every situation, but 10 or 20 extra damage can be very clutch in a deck that aims to 2HKO. [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ c=”name”][/card] obviously is here for utility and possibly more Garbodor. [card name=”Escape Rope” set=”Primal Clash” no=”127″ c=”name”][/card] lets us Switch and bring up a preferable target and potentially stall. I’ve added one [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card], because I had an open slot and it’s useful against every popular deck. I can’t say any more about how good [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card] is, because I’ll start to sound like a broken record.

The Matchups

Igor doesn’t like this deck, because he thinks it’s inconsistent and underwhelming. He prefers the [card name=”Zoroark” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] version, but in truth, he doesn’t like Dark much no matter what. I’ve always liked the old  [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Yveltal” set=”Steam Siege” no=”65″ c=”name”][/card], and I think it’s a safe bet in most metagames, which is why I included it. It may not have the dazzling raw power and flashy plays of something like [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Volcanion” set=”Steam Siege” no=”25″ c=”name”][/card], but it is sneaky and can find its way out of any bad situation. I think about it like a sketchy comeback deck. It can also get a ton of Energy on board turn one if we get lucky, but we don’t rely on that.

[card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] is a bit hard to deal with, but I’ve definitely won games against it. We try to deny them KOs by countering the Stadium, and attacking with [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] so they can’t replace it. Giratina-EX really shines here for that reason. If we can’t set up a Giratina-EX in the beginning, it’s okay, because we can start this strategy as late as halfway through the game and still be fine. A [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card] followed by an [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card] and a Chaos Wheel KO is pretty difficult for the M Rayquaza-EX player to come back from.

[card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card] a slightly bad matchup, because we have to 2HKO them unless we get pretty insanely lucky in the early game. We don’t set up [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card], since it’s useless. [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] can deal with [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card], and we have to make sure to stockpile enough Energy for [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] to OHKO M Mewtwo-EX. If that seems precise and difficult, well, that’s because it is, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t doable.

The Rainbow Road matchup is pretty abysmal. The only way Dark wins is by KOing a [card name=”Xerneas” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card] when there are no [card name=”Exp. Share” set=”Primal Clash” no=”128″ c=”name”][/card] in play. The other [card name=”Yveltal” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card] that blocks Tools can turn this around, however, and if you expect to see some Rainbow Road you can put one in. Against [card name=”Volcanion” set=”Steam Siege” no=”25″ c=”name”][/card], we want to set up Garbodor so they can’t OHKO us as easily. Since we typically won’t OHKO them either, however, they have a couple of turns to [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card] it up and KO it. We should aim to just set up another one or [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ c=”name”][/card] them back in and do it as soon as possible. It’s a good matchup, because this lock is pretty effective, and Giratina-EX can be annoying for them as well.

Conclusion

Thank you so much for reading my initial thoughts on decks for the new Standard format. Next time I’ll talk about some less common decks and how to tech to beat the meta. See you then!

~Nicholena

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