The Moonlight at Night — Standard Greninja and Yveltal / Garbodor
What’s up PokeBeach? When I last wrote, we were on the verge of a brand new season, and now the dust has settled, revealing which decks will be the biggest contenders in the new format. Today I want to talk about Standard because it’s the format I have been testing the most.
Standard gets a lot of hate for its simplicity and limited card pool compared to Expanded, however, at the moment I still feel as though it is very diverse and offers an interesting experience the likes of which the game hasn’t really seen before.
The main decks in Standard at the moment are [card name=”Greninja” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card], Rainbow Road, [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card] / Garbodor, [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Yveltal” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card] / Garbodor. Each of these decks interacts with the others in completely different ways, forcing you to have a strategy in mind for every matchup you could face. This makes deck building and metagame prediction incredibly important because the more accurate your guesswork is, the better equipped you will be for your tournaments.
[cardimg name=”Greninja” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”40″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
Without any further introduction, I want to get to analyzing two decks which I consider to be the strongest plays for Standard at the moment. Both have their strengths and weaknesses just like the rest of the decks in the format, however after extensive testing I feel as though these two are the ones that have the most potential, depending on the kind of meta you are expecting.
Greninja
[card name=”Greninja” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] was incredibly underrepresented at Orlando largely due to the abundance of [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] decks. As a result, many have dismissed it as being a viable option for Standard anymore. However, I believe that with the right amount of preparation you could take this deck to a tournament and be ready to take on any Garbodor variant and expect a positive win rate.
The aim of the deck is to get a turn two Water Duplicates to fill your board with [card name=”Frogadier” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”39″ c=”name”][/card], and then follow up by evolving into Greninja and [card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card] in order to hit big damage for little Energy. Its strong points are the fact that all its attackers are high HP non-EX Pokemon that trade Prizes well with most other decks in the format.
The problem this deck has universally though is that it can be incredibly inconsistent sometimes when setting up. This means that you will inevitably have games where you will lose through no fault of your own. This is another reason why people tend to be reluctant to pick this deck up.
When the deck works though it is incredibly powerful due to how well it can trade Prizes with Pokemon-EX heavy decks. When you’re able to use Giant Water Shuriken all hell is bound to break loose and you usually end up snowballing the opponent towards the end of the game. Another one of its strengths is its ability to come back from behind by utilizing Supporters such as [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Ace Trainer” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”69″ c=”name”][/card], as well as trading favorably with Pokemon-EX.
The List
[decklist name=”Greninja (Standard)” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Greninja” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”40″][pokemon amt=”18″]3x [card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]4x [card name=”Greninja” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”40″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Frogadier” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”39″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Froakie” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”38″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]4x [card name=”Talonflame” set=”Steam Siege” no=”96″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”32″]4x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”Steam Siege” no=”114″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”101″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Ace Trainer” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”69″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”104″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Delinquent” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”98″ 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=”Dive Ball” set=”Primal Clash” no=”125″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Bursting Balloon” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”97″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Level Ball” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”76″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”2″][/card]4x [card name=”Rough Seas” set=”Primal Clash” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”10″]8x [card name=”Water Energy” set=”EX Emerald” no=”103″ c=”deck2″ amt=”8″][/card]2x [card name=”Splash Energy” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”113″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
Potential Variations
-4 Talonflame, +1 Froakie, + 1 Jirachi, +2 Trainers’ Mail
[card name=”Talonflame” set=”Steam Siege” no=”96″ c=”name”][/card] is an excellent card in theory, but in practice, it is sometimes a lot less effective. I like it at the moment, but I have had games where it has been useless, and of course if you don’t start with it then you will have four dead cards sitting in your deck. One of the best aspects of this card is that it increases your “Basic” Pokemon count which means you will mulligan less and also be in less danger of getting donked (where you fail to find another Pokemon to bench and your opponent Knocks Out your Active). Because of this, I would recommend replacing the Talonflame with at least two Basic Pokemon if you choose to take them out.
A fourth [card name=”Froakie” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”38″ c=”name”][/card] is an easy replacement and since you can’t add a fifth I’d recommend adding a single Promo [card name=”Jirachi” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY67″ c=”name”][/card]. Jirachi can be effective against Yveltal and [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] variants because those decks rely on their Special Energy a lot in this matchup. You can also use it as a buffer if you start with it to protect your Benched Froakie.
As for the other two spots, I’d add in two copies of [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card]. This will make it easier for you to find your outs to Froakie on turn one and therefore make it more likely for you to get multiple Froakie on the Bench.
-2 Rough Seas, +2 Faded Town
[cardimg name=”Rough Seas” set=”Primal Clash” no=”137″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
I find the [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card] matchup to be fairly positive, however if you feel as though you’re struggling against it I would recommend adding in a few [card name=”Faded Town” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”73″ c=”name”][/card]. If you play them down at the right times you should find that the additional damage swings the matchup a lot in your favour, but make sure you aren’t just playing them down randomly because then your opponent will simply counter your Stadium.
Pokemon
Nothing out of the ordinary here. The four [card name=”Talonflame” set=”Steam Siege” no=”96″ c=”name”][/card] work great as a bulky free Retreat Pokemon that can sometimes help you get out of dead hands. If you go second its attack is insane, allowing you to grab everything you might need to ensure you get a turn two Water Duplicates. In the games where you don’t use its attack it usually just acts as a wall on the first turn that sometimes soaks up a little damage, and then remains on your Bench as a low threat free retreating Pokemon for the rest of the game.
The [card name=”Greninja” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] line is pretty solid. You want to be able to get out as many attackers as possible so the 4-4 line in the middle is essential. You only run two [card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card] on the grounds that there will be very few games where you get more than two out, so there is little need to run more copies of the card. When running Talonflame it’s better to run just three Froakie because you won’t need any more Basic Pokemon, and a fourth would end up being a dead card most of the time as you just use Water Duplicates to get [card name=”Frogadier” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”39″ c=”name”][/card] out directly.
Supporters
You want as much draw as possible with this deck to help its consistency issues, so the 4 / 4 [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card] is crucial to the deck’s performance. Professor Sycamore is a solid draw Supporter that rarely causes you much harm when you discard cards thanks to [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ c=”name”][/card]. N is also a great draw Supporter for you because you will often be behind until the end of the game. This is also why I choose to run two [card name=”Ace Trainer” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”69″ c=”name”][/card], setting your opponent to three cards early on can set them really far behind. A lot of the time your opponent will take a Prize from Knocking Out a [card name=”Froakie” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”38″ c=”name”][/card] on their first attacking turn and then a [card name=”Frogadier” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”39″ c=”name”][/card] on their next. This means you could be setting them to a three card hand as early as turn two.
I only run [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card] because I find it isn’t as useful in this deck as it is in a lot of others. [card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card] allows you to snipe the Bench, and generally you want to be attacking the defending Pokemon anyways because it is usually their biggest threat. The Lysandre is there for when you need to target a threat on their Bench or take a cheap KO on something that you damaged earlier on.
I also run one [card name=”Delinquent” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”98″ c=”name”][/card] because the deck struggles a lot against Stadiums such as [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Shrine of Memories” set=”Primal Clash” no=”139″ c=”name”][/card]. It’s important in this deck to be ahead in the Stadium war and having a utility Supporter to help that can make a big difference. It is also good for discarding cards when your opponent has a small hand and can force them into top deck mode at random points in the game. I have won a few games just from playing a Delinquent on a random turn to get rid of my opponent’s hand when they weren’t expecting it.
Items / Stadiums
[card name=”Dive Ball” set=”Primal Clash” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card] is an incredible card in this deck because it acts as an out to any Pokemon you would want to find. This means drawing it is better than drawing any single Pokemon. For this reason, it is obvious that you should run no less than four copies. Since there are very few other search cards for Pokemon I also run two [card name=”Level Ball” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card]. They aren’t great because they’re more or less useless cards later on in the game, but they act as another way to grab [card name=”Froakie” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”38″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Frogadier” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”39″ c=”name”][/card] so you can ensure the turn two Water Duplicates.
[cardimg name=”Bursting Balloon” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”97″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
[card name=”Bursting Balloon” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card] is a great card for this deck because the six damage it can provide is often crucial to KOs. Your opponent will be constantly having to try and play around it which often results in them playing less effectively. This card alone turns a lot of matchups in your favor because it makes the math a lot better for you in terms of getting one hit and two hit KOs.
Finally, I run four [card name=”Rough Seas” set=”Primal Clash” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card]. As I said earlier, you want to be able to counter your opponent’s Stadiums consistently so that you aren’t playing at a disadvantage. Cards like [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card] will seriously screw you over if you don’t counter them quick because it becomes a lot harder for you to be able to take KOs. Rough Seas just happens to be one of the better Stadiums out there because it allows you to take a hit with a [card name=”Greninja” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] and then retreat to another one, allowing the first to heal for a few turns, then rinse and repeat.
Energy
10 Energy seems to be the magic number for this deck. Thanks to [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ c=”name”][/card] you should never run out unless you randomly have to discard a bunch with an early [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card]. Since most of the time, you’ll be returning the Energy back to your hand after you attack with Greninja you’re usually able to last a full game without much hassle. Discarding Energy for Water Shuriken should be your only major loss of Energy, and even then you should be able to last a full game without running out. I only run two [card name=”Splash Energy” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”113″ c=”name”][/card] because although it’s really good when it works, you can’t use it for Giant Water Shuriken which means it’s not always better than a regular Basic Energy. Plus, you can’t shuffle it back into your deck with Super Rod which means when it’s gone, it’s gone for good.
Matchups
[card name=”Greninja” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] reacts to different matchups in different ways, and as a result, you need to be prepared for whatever you may come up against. Every main meta matchup is pretty winnable if you get set up, it’s just that some decks can take a lot more skill and thought to take down. The deck struggles mainly against [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] variants due to it not being able to use Giant Water Shuriken to aid with KOs, but [card name=”Bursting Balloon” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card] can work wonders, making it a lot easier for you to keep up the pace. It is generally good against the majority of other decks that make up the majority of the playing field.
[premium]
Darkrai-EX / Giratina-EX / Gabodor
[card name=”Greninja” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] can struggle against this deck because if it is under Chaos Wheel lock it doesn’t have access to Stadiums or [card name=”Bursting Balloon” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card]. For this reason, it is a good idea to try and target down [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] as fast as possible, getting the first hit whenever you can. If you can [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card] out a Giratina-EX and attach a Bursting Balloon to your attacking Greninja then you can often trade well with them. If not, try and keep a constant stream of Greninja. Even if you are 3HKOing them while they take you out in two hits, you’re still only giving up a single Prize whilst they are sacrificing two every time you Knock Out one of their Pokemon. This matchup will often be very close, but it isn’t impossible if you play and draw well.
Yveltal / Garbodor
This matchup is a lot better because you have access to [card name=”Bursting Balloon” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card]. The biggest trouble you will face against this deck is dealing with their non-EX Pokemon. They can act as a solid wall for the [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY150″ c=”name”][/card] on the Bench while also hitting for small and annoying bits of damage. You need to be streaming damage constantly against this deck, and also returning Energy whenever you attack. Even if you have a KO with Shadow Stitching it’s better to return the Energy to your hand so Evil Ball does less damage. You want to make it so no matter what, Yveltal cannot be taking you out in one hit.
Bursting Balloon is your key to securing this matchup since you will most likely not have access to Giant Water Shuriken. You don’t want to be throwing these down randomly because you will need them to ensure your win. With the 60 damage from Balloon and two Moonlight Slashes you should be able to trade well with the [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY150″ c=”name”][/card], since you are both two-shotting each other, and they give up two Prizes each time you KO them while you only give up one.
Volcanion-EX
[cardimg name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”26″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
One of the biggest mistakes you could make with this deck is expecting this matchup to be a pushover on the grounds that [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card] is weak to Water. I will admit, before playing against this deck for the first time I had thought the same, however, it turns out that this matchup is far more complex than it might seem on the surface. The main reason this deck can be troublesome to play against is that it can take you out in a single hit, whereas you’re still relying on some extra damage to do the same to them.
Luckily you have access to Giant Water Shuriken which should swing the matchup in your favor. Through a combination of 130 base damage and Steam Up, Volcanion will usually be taking you out every time, plus it can set up faster than you. Another real issue with this matchup is [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card], which reduces your damage by 40 thanks to it applying before Weakness rather than after.
Step one is to, therefore, keep on top of the Stadium war, which is where [card name=”Delinquent” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”98″ c=”name”][/card] comes in. [card name=”Rough Seas” set=”Primal Clash” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] ends up being a bit of a nuisance because Volcanion can benefit from it as well due to its dual typing. This means that you need to consider the board before you play it down and if you feel as though your opponent is going to get more from it than you then it might be better to wait until you can find a turn to use Delinquent instead.
M Mewtwo-EX / Garbodor
This matchup can go a few ways and it usually depends on how well you and your opponent draw. If you’re running [card name=”Faded Town” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”73″ c=”name”][/card] this matchup isn’t as difficult at all as you have a lot of extra damage to work with, but if not you’re gonna need to make sure you optimize your damage output. Just like before, you’re gonna need to hit 210 damage in order to take out M Mewtwo-EX.
Once again you will have to deal with Garbodor which means most games you won’t have access to Giant Water Shuriken. Your [card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card] will still be incredibly important in this matchup though because the extra 40 HP makes it a lot harder for them to KO you each time. Just like with the Yveltal matchup, you will want to be returning Energy to your hand as much as possible to limit the amount of damage your opponent can do. The real problem here is Damage Swap. If [card name=”Shrine of Memories” set=”Primal Clash” no=”139″ c=”name”][/card] is in play, Mewtwo is able to use its Basic form’s attack which works as a way of healing and KOing you. For this reason, you can’t just keep attacking relentlessly because they will keep using Damage Swap. Instead, you need to attack strategically, and sometimes even just miss turns where it’s better to not attack at all.
Overall, this matchup is about making sure that the math works out best for you by predicting Damage Swap and trying to get rid of Shrine of Memories where possible. [card name=”Delinquent” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”98″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Ace Trainer” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”69″ c=”name”][/card] are what makes this matchup favorable because these decks will struggle when they draw into dead hands.
Conclusion
Although a [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card]-heavy metagame is the last thing this deck wants, there is a multitude of factors that keep this deck as a high threat in tournaments. I feel as though people dismiss this deck too quickly, and fail to consider that it can easily hold its own against a lot of the decks some people consider it having an auto-loss to. A lot of decks still have problems when facing non-EX attackers that have a high damage output like Greninja. What I would say is that if you’re planning on taking this deck to a tournament I would recommend getting a lot of practice in because it can be difficult to play in certain situations.
Yveltal / Garbodor
This deck shouldn’t need much introduction due to the fact that it recently took home the title at Orlando regionals. It is similar to the variants of Yveltal / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Legendary Treasures” no=”68″ c=”name”][/card] that have preceded it; use Evil Ball to hit for big damage while keeping your opponent under lock with Garbodor. Yveltal is a dangerous attacker on its own, and by canceling out your opponent’s Abilities the theory is that your Yveltal can outclass any other attacker you could come up against.
[card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] makes [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY150″ c=”name”][/card] an incredibly scary attacker for any deck, giving it a whopping 210 HP. Evil Ball can hit for any amount of damage, and thanks to [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Fates Collide” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card] Yveltal-EX can get powered up very quickly. Not to mention you also have both baby Yveltal which can be incredibly annoying to deal with.
One of my favorite tricks with this deck is attaching Fighting Fury Belt to Fright Night [card name=”Yveltal” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card] while under Ability-lock and going ham with Pitch-Black Spear. Doing 70 damage and 60 to the Bench with a non-EX Pokemon that has 170 HP is absolutely bonkers and can totally change the outcome of the game since your opponent has no choice but to deal with it, plus you’re only giving up a single Prize at the end of it all.
The List
[decklist name=”Yveltal/Garbodor” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”144″][pokemon amt=”12″]3x [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”144″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Yveltal” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”94″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Yveltal” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC16″ 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=”106″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”35″]4x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”Steam Siege” no=”114″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”101″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”104″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Olympia” set=”Generations” no=”66″ 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]3x [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”100″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”94″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Reverse Valley” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”110″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”13″]9x [card name=”Darkness Energy” set=”Black and White” no=”111″ c=”deck2″ amt=”9″][/card]4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Fates Collide” no=”114″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
Pokemon
You might notice that this list is 58 cards similar to the one that won Orlando Regionals and that’s because after testing that list for a while I didn’t see a lot of things that I should change. One of the key variations of my list though is running two Fright Night [card name=”Yveltal” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card] as opposed to two Oblivion Wing [card name=”Yveltal” set=”XY” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card]. This is because I feel that Pitch-Black Spear is just such a strong attack in this meta. The extra damage it supplies will always be crucial to KOs later in the game, and sometimes this Yveltal will straight up run the game itself as a powerhouse non-EX attacker. Other than that there is little else of note here. A nice consistent line of Pokemon that should be enough to get you through any game.
[cardimg name=”Yveltal” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”94″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
Supporters
The 4 / 4 [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card] split is hardly out of the ordinary, giving you the draw and disruption you need to get through each game you play. Two [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card] is also not surprising. [card name=”Olympia” set=”Generations” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card] is a Supporter most had dismissed until recently, however, it turns out having a switch out that is also a Supporter is surprisingly beneficial in the current state of the game. Due to [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”63″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Keldeo-EX” set=”Legendary Treasures” no=”45″ c=”name”][/card] being rotated, you no longer have a way to consistently retreat your Pokemon, which happen to have fairly hefty Retreat Costs. As such, you need a way to switch your Pokemon that can be used multiple times, and Olympia is your best bet thanks to [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card].
Items / Stadiums
This deck’s Energy acceleration is based around [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card]. They allow you to fill up your board with Energy at a faster rate than manual attaching which allows you to keep up with decks such as Volcanion and [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card] which have their own forms of Energy acceleration. Being able to bench a Fright Night [card name=”Yveltal” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card] and attack with it on the same turn is incredibly strong because it spawns a threat out of nowhere that your opponent cannot knowingly prepare for. The [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] are used to improve the deck’s consistency as it has the extra space to do so.
One [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ c=”name”][/card] is essential for recovering [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] if it gets KOd. It can also be used for regaining Energy if you’re running low in the late game, preventing yourself from decking out if you start to run low on cards, and I’ve even used it to bring back Fright Night [card name=”Yveltal” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card] (I know I keep going on about them, but they really are that good).
Another variation in my list compared to the one that won Orlando is that I only play a single copy of [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card]. It can be great in the mirror match, as well as against [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card], but I found that running two was overdoing it a little. It’s a great swing card when timed right, but it won’t win you any games on its own.
On the Tool side of things, the deck runs a solid 3 / 3 split of [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card]. Float Stone is, of course, the best Tool to be used on Garbodor to cancel out its hefty three Retreat Cost, but it can also be used on Yveltal when you don’t have another way to retreat it. If you’ve already used all three of your Fighting Fury Belt it can be worth sticking a Float Stone down on your remaining Yveltal so that your opponent can’t [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card] stall you. Remember, you’re never really in danger when attaching Tools because there aren’t any ways of removing Tools outside of some Pokemon’s attacks.
Finally, the deck runs three Stadiums. [card name=”Reverse Valley” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”110″ c=”name”][/card] can provide some crucial extra damage as well as acting as extra artillery in the Stadium war. It can often be very a very clutch card when you’re only one damage off of a big KO. [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card] serves a multitude of purposes, the main one being that it discards your own [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] to prevent your opponent from being able to pick up easy Prizes. The minus 20 damage is also very crucial against certain matchups such as Volcanion and [card name=”Greninja” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card]. If you can enforce that damage reduction you’re going to be at a huge advantage because it makes the math a lot more awkward for them in terms of streaming KOs (a key example is [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card] not being able to OHKO a baby Yveltal if their damage output is restricted to 110).
Matchups
For this deck, the general game plan is consistent with most of the field, however, there are a few things you need to consider against some specific decks. Your general game plan is to set up Garbodor and start attacking with Yveltal, trading Prizes as efficiently as possible. You’ll use the non-EX Pokemon to gain leverage in the Prize-trade and then win the race against your opponent to secure your last Prize. In the majority of games versus these deck it will be close, with games often coming down to the last few Prizes, but if you play well you should find yourself winning more than you lose.
Mirror
As always, the mirror match is one of the closest matchups. Throughout the history of the game, [card name=”Yveltal” set=”XY” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card] mirrors have often been quite skill-intensive, so don’t be ashamed if you find it to be quite difficult. One of the best things you can do to learn how to play the mirror is to practice it over and over again. When I first learned how to play the mirror I had a friend test with me a bunch, offering each other advice as we played and helping one another get better.
You’ll be wanting to utilize your non-EX attackers as much as possible as they will help with the Prize-trade. Spreading damage with Pitch-Black Spear to use for later KOs is key to winning the mirror. Although your focus should not be on setting up [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card], it’s good to get it out if possible as it ensures that your opponent won’t be able to use their [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] later on. It also allows you to negate Fright Night which means your [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] will always be in effect.
Other than that, play smart and think carefully about every move you make because in this matchup even the smallest of slip-ups can seriously mess you up in the long run. Although this game can often end up coming down to nothing but luck, in the end, it doesn’t hurt to play your best and hopefully capitalize on your opponent’s mistakes.
Darkrai-EX / Giratina-EX / Garbodor
[cardimg name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
This matchup also takes a bit of skill to play. Your aim is to remove as much Energy from your opponent’s field with each KO you take to minimize the damage you’ll be taking from [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card]. [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card] is another big card here because removing [card name=”Double Dragon Energy” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card] reduces the output from Dark Pulse without KOing anything. Overall you’re trying to take KOs faster than your opponent and essentially race them to the finish line.
Pitch-Black Spear once again comes in big because the spread damage it provides will allow you to take one hit KOs with Evil Ball. Furthermore, Darkrai-EX requires six Energy on the field to take it out in one hit, and if they fail to do so you’re gonna be able to attack multiple times which makes it even harder for them to win. Not to mention, if you can set up Garbodor beforehand and attach a Fighting Fury Belt it’s going to be almost impossible for them to one shot you. This means that getting out baby Yveltal as fast as possible is a good strategy for getting the upper hand on this deck.
Volcanion-EX
This is another close matchup due to the fact that [card name=”Volcanion” set=”Steam Siege” no=”25″ c=”name”][/card] can one shot [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card], and without Garbodor, you’re going to seriously struggle against the astounding damage output that this deck has while it retains access to Steam Up. This means getting out Garbodor has to be a high priority in order to hold your own against this deck, and if possible I like to have a spare [card name=”Trubbish” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”56″ c=”name”][/card] waiting on the Bench so you can get another Garbodor out right away if they manage to KO one.
Other than Garbodor, just use Yveltal (both [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY08″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Yveltal” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card]) to hit for big damage and once again take KOs faster than your opponent. [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card] is also a key card in this matchup for two reasons. The first of course being the damage reduction which can come in handy if your opponent is unable to remove it, but if you can use it to restrict your opponent’s Bench turn one then you’re in a seriously good spot. It means it’s substantially harder for them to set up turn one, making them unable to use [card name=”Hoopa-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”36″ c=”name”][/card] effectively unless they can replace the Stadium.
M Mewtwo-EX
Against this deck you want to be making sure that you don’t have a lot of Energy concentrated on single Pokemon. A good strategy is to use Y Cyclone once and then follow up with an Evil Ball. This should give you the perfect math to two shot [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card] while also minimizing the amount of damage they can do to you. As long as you get the first hit in you should be good. You’re also able to target [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] for cheap Prizes.
Conclusion
This is a very straightforward and consistent deck, and if you take it to an event and play it well you should place highly and definitely have a good shot of winning. It doesn’t really have any bad matchups, and most of the time when I lose it’s due to drawing bad or my opponent getting a lot luckier than me. If you want something to give you a decent shot against the field then I would definitely recommend giving this deck a shot.
Summary
Overall I feel that both of these decks are incredibly strong. [card name=”Greninja” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] is a little less consistent but a lot more diverse and harder to play against, and Yveltal / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] is incredibly consistent has a huge target on its back. Either way, I expect both of this decks to perform well in Standard over the next few months as the format is unlikely to change until the release of the Sun and Moon base set.
Evolutions is a great set from the perspective of a fan or collector, however from the perspective of a competitive play it doesn’t really offer anything new or exciting. It’s been a while since we’ve had a set release that has done nothing for the meta; the last I can think of would be Call of Legends almost five years ago, so I think it will be interesting to see how this format plays out and whether any new interesting innovations will come about as a result of player ingenuity and metagame development.
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