A Parallel Universe — How Parallel City Dominates the Standard Format

Hello PokeBeach readers! Welcome welcome. It’s nice to be writing again. The last few months have been hectic. Since returning from the World Championships in San Francisco, I’ve begun taking classes towards my graduate degree, I have started teaching again, I threw a Lavender Town themed Halloween party, and I even got my wisdom teeth pulled! I gave myself a much needed break after Worlds and have only participated in two tournaments since then, Philadelphia Regionals and a single League Challenge. However, now that I am fully acclimated to my insane work schedule, I am ready to get back to the Pokemon grind full time.

During any previous year in recent memory, late November would have marked the beginning of City Championships. Unfortunately, Cities are no more. In Cities’ stead we now have the promise of League Cups. Many of my fondest Pokemon memories are from City Championships, so it is my hope that more information will be revealed about League Cups shortly. Until then, it is still in our best interest to fully investigate the Standard format.

Part of what made Cities season so fun was watching the unveiling of the Standard format. I had a blast messing around with [card name=”Magnezone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”54″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Raikou” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Lucario-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card] / Hammers last year before inevitably settling on Night March for the remainder of the season. Cities always brought out creativity in deck builders, and even though we don’t have Cities anymore, Standard is a healthy format ripe for creativity. For those of us who are sick of cards like [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card], Standard has undoubtedly been a breath of fresh air. Although Standard is not without its own issues, like a lack of Trainer-based Tool removal, I have found most games to be fun and engaging with both sides usually allowed an opportunity to execute their strategy. In today’s article I will be analyzing the Standard format, focusing particularly on decks that utilize [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card] to hinder the opponent’s strategy. I have been playing tons of Standard lately, setting aside time to play almost every day for the past few weeks. Even though we have a mix of  Expanded tournaments and Standard tournaments throughout the season, a strong grasp of Standard is essential to a successful competitive year. After all, Standard is our Worlds format! So let’s get down to business.

Standard Deckbuilding

Recently, I’ve been helping my friend Dan Musser, an accomplished Magic the Gathering player, learn the Pokemon TCG. While helping him prepare for his first tournament, Fort Wayne Regionals, he mentioned that it seemed like every Standard deck shared two thirds of the same cards. I laughed a bit and agreed. Almost every deck in Standard starts off with the same cards: four [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”101″ c=”name”][/card], two [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] and two [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] with full suites of [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”110″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card]. With so much rigidity in the way we construct decks, creativity can sometimes suffer. There aren’t a plethora of options available to us in Standard right now, but I wanted to take this opportunity to dig deeper into one card in particular that shapes the way we’ve been building decks lately.

[cardimg name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”100″ align=”right” c=”custom”]Magic Mail![/cardimg]

Trainers’ Mail

Why do we play [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card]? The card is good, no doubt, but it does have a specific purpose. Trainers’ Mail has been a polarizing card since its debut. The card was used in Night March lists last year but was noticeably absent from Nick Robinson’s U.S. National Champion list. Interestingly, Trainers’ Mail was also included in about half of last year’s successful Water Box lists. Remember [card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card]? Do you remember those really early Greninja BREAK lists? Yeah, those used to play Trainers’ Mail too. Trainers’ Mail is kinda like hot sauce, you can put that stuff on anything but that doesn’t necessarily mean it belongs there.

Trainers’ Mail isn’t a Supporter. I wouldn’t even call it a reliable out to a Supporter. Trainers’ Mail is a combo making card. It has the added benefit of being able to grab a Supporter or a [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”110″ c=”name”][/card] in a pinch, but its primary use is to help a deck pull off difficult card combinations. Consequently, Trainers’ Mail is most useful in decks that need to pull off difficult combinations to function. Most Mega Pokemon decks play four copies of Trainers’ Mail because they need to draw into their Spirit Links before they Mega Evolve. The order of things is very important, thus increasing Mails’ value in the deck. If you have a Spirit Link, Mega Pokemon and Trainers’ Mail in your hand with a couple other unplayable cards, you might Trainers’ Mail in hopes of hitting an [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card] so that you can Ultra Ball for a [card name=”Hoopa-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY71″ c=”name”][/card], use Scoundrel Ring and wait for the following turn to play your Spirit Link and Mega Evolution down. If you have a hand with [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”101″ c=”name”][/card], a Mega Evolution and Trainers’ Mail and a board with a Basic Pokemon-EX, you might Mail in hopes of hitting a Spirit Link so that you can Mega Evolve before using Professor Sycamore without ending your turn. Trainers’ Mail offers valuable flexibility to decks that need to pull off rigid combinations in order to run smoothly. In essence, Mail allows you to whiff your combination by a few cards and still piece the combination together!

As I mentioned before, Mail used to see play in early Greninja BREAK lists but was eventually phased out. Players realized that a higher Ball count was just more effective. Why continue to play Mail in hopes of hitting a [card name=”Dive Ball” set=”Primal Clash” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card] when you could just play more Balls? As deck builders, we need to be cognizant of why and how we use every card in our list so that we can optimize the decks we create!

The Play by Play / Mail Misplays

[card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] is also a card that is misused in game all the time. Some players burn the Mail in their hand simply because they are there! There are a lot of times, however, when you want to sit on your Mail instead. To help me through this process, I always ask myself, “What am I looking for?” before playing a Trainers’ Mail. If the answer is, “I don’t need anything,” odds are it may be best to sit on that Mail. Because [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] is an ever present factor in Standard, you need to consider that every Mail in deck increases your odds of hitting a Supporter after your hand is disrupted. I ask myself the same question before playing down [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card], “What do I need to draw into right now that warrants me placing a 110 HP Pokemon-EX onto my Bench?” Will this play help me win? Will this play cause me to lose? This process of self questioning and evaluation becomes quick and automatic the more it is practiced.

A common but small misplay might happen after you play your opening Supporter for the game. Say you use [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”XY” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card] and have drawn into everything you need to properly prepare your board for the second turn of the game, but you don’t have a Supporter in your hand for the following turn! You do have a lone Trainers’ Mail in hand. Anxious to see if you draw out of your predicament, you burn your Mail. This is incorrect for two reasons. One, by burning the Mail, you remove a potential Supporter out from your deck. Even if you find a Supporter, you’re just going to sit there and stare at it while your opponent may very well N that sucker back into your deck. Secondly, playing the Mail will allow you to look at your top four cards of your deck. If you do not find a Trainer, those four cards are shuffled back into your deck and you have to wait until the following turn to see what your top deck is. Since you burned your Mail already, your top deck might be one of the four cards that you already rejected the previous turn during your Trainers’ Mail search. By playing the Mail preemptively, you do not guarantee that you see five unique cards between your draw for turn and Trainers’ Mail play. On the contrary, if you wait to play your Mail, you will draw once for the beginning of the next turn, then play your Mail, resulting in a guaranteed view of five unique cards. This may seem like splitting hairs, but when you take these small odds multiplied over hundreds of games across a career, the little things definitely add up! Be intentional with your Mail!

Sky Field versus Parallel City

[cardimg name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ align=”right” c=”custom”]Parallel Universe![/cardimg]

One of the most defining cards in Standard, as Treynor highlighted in his latest article, is [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card]. The Bench expanding Stadium is the backbone to many potent archetypes including [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Raichu” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC9″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Golbat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”32″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Xerneas” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card]’ Rainbow Road. Sky Field is a powerhouse Stadium because it allows these decks to quickly and consistently maximize their attack damage. To support Sky Field, these archetypes have other blessings such as [card name=”Hoopa-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY71″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card], and the recently released [card name=”Dragonite-EX” set=”Evolutions” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card] which allow players to quickly fill and maintain a full Bench with their powerful search, draw, and recovery Abilities. If that weren’t enough, these decks also have access to Trainer-based Pokemon recovery in the form of [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Buddy-Buddy Rescue” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”135″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Brock’s Grit” set=”Evolutions” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Karen” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY177″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Revive” set=”Evolutions” no=”85″ c=”name”][/card]. It’s no wonder why these decks have been a dominating force in Standard so far, but they are not without their checks and balances.

[card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card]’s dominance has given birth to a whole plethora of archetypes designed specifically to counter them. These decks mostly employ some combination of [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] to limit the opponent’s Bench while also cutting off their access to Abilities. It turns out, Parallel City is every part as potent as Sky Field in Standard. As I predicted last year, Parallel City has grown into a dominating card in its own right, with some matchups heavily swayed by whoever plays down the first Parallel City. When the card first began to see competitive play, it was primarily used to bump [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] from a player’s Bench so that it couldn’t be targeted down by the opponent. Lately, however, Parallel City has been used to limit the opponent’s Bench. Not only does this keep Sky Field abusers in check, it also inhibits any deck that relies on [card name=”Hoopa-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”36″ c=”name”][/card] to set up. If the opponent’s field is limited to three on the first turn of the game, they will not be able to use Hoopa-EX’s Scoundrel Ring Ability to its full potential. An opponent limited by Parallel City may end up using Scoundrel Ring for only two Pokemon instead of three, or skipping the Ability altogether in an attempt to spare their precious Bench space. Similarly, Parallel City also obstructs set up decks like [card name=”Greninja” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card]. The blue side of the Stadium can be used to hack into a field of field of recently Duplicated [card name=”Frogadier” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”39″ c=”name”][/card], limiting the number of [card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card] the opponent can get into play.

Though used considerably less often, the red side of Parallel City boasts its own niche uses. By limiting damage from Water, Fire and Grass types, the red side of the Stadium can put in work against threats like [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card], Greninja, and [card name=”Gyarados” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY60″ c=”name”][/card].

Parallel City in combination with Ability denial has proven to be one of the top strategies in Standard. I’ll even take it one step further and say that Parallel City is the best card in Standard. The only question that remains is, what deck plays Parallel City best?

Yveltal / Garbodor

With Night March out of the picture, [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY150″ c=”name”][/card] is back with a vengeance, punishing anyone who has forgotten just how powerful this card is. Yveltal-EX is unique because it boasts all the tools necessary to be an awesome Big Basic deck without relying on Abilities. Yveltal / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] is the new Big Basics / Garbodor of yesteryear. The Yveltal family, [card name=”Yveltal” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”94″ c=”from”][/card], [card name=”Yveltal” set=”Steam Siege” no=”65″ c=”from”][/card] and [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card], make up a formidable and low maintenance core that is both self sustaining and powerful, perfect for a Garbodor deck. I have experimented with other attackers in search of that perfect Big Basic recipe, but none compare to the utility and efficiency of the Yveltal family. Period.

Y Cyclone puts this deck over the top. While other decks clog up and run poorly under Garbodor’s Garbotoxin, Yveltal-EX nimbly conserves Energy, recycling it to the back of the field for wherever it may be useful next. Not only does this allow the deck to continue pumping out attacks late into the game, it makes Yveltal-EX a more difficult target for [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card] to take down with Psychic Infinity. My list is largely inspired by the list that Azul used to win the Orlando Regional Championship. The only differences between our lists are that I have dropped his pair of [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card] for a fourth [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card] and an [card name=”Umbreon-EX” set=”Fates Collide” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card].

[decklist name=”Yveltal / Garbodor” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY150″][pokemon amt=”13″]3x [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY150″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/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]2x [card name=”Yveltal” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”94″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Yveltal” set=”Steam Siege” no=”65″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Umbreon-EX” set=”Fates Collide” no=”55″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”34″]4x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”XY” no=”122″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”101″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ 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=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/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″ 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=”Diamond and Pearl” no=”129″ c=”deck2″ amt=”9″][/card]4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”90″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

I like the core of Azul’s list because it’s simple. It doesn’t get tricky with with techs or gimmicks, it just combines the inherent strengths of [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY150″ 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]. The [card name=”Umbreon-EX” set=”Fates Collide” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] is here because I anticipate that Mega Pokemon-EX decks will be popular at Fort Wayne. Umbreon-EX gives you an accessible win condition versus some top threats like [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] and the recently hyped [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card]. I opted to run a fourth [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card] to increase the speed and responsiveness of the original list. Missing [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card] can be bad, and with only nine Basic Energy, it happens more than I’d like. A fourth Elixir helps mitigate this weakness, giving us more opportunity to accelerate Energy in spite of Prizes and whiffed Elixir throughout the course of the game.

[premium]

Strengths

[cardimg name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY150″ align=”right” c=”custom”]The new Big Basics / Garbodor.[/cardimg]

[card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY150″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] fares strongest versus Ability based decks like [card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card] while faring even to slightly favorably versus [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”118″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card]. That being said, the thing that makes Yveltal / Garbodor so appealing is that it is the only deck in Standard that can trudge through its bad matchups. This format has a very rock, paper, scissors feel to it, with most decks carrying at least one auto loss to a popular archetype. Yveltal / Garbodor doesn’t fit that mold. Yveltal’s worst matchups, [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Xerneas” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card]’s Rainbow Road, can both be taken down with a quick Garbodor and a well timed [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card]. I’m not calling these matchups favorable, but Yveltal does have options. Additionally, in-game decisions play a good part in overcoming these bad matchups, making Yveltal / Garbodor a popular pick for skilled players.

Yveltal / Garbodor is also one of the most consistent decks in format. Big Basics / Garbodor decks, out of necessity, have always been simple and low maintenance. This deck just works. There is just very little that you need in order to get your game plan rolling. While other decks have to focus on producing Mega Pokemon-EX, this deck is content to attach and attack.

Weaknesses

This list, as I’ve presented it, does have one glaring weakness, [card name=”Jolteon-EX” set=”Generations” no=”28″ c=”name”][/card]. If you are expecting a lot of [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card] Box at Fort Wayne, I would consider fitting a [card name=”Pokémon Ranger” set=”Steam Siege” no=”113″ c=”name”][/card] or a [card name=”Yveltal BREAK” set=”Steam Siege” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card] into the list to deal with the Notorious Eeveelution. Other than Jolteon-EX, this deck doesn’t seem to have any crazy blind spots. With Garbotoxin activated, [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] will not be able to OHKO your Fury Belted [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY150″ c=”name”][/card]. This will allow you to effectively trade 2HKOs. Eventually, either you or Gardevoir will miss an attack due to [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”101″ c=”name”][/card], and if you manage to keep [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] online, odds are it will be them.

Versus Rainbow Road you want to get Garbodor out fast and apply pressure on their [card name=”Xerneas” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card] with Yveltal-EX. Eventually you will have to [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”101″ c=”name”][/card] while dropping a [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card] and hope they can’t respond. Funny as it is, this ends up being your go-to strategy with most Parallel City decks. A perfectly timed Parallel City, Garbodor, and N can easily win games. If you are particularly wary of Rainbow Road, a single [card name=”Jirachi” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY67″ c=”name”][/card] in place of [card name=”Umbreon-EX” set=”Fates Collide” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] can help to slow the opponent down and run them out of Energy so that you can sweep with Yveltal-EX. Jirachi is also useful against Jolteon-EX and [card name=”Raikou” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Electrode” set=”Evolutions” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card], pumping the breaks on cards that could otherwise run your whole team over!

Raikou / Electrode is a fringe deck that has seen success in Europe this weekend. I had this deck sleeved up a month ago and Matt Price did a sweet write up about here. Ultimately I had decided that the deck had too many weaknesses to warrant play. But as it turns out, the deck can do pretty well in a field full of [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY150″ c=”name”][/card] decks! I don’t expect this deck to be all over the place at Fort Wayne, however, it can spell bad news for the Yveltal if you run into it. Jirachi helps here, but so does a turn two Garbotoxin going first. Shut off Electrode’s Buzzap Thunder early and you might be able to KO a couple Raikou and coast in to victory!

One More Thing

Another option worth mentioning is the potential inclusion of [card name=”Mew” set=”Fates Collide” no=”29″ c=”name”][/card] in the deck. Mew is an amazing starter for a [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card] deck with its free Retreat. Mew also gives [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] an out to take down an early [card name=”Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”62″ c=”name”][/card] before Garbodor goes up. If you go second, it’s possible to get a turn one Y Cyclone with Mew to KO an opposing Mewtwo-EX. If you go first, a turn one attachment to Mew will almost always net a turn two KO on an opposing Mewtwo. Many times this loss is too much for a Mewtwo deck to crawl back from. Yveltal / Garbodor decks with Mew included have been doing very well in Europe recently, but it’s not just because Mew is good against Mewtwo, it’s because Mew is just good in general! Using Y Cyclone from a non-EX, bouncing the Energy safely to a target on the Bench is insanely strong. Instead of leaving a Yveltal-EX in the Active to take a hit, you only sacrifice a non-EX while simultaneously preserving your Energy! I have been testing two Mew in this list in place of [card name=”Umbreon-EX” set=”Fates Collide” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] and the fourth [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card].

M Mewtwo-EX / Garbodor

[card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”160″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] is probably my favorite deck in Standard. I played Jimmy Pendarvis‘ list for a “win a trip to Regionals” League Challenge a few weeks ago and placed second, only losing in the finals to another M Mewtwo-EX deck. This list was the same deck piloted by Igor Costa to a Top 8 finish at Orlando Regionals this fall. Between Damage Change, [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] and Psychic Infinity, this deck has the chops to blast through just about anything in Standard, except [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card]. Much to the dismay of our beloved Psychic Cat, there’s nothing M Mewtwo-EX can do to stand up to Despair Ray. In my testing circles, M Gardevoir-EX is the most hyped deck heading into Fort Wayne. This is bad for Mewtwo. This is bad to the point where Grant Manley messaged me and told me to forget about Mewtwo because Mewtwo is dead! Well, that may be the case, but for some of us, we just can’t stop believing. Mewtwo can beat anything else Standard has to offer, so surely it can stomach one bad matchup, right?

[decklist name=”Mega Mewtwo / Garbodor” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”160″][pokemon amt=”13″]3x [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”160″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]4x [card name=”Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”62″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]1x [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/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=”89″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”36″]4x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Supreme Victors” no=”140″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Mewtwo Spirit Link” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”144″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Mega Turbo” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”86″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Shrine of Memories” set=”Primal Clash” no=”139″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/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=”Fates Collide” no=”114″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

This is what I consider to be the quintessential M Mewtwo list, aka, the list everyone should be testing against when trying to get a feeling for this matchup. This only difference between this list and Igor’s Top 8 list is the addition of a [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card] at the expense of one [card name=”Mega Turbo” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card]. Jimmy Pendarvis suggested this change to me because it single-handedly flips [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”118″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] from slightly unfavorable to slightly favorable. As is, this deck has a lot to boast about. It can easily dispose of [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Raichu” set=”XY” no=”43″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Golbat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”32″ c=”name”][/card], Rainbow Road, [card name=”Raikou” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Electrode” set=”Evolutions” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Gyarados” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY60″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”118″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card]. But all this gold is tainted by an autoloss to [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card]. I won’t go into too much detail about this list since Jimmy did a good job of explaining it a month ago here. However, for those of us that consider an autoloss to [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] too much to take handle, I have been working on another Mewtwo list with help from Jimmy Pendarvis. I present to you, Metal Mewtwo!

Metal M Mewtwo-EX / Garbodor

[decklist name=”Metal Mewtwo / Garbodor” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Mewtwo-EX” set=”Evolutions” no=”103″][pokemon amt=”13″]3x [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”160″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Mewtwo-EX” set=”Evolutions” no=”103″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/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]1x [card name=”Magearna-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”75″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”36″]4x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”101″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Olympia” set=”Generations” no=”66″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Mewtwo Spirit Link” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”144″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Mega Turbo” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”86″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]3x [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”11″]7x [card name=”Metal Energy” set=”Diamond and Pearl” no=”130″ c=”deck2″ amt=”7″][/card]4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Fates Collide” no=”114″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

As you can see, this list has traded the traditional [card name=”Shrine of Memories” set=”Primal Clash” no=”139″ c=”name”][/card] / Damage Change tactic for a single Hail Mary play against [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Magearna-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card]. Jimmy and I have been mulling over this list all week and the list has taken off in a bunch of different directions. Jimmy ultimately scrapped [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] in favor of multiple [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card], a [card name=”Cobalion” set=”Steam Siege” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] and another [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card] while I remained more true to the original list by adding just a single Magearna-EX and one [card name=”Olympia” set=”Generations” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card]. The idea behind this is that you can manually power up Magearna-EX’s Soul Blaster to OHKO [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card], then use Olympia to refresh Soul Blaster for another OHKO on the following turn. Now I realize that this isn’t going to work every time, but it does work often enough that you could win a series against Gardevoir because of it. It is very difficult for Gardevoir to OHKO Magearna through her Resistance while Garbotoxin is activated. If things go right, you can take a few Prizes with Magearna and then try to clean up with [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”160″ c=”name”][/card] before you lose!

What’s Good?

[cardimg name=”Mewtwo-EX” set=”Evolutions” no=”103″ align=”right” c=”custom”]So pretty omg![/cardimg]

Having a chance versus [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] is nice. I don’t really feel comfortable going into Fort Wayne with a deck that outright loses to such a high profile matchup. The new [card name=”Mewtwo-EX” set=”Evolutions” no=”103″ c=”name”][/card] is also fun to play around with. Turn one Energy Absorption for a [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”111″ c=”name”][/card] going second is pretty cool and has the potential to stack Energy very quickly. We still have Garbodor here, so Mewtwo maintains a lot of the positive matchups it had before as well.

What’s Bad?

With all that being said, I can’t help but feel like Metal [card name=”Mewtwo-EX” set=”Evolutions” no=”103″ c=”name”][/card] is just a watered down version of the original. Damage Change is one the defining assets of this archetype! It’s noticeable how much quicker these Mewtwo go down as compared to their Damage Changing brothers. I love the artwork on the new Evolutions Mewtwo, I even bought four of them, but after a week of testing I just don’t think that this deck is up to snuff. I wanted to show you guys this list just to let you know where my testing had brought me, and how I  ultimately settled on my top [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card] deck, [card name=”M Scizor-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card].

M Scizor-EX / Garbodor

After weeks of testing, my top [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card] deck has got to be [card name=”M Scizor-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card]. I was initially drawn to this deck because of the obvious, it has an awesome [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] matchup! But after spending some time with it, I realized that the deck had a lot of other benefits as well. [card name=”Shield Energy” set=”Primal Clash” no=”143″ c=”name”][/card] is an amazing card that boosts Mega Scizor’s already respectable 220 HP to new heights. When stacked and combined with [card name=”Reverse Valley” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”110″ c=”name”][/card], Scizor becomes difficult to 2HKO. The discarding effect of Scizor’s Iron Crusher is also devastating for the opponent. So many decks rely heavily on Special Energy, specifically [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Fates Collide” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card].

Now, Scizor isn’t the deck with the most bells and whistles. It’s just a strong and consistent deck that does what it’s supposed to do, forces the opponent into compromising situations and, oh yeah, is completely under the radar again. I put Scizor away shortly after I began testing with it because I ran into a couple [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card] decks online and couldn’t stand taking such a blatant auto loss. Believe me, there is no polishing that matchup. My friends were also able to convince me that Scizor would have problems with [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY150″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] even though I had never actually tested the matchup so I put the deck away. Desperate for a well rounded play for Fort Wayne, I unearthed Scizor to give it a second chance. I pit it against Yveltal / Garbodor, the deck that I consider to be the most well rounded deck in Standard, and Scizor crushed it. I was stunned so I tried again. Got the same results, not even close! With a new lease on life, I started taking Scizor seriously again and this is what I got.

[decklist name=”Mega Scizor / Garbodor” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”M Scizor-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”77″][pokemon amt=”14″]3x [card name=”M Scizor-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Scizor-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”76″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/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]1x [card name=”Cobalion” set=”Steam Siege” no=”74″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”36″]4x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”N” set=”Black and White Black Star Promos” no=”BW100″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Team Flare Grunt” set=”XY” no=”129″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”110″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/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]3x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Mega Turbo” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”86″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ 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=”10″]6x [card name=”Metal Energy” set=”Diamond and Pearl” no=”130″ c=”deck2″ amt=”6″][/card]4x [card name=”Shield Energy” set=”Primal Clash” no=”143″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

I’ve seen a lot of Scizor lists floating around, most with a whole suit of [card name=”Crushing Hammer” set=”Emerging Powers” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card]. You’ll notice immediately that these are absent from my list. I don’t think that Hammers are necessary for a successful list. As you can see here, I have focused entirely on consistency with this list, streamlining the deck so that you should never miss a beat. The objective of this deck is simple, get a [card name=”M Scizor-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] online as soon as possible and start spamming Iron Crusher over and over.

Three Mega Turbo

[cardimg name=”M Scizor-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”77″ align=”right” c=”custom”]Under the radar.[/cardimg]

I’ve seen a lot of [card name=”M Scizor-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] lists skimping out on [card name=”Mega Turbo” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card]. Although it’s true that you only need two Energy to attack here, Turbo is still really important. First of all, it allows you to respond when your back is up against the wall. If your opponent takes a suprise KO on your Active Scizor and you have no Energy on the Bench, you are far more likely to respond with a prompt Iron Crusher to the face if you have more Turbo in deck. I would almost always rather respond with an attack then a bunch of [card name=”Crushing Hammer” set=”Emerging Powers” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] flips and a pass. Let’s face it, our boy Scizor doesn’t do a ton of damage. In order to win, it is imperative that you attack every turn of the game starting on turn two. In addition to this, Turbo allows you to power up Scizor while placing Energy elsewhere on the board, like on [card name=”Cobalion” set=”Steam Siege” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card]. Powering up Cobalion is key to winning so many games. Many games do down just like this, your opponent chews through two [card name=”M Scizor-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card]. You promote Cobalion and [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card] to take a KO, bringing you both to two Prizes. Your opponent whiffs what they need to win and you [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card] for game the following turn. Sometimes Cobalion will go down and that’s fine too! With a higher Turbo count, you are far more likely to have that third Scizor powered up and ready to go at the end of the game then you would otherwise.

And finally, Turbo allows you to make more crafty plays with your Supporters. [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Team Flare Grunt” set=”XY” no=”129″ c=”name”][/card] are both great Supporters in this deck. Chasing a damaged target down with Lysandre is essential to winning games, as is discarding that extra Energy the opponent is using to hang on. These plays are easier to make when you can rest assured that your deck can afford to not manually attach an Energy every turn. If you don’t play enough Mega Turbo, you can’t afford this luxury. Sure enough, you’ll find yourself compromising an optimal play, using [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”XY” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card] just so that you can stay in the game by continuing to find and attach Energy.

One Hex Maniac

As I mentioned earlier, one copy of [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card] makes the difference between a suspect and a solid [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] matchup. It’s not uncommon for a [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] deck to successfully target down your [card name=”Trubbish” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”56″ c=”name”][/card] early. When that happens, you can rely fairly comfortably on your copy of Hex to get you there. Discarding a [card name=”Double Dragon Energy” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card] with Iron Crusher is very good. Beyond that, you can also power up [card name=”Cobalion” set=”Steam Siege” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] or a regular [card name=”Scizor-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] to clean the Giratina up. Giratina hates Cobalion! Giratina-EX cannot OHKO that dude, making him very annoying for the opponent to deal with.

[cardimg name=”Cobalion” set=”Steam Siege” no=”74″ align=”right” c=”custom”]That boi tho![/cardimg]

One Cobalion

I can’t stress it enough, this dude is your best friend. [card name=”Cobalion” set=”Steam Siege” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] makes a great starter, a great finisher, and a great guy just to pick up the slack somewhere in the middle. There isn’t much to do in a [card name=”M Scizor-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] deck. Most of your life is comprised of manually attaching and attacking. The most exciting thing you get to do is get Cobalion out at one point. He is perfect for forcing that seven Prize game. Let’s be honest, three [card name=”M Scizor-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] and a Cobalion is a lot for any deck to chew through. Revenge Blast is a solid attack that tops out at 180 damage when the opponent has taken five Prizes, but most of the time you will probably not be scoring OHKOs with it. Revenge Blast is mostly used to clean up the work that a Scizor already started. By taking a KO with Cobalion and using [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card], you put your opponent on the clock, forcing them to respond immediately, which is difficult to do when [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] is online. Nobody wants to Knock Out Cobalion, but everyone has to deal with it. Once up and rolling he cannot be ignored! Quick Guard is also a great addition to Scizor’s arsenal. If it’s late in the game and you don’t quite have the winning play crafted yet, Quick Guard followed by N gives you a valuable turn to piece together what you need. Quick Guard also comes in handy on the first turn of the game going second. Quick Guard can level the advantage the opponent gained going first by denying them a turn two attack with a Basic Pokemon. From here, Cobalion can be retreated to the Bench the following turn while a Scizor is powered up with [card name=”Mega Turbo” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card] for a turn two Iron Crusher!

Strengths

[card name=”M Scizor-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card]’s strength lies in its typing, [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card]. Scizor’s Metal typing gives you favorable matchups versus [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card], Rainbow Road, [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card] Box. Garbodor and Parallel City sure up your [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] matchup while also forcing other decks into compromising situations. Scizor is good because it’s simple. This format is full of inconsistencies and sometimes a little disruption can go a long way towards accentuating those. Because of Scizor’s disruptive nature, the deck can navigate a number of 50 / 50 matchups fairly well. [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY150″ c=”name”][/card] / Garbodor and [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] both shake down fairly evenly. My personal testing has shown Yveltal / Garbodor to be a favorable matchup for Scizor, but my friends have said otherwise, so I will chalk that up to even for now while I continue to test and tweak my list before this weekend.

Weaknesses

[card name=”M Scizor-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card]’s biggest weakness is that it has a low damage ceiling. Your goal is to 2HKO everything on your opponent’s field while preventing them from 2HKOing you. For this reason I think that a [card name=”Pokémon Center Lady” set=”Flashfire” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card] could be huge in this deck. The whole idea of the deck is to tank hits, and PCL would allow you to do that even better. I could see substituting the [card name=”Team Flare Grunt” set=”XY” no=”129″ c=”name”][/card] for a Pokemon Center Lady in order to improve Scizor’s overall longevity. I’ve also thought about trying [card name=”Max Potion” set=”Emerging Powers” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card] in this list, maybe adding a fourth [card name=”Mega Turbo” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card] to help the deck recover.

[cardimg name=”Pokémon Center Lady” set=”Flashfire” no=”105″ align=”right” c=”custom”]Could be a clutch inclusion.[/cardimg]

As far as matchups go, this deck has a bad [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card] matchup, but truthfully, that deck is horrible. I would not worry about Volcanion. That’s right. Volcanion does not boast one decent matchup in the Standard metagame outside of Scizor. On the contrary, Volcanion regularly gets whooped up on by [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card], Rainbow Road, [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card], all positive matchups for Scizor. The only other matchup that is a little suspect for Scizor is [card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card]. Even though you shut off their Water Shuriken with Garbodor, [card name=”Bursting Balloon” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Faded Town” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”73″ c=”name”][/card] and Moonlight Slash make the deck a challenge to take down. Pokemon Center Lady or [card name=”Max Potion” set=”Emerging Powers” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card] would go a long way towards improving this matchup as well, giving Scizor more survivability in this battle of attrition. As I continue to tweak my list for this weekend, I will continue to mess around with these counts and inclusions in order to figure out which list is optimal and which final draft is worth putting to play.

Conclusion

And there you have it! This is your Parallel Universe. Queue in the song, “Parallel Universe,” by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Parallel City is, in my opinion, the most powerful card in Standard. I suspect that the card will continue to shape the metagame as the year progresses, always finding a use somewhere. These Regional Championships should be the apex of Parallel City’s utility. I expect [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card], Rainbow Road and [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] to be very popular, maximizing the potency of Parallel City, especially for Fort Wayne this weekend.

On a closing note, I hope you all are enjoying your Pokemon Sun and Moon adventures. I am loving the game so far! It’s amazing, my favorite Pokemon game ever made, no competition. The aesthetics are beautiful. The Alolan Pokemon are fantastic. There’s a lot to be excited about in this generation and I can’t wait until some of my favorite Alolan Pokemon are made into cards, specifically Alolan Ninetales or Bewear. Good luck to everyone who is traveling to Regionals this weekend! Wish me luck at Fort Wayne!

Later trainers,

Andrew Mahone

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