“Despair Ray”-tion Tactics — Musings on Mega Gardevoir-EX for Regionals
Hello PokeBeach readers, my name is Brandon Nguyen and I am an aspiring TCG player from the Midwest! I recently attended Regionals in Orlando, FL and saw a lot of decks that stood out from what I had perceived would make up the majority of the meta. [card name=”Volcanion” set=”Steam Siege” no=”25″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”26″ 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], [card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card], Dark Variants ([card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY150″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ 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=”Darkrai-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Mew” set=”Fates Collide” no=”29″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] / Hammers) and Rainbow Road were the main decks that I expected to see at Orlando Regionals. One [card name=”Raichu” set=”Generations” no=”27″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Golbat” set=”Generations” no=”31″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Banette” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”31″ c=”name”][/card] (piloted by Matthew Brower) as well as several [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] decks made Top 32. Out of all of the previously mentioned archetypes, the deck that interested me the most was the [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] deck as that Pokemon has always been one of my favorites in both the trading card game and the video games.
In this article, I plan on discussing the deck in our current Standard format, a variant for Philadelphia Regionals for the Expanded format, and a potential future version for Fort Wayne Regionals that is to feature the new Evolutions set for the Standard format.
Orlando Regionals – October 15th and 16th, 2016
[cardimg name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ align=”right” c=”custom”]Do You Like Darkness?[/cardimg]
All of my testing for the event focused on three decks; [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card], and Dark / Hammers. The night before the event, I spent most of my day in airports and dealing with hotel reservation complications. I heard from various sources of a “secret” deck that everyone was suddenly playing [card name=”Gyarados” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”21″ c=”name”][/card]. I decided against frantically gathering cards from all of my friends from Georgia, Tennessee, and Arkansas to build this secret deck for the event. My logic being that I was unfamiliar with all of the nuances of the deck at the time and was not going to play a deck I’m unfamiliar with for 9 rounds of Swiss. So I stuck with [card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card], a deck with very good odds against most of the decks that I had expected to play against at Orlando.
I ended up 3-6-0 after Day One of Swiss. Normally I would have dropped and gone sight seeing if I were playing in a Midwest event with such a highly negative record. However, I kept playing to make the most of the trip as I had just spent 14 hours total travelling the day before to get to the event. After Day One, I learned that two friends of mine that ended up playing [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] had made Day Two. I extensively talked with Rith Ke, a player from Minnesota, about the deck and how he felt about where it stood in the current Standard format (Primal Clash to Steam Siege). Conceptually, the deck aims to power up a [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] and establish a strong board presence to Knock Out your opponent’s Pokemon in one hit. Below is an example list of such an [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] deck for Primal Clash to Steam Siege.
Primal Clash to Steam Siege M Gardevoir-EX
[decklist name=”Gardevoir PRC-STS Standard” amt=”60″ caption=”Missing 1 Karen” cname=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″][pokemon amt=”17″]4x [card name=”Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”78″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Hoopa-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”36″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]4x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]1x [card name=”Joltik” set=”Steam Siege” no=”41″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Galvantula” set=”Steam Siege” no=”42″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Hawlucha” set=”Steam Siege” no=”97″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”35″]3x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”101″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ 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=”Giovanni’s Scheme” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”162″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x Karen (PRXY #177)4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Flashfire” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Gardevoir Spirit Link” set=”Primal Clash” no=”130″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Mega Turbo” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”86″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Escape Rope” set=”Primal Clash” no=”127″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”8″]8x [card name=”Fairy Energy” set=”XY” no=”140″ c=”deck2″ amt=”8″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
[cardimg name=”Giovanni’s Scheme” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”162″ align=”right” c=”custom”]I’ve Been Scheming on the Low[/cardimg]
Card Inclusions
4 Gardevoir-EX STS and 3 M Gardevoir-EX STS
Most Mega Pokemon-EX decks typically play a 3-3, 4-3, or 4-4 split. I opted for the 4-3 split as it makes it less likely to start [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Hoopa-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”36″ c=”name”][/card] which typically are liabilities to your initial board state when they are your Active Pokemon. I opted for the Link Blast [card name=”Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card] as opposed to the Life Leap [card name=”Gardevoir-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card] as it can help you take out a non-[card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] with a single Double Dragon Energy attached or two Darkness Energy attached in one shot. 3 [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] is a good number since you are not likely to have more than two of them in play at any given state of the game unless it is safe for you to set up three of them all at once.
1 Joltik and 1 Galvantula
This 1-1 [card name=”Galvantula” set=”Steam Siege” no=”42″ c=”name”][/card] evolution line is included in this list to help do Bench snipe damage to either soften up Pokemon with large HP numbers (anything above the 180 HP threshold) or to Knock Out opposing [card name=”Froakie” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY138″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Magikarp” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY143″ c=”name”][/card] to deter your opponent’s set up. An interesting side note about [card name=”Joltik” set=”Steam Siege” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card] is the fact that it has free retreat, which can help with the mobility of the deck to get your [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] into the Active position.
2 Hawlucha
This tech card is a neat inclusion to the [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] deck as its Sudden Cyclone Ability allows you to force your opponent Active Pokemon back to their Bench. This Ability is very useful to force [card name=”Yveltal” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card] out of the Active, which typically is the bane of any Mega Evolution deck as its Fright Night Ability shuts off all Pokemon Tool Cards as long as it is in the Active position. Being able to Mega Evolve into [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] without having to end your turn is ideal and allows you to still establish your board and force your opponent to respond to a bigger threat.
1 Giovanni’s Scheme
This tech Supporter is included to help give your Despair Ray attacks more firepower and allow you to possibly turn a guaranteed two shot Knock Out into a one shot Knock Out without having to discard all of your Benched Pokemon and risk getting Benched Out (losing based on not having any more Pokemon in Play). Note that [card name=”Giovanni’s Scheme” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”162″ c=”name”][/card] only boosts the damage done to your opponent’s Active Pokemon, so do not use it in the event you are going to use [card name=”Galvantula” set=”Steam Siege” no=”42″ c=”name”][/card]’s Double Thread attack.
2 Super Rod and 1 Karen
These cards are included to help you abuse Despair Ray multiple times throughout the game. [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ c=”name”][/card] is nice because it allows you to shuffle more Pokemon to fuel Despair Ray’s damage output without having to use your Supporter for the turn or to recuperate Fairy Energy that have been discarded throughout the game. Karen, a watered down version of the infamous [card name=”Lysandre’s Trump Card” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”118″ c=”name”][/card], shuffles all of the Pokemon in both player’s discard piles back into their decks. Using Karen is okay if you do not need to take a crucial Knock Out on any major Benched threats on your opponent’s board via [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card], limit your opponent’s options with a late game [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card] or a [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card], or take a juicy Knock Out on the Active with a [card name=”Giovanni’s Scheme” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”162″ c=”name”][/card].
Matchups
The decks that will be discussed in this section are four common matchups that you would most likely play in this format.
Darkrai-EX / Giratina-EX / Garbodor – Slightly Favorable
Set up while you can before [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card]’s Garbotoxin Ability can impede your board presence. Take easy Knock Outs on opposing [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Hoopa-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY71″ c=”name”][/card], or [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card]. They will most likely end up having to rely on [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] as their main attacker as you cannot easily one shot it, especially if they have a [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] attached. However, you can take advantage of the fact that [card name=”Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] resist both of [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card]’s attacks, Dark Pulse and Dark Head. Be cautious of the exponential damage output [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] is capable of with [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card] at and [card name=”Double Dragon Energy” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card] attachments throughout the game, especially in the parts where you do not have a [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] set up.
A good example list for this deck can be found here. Shout out to the guys (Rahul Reddy, Ryan Sablehaus, and Brad Curcio) for cooking up this list and taking three of the eight Top Cut spots at Orlando!
Greninja BREAK – Slightly Even
It’s imperative that you try to establish a strong board presence before the onslaught of multiple [card name=”Greninja” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] can appear. Ideally, you should try an get your [card name=”Galvantula” set=”Steam Siege” no=”42″ c=”name”][/card] out so you can get some potential double Knock Outs on any [card name=”Froakie” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”38″ c=”name”][/card] on your opponent’s Bench to prevent them from getting out multiple large HP one prize attackers in the form of [card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card]. If you cannot deter the inevitable set up, you’ll learn quickly just how a single [card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card] can take multiple prizes. A free six damage counters from the Giant Water Shuriken Ability every turn, upwards of 80 damage from Moonlight Slash, and two damage counters in between turns from [card name=”Faded Town” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”73″ c=”name”][/card] (the Stadium card of choice for [card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card] decks in the current Standard) equates to 160 damage without accounting for additional Giant Water Shuriken going into your turn. [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card] can help mitigate some of the potential damage output from [card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card] and possibly allow you to turn the tides.
In my opinion, the best Standard [card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card] list has been made by Travis Nunlist. You can see his thoughts on [card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card] and some other Stage 2 decks in this article.
Volcanion / Volcanion-EX – Slightly Unfavorable
This matchup is rather shaky. [card name=”Volcanion” set=”Steam Siege” no=”25″ c=”name”][/card] can go off on its first turn and continue that momentum throughout the entire game. Abusing the Steam Up Ability of [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card], they can stack up large amounts of damage with a one prize attacker while establishing a strong stable board via Power Heater. Many lists either play [card name=”Faded Town” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”73″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card] which really puts us between a rock and a hard place. You can try your best to slow them down with [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card], but its not ideal. The best approach to this matchup is take cheap Prize cards off of their [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] or hope to hit into non-[card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card]. [card name=”Galvantula” set=”Steam Siege” no=”42″ c=”name”][/card] is interesting in this matchup as it can help you set up potential Knock Outs onto their [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card] with some prior damage, but it also gives them an easy Prize card.
A good reference for [card name=”Volcanion” set=”Steam Siege” no=”25″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card] in the current Standard Format is this article written by Dalen Dockery.
M Mewtwo-EX / Garbodor – Very Favorable
The best matchup for [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] in this format is [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card]. You hit for Weakness and can Knock Out their Mega Evolutions without having to discard any Pokemon off of your Bench. The best approach is to get the most use of your [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] before the inevitable Garbotoxin lock is in Play. Set up as fast as you can and maintain at least two [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] on board at all times. Discard any liabilities that you have on your board with your Despair Ray attacks and just out trade your opponent. The only way that [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card] that remotely come close to beating [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] is if and only if you dead draw for several turns as they build up a high Energy [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card].
Jimmy Pendarvis has a great article that outlines [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] and some other Mega Evolution decks in our current Standard!
Philadelphia Regionals – November 5th and 6th, 2016
I have been pondering of some ways to make [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] somewhat playable in Expanded Format. This format has many more archetypes at its disposal. I feel that [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] can afford to play slower and two shot for your Knock Outs. This current build that I have for [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] in Expanded will focus on attacking for only a single Fairy Energy by abusing the recently rotated [card name=”Dimension Valley” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card]. This list is more of a rough draft than a finalized product. However, I feel that it is a good starting place for the deck in this format. In the event that I could attend this Regionals in Philadelphia, I would highly consider either playing a variant of this list or just stick with classic [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Maxie’s Hidden Ball Trick” set=”Primal Clash” no=”158″ c=”name”][/card].
Expanded M Gardevoir-EX
[decklist name=”Expanded Mega Gardevoir” amt=”60″ caption=”Missing 1 Karen” cname=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″][pokemon amt=”15″]4x [card name=”Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”78″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Hoopa-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”36″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]4x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Exeggcute” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”4″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”38″]3x [card name=”Professor Juniper” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”116″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”N” set=”Black and White Black Star Promos” no=”BW100″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1 “][/card]1x [card name=”AZ” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”117″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x Karen (PRXY #177)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]3x [card name=”Gardevoir Spirit Link” set=”Primal Clash” no=”130″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Max Potion” set=”Emerging Powers” no=”94″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Mega Turbo” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”86″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Escape Rope” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”120″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Dowsing Machine” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”128″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Dimension Valley” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”93″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”7″]7x [card name=”Fairy Energy” set=”XY” no=”140″ c=”deck2″ amt=”7″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
[cardimg name=”Dimension Valley” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”93″ align=”right” c=”custom”]The Realm of Possibilities[/cardimg]
Card Inclusions
4 Dimension Valley, 3 Max Potion, 2 Mega Turbo
[card name=”Dimension Valley” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] allows you to use Despair Ray for a single Energy. Attacking for a single Energy is a luxury that several decks in the Expanded format can afford. This stadium card allows you to abuse a decent damage attack without having to invest too many resources. [card name=”Max Potion” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”103″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Mega Turbo” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card] combo very well with [card name=”Dimension Valley” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card]. Being able to heal off all the damage on a Mega Evolution Pokemon and then reattach the discarded Energy is interesting. It allows you to invest your traditional one Energy card attachment to a different Pokemon while giving you a way to still attack with your freshly healed [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card].
2 Exeggcute
[card name=”Exeggcute” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”4″ c=”name”][/card] combos very well with [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] in the Expanded format. You can abuse the Propagation Ability to fuel the discard costs of [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Dowsing Machine” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”128″ c=”name”][/card], and most importantly Despair Ray. It provides a stable damage boost for Despair Ray without having to reshuffle them back into the deck and re-draw them as you would with [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]. Also, it serves a purpose for resource conservation as they can be abused as many times as you want per turn.
1 Dowsing Machine
There are many viable ACE SPEC cards that you can play in Expanded. I have chosen to play [card name=”Dowsing Machine” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”128″ c=”name”][/card] because it allows you reuse any Trainer card in your discard pile. Need a 5th [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card]? What about another [card name=”Max Potion” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”103″ c=”name”][/card]? There are many cards that you can reuse to your advantage in this deck! It gives you more options and outs to win the game.
Other ACE SPEC cards that you could consider playing over [card name=”Dowsing Machine” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”128″ c=”name”][/card] are [card name=”Computer Search” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Gold Potion” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”140″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Rock Guard” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”108″ c=”name”][/card]. [card name=”Computer Search” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] is easily the most optimal substitute for [card name=”Dowsing Machine” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”128″ c=”name”][/card] as the coveted ACE SPEC position. It allows you to grab any card you need from your deck without having to reveal it to your opponent. It is very helpful in a pinch if you couldn’t get what you exactly needed off a [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card], draws from [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card]’s Set Up Ability, or even off of a draw Supporter. [card name=”Gold Potion” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”140″ c=”name”][/card] is interesting option to allow you to make [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] more bulky and give yourself more chances to Despair Ray with a single [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] rather than switching to a newer one. I wouldn’t put too much stock into [card name=”Gold Potion” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”140″ c=”name”][/card] as your ACE SPEC card, but just wanted to note that it is an option available to you. [card name=”Rock Guard” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”108″ c=”name”][/card], the permanent [card name=”Bursting Balloon” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card], punishes your opponent’s offense while allowing you to get easier Knock Outs with additional damage placed by the effect of this particular ACE SPEC. It isn’t as big of an issue in Expanded due to the presence of Tool removal, but is a very rogue option that could possibly played in this variant.
Matchups
[cardimg name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ align=”right” c=”custom”]Time for Some Spooky Plays[/cardimg]
The decks included in this section are decks that should see some sort of play at Philadelphia. This article written by Eric Gansman does a great job of metagaming for this upcoming event! This deck has the potential to be good in Expanded, but is not fully documented at the moment. Anyways, let’s dive into the matchups!
Dark Variants – Slightly Even
The bread and butter of the Expanded Format. Whenever the Expanded Format is being discussed, Dark is always a contender to win it all. There are two primary approaches to playing Dark in Expanded, [card name=”Maxie’s Hidden Ball Trick” set=”Primal Clash” no=”158″ c=”name”][/card]/ [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] and Turbo Dark. Both decks have the capability of beating every other deck as they have the most options to deal with everything place in the Expanded format. We will go over both matchups in this section, but let’s start with Maxie’s Yveltal.
The Maxie’s build, highlighted by Treynor Wolfe and his Madison Regionals Champion List, plays [card name=”Archeops” set=”Noble Victories” no=”67″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Gallade” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”84″ c=”name”][/card] which are brought out into Play via [card name=”Maxie’s Hidden Ball Trick” set=”Primal Clash” no=”158″ c=”name”][/card]. They will abuse the Ancient Power Ability of [card name=”Archeops” set=”Noble Victories” no=”67″ c=”name”][/card] and Fright Night Ability of [card name=”Yveltal” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card] to prevent you from Mega Evolving your [card name=”Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card]. These two Pokemon alone can shut down our entire game plan, so be prepared to play [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card] to work around these hurdles. It doesn’t help that they play both [card name=”Silent Lab” set=”Primal Clash” no=”140″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card]. One shuts off our Abilities that help us set up our board and the other limits out damage output. Between the two Stadium cards, I’d prefer [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card] to be in Play over [card name=”Silent Lab” set=”Primal Clash” no=”140″ c=”name”][/card] as we can still use our Abilities to get our board set up. However, you can win the Stadium war if you force your opponent to play them first. Maxie’s Yveltal has a better matchup against [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] than its counterpart, Turbo Dark, however it is not impossible. You resist their attacks. You have forms of healing that can mitigate the snipe damage from Pitch Black Spear and Night Spear. Evil Ball does not do too much damage given that you are only attacking for a single Energy! Just hope you can go first or that they miss the turn one [card name=”Archeops” set=”Noble Victories” no=”67″ c=”name”][/card] and this matchup can swing more favorably for [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card].
Turbo Dark features [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Dark Patch” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] which can build up a lot of Energy on turn one for massive damage with Dark Pulse. Some builds include [card name=”Hypnotoxic Laser” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] to help rack up more damage! This deck is very aggressive and can out pace you. This matchup is very hard if you cannot keep up. Well-timed [card name=”Max Potion” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”103″ c=”name”][/card] will help keep us in the game. Play them only when necessary! You’ll also need to be wary of [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] as you cannot one shot them. If you can take a cheap Knock Outs on any [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] or any of the deck’s other attackers ([card name=”Yveltal” set=”XY” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Yveltal” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card], or [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card]) that have some Energy cards attached, go for it. This approach ultimately gives your [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] more longevity against [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] as you are reducing their overall damage output. Resistance plays a small role in this matchup, but can make the difference if they whiff an attachment with [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Dark Patch” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card].
Item Lock- Very Unfavorable
Another popular strategy in Expanded is item lock. There are several archetypes that revolve around this strategy in the Expanded format ([card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Trevenant BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card] Toolbox, and [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] variants). Item lock is ridiculously strong, especially against Mega Evolution decks as Item cards are essential to their set up. I’ll be going over [card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Trevenant BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card] first, followed by [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card] toolbox, and lastly [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] / Bats. The best approach to countering this strategy is going first and using as many Item cards as you can before they establish their respective locks!
[card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Trevenant BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card] is not an impossible matchup as you can easily knock them out. The issue is whether or not you can go first or they whiff the turn one lock. Aaron Tarbell’s list from Florida Regionals (2015-2016 season) is one of the most consistent lists that I have ever played. It hardly ever misses the turn one lock if you happen to go first with it. Being able to grab a [card name=”Jirachi-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] with an [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card] to use Stellar Guidance or just using [card name=”Computer Search” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] for [card name=”Wally” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card] the turn one [card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] is powerful. If this happens, it can be very hard to counter unless you are able to set up without the aid of Item cards. Your best chances of winning are going to be taking easy prizes from any of their benched [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Jirachi-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] as well as taking out any of their highly invested [card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Trevenant BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card].
Sam Hough took Worlds 2016 by storm with his innovative [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Ninja Boy” set=”Steam Siege” no=”103″ c=”name”][/card] Toolbox deck (affectionately referred to as Sammybox). It didn’t take too long for players to adjust the deck for the Expanded format. It had a popular showing at Arizona Regionals and could keep seeing play due to its strength as a lock deck with several situational attackers ([card name=”Jolteon-EX” set=”Generations” no=”28″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Glaceon-EX” set=”Fates Collide” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Aegislash-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”65″ c=”name”][/card]) coupled with [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card]’s Irritating Pollen Ability. In this matchup, their best attacker is [card name=”Glaceon-EX” set=”Fates Collide” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] due to its Crystal Ray attack preventing all damage done to [card name=”Glaceon-EX” set=”Fates Collide” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] by Evolution Pokemon which would include [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card]. The only outs to this Crystal Ray lock are [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card] and a combo involving [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Escape Rope” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”120″ c=”name”][/card]. Conserving these resources will be important in this particular matchup. AZ presents another problem. As it stands, our build is set to two shot opposing Pokemon that have more than 150 HP. With AZ, your opponent can returned a damaged Pokemon-EX on the brink of death to their hand and replay it without risk of giving you any Prizes. It can be an uphill battle, but [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] can potentially pull through for us. An interesting tech card for this sort of matchup is [card name=”Pokémon Ranger” set=”Steam Siege” no=”113″ c=”name”][/card] as it removes the effect of Crystal Ray, however it isn’t enough as we cannot one shot the [card name=”Glaceon-EX” set=”Fates Collide” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] without playing the [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card] variant.
The last item lock deck to be assessed is [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card]. Pokebeach Writer Eric Gansman took the deck to a Top Four finish at Arizona regionals this year and his most recent list can be found here. There are other [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] decks in Expanded, but I will only talk about [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] /[card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card] due to its popularity and viability in comparison to the other builds. The deck puts on so much pressure with the Quaking Punch lock, additional damage from Surprise Bite [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card], Sneaky Bite [card name=”Golbat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”32″ c=”name”][/card], and poison from [card name=”Hypnotoxic Laser” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card], and shutting down Abilities with [card name=”Silent Lab” set=”Primal Clash” no=”140″ c=”name”][/card]. This combination is the worst for [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card]. Healing in the form of [card name=”Super Scoop Up” set=”Diamond and Pearl” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] is deadly and ultimately spells the loss for us. Imagine getting a [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] just short of a Knock Out, they play this flip based healing card and get “Heads”. Everything you worked so hard for… gone. This deck is the perhaps the worst matchup for [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] to face off against in a series. Making room for a [card name=”Pokémon Ranger” set=”Steam Siege” no=”113″ c=”name”][/card] would be very helpful in this matchup. Approach this matchup as you would do with the other item lock decks and also hope for them to just flip “Tails” whenever they play one of their [card name=”Super Scoop Up” set=”Diamond and Pearl” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Hypnotoxic Laser” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card].
M Manectric EX / Garbodor – Slightly Even
With the success of [card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card] from Arizona Regionals, many players are looking to [card name=”M Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”24″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Legendary Treasures” no=”68″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC11″ c=”name”][/card] as a counter to the Shuriken spamming Frog. This older article has an example list of the deck, but it has not been adjusted for the additions from all the sets following Ancient Origins. So this is a very limited reference, but it is still a decent skeleton list to consider for this archetype. A [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC11″ c=”name”][/card] start doesn’t entirely spell doom for you as you can still use Scoundrel Ring to get all of your Pokemon-EX out into play, but it isn’t the most helpful to you either as you cannot use Set Up to draw more cards or Propagation to fuel all of your discard cost Item cards. I feel that this matchup boils down to who can conserve their healing cards and get more Knock Outs with their respective Mega Evolution Pokemon-EX. Some benefits that [card name=”M Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”24″ c=”name”][/card] has over [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] is that it has a better Basic Pre-Evolution ([card name=”Manectric-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”23″ c=”name”][/card]) and free retreat. They can freely cycle in between attackers and can use a one prize attacker to take Knock Outs after using a Turbo Bolt or Assault Laser to soften up your [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card]. Also, they have the benefit of Ability lock without having to expend a Supporter for the turn. This means you are less likely to use Despair Ray for more than the base 110 damage, but you can still one or two shot every one of their Pokemon regardless.
Fort Wayne Regionals – November 26th and 27th, 2016
With recent changes in set legality, the Evolutions expansion (set to release November 2nd,2016) will be legal for Fort Wayne Regionals this year. Before the overhaul on the Pokemon Tournament structure, Regionals used to be held in the Autumn (October), Winter (Feburary), and Spring (May) and new sets were always legal for the last weekend of the Regionals block. This set features over 100 new cards that can possibly change the Standard format in drastic ways. The cards that stand out the most from this set are Dragonite-EX and Rattata, but you can view the scans and translations for the entire set here. Let’s explore what the [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] deck gains from Evolutions and how to incorporate those cards into a working decklist for this updated format!
Primal Clash to Evolutions Standard M Gardevoir-EX
[decklist name=”Future M Gardevoir” amt=”55″ caption=”Missing 1 Karen, 5 Free Slots” cname=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″][pokemon amt=”14″]4x [card name=”Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”78″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Hoopa-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”36″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]4x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]1x [card name=”Hawlucha” set=”Steam Siege” no=”97″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”34″]3x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”N” set=”Black and White Black Star Promos” no=”BW100″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”104″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Giovanni’s Scheme” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”162″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x Karen (PRXY #177)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=”Gardevoir Spirit Link” set=”Primal Clash” no=”130″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Escape Rope” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”120″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Mega Turbo” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”86″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”2″][/card]4x [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”7″]7x [card name=”Fairy Energy” set=”Generations” no=”83″ c=”deck2″ amt=”7″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
Free Slots: 5
Card Inclusions
2 Dragonite-EX from Evolutions – Absolute Must
This amazing new card from Evolutions allows us to recycle any two Basic Pokemon except Dragonite-EX from our discard pile. Basic non-EXs or Pokemon-EXs can come back into the fray via its Pull Up Ability. This card allows us to continuously utilize other basic Pokemon to help us set up ([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]) or to disrupt using [card name=”Hawlucha” set=”Steam Siege” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card] or Rattata from Evolutions. Dragonite-EX combos very well with [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card] decks like Rainbow Road, [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card]. The strength of this card’s Ability comes from being able to immediately grab any two Basic Pokemon (excluding Dragonite-EX) without having to play [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ c=”name”][/card] or Karen to put those Pokemon back into the deck and then searching them out again via [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card].
1 Rattata from Evolutions – Absolute Must
When rotation was announced for the 2016-2017 Season, we lost both non-attack forms of Tool removal in the format ([card name=”Startling Megaphone” set=”Flashfire” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”110″ c=”name”][/card]). This loss meant that any attached Pokemon Tools would remain in Play once they were used, excluding those Tool cards that have effects that discard themselves ([card name=”Klefki” set=”Steam Siege” no=”80″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Bursting Balloon” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card]). Rattata from Evolutions brings us a form of Tool removal without having to commit to using an attack in its Ability, Mischievous Fang. Unfortunately, it is an Ability that only gets shut off by Garbotoxin. Rattata is not a perfect [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] counter, but it is a good stalling tactic if you can keep removing any [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] or any other tool your opponent tries to play down on their [card name=”Trubbish” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”56″ c=”name”][/card]. However, Rattata is a very good card that can remove any other Tool cards attached to any other played Pokemon in this format!
2 Tech Cards – Pick and Choose
After making the new additions from Evolutions, there are still two empty slots for some additional tech cards that can help you in certain situations. The first two cards that I would like to suggest for the remaining two slots are 1 [card name=”Joltik” set=”Steam Siege” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card] and 1 [card name=”Galvantula” set=”Steam Siege” no=”42″ c=”name”][/card]. This 1-1 evolution line serves the same exact purpose as it did when we ran them for the Primal Clash to Steam Siege Standard format. They can Bench snipe and take essential Knock Outs on [card name=”Froakie” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”38″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Magikarp” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY143″ c=”name”][/card] as well as soften up Pokemon with larger HP numbers to make our Despair Ray guaranteed Knock Outs on big threats.
Following similar logic as playing the 1-1 [card name=”Galvantula” set=”Steam Siege” no=”42″ c=”name”][/card] evolution line, we could consider playing one [card name=”Hoopa” set=”Steam Siege” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card]. It is slightly weaker against [card name=”Froakie” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY138″ c=”name”][/card], but it can still take Knock Outs on [card name=”Magikarp” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY143″ c=”name”][/card] (assuming they have prior damage from the effect of [card name=”Team Magma’s Secret Base” set=”Double Crisis” no=”32″ c=”name”][/card]). It can also soften up bigger HP Pokemon to make it easier to take Knock Outs with Despair Ray. A minor concern with this tech card is its larger Retreat cost of Two Energy. If you consider running [card name=”Hoopa” set=”Steam Siege” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card], I would consider running another switching card to give yourself more mobility ([card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Escape Rope” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”120″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Switch” set=”HeartGold and SoulSilver” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card], or [card name=”Olympia” set=”Generations” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card]).
We can also consider teching in [card name=”Absol” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] for its Cursed Eyes Ability. If you are forced to hit into something that you cannot Knock Out in a single attack ([card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] 180 HP Pokemon-EX or larger HP Mega Evolution Pokemon-EX), you can move three damage counters from that Pokemon to another to make a second target for yourself when you eventually Knock Out the first threat on the board. You can prioritize taking out the things that can deter your ideal board. Cursed Eyes is a cute tech Ability can hinder an unprepared opponent as they will try to just remove the thing you can threaten a Knock Out on from the Active position. You open up more plays for yourself and can swing the game in your favor. An interesting thing to note is that Cursed Eyes goes through [card name=”Mr. Mime” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card]’s Bench Barrier Ability (as Cursed Eyes is an Ability and it involves damage counters, not damage). [card name=”Mr. Mime” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card] is a popular tech card in [card name=”Gyarados” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”21″ c=”name”][/card] as it prevents Bench snipe attacks like [card name=”Galvantula” set=”Steam Siege” no=”42″ c=”name”][/card]’s Double Thread or [card name=”Spinda” set=”Primal Clash” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card]’s Uproar that threaten Knock Outs on their [card name=”Magikarp” set=”Generations” no=”22″ c=”name”][/card], the source of that deck’s damage output.
[card name=”Pokémon Ranger” set=”Steam Siege” no=”113″ c=”name”][/card] is another card to consider for finishing up the deck. It eliminates all effects of attacks on each player’s Pokemon. The attacks that are most relevant in the Standard format that applies an effect are the following: Chaos Wheel, Shadow Stitching, Crystal Ray, and Flash Ray. The attacks that are the most problematic for [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] are [card name=”Glaceon-EX” set=”Fates Collide” no=”116″ c=”name”][/card]’s Crystal Ray and [card name=”Greninja” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card]’s Shadow Stitching. These attacks prevent us from attacking with [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] effectively by blocking any damage done by it or not allowing up to re-establish a large enough Bench to take crucial Knock Outs on their attackers. With the inclusion of [card name=”Pokémon Ranger” set=”Steam Siege” no=”113″ c=”name”][/card], we can avoid these sort of situations and keep pushing ahead in the game.
[card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card] seems counter intuitive considering it limits our damage output. However, this change allows us to discard some of our set up Pokemon and focus on just maintaining more attackers throughout our games. This stadium would replace the [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card] stadiums that we currently play in the list. Reducing our Bench in any sort of way can limit the total amount of liabilities present on our board at any given time. [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card] also helps us in certain matchups like [card name=”Volcanion” set=”Steam Siege” no=”25″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”26″ 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], [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Xerneas” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card] (Rainbow Road). Limiting your opponent’s options is always a good way of making the game more favorable for yourself and you can cap their damage output to guarantee that you win the game.
Matchups
I covered a a decent number of matchups in the previous section on the Primal Clash to Steam Siege build of this deck. I will discuss some of the matchups that might be more prevalent with newer inclusions from Evolutions.
The Sky Field Decks – Very Unfavorable
Rainbow Road and [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] both get better with Dragonite-EX from Evolutions. It allows them to recover from [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card] plays more easily and immensely rebuilds their damage cap. They can out damage you and set up faster than you. They operate quite similarly to one another and can easily overwhelm you if they get their ideal two turns. It is very hard to overcome this kind of immediate pressure, especially if you have to face off against [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] as they can threaten one hit Knock Outs, while you cannot. [card name=”Xerneas” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card] is also tough for us, since they only give up a single Prize. These matchups are not impossible but are very hard to overcome given our current build. The best build of [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] that could come close to contesting these two decks would be a list containing [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card] and perhaps [card name=”Pokémon Catcher” set=”Kalos Starter Set” no=”36″ c=”name”][/card] that can bring up Pokemon like [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Hoopa-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY71″ c=”name”][/card] that [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] can Knock Out with ease.
Yveltal-EX / Garbodor – Slightly Favorable
[card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] just came off a Regionals win in Orlando. Even without gaining anything spectacular from Evolutions, it has strong plays and options against almost every deck in Standard. It has [card name=”Yveltal” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY06″ c=”name”][/card] for recovering Energy from the discard and softening up Pokemon for future Knock Outs with giant Evil Ball attacks or conservative Y-Cyclone attacks. [card name=”Yveltal” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card] is amazing as its Fright Night Ability hinders decks that rely on Pokemon Tool cards (particularly Mega Evolution Pokemon-EX decks such as [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card]) and can do a lot of spread damage with Pitch Black Spear. This deck as a lot of options and can outplay almost anything. However, our biggest advantages in this matchup stem from our resistance to Darkness Type Pokemon and our ability to take easy Knock Outs on the non-EX [card name=”Yveltal” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY06″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Yveltal” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card] that they will use while building up a big [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] with a lot of Energy attachments. [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] slightly hinders our set up if it comes out, but can easily dealt with via [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card]. Also, we can afford to take two hit Knock Outs on [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card]
The best reference for this deck is Azul Garcia Griego’s list from Orlando Regionals. It exemplifies the true power of [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card], being one of the best cards in between both formats. It is a very thorough list that I would consider to be the best “stress” test for any deck to face off against when you are considering decks for a tournament.
Final Thoughts
Well, that’s everything I have to say about [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”112″ c=”name”][/card] for the time being. I hope you enjoyed reading my thoughts on the deck. I would really appreciate any feedback that you might have for me. Feel free to discuss with me in the comments section of this post!
I am super stoked for Fort Wayne Regionals and hope to see a lot of people there! Feel free to talk with me if you see me.
Ciao!
Brandon