Thunderstruck — Raikou / Electrode for Fort Wayne Regionals
Hey everybody! With Philadelphia in the books, the next big event is Fort Wayne Regionals at the end of the month. Everyone will be switching gears from Expanded to Standard, which means a lot of time will be spent refining deck lists and making some predictions on what the meta will be like. With Fort Wayne on the same weekend as Thanksgiving and Black Friday, I unfortunately won’t be able to attend.
After some time looking through my cards, I found something that seemed like it could be fun. What I found was the new [card name=”Electrode” set=”Evolutions” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] from Evolutions, which is a card I’ve liked ever since it was first leaked. While it has been changed a bit in translation, I think it is still a very powerful card that shouldn’t be overlooked. The biggest hurdle for making this card viable was that there aren’t many good Pokemon to partner with it. Either the damage output wasn’t worth it or the Energy cost was too much even with the help of [card name=”Electrode” set=”Evolutions” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card]. In the end, I decided to partner it with [card name=”Raikou” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] since it has the highest damage potential, best survivability, and overall the most consistent damage output of any Lightning Pokemon.
[card name=”Raikou” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] has been one of my favorite cards to be released in recent memory. From its HP to its Ability to its Retreat Cost, [card name=”Raikou” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] has a lot going for it. Everything about this card screams potential. Unfortunately, the partner it was given in the same set, [card name=”Magnezone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”54″ c=”name”][/card], is not really a viable option with [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] running around and several decks able to chain [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card] in order to deny your Energy acceleration. The good news is that [card name=”Raikou” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] has seen some new life breathed into it in Expanded as seen in Sam Chen’s [card name=”Raikou” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Eelektrik” set=”Noble Victories” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] deck from Philadelphia.
I think that [card name=”Electrode” set=”Evolutions” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] is going to be able to give some life to [card name=”Raikou” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] in Standard as well. Standard is a slower format without cards like [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] to burn through your deck quickly, which means that slower decks have a chance to hang in the meta as long as they can keep up in the late game. With some help from Andrew Mahone and our friend Dimitri, we took the skeleton of an old [card name=”Raikou” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card] deck and repurposed it into a [card name=”Raikou” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Electrode” set=”Evolutions” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] variant. After some careful thought and testing, this is the list that we ended up with.
Raikou / Electrode
[decklist name=”Raikou/Electrode” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Raikou” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”55″][pokemon amt=”12″]4x [card name=”Raikou” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”55″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Electrode” set=”Evolutions” no=”40″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Voltorb” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”21″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”106″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Mew” set=”Fates Collide” no=”29″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Jolteon-EX” set=”Generations” no=”28″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”37″]4x [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”101″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Skyla” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”122″ 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=”Fates Collide” no=”113″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Puzzle of Time” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”109″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Exp. Share” set=”Next Destinies” no=”87″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Escape Rope” set=”Primal Clash” no=”127″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”11″]11x [card name=”Lightning Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”94″ c=”deck2″ amt=”11″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
This is the final list that we were able to come up with. Overall, it does exactly what it needs to do and does so consistently. There are a few options I think could be explored, but the deck is extremely tight, making it difficult to add in everything we want. As a result, I had to make some cuts and leave out cards that I really wanted to include.
Honorable Mentions
Before I go over some of the card choices for the deck, I’d like to go ahead and tell you about the cards I’ve considered for the deck but simply couldn’t find the room for. I think that the deck could be reworked to incorporate some of these, but there would have to be a complete overhaul of the list or a lot of corners would have to be cut.
Ace Trainer
[cardimg name=”Ace Trainer” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”69″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
Boy do I love the idea of [card name=”Ace Trainer” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”69″ c=”name”][/card] in this deck. The main strength of [card name=”Ace Trainer” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”69″ c=”name”][/card] is that you are already giving up Prizes with [card name=”Electrode” set=”Evolutions” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card], and in the early game, you’re likely to fall behind a Prize or two. [card name=”Ace Trainer” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”69″ c=”name”][/card] gives you a way to disrupt your opponent early on while refreshing your hand, which helps this deck keep up with faster decks like [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card]. Blowing up your [card name=”Electrode” set=”Evolutions” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] and hitting your opponent with an [card name=”Ace Trainer” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”69″ c=”name”][/card] on the second turn puts you at a huge advantage as you are accelerating Energy and disrupting your opponent’s hand. The downside to [card name=”Ace Trainer” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”69″ c=”name”][/card] is that one-of Supporters are difficult to utilize in Standard without cards like [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Jirachi-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card]. To maximize your odds of having it when you want it, you should play multiple copies of [card name=”Ace Trainer” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”69″ c=”name”][/card]. The problem with that is that it is a dead card if no Prizes have been taken or if you’re ahead on Prizes, which is not optimal in the early game when you are attempting to set up multiple [card name=”Raikou” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] with [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card].
Rough Seas / Other Stadiums
This is probably the biggest want for the deck. Having a counter Stadium available is always good, especially with the variety of Stadiums being played in Standard right now. The most compatible Stadium for this deck would have to be [card name=”Rough Seas” set=”Primal Clash” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] since almost all of your Pokemon (sans [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Mew” set=”Fates Collide” no=”29″ c=”name”][/card]) can take advantage of it. It increases your [card name=”Raikou” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card]’s survivability, which will help you keep up in the Prize-trade. Stadiums are one of the most important tools of several decks such as [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”112″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card], so having a counter Stadium available can be crucial to disrupting their strategies. [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card] is a just as, if not more, reasonable to include since it has a more potent effect that can be played defensively as well as offensively. Two copies of any Stadium would be ideal to consistently draw into them as well as more effectively counter any Stadium your opponent has.
Energy Switch
[card name=”Energy Switch” set=”Legendary Treasures” no=”112″ c=”name”][/card] is one of my favorite cards to play. It creates so many opportunities to bring in new attackers, keep Energy on the board and more consistently get attackers powered up and ready to go. It also lets you play your Energy less carefully. You can attach an Energy to something and [card name=”Energy Switch” set=”Generations” no=”61″ c=”name”][/card] it off later onto a more desirable target once you can get it into play. It pairs well with [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card] since you can get Energy from the Bench onto your Active for another way to get an attack off on the first turn. [card name=”Raikou” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] specifically benefits a lot from [card name=”Energy Switch” set=”Legendary Treasures” no=”112″ c=”name”][/card] since its damage increases based on how much Energy is attached to it. In the late game, a few clutch [card name=”Energy Switch” set=”Legendary Treasures” no=”112″ c=”name”][/card] can build up a big [card name=”Raikou” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] to get the last KO you need to win the game. Normally I wouldn’t want to play any less than four [card name=”Energy Switch” set=”Legendary Treasures” no=”112″ c=”name”][/card], but since this particular list plays [card name=”Puzzle of Time” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Skyla” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Electrode” set=”Evolutions” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card], three or even two copies is all that’s needed.
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Card Choices
2-2 Electrode
A 2-2 line of [card name=”Electrode” set=”Evolutions” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] seems to be just right. Originally I had three [card name=”Voltorb” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”21″ c=”name”][/card] in the list, which was nice since starting Voltorb isn’t a big deal and it allows you to naturally draw in it more often without relying on [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Fates Collide” no=”113″ c=”name”][/card] to fetch them from the deck. Having [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Fates Collide” no=”113″ c=”name”][/card] available to get [card name=”Electrode” set=”Evolutions” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card], and your other Pokemon is nice. The decision to go down to two Voltorb really came down to the fact that you’ll never use more than two [card name=”Electrode” set=”Evolutions” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] in a game. Usually you only use one [card name=”Electrode” set=”Evolutions” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] a game at some point, making three Voltorb unnecessary. You also don’t really need [card name=”Electrode” set=”Evolutions” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] until the mid game for the most point and getting a quick Buzzap Thunder off isn’t really a priority. The third Voltorb just clogs up the deck more than anything else. From all the testing I’ve done with the deck, a 2-2 line is sufficient to the role that [card name=”Electrode” set=”Evolutions” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] plays in the deck.
One Mew, One Jolteon-EX
[cardimg name=”Electrode” set=”Evolutions” no=”40″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
Both [card name=”Mew” set=”Fates Collide” no=”29″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Jolteon-EX” set=”Generations” no=”28″ c=”name”][/card] serve more or less the same purpose in this deck. The main draw for each of them is their free Retreat. If you start with either of them, you’re more likely than not going to get a Thunder Lance off on the first turn. They both give you an easy target to promote after a KO too since you can get a few [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card] off on a fresh [card name=”Raikou” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] and easily get it into the Active without any issues. They also add some more versatility to the deck. [card name=”Mew” set=”Fates Collide” no=”29″ c=”name”][/card] essentially acts as a fifth [card name=”Raikou” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] that can hit for Weakness against [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Hoopa-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”36″ c=”name”][/card] for easy Prizes. [card name=”Jolteon-EX” set=”Generations” no=”28″ c=”name”][/card] can give you an edge against any deck that only run Basic Pokemon and buys you a few extra turns to set up another [card name=”Raikou” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] if needed. [card name=”Mew” set=”Fates Collide” no=”29″ c=”name”][/card] can utilize Flash Ray as well as Thunder Lance, making it the one of the most important assets to the deck. A second [card name=”Mew” set=”Fates Collide” no=”29″ c=”name”][/card] would be a reasonable addition to the deck to increase your odds of starting with it.
Four N, Three Professor Sycamore
Most decks in Standard and Expanded usually play more [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”XY” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card] than [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card] simply for the draw power. Here I think that four copies of N really help more than [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”XY” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card] does. You have a lot of resources that you need to keep around throughout the game. Keeping Energy in the deck for your [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card] and not discarding [card name=”Electrode” set=”Evolutions” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] too early are a couple of examples of why shuffle draw is better in this case. N also partners well with [card name=”Electrode” set=”Evolutions” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] since you can artificially make your N more powerful by forcing your opponent to take Prizes. This can be game changing to have an N available at many different points in the game. We still play three [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”XY” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card] simply because having the option for a strong consistent draw is too good to pass up. There are times when you just need to kick it into high gear and draw as many resources as you can and [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”XY” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card] is going to be your go-to guy in those cases.
One Skyla
[card name=”Skyla” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”134″ c=”name”][/card] is one of those cards I’ve never really liked. It’s hard to deny the fact that it’s a good card. Trading a card for any Trainer in your deck is very powerful, but it always felt underwhelming to me. As the format has changed and formed into what we have now, [card name=”Skyla” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”134″ c=”name”][/card] has become more and more obsolete as the format has sped up so much. It’s just been too slow for the format. So, why is it in the deck? Well, once [card name=”Puzzle of Time” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] was released, [card name=”Skyla” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”134″ c=”name”][/card] became slightly more viable. It allows you to grab a [card name=”Puzzle of Time” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] from the deck so that you can pull off a play where you have two [card name=”Puzzle of Time” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] in hand. [card name=”Teammates” set=”Primal Clash” no=”141″ c=”name”][/card] kind of outclassed [card name=”Skyla” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”134″ c=”name”][/card] since it could grab any two cards, not just Trainers, and made the double [card name=”Puzzle of Time” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] play more likely. I believe that any deck that plays [card name=”Puzzle of Time” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] should also play either [card name=”Skyla” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”134″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Teammates” set=”Primal Clash” no=”141″ c=”name”][/card] in order to maximize the chance that you’ll get to play two at once. [card name=”Skyla” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”134″ c=”name”][/card] just seems to fit in better here. Your [card name=”Raikou” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] are very bulky with its Ability and [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card], making them more difficult to KO. It’s harder to rely on [card name=”Teammates” set=”Primal Clash” no=”141″ c=”name”][/card] every turn like Night March does, and it doesn’t work with [card name=”Electrode” set=”Evolutions” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] either. [card name=”Skyla” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”134″ c=”name”][/card] just works better for the needs of the deck.
Two Exp. Share, Two Fighting Fury Belt
The Tools in this deck are open for discussion on how many of each should be played. A third [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] would be great since having a massive one-Prize attacker front and center is the ideal scenario. As important as [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] is to the deck, [card name=”Exp. Share” set=”Primal Clash” no=”128″ c=”name”][/card] is just as important. [card name=”Exp. Share” set=”Primal Clash” no=”128″ c=”name”][/card] allows you to chain [card name=”Raikou” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] and keep Energy on the board. As good as [card name=”Raikou” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] is, it does require three Energy to attack, which is a hefty cost. [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Electrode” set=”Evolutions” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Exp. Share” set=”Primal Clash” no=”128″ c=”name”][/card] all come together to give your strategy life and keep your attackers coming. The main problem is that you want both Tools attached to your [card name=”Raikou” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] but at different times. It can be difficult to decide which would be better to attach and that decision can come back to bite you later on in the game. Depending on how important you think each Tool is will decide how many of each you play. For me, they are equally as needed, but I lean more towards a higher count of [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card]. With that said, I still think that two [card name=”Exp. Share” set=”Primal Clash” no=”128″ c=”name”][/card] is the minimum that should be played.
Strategy and Matchups
For the most part, the basic strategy of the deck remains the same no matter what you are playing against. The main difficulty of the deck is knowing when and when not to Buzzap Thunder. Sometimes it’s best to let [card name=”Electrode” set=”Evolutions” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] sit on the Bench for a while until the need to use its Ability arises when it can score you a key KO or when you cannot get another [card name=”Raikou” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] powered up. Other times you’ll want to Buzzap Thunder early on when you can get a key [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card] off to disrupt your opponent. Sometimes you just don’t want to use it at all, and [card name=”Electrode” set=”Evolutions” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] will just sit on the Bench or not even be put into play at all for the entire game. The most important thing to remember is that [card name=”Electrode” set=”Evolutions” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] is a tool that should be used carefully and potently. The price of its Ability is that it gives up a Prize, which can be extremely detrimental if used at the wrong time. On the other hand it can be used to great effect to offset your opponent’s strategy and force them to overextend their resources. There will be times when your opponent will be forced to choose whether or not to take a KO on [card name=”Electrode” set=”Evolutions” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] to extinguish your options before they can even be used. Most of the time if they choose this path they’ll be forgoing taking a Knock Out on a [card name=”Raikou” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card].
[cardimg name=”Raikou” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”55″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
Mostly you want to focus on chaining [card name=”Raikou” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] every turn. Starting [card name=”Mew” set=”Fates Collide” no=”29″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Jolteon-EX” set=”Generations” no=”28″ c=”name”][/card] is ideal since you’re more likely to get an attack off on your first turn, but it won’t hinder your strategy much at all if you start something else since every Pokemon in the deck has a low one Retreat Cost. Your first turn or two should be aggressive. You’ll want to draw through as much of your deck as you can to find your [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Raikou” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card]. Ideally your board should have two [card name=”Raikou” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] in play: one with a [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] attached and one with a [card name=”Exp. Share” set=”Primal Clash” no=”128″ c=”name”][/card]. The [card name=”Raikou” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] with the [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] attached should be your main target for [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card] as well as [card name=”Mew” set=”Fates Collide” no=”29″ c=”name”][/card] or a second [card name=”Raikou” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] if you can get them into play. Over time, the [card name=”Raikou” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] with the [card name=”Exp. Share” set=”Primal Clash” no=”128″ c=”name”][/card] should get enough Energy on it naturally through attachments and KOs. This Pokemon is going to be one of your sleeper attackers that you can build up enough Energy on it to take a big Knock Out.
One thing to remember is that you should try and save your [card name=”Puzzle of Time” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] as much as you can. The Puzzle of Time should ideally be used for retrieving [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card] to keep [card name=”Raikou” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] ready to attack. Otherwise, they can be used to maintain consistency throughout the game or to get back things like [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ c=”name”][/card], Supporters, or [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card]. Throughout the game, your Supporters, [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Fates Collide” no=”113″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”100″ c=”name”][/card] are going to naturally thin out your deck, leaving you with a small deck by the end of the game. You’ll be able to conserve resources with your high N count, and an overall high Supporter count will allow you to more effectively use your [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”110″ c=”name”][/card] to grab [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card] in the late game.
Whenever possible you should target down your opponent’s Pokemon-EX like [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Hoopa-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card] since you can take advantage of their weaknesses to [card name=”Raikou” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Mew” set=”Fates Collide” no=”29″ c=”name”][/card] respectively. You should be able to take care of most of the non-EX Pokemon that are relevant in the format without too many problems, and [card name=”Raikou” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card]’s bulk should give you the ability to take a few Prizes before going down. The real problem is Mega Pokemon. Their massive HP puts them out of the range of a realistic OHKO, so focusing on two shotting them is going to be your best bet. This also means that spreading out your Energy and carefully placing your Tools is crucial in these matchups.
Now that I’ve gone over the basic strategy of this deck, I’m going to go ahead and jump into the matchups you’re likely to face in Standard. While this isn’t an exhaustive list of everything you could see at an event, these are the decks that you are most likely to see.
M Gardevoir-EX
As I said at the end of the last section, Mega Pokemon can be an issue. [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] is no exception. In fact, the first three decks I’m going to talk about are all Mega based decks. However, don’t let this discourage you away from this deck. [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] is one of the top decks going into Fort Wayne. It’s fast, powerful and most importantly can take advantage of [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card]’s Weakness. While [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] can OHKO a [card name=”Raikou” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card], it does take seven Pokemon on their Bench to be discarded (without a [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card]) in order to do so assuming you have a [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] attached. This requires your opponent to consistently have seven Pokemon every turn to continuously OHKO your [card name=”Raikou” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card], and as the game progresses, this will become more and more difficult as you offensively N your opponent to low amounts. Additionally, you do have an edge in that you’re going to trade one Prize Pokemon for their two Prize Pokemon-EX. The key strategy in this matchup is to avoid benching [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card] if at all possible and keep your opponent’s hand low with N. Take advantage of any [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Dragonite-EX” set=”Evolutions” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card] that your opponent leaves Benched for easy Prizes and utilize your [card name=”Puzzle of Time” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] to keep [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] on your [card name=”Raikou” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card].
M Rayquaza-EX
Just as I think [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] will be a top deck at Fort Wayne, I also think that [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] will be just as popular. [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] is an interesting matchup that can go either way. As long as you can keep attacking with [card name=”Raikou” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] every turn, you should come out on top in this matchup. Your opponent isn’t going to have too many problems OHKOing your Pokemon every turn making [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] almost useless in this matchup. The key cards here are going to be [card name=”Exp. Share” set=”Primal Clash” no=”128″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Electrode” set=”Evolutions” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] since they’re the keys to keeping your [card name=”Raikou” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] attacking every turn. This is a matchup where you need to be aggressive with your draws. Hitting as many [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card] as you can as quickly as you can will ensure that you’re going to get multiple [card name=”Raikou” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] ready to go early on. Once again you can utilize [card name=”Mew” set=”Fates Collide” no=”29″ c=”name”][/card] to get an easy KO on [card name=”Hoopa-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card]. Avoid benching multiple [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card] and especially keep [card name=”Jolteon-EX” set=”Generations” no=”28″ c=”name”][/card] off the field as they are easy Prizes for [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card]. Basically the matchup comes down to who draws better and who hits their resources quicker.
M Mewtwo-EX
[cardimg name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
Here we have the first bad matchup for [card name=”Raikou” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card]. [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card] is an especially potent card against [card name=”Raikou” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] since it only requires a [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card] to OHKO [card name=”Raikou” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card]. Even if Raikou has a [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] attached, [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card] only needs a third Energy attached to get the OHKO. Most [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card] decks also play [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card], which allows it to get the OHKO without the third Energy. [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] also shuts down your [card name=”Mew” set=”Fates Collide” no=”29″ c=”name”][/card] and denies easy Knock Outs from Weakness. Likewise, it also prevents you from utilizing [card name=”Electrode” set=”Evolutions” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] to keep [card name=”Raikou” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] in play and attacking. For the most part, you’re not going to be able to keep up in the Prize-trade since you’re going to be OHKOd every turn with little to no effort from your opponent. Your opponent can also use their [card name=”Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”62″ c=”name”][/card]’s Damage Change to clear off any damage you put onto their [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card] while continuing to get KOs. The upside to this bad matchup is that I don’t believe that it will be as popular as it has been recently. With both [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] being very popular plays at the moment, most players will opt to turn away from Mewtwo.
Darkrai-EX / Giratina-EX
Now let’s move onto a deck I don’t think will be going anywhere any time soon. [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] has been seeing a surge of play lately, and I don’t think it’s unfounded. With Mega Pokemon being among the most popular decks in format, [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] is a logical counter play to those decks. Being played both with and without [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card], there’s a lot to consider at first glance. However, no matter which version of the deck is being played, this is a very good matchup for [card name=”Raikou” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card]. The Prize-trade remains in your favor as you can reasonably two shot anything your opponent puts into the Active while your [card name=”Raikou” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] are unlikely to be OHKOd back. Furthermore, you also have [card name=”Jolteon-EX” set=”Generations” no=”28″ c=”name”][/card] at your disposal. Flash Ray can prevent damage from all of your opponent’s attackers. Even if they [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card] around your Jolteon-EX, they’re going to be targeting a non-EX attacker for the most part, allowing you to continue your assault with Flash Ray. The main reason that you have the advantage in this matchup is that you are just as fast as your opponent’s deck is in addition to have a higher damage output for a generally lower Energy count. Overall it’s a solid matchup for you.
Xerneas
[card name=”Xerneas” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card] (also known as Rainbow Road) is a very close matchup. For the most part, you’re going to be trading Prizes one for one while occasionally either you or your opponent will take a KO on a Pokemon-EX. You’re both going to be trading relatively the same every turn with your opponent having a slight advantage over you. In order to OHKO a [card name=”Xerneas” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card] you’ll need a [card name=”Raikou” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] with either four Energy or a [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] attached while you’re opponent can get an OHKO with only three Energy, which can be fulfilled partially with a [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card]. Depending on the variant, they’ll either have [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Exp. Share” set=”Primal Clash” no=”128″ c=”name”][/card] to stream [card name=”Xerneas” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card] onto the field. The [card name=”Exp. Share” set=”Primal Clash” no=”128″ c=”name”][/card] variant is a much better matchup than [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card] one simply because they are less likely to play [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card]. Your main focus should be to target down their low HP Pokemon-EX to get ahead in the Prize-trade. You can also go in with your [card name=”Jolteon-EX” set=”Generations” no=”28″ c=”name”][/card] to buy some time with Flash Ray since they generally don’t play any particularly powerful Evolved Pokemon. Maximizing the uses out of your [card name=”Exp. Share” set=”Primal Clash” no=”128″ c=”name”][/card] is going to be key to keep attackers out on the field to combat their [card name=”Xerneas” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card]. Once again [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] becomes much less important in this matchup since they are more likely than not going to be able to OHKO your Pokemon regardless.
Yveltal-EX Variants
[cardimg name=”Jolteon-EX” set=”Generations” no=”28″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
This should be a cake walk for [card name=”Raikou” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card]. You have a huge advantage since most of this deck’s attackers are weak to Lightning. Not only this, but [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY150″ c=”name”][/card] decks don’t have a good way of OHKOing much of anything much less a [card name=”Raikou” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] with a [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] attached. There’s not a whole lot to say about this matchup since it’s very straightforward. Don’t be too concerned with taking out Pokemon-EX early on since you’ll want to thin your deck enough early on so that a late game N won’t completely shut you out of the game. Otherwise, focus on building up a few [card name=”Raikou” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] with an [card name=”Electrode” set=”Evolutions” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] on the Bench just in case it becomes necessary to Buzzap Thunder later in the game. Overall, this should be an easy win and won’t require much effort to beat.
Vileplume / Walls
This is a matchup where it all depends on who sets up first. Going first is going to be a necessity so that you can burn through as much of your deck and as many of your Items as you can. You already play a high Supporter count, but be sure to keep as many as you can in the deck for the moment when your opponent gets their [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card] into play. If you go second, you’re likely to take a loss. Your deck is heavily reliant on Items to execute its strategy and being cut off from those Items is going to leave you at a great disadvantage. If you can get a turn to go through your deck, you have a chance at overcoming [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card]. The biggest threat next to [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card] is [card name=”Jolteon-EX” set=”Generations” no=”28″ c=”name”][/card]. You don’t have any outs to [card name=”Jolteon-EX” set=”Generations” no=”28″ c=”name”][/card] and your [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card] outs are extremely limited. This means that you really don’t have many ways of beating your opponent once they start to Flash Ray. You have the option to go in with your own [card name=”Jolteon-EX” set=”Generations” no=”28″ c=”name”][/card] and Flash Ray yourself, which could force your opponent to deck out after a time. Otherwise, there’s not a lot you can do here.
Conclusion
I really love this deck. It’s fun, competitive, and incorporates a lot of subtle strategy and planning that adds a bit of a competitive curve to the deck. I would recommend playing some games with the deck for yourself to try and get a feel for all the little intricacies. At the very least, the deck is worth checking out. There are a lot of different options available for the deck, which leaves a lot of room open to play around with different variants and minor changes.
Do you think [card name=”Raikou” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] has a place in Standard? What do you think is the best way to run the deck? Is there anything you’d like to see from me in future? Let me know what you thought! Be sure to check out the Subscriber’s Secret Hideout for more Pokemon TCG talk. Also, be sure to check out some of the other articles available on the site. I highly recommend John Kettler’s latest article on Evolutions. It’s a pretty interesting look at the latest set.
Until next time!
~Matt Price
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