Embracing the Darkness — My Undefeated Regionals Winning Yveltal / Garbodor List and a Unique Spin on M Mewtwo-EX

By: Jimmy Pendarvis · Posted Posted onDec 4, 2016 at 5:58 PM · 0 Comments

Hello PokeBeach readers! I am finally back for another article, and today I will be discussing the [card name=”Yveltal” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] deck list I played at the Indiana Regional Championships! I was able to take home first place, with an undefeated record of 14-0-3. I have had a lot of questions about the deck and my card choices, so without further ado, let’s get started!

Fort Wayne Regionals

The night before the tournament, Igor Costa, Nicholena, and I all decided to play Yveltal / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] together. I had not played a bunch with the current list, but it seemed consistent and strong against the meta, so I felt confident in the deck. These were how my rounds went for the entire tournament. Unfortunately I did not take notes on my games, but I will provide a an explanation of how each matchup should be played later in the article. To be honest, none of my games were very crazy as almost all of them played out how they should.

  • Round 1: [card name=”Jolteon-EX” set=”Generations” no=”28″ c=”name”][/card] / Yveltal WW
  • Round 2: [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] WLW
  • Round 3: [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] WW
  • Round 4: [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] WW
  • Round 5: Rainbow Road WW
  • Round 6: [card name=”M Scizor-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] WW
  • Round 7: [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY08″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] WLW
  • Round 8: [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] WW
  • Round 9: [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Xerneas” set=”Steam Siege” no=”81″ c=”name”][/card] WW

I ended day one with a record of 9-0.

  • Round 10: Rainbow Road W
  • Round 11: [card name=”M Scizor-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] WLW
  • Round 12: [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Xerneas” set=”Steam Siege” no=”81″ c=”name”][/card] WLT
  • Round 13: [card name=”Greninja” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] Intentional Draw
  • Round 14: [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card] Intentional Draw
  • Top 8: [card name=”Zygarde-EX” set=”Fates Collide” no=”54″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Carbink BREAK” set=”Fates Collide” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] WW
  • Top 4: Rainbow Road WW
  • Finals: [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] WW

I finished the tournament with an undefeated final record of 14-0-3. I almost entirely avoided the one card I did not want to see, [card name=”Jolteon-EX” set=”Generations” no=”28″ c=”name”][/card]. With the list that I played in the tournament, I almost certainly would have lost against any Jolteon-EX decks. I was lucky enough to beat the one I played against by abusing [card name=”Yveltal” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card]’s Fright Night Ability. [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Xerneas” set=”Steam Siege” no=”81″ c=”name”][/card] also seemed like a horrible matchup before I played against it, but looking back I believe it is slightly favorable after playing against it twice.

The List

[decklist name=”Yveltal/Garbodor” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY08″][pokemon amt=”11″]3x [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY08″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Yveltal” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”94″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Trubbish” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”56″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”36″]4x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”XY” no=”122″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”N” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”96″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Delinquent” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”98″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Pokémon Center Lady” set=”Flashfire” no=”93″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Flashfire” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”94″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”2″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”13″]9x [card name=”Darkness Energy” set=”HeartGold and SoulSilver” no=”121″ c=”deck2″ amt=”9″][/card]4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”HeartGold and SoulSilver” no=”103″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

Card Choices

Delinquent

[cardimg name=”Pokémon Center Lady” set=”Generations” no=”68″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

I included this to prevent myself from not being able to do anything if the opponent gets their [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card] out first. It can also be very clutch against [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card] decks and [card name=”Gyarados” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY60″ c=”name”][/card], so it has quite a few uses. I would also like to mention that pretty much no one played around this card at Fort Wayne, so discarding my opponent’s entire hand with this card was not uncommon at all. It is even easier to pull off this sneaky trick at the end of the game after an [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card] to a low hand size.

Pokemon Center Lady

My other tech Supporter of the day! This one was not quite as useful for me during my tournament run, but it is definitely quite good against decks that don’t one shot your attackers, which is a lot of decks currently. Its biggest showing in the tournament was against fellow PokeBeach writer, Andrew Mahone, in the finals where I healed 60 damage off my [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY150″ c=”name”][/card] twice in a short time span. This put me pretty far ahead in the mirror that game. [card name=”Pokémon Center Lady” set=”Generations” no=”68″ c=”name”][/card] is really useful against other Yveltal / Garbodor, [card name=”Greninja” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”M Scizor-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card].

Super Rod

This is the card I have received the most questions about. A lot of people assume this bad boy was only to prevent myself from decking out, which honestly is not the case at all. This was one of my most used cards during the event, it ranged from getting [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] back in a crucial spot, to preventing myself from decking out. I will also mention another use I found quite helpful was to increase the odds of hitting an Energy off of [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card] in the late game.

Matchups

Rainbow Road

The way to dominate this matchup is the good old “wombo combo” which is [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card] plus [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card] with [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] in play and you Knocking Out the Active [card name=”Xerneas” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card]. It is extremely difficult for the Rainbow Road player to recover from the situation, and then continue to stream Xerneas the rest of the game. This combo can happen in this matchup two times per game, which has literally never not been enough for me to win. The community as a whole thinks that this matchup is favored for Rainbow Road, which I seriously have to disagree with.

M Gardevoir-EX

[cardimg name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

The path to success in this matchup is to start off with a Fright Night [card name=”Yveltal” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card], and whenever the opponent gets out [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card], to immediately get out [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card]. Using [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card] whenever one of your Pokemon is Knocked Out is generally a good idea, especially in this matchup. Dropping [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card] to limit the opponent’s Bench is great because it helps to limit the opponent’s damage. This small aspect of the game is more significant in the part of the game where Garbodor is not on the field. This is because limiting the opponent’s damage is far more relevant when [card name=”Rattata” set=”Evolutions” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card] is not a factor because an [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY150″ c=”name”][/card] with a [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] can never be killed in one hit otherwise. In addition to this, it is more important to have Parallel City out when you don’t have Garbodor out because it has a small chance of denying the opponent the use of Abilities due to a lack of Bench space. However, I would like to mention that this outcome is relatively rare unless they have prized or discarded some [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card].

[premium]

Greninja BREAK

[card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] combined with setting up a beefy [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY150″ c=”name”][/card] is the goal of this matchup. Due to [card name=”Greninja” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] being a slower deck, taking at least a small Prize lead in the early game is almost a guarantee. This makes the rest of the Prize-trade a lot easier, especially with the inclusion of [card name=”Pokémon Center Lady” set=”Flashfire” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card]. The use of Pokemon Center Lady after Yveltal-EX takes a hit from a Greninja essentially cancels out the attack, which can definitely help to keep control of the board. I will also mention that against the Greninja lists that play a heavy count of [card name=”Splash Energy” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”113″ c=”name”][/card], such as the one Chris Derocher played at Indiana, [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card] can really help swing the game. Personally, my biggest fear in the matchup are the [card name=”Bursting Balloon” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card] that I have to deal with throughout the game, which are usually played around using [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card]. Attempting to keep your options open in the late game is a major key to success, a Pokemon Center Lady or Lysandre can seal the game.

M Rayquaza-EX

This matchup is honestly just an easier Rainbow Road for several reasons. The deck is based around a Mega Pokemon, which makes Fright Night [card name=”Yveltal” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card] quite the threat in the early game. In addition to this, [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card] is quite potent in this matchup as you are usually not killing a [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] in one hit. Other than that, the matchup is extremely similar to the Rainbow Road matchup.

M Scizor-EX

The biggest issue for the Scizor deck in this matchup is running out of steam. In nearly all my games of this matchup at Indiana, the game would be very close until the moment where I would [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card] and KO the second [card name=”M Scizor-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] of the game. What ended up happening every single time is the Scizor would just crumble at this point and not be able to do anything the rest of the game. Way too many resources go into the first two M Scizor-EX of the game, it is just so hard to recover from a late game [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card]. If they play [card name=”Shield Energy” set=”Primal Clash” no=”143″ c=”name”][/card], Enhanced Hammer is also pretty solid in this matchup as a way of making the opponent commit even more resources. [card name=”Pokémon Center Lady” set=”Flashfire” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] can help quite a bit in this matchup by healing an [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY150″ c=”name”][/card] with a [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] on it, putting it out of 2HKO range.

Yveltal-EX / Garbodor

I generally try to abuse Fright Night [card name=”Yveltal” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card] in this matchup. However, this is definitely a very reactionary matchup in the sense that you need to have a solid answer to what your opponent is doing. If you get the gift of being the one to attack first, attempt to make it be with a Fright Night Yveltal. However, if your opponent is attacking with a Fright Night Yveltal, you should attempt to kill it with an [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY150″ c=”name”][/card]. Some key things in this matchup are the [card name=”Pokémon Center Lady” set=”Flashfire” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card], getting [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card] out first, and [card name=”Delinquent” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”98″ c=”name”][/card] if you happen to be on the receiving end of a Parallel City.

Volcanion-EX / Volcanion

[cardimg name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

[card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] is absolutely key in this matchup to prevent Steam Up from allowing them to take one hit Knock Outs. After Volcanion’s damage output gets so heavily decreased, it is pretty easy for Yveltal to keep control of the board the entire game. [card name=”Pokémon Center Lady” set=”Generations” no=”68″ c=”name”][/card] can be very helpful by removing any chip damage the opponent gets early on with Volcanion. I usually attempt to soften up my opponent’s [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card] with Fright Night [card name=”Yveltal” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card], which allows Yveltal-EX to easily KO any Volcanion-EX that ends up attacking.

Yveltal’s Future

Yveltal “Counters”

In terms of counters to [card name=”Yveltal” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card], these are the ones people have tried and will continue to try.

Jolteon-EX

[card name=”Jolteon-EX” set=”Generations” no=”28″ c=”name”][/card] cannot be attacked by a Dark list with no counter, which obviously makes it quite a threat. However, this guy would struggle against a list like Frank Diaz’s that plays three [card name=”Escape Rope” set=”Primal Clash” no=”127″ c=”name”][/card], or a list that includes one copy of [card name=”Pokémon Ranger” set=”Steam Siege” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card].

Zebstrika / Raichu / Raikou

These three options are ones that are chosen for the damage they provide via Weakness. When pulled off, each of these three attackers will one shot an [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY150″ c=”name”][/card], even if it has a [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] on it. The issue with these options is that the deck they are included in needs to be able to beat other things, as well as the need to be able to trade attacks with [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY150″ c=”name”][/card]. If a [card name=”Raikou” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Electrode” set=”Evolutions” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] deck can only pull off one or two attacks against Yveltal-EX / Garbodor, it doesn’t even win the matchup.

M Gardevoir-EX

This option is one that I really don’t understand. I have seen top players claim that this matchup is incredible for [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card], but after testing against it a bunch and playing against it at Fort Wayne Regionals, it really does not feel that way at all. Having Fright Night [card name=”Yveltal” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card] cause issues until [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] is in play, followed by some pretty beefy [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY150″ c=”name”][/card] and the use of [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card] makes it is very hard for Gardevoir to win.

I would like to say that the only truly scary counters on this list are [card name=”Zebstrika” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”49″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Jolteon-EX” set=”Generations” no=”28″ c=”name”][/card], and Jolteon-EX is easily countered via a tech [card name=”Pokémon Ranger” set=”Steam Siege” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card].

Potential Future Inclusions

Pokemon Ranger

[cardimg name=”Pokémon Ranger” set=”Steam Siege” no=”104″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

This is simply to handle [card name=”Jolteon-EX” set=”Generations” no=”28″ c=”name”][/card]. It literally has no other common use, so if you don’t expect a bunch of Jolteon-EX, I wouldn’t include this card.

Olympia

[card name=”Olympia” set=”Generations” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card] does not help combat the counters to the deck, but it is a decent card in the mirror match to help against Fright Night [card name=”Yveltal” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card]. I will say that during Regionals there was never a time where I wanted an Olympia, but I could definitely see it being a good inclusion for future tournaments.

Yveltal XY

This card is honestly in the same boat as [card name=”Olympia” set=”Generations” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card], except I have more of a defined reason for its potential inclusion. After the sudden increase in [card name=”M Scizor-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] being played, this little guy’s potential finally shines. It helps to ensure that Energy remains on the board, and without the use of a [card name=”Giovanni’s Scheme” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”138″ c=”name”][/card], it can take two attacks to be Knocked Out. It has a ton of value against an Energy removal deck such as Scizor.

Metal M Mewtwo-EX

Before deciding on [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY150″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card], I had been testing a new [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card] list. After a strong performance with the straightforward list in Florida, I was pretty convinced that M Mewtwo-EX was the best attacker in the format. The only issue with Mewtwo for me was its terrible [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] matchup, so I revamped the list to give me a fighting chance in that matchup.

[decklist name=”Metal Mewtwo” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″][pokemon amt=”11″]3x [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Mewtwo-EX” set=”Evolutions” no=”52″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Hoopa-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”36″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Magearna-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”75″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Cobalion” set=”Steam Siege” no=”74″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”37″]4x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Flashfire” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Mewtwo Spirit Link” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”144″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Mega Turbo” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”86″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]3x [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”3″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”12″]8x [card name=”Metal Energy” set=”HeartGold and SoulSilver” no=”122″ c=”deck2″ amt=”8″][/card]4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”HeartGold and SoulSilver” no=”103″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

I ultimately didn’t play this because I just wasn’t confident enough in the deck to actually pull the trigger, even though it performed well in testing. After my 0-2 drop performance at Philly Regionals with [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Accelgor” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”11″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Mew-EX” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”46″ c=”name”][/card], I promised myself I would attempt to be less fancy in the future. However, I definitely would’ve considered this deck more if I had played more games with it.

Matchups

Rainbow Road

This is another matchup that most people think is favored for Rainbow Road, but I honestly have to disagree again. The use of [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card] plus [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card] is just a brutal combination in this matchup. Another key to success is using [card name=”Cobalion” set=”Steam Siege” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] to force a seventh Prize, which usually means the opponent has to setup all four [card name=”Xerneas” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card] throughout the game. Even if they use [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card] to get past the Cobalion and go down to two Prizes, you can simply N them and take another Knock Out. It is unrealistic to think that the Rainbow Road will still have another Xerneas on the Bench, have a big enough Bench to kill a Pokemon-EX, and find a [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card] off of an N to two. If they don’t find it right away, a Lysandre should seal the game.

M Gardevoir-EX

This is the matchup the list is very prepared for! The Metal attackers, [card name=”Cobalion” set=”Steam Siege” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Magearna-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card], help swing this matchup quite a bit. Magearna-EX can actually Knock Out a [card name=”Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card] on the first turn of the game if one happens to be left in the Active. Abusing [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card] is definitely part of why the Prize-trade in this matchup is so favorable. In addition to this, digging for [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card] on your first turn is definitely something I always try to do in this matchup.

Greninja BREAK

[cardimg name=”Magearna-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”75″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

This matchup is one that suffered due to the removal of [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card]. However, the matchup is still winnable. Taking a turn one KO with [card name=”Magearna-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card] can really help apply a lot of pressure in this matchup. Another key card in this matchup is [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card], which can be absolutely game changing if found at the right time. Due to the Greninja deck playing three or four [card name=”Faded Town” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”73″ c=”name”][/card], you will want to not evolve your [card name=”Mewtwo-EX” set=”Evolutions” no=”52″ c=”name”][/card] into [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card] until it is time to attack with them. This small tip also allows you to get maximum value out of [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card], as it cannot be used on a Mega Pokemon anyways. Getting as much Energy on the board as possible is definitely a good thing, for multiple reasons. It can allow a M Mewtwo-EX to become beefy enough to start OHKOing [card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card], while also thinning your deck to increase the odds of drawing key cards such as [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card]. I will also mention that this matchup is much more of a Prize-trade without Garbodor, which is a huge change of pace from the very conservative path that I took while playing against Greninja at Florida Regionals. The correct  approach is to be as aggressive as possible in the early turns, even if that means committing a lot of resources or taking risks.

M Rayquaza-EX

The [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] matchup is honestly very similar to the Rainbow Road one, there are some key differences though. [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] is a lot harder to kill in one shot than a [card name=”Xerneas” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card], which can cause some problems if [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card] isn’t drawn after Rayquaza takes its first KO. However, simply committing all your Energy onto one [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card] is a recipe for disaster, because a competent opponent will simply wait until they find [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card] and wipe all the Energy off of your board. This requires you to spread out your Energy, while also attempting to be able to one shot a [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] when it attacks. No matter what, whether the Rayquaza is being one shotted or staying around for a little more of the game, after each KO the opponent takes, you should almost always be playing [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card]. This makes it very difficult for the opponent to keep attacking, and I have often found three Parallel City is too much for the [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card] decks to handle.

M Scizor-EX

First off, I would like to mention that heading into Fort Wayne Regionals, [card name=”M Scizor-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] was very underplayed. The sudden increase in Scizor decks definitely would have caused some problems for our buddy Mewtwo. Devon, the Scizor player at Indiana that made Top 8, played four [card name=”Shield Energy” set=”Primal Clash” no=”143″ c=”name”][/card], which makes M Scizor-EX beefier than it already is. [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card] is a very efficient attacker in most cases, but in this matchup [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card] are constantly getting removed from your board. The gameplan is to essentially keep attacking with M Mewtwo-EX and hope that you outlast the Scizor player in a long game of attacking back and forth.

Yveltal-EX / Garbodor

I am pretty confident that Yveltal will be favored against pretty much any [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card] build that can be created. The removal of [card name=”Shrine of Memories” set=”Primal Clash” no=”139″ c=”name”][/card] and Psychic Energy obviously means Damage Change is no longer an option, which definitely hurt this matchup. The new plan is essentially just to build big up M Mewtwo-EX that win the Prize-trade. Yveltal usually comes out on that as the winner, just because [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY150″ c=”name”][/card] is a Basic Pokemon and very low maintenance. Another key factor in these games will be Fright Night [card name=”Yveltal” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card], because the amount of pressure it can apply varies heavily from game to game. Some games it won’t get in the Active quick enough and doesn’t play any role in the matchup, sometimes [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card] is drawn very early to prevent the little guy from single handedly winning the matchup. On the other side of things, there are games where Fright Night goes unanswered and completely blows out the M Mewtwo-EX deck. Getting in all that chip damage makes it super easy to stream KOs on M Mewtwo-EX using Evil Ball, and also buys a ton of time for the Yveltal player to thin the deck and get Energy on the board.

Volcanion-EX / Volcanion

Despite the removal of [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] and the inclusion of some relatively useless attackers, this matchup still felt pretty easy when testing. My goal was always to use [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card] on a [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card] to KO it as the first big play of the game. From there, it is just a Prize-trade that’s easier for you to come out ahead on. You have [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card] to completely shutdown some of their turns, and have to commit less resources to each turn than the Volcanion player will have to.

The Metagame for London

Since I will be attending London Intercontinentals I want to quickly go over what I think will be popular. These are the five decks I expect to be played in London the most.

[cardimg name=”Greninja” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”40″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

  • [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY150″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card]
  • Rainbow Road
  • [card name=”Greninja” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card]
  • [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card]
  • [card name=”M Scizor-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card]

This list of decks has had some pretty solid success recently, so it definitely shouldnt surprise anyone that these decks will most likely be quite popular. The [card name=”Greninja” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] hype confuses me considering I think that matchup is quite favorable for Yveltal-EX / Garbodor, however, the group of Michigan players that played the deck have been expressing their opinion that the matchup is very close, and even shared that their win-rate for the matchup at Fort Wayne was positive. Other than Greninja, the list is essentially Yveltal-EX / Garbodor and the popular decks with the best chance against Yveltal-EX / Garbodor.

I will also mention that Dean Nezam’s [card name=”Jolteon-EX” set=”Generations” no=”28″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Pidgeot-EX” set=”Evolutions” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card] deck seems to be getting a decent amount of attention, but I don’t think it will be too popular headed into London. It struggles against [card name=”Greninja” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”M Scizor-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card], while not really having any fantastic matchups other than decks with no Jolteon-EX counter.

Conclusion

The next major tournament I will be attending is London! I ended up booking a flight at the last second with Jimmy McClure. I am very excited to travel there for the first time and try my hardest to win! I will see you guys next time, shortly after I get back from London. Until then, good luck at whatever Pokemon event you guys are attending. If that happens to be London, feel free to come up and say hi!

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