Two Regional Championship Recaps and Three Strong Rogue Decks to Consider for Dallas

By: Travis Nunlist · Posted Posted onDec 29, 2016 at 8:18 PM · 0 Comments

Hello everyone! It’s Travis again with another article. Today I’m going over two Regionals that I’ve recently attended and then do my absolute best to prepare you for the upcoming Dallas Regionals. The tournaments I recently attended were Fort Wayne Regionals where our own Jimmy Pendarvis and Andrew Mahone managed to square off in the finals and San Jose Regionals. I had two very different experiences at these tournaments and I hope you will be able to learn as much from them as I did.

A Tale of Two Regionals

[cardimg name=”M Scizor-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”77″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

It was the best of deck choices, it was the age of tech cards, it was the age of consistency. My first report will be on Fort Wayne Regionals where I managed to miss Top 8 but still come in 12th place with [card name=”M Scizor-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Raticate” set=”Evolutions” no=”67″ c=”name”][/card]. The deck was a brew crafted by Eric Gansman and myself, and he went over the deck in great detail here so I’ll refrain from discussing the deck itself in too much detail.

Fort Wayne Regionals

  • Round 1: [card name=”M Scizor-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”120″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Golbat” set=”Generations” no=”31″ c=”name”][/card] WW 1-0
  • Round 2: Volcanion LL 1-1
  • Round 3: [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”112″ c=”name”][/card] WW 2-1
  • Round 4: [card name=”Lugia-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Magearna-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”110″ c=”name”][/card] / Hammers WW 3-1
  • Round 5: [card name=”Greninja” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] LL 3-2
  • Round 6: [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] / Hammers WW 4-2
  • Round 7: [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”118″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] WW 5-2
  • Round 8: Rainbow Road WLW 6-2
  • Round 9: Yveltal / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] WLW 7-2
  • Round 10: [card name=”Greninja” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] WLL 7-3
  • Round 11: [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card] WLL 7-4
  • Round 12: Yveltal / [card name=”Bisharp” set=”Steam Siege” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card] WW 8-4
  • Round 13: [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”112″ c=”name”][/card] WW 9-4
  • Round 14: [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”98″ c=”name”][/card] WW 10-4

The tournament didn’t go perfectly for me, but I was very happy with the performance considering the relatively risky deck choice. The only issue I had was round 11 against [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card] which is normally a very easy matchup.

Game one against Vileplume went according to plan, but game two my opponent made an incredibly risky play that ended up working out for him that I wanted to discuss. Knowing that between [card name=”Raticate” set=”Evolutions” no=”67″ c=”name”][/card] and the [card name=”Magearna” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY165″ c=”name”][/card] Promo I could handle [card name=”Regice” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”24″ c=”name”][/card] pretty easily my opponent decided to do what he could to limit my options. After getting the turn one Item-lock going first he followed it up with either a turn two or three (I don’t recall which) [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card] on my Benched [card name=”Magearna” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY165″ c=”name”][/card] and used Regice’s first attack to try and Paralyze my Magearna, which he flipped heads on, and allowed him to kill it with Resistance Blizzard the following turn. This may not seem like a stellar play at first because if he flips tails I basically win immediately, however, if he does nothing to try and deal with the Magearna before it becomes Active then once it starts swinging he will almost certainly lose anyway. During this game once the Magearna was Knocked Out I simply drew poorly under Item-lock and was never able to set up Raticate. Game three resulted in me being able to get out two [card name=”Rattata” set=”Evolutions” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card] turn one but then never being able to find [card name=”Raticate” set=”Evolutions” no=”67″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Magearna” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY165″ c=”name”][/card], or a Supporter. I think this is a great example of someone playing to their outs. As a card game player sometimes luck is just not on your side whether it be the pairings or the draws, but you still have to retain focus and make any and all plays you can to try and maximize your chances of winning regardless of how bad the odds seem.

A similar lesson can be applied to my round 13 Mega Gardevoir opponent who had zero desire to even play our series out. Upon learning that we had been paired my opponent told me he did not want to play at all and had our match slip turned in before the round even started. I think this is an incredibly poor decision, especially at such a high level of play. I could simply draw sub-optimally for two games in the series and my opponent could steal a win, but without even giving it a chance he conceded the round. I played out every single one of my three rounds versus [card name=”Greninja” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] and Volcanion despite being very aware of how comically atrocious these matchups are because I always like to play to my outs to win no matter how small they are.

San Jose Regionals

For San Jose Regionals I chose to play [card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card] because I still believed it to was one of the best decks in Expanded without any horrible matchups. I thought that Greninja and [card name=”Trevenant BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card] would be the most popular decks at the event so as long as I could cater my list to beat both of those then I should have a pretty good day. Here is the list I played.

[decklist name=”Greninja” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″][pokemon amt=”18″]3x [card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]4x [card name=”Greninja” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”40″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Frogadier” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”39″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Froakie” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”38″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]4x [card name=”Talonflame” set=”Steam Siege” no=”96″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”32″]4x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”Steam Siege” no=”114″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”101″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Ace Trainer” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”69″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Fisherman” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”136″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”104″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Pokémon Ranger” set=”Steam Siege” no=”113″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Wally” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”107″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Dive Ball” set=”Primal Clash” no=”125″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Evosoda” set=”XY” no=”116″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Computer Search” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]3x [card name=”Rough Seas” set=”Primal Clash” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”10″]7x [card name=”Water Energy” set=”EX Ruby and Sapphire” no=”106″ c=”deck2″ amt=”7″][/card]3x [card name=”Splash Energy” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”113″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

In hindsight I would have cut the [card name=”Pokémon Ranger” set=”Steam Siege” no=”113″ c=”name”][/card] for a [card name=”Delinquent” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”98″ c=”name”][/card] and the [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] for a [card name=”Startling Megaphone” set=”Flashfire” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card] or second [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card]. The first change was one I made the morning of the event where I was talked into swapping them because of how big Greninja was perceived to be. The second change is purely out of a desire to have a second way to modify damage whether it be from doing more or having the ability to remove [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] when needed. My rounds went like this.

  • Round 1: Mega Mewtwo / [card name=”Zoroark” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] WL 0-0-1
  • Round 2: [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”118″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] LL 0-1-1
  • Round 3: Rainbow Road WW 1-1-1
  • Round 4: Yveltal / Maxie’s WW 2-1-1
  • Round 5: [card name=”Trevenant BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card] LWL 2-2-1
  • Round 6: [card name=”Raikou” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] / Eels WW 3-2-1
  • Round 7: Yveltal / Maxie’s LL 3-3-1
  • Drop

This tournament was just not mine to do well in. I was pretty uncomfortable with my [card name=”Greninja” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] list as I could not find a way to fit everything I wanted into it and definitely regretted some card choices throughout the day. It also felt like every chance there was for something to go wrong, something did. Luck was just not on my side during this event and is the first Regional I’ve missed cut at in over a year. I also predicted the meta incredibly poorly as there was very little [card name=”Trevenant BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card] and I never suspected a deck like [card name=”Carbink BREAK” set=”Fates Collide” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] would succeed in the meta. Negative experiences like this are incredibly valuable in their own right as they allow you to evolve as a player provided you can maintain focus and objectivity throughout your reasons for underperforming rather than finding excuses. My plan is to gather everything I learned from San Jose and use it to help focus my attention on future events.

Looking Forward to Dallas Regionals

There is one deck right now that is currently the focal point of Standard: Yveltal / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card]. I believe that Dallas Regionals will finally be the tournament where everyone will realize that if they want to have any shot at winning a Standard event they have to either beat Yveltal / Garbodor or be Yveltal / Garbodor. The all Yveltal / Garbodor Top 4 of London Internationals has finally proven that yes, the deck really is just that good. The next two biggest and best decks in Standard are clearly [card name=”Greninja” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] and Volcanion, and I believe Jimmy Pendarvis is correct to include Vespiquen to round out his big four in his most recent article. The following decks are all very reasonably capable of going favorable versus Yveltal / Garbodor, but the issue with Yveltal / Garbodor “counter” decks has always been that they still have to deal with the rest of the format. Finding the balance between defeating Yveltal and also being fine versus the rest of the format has been especially tricky, and is a huge reason why the deck has continued to find as much success as it has.

M Gardevoir-EX / Xerneas

[decklist name=”Gardevoir” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”106″][pokemon amt=”15″]2x [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”106″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Gardevoir-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”105″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”78″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Xerneas BREAK” set=”Steam Siege” no=”82″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]3x [card name=”Xerneas” set=”XY” no=”96″ 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][/pokemon][trainers amt=”35″]4x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”XY” no=”122″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/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=”Pokémon Center Lady” set=”Flashfire” no=”93″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”EX FireRed and LeafGreen” no=”100″ 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=”Exp. Share” set=”Next Destinies” no=”87″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Fairy Garden” set=”XY” no=”117″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”4″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”10″]10x [card name=”Fairy Energy” set=”XY” no=”140″ c=”deck2″ amt=”10″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

This is a deck that has recently found some low-key success and been able to fly somewhat under the radar, but it is absolutely a deck I believe has potential. This deck has a ton of options and can adjust its game plan depending on the matchup. Generally, you will want to lead with the [card name=”Xerneas” set=”XY” no=”96″ c=”name”][/card] and begin using its Geomancy attack to quickly flood your board with Energy. The more time you have to load up with Energy the better as both [card name=”Xerneas BREAK” set=”Steam Siege” no=”82″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”106″ c=”from”][/card] function very well with lots of Energy in play.

[card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”from”][/card] is there as an efficient hitter that provides excellent typing, a quick two Energy attack, and the unique ability of being able to control your Bench by removing anything your opponent may want to [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card].

A combination of [card name=”Exp. Share” set=”Next Destinies” no=”87″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Mega Turbo” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card] will help to keep your Energy in play after an attacker has been Knocked Out, and [card name=”Fairy Garden” set=”XY” no=”117″ c=”name”][/card] helps to ensure seamless transitions between your attackers when needed. Not having to rely on Abilities for any important aspect of this deck is a huge plus, and is not a trait that many decks in Standard currently posses.

[premium]

List Explanations: Max Elixir, More Energy Recovery, Parallel City

[cardimg name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”106″ align=”left” c=”none”][/cardimg]

I first saw this deck in action while viewing the stream for London Internationals piloted by Norwegian player Mikael Jacobs. Something interesting I saw him utilizing was [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card] in the deck. I like Max Elixir because it is a huge help in getting the turn one Geomancy if you go second and do not start with a Xerneas in the Active spot, but unfortunately I believe this is really the only time where Max Elixir is superior to other means of Energy manipulation. Once you begin to Geomancy you significantly lower your chances of Max Elixir being successful, and Max Elixir is already a somewhat fickle card as is. I actually watched Mikael win a game where he was unsuccessful on every single one of his Max Elixir, but was still able to win on the raw power of his deck. I like the reliability of the guaranteed Energy out of [card name=”Mega Turbo” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card], even if that particular form of Energy acceleration is a bit more limited in which Pokemon can benefit from it.

I believe the ten Fairy Energy and a 2 / 2 split on [card name=”Mega Turbo” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Exp. Share” set=”Next Destinies” no=”87″ c=”name”][/card] is the minimum I would go for this deck. More Energy and another Mega Turbo or Exp. Share are high on my wants list, but I’m not certain I could justify putting any of them in over cards currently in the deck.

[card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card] is currently a format defining card, and while I would love to have a copy I think it’s probably a bit unnecessary because of the [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”from”][/card]. It’s also tough to fit in because I would want to just add Parallel City instead of cutting a [card name=”Fairy Garden” set=”XY” no=”117″ c=”name”][/card] for it because of how essential the card is to the strategy of the deck. However, the card could help to solidify some already close matchups in [card name=”Greninja” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card], Volcanion, and Vespiquen as the damage reducing side works on all of those decks.

Matchups

Yveltal / Garbodor

This deck has had a surprising amount of success against Yveltal in my testing so far. The Despair Ray focused version of this deck could often find itself struggling against Yveltal / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] because of how powerful Fright Night is between shutting off Spirit Links and locking non-optimal targets Active and the [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card] / Garbodor combination being so devastating against [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card] decks. However, [card name=”Fairy Garden” set=”XY” no=”117″ c=”name”][/card] helps nullify the non-optimal attacker Active issue and [card name=”Xerneas BREAK” set=”Steam Siege” no=”82″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Pokémon Center Lady” set=”Flashfire” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] have been very useful by giving us a non-Link evolving big hitter than can deal with Fright Night Yveltal and healing off any problematic snipe damage. Not relying on Sky Field for your damage output has been incredibly instrumental as well because a Parallel to three is much less damaging than it was against the Despair Ray version of the deck. Combine all of this with Resistance, no reliance on Abilities, and OHKO potential and you give Yveltal / Garbodor a surprisingly difficult time.

Greninja

This matchup is very close and basically comes down to how well the [card name=”Greninja” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] player is able to set up and keep you out of [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card] before you take six Prizes. The [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”from”][/card] can begin to OHKO everything except [card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card] as early as turn two, and the [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”106″ c=”from”][/card] can OHKO the BREAK with six Energy in play. Like so many other matchups versus Greninja it basically depends entirely on their setup. If they execute their strategy flawlessly and without trouble they will win every time against any deck in the format, but when the inconsistencies of evolving are apparent Greninja tends to stutter.

Volcanion

This matchup is the most unfavorable of the big four simply due to how fast they can begin piling damage on your board. It’s not uncommon for them to have two [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY173″ c=”name”][/card] ready to go before you have enough Energy in play to respond effectively with [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”106″ c=”from”][/card], which is incredibly problematic because of their ability to OHKO the Mega with three uses of Steam Up. Assuming the Volcanion player is able to avoid any significant stumbles in their setup the matchup has proven to be bad but still very much winnable with correct play. A well-timed [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card] can quickly swing the game back into your favor if you have the Mega Gardevoir taking OHKOs on Pokemon-EX.

Vespiquen / Zebstrika

This matchup is actually somewhat awkward for the Vespiquen deck because [card name=”Zebstrika” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”49″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] are pretty useless against you, and [card name=”Klefki” set=”Steam Siege” no=”80″ c=”name”][/card] is easy enough to work around with the high count of [card name=”Xerneas” set=”XY” no=”96″ c=”name”][/card] and one [card name=”Xerneas BREAK” set=”Steam Siege” no=”82″ c=”name”][/card]. If they set up quickly enough to OHKO your Xerneas before you’re able to get a reasonable amount of Energy in play through Geomancy then it can get ugly, but usually your bulk and ability to easily stream OHKOs on Vespiquen and their Pokemon EX can prove problematic for them.

M Mewtwo-EX / Jolteon-EX / Garbodor

[decklist name=”Mewtwo” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″][pokemon amt=”15″]3x [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Mewtwo-EX” set=”Evolutions” no=”52″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”61″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Trubbish” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”56″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Jolteon-EX” set=”Generations” no=”28″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Hoopa-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”36″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”34″]4x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”XY” no=”122″ 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″ divide=”yes” amt=”2″][/card]4x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”EX FireRed and LeafGreen” no=”100″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Mega Turbo” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”86″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Mewtwo Spirit Link” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”144″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”2″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”11″]7x [card name=”Lightning Energy” set=”EX Ruby and Sapphire” no=”109″ c=”deck2″ amt=”7″][/card]4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”HeartGold and SoulSilver” no=”103″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist] [cardimg name=”Jolteon-EX” set=”Generations” no=”28″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

This is a recent brew of mine designed to bring the Orlando dominating Mega Mewtwo back into the metagame by teching it out to ensure a victory against [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY150″ c=”name”][/card]. After seeing Nicklas Danielsen and Sameer Sangwan pilot [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Magearna-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”110″ c=”name”][/card] to Top 16 and Top 32 finishes respectively at the London Internationals I started experimenting with other partners for Mega Mewtwo. [card name=”Jolteon-EX” set=”Generations” no=”28″ c=”name”][/card] has proven very effective against not only Yveltal, but against a huge part of the rest of the metagame as well. Losing Damage Change and [card name=”Shrine of Memories” set=”Primal Clash” no=”139″ c=”name”][/card] is a bit painful, and I think that combo was part of what made Mega Mewtwo as good as it was. However, the combo was always a bit unreliable and the current brew has produced a higher win percentage against Yveltal and other big players in the metagame.

List Explanations: Delinquent, More Consistency

[card name=”Delinquent” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”98″ c=”name”][/card] is definitely a card that I think deserves a spot in the list, and will most likely be put in over the fourth [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] after some more testing. Delinquent is an insanely powerful card right now not only because it is rightfully good on its own, but also as a way to remove opposing [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card] from play so that you can place yours. Because of this deck’s reliance on using [card name=”Hoopa-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY71″ c=”name”][/card] an early opposing Parallel City limiting your Bench to three can be devastating. Another way to get around this is simply running Stadiums that aren’t Parallel City. We’re not running Psychic Energy so Shrine of Memories is no longer a great choice, but there are plenty of other Stadiums in existence that can fulfill the Parallel City bumping role.

As always more consistency would be a great thing to have in Pokemon, but sometimes you have to value other additions to your deck over them. I believe a third [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card] and a fourth Basic Mewtwo-EX would be incredible for the deck, but the full set of Trainers’ Mail and the inclusion of [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ c=”name”][/card] has forced these additions onto the back burner. If you find that you really need more consistency in the deck then feel free to play around with the list a bit. Things like the fourth Trainers’ Mail, fourth [card name=”Mega Turbo” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card], and even one [card name=”Jolteon-EX” set=”Generations” no=”28″ c=”name”][/card] can potentially be wiggle room to include cards that might prove to be more valuable.

Matchups

Yveltal / Garbodor

This matchup has always been very close for Mega Mewtwo. While Psychic Infinity does a lot more damage than Evil Ball, [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY150″ c=”name”][/card] has access to Y Cyclone, which is an incredibly powerful attack in this matchup and in its own right because it sets up the next Yveltal-EX. [card name=”Jolteon-EX” set=”Generations” no=”28″ c=”name”][/card] is included to swing this matchup in your favor. Your goal most games should not be to go the hard lock, but rather use it as a transition attacker between Mega Mewtwo. Jolteon-EX is not the hard answer to Yveltal-EX that it used to be due to the high amount of Energy removal cards being included in Yveltal-EX decks now, but if you can keep your opponent from being able to swing into you for one or even two turns then that can be all you need to win.

Greninja

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

[card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] shines in this matchup. While losing access to Damage Swap has made this matchup a bit trickier, I still think it is very easy and highly in your favor. Mega Mewtwo can start taking Prizes very quickly, and it is not terribly difficult for the deck to reach the high numbers needed to OHKO Greninja and [card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card]. You have to watch out for their Energy removal if they’re playing a list similar to the one that Grafton Roll played to a Top 8 finish at London Intercontinental, but the high count of [card name=”Mega Turbo” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card] should alleviate that relatively well.

Volcanion

This is yet another matchup where [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] really puts in work. [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card] requiring three Energy to do 130 damage and not being able to attack the next turn is terrible against Mega Mewtwo. You OHKO them relatively easily while they struggle to two-shot you. [card name=”Jolteon-EX” set=”Generations” no=”28″ c=”name”][/card] also shuts down the entire deck assuming they don’t play [card name=”Pokémon Ranger” set=”Steam Siege” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card]. Even if they do they still cannot OHKO you with Garbodor in play. As long as you can get Garbodor online and keep it there then you should win very easily.

Vespiquen / Zebstrika / Garbodor

Your biggest threat here is [card name=”Klefki” set=”Steam Siege” no=”80″ c=”name”][/card]. That little annoyance can prevent Mega Pokemon from touching any Pokemon it is attached to, but fortunately enough for us it gets discarded after one turn of being attached. Setting up [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] can also prevent them from utilizing Wonder Lock, making it a non-issue. It is important to note that if you setup Garbodor while an opponent’s Active Pokemon has Klefki on it that they are still safe from Mega Pokemon for the turn because Klefki is now a Tool instead of a Pokemon with an Ability. Vespiquen generally struggles to OHKO Mega Mewtwo’s massive 210 HP, especially if you’re able to get the -20 from [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card] on their side. This matchup is pretty easy once Garbodor hits the field, and your opponent will have to chain Vespiquen and Energy incredibly well to have a shot at winning because Garbodor and [card name=”Zebstrika” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”49″ c=”name”][/card] are basically useless against you.

Houndoom-EX / Raticate

[decklist name=”Houndoom/Raticate” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Houndoom-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”21″][pokemon amt=”10″]3x [card name=”Houndoom-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”21″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Raticate” set=”Evolutions” no=”67″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Rattata” set=”Evolutions” no=”66″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Bunnelby” set=”Primal Clash” no=”121″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”42″]4x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Team Flare Grunt” set=”XY” no=”129″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”XY” no=”122″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Team Rocket’s Handiwork” set=”Fates Collide” no=”112″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Delinquent” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”98″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”EX FireRed and LeafGreen” no=”100″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Crushing Hammer” set=”Generations” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Max Potion” set=”Emerging Powers” no=”94″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”94″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”8″]8x [card name=”Fire Energy” set=”EX Ruby and Sapphire” no=”108″ c=”deck2″ amt=”8″][/card][/energy][/decklist][cardimg name=”Raticate” set=”Evolutions” no=”67″ align=”right” c=”custom”]We can’t get enough of Raticate![/cardimg]

This is my take on Martin Janous’ 10th place deck from the London Internationals. Your goal is simply to deck your opponent out through [card name=”Houndoom-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”21″ c=”name”][/card]’s Melting Horn. You do this by draining your opponent of their resources and doing your best to prevent them from attacking and taking Prizes by using [card name=”Max Potion” set=”Emerging Powers” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Team Flare Grunt” set=”XY” no=”129″ c=”name”][/card], and Hammers. I think this deck is currently incredibly strong and very underrated, and can severely punish any opponent who mismanage their resources, even just a little bit. It is important to note the strength of [card name=”Raticate” set=”Evolutions” no=”67″ c=”name”][/card] in a deck like this. Not only can it remove even more Energy when paired with Team Flare Grunt, but it can actually start taking Prizes if your opponent plays enough Special Energy down and you’re able to remove them. However, I think the deck suffers from some limitations that inherently come in a timed best of three format. Time can clearly be a huge factor for a deck that aims to deck out simply because of how long it can take to mill all of your opponent’s resources. This can lead to incredibly awkward scenarios and almost assures you will not win a series if you lose game one. However, I believe Martin proved the strength of his deck at London and it should not be written off immediately.

List Explanations: Two Team Rocket’s Handiwork, Higher Item Counts, More Raticate

I think my inclusion of two [card name=”Team Rocket’s Handiwork” set=”Fates Collide” no=”112″ c=”name”][/card] is the weirdest part of the list. If your opponent is able to keep up I’ve found that Handiwork is rarely a better play than [card name=”Team Flare Grunt” set=”XY” no=”129″ c=”name”][/card], however Handiwork definitely has its uses. Because time can be such an issue with the deck Handiwork can be incredibly helpful by allowing you to discard a maximum of six cards per turn instead of only two. If you ever find your opponent unable to attack for a turn it can be the perfect time to play Handiwork and get incredibly aggressive on the mill as opposed to taking it a bit more slowly.

More cards like [card name=”Max Potion” set=”Emerging Powers” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] would be incredibly useful to make your [card name=”Houndoom-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”21″ c=”name”][/card] and even Bunnelby survive longer, and the longer a game goes the better odds Houndoom-EX / Raticate has of pulling off the win. A third [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card] would be useful versus decks with high counts of Special Energy, but I’ve found two to be the perfect balance so far.

More Raticate was something I initially started with but found that in this deck you want to try and use Melting Horn every turn unless using Raticate puts you at a huge advantage. The bulkiness of Houndoom, especially with Fighting Fury Belt, ensures you aren’t constantly struggling to replace your attacker and allows you to use cards like Max Potion to their full potential.

Matchups

Yveltal / Garbodor

This matchup is actually incredibly easy, and only gets marginally challenging if they run XY Yveltal. [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY150″ c=”name”][/card] does more damage when it has more Energy attached to it and when the opposing Pokemon also has more Energy attached. Having a one Energy attacker and a plethora of removal ensures that Yveltal-EX is rarely hitting for large numbers, and when they do attack you can heal off the damage done easily enough. If they play the XY Yveltal than can usually recover Energy fairly well, but a constant stream of Team Flare Grunt and Melting Horn puts them on a clock that is fairly difficult for them to keep up with.

Greninja

This matchup is really bad. Water Weakness versus an attacker that recovers its own Energy. Unless something goes terribly wrong for the [card name=”Greninja” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] player they will almost always pull off the victory here.

Volcanion

Unfortunately this is another bad matchup, however it is a bit more winnable than [card name=”Greninja” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card]. Power Heater is simply too good of an attack versus Houndoom and the recovery is usually too powerful to keep up with. However, locking non-optimal Pokemon like [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY173″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Hoopa-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY71″ c=”name”][/card] is entirely possible as is leaving a baby Volcanion stranded. If you can get lucky enough to pull one of these things off then your chances of winning increases significantly, however I still would not qualify this matchup as a positive.

[cardimg name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY150″ align=”right” c=”right”][/cardimg]

Vespiquen / Zebstrika / Garbodor

This matchup is actually incredibly easy as well. [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Zebstrika” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”49″ c=”name”][/card], once again, do very little to you, and Vespiquen will struggle to hit for any significant amount of damage without burning through a lot of their deck for you. You can also nerf their output with your [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card], and can even take a Grand Flame KO in the right situations such as your opponent having a Vespiquen attacking but no [card name=”Combee” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”9″ c=”name”][/card] on the Bench. Two [card name=”Special Charge” set=”Steam Siege” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card] can be a bit annoying to deal with, but hasn’t proven detrimental to your cause in my testing so far.

Conlusion

I hope this article has helped everyone navigate through a format dominated by Yveltal / Garbodor. If you’re like me and are really looking to play something that beats Yveltal / Garbdor rather than jumping on the bandwagon I would definitely consider these decks. The [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Jolteon-EX” set=”Generations” no=”28″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] deck is absolutely my favorite of the three I’ve listed and would recommend everyone test it before they decide on a deck for Dallas Regionals. Good luck to everyone this weekend!
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