A Top 4 Dallas Regionals Report and My Top Three Plays for Georgia
Hello, everyone! This is Dalen, bringing you guys another article. With Georgia Regionals coming up soon after the holidays, many players are scrambling to choose their decks and tweak their lists for the big Championship event. Today, I’m going to talk about my top three choices for this tournament based on how the Standard format has played out so far this season. Before we dive right into the meat of the article, I want to take a brief moment to detail how Standard has evolved to the form it’s in now and how I predict it effects Georgia Regionals. We will look at all of the popular decks in Standard, highlighting their strengths and weaknesses. Lastly, I will give you a mini recap of my recent Top 4 finish at Dallas Regionals.
London Internationals
[cardimg name=”Zebstrika” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”49″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
Just a few weekends ago, the first International Championship was hosted in London, drawing players from all across the globe. Many North American players crossed the ocean to participate in this monumental event, and one of these players made a deep run into the event with an unexpected deck that shocked the entire Pokemon community. Alex Hill finished ninth overall with his [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Zebstrika” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”49″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] deck. Before London, the most hyped deck was, by far, [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] / Garbodor, a deck that dominated Fort Wayne Regionals only a couple of weekends prior. Many decks were built with the purpose of beating [card name=”Yveltal” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card], such as [card name=”Raikou” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Electrode” set=”Evolutions” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card], but none of these decks panned out to be what the players had expected them to be, leaving Yveltal still the undisputed “best deck in format.”
The other big deck going into London was [card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card], featuring an extremely powerful, bulky Pokemon that isn’t even a Pokemon-EX. When [card name=”Greninja” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] decks would overcome their slow and often terrible starts to achieve a respectable board, almost nothing could stop the frogs from winning the game. Alex’s deck was specifically designed to beat these two decks, as well as a few other less popular decks like [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card]. After finishing ninth, Alex’s deck’s true potential was shown to the world, putting yet another deck into the already diverse metagame.
The other major impact London had on the Standard metagame was that it further established the absolute dominance of Yveltal, as it had five of the Top 8 slots and all of the Top 4. If Yveltal’s strength wasn’t obvious enough before London, it is clear now. Ryan Moorehouse recently wrote an article all about London Internationals, so be sure to check it out here.
The Standard Metagame
We just went over that [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] is currently the deck to beat right now, with [card name=”Greninja” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] as the runner-up; [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Zebstrika” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”49″ c=”name”][/card] also showed its potential, but that doesn’t mean that those are the only good decks. In fact, it’s quite the opposite – Standard has a multitude of decks that are all in the same competitive scene. Let’s have a look at the most popular decks in the Standard format.
Yveltal / Garbodor
There are no decks that can autowin the [card name=”Yveltal” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card] matchup, mainly since the deck is loaded with such great cards, allowing it to wiggle out of many situations. Without any type of Tool removal in Standard other than the attacks of [card name=”Beedrill-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY157″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Minccino” set=”Fates Collide” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card]’s Garbotoxin Ability will almost always be active, shutting down both players’ Abilities. It affects this deck minimally since the only meaningful Ability Yveltal decks use (other than Garbotoxin itself, of course) is Yveltal’s Fright Night and [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card]’s Set Up. However, by the time Garbodor hits the field, Shaymin-EX is rarely ever needed anymore, and giving up Fright Night to shut off all of your opponent’s Abilities is an excellent trade-off.
One aspect of Yveltal that attracts many players is the required skill level needed to run it effectively; while Yveltal may seem like a straightforward deck to pilot, it actually requires a ton of skill. Knowing when and where to place Energy is monumental in this deck since Energy is the key to Knock Outs. Also, knowing where to place damage with Fright Night Yveltal is pivotal. Yveltal players must also know when to use Fright Night and when to use [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card]. This is the deck to play for competitors that feel they can win matches based on skill alone.
Greninja BREAK
The setup-based deck of the format, [card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card], typically has a slow early game and a powerful late game. Greninja BREAK and its prior Evolution, [card name=”Greninja” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card], both pack major wallops of attacks and Abilities. Unfortunately, getting these Evolutions out consistently is often troublesome for the deck. [card name=”Frogadier” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”39″ c=”name”][/card] has an amazing attack, Water Duplicates, that allows you to search out all of your Frogadier in the deck and place them immediately onto your Bench, skipping [card name=”Froakie” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”38″ c=”name”][/card] altogether. Then, you can Evolve the Frogadier into Greninja, and Greninja into Greninja BREAK. One issue with Greninja, though, is that multiple Evolutions like this take many turns to finish, and time is a pressing factor in most matchups. Taking too long to set up can put Greninja in an inescapable hole throughout the game. Additionally, Greninja is prone to drawing dead hands with barely any playable cards at all which, combined with the naturally low HP of Froakie and Frogadier, can lead to the conclusion of the game in two (or even one) turn(s).
With that said, Greninja decks win almost every game if they set up well and quickly. Many decks rely solely on Greninja’s inherent inconsistency as a win factor in the matchup, and other decks win by taking early Prizes and then significantly hindering Greninja late game with multiple [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card].
M Gardevoir-EX
[card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card], reminiscent of [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card], is one of the most, if not the most, consistent deck in the format; it’s also one of my favorite decks in the format. It uses an extremely thick count of both [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Hoopa-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”36″ c=”name”][/card]. After being discarded off of your Bench, these cards can be used over and over through the use of [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Dragonite-EX” set=”Evolutions” no=”72″ c=”name”][/card], giving you much more mileage than usual out of the powerful Pokemon-EX. To make the recycling even better, Mega Gardevoir has a built-in discard engine in its attack, Despair Ray. In fact, that’s the whole point of the deck! Ideally, you can take a quick first turn or two to set up your Mega Gardevoir and Knock Out one of your opponent’s Pokemon by discarding some of your Bench sitters. To replenish your damage output back up to OHKO range, you need to replenish your Bench, which is where Dragonite and Super Rod come into play. More than just adding damage and reusing the effects of benched Pokemon, discarding your excess Pokemon has a major benefit – you no longer have big [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card] targets for your opponent to use as a stall mechanic.
As you may expect, [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card] engines are common in Mega Gardevoir lists to further increase the damage able to be dealt with Despair Ray. [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card] is seldomly used too, sometimes in conjunction with Sky Field.
Volcanion
[cardimg name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”26″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
Another pet deck of mine, [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY173″ c=”name”][/card], is the fast and furious deck of the format. A polar opposite of [card name=”Greninja” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] decks, [card name=”Volcanion” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY145″ c=”name”][/card] is capable of terrorizing its opponent’s Pokemon before they can muster a defense, but Volcanion only gets stronger as the game goes on. The primary attack Volcanion decks use in the first couple of turns is baby Volcanion’s Power Heater. This slams two more Energy onto your board from the discard. Handily fueling the discard pile with Fire Energy, Volcanion-EX also serves as a power-up support Pokemon, increasing any of your Basic Fire-types’ attacks by 30 per Fire Energy in the discard (although one Volcanion-EX can only discard one Fire Energy per turn). Once Volcanion has taken a handful of early Knock Outs and softening hits, it can pivot into Volcanion-EX to clean up the game with its whopping 130 damage Volcanic Heat attack. To make the Energy acceleration even better, Volcanion decks take advantage of their high Energy count with [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card]; baby Volcanion and Max Elixir together can easily lead to six or seven Energy on the field by your second or third turn.
Another great benefit of playing Volcanion is that you can completely out-speed and out-power any deck you come across, and many times, your opponent isn’t able to surmount such an incredible opening. If you’re interested in an in-depth look at Volcanion, its tech choices, and its matchups, check out one of my previous articles here.
Rainbow Road
Similar to [card name=”Volcanion” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY145″ c=”name”][/card], the [card name=”Xerneas” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card]-driven Rainbow Road deck is quick and aggressive, but plays a variety of types of Pokemon to increase Xerneas’s damage. Xerneas is capable of outputting more damage than Volcanion, starting even earlier in the game. However, its fatal flaw is its reliance on [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card]. [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card] is found in decent counts in almost every deck in the format, a card that hurts Rainbow Road critically. For Rainbow Road to appropriately recover, it must find both a recovery card like [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ c=”name”][/card] and another Sky Field. This can be difficult to do late game. Also, [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card]’s Garbotoxin shuts off [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Hoopa-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”36″ c=”name”][/card] from being used after they’re recycled, and [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card] can remove [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card] from other Xerneas. Coupling these annoyances with the ever-so-common late game [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card], Rainbow Road often has few ways to recover from disruptive scenarios.
Now, I’ve just listed quite a few negatives about Rainbow Road, yet here it is in the brief list of top decks of the format. For it to be there, it must have earned its spot somehow, right? These downfalls it suffers from makes it seem like nothing more than a fun deck to play at League, but this is not the case. While it does experience tough times in many late game positions, it has explosive openings, and like Volcanion, can often out-speed and out-power any foe to achieve a quick victory. After all, if the game is over before the opponent has a chance to fully make use of Parallel City, Garbodor and Enhanced Hammer, the outcome can be managed.
Vespiquen Variants
[card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”11″ c=”name”][/card] rose to its prominence in Standard after Alex Hill’s London run. On its own, Vespiquen is an incredible card. It can hit for a decent amount during the early course of the game, only gets stronger as the game progresses, and even has a draw attack if things go awry. A few things do hold Vespiquen back from total dominance, though. Vespiquen’s main issue is that it can’t discard enough Pokemon in the first couple of turns to apply any meaningful pressure against the opponent. Losing [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] to the annual set rotation took away Vespiquen’s main method of doing this, so now it has to rely on less powerful discard avenues like [card name=”Unown” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”30″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Klefki” set=”Steam Siege” no=”80″ c=”name”][/card].
These hindrances aside, Vespiquen is still a great card in this metagame. Under the right circumstances, no deck can match Vespiquen’s power of being a non-EX. Vespiquen decks also have flexibility in their lists since any Pokemon can fuel Bee Revenge. This means that a good Vespiquen list for one tournament may not be optimal for another, as it all depends on the metagame. The most common partners for Vespiquen now are [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Zebstrika” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”49″ c=”name”][/card] , although [card name=”Zoroark” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] is occasionally paired with Vespiquen too.
Top Plays for Standard
Now that we’ve gone over a selection of the top decks in the format, I’ll give you my personal top three picks for upcoming Standard events. In no particular order, here are my selections:
Yveltal
It should be no surprise that [card name=”Yveltal” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card] is on my list of decks to play. Time and time again during this season it has proven just how great of a deck it is, and it has no matchups that can’t be won. Here is the list I have been testing.
[decklist name=”Yveltal” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″][pokemon amt=”11″]3x [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Yveltal” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”94″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ 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][/pokemon][trainers amt=”36″]4x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”XY” no=”122″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Team Flare Grunt” set=”XY” no=”129″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Pokémon Center Lady” set=”Flashfire” no=”93″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Olympia” set=”Generations” no=”66″ 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=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”93″ 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=”Phantom Forces” no=”94″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”13″]9x [card name=”Darkness Energy” set=”Diamond and Pearl” no=”129″ c=”deck2″ amt=”9″][/card]4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”111″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
There is nothing special about my list. It’s similar to many of the lists that have performed well this season, but I opted for consistency and high counts of critical cards. The only tech inclusions I made for my list were all Supporters, specifically [card name=”Team Flare Grunt” set=”XY” no=”129″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Olympia” set=”Generations” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Pokémon Center Lady” set=”Flashfire” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card]. Team Flare Grunt is a strong card in any matchup, especially when coupled with [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card] to discard two Energy cards in a single turn. [card name=”Pokémon Center Lady” set=”Flashfire” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] is mainly included for the mirror match, being able to heal damage done by Pitch-Black Spear to throw off Evil Ball math. Although, Pokemon Center Lady can also serve niche purposes in other matchups, such as to heal paralysis caused by [card name=”Froakie” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”38″ c=”name”][/card]. [card name=”Olympia” set=”Generations” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card] can function in the same fashion as Pokemon Center Lady to heal your Pokemon, but her main use is to switch out Yveltal that have [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] attached or [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] that don’t have [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card]. Yveltal’s Retreat Cost is a moderately hefty two, so being able to switch without discarding two Energy can be game-changing.
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Matchups
Volcanion
This matchup is one that is hard to place a definite percentage on. Many [card name=”Yveltal” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card] players claim that it ranges from an easy matchup to an even one, while [card name=”Volcanion” set=”Steam Siege” no=”25″ c=”name”][/card] players claim it spans from slightly unfavorable to slightly favorable. I have played both of these decks against the other, and in my testing, the games have felt evenly powered. Volcanion decks try to KO the Yveltal deck’s [card name=”Trubbish” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”56″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] as quickly as possible, since Garbotoxin is the main Ability holding Volcanion back. If the matchup were just Yveltal and [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”144″ c=”name”][/card] against Volcanion and [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card], Volcanion would surely win that matchup.
Yveltal players often like to [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card] a Volcanion-EX with no or few Energy attached as a stall tactic, preventing a [card name=”Float Stone” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] retreat because of Fright Night. While the Volcanion is stuck Active, they can soften up other Volcanion-EX with Pitch-Black Spear to make an Evil Ball KO much easier and less Energy-intensive later in the game. The key to this matchup for the Volcanion player is to keep a handy supply of switching cards to get around Fright Night Yveltal. The Yveltal player needs to get Garbodor into play quickly and keep it there.
Greninja BREAK
[cardimg name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
On paper and in theory, this matchup seems like it would be extremely favored towards [card name=”Greninja” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card]. [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card] can do roughly the same damage per turn and have the same HP, while Yveltal-EX needs many more Energy and has the dreaded state of being a Pokemon-EX. Yet in testing, [card name=”Yveltal” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card] tends to win many more games than it loses, and this matchup played out this way in many of the Yveltal vs. Greninja streamed games from the London Internationals.
Greninja is extremely slow, allowing Yveltal a three-turn window to get out [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Legendary Treasures” no=”68″ c=”name”][/card] before Greninja BREAK can pose any real threat. That’s a relaxing breeze for Yveltal compared to it needing to get a turn two Garbodor in other matchups. Once Garbodor is on the field, Greninja has to [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card] it twice to KO it (unless they play the Aqua Shower [card name=”Greninja” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY162″ c=”name”][/card] promo, which isn’t found in most Greninja lists.) Meanwhile, Yveltal-EX can wail on Greninja. If Yveltal can land two Garbodor in the same game, they are essentially locked into play for the rest of the game, shutting off Greninja BREAK’s game-changing Ability for good.
Even without Abilities, Greninja does have a few tricks it can pull to win the game. Some Greninja lists run cards like [card name=”Jirachi” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY67″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Primal Clash” no=”162″ c=”name”][/card] to discard Yveltal-EX’s [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”XY” no=”130″ c=”name”][/card] and reduce its damage by 40. Others tech in a couple [card name=”Max Potion” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”103″ c=”name”][/card], a great card to heal a Greninja that didn’t get OHKO’d by Yveltal. Additionally, most Greninja lists run [card name=”Bursting Balloon” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card], ramping up Greninja’s damage output to mitigate the loss of Giant Water Shuriken. With all of these pestering cards in Greninja decks, once Yveltal gets out its Garbodor, it must be sparing with its resources like [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Legendary Treasures” no=”113″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”110″ c=”name”][/card], otherwise Greninja can win a slow, whittling game.
Mega Gardevoir
While [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] was initially hyped as the “[card name=”Yveltal” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card] killer”, its Yveltal matchup has turned out to be much more close to even than people had expected. The biggest issues for [card name=”Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”111″ c=”name”][/card] in this matchup are Fright Night Yveltal and [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card]. Yveltal makes it difficult for Gardevoir to Mega Evolve, turning off [card name=”Gardevoir Spirit Link” set=”Steam Siege” no=”101″ c=”name”][/card], and Garbodor can turn off Abilities like [card name=”Dragonite-EX” set=”Evolutions” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card]’s Pull Up and [card name=”Hoopa-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY85″ c=”name”][/card]’s Scoundrel Ring to fill its Bench after a big Despair Ray discard. For this reason, Garbodor is usually the first target for Gardevoir to get rid of in the matchup. Once Gardevoir manages to overcome Fright Night and Garbodor, the game becomes a war of 2HKOs, making the matchup effectively even. However, both decks typically run counters to this to make 2HKOs significantly harder: Yveltal decks use [card name=”Pokémon Center Lady” set=”Generations” no=”68″ c=”name”][/card], and Gardevoir lists use [card name=”Fairy Drop” set=”Fates Collide” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card].
One benefit Gardevoir has in this matchup is that it can take free Prizes much easier than Yveltal can. Rarely does Gardevoir leave a [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] on the Bench, but even when it does, Yveltal needs four Energy and a [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] to take a KO on it. This also means that Gardevoir was left undamaged for a turn, giving it an extra attack in the damage war. However, M Gardevoir can OHKO a Shaymin for only two Energy, and Yveltal having a benched Shaymin is not uncommon; therefore, Gardevoir can use that to tip the scales. With all things considered, this matchup has settled around 60 / 40 in favor of Gardevoir throughout my testing and what I’ve seen at tournaments.
Rainbow Road
This matchup boils down to control of the board. With all of its disruption cards, [card name=”Yveltal” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card] can usually lock down Rainbow Road from ever achieving an ideal board, but sometimes Rainbow Road runs too hot for Yveltal to control. [card name=”Xerneas” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card] is capable of OHKOing anything in the Yveltal deck on its first turn of the game. If Yveltal can’t hit a [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card] on its next turn, Xerneas can do all of this again, leading to a three-to-six Prize advantage for Rainbow Road after just two turns. On the contrary, sometimes Rainbow Road draws poorly or Yveltal gets all of its control cards, and Xerneas is unable to get rolling. These games favor Yveltal much more than Rainbow Road. This matchup is definitely favored for Yveltal, but is not one Yveltal should take too lightly.
Vespiquen
As you can imagine, this matchup is quite abysmal for [card name=”Yveltal” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card]. [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Zebstrika” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”49″ c=”name”][/card] was built to beat Yveltal, and it does so quite often. Zebstrika hits Yveltal for Weakness to make it a OHKO, and in the late game, Vespiquen’s Bee Revenge can OHKO as well. To make the matchup even worse, Vespiquen uses non-EX Pokemon attackers, leading to an unfavorable Prize trade. Yveltal’s only chance of winning this matchup is Vespiquen dead drawing from the start or getting [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card]’d into an unplayable hand later in the game.
Volcanion
As long as you’re prepared and experienced in the [card name=”Yveltal” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Legendary Treasures” no=”68″ c=”name”][/card] matchup, [card name=”Volcanion” set=”Steam Siege” no=”25″ c=”name”][/card] is certainly a great play for a Standard event. Its Ability to deal such heavy damage and accelerate so many Energy in such short time is unrivaled. Furthermore, it can steamroll many games, never relenting from its heavy attacks until it wins the game. This is the list I have been using to test for Georgia Regionals:
[decklist name=”Volcanion” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”26″][pokemon amt=”11″]4x [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”26″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Volcanion” set=”Steam Siege” no=”25″ 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=”Entei” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”14″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”38″]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″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Fisherman” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”136″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Olympia” set=”Generations” no=”66″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Pokémon Ranger” set=”Steam Siege” no=”104″ 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=”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=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Energy Retrieval” set=”Black and White” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Escape Rope” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”120″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”11″]11x [card name=”Fire Energy” set=”EX Ruby and Sapphire” no=”108″ c=”deck2″ amt=”11″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
This Volcanion list is typical, but one card I want to discuss is [card name=”Entei” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”14″ c=”name”][/card]. Entei is extremely useful in the Rainbow Road and Yveltal matchups. Against Rainbow Road, it punishes the opponent for playing so many Pokemon; against Yveltal, its main use is to KO their Garbodor for only two Energy, compared to [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card] needing three Energy to do so. Additionally, Entei is a not a Pokemon-EX, so it only gives up one Prize card. Entei can even be powered up in a single turn with [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card], allowing it to be a surprise factor in the deck.
Matchups
Greninja BREAK
Facing [card name=”Greninja” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] with [card name=”Volcanion” set=”Steam Siege” no=”25″ c=”name”][/card] is similar to facing it with [card name=”Yveltal” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card] – you need to be as aggressive as possible. If you can take one Prize card per turn, every turn, until they get [card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card] out, you’ll likely be in a good enough position to take your last few Prizes before they can take all six of theirs. Thin out your deck to make Greninja’s late game [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Ace Trainer” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”69″ c=”name”][/card] less hurtful, and expect to be N’d quite a few times during the game. Also, use your [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card] extremely wisely, as you can’t OHKO a Greninja BREAK with full HP that just used Shadow Stitching. You also need to use Lysandre to cycle out their [card name=”Bursting Balloon” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card] Pokemon. Otherwise, with Giant Water Shuriken and Volcanion’s Water-type Weakness, Greninja will put out too much damage for Volcanion to overcome, even with its early lead.
M Gardevoir
[cardimg name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”112″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
For both decks, [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card] is the key in this matchup. Both decks are fully capable of OHKOing the other deck’s main attacker. [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card] can use three Steam Up and a Volcanic Heat, and [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] can use a seven-Pokemon Despair Ray and a [card name=”Rattata” set=”Evolutions” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card] to discard [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card], but Hex Maniac can stop both decks from achieving that. Not all [card name=”Volcanion” set=”Steam Siege” no=”25″ c=”name”][/card] decks play Hex Maniac since they would rather be agressive than disruptive, giving Gardevoir a bit of an edge. Like in other matchups, Gardevoir will rarely leave easy Prizes on the Bench like [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Hoopa-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY71″ c=”name”][/card], forcing Volcanion to KO three Gardevoir a majority of the time. On the other hand, Volcanion almost always uses at least one Shaymin and Hoopa, giving Gardevoir free Prizes to take. While this matchup is slightly favorable for Gardevoir, an addition of Hex Maniac to Volcanion would level the playing field greatly.
Rainbow Road
Rainbow Road is a close matchup, but a winnable one. The key in this matchup is to take as many KOs with Power Heater as possible. If you can [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card] one of their Pokemon-EX like [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Genesect-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”11″ c=”name”][/card] and pull off enough Steam Up uses, you can take two Prizes while also powering up [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card] to clean up the game. If you can use four Steam Ups to OHKO a [card name=”Xerneas” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card], that is also an effective strategy.
[card name=”Entei” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”14″ c=”name”][/card] is a great card in this matchup, hitting for a ton of damage and only giving one Prize card when it is Knocked Out. Lead with baby [card name=”Volcanion” set=”Steam Siege” no=”25″ c=”name”][/card] for a few turns and don’t put all of your resources into a single Volcanion-EX, and this matchup will be extremely close.
Vespiquen
When you play [card name=”Volcanion” set=”Steam Siege” no=”25″ c=”name”][/card], this is the matchup you pray for every round. While it isn’t a completely unwinnable matchup for [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card], it is extremely favored for Volcanion. Baby Volcanion can easily KO every Pokemon in the Vespiquen deck while it powers up more [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card] on the Bench. If Vespiquen runs [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card], they can use it to shut off Steam Up and force Volcanion to attack with Volcanion-EX, but Volcanion-EX still OHKOs everything in the Vespiquen deck. As long as Volcanion saves its switching cards and [card name=”Pokémon Ranger” set=”Steam Siege” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card] for the turns it has to use Volcanic Heat, it should breeze through this matchup.
Mega Gardevoir
This is the main deck I have been testing for Standard, I’ve built all sorts of rogue or underplayed decks, and I’ve tried all kinds of crazy techs in many decks to improve a couple of matchups, but nothing feels as comfortable to me as [card name=”Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”111″ c=”name”][/card]’s consistency. I rarely find myself with an unplayable hand, with so many draw and search cards in the deck. The deck has arguably the best late game of all Standard decks. Also, Gardevoir’s only near-autoloss is [card name=”M Scizor-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card], a deck that is rapidly decreasing in popularity as [card name=”Volcanion” set=”Steam Siege” no=”25″ c=”name”][/card] becomes more popular.
[decklist name=”Gardevoir” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”112″][pokemon amt=”17″]3x [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”112″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]4x [card name=”Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”111″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Dragonite-EX” set=”Evolutions” no=”106″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Hoopa-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”36″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Rattata” set=”Evolutions” no=”66″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Absol” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”40″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”36″]3x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”XY” no=”122″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ 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=”Gardevoir Spirit Link” set=”Steam Siege” no=”101″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”100″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Fairy Drop” set=”Fates Collide” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Mega Turbo” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”86″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Escape Rope” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”120″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”2″][/card]3x [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”7″]7x [card name=”Fairy Energy” set=”XY” no=”140″ c=”deck2″ amt=”7″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
Like my [card name=”Yveltal” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card] deck list, my [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] list is meant to be extremely consistent and effective at what it does. I run thick copies of all of the cards I plan to use in every game, spare [card name=”Rattata” set=”Evolutions” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Absol” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] because these are easily searchable and aren’t required every game. If I were to cut any card, the first one to go would be a baby Gardevoir since it can be retrieved with [card name=”Dragonite-EX” set=”Evolutions” no=”72″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ c=”name”][/card] and searched with [card name=”Hoopa-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY71″ c=”name”][/card]. With that said, it is your ideal starter, so I play four.
Matchups
The [card name=”Yveltal” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card] vs. [card name=”Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”111″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Volcanion” set=”Steam Siege” no=”25″ c=”name”][/card] vs. Gardevoir matchups were already discussed in previous sections, so I am omitting them here.
Greninja BREAK
In this matchup, [card name=”Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”111″ c=”name”][/card] needs to run as quickly as possible. Once [card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card] starts hitting the field, OHKOs become significantly harder. With Despair Ray, Gardevoir only needs to discard two Pokemon to KO a regular [card name=”Greninja” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Talonflame” set=”Steam Siege” no=”96″ c=”name”][/card], while Greninja BREAK requires that six Pokemon be discarded. Greninja’s Shadow Stitching attack is extremely annoying for Gardevoir, as it prevents you from using your [card name=”Dragonite-EX” set=”Evolutions” no=”72″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Hoopa-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY71″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] that you rely so heavily on. So, conserve your [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ c=”name”][/card] for the Shadow Stitching turns, and don’t discard more Pokemon than you have to – every discard matters!
Keep [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Escape Rope” set=”Primal Clash” no=”127″ c=”name”][/card] handy at all times because Greninja will likely use [card name=”Bursting Balloon” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card] to try and deal more damage. [card name=”Rattata” set=”Evolutions” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card] can also discard Bursting Balloon, but it needs an Ability to do so, making it susceptible to Shadow Stitching. [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card] is extremely strong in this matchup, letting you shut off Greninja BREAK’s Giant Water Shuriken for a turn, so be sparing with your [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”EX FireRed and LeafGreen” no=”100″ c=”name”][/card] .
Rainbow Road
[cardimg name=”Xerneas” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”107″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
While not unwinnable for [card name=”Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”111″ c=”name”][/card], the Rainbow Road matchup is definitely unfavorable. [card name=”Xerneas” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card] can OHKO Gardevoir easily, taking two Prizes to the one Prize Xerneas forfeits, meaning Gardevoir cannot win by trading KOs with Xerneas alone. Instead, Gardevoir has two ways it can win. Option one is to take [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card] Prizes on things like [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Hoopa-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY71″ c=”name”][/card], but this is difficult for two reasons: Gardevoir must take the first KO this way, and you must also stream three Mega Gardevoir in three successive turns. The second and more practical way to win is to take Xerneas KOs, but play [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] to disrupt the Rainbow Road deck when they get to low Prize counts. Rainbow Road is a naturally clunky deck, so it can occasionally draw dead for a few turns. While this strategy does work occasionally, it isn’t good to count on a victory by your opponent drawing an unplayable hand.
One tech that would benefit this matchup greatly, as well as others, is [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card]. Gardevoir is known for playing primarily [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card], so you may be able to trick the Rainbow Road player into discarding his or her extra Sky Field, not expecting a counter Stadium. Catching your opponent by surprise like this is a great way to victory, especially if you can nail them with an N after the counter Stadium.
Vespiquen
Throughout all of my testing, I’ve found this matchup to be quite favorable for [card name=”Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”111″ c=”name”][/card]. [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] can take KOs easily on turn two, whereas [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] often needs four or five turns to get enough Pokemon discarded to take OHKOs. [card name=”Zebstrika” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”49″ c=”name”][/card] is essentially useless against Gardevoir since Despair Ray will always discard any [card name=”Dragonite-EX” set=”Evolutions” no=”72″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] on the Bench, and [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Legendary Treasures” no=”68″ c=”name”][/card] does not hurt Gardevoir much because it doesn’t need to discard any Pokemon to KO Vespiquen.
The best counter Vespiquen has to Gardevoir is [card name=”Klefki” set=”Steam Siege” no=”80″ c=”name”][/card], but even Klefki doesn’t bother Gardevoir much. If Garbodor is in play, Klekfi can’t even be used, and if Garbodor is not in play, Gardevoir can use [card name=”Rattata” set=”Evolutions” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card] to discard the Klefki. The only way Vespiquen can make it hard on Garbodor is if they use Klefki and then activate Garbodor in the same turn; however, this only works one time, and Gardevoir can simply [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Escape Rope” set=”Primal Clash” no=”127″ c=”name”][/card] around the Klefki. To win this matchup, Vespiquen must have an explosive start and draw its [card name=”Combee” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”9″ c=”name”][/card], Vespiquen, and [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Generations” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] at the right times.
Dallas Regionals Mini-Report
Editor’s Note: Dalen wrote a majority of this article before Dallas, however, since he had such a strong performance we wanted him to add this part.
Over the New Years weekend I attended Dallas Regionals, opting to play [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”112″ c=”name”][/card] because of its consistency and generally positive matchups. This choice turned out to be a great one, as I managed to (with luck along the way) finish 9-0-0 Day 1 and win two games in Day 2 to lock my spot into the Top 8. This tournament was quite enjoyable! Vince Krekeler ran a great tournament, and it was awesome to see friends do well in the event.
Below is the list that I ended up playing for Dallas. It is only five cards different from the list I posted before; I took out one [card name=”Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card] , one [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card], the [card name=”Absol” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card], a [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] and one [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ c=”name”][/card] to add another [card name=”Mega Turbo” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Buddy-Buddy Rescue” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”135″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Hawlucha” set=”Steam Siege” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Brock’s Grit” set=”Evolutions” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card]. I would like to give a huge shoutout to Connor Finton and some other friends in Georgia’s Monstars (Kyle Warden, Ahmed Ali, Nathan Brower and Ryan Peterson) for helping me with these last minute changes!
[decklist name=”Dallas Gardevoir” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″][pokemon amt=”16″]3x [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”78″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]4x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Dragonite-EX” set=”Evolutions” no=”72″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Hoopa-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”36″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Rattata” set=”Evolutions” no=”66″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Hawlucha” set=”Steam Siege” no=”97″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”37″]3x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”101″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/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″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Brock’s Grit” set=”Evolutions” no=”74″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”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]3x [card name=”Mega Turbo” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”86″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Fairy Drop” set=”Fates Collide” no=”99″ 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]1x [card name=”Buddy-Buddy Rescue” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”135″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]3x [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”7″]7x [card name=”Fairy Energy” set=”XY” no=”140″ c=”deck2″ amt=”7″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
Kyle Warden and Noah Sawyer are both longtime friends of mine that played the exact same list as I did for the tournament. Noah went 7-2 for Day 1 and 3-1-1 during Day 2 to finish with 31 points, seeding 7th into the Top 8. Kyle unforunately lost his last round of Day 1 to a slightly favorable matchup due to bad draws, having needed to win to make Top 32. Connor Finton played a list only three cards different from ours to finish in the Top 4, and Xander Pero’s champion list was only two or three cards different from ours, as well. With so many competitors doing well with similar builds, there is definitely something to be said about this relatively new deck. It proved worthy, for sure, and we will likely see much more of it in upcoming events!
My Matchups
Day 1: 9-0-0
Round 1) Alec N., [card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Talonflame” set=”Steam Siege” no=”96″ c=”name”][/card] W-W
Round 2) Sean H., [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card] Toolbox W-W
Round 3) Daniel A., [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Pokémon Catcher” set=”Kalos Starter Set” no=”36″ c=”name”][/card] W-W
Round 4) Jake D., [card name=”Yveltal” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Bisharp” set=”Steam Siege” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card] W-L-W
Round 5) Alex K., Greninja BREAK / Talonflame W-W
Round 6) Michael C., [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”160″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Legendary Treasures” no=”68″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Fairy Drop” set=”Fates Collide” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] W-W
Round 7) Fred H., M Mewtwo-EX / Garbodor / [card name=”Shrine of Memories” set=”Primal Clash” no=”139″ c=”name”][/card] W-W
Round 8) Grafton R., Greninja BREAK / Talonflame W-L-W
Round 9) Xander P., M Gardevoir-EX W-W
Day 2: 2-1-2
Round 10) Alex K., Greninja BREAK / Talonflame W-L-W
Round 11) Trevor B., Yveltal / Garbodor W-W
Round 12) Andrew W., Volcanion-EX / [card name=”Flareon” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Salamence-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY170″ c=”name”][/card] W-L
Round 13) Connor F., M Gardevoir-EX L-L (concede)
Round 14) Igor C., M Mewtwo-EX / Garbodor / Shrine of Memories T (ID)
Top Cut
Top 8) Alex K., Greninja BREAK / Talonflame L-W-W
Top 4) Xander P., M Gardevoir-EX L-W-L
[cardimg name=”Fairy Drop” set=”Fates Collide” no=”99″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
Overall, my matchups were about what I had expected them to be, yet with a large absence of Yveltal. Many of the top Yveltal players, such as Brad Curcio and Azul Garcia Griego, chose to play other decks instead of Yveltal, and other Yveltal decks lost to the Yveltal counter decks like [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Zebstrika” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”49″ c=”name”][/card]. I only played against two Yveltal decks in the entire tournament, something I never thought would happen. Instead, I had to play against five [card name=”Greninja” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] decks. Many of my rounds played out as I had expected them to. Neither Volcanion-EX deck that I faced used [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card], giving me an advantage in those games. Having two copies of [card name=”Fairy Drop” set=”Fates Collide” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] significantly helped against the Yveltal decks, and Mega Gardevoir’s partial Psychic-typing made Mega Mewtwo matchups easy. The hard matchups of this weekend were the one Vileplume Toolbox deck and the seemingly endless Greninja decks I faced.
I was extremely lucky to beat Vileplume, especially since he played [card name=”Magearna-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card] which could OHKO Mega Gardevoir. During game one, I was able to win by decking him out. He had to discard his [card name=”Manaphy-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”32″ c=”name”][/card] early and did not get a [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] on Vileplume; it also took him a couple of turns to get Vileplume onto the board. Later in the game I counted that he had three Energy left, none of which were [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Fates Collide” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card], so I used [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card] to bring Vileplume active. When he attached his second Energy to Vileplume, I used my other Lysandre to bring up his [card name=”Glaceon-EX” set=”Fates Collide” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] that had no Energy attached, and passed. He was out of [card name=”Ninja Boy” set=”Steam Siege” no=”103″ c=”name”][/card] to swap out Glaceon, so I passed until he decked out. Game two went the same way, but this time he got a turn one Vileplume. He also didn’t have to discard as many Energy, so I knew Lysandre stalling would not be possible. He eventually got down to two Prizes left with a fully powered Magearna-EX. Because of its Psychic Resistance, Mega Gardevoir could not OHKO Magearna without [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card]. I had no Energy left in play, so I played my first Lysandre to bring up Vileplume to stall for a few turns until I could get the cards I needed. He played Ninja Boy to try to switch [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] for Manaphy, but found out that his Manaphy was one of his last two Prizes, an extremely unlucky event. He was then forced to pass. I played my turns super conservatively, waiting for a perfect hand before I made any aggressive move. After about eight turns, I had evolved my Gardevoir into Mega Gardevoir and attached two Energy to it. I had my other Lysandre in my hand, as well as a Sky Field and enough Pokemon to place down to OHKO Magearna; all I needed was another Energy. Fortunately, I drew it after a few turns. Once I KO’d his Magearna, he had no way to KO Mega Gardevoir, so I swept the game in two more turns.
Against Greninja, I also had a bit of luck. Out of the 13 games total I played against it, the opponent either drew slow hands or completely dead hands about five times, letting me take an easy victory. Other games, Greninja got set up properly, but I was able to edge out the game by getting multiple Mega Gardevoir into play and discarding damaged Mega Gardevoir with Despair Ray to prevent KOs. Sometimes Greninja simply got too quick of a setup for me to have any chance to win; these games were my hard losses. Unfortunately, since I played against Greninja so many times and so many of the games were nearly identical, I can’t recall specific details about most of the matchups since they all blend together. One big takeaway I did learn, however, is that Greninja is an extremely close matchup for Gardevoir. Lastly, I played two rounds of the Mega Gardevoir mirror match, both agaisnt Xander, the eventual tournament winner. Out of our five games, only two were good, with the other three featuring a dead draw from one of us. In the two games we had that were good, we each took one game. In my win, Xander was unable to find his last Mega after I [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card]’d him to two, allowing me to take two KOs with one Gardevoir. In his win, I burned one [card name=”Escape Rope” set=”Primal Clash” no=”127″ c=”name”][/card] early to draw an additional card on a Shaymin since I had no Supporter in my hand. When he Lysandre’d my Mega Gardevoir that had no Energy on it, I couldn’t retreat it. This gave him a free KO and a big advantage in the game.
Throughout the entire tournament, the only card I hated having was [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card]. We included it to make Rainbow Road and [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card] slightly more winnable in the case that we were to play against one, but I did not. I don’t recall it ever making a difference in any game I played. I am definitely removing the Parallel for future events, but I am not sure yet on what to replace it with. Another switching card like [card name=”Escape Rope” set=”Primal Clash” no=”127″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Switch” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] would be welcomed, but I also would like another [card name=”Fairy Drop” set=”Fates Collide” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] for the Yveltal matchup. Nonetheless, the other late changes I made were amazing – the [card name=”Buddy-Buddy Rescue” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”135″ c=”name”][/card] won me a game or two by having it instead of [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ c=”name”][/card], and having [card name=”Brock’s Grit” set=”Evolutions” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] as a reusable recovery card was invaluable. [card name=”Hawlucha” set=”Steam Siege” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card] was, without a doubt, the MVP of my tournament, playing an important role in at least ten of my games. Having a third [card name=”Mega Turbo” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card] also helped on numerous occasions, letting me chain Mega Gardevoir back-to-back.
Other Thoughts
[cardimg name=”Yveltal” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”94″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
Going into a Regionals, or any large tournament for that matter, one feeling I always dread is knowing that my deck has a decent chance of dead drawing or that facing a certain matchup will almost certainly be a loss. For these reasons, I try to stay away from matchup-based decks or inconsistent decks, as I’ve had far too many major losses because of one of these two reasons. For example, at Fort Wayne Regionals, I chose to play a rogue [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Bisharp” set=”Steam Siege” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card] deck. The idea was to lead early with Fright Night as most [card name=”Yveltal” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card] decks do, but use Bisharp as a late game attacker. It’s able to do with one Energy, what Yveltal-EX often does with three Energy. Additionally, Bisharp’s Metal-typing greatly aids against Fairy-type matchups, Rainbow Road and [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] in particular. My testing group and I expected a huge amount of Gardevoir decks to be swarming throughout the field, largely due to its hype as the counter to Yveltal. While our prediction was true and there were a ton of Gardevoir decks there, I only faced one in my nine rounds. Another prediction we made was that [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card] decks would not be as popular as they were at Orlando due to the hype of [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card], a prediction that was wrong. Switching Garbodor for Bisharp took the Volcanion matchup from a favorable 60-40 to an unfavorable 40-60. Of course, I got paired against three Volcanion. I managed to beat one, but the other two came as expected losses. I only faced one Rainbow Road deck and drew poorly in two of the three games to lose the series, and faced an extremely bad matchup against [card name=”M Scizor-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card]. Playing a deck that thrived on only certain matchups turned out to be a horrible decision on my part, but the deck didn’t completely flop; a good friend of mine, Noah Sawyer, went 7-2 with the exact same list as I did to make Top 32.
With all this being said, I am not a fan of [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] for Georgia Regionals. While it does have spectacular Yveltal and [card name=”Greninja” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] matchups, it suffers greatly in many others. If you have a bad run of matchups, your entire tournament goes to waste, but that’s the risk you take playing such a deck.
Additionally, I refuse to play [card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card] for any tournament. I’ve tried countless variants of Greninja: [card name=”Talonflame” set=”Steam Siege” no=”96″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Jirachi” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY67″ c=”name”][/card], and even a list with four [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] and three [card name=”Acro Bike” set=”Primal Clash” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card] – every single variant dead draws at least one in four games. While I do acknowledge that Greninja is amazing when it sets up, I don’t feel confident in its ability to set up properly for seven or eight rounds out of nine. With this in mind, you can see why I favor the decks that I do for Standard right now; they’re consistent, powerful, and have few terrible matchups.
Conclusion
Thank you all for reading my article! I hope it gives you an informed, clear idea of the position of the current metagame. I wish you all the best of luck in your upcoming tournaments, and be sure to check back soon for more Premium Articles here on PokeBeach. If you have any questions, feel free to ping me in the Subscriber’s Secret Hideout! Also, let me know what you thought about this article below in the comments! Until next time,
-Dalen
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