The Dallas Stars — How the Format Got Flipped on Its Head

By: JW Kriewall · Posted Posted onJan 8, 2017 at 11:34 AM · 0 Comments

Happy New Year, PokeBeach! I hope you all have enjoyed your holiday as much as I did. For me, I’ve had the last month off to get some much needed rest before my final semester in grad school. Whew, it’s almost over! I’m on the grind this year with a bunch going on musically. Next week, I’m heading down to Miami to play a concert with the New World Symphony. We will be performing Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique which is grotesque and beautiful and gripping and a plethora of other adjectives. Basically I’m getting paid to go to South Beach. Pretty sweet. On top of that I have professional auditions going on in February in Michigan as well as a recital to prepare for at the end of the semester. There is always the Pokemon grind and I can’t wait to get back into tournaments with the upcoming League Cups, however, going home and spending time with family reminds me of what’s important in this life. The Christmas season has been a time of joy, hope, sadness and a host of other emotions as I think back on what happened in 2016.

[cardimg name=”M Audino-EX” set=”Fates Collide” no=”85″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Speaking of 2016, PokeBeach writers had a pretty incredible year so far! Shoutout to Dalen Dockery for his recent success at Dallas Regionals with [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] (racing out to a dominant 11-0 start), as well as the all PokeBeach final in Fort Wayne where Andrew Mahone and Jimmy Pendarvis squared off in an Yveltal mirror match. Most of our other writers have placed in the money at recent Regionals which is great to see as well. For the past three U.S. Regionals PokeBeach has held the first seed after swiss. Congratulations to the entire PokeBeach crew! If you’re currently a subscriber, you are definitely in good hands. PokeBeach is taking over the competitive scene right now and you definitely don’t want to be left out.

2016 was certainly the year of the underdog. Donald Trump won the presidential election despite having zero political experience (still scratching my head at that one). The Cubs won the World Series after a 108 year drought. Leonardo DiCaprio finally won an Oscar. The Cavaliers erased a 3-1 deficit by the Golden State Warriors to bring Cleveland its first major professional sports championship in over 50 years. [card name=”M Audino-EX” set=”Fates Collide” no=”85″ c=”name”][/card] came out of nowhere to win the Pokemon World Championships in San Fransisco. It truly has been a year for underdogs and Dallas Regionals did not buck that trend.

Before Dallas Regionals, I was getting prepped to write about [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY150″ c=”name”][/card]’s commanding presence in the format and how it would dominate Standard Regionals for months to come. In my opinion (before the results of Dallas Regionals), there were few decks that could compete with Yveltal’s versatility, early and late game pressure, and disruption. Counter decks such as my best friend Alex Hill’s [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 emerged which handled Yveltal-EX based decks but struggled against the arguable second best deck in the format, [card name=”Volcanion” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY145″ c=”name”][/card]. I could not imagine Yveltal losing it’s grip on the format and I certainly would never have predicted what happened this past weekend.

Yveltal-EX, the deck that many would have called the best deck in format before Dallas, the big bad bird who took down Fort Wayne Regionals and London Internationals was virtually non existent in Dallas. A handful of players, including PokeBeach’s resident Yveltal expert Jimmy Pendarvis made day two with the deck, however, none of the players piloting Yveltal advanced to the Top 8. Instead of being full of Yveltal decks like many “experts” would have predicted, Top 8 was full of Mega decks, specifically [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card].

In this article, we’ll go over the lists from the top performers as well as analyze the metagame and how we got to this point. I’ll also take a look forward at what to play in upcoming League Challenges and League Cups. Most, if not all of my League Cups in Ohio are in the Standard format, so I’ll give you a peek at the few decks that are on my short list for testing.

Mega Gardevoir

Four of the Top 8 decks were [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] decks. The entire Top 4 consisted entirely of Mega Pokemon decks – three Mega Gardevoir and one [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card]. It’s pretty wild that decks that had previously seen little success at the Regional level achieved such great placements. Truly the ultimate underdog story! Here is Xander Pero’s winning list.

[decklist name=”Gardy” amt=”60″ caption=”Gardy” 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=”Hoopa-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”36″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Dragonite-EX” set=”Evolutions” no=”72″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Hawlucha” set=”Steam Siege” no=”97″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Rattata” set=”Evolutions” no=”66″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”37″]3x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ 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=”Fates Collide” no=”113″ 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]3x [card name=”Fairy Drop” set=”Fates Collide” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Escape Rope” set=”Primal Clash” no=”127″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Switch” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”91″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/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=”Evolutions” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”7″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

I love this list. Just look at the consistency; four [card name=”Gardevoir Spirit Link” set=”Primal Clash” no=”130″ c=”name”][/card], two [card name=”Dragonite-EX” set=”Evolutions” no=”72″ c=”name”][/card], and three [card name=”Fairy Drop” set=”Fates Collide” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card]. Two Fairy Drop had been the standard for a long time in the Gardevoir lists I had seen, but Xander opted for three. He certainly had the Yveltal matchup in mind with that card count. Fairy Drop can shift the Dark matchup from 50 / 50 to favorable. I had tested Yveltal against Gardevoir before the Fort Wayne Regional Championship and found Yveltal winning much of the time, however, the Gardevoir lists I was playing back then ran zero or two Fairy Drop. The healing from Fairy Drop can be an absolute back breaker for many decks that rely on 2HKOs like Volcanion and Yveltal. Being able to play two Fairy Drop in the same turn to put your [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] out of 2HKO range to force a 3HKO is why I completely agree with three Fariy Drop and wouldn’t lower that count to two or less. Fairy Drop is generally best when played two at a time so three of the card seems like the optimal play.

This list has a very streamlined feel to it. While I bragged about its consistency in the above paragraph, I do want to highlight that he doesn’t take that consistency too far. There are only three [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card] where most lists I’ve seen play four. There are only three [card name=”Gardevoir-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card] where other lists might play four. He didn’t overdo it with consistency cards like [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”XY” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] which he kept at three apiece. Great deck list, Xander. Congrats on the win!

Metagame Analysis

[cardimg name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

The metagame has undergone significant changes since we first began the season. Think back to the start of the season when [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] was the most hyped deck. Many players thought the deck would dominate the Standard format, which it did for a short time. It could shut down [card name=”Greninja” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] decks with Garbodor and Damage Change [card name=”Mewtwo-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY107″ c=”name”][/card] while being an Energy efficient attacker that could easily punish overextending [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY150″ c=”name”][/card] players that stacked too much Energy on an Yveltal-EX. Then people began testing lists with two Fright Night [card name=”Yveltal” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card] which helped slow down Mega Mewtwo enough to create a favorable matchup. The snipe attack on Yveltal weakened Mewtwo to the point where they would enter OHKO range by an Yveltal-EX negating the inherent strength of Mewtwo-EX’s Damage Change. Couple that with the Fright Night Ability which can slow Mega Mewtwo down by a turn or more and suddenly Yveltal decks rose to the top as the BDIF.

How does this explain Gardevoir’s rise though? I’m sure you are feeling as blindsided by the showing by Mega Gardevoir as I am. Mega Gardevoir was extremely hyped coming into the season, though it never really saw heavy play. Early on in the year, Mega Gardevoir seemed to have plenty of relevant strengths – ability to OHKO Pokemon-EX for two Energy, dual typing which made the [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card] matchup a breeze, and Resistance to Darkness which all but ensured that [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY150″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”118″ c=”name”][/card] were not going to one shot you without a monumental investment of resources. So why did Mega Gardevoir come out of hiding to dominate Dallas Regionals?

Theory #1 – Not Enough Good Players Played Yveltal

Yveltal had a massive target on its back after its impressive showing at London Internationals. Much of the field was looking to counter Yveltal, or simply had gotten tired of playing the deck after it was essentially crowned Tier 1 at Ft. Wayne Regionals. Players had played the deck enough to know that they didn’t want to take it to a major tournament. Perhaps it was too basic for the player base. Notable players like Sam Chen, Kevin Baxter, and Josh “Squeaky” Marking opted to go rogue with their [card name=”Xerneas BREAK” set=”Steam Siege” no=”82″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Lugia-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] / Snorlax GX deck.

Theory #2 – Players Opted for Mega Mewtwo Which Allowed Gardevoir to Rise to the Top

Nine of the Top 32 decks were [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card] decks. That’s 28%! That is a shockingly high amount of one archetype. Players opted for Mewtwo as a counter to the top decks: Yveltal, Volcanion, and [card name=”Greninja” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card]. Mega Gardevoir players were able to work around bad matchups to find their way to the top of the standings where Mega Mewtwo was running rampant. With Gardevoir’s favorable Mewtwo matchup it is no surprise that we saw a high number of Gardevoir succeed.

So then we have to question why people turned to Mega Mewtwo. Mega Mewtwo, if played with [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card], has a favorable matchup against [card name=”Volcanion” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY145″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Greninja” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] as well as a slightly favorable matchup against [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY150″ c=”name”][/card]. If we assume that those three decks were thought thought to be the top decks entering Dallas Regionals, a “Big Three” as it were, all of a sudden Mega Mewtwo becomes a viable option. Players such as Mike Canaves were playing Mega Mewtwo with Fairy Energy and [card name=”Fairy Drop” set=”Fates Collide” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] for healing to ensure positive matchups against Dark decks. Seeing the success of Yveltal, Greninja, and Volcanion through the entirety of Standard up until Dallas, players were looking for a deck that could reliably beat all three. Interestingly, Gardevoir players preyed upon players assumptions by succeeding with a deck that countered the counter deck.

Theory #3 – Gardevoir Decks Won the Matches They Would Have Lost in Earlier Regionals

I consider the Yveltal versus [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] matchup a very even if not ever so slightly favored matchup for Yveltal. I’ve won my fair share of games with Yveltal over Gardevoir, but I’ve lost plenty too. The matchup can swing either way. While I don’t know the individual matchups of every Gardevoir player round by round, matchup variance may have favored Gardevoir throughout this tournament where it favored Yveltal in Orlando and Ft. Wayne.

Theory #4 – Yveltal Players Played Suboptimal Lists for the Tournament

I discussed this in an earlier paragraph, but I’d like to flesh this idea even more. In the group chats I had with people leading up to the Dallas tournament, the general consensus was that Fright Night [card name=”Yveltal” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card] was too big of a liability in the [card name=”Greninja” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] matchup. Many of my friends had opted to drop down to a single Fright Night Yveltal or even get rid of the card altogether. The problem with doing this is you weaken the matchup against any Mega deck. However, Mega based decks had an absolutely abysmal run up to that point with zero Top 4 finishes in Fort Wayne or Orlando. Thus, Yveltal players thought it would be wiser to drop cards that would be liabilities in the Greninja matchup (a deck that was actually played) in favor of cards that would help mirror or the Greninja matchup, namely [card name=”Team Flare Grunt” set=”XY” no=”129″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Escape Rope” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”120″ c=”name”][/card], and / or more [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY150″ c=”name”][/card].

It’s impossible to pinpoint one of these theories as the definitive and exact reason Gardevoir dominated the weekend, but articulating the potential causes for the Mega Gardevoir explosion in Dallas can inform future deck decisions. What will happen to Yveltal players now that Mega Gardevoir lists are out that have positive matchups against their deck? Will we see a rise in play by [card name=”M Scizor-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card]? Eric Gansman and Travis Nunlist are licking their chops at the opportunity to roll up to a tournament with Scizor / Raticate. Will the Mega Gardevoir train keep rolling to more top finishes in upcoming League Cups and Regional Championships? I’ll discuss my thoughts on upcoming Standard format tournaments later on in the article.

Mega Mewtwo

[card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card] also saw success at Dallas Regionals, even taking down a [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] deck in Top 4 en route to a Runner Up finish. Igor Costa was the pilot of the Mega Mewtwo – it should be no surprise that it was he who had such a strong finish with the deck as Igor already had a Top 8 Regional finish with the deck. His deck featured nothing out of the ordinary, a testament to the sheer strength of Mega Mewtwo.

[decklist name=”M M2″ amt=”60″ caption=”M M2″ cname=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″][pokemon amt=”13″]3x [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]4x [card name=”Mewtwo-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY107″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]1x [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Trubbish” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”56″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Hoopa-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”36″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”36″]4x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ 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=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Fates Collide” no=”113″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Mewtwo Spirit Link” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”144″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Mega Turbo” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”86″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/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=”Shrine of Memories” set=”Primal Clash” no=”139″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”11″]7x [card name=”Psychic Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”95″ c=”deck2″ amt=”7″][/card]4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”90″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

Igor masterfully guided this deck to the Top 2 where he just couldn’t overcome the strength of Xander’s Mega Gardevoir. Igor’s list is very straightforward, but I do want to highlight his Pokemon counts. Igor opted for four [card name=”Mewtwo-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY107″ c=”name”][/card] to maximize the chances of starting with it which I completely agree with. He also cut from two [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] to only one probably figuring he didn’t need to get Garbodor out in every matchup.

Additionally, Igor opted for a full count of [card name=”Mega Turbo” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card] which is a card I don’t think I’ve ever seen maxed out in a Mewtwo deck with most players choosing to run two or three. By running four, Igor was shoring up his late game by being able to bring a Mega Mewtwo to three or four Energy easily. It is an interesting card as it is absolutely dead during the first turn or two, and also becomes dead if there are no Energy in the discard, however Items that can accelerate Energy are incredibly strong and Igor highlighted that point with the max count in his list. One of the best players in the game proves that you don’t need flashy decks or surprising techs to make a deep run in a large tournament.

[premium]

Greninja

[card name=”Greninja” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] was the only other deck besides [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] that was represented by more than one player in Top 8. Greninja is still managing to do well in spite of [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] being played in a ton of decks as well as Fairy decks playing the healing card [card name=”Fairy Drop” set=”Fates Collide” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] to mitigate Giant Water Shuriken damage. Greninja is just the Little Engine That Could, making another solid showing at the Regional level.

[decklist name=”Greninja” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Greninja” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”40″][pokemon amt=”19″]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]1x [card name=”Beedrill-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY157″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”32″]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=”Team Flare Grunt” set=”XY” no=”129″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Fisherman” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”136″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Supreme Victors” no=”140″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Dive Ball” set=”Primal Clash” no=”125″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]3x [card name=”Max Potion” set=”Emerging Powers” no=”94″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Bursting Balloon” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”97″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”94″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Silent Lab” set=”Primal Clash” no=”140″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Faded Town” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”73″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”9″]6x [card name=”Water Energy” set=”EX Emerald” no=”103″ c=”deck2″ amt=”6″][/card]3x [card name=”Splash Energy” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”113″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

This list feels all over the place. Mark Green, the deck builder who took this list to a sixth place finish, had some interesting counts in my opinion. Clearly the deck played well enough to garner a Top 8 finish, however I am confused at some card choices in the deck. It feels as though Mark could have focused on a few less things. For example, his Stadium counts are extremely bizarre. Silent Lab makes sense to counter [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] and the newly released Promo Giratina (which wasn’t legal for the tournament). [card name=”Faded Town” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”73″ c=”name”][/card] makes sense as a way to stack damage on Mega decks. However, we usually see one or the other in a three or four count while Mark opted to play both at a one or two count. Interesting!

In addition to less Stadiums, Mark dropped the [card name=”Bursting Balloon” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card] count from the standard four to three and [card name=”Splash Energy” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”113″ c=”name”][/card] from four to three as well. Dropping these cards allowed him to fit in an [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Team Flare Grunt” set=”XY” no=”129″ c=”name”][/card] which surely helped him limit the damage output from Pokemon like [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY150″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card].

I do love to see the inclusion of [card name=”Beedrill-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY157″ c=”name”][/card] to help deal with Garbodor decks, but ultimately find the liability of a two Prize attacker to be more of a hindrance than a help. I am interested to see how it fits in the deck as I’ve never found Beedrill to be a necessary inclusion.

Darkrai-EX / Salamence-EX / Garbodor

The other deck represented in the Top 8 was Jimmy Zhang’s [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Salamence-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY170″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] deck. Dallas Regionals was the first Regional tournament to allow the Promo [card name=”Salamence-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY170″ c=”name”][/card] and Jimmy rode it to a great finish. The deck attempted to hit hard and fast, similar to turbo Darkrai decks that we have seen in the Expanded format or the Darkrai-EX / Garbodor decks that popped up at Origins last year.

[decklist name=”Darkrai/Salamence/Garbodor” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Salamence-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY170″][pokemon amt=”13″]3x [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”118″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/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=”Salamence-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY170″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Hoopa-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY71″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”33″]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=”Team Flare Grunt” set=”XY” no=”129″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/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=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”94″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Escape Rope” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”120″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/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″ amt=”2″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”14″]10x [card name=”Darkness Energy” set=”HeartGold and SoulSilver” no=”121″ c=”deck2″ amt=”10″][/card]4x [card name=”Double Dragon Energy” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”97″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

I was honestly surprised to see a deck like Jimmy’s make it to the Top 8. He said that he saw a lot of favorable matchups along the way, but I am not sure what a favorable matchup looks like for the deck. Clearly, he had tested his list to the point where he knew it would be a great play for the day, but I find that [card name=”Salamence-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY170″ c=”name”][/card] is too easily played around by better players – they simply play less Pokemon-EX down and don’t overextend with [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card]’s Set Up Ability. Salamence-EX probably puts in a ton of work in the Volcanion matchup, but beyond that, most decks can limit the number of Pokemon-EX they play to their Bench. While the deck might beat Yveltal, and could beat Greninja, it definitely loses to [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] which should keep this deck from seeing much play in the coming weeks as the metagame shifts toward Mega Gardevoir. Overall it is an interesting concept but one that I likely will not be testing for upcoming League Cups.

Moving Forward

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

I predict that [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] will enter the Standard metagame as much more of a threat than in the previous months, if not the top deck in format. Look for Mega Gardevoir to take high placements at a number of League Cups. From this point on, we will see the deck perform well, but not in so dominating a fashion as Dallas Regionals. For starters, I believe the player base will largely revert back to [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY150″ c=”name”][/card] decks while maintaining the standard two count on Fright Night [card name=”Yveltal” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card] instead of dropping that card down to one as many players choose to do for Dallas. Fright Night Yveltal helps the Yveltal deck so much by slowing the Gardevoir players down by a turn or more as they try to set up multiple Mega Gardevoir so upping that count would be a natural response to an increase in play from decks like Mega Gardevoir and Mega Mewtwo.

In my opinion, Yveltal / Garbodor is the best play for League Cups in a best-of-one format. Every game in this tournament set up could mean the difference between top cutting or not and Yveltal, while having a bevy of 50 / 50 matchups, can reasonably pull out a win in any game it plays. I predict people will hold firm and play Yveltal throughout the upcoming League Cup stretch.

Additionally, if and when Gardevoir is the go to deck of choice by a significant portion of the players, counter decks like [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card] with [card name=”Magearna-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”M Scizor-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] will be played to keep Mega Gardevoir from succeeding too much. Overall, I’m extremely happy with where the format is right now even if there are 10-15 legitimate deck choices for any one tournament.

I’d like to take the rest of this article to profile the decks that I’ve been testing for upcoming League Cups. I’ll tell you my reasons for playing them and explain some of my card choices. First up, Rainbow Road.

Rainbow Road

Rainbow Road saw significant play early in the season but struggled against Yveltal and [card name=”Greninja” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] decks. Interestingly, we saw a severe decline in play of Rainbow Road – there were no Top 32 placements in Dallas! However, with its high damage cap, I believe this deck is poised to make a resurgence due to an abundance of Mega based decks.

[decklist name=”Rainbow Road” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Xerneas” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”107″][pokemon amt=”15″]4x [card name=”Xerneas” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”107″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Galvantula” set=”Steam Siege” no=”42″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Joltik” set=”Steam Siege” no=”41″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”107″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Bisharp” set=”Steam Siege” no=”64″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Pawniard” set=”Steam Siege” no=”63″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Mew” set=”Fates Collide” no=”29″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”32″]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=”104″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Olympia” set=”Generations” no=”66″ 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]3x [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Level Ball” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”76″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Exp. Share” set=”Next Destinies” no=”87″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Escape Rope” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”120″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Silent Lab” set=”Primal Clash” no=”140″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”13″]9x [card name=”Fairy Energy” set=”XY” no=”140″ c=”deck2″ amt=”9″][/card]4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”HeartGold and SoulSilver” no=”103″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist]

Card Choices

The most interesting thing to note about this list is the lack of [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card]. This was inspired by an opponent at Fort Wayne Regionals who whipped me with [card name=”Silent Lab” set=”Primal Clash” no=”140″ c=”name”][/card] in his Rainbow Road. With nine different types represented, it is not difficult to hit the magic number 220, but it does take some finagling at times. An ideal Bench might be: [card name=”Xerneas” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Galvantula” set=”Steam Siege” no=”42″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Bisharp” set=”Steam Siege” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card]. With those eight types, you are hitting for 250 which is over the minimum damage number needed to OHKO any Pokemon in format.

I’ve decided to include Silent Lab because it is the bit of disruption that can win games before they even start. Silent Lab is awesome to see in an opening hand as most decks rely on being able to play Abilities on their first turn. Silent Lab is so great for shutting down first turn Abilities that decks rely on such as [card name=”Hoopa-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”36″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card]. Playing a Silent Lab before your opponent’s first turn can win games before they start. If they are unable to bounce your Silent Lab, they are usually stuck passing. I’ve included a single [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card] because it is the best Stadium in the game right now – in a lot of matchups you simply want to get it into play before your opponent.

I have really been enjoying the hybrid [card name=”Exp. Share” set=”Primal Clash” no=”128″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card] version of this deck. Many lists go for four Max Elixir but I don’t think this is necessary. Ideally, your game ends after three attacks so including four Max Elixir seems like overkill. You usually only need to hit one over the course of a game. Between Exp. Share and manual attachments the deck doesn’t need to rely on Max Elixir. I’ve seen lists go to four Max Elixir and eight Fairy Energy, but I took out an Elixir to increase the chances of hitting an Elixir when I do draw into it. I chose quality over quantity in this instance.

Matchups

Mega Gardevoir: Favorable

[cardimg name=”Silent Lab” set=”Primal Clash” no=”140″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

[card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] is one of your better matchups. Gardevoir decks fold to the OHKO pressure that Rainbow Road puts on them. Plus, their biggest strength is also yours – [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card] can help your early game set up as it allows you to play down both [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] for draw. After using both, you can play down [card name=”Silent Lab” set=”Primal Clash” no=”140″ c=”name”][/card] to discard your extra Shaymin-EX and Ability-lock their deck. I’ve used this combo to take wins numerous times against Gardevoir. Additionally, [card name=”Bisharp” set=”Steam Siege” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card] can make a huge impact in this matchup by being able to take a OHKO on any of their Benched [card name=”Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card] that they have yet to Mega evolve (assuming the Gardevoir player took a Knock Out the previous turn).

Volcanion: Favorable

Volcanion is another deck that folds to the OHKO pressure of [card name=”Xerneas” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card]. Try to target their Pokemon-EX at any cost and attempt to get a [card name=”Silent Lab” set=”Primal Clash” no=”140″ c=”name”][/card] to stick. Even one turn without Abilities can swing the tide in your favor so save the Lab for when they can do the most damage.

Greninja: Highly Unfavorable

I’ve thought about swapping the [card name=”Mew” set=”Fates Collide” no=”29″ c=”name”][/card] out for the Promo Giratina, but I like the extra consistency Mew adds in other matchups and Giratina can be negated if they drop [card name=”Silent Lab” set=”Primal Clash” no=”140″ c=”name”][/card]. In any case, you likely don’t win this matchup even with Giratina unless [card name=”Greninja” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] doesn’t tech Silent Lab. This matchup is terrible for two reasons: They are able to pick and choose what to KO, and they run all non-EX Pokemon. If [card name=”Greninja” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] uses Giant Water Shuriken to KO the Active [card name=”Xerneas” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Exp. Share” set=”Primal Clash” no=”128″ c=”name”][/card] will not activate. Thus, Greninja can ensure that all your attackers need two turns to power up which simply isn’t a viable option, especially when you can only take one Prize a turn.

Yveltal: Even

In my experience, this matchup can go either way. Some might say Yveltal wins outright, but I would argue that by saying Rainbow Road has a tendency to get set up quicker and be able to get so far ahead on Prizes that a late game [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card] combo doesn’t matter in the long run as you can usually draw out of it. Additionally, opposing Parallel City doesn’t hurt my variant as much because you can still maintain six different types on your Bench if you manage to get out [card name=”Galvantula” set=”Steam Siege” no=”42″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Bisharp” set=”Steam Siege” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card]. Xerneas would hit for 190 in this case. Further, Yveltal can really be slowed down in the early game by dropping a turn one [card name=”Silent Lab” set=”Primal Clash” no=”140″ c=”name”][/card]. I’ve seen plenty of Yveltal lists dropping [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] in favor of more tech Supporters and this inherently slows down their early game set up making their lists much more reliant on Shaymin-EX to get going. [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] puts in a lot of work if you can draw into it mid game.

Volcanion

Volcanion is the one deck that seemingly will never die off. I’ve thought it was bad for a long time but its consistency simply cannot be ignored by me any more. Seeing people succeed with it over and over had me curious as to what makes the deck worth playing. The more I play it, the more I see the merits. The high damage cap made entirely of Basic Pokemon-EX (and [card name=”Volcanion” set=”Steam Siege” no=”25″ c=”name”][/card]) mean you are always one [card name=”Hoopa-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”36″ c=”name”][/card] away from setting up a field. My list has also attempted to counter the deck’s biggest nemesis: [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card].

[decklist name=”Volcanion” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Volcanion” set=”Steam Siege” no=”25″][pokemon amt=”10″]4x [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”107″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Volcanion” set=”Steam Siege” no=”25″ 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=”89″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Flareon-EX” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC28″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”39″]4x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”XY” no=”122″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”101″ 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=”Supreme Victors” no=”140″ 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=”Energy Retrieval” set=”Black and White” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Pokémon Catcher” set=”Emerging Powers” no=”95″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” 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″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Switch” set=”Diamond and Pearl” no=”119″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Faded Town” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”73″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”11″]11x [card name=”Fire Energy” set=”EX Emerald” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”11″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

Card Choices

Think back to U.S. Nationals 2015 where [card name=”Pyroar” set=”Flashfire” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] was taking the TCG community by storm. A handful of players, led by Michael Pramawat, successfully piloted the deck to solid finishes including Michael’s Runner Up placement. [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] was huge in that format and ultimately stopped Pramawat from winning the entire tournament. Pyroar decks at the time knew Garbodor was their biggest weakness as it shut down their incredibly powerful “Intimidating Mane” Ability so they constructed their deck to beat Garbodor before it could make its way onto the field. By playing high counts of [card name=”Pokemon Catcher” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card], Pyroar decks could KO any [card name=”Trubbish” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] that made it’s way into play, thus ensuring their Intimidating Mane lock would continue. Fast forward to 2017 and this strategy seems just as solid now as back then. Volcanion thrives when it is not Ability locked and Garbodor is the most popular card in the game at doing that so having more outs to negate that disadvantage is highly beneficial. Thus, I’ve included three Pokemon Catcher in the list.

[cardimg name=”Pokemon Catcher” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”105″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

I do believe [card name=”Hoopa-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”36″ c=”name”][/card] to be the optimal way to play the deck. The deck sets up so well with Hoopa that I find it to be staple. I’ve also found two [card name=”Volcanion” set=”Steam Siege” no=”25″ c=”name”][/card] to be perfectly adequate. I usually just use one in the early game to accelerate Energy and with [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card], it’s not hard to stream [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card].

Matchups

Mega Gardevoir: Highly Unfavorable

This is a tough matchup to pull out. [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] players are going to try to target down your [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card] so that you have a harder time OHKOing them. [card name=”Rattata” set=”Evolutions” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Hawlucha” set=”Steam Siege” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card] play a major role in this matchup as they allow Gardevoir to discard your [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] or avoid the Active attacker in favor of KOing a Benched Pokemon. They also play [card name=”Fairy Drop” set=”Fates Collide” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card] which doesn’t bode well either. Volcanion’s best chance at winning comes in the first few turns where you might be able to put enough pressure on the opponent. If you can’t KO two Pokemon-EX before their Mega Gardevoir comes into play, the game might as well be over.

Greninja: Favorable

But Greninja is Water-type! They hit you for 160 for one Energy and what about Giant Water Shuriken?! Surprisingly, Volcanion has a positive Greninja matchup as crazy as it sounds. What people usually don’t consider is the fact that Greninja doesn’t set up in about a third of games. In other games, Volcanion can take cute KOs on Benched [card name=”Froakie” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”38″ c=”name”][/card] with [card name=”Escape Rope” set=”Primal Clash” no=”127″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Pokemon Catcher” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card], or [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card] plays. Some games too many [card name=”Frogadier” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”39″ c=”name”][/card] are prized. Some games too many [card name=”Greninja” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] are prized. Some games they don’t open a Supporter and Greninja decks sure aren’t going to be able to [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card] for a [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card]. You win games with bad starts by the Greninja player and aggressive early game pressure.

Yveltal: Favorable

Yveltal is the deck that I had in mind when crafting this list. The inclusion of [card name=”Pokemon Catcher” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card] was specifically to get [card name=”Trubbish” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”56″ c=”name”][/card] Active and Knocked Out before they can evolve. Pokemon Catcher also serves to move Fright Night [card name=”Yveltal” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card] from the Active slot to get you out of previously annoying locks where the Yveltal player would strand [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card] Active. By KOing Trubbish early, you ensure a powerful mid to late game. Though some games come down to Catcher flips, it’s still a matchup that favors Volcanion.

Vespiquen

[card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] will always remain a top contender for me. Earlier in the season, I was all aboard the Vespiquen / [card name=”Yanmega” set=”Steam Siege” no=”7″ c=”name”][/card] train and managed to place highly at a couple League Challenges with my beloved deck. Now I look on the deck as being the perfect counter to much of the meta – Zebstrika for Yveltal, Garbodor for Greninja, and Klefki for Megas. Here’s what I’ve been testing.

[decklist name=”Vespiquen” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″][pokemon amt=”27″]4x [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Combee” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”9″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Zebstrika” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”49″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]3x [card name=”Blitzle” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”48″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]4x [card name=”Unown” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”30″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/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]3x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Klefki” set=”Steam Siege” no=”80″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”29″]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=”104″ 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=”Acro Bike” set=”Primal Clash” no=”122″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Special Charge” set=”Steam Siege” no=”105″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Revitalizer” set=”Generations” no=”70″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Buddy-Buddy Rescue” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”135″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Faded Town” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”73″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”4″]4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”HeartGold and SoulSilver” no=”103″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist]

Card Choices

There is not a ton to point out in the list that is different from Alex Hill’s ninth place list from London Internationals except that I’ve included a second Stadium. One of Alex’s major criticisms with the deck was that he was unable to bounce opposing [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card] which would be played to lower his damage output. I found room for a second Stadium and opted to make them both [card name=”Faded Town” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”73″ c=”name”][/card] to secure matchups against Mega decks. The downfall of this deck will always be Volcanion so if you expect a ton of Volcanion in your area I cannot recommend this deck.

Matchups

Mega Gardevoir: Favorable

[card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] is a matchup you generally want to see with [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card]. Most lists are not running [card name=”Karen” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY177″ c=”name”][/card] right now which is helpful however they are running both [card name=”Rattata” set=”Evolutions” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Hawlucha” set=”Steam Siege” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card] to get around your [card name=”Klefki” set=”Steam Siege” no=”80″ c=”name”][/card]. Ideally you are able to sack enough Pokemon to get about 17 in the discard and then slap down a [card name=”Faded Town” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”73″ c=”name”][/card] and attack with Vespiquen, ensuring the KO. If you can get a Klefki to stick, all the better for you but not necessary. Every matchup is going to be a grind, and this matchup certainly lives up to that statement.

Volcanion: Highly Unfavorable

I cannot in good faith recommend you to play [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] at your next tournament if you think you will be playing against a lot of Volcanion. It simply is a bloodbath. By the time you get a [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] set up, they likely have taken two to three Prizes and have a couple behemoth [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY173″ c=”name”][/card] ready to go. Try to go for a turn two Garbodor and pray, but even then it might not be enough.

Greninja: Slightly Favorable

[cardimg name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

This matchup is highly volatile, though [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] is going to set up in more games than [card name=”Greninja” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card]. [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] is integral to winning this matchup so go grab those cards as soon as possible. If they start [card name=”Talonflame” set=”Steam Siege” no=”96″ c=”name”][/card] you are in for a harder matchup and them teching [card name=”Jirachi” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY67″ c=”name”][/card] can also slow you down. With a Garbodor online by turn three or four you can take this matchup, but even then I wouldn’t call it a cakewalk.

Yveltal: Favorable

This matchup has been matchup a relatively easy matchup assuming you don’t prize too many attackers or get run out of the building by Yveltal’s early pressure. This is a matchup I’d like to face in a tournament as both [card name=”Zebstrika” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”49″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] can take down an Yveltal. Target [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] early with Vespiquen and transition to Zebstrika for late game Yveltal KOs.

Conclusion

This meta game is so confusing yet beautiful. Sure, there are valid criticisms for this format, but the fact that there are so many playable decks means that BDIFs can emerge and fade while whacky counter decks can win tournaments due to concentrated, region specific metas. Just when we thought we knew everything about the Standard format, Dallas Regionals showed us otherwise!

I hope you succeed this League Cup season. These smaller tournaments are the time to experiment and win with unusual lists for the glory of it. Georgia Regionals are fast approaching and I know our other writers have some pretty interesting articles coming out addressing that tournament. As always, post in the forums and don’t hesitate to reach out for advice. Love you all and Happy New Year!

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