Return to Darkness — Yveltal-EX and Lurantis-GX in Expanded
Hey PokeBeach! I’m back again with another article. I’ve been inspired lately by the great articles put out by Eric Gansman, Grant Manley, and Dalen Dockery. These articles got me craving to write about new stuff from Sun and Moon, and man is this an exciting set to write about. I’ve had some time to get adjusted to my new apartment, get my dog to feel at home here, and to settle in to my amazing new job working for the State of Nebraska.
[cardimg name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”144″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
All of my testing lately has been for Expanded decks in preparation for Collinsville (St. Louis) Regionals in early March. This is the next big event I will be attending and the first one I’ve attended since last year at Fort Wayne. A Worlds Invite this season is a bit out of reach for me, but I still plan on traveling and playing competitively. I don’t need to mention again how much school was a focus for me during the months of August through December. The Championship Point requirement this season is brutal if you have an off period in the game.
Personal stuff aside, Sun and Moon, just like when XY came out, brought about some powerful cards in the game. Some of the Pokemon-GX are duds and some have value in decks of their own or strengthen other archetypes. I’ll be highlighting a Pokemon-GX that I find incredibly powerful that should function very well in its own deck. [card name=”Lurantis-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”15″ c=”name”][/card] has such strong fundamentals that it should be very solid in Expanded.
I’m also visiting an old friend that I’m incredibly familiar with, Yveltal. Decks evolve, and things change from time to time. It’s hard changing a formula for a deck that obviously was so successful for me in the past, but I realize that the meta does change and that I need to get with the current times and involve the GX meta into [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY08″ c=”name”][/card] decks.
Expanded Highlights from Sun and Moon
This set is considered a good set by many. Evolutions was okay, and the same with Steam Siege. Pokemon hasn’t released amazing sets recently. Phantom Forces and BREAKpoint are two of the best sets that have come out in recent memory. Sun and Moon comes with some dud Supporters for the most part, yet some amazing Pokemon and Items that will find their time to shine. This set is Pokemon’s attempt to slow the game down a bit. Think about the future once [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] rotate. Where will the game be then? Many players that have spoken with me know my opinion about the type of consistency we have in our game today. I feel like the “draw a million cards a turn engine” isn’t consistent at all.
Many of you might not remember or might not have played back in the day, but when I first started playing the game, in the MD – Triumphant format, the game was a lot slower, and not a lot of cards were played in a turn. Every card did some sort of search, and whenever you played [card name=”Uxie” set=”Legends Awakened” no=”43″ c=”name”][/card], it was to draw more Energy, Pokemon, and search Supporters and Items. A card like [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”161″ c=”name”][/card] existing back then would have been ludicrous.
[card name=”Claydol” set=”Great Encounters” no=”15″ c=”name”][/card] did exist back then, but the dynamics of the card in that format are so much different from the way things are now. I think Sun and Moon‘s consistency Supporters will make sense once rotation happens. Every deck having access to cards that make them draw a ridiculous amount of cards a turn and hope to hit exactly they need isn’t consistent and is what is causing decks to draw poorly so often in Standard. Expanded is slightly better since that format has more draw Supporters such as [card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”118″ c=”name”][/card].
Anyways, those are my thoughts on what the troubles are with the game right now and why I’m really looking forward to rotation. We live in the world of [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card] currently, so we have to play with these cards and make decks that function well and do what they are designed to do.
Many of the other writers have talked about Sun and Moon cards that fit in their Standard decks. I want to touch on some that fit really well in current Expanded decks.
Decidueye-GX
[cardimg name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
I’ll lead it off with one of the cards many people got pretty excited about when the set was first spoiled. [card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card]’s Ability is reminiscent of [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card]’s evolution line, except this line is a bit clunkier and does more steady damage over time. By clunkier I mean that it is that it is a Stage 2 line and it normally plays a 4-4-4 line instead of the typical 4-3-2 or 4-4-2 that most [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card] decks play. It also normally sports a [card name=”Forest of Giant Plants” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] line as well. Otherwise those evolution cards will sit in your hands and would need to be sequenced precisely. With [card name=”Forest of Giant Plants” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card], you can play them any time, granted you have the preceding evolution on the field.
So all in all, this card gives steady damage over a period of time, but it takes more from your deck. Most players have been combining this with [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card] however, I feel like that’s not a good pair for the card. Eric Gansman went over the deck a lot, so I would highly suggest you check out both his article and Andrew Mahone’s article covering this card and its ideal pairings.
This card is incredibly powerful, and its GX attack isn’t bad.
Oranguru
This is one of the best cards of the set. Hands down. It seems situational at first, since you cannot use this card under [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”54″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Silent Lab” set=”Primal Clash” no=”140″ c=”name”][/card], or [card name=”Alolan Muk” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”58″ c=”name”][/card] lock. You also cannot use it with more than three cards in your hand. You often don’t fall below three cards, however, you do late game when you get hit with [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”101″ c=”name”][/card]. You also essentially eliminate any chance of losing off [card name=”Delinquent” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”98″ c=”name”][/card].
This card is somewhat splashable, however, I haven’t found the best pairings for this card. It is is a universally good card that works in any deck, since every deck in this game draws cards and gets hit with [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”101″ c=”name”][/card] late game. [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] and Night March decks will get good mileage out of this card as do [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card] decks since they normally take a huge Prize lead early and can always use more Pokemon in their decks.
Watch out for this card in upcoming decks. I have no doubt in my mind that it will be used.
Tauros-GX
The grandaddy of them all. The ultimate splashable GX attack that can go in any deck that sports [card name=”Double Colorless” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”136″ c=”name”][/card] Energy or that has a fast Energy engine such as [card name=”Eelektrik” set=”Noble Victories” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] decks. If your deck is missing your once per game GX attack, this is the card to play. Its inherent power is that all of its attacks take a single Energy card to attack with, and it does a lot of damage after it gets hit. Its HP is really good as well, since it goes up to 220 HP with a [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] attached. Mad Bull GX is also great as a finisher. It should Knock Out almost all the Pokemon in the game currently if [card name=”Tauros-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card] has taken any relevant damage. This card can be played around, but it’s hard for your opponent to constantly be hitting around it. They can only play so many copies of [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card] after all.
Again, this card will see a lot of play in different decks. Any deck using [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card] can use it and have access to a cheap GX attacker. All of the other Pokemon-GX tend to need some sort of evolution or a specific type. I hope Pokemon introduces more of these in the future.
Team Skull Grunt
This card is incredible. I mean, it has two effects that are amazing. Being able to look at your opponent’s hand is a plus in its own, but [card name=”Ghetsis” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”101″ c=”name”][/card] already fills that purpose to a degree. However, what makes this card really powerful is that it also removes Energy cards. Not just Basic Energy but Special Energy too. That means [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”XY” no=”130″ c=”name”][/card] can be discarded, which is a huge resource for a lot of decks. What most decks need after a Knock Out is a [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card] and an Energy to win the game a lot of the time. This allows them to KO a [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card] for game. If you [card name=”Team Skull Grunt” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”149″ c=”name”][/card] them, they almost always have to dig using [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] or a draw Supporter.
This card’s power isn’t fully realized by many yet. I will for sure be using it in my [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] list in Standard. Since Energy is such a resource late game, and only one Energy can be attached per turn, Energy often sits in the hands of players until they play them. Many decks play Energy returning cards such as [card name=”Special Charge” set=”Steam Siege” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ c=”name”][/card]. However, being able to spot remove an Energy before it hits the table and also be able to scout the opponent’s hand is incredibly powerful.
Disruption decks such as [card name=”Sableye” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”62″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”54″ c=”name”][/card] finally have a way to remove the pesky Energy out of the hands of [card name=”Greninja” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] players. That Energy used to escape to the hand after a Moonlight Slash, and now that Energy isn’t even safe from that. [card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card] decks will see some mileage with this card as well. If an opponent is dead drawing, usually Energy is all they have to progress their board state and attack. If you can remove Energy before it even hits the board, you can force more time for more Quaking Punch and Silent Fear attacks.
[cardimg name=”Professor Kukui” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”148″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
Overall, this card is the most powerful Supporter out of the set in my opinion and I will be playing it quite a bit.
Professor Kukui
This card reminds us veteran players of [card name=”Buck’s Training” set=”Legends Awakened” no=”130″ c=”name”][/card]. That card saw very little play. However, now with Pokemon hitting such high amounts of damage and now that one hit Knock Outs are something that we often want to achieve, hitting an extra 20 damage is crucial. I think this card will see play in decks and I may try to weave it into some of my current lists. Drawing two extra cards is kind of a way to make the card more worth it. A Supporter that makes you just hit for 20 more is pretty weak. If it made you hit 30 more, that would probably be a little too strong.
This will see some play in [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] builds. Since they need a little more oomph early to hit Knock Outs. I can see decks such as [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”112″ c=”name”][/card] putting this to good use in Standard, since the numbers are sometimes a little wonky to get one shots going, which is what almost all Mega decks should strive to do. [card name=”Giovanni’s Scheme” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”162″ c=”name”][/card] has always existed, but we almost always used it for the +20 damage. Drawing two cards along with that is much better and I can see this card replacing [card name=”Giovanni’s Scheme” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”138″ c=”name”][/card] altogether.
Now that we got some of the highlights out of the way, I’ll talk a bit about how [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”144″ c=”name”][/card] morphed a bit in Expanded. There are other great Sun and Moon cards, but I will hit on one of them later and I will allow the other writers to also highlight some of their favorites.
Yveltal / Maxie’s
An old friend and a familiar deck for me. I haven’t found much success piloting the deck ever since my Regional Championship in Madison last season where I won. I’ve always been on the cusp of making day two and falling just short.
[card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”144″ c=”name”][/card]’s strengths have been harped on so many times. It has two amazing attacks. It has great typing. We get it. The supporting cast behind the best Basic attacker ever printed changes quite a bit. Our very own Chris Collins popularized Bulkytal, which used [card name=”Hard Charm” set=”XY” no=”119″ c=”name”][/card] and made [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”144″ c=”name”][/card] incredibly tanky. We saw many [card name=”Hypnotoxic Laser” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] variants of the deck. Now we have probably the most successful variant in [card name=”Maxie’s Hidden Ball Trick” set=”Primal Clash” no=”133″ c=”name”][/card] / Yveltal.
This deck doesn’t need to change to be successful. My Madison list should still function really well and do just fine in this meta. In fact, my good friend Tom Filbey piloted an incredibly similar list to a Top 8 finish in Philadelphia. [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] doesn’t need to change. However, there’s different things that are popular in the metagame now that we are more likely to play against.
I cannot stress enough how important [card name=”Archeops” set=”Noble Victories” no=”67″ c=”name”][/card] is in this current meta. Almost all Pokemon-GX evolve and they will be popular. Some are good and players tend to want to play new decks and concepts. Sun and Moon introduces a lot of new concepts and ideas for players to try out. [card name=”Archeops” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”110″ c=”name”][/card] is one of the biggest killers of creativity in Expanded. [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] is kind of a bland attacker and has always functioned well in decks that limited the options of opponents.
Since [card name=”Archeops” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”110″ c=”name”][/card] is more important, we should sport two copies of [card name=”Maxie’s Hidden Ball Trick” set=”Primal Clash” no=”158″ c=”name”][/card]. With two copies of [card name=”Maxie’s Hidden Ball Trick” set=”Primal Clash” no=”158″ c=”name”][/card], two copies of [card name=”Gallade” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”84″ c=”name”][/card] makes sense as well since [card name=”Gallade” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”84″ c=”name”][/card] is one of the best attackers in the game. Hitting 130 every turn and having 150 HP with an amazing Ability just makes prioritizing [card name=”Gallade” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”84″ c=”name”][/card] make sense. I’ll give credit where it’s due. Phinnegan Lynch gave me the idea to explore prioritizing [card name=”Maxie’s Hidden Ball Trick” set=”Primal Clash” no=”158″ c=”name”][/card] more.
Since we’re focusing on [card name=”Gallade” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”84″ c=”name”][/card] a bit more as well, why not rely on [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card] more? We destroy [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] decks anyway with [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”144″ c=”name”][/card]’s Evil Ball attack. Therefore [card name=”Special Charge” set=”Steam Siege” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card] is appropriate in the deck as well.
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[decklist name=”yveltal” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”144″][pokemon amt=”13″]2x [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”144″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Gallade” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”84″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”106″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”Legendary Treasures” no=”88″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Tauros-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”156″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Mewtwo-EX” set=”Legendary Treasures” no=”54″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Jirachi-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Yveltal” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”94″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Archeops” set=”Noble Victories” no=”67″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Sableye” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”62″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”37″]3x [card name=”Professor Juniper” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”116″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”101″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Maxie’s Hidden Ball Trick” set=”Primal Clash” no=”158″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”104″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Team Skull Grunt” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”133″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Ghetsis” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”AZ” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”117″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”110″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”122″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Dark Patch” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”93″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”100″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Special Charge” set=”Steam Siege” no=”105″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Computer Search” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”10″]6x [card name=”Darkness Energy” set=”Diamond and Pearl” no=”129″ c=”deck2″ amt=”6″][/card]4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Fates Collide” no=”114″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
Card Choices
This deck has mutated many times since I first started testing it. I will give my thoughts on my current iteration of this list, in addition to the other options I’m considering for each card. If you have the time you should test the different variations out as well.
The Pokemon
This is fairly different than my usual list. It’s got way more attackers that use [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card] to attack. We have my old favorite, [card name=”Mewtwo-EX” set=”Next Destinies” no=”54″ c=”name”][/card], in here. In addition to that, we have [card name=”Tauros-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card] as well. The two may not need to be played together, but I’ve enjoyed being able to easily KO opposing [card name=”Gallade” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”84″ c=”name”][/card] with a simple [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Fates Collide” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card] attachment. [card name=”Tauros-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card] is absolutely useless in the mirror match. It’s two free Prizes for your opponent’s [card name=”Gallade” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”84″ c=”name”][/card].
Speaking of [card name=”Gallade” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”84″ c=”name”][/card], this deck sports two copies of the card. We always want to get one of these guys out in a game, if not two. Getting out a powerful Stage 2 such as [card name=”Gallade” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”84″ c=”name”][/card] with [card name=”Maxie’s Hidden Ball Trick” set=”Primal Clash” no=”133″ c=”name”][/card] is almost cheating. [card name=”Gallade” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”84″ c=”name”][/card] is also one of the hardest single Prize attackers to Knock Out. Psychic typing is rare, and if a [card name=”Mewtwo-EX” set=”Next Destinies” no=”54″ c=”name”][/card] attacks, a return KO by your own [card name=”Mewtwo-EX” set=”Next Destinies” no=”54″ c=”name”][/card] is simple.
Another weird thing is that this list breaks the typical mold of playing a single [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Jirachi-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”98″ c=”name”][/card]. My thought process with two [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] is that it is more likely to hit [card name=”Maxie’s Hidden Ball Trick” set=”Primal Clash” no=”158″ c=”name”][/card] on the first couple of turns. In addition to that, [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card] is just a solid card in general. We play [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card] to dump the [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card] off our Bench pretty easily so there’s almost no drawback.
[card name=”Sableye” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”62″ c=”name”][/card] has become preferred over Oblivion Wing [card name=”Yveltal” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC16″ c=”name”][/card]. [card name=”Sableye” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”62″ c=”name”][/card] makes mid game [card name=”Maxie’s Hidden Ball Trick” set=”Primal Clash” no=”158″ c=”name”][/card] really easy to hit. It allows for some forgiveness for early game aggression with the ability to bring back [card name=”Dark Patch” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”110″ c=”name”][/card]. It’s also just really good in some odd matchups, such as [card name=”Accelgor” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”11″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”67″ c=”name”][/card].
[cardimg name=”Dark Patch” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”93″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
The two [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”144″ c=”name”][/card] isn’t very uncommon. However, one copy of Fright Night [card name=”Yveltal” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card] is just super uncharacteristic. It’s incredibly good in general with its typing, health, Ability, and attack, however, its uses are limited now since it can’t hit Pokemon-GX on the Bench. I’ve been trying one and haven’t really missed the second. Switching the [card name=”Mewtwo-EX” set=”Legendary Treasures” no=”54″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Tauros-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card] to a second Fright Night [card name=”Yveltal” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card] is a good option if you find yourself not really liking that attacker. Basically all decks in Expanded play Pokemon-EX, so it may still be appropriate to play two copies.
The Trainers
I’ll start from the four-ofs and work my way down. [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Dark Patch” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] should always be played in copies of four in every [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] deck. These cards are just too powerful not to. However, [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”100″ c=”name”][/card] being a four-of is new. I wrote about [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”100″ c=”name”][/card] being the ultimate combo hitting card in the game in my last article. [card name=”Maxie’s Hidden Ball Trick” set=”Primal Clash” no=”158″ c=”name”][/card] is a huge combo to hit. I favored playing four [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”100″ c=”name”][/card] over four [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] for this very reason. Plus, [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”100″ c=”name”][/card] has more uses the entire game than [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card], which I still play three copies of. Hitting [card name=”Maxie’s Hidden Ball Trick” set=”Primal Clash” no=”158″ c=”name”][/card] is really easy once you hit a [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card], which a [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”100″ c=”name”][/card] can hit for you.
[card name=”Computer Search” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] is still the standard Ace Spec. I’ve seen players use [card name=”Dowsing Machine” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”128″ c=”name”][/card], because of its inherent power with [card name=”Sableye” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”62″ c=”name”][/card], but I still prefer [card name=”Computer Search” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] to help us hit perfect numbers with [card name=”Maxie’s Hidden Ball Trick” set=”Primal Clash” no=”158″ c=”name”][/card]. I also prefer two [card name=”Float Stone” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card], however, the space really doesn’t allow for two. I don’t like relying on [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card] to retreat. He’s always an option, but I think [card name=”Float Stone” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] is almost always the superior option, especially since less attackers will have a Dark Energy on them now. Two may end up in my final deck list, maybe at the cost of [card name=”Mewtwo-EX” set=”Legendary Treasures” no=”54″ c=”name”][/card].
The Supporter line is interesting. As you can see, I’ve cut [card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”118″ c=”name”][/card] entirely for a second copy of [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”101″ c=”name”][/card]. N is incredible late game and it is devastating when prized. [card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”118″ c=”name”][/card] has very little early game power, and [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”101″ c=”name”][/card] draws well for us early on. I’ve explained two [card name=”Maxie’s Hidden Ball Trick” set=”Primal Clash” no=”158″ c=”name”][/card] before. We need this card and we cannot prize the only copy.
[card name=”Team Skull Grunt” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”149″ c=”name”][/card] is a card I’m trying out. I’ve seen [card name=”Team Flare Grunt” set=”XY” no=”129″ c=”name”][/card] in some [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] lists and I see it just as counteractive to [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card]’s Energy punishing first attack. [card name=”Team Skull Grunt” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”149″ c=”name”][/card] is disruptive, removes Energy, and allows [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”144″ c=”name”][/card] to still hit huge numbers if Energy does manage to come down. [card name=”Team Skull Grunt” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”133″ c=”name”][/card] can easily be taken out if it isn’t being used often. [card name=”Delinquent” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”98″ c=”name”][/card] or the second [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] are a good replacement.
Two [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card] and no [card name=”Silent Lab” set=”Primal Clash” no=”140″ c=”name”][/card] is very different from the previous iteration of Yveltal. [card name=”Silent Lab” set=”Primal Clash” no=”140″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Ghetsis” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] working together won a lot of games for me, however, space needed to be made and I felt like the matchups where [card name=”Silent Lab” set=”Primal Clash” no=”140″ c=”name”][/card] is useful are dwindling. [card name=”Primal Groudon-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”151″ c=”name”][/card] doesn’t get played that often and most of the time we want our Abilities to be in play. [card name=”Umbreon-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”80″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Flareon” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] is iffy, however, I feel like that deck gets smashed by [card name=”Archeops” set=”Noble Victories” no=”67″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Gallade” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”84″ c=”name”][/card] alone. I can always revert back to the old formula I used. But for right now, I’m not missing [card name=”Silent Lab” set=”Primal Clash” no=”140″ c=”name”][/card] very much.
Energy
Six Dark Energy is fewer than usual. We rely less on these Energy and more on [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Fates Collide” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card] in this deck. [card name=”Special Charge” set=”Steam Siege” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card] takes the place of the seventh Dark Energy. What else makes [card name=”Special Charge” set=”Steam Siege” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card] nice is that you can Junk Hunt for it back.
Matchups
[cardimg name=”Gallade” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”84″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
There’s so many decks to cover in Expanded in this section so I have to keep it fairly brief. This deck will function well and have a chance against just about every deck in Expanded. The deck plays with almost all of the most powerful cards in the game. Using [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”144″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Gallade” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”84″ c=”name”][/card] as primary attackers will work in just about every matchup. [card name=”Archeops” set=”Noble Victories” no=”67″ c=”name”][/card] keeps the decks that [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] struggles against in line.
This version of the deck is very susceptible to Item-lock. I’m taking a bit of a risk here. [card name=”Alolan Muk” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”58″ c=”name”][/card] is finding its way in some [card name=”Trevenant BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card] decks and that is getting slightly popular. However, [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] already has an incredibly good [card name=”Trevenant BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card] matchup if they’re playing the [card name=”Bursting Balloon” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card] variant. The [card name=”Crushing Hammer” set=”Legendary Treasures” no=”111″ c=”name”][/card] variant that won Philadelphia is already not a good matchup for [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”144″ c=”name”][/card]. Generally, when we build decks, if a matchup is bad, we don’t try to change too much of our already strong deck to make up for it.
[card name=”Greninja” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] should be easier to keep in check since we’re prioritizing [card name=”Archeops” set=”Noble Victories” no=”67″ c=”name”][/card] more. If [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”144″ c=”name”][/card] plays against [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card], an [card name=”Archeops” set=”Noble Victories” no=”67″ c=”name”][/card] should be devastating for that deck since it doesn’t allow them to evolve their [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card] line. Rainbow Road is still not a great matchup, however I would argue that [card name=”Gallade” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”84″ c=”name”][/card] is a very powerful attacker and [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card] goes pretty far as well. [card name=”Tauros-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”100″ c=”name”][/card] should also put in work in that matchup if they don’t OHKO it. Turbo [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] should be another easy matchup with [card name=”Tauros-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”144″ c=”name”][/card] in the deck.
[card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card] may become popular, but [card name=”Archeops” set=”Noble Victories” no=”67″ c=”name”][/card] is so incredibly powerful against it. With the way we built our current deck, it shouldn’t be very difficult at all to get [card name=”Archeops” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”110″ c=”name”][/card] out on the first turn.
That was very brief, but I hope I covered enough to answer most questions. With anything specific you want to pick my brains on, feel free to make a post on the forums about it or reply to my article.
Lurantis-GX / Garbodor
When I say a card is “inherently powerful”, I mean just about everything about the card is powerful because they shake up the fundamentals of the game. Usually, Energy accelerating and healing is very powerful. In Expanded, [card name=”Lurantis-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”15″ c=”name”][/card]’s Energy acceleration is very easy to achieve thanks to [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card]. [card name=”Lurantis-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”15″ c=”name”][/card] also powers up its own GX attack. In addition to that [card name=”Lurantis-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”15″ c=”name”][/card] mitigates its huge attack cost for its second attack with Flower Supply. Did you know you can actually attach these Energy to the Active [card name=”Lurantis-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”15″ c=”name”][/card]?
The second attack hits for perfect two shots on almost all Pokemon in the game, [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] included. We also get to heal ourselves a bit by essentially using a free [card name=”Potion” set=”Black and White” no=”100″ c=”name”][/card] every turn. My Expanded deck plays on this heavily by using copies of [card name=”Hard Charm” set=”XY” no=”119″ c=”name”][/card] in the deck. I’m not a fan of [card name=”Lurantis-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”15″ c=”name”][/card] in Standard. I feel that [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card] is much too common and I’m not a fan of having a main attacker with such a common Weakness. There’s just so many decks in Expanded, that this doesn’t bother me all too much. Anyways, here’s the list I’ve been testing.
[decklist name=”Lurantis” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Lurantis-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”15″][pokemon amt=”16″]4x [card name=”Lurantis-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”15″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Fomantis” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”14″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”54″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Trubbish” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”53″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Mewtwo-EX” set=”Legendary Treasures” no=”54″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Keldeo-EX” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”142″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”35″]3x [card name=”Professor Juniper” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”98″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”101″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”104″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”118″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Pokémon Center Lady” set=”Flashfire” no=”105″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Professor Kukui” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”148″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”AZ” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”91″ 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=”Ultra Ball” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”122″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”100″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Hard Charm” set=”XY” no=”119″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Evosoda” set=”XY” no=”116″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Computer Search” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”9″]9x [card name=”Grass Energy” set=”EX Emerald” no=”101″ c=”deck2″ amt=”9″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
Card Choices
There was quite a bit of thought that went into the support Pokemon in this deck. Players have been experimenting with [card name=”Genesect-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card] as helpers. I think these ideas are great, but I want to really touch on how powerful [card name=”Lurantis-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”15″ c=”name”][/card]’s second attack is. Healing 30 each turn makes that 210 HP that [card name=”Lurantis-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”15″ c=”name”][/card] has really powerful. This is multiplied even more by cards like [card name=”Pokémon Center Lady” set=”Flashfire” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”AZ” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”117″ c=”name”][/card].
[cardimg name=”Lurantis-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”15″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
One of the things to keep in mind with this deck is that it is a slow and steady deck. It doesn’t do quick damage, which is why I found that [card name=”Forest of Giant Plants” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] was unnecessary. [card name=”Lurantis-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”15″ c=”name”][/card] is also a Stage 1 GX, so it didn’t need quick evolutions.
Pokemon
The Pokemon aren’t too shocking. One thing to consider is that this deck will fall way behind if it ever gets Knocked Out repeatedly. What I mean by that, is that decks that are way faster than it, such as Rainbow Road, Night March, and [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] can blow this deck away. [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”54″ c=”name”][/card] slows all these decks down. [card name=”Flareon” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card] decks are a lost battle since we really cannot beat that Weakness. However, against other decks, we can out tank their aggression if we keep their Abilities at bay.
[card name=”Mewtwo-EX” set=”Next Destinies” no=”98″ c=”name”][/card] is always just a good colorless attacker. With all the [card name=”Gallade” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”84″ c=”name”][/card] around, his typing is all the better over an attacker such as [card name=”Lugia-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”68″ c=”name”][/card]. [card name=”Keldeo-EX” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”142″ c=”name”][/card] is also just good in general with the high [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] count in the deck and the ability to just give everything free Retreat. [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”54″ c=”name”][/card] is in the list as well, but we don’t always need to get the Trash Bag out.
Trainers
Two [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card] is really important since this is an outlasting deck. Think [card name=”Donphan” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”72″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Virizion-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”96″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Genesect-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card] except more HP and the ability to actually outlast the decks that used to run over [card name=”Virizion-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”96″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Genesect-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card]. [card name=”Professor Kukui” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”148″ c=”name”][/card] works very well in this deck, since it makes Flower Supply hit good math with Solar Blade. You can hit 180 with the combination of the two, which is perfect math for a lot of decks. I’ve mentioned [card name=”Pokémon Center Lady” set=”Flashfire” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card] being useful in this deck since it gives you more healing.
[card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card] seems odd in a deck that plays [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”54″ c=”name”][/card], however, we need a turn to evolve our [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”54″ c=”name”][/card] under an [card name=”Archeops” set=”Noble Victories” no=”67″ c=”name”][/card] lock. [card name=”AZ” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”117″ c=”name”][/card] is also just another preference card I have. It lets you remove Pokemon off your board, get them out of the Active, and remove damaged [card name=”Lurantis-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”15″ c=”name”][/card]. [card name=”Karen” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY177″ c=”name”][/card] is an option if Night March becomes popular again. [card name=”Karen” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY177″ c=”name”][/card] is a huge crutch against Night March, since they have to stretch so far to get OHKOs on your huge, bulky Pokemon. Getting your own Pokemon back isn’t a bad thing either.
[card name=”Hard Charm” set=”XY” no=”119″ c=”name”][/card] numbers are good but you can cut out [card name=”Hard Charm” set=”XY” no=”119″ c=”name”][/card] entirely for space if you want. These just make [card name=”Lurantis-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”15″ c=”name”][/card]’s HP go farther and make him harder to OHKO.
[card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card] is a great choice for the deck. Sure, it limits your own damage if you place the Bench limiting part away from you, however, it saves you from getting OHKOd by the big Bench attacking decks. You can also point the limiting end towards you to dump weak Pokemon off your Bench such as [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card]. Another option here is [card name=”Training Center” set=”Furious Fists” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card], since it bumps [card name=”Lurantis-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”15″ c=”name”][/card] up to 240 HP. However, I’m not a fan of this Stadium since it isn’t hard to remove and get rid of our HP bonus any time. Of course, [card name=”Forest of Giant Plants” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] is always an option here too.
Matchups
Similar to how the [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] section went, I have to be pretty vague. I do feel like some notes have to be made here about the overall strategy of this deck. This deck is a slow and controlling kind of deck. It doesn’t do fast damage. We want to outlast our opponent through disruption and healing. Some may think the GX attack is a late game finisher, which it can be. But don’t hesitate to use it early to throw off your opponent’s rhythm. It is nice to have as a looming threat throughout the game as well. The attack allows you to be slow and steady all game and then take a quick two Prizes if you need to.
The big Bench attacking decks, which are decks such as Rainbow Road and [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card], are dealt with by this deck through [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”54″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card]. You should be able to hang with these decks without issues. Decks such as [card name=”Flareon” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card] wouldn’t be a problem if it wasn’t for Weakness in the game. Night March is very beatable without [card name=”Karen” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY177″ c=”name”][/card] since the numbers they have to OHKO are so high. With [card name=”Karen” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY177″ c=”name”][/card] however, it should be a breeze.
The big question mark is [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card]. [card name=”Archeops” set=”Noble Victories” no=”67″ c=”name”][/card] is a pretty big problem for the deck. However, if they do not get [card name=”Archeops” set=”Noble Victories” no=”67″ c=”name”][/card] out, the matchup should is pretty favorable for the [card name=”Lurantis-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”15″ c=”name”][/card] player. [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”54″ c=”name”][/card] do help mitigate the damage, but it’s not enough. [card name=”Forest of Giant Plants” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] is great against [card name=”Archeops” set=”Noble Victories” no=”67″ c=”name”][/card] if you go first since it allows all your evolutions to come out before [card name=”Archeops” set=”Noble Victories” no=”67″ c=”name”][/card] does. [card name=”Evosoda” set=”XY” no=”116″ c=”name”][/card] helps a bunch as well against [card name=”Archeops” set=”Noble Victories” no=”67″ c=”name”][/card]. Try to hit the [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”54″ c=”name”][/card] with the [card name=”Evosoda” set=”Generations” no=”62″ c=”name”][/card] to cause a chain reaction effect of evolutions.
[card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] is an iffy matchup. Nailing constant Solar Blades will nullify the damage Silent Fear causes, but the [card name=”Lurantis-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”15″ c=”name”][/card] deck is full of Pokemon with a high Retreat Cost. [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”54″ c=”name”][/card] may help in the matchup and the same with [card name=”Keldeo-EX” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”142″ c=”name”][/card]. I don’t think a [card name=”Giratina” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY184″ c=”name”][/card] Promo is necessary for this matchup, but it’s worth trying out. I honestly haven’t tested against [card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] all that much.
[card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card] should be a piece of cake. [card name=”Lurantis-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”15″ c=”name”][/card] out-speeds [card name=”Greninja” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] and shuts down Giant Water Shuriken with [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”54″ c=”name”][/card]. Weakness also plays a big part here as does [card name=”Lurantis-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”15″ c=”name”][/card]’s high HP.
Conclusion
I hope everyone who attended Anaheim last weekend did well. The next Regional Championship to start looking forward to is the Expanded St. Louis. Sun and Moon brought out some awesome cards to spice up the Expanded format, I only scratched the surface with my testing. Anyways, until next time PokeBeach. Good luck at your local League Cups and St. Louis!
~Treynor
[/premium]