Picking the Plays — The Expanded Meta and My Top Choices for Portland

By: Grant Manley · Posted Posted onMar 20, 2017 at 1:30 PM · 0 Comments

Hey everyone! I’m here with my first article in recent memory about the Expanded format. While a lot of players are focused on the Standard format with Australia having just concluded, I’m going to be talking about some of the best plays for Portland Regionals coming up. I will not actually be attending Portland, but I’ve been playing a ton of Expanded recently. The Expanded format is also relevant for Toronto Regionals in a couple of months, which is a tournament I am considering attending. In this article, I will go over my deck choice for Collinsville and briefly talk about how that tournament went for me. Then, I will glance at each Expanded deck and how relevant I expect each one to be for Portland. Finally, I’ll go over some of the best Expanded plays for Portland Regionals.

Collinsville With Mega Gardevoir

I tested lots of different decks for Collinsville, but in the end, one clearly stood out as the best.

[decklist name=”Mega Gardevoir” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″][pokemon amt=”16″]3x [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Gardevoir-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”105″ 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]1x [card name=”Dragonite-EX” set=”Evolutions” no=”72″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Rattata” set=”Evolutions” no=”66″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Giratina” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY184″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Jirachi-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”36″]3x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/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]2x [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Skyla” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”148″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Karen” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY177″ 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]4x [card name=”Max Potion” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”103″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Computer Search” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Dimension Valley” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”93″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”4″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”8″]8x [card name=”Fairy Energy” set=”XY” no=”140″ c=”deck2″ amt=”8″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

I chose to play Mega Gardevoir because it worked very well in testing and has positive matchups against nearly every deck in the format. The only decks that Gardevoir struggles with are [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card], Rainbow Road, [card name=”Accelgor” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”11″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card]. I did not expect any of these decks to be very popular. I expected some [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] / Decidueye, but I felt like this matchup wasn’t terrible, just slightly unfavorable at worst if they run [card name=”Tauros-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”100″ c=”name”][/card]. I ran some interesting cards like [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Skyla” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”148″ c=”name”][/card], and do not regret any of my choices. I would go over the card counts and in-depth matchups like I normally do, but I feel like it would be a waste of time. I can’t find myself recommending [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] for Portland because three of its bad matchups made Top 8 at Collinsville. While it has good matchups against just about everything that I haven’t mentioned, the decks that it does poorly against should show up in Portland after their successes in Collinsville. Here’s how my tournament went:

  • Round 1 vs. [card name=”Solgaleo-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Bronzong” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”61″ c=”name”][/card] WLW
  • Round 2 vs. [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY08″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Maxie’s Hidden Ball Trick” set=”Primal Clash” no=”133″ c=”name”][/card] W
  • Round 3 vs. [card name=”Sableye” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”62″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Tsareena” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] WW
  • Round 4 vs. [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card] LL
  • Round 5 vs. [card name=”Trevenant BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card] WLW
  • Round 6 vs. [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY08″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Maxie’s Hidden Ball Trick” set=”Primal Clash” no=”133″ c=”name”][/card] WW
  • Round 7 vs. [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card] WL (Tie)
  • Round 8 vs. Night March LWL
  • Round 9 vs. Turbo [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] WL (Scoop)

Final: 5-3-1

I started the 700 person tournament off strong at 5-1, but then my deck started bricking horribly and I started drawing atrocious hands. Beginning round seven, I started consistently seeing hands with three [card name=”Max Potion” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”103″ c=”name”][/card], three [card name=”Gardevoir Spirit Link” set=”Primal Clash” no=”130″ c=”name”][/card], and three [card name=”Dimension Valley” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] at a time. These nightmarish hands caused me to lose two matchups that I consider to be complete autowins: Night March and Turbo Dark.

[cardimg name=”Max Potion” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”103″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

In round one, I played against a very difficult matchup but my opponent got incredibly unlucky. He was only able to get out one [card name=”Solgaleo-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card] in the entire series. Naturally, I lost that game. Rounds two and six I played against Yveltal, which is a favorable matchup regardless of [card name=”Archeops” set=”Noble Victories” no=”67″ c=”name”][/card]. I was able to win against both of those decks without too much trouble.

In round three, I played against the gimmicky [card name=”Sableye” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”62″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Tsareena” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] deck. I don’t think this deck is competitive, and I was surprised to see high profile players bring it to the tournament. My opponent went first both games and was able to strip my hand down to zero in addition to getting the top deck control with [card name=”Trick Shovel” set=”Flashfire” no=”98″ c=”name”][/card]. However, Trick Shovel control will usually expire before [card name=”Hypnotoxic Laser” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] wipes my board, especially with [card name=”Gardevoir-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card]’s Life Leap being able to heal Poison damage. I didn’t do anything special in this matchup, my opponent’s deck just inevitably imploded before I succumbed to Hypnotoxic Laser damage.

In round four, I played against a Toad / [card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card] deck. I was very surprised that this deck made it to 3-0, but my opponent played the matchup very well and showed that he knew what he was doing. Unfortunately, I prized two [card name=”Dimension Valley” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] in both games. This caused me to lose the Stadium war every time, and consequently miss attacks more often than I’d like. One of the games was very close, and I imagine the series may have gone differently had I not prized two Valley in both games. Round five was against a much more manageable Item-lock deck. Even with [card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card]’s various tricks, Gardevoir has such a favorable matchup against it. I somehow lost a game, but was able to wipe the floor in the other two games. Trevenant just has an incredibly difficult time beating Gardevoir.

In round seven I played against fellow PokeBeach writer Ahmed Ali. He was playing Volcanion, to no one’s surprise. In game one, I started [card name=”Jirachi-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] and was immediately playing at a two Prize deficit. Fortunately, I was able to stream [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Max Potion” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”103″ c=”name”][/card] for many turns in a row. I drew disgustingly perfect in that game. The reverse was true for the following two games. In game two, Ahmed played his hand down to zero in order to take a turn two Knock Out on my [card name=”Gardevoir-EX” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC30″ c=”name”][/card], which had just hit his belted [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card] for 20 with Life Leap. I then responded with a turn two Despair Ray to clear my Bench and put the belted Volcanion at 180 damage, with [card name=”Rattata” set=”Evolutions” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card] in hand. I did not have the Bench space to play the Rattata that turn. Ahmed hit his [card name=”AZ” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] off his Prizes, so he healed the Volcanion and passed. Apparently he also hit an [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”135″ c=”name”][/card] off the Prizes, so on the next turn he was able to Ultra Ball for something and just go off, KOing my [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card]. I drew terribly in game three, but time expired just as I was about to lose.

Rounds eight and nine consisted of me drawing atrociously awful hands in two of the games, and drawing decently enough to win one game. Since round nine was essentially a money match for Top 64 and $250 with a tie being dead to both of us, I scooped the last round because I was in a losing position when time was called. Technically, I ended at 5-2-2. I was disappointed with both of these last two rounds. My friend Chip bubbled at ninth place with Mega Ray, and my friend Alex actually won the tournament with Mega Ray! I was incredibly happy for him after watching the intense finals match. Also, shoutout to PokeBeach writer John Kettler who got second place with his [card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card] concoction that has now taken over the Standard format.

So Many Decks to Choose From

The Expanded format is somewhat notorious for its variety. There are so many legal sets and viable decks, it is sometimes hard to keep track of them all. In this article I want to take a brief look at just about every viable Expanded deck. I’ll use the results from Collinsville and personal experience to explain where each deck belongs in the Expanded format. I’ll guess at how popular each deck will be in Portland and why they could or could not be strong plays. I will end this section with my personal tier list.

Accelgor / Wobbuffet

[cardimg name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC11″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

[card name=”Accelgor” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”11″ c=”name”][/card] just made Top 8 at Collinsville and it also got second place at Philly awhile back. It was not represented all that much in Collinsville, but Anthony Nimmons managed to make it work. I actually think that Accelgor might be the best play going into Portland, and I will go over a list a bit later. [card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] is one of the deck’s hardest matchups, and Trevenant is on the decline. Accelgor’s strategy of Paralysis every single turn is enough to take on just about every deck in the format. In addition, [card name=”Silver Bangle” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”88″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Virbank City Gym” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”126″ c=”name”][/card] allow Accelgor to OHKO Pokemon like [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Keldeo-EX” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”49″ c=”name”][/card]. With Virbank City Gym and no Bangle, Poison actually KOs [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] going into your turn. Interestingly, Anthony’s list does not have Silver Bangle, and that is one of the few things I disagree with. I think Accelgor is something to watch out for and test with in preparation for Portland.

Aerodactyl / Maxie’s

[card name=”Aerodactyl” set=”Fates Collide” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] / Maxie’s is a fantastic and unique deck that Grafton Roll and Michael Canaves both made Top 32 with in Collinsville. The typical build runs only one or two Basic Pokemon, and uses [card name=”Maxie’s Hidden Ball Trick” set=”Primal Clash” no=”133″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Old Amber Aerodactyl” set=”Fates Collide” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card] to consistently put powerful Pokemon like [card name=”Gallade” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”84″ c=”name”][/card] and Aerodactly in play. These Pokemon are strong enough that they were not intended to be played as Basics, but this deck exploits the game mechanics and essentially lets them function as Basics. With heavy counts of [card name=”Talonflame” set=”Steam Siege” no=”96″ c=”name”][/card] and low counts of Basic Pokemon, the player can  often mulligan (even with suboptimal Talonflame hands) until they find a hand that they are content with starting with. With mulligans and the heavy space commitment to the Maxie’s engine, a turn one Maxie’s is a common occurrence.

I think a few players might try and pick this deck up now that people know it exists. When I was testing it for Collinsville, it seemed more like a gimmick than anything else. It definitely has its share of favorable matchups and the deck does work, but it doesn’t always hold up against more consistent meta decks. The deck is also incredibly vulnerable to [card name=”Ghetsis” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”101″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card]. I would not recommend playing this deck at a Regionals, especially with the amount of skill, practice, and technical play it requires. I do not think it is consistent enough to pull off another strong finish, but expect some people to play it. That said, it is incredibly fun and it can work, so you can definitely mess around with it.

[premium]

Carbink BREAK / Zygarde

[card name=”Carbink BREAK” set=”Fates Collide” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] is in an interesting position right now. It did not do very well in Collinsville, which means it is not on everyone’s radar. Unfortunately, [card name=”Lurantis-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”15″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card] had a strong showing in Collinsville, and that deck is a complete autoloss. On the other hand, [card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] (a difficult matchup) is not very popular at the moment. Additionally, [card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card] has slowly faded into nonexistence. Carbink no longer has to worry about two of its worst matchups but now has to deal with Lurantis and [card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card]. I don’t really know how popular Decidueye decks will be going forward, and I don’t know how bad the matchup is for Carbink with [card name=”Landorus-EX” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card]. Even though Decidueye had two Top 8 spots in Collinsville, it seems like a weak Expanded option. I don’t expect many Carbink decks to show up at Portland, but it could be a solid yet risky play.

Decidueye-GX 

There are two main [card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card] variants, the one with [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] and the one with [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Lugia-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”68″ c=”name”][/card]. Decidueye / Vileplume managed to take second place at Collinsville, but the deck really belongs in Standard. In Expanded, it isn’t much better than the Standard version and the meta is not as friendly towards it. Most of the time, it seems like a worse version of Lurantis / Vileplume. I would not be too keen on running a deck with two Stage 2 lines for a 17 round tournament. I definitely expect some people to start playing Decidueye / Vileplume in Expanded, but I would not recommend it. Decidueye / Toad is also a somewhat mediocre deck. I like that it can play with different strategies depending on the game, but I would not personally consider the deck.

Lurantis-GX / Vileplume 

[cardimg name=”Lurantis-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”15″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

[card name=”Lurantis-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”15″ c=”name”][/card] was the most popular deck in day two at Collinsville, along with [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card], and for good reason. The typical build of this deck gets a first turn [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card] very consistently, and that basically makes it so that you win every game when you go first. That is, unless your opponent starts with [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”36″ c=”name”][/card] or draws unusually well. I see it as a better version of [card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] and Decidueye / Vileplume, so it is a decent play. I definitely expect this deck to be popular in Portland.

M Gardevoir-EX 

[card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] showed up in day two in Collinsville, but failed to make Top 8. It is not too well positioned going into the Portland meta, but is a very strong deck on its own. It can cheese wins against even unfavorable matchups with [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card]. I don’t expect much Gardevoir in the future of Expanded, but it will still be present. I don’t advise playing it, especially with its highly unfavorable [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] matchup.

M Rayquaza-EX 

[card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] got first and ninth at Collinsville, so it is the deck on everyone’s mind right now. It has fairly strong matchups in Expanded and the deck is stupidly powerful. I expect many people to start playing Rayquaza in Expanded now and it is definitely public enemy number one. Mega Rayquaza is a solid play if you want a safe and consistent option. I definitely cannot advise against the deck, but expect to play the mirror a few times if you do choose Rayquaza.

Night March

Once again, Night March manages to make itself relevant. This pest doesn’t seem to want to die, no matter which counter get released. Night March is just as absurdly powerful as ever, and it is backed by solid finishes in Collinsville. One of the best things about Night March is that it has an autowin against [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card], unless they tech in [card name=”Karen” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY177″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card]. Night March can potentially struggle with Item-lock, but it always has the potential to go off and burn through the deck if allowed just one turn of Items. One of its worst matchups, [card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card], is a dying breed and should not be around to counter it. I personally hold the unpopular opinion that a simple Karen tech in almost anything is enough to destroy Night March, as has been shown in my testing. However, that does not change the fact that people just don’t play Karen. I am rather on the fence about Night March. I don’t hate it right now, but I don’t love it either. You should definitely prepare to play against it once or twice if you attend Portland Regionals.

Primal Groudon-EX 

[card name=”Primal Groudon-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card] is just not good right now. I tested it quite heavily for Collinsville Regionals, and the deck was underwhelming. Its main benefit is its favorable [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] matchup, but it can struggle against many other things like [card name=”Carbink BREAK” set=”Fates Collide” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] and the various Grass decks. Groudon will not show up in Expanded for a little while, so you don’t need to worry about it.

Raikou / Eelektrik 

[card name=”Raikou” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] / Eels is one of the best decks in the format right now. It does well against [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card], Dark, and Item-lock, though the matchups are certainly not autowins. This deck is able to easily chain extremely bulky non-EX attackers while consistently 2HKOing (or OHKOing) everything. Raikou can hit for 180 damage with only six Lightning Energy and a [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card]! The main downfall of this deck is its weakness to [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card]. In fact, Alex Wilson actually defeated Andrew Mahone‘s Raikou deck on stream with Rayquaza because he was able to constantly use Hex Maniac at key times. For some reason, this deck is not on everyone’s mind. It seems to be rather low-key at the moment, which means it does not have a target on its back. I definitely recommend this deck. I’ll go over a list a bit later.

Rainbow Road

[cardimg name=”Xerneas” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”107″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Rainbow Road is poised to take this format by storm. Its bad matchups are disappearing and its favorable matchups are everywhere. Rainbow Road is definitely in my top three Expanded decks, along with [card name=”Raikou” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Accelgor” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”11″ c=”name”][/card]. Rainbow Road convincingly beats [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card], Dark, and [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card]. It is capable of OHKOing Pokemon-GX. Even under [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card] lock, [card name=”Ho-Oh-EX” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”22″ c=”name”][/card] can dish out some heavy damage against [card name=”Lurantis-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”15″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card]. Of the popular decks right now, I’d have to guess that Decidueye / Toad is its most difficult matchup. Toad / Bats was never fun for Rainbow Road, and Toad / Decidueye is a similar deck but without as much disruption.

Sableye / Garbodor 

[card name=”Sableye” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”62″ c=”name”][/card] is a very fun and rewarding deck to play, though not so fun to play against. Although fellow PokeBeach writer Alex Koch did well with Sableye in San Jose, there is a reason why it did not show up in Collinsville. I do not think that Sableye is a good call for this meta. For one, it loses to [card name=”Lurantis-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”15″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card]. It also struggles with [card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Carbink BREAK” set=”Fates Collide” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card]. Overall, there are better disruptive decks out there. Sableye is in the same boat as [card name=”Primal Groudon-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card]. Nobody is going to play it because it just isn’t a strong call right now.

Seismitoad-EX / Crobat 

I for one was astounded that this deck did not make day two at Collinsville. Historically, Toad / Bats has been an Expanded powerhouse and I was expecting those who played it and avoided [card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] to do well. However, a few new decks showed up and the meta is now extremely hostile towards Toad / Bats. [card name=”Lurantis-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”15″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Carbink BREAK” set=”Fates Collide” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card], and Turbo Dark all can make short work of Toad / Bats. I have no idea how Toad / Bats pairs up against [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card], but it seems like it can go either way. Just like [card name=”Primal Groudon-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Sableye” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”62″ c=”name”][/card], Toad / Bats is rapidly declining in popularity because it cannot survive in the current format.

Trevenant 

Throughout this article I have mentioned this deck a few times. [card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] has always been my main issue with Expanded, and I am happy to see it failing. It is the most degenerate deck in recent memory because of turn one Item-lock combined with [card name=”Red Card” set=”XY” no=”124″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Crushing Hammer” set=”Emerging Powers” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card]. Trevenant is losing traction because it struggles with the Grass-type Pokemon-GX as well as [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card]. It cannot beat [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] consistently and of course still struggles against Dark. Do not play Trevenant. It is not viable anymore. Lurantis / Vileplume is simply a superior turn one lock deck with more consistency and better matchups. Keep Trevenant in the back of your mind as it is always something you can run into, but I would be more than surprised if it succeeded in Portland.

Turbo Darkrai-EX 

Turbo Dark is still as solid as ever. The deck is insane when it works, and it works almost all the time. However, its highly favorable [card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] matchup has always been a primary selling point. With Trevenant no longer as relevant, Turbo Dark sometimes feels like an inferior [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] deck. While Rayquaza does use Mega Pokemon, I think it is the superior beatdown deck at the moment. Turbo Dark isn’t a bad play per say, but I don’t see its merit when you can just play Rayquaza. Some players will still use Turbo Dark, but if you are considering it I would say to pick up Rayquaza and see how it feels.

To be fair, Turbo Dark does have some advantages like its flexibility and resistance to [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card]. Of course Turbo Dark doesn’t like Parallel City, but it can handle Parallel much better than Rayquaza can. Because Ray has a target on its back, we may see more Parallel Cities. Turbo Dark also has more space for customization and techs than Rayquaza does. At the moment though, I don’t think it is worth playing over Rayquaza.

Volcanion

Volcanion is in a similar boat as [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card]. It beats lots of things but loses to [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card]. I don’t want to lose to Rayquaza, so I can’t recommend the deck. That said, it is still very powerful and it is unique because it works better than anything else against [card name=”Lurantis-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”15″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card]. It is also one of the few decks that can easily OHKO [card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card]. Unfortunately, it is weak to [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card], which is a huge part of the Expanded format. I expect to see a few Volcanion decks to continue to be played in Expanded, but it won’t be as popular as it was in Collinsville.

Yveltal-EX / Maxie’s 

Last but not least, we come to the king of Expanded. Except not anymore. I was surprised that Yveltal only had two day two placements in Collinsville, as it seemed to be one of the most hyped decks and plenty of skilled players chose the deck. Yveltal is great in that it has a fair chance to beat every single deck. It has tons of options as far as Pokemon and an incredibly efficient Item engine. I don’t see any reason for Yveltal to fade in popularity. It is still strong and consistent. It doesn’t have a great time with [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card], but the combination of [card name=”Archeops” set=”Noble Victories” no=”67″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card] do make the matchup fairly even. Of course, [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY150″ c=”name”][/card] is a great attacker against just about everything. Yveltal’s popularity ebbs and flows, but it always manages to stick around and nab strong finishes. Expect Yveltal to stay around, and definitely consider it for any future Expanded events.

The Expanded Tier List

This tier list combines objective popularity from Collinsville with each deck’s overall strength and my personal observations. While I consider [card name=”Raikou” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Accelgor” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”11″ c=”name”][/card], and Rainbow Road to be the best decks, they will not be in Tier 1 because they just aren’t that popular right now. The decks are purposefully ordered within the tiers as well. I think I have the tiers correct overall, but the placements of some decks are definitely arguable. There are too many viable decks to perfectly nail down a specific order.

Tier 1

  • [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card]
  • [card name=”Lurantis-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”15″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card]
  • Yveltal / Maxie’s

Tier 2

  • [card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card] variants
  • Turbo [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card]
  • Rainbow Road
  • Night March
  • [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card]
  • [card name=”Raikou” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] / Eels
  • [card name=”Accelgor” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”11″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”36″ c=”name”][/card]

Tier 3

  • Volcanion
  • [card name=”Carbink BREAK” set=”Fates Collide” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card]
  • [card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card]
  • [card name=”Aerodactyl” set=”Fates Collide” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card]
  • Toad / Bats
  • [card name=”Sableye” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”62″ c=”name”][/card]
  • [card name=”Primal Groudon-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card]

Accelgor / Wobbuffet

[decklist name=”Accelgor” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Accelgor” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”11″][pokemon amt=”19″]3x [card name=”Accelgor” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”11″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]4x [card name=”Shelmet” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”7″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Musharna” set=”Next Destinies” no=”59″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Munna” set=”Black and White” no=”48″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]4x [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”36″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Mew-EX” set=”Legendary Treasures” no=”RC24″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”35″]4x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”XY” no=”122″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”118″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Teammates” set=”Primal Clash” no=”141″ 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=”Nest Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”123″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Silver Bangle” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”88″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Sacred Ash” set=”Flashfire” no=”96″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Computer Search” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]3x [card name=”Virbank City Gym” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”126″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”3″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”6″]4x [card name=”Double Colorless” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”136″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Mystery Energy” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”112″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

Anthony Nimmons, a player who I know from South Carolina, made Top 8 at Collinsville as one of the few [card name=”Accelgor” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”11″ c=”name”][/card] players. Accelgor is poised to do very well in Expanded. [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”36″ c=”name”][/card] is amazing. Paralysis is amazing. The combination of the two is incredibly hard to stop. Anthony ended up losing to Night March in Top 8, which is a matchup that he said is 50-50. I think this list is slightly better against Night March because of [card name=”Silver Bangle” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”88″ c=”name”][/card], which allows Accelgor to OHKO [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] (with [card name=”Virbank City Gym” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”126″ c=”name”][/card]). Anthony’s list ran [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] instead, which is cute, but it gives the Night March player a one-turn window to use [card name=”AZ” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Escape Rope” set=”Primal Clash” no=”127″ c=”name”][/card] on Shaymin. Silver Bangle is also incredibly important as it allows Accelgor to OHKO [card name=”Keldeo-EX” set=”Legendary Treasures” no=”45″ c=”name”][/card], which is one of the best techs against Accelgor.

Accelgor does very well against [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card], Dark, and most other meta decks. AZ is definitely an annoying obstacle for Accelgor, but it is usually not enough to defeat Accelgor. This deck is ultra consistent and it has fantastic matchups right now, making it the potential BDIF in Expanded. I had not even considered this deck previously because of its poor [card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] matchup.

There are a few important differences between my lists and Anthony’s. First of all, I switched the [card name=”Munna” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”68″ c=”name”][/card] from the BCR one to the BLW one. Putting your own Active Pokemon to sleep is just really really bad, and I like the Hypnosis option for [card name=”Mew-EX” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”46″ c=”name”][/card] to copy. I do not see Long-Distance Hypnosis being relevant beyond early game, and you can still just use [card name=”Munna” set=”Black and White” no=”48″ c=”name”][/card]’s Hypnosis without potentially screwing yourself over. Additionally, I excluded [card name=”Tauros-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”100″ c=”name”][/card] because it is not worth running. Taking an occasional OHKO is not worth sacrificing two Prizes. I also do not run as many tech Supporters like [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”AZ” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card], or [card name=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”110″ c=”name”][/card] because they are unnecessary. Instead of Xerosic’ing a [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] off [card name=”Keldeo-EX” set=”Legendary Treasures” no=”45″ c=”name”][/card], I’d rather [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card]-KO it outright. Hex is redundant with four Wobbuffet.

I run four [card name=”Nest Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] instead of four [card name=”Level Ball” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card]. The only card Level Ball finds that Nest Ball can’t is Accelgor, and you will have no trouble drawing into those anyway. Nest Ball is superior because it can search out many of the same cards that Level Ball can, and it can grab [card name=”Mew-EX” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”46″ c=”name”][/card] and Wobbuffet too. The last difference is that I run [card name=”Mystery Energy” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”112″ c=”name”][/card] instead of AZ. Mystery Energy does not consume [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] uses and they can be used multiple times, much like [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card]. Mystery Energy also provides more Energy outs against the few Trevenant and other [card name=”Dimension Valley” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] decks, as Mew can use Dimension Valley to Deck and Cover for just a Mystery Energy!

Raikou / Eels

[decklist name=”Raikou” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Raikou” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”55″][pokemon amt=”13″]4x [card name=”Raikou” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”55″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Eelektrik” set=”Noble Victories” no=”40″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Tynamo” set=”Noble Victories” no=”38″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]1x [card name=”Jirachi-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”38″]4x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”XY” no=”122″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”118″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”AZ” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”91″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Karen” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY177″ 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=”Level Ball” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”76″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”135″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Sacred Ash” set=”Flashfire” no=”96″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Computer Search” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]3x [card name=”Rough Seas” set=”Primal Clash” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”9″]9x [card name=”Lightning Energy” set=”XY” no=”135″ c=”deck2″ amt=”9″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

Fellow writer Andrew Mahone used a list very similar to mine to finish 18th at Collinsville Regionals. I couldn’t pull the trigger on the deck because thought it was a little too slow, but now I think it is extremely well positioned in the Expanded format. This is a simple and straightforward Eels list. It is incredibly consistent, as all you really need is to have a [card name=”Raikou” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] attacking every turn. It is vulnerable to [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card], but there’s nothing you can do about that and just have to suck it up. One thing that may surprise you is that Andrew and I do not run [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card]! The idea is to not play down and Pokemon-EX, but we do run a single copy of [card name=”Jirachi-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] as a consistency crutch. Jirachi is better than Shaymin because it is retrievable with Level Ball, which increases the overall amount of draw outs by four. This makes it so that the deck rarely starts with dead hands. In testing, I would often use Level Ball for Jirachi and I was always glad to have it instead of Shaymin.

Andrew ran [card name=”Mewtwo-EX” set=”Legendary Treasures” no=”54″ c=”name”][/card] instead of [card name=”Sacred Ash” set=”Flashfire” no=”96″ c=”name”][/card], which is one of the precious few things that I disagree with. [card name=”Gallade” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”84″ c=”name”][/card] is rarely a problem, as you can OHKO it with a five Energy Raikou. Most Maxie’s decks prioritize [card name=”Archeops” set=”Noble Victories” no=”67″ c=”name”][/card] in this matchup anyway. I’d rather have a recovery card to make my opponent deal with more Raikou and to recover Eels. I do not want to waste a [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] and my Supporter for the turn just to get some Pokemon back if I can help it. Speaking of Maxie’s, some Eels lists run Maxie and Gallade. This is unnecessary, as you have a positive Darkrai matchup anyway. I’d rather focus the deck completely around Raikou.

[cardimg name=”Raikou” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”55″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Hex Maniac is great against [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Archeops” set=”Noble Victories” no=”67″ c=”name”][/card]. I would strongly consider cutting a [card name=”Rough Seas” set=”Primal Clash” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] for another Hex, but I do not know if that is worthwhile. While [card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] is significantly less popular than it once was, Rough Seas is still a great card for this deck, if only as a counter Stadium. [card name=”Karen” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY177″ c=”name”][/card] makes the Night March matchup favorable, which is always nice. I think this deck benefits more from [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] than any other deck. It makes Raikou’s attack math amazing, and it essentially makes Raikou a 180 HP (with its Ability) beast of a non-EX. Everything else should be self-explanatory.

As far as matchups, this deck has a good shot against just about everything besides [card name=”Carbink BREAK” set=”Fates Collide” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card]. Carbink is an autoloss, and Gardevoir is unfavorable because it can abuse [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card] and is not weak to Raikou like [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] is. Gardevoir also has [card name=”Rattata” set=”Evolutions” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card] to easily remove Fury Belts. Raikou is a great play for Portland because it does well against all of Tier 1 and most of Tier 2. Additionally, it is insanely consistent.

Conclusion

As always guys, thanks for reading! I enjoyed writing this article about the varied and ever-exciting Expanded format. I hope you enjoyed some of my experiences and observations of the Expanded format. If you are going to Portland, good luck! Raikou and Accelgor are definitely two of the strongest decks right now. Rainbow Road seems good in theory as well, but I never got around to testing it much. I am thrilled that Trevenant and Toad / Bats seem to be exiting the format, as I am sick of playing against those decks. While they are being replaced with Vileplume variants, [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card] somehow does not seem as bad. As long as Item-lock exists, it will be played in some form or another.

While I won’t be at Portland, I will probably be at Roanoke and Toronto Regionals. If you like my articles or want to give me any feedback, feel free to say hi in person or comment on this article!

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