Fish Are Friends — Gyarados and the Birds of Prey

By: Grant Manley · Posted Posted onApr 30, 2017 at 6:58 PM · 0 Comments

Hello PokeBeach readers! This is Grant Manley here, and I am incredibly excited about the two Regionals coming up. I will be attending both Roanoke and Toronto Regionals in May, but for now I am only going to be discussing the Standard format in preparation for Roanoke. The Brazil International tournament just wrapped up, and it was dominated by [card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card]. In fact, Decidueye decks have been performing consistently well in tournaments across the world ever since fellow writer, John Kettler, day two’d Anaheim Regionals. It’s safe to say that Decidueye is the format-defining card right now, and if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em.

Interestingly enough, [card name=”Gyarados” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”21″ c=”name”][/card] put up placements in tournaments, such as Salt Lake City Regionals and Brazil Internationals. Gyarados is a risky play because of its autoloss to Decidueye, but it still draws some competitive players because it can be built to have a favorable matchup against every other deck. At Regionals and Internationals, a record of 7-2 is safe in order to advance in the competition. As long as it can defeat every other deck, Gyarados is fine if it runs into less than three Decidueye decks. This is a risk that Sam Hough took in Brazil and it paid off during the first day. Unfortunately for him, day two of Brazil was infested with Decidueye decks, and there was no real hope of avoiding them. Tyler Ninomura played Gyarados in Salt Lake City and finished 10th. Gyarados has been shown to be a viable deck. In my opinion, Gyarados is fun to play and its matchups aside from Deciudeye are phenomenal. I will discuss this deck in more detail a bit later.

The other two decks that I will cover are [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY08″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] and the aforementioned [card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card]. I am a bit partial to Yveltal because both of my League Cup wins during this quarter came from it. I truly do believe that Yveltal has the potential to beat everything in this format (besides maybe [card name=”Gyarados” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”21″ c=”name”][/card]), and it is a consistent deck that has proven itself time and time again. Decidueye took three of the Top 4 spots in Brazil, which is actually insane. It is too strong of a deck for me to ignore in this article.

Gyarados

[decklist name=”Gyarados” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Gyarados” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”21″][pokemon amt=”12″]3x [card name=”Gyarados” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”21″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]4x [card name=”Magikarp” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”19″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]1x [card name=”Octillery” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”33″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Remoraid” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”32″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Klefki” set=”Steam Siege” no=”80″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”44″]4x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Teammates” set=”Primal Clash” no=”141″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Professor Kukui” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”128″ 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=”Sun and Moon” no=”135″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Puzzle of Time” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”109″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Buddy-Buddy Rescue” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”135″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Dive Ball” set=”Primal Clash” no=”125″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Level Ball” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”76″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Escape Rope” set=”Primal Clash” no=”127″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Special Charge” set=”Steam Siege” no=”105″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Rotom Dex” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”131″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Team Magma’s Secret Base” set=”Double Crisis” no=”32″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”4″]4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Generations” no=”74″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

I can’t recommend this deck as a play for Roanoke. However, it is an incredibly interesting deck because of how strong its matchups are outside of [card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card]. If you are going to Roanoke and want to make day two, play [card name=”Gyarados” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”21″ c=”name”][/card] if you think you won’t play against three or more Deciudeye decks. Aside from that, it is a strong deck all-around in Standard, and it can take down some League Cups. My good friend, Eddie Sitavi, is the Gyarados master and has been playing it at League Cups. He’s gotten a first and a Top 4 with it, and many of the list decisions were made with his help.

[cardimg name=”Gyarados” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY60″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

In case you are unfamiliar with Gyarados, it is a non-EX with a nice chunk of HP that OHKOs just about everything in the format for just a [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Generations” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card]. It is basically a better version of [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card]. The entire deck is built around getting a fast and consistent stream of Gyarados going. It uses [card name=”Team Magma’s Secret Base” set=”Double Crisis” no=”32″ c=”name”][/card] to damage [card name=”Magikarp” set=”Generations” no=”22″ c=”name”][/card], which makes Full Retaliation do a ton of damage. The deck gained a tremendous amount of hype going into Orlando Regionals in the early months of the season, and it performed alright. It also picked up some last-minute fake hype before Athens Regionals, and nobody really played it. Let’s look at the card counts.

Card Explanations

4-3 Gyarados

Four [card name=”Magikarp” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”19″ c=”name”][/card] is absolutely necessary, and four [card name=”Gyarados” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY60″ c=”name”][/card] is debatable. Three Gyarados is largely accepted to be the optimal count. This is because your opponent will likely not KO Gyarados every turn, so you don’t always need to stream them. Knocking Out [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Octillery” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card] is usually more important than going for Gyarados every turn, and going for Magikarp is significantly easier. This deck also plays an absurd amount of recovery cards, so there is no real need for the fourth Gyarados.

1-1 Octillery

[card name=”Octillery” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card] provides a strong source of consistent drawpower. You constantly need to replace your attackers, Karps, Energy, and Stadiums. Octillery helps you find [card name=”Teammates” set=”Primal Clash” no=”141″ c=”name”][/card], Puzzle pieces, and the cards themselves in order to make constant Full Retaliation attacks a frightening reality. It is almost like a free [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] every turn!

One Klefki

[card name=”Klefki” set=”Steam Siege” no=”80″ c=”name”][/card] greatly helps against [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] decks. Even against Mewtwo decks running [card name=”Espeon-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”61″ c=”name”][/card], Klefki allows you to still have a favorable matchup. This is merely a tech for a couple of relevant meta decks.

Two Shaymin-EX

[card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] is used for the same reasons as [card name=”Octillery” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card]. Shaymin draws an extra card, and it can be used alongside Octillery. Shaymin is particularly useful on those turns where you need to pull of a ridiculous combo in order to take a KO with Full Retaliation. Those kinds of turns happen quite often with Gyarados, and Shaymin is the reason why crazy combos are easy to pull off. Shaymin can also use Sky Return to set up KOs and remove itself from the board. In fact, starting with Shaymin is quite often optimal if you are going second, as it allows you to Sky Return on turn one for a free 30 damage. After all, there aren’t any other attacks that you’d like to be using on your first turn when going second.

Four Professor Sycamore, Three N

This is an unusually high count of draw Supporters for a Gyarados deck. Gyarados decks usually run less draw Supporters because they are completely unnecessary later in the game. Later on, Gyarados will be using [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Teammates” set=”Primal Clash” no=”141″ c=”name”][/card], or [card name=”Professor Kukui” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”128″ c=”name”][/card] in conjunction with [card name=”Octillery” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card], so the need for [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card] is not there. However, this deck can really struggle in the early stages of the game, so I included high counts of draw Supporters to make the deck as consistent as possible early game. I cut the two copies of [card name=”Lucky Helmet” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] that most lists run in order to make space for these Supporters. Lucky Helmet is an unnecessary card that I do not find useful. Of course, N is a powerful weapon late game too, so it isn’t completely useless past the opening turns.

Two Lysandre

[cardimg name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Two [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card] is pretty much standard. There’s not much to say about it. Since [card name=”Gyarados” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY60″ c=”name”][/card] can OHKO most things without [card name=”Professor Kukui” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”128″ c=”name”][/card]’s help, Lysandre’s ability to choose what you OHKO is awesome. It lets you remove threats at will.

Two Teammates

[card name=”Teammates” set=”Primal Clash” no=”141″ c=”name”][/card] is amazing in this deck, especially with [card name=”Puzzle of Time” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card]. Teammates helps you find whatever you need during your turn, as long as one of your Pokemon was Knocked Out last turn. It creates win-win scenarios. If you get KOd, you get to search for any two cards. If you don’t get KOd, your healthy and happy Gyarados can keep on swinging.

One Professor Kukui

[card name=”Professor Kukui” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”128″ c=”name”][/card] brings Full Retaliation’s damage ceiling up from 210 to 230. This is relevant for the Turbo Dark matchup, as it allows Full Retaliation to OHKO a [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] with a [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card]. Kukui is also useful against [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Lapras-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”35″ c=”name”][/card] with Fighting Fury Belt.

Four Ultra Ball, Three Dive Ball, One Level Ball

[card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”135″ c=”name”][/card] can grab any Pokemon and it lowers the hand size for Abyssal Hand and Set Up, so it is undoubtedly the best Ball. [card name=”Dive Ball” set=”Primal Clash” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card] searches everything besides [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Klefki” set=”Steam Siege” no=”80″ c=”name”][/card] for no cost. The only difference between [card name=”Level Ball” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] and Dive Ball is searching for Klefki or [card name=”Gyarados” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY60″ c=”name”][/card]. You could easily run four Dive Ball and no Level Ball. You might also consider running a [card name=”Rattata” set=”Evolutions” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card], in which case Level Ball is a definite one-of.

Four Puzzle of Time, Four Buddy-Buddy Rescue

These are recovery cards that allow you to stream high-damage Full Retaliation attacks every turn. You use these cards to retrieve whatever you need at the time. [card name=”Buddy-Buddy Rescue” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”135″ c=”name”][/card] usually goes for [card name=”Magikarp” set=”Generations” no=”22″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Gyarados” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY60″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Puzzle of Time” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] often gets back [card name=”Team Magma’s Secret Base” set=”Double Crisis” no=”32″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Double Colorless” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”136″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”110″ c=”name”][/card]. These cards are extremely crucial for the deck’s success, and you should not consider running less than four of each.

One Escape Rope

[card name=”Escape Rope” set=”Primal Clash” no=”127″ c=”name”][/card] is useful in case you start with Remoraid or Klefki. It can also be used if your opponent tries to [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card]-stall you. It isn’t a terribly important card but you do want to have the option to use it sometimes.

One Rotom Dex

Some people play [card name=”Town Map” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”150″ c=”name”][/card] instead, and I was one of them. My friend Eddie convinced me that [card name=”Rotom Dex” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”131″ c=”name”][/card] is actually better. With all of the draw and search cards in the deck, it is easy to use Rotom Dex and pull the card you wanted from the Prizes on the same turn. With Town Map, you have to wait a turn, find a way to take a KO, and hope your opponent doesn’t [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card] you. It is also difficult to find KOs in the first place if you have a [card name=”Magikarp” set=”Generations” no=”22″ c=”name”][/card] or two prized.

One Special Charge, One Super Rod

[cardimg name=”Puzzle of Time” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”109″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

So this deck plays a lot of recovery. These cards recover important resources. Thanks to them, you can spend your Puzzle uses on other important cards like Magma Base and VS Seeker more often.

Four Team Magma’s Secret Base

The deck revolves around this Stadium, so of course you run four. Any less is unthinkable. You need to find [card name=”Team Magma’s Secret Base” set=”Double Crisis” no=”32″ c=”name”][/card] as soon as possible, and you need to play a new one down every time your opponent bumps it. Magma Base is literally the source of this deck’s power.

Matchups

Most of [card name=”Gyarados” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY60″ c=”name”][/card]’ matchups are alike. You stream Gyarados and kill everything. I won’t be going in-depth for these matchups because you use the same game plan in most of them.

• [card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card] – Autoloss
• [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card] – Highly Favorable
• Turbo [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] – Favorable
• [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] – Slightly Favorable
• [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY08″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] – Highly Favorable
• [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card] – Slightly Favorable with [card name=”Espeon-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”61″ c=”name”][/card], Highly Favorable without
• [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] – Highly Favorable
• [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] – Highly Favorable
• [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] – Slightly Favorable

[premium]

Decidueye

[decklist name=”Decidueye” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″][pokemon amt=”24″]4x [card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Dartrix” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”10″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Rowlet” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”9″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Gloom” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”2″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Oddish” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”1″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]3x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Lugia-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”68″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Jolteon-EX” set=”Generations” no=”28″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Beedrill-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY157″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”28″]4x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”3″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”135″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Level Ball” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”76″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Revitalizer” set=”Generations” no=”70″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Forest of Giant Plants” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”74″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”8″]4x [card name=”Rainbow Energy” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Double Colorless” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”136″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

[card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card] is the best deck in the format. The Rainbow version is the optimal build because it swings the [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card] matchup from unfavorable to favorable. My list is only two cards different from Juan Pablo’s Brazil winning list. I cut [card name=”Regice” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”24″ c=”name”][/card] and a [card name=”Revitalizer” set=”Generations” no=”70″ c=”name”][/card] because both of those cards are unnecessary. Regice is theoretically useful against [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card], however, it is largely ineffective. I strongly prefer [card name=”Beedrill-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY157″ c=”name”][/card], which I will cover more in a second. I also added a third [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card] which is incredibly useful in the deck and it complements Beedrill well. I believe this is currently the optimal Decidueye build.

[cardimg name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

[card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card] is a ridiculous card on its own, and with [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Forest of Giant Plants” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] it is absurd. There’s a reason why this deck dominated Australia and Brazil, and it will continue to dominate the Standard format. It has a relative lack of bad matchups compared to the rest of the decks and it is incredibly tough to deal with. For these reasons, I view this deck as one of the strongest decks to consider for Roanoke Regionals and any other upcoming events. For the card counts, most of this stuff is standard. I’ll only go over choices that are not necessarily used in every Decidueye list.

Card Explanations

One Lugia-EX

Some Decidueye decks run two [card name=”Lugia-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”68″ c=”name”][/card], which is too many in my opinion. Lugia isn’t even needed at all. Decidueye can handle most matchups on its own, however, Lugia is useful in the mirror match. If you play a mirror that uses Lugia without having a Lugia on your own, you may find yourself at a disadvantage. Against an attacking Decidueye, Aero Ball deals a minimum of 100 damage. Attacking with Aero Ball twice puts an opposing Deciudeye at 200 damage, which is just two Feather Arrow away from being Knocked Out. Lugia is also great against Volcanion because it does not have a Fire Weakness. It can be used if [card name=”Jolteon-EX” set=”Generations” no=”28″ c=”name”][/card] is KOd, prized, or not ready to attack. Overall, Lugia is a solid attacker. Its utility comes from being able to dish out damage while only costing a DCE. I do not think two are needed though.

One Jolteon-EX

I am very surprised that the [card name=”Rainbow Energy” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] variation of this deck was not played more often before it won Brazil. The normal variant of the deck seemed to be the one that used only [card name=”Grass Energy” set=”EX Ruby and Sapphire” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card]. [card name=”Jolteon-EX” set=”Generations” no=”28″ c=”name”][/card] is a fantastic inclusion in this deck because it helps tremendously against Volcanion, which is otherwise an unfavorable matchup. Jolteon’s Flash Ray does decent damage on its own, especially with Feather Arrow augmenting it. Flash Ray also negates all damage done by Volcanion decks, so they are forced to find [card name=”Pokémon Ranger” set=”Steam Siege” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card], Steam Up, and Volcanic Heat under Item-lock. If they ever do manage to make that combo, it will likely be too late. It looked like most Volcanion decks started to exclude Pokemon Ranger from their lists, but after this deck’s win in Brazil, I expect to see more Ranger across the board. Volcanion is still a favorable matchup regardless of a Ranger tech.

Of course, Jolteon-EX has its uses against other decks too. While Turbo Dark is a favorable matchup already, Jolteon makes it a slam dunk. [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] has no way to deal with Jolteon under Item-lock unless they too decide to tech a Ranger, which is still difficult to find while Item-locked. Jolteon also hits [card name=”Lugia-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”68″ c=”name”][/card] for weakness in the mirror match, which essentially doubles what I call “Energy efficiency.” Decidueye’s Razor Leaf does 90 damage for a Rainbow and a DCE, while Flash Ray does 140 for the same amount. Additionally, the opposing Lugia cannot retaliate thanks to Flash Ray’s effect. Regardless of what the opposing player decides to do with the damaged Lugia, you can KO it with two Feather Arrow any time you like. This punishes the Decidueye player for using an attacker that is traditionally strong in the mirror match.

One Beedrill-EX

[card name=”Beedrill-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY157″ c=”name”][/card] is an interesting card. The community seems to be split on whether or not Beedrill should be played in Decidueye. I say it should be. First and foremost, Beedrill deals with [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card]. Garbodor poses massive issues for Decidueye if the opponent manages to get a [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] on it before Vileplume comes out. It is basically impossible for Decidueye to win if it is Ability-locked for the entire game. One could argue that Garbodor is not popular enough to warrant Beedrill’s inclusion, but guess what might happen after a Beedrill-less Decidueye deck just won Brazil.

Beedrill also creates win conditions in conjunction with [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card]. Thanks to Item-lock, this deck is able to Lysandre a Pokemon with a heavy Retreat Cost without fear of it escaping. If the opponent manages to draw their one-of [card name=”Olympia” set=”Generations” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card], you can just use Lysandre again. Lysandre “stalling” is a particularly effective strategy with this deck because Feather Arrow damage accumulates on the Bench for each turn your opponent is unable to retreat the trapped Pokemon. One of the ways around this strategy is for your opponent to equip [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] before Vileplume comes into play. This is where Beedrill comes in. You can Lysandre the Pokemon with a Float Stone and use Double Scrapper. Hopefully Vileplume is in play by this time, and your opponent is now unable to attach another Float Stone.

[cardimg name=”Beedrill-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY157″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Here’s where the problems begin for the opponent. They have to invest Energy to retreat their Active instead of powering up attackers. The Decidueye player can then target the attackers with the precious Energy. This entire strategy punishes the meta because most decks play [card name=”Hoopa-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”36″ c=”name”][/card]. An intelligent opponent will be aware of all this and won’t play Hoopa down, especially if they know that you run Beedrill. Therefore, their deck is severely hindered because they lose access to the Hoopa engine. So you see, Beedrill creates a lose-lose situation for the opponent. They must choose between making themselves vulnerable to Lysandre or playing with a handicapped version of their deck by not using Hoopa (which is compounded by the handicap imposed by Item-lock). This is why I like Beedrill, so I hope I made sense with all of that.

Three Lysandre

I had previously thought that three [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card] was a staple in all Decidueye decks, so I was intrigued when I found that the Brazil winner chose to play only two. There were only two exclusions from the winning list that I disagree with: Beedrill and this. Three Lysandre is integral for Decidueye decks because of the self-imposed Item-lock. This deck runs no [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”110″ c=”name”][/card], so its Supporter uses are naturally more limited than those of a non-Vileplume deck. Feather Arrow damage to the Bench is nice, but it is not enough to handle a potential threat. Sometimes you just need to Lysandre an attacker and smack it with Razor Leaf or Aero Ball.

With Decidueye being so popular, more players have started including [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC11″ c=”name”][/card] in their decks in order to slow down Decidueye. While I am not aware of how many Wobbuffet were present in Brazil, it is safe to say that it is a relevant threat. Three Lysandre increases your odds of finding one in order to get around Wobbuffet. Once you do this, you should use one Feather Arrow on the Wobbuffet to put it in OHKO range from Razor Leaf. Another reason to run three Lysandre is for the whole scenario that I mentioned in the Beedrill section. Lysandre with Vileplume is overall just a disgustingly powerful combo.

One Revitalizer

In my first quarter two League Cup, I played a Decidueye / Vileplume deck with two [card name=”Revitalizer” set=”Generations” no=”70″ c=”name”][/card] and thought nothing of it. Now that I have played with Decidueye for awhile, I’ve found that I really like one copy of Revitalizer. I have never found a reason to run two. I wish I could give a more thorough explanation for this, but two Revitalizer is just not necessary. That’s all there is to it.

Four Rainbow Energy

[card name=”Rainbow Energy” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] is a necessary evil in order to accommodate [card name=”Jolteon-EX” set=”Generations” no=”28″ c=”name”][/card]. Access to Jolteon is well worth the annoyance of taking 10 damage every time you attach a colored Energy. In an Item-lock deck, it is inefficient to attempt to run an awkward split of Basic Energy, so I think most players would agree to take the hit and run Rainbow for easy access to both Razor Leaf and Flash Ray.

Matchups

Here is a summary of how Decidueye does against the other top decks. The game plan is simple. Get a fast [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card] and hope your opponent can’t deal with two or three [card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card] (as well as [card name=”Lugia-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”68″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Jolteon-EX” set=”Generations” no=”28″ c=”name”][/card]) under Item-lock.

• [card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card] – Even
• [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card] – Favorable
• Turbo [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] – Highly Favorable
• [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] – Slightly Unfavorable (I haven’t actually tested this one, I could be wrong)
• [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY08″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] – Even
• [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card] – Even (Depends on the Mewtwo build, they seem to be increasingly anti-Decidueye as of late)
• [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] – Slightly Favorable
• [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] – Highly Favorable
• [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] – Highly Favorable

Yveltal

[decklist name=”Yveltal” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY08″][pokemon amt=”12″]3x [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY08″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Trubbish” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”56″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Yveltal” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”94″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC11″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”35″]4x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Delinquent” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”98″ 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=”Sun and Moon” no=”135″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” 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=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”13″]9x [card name=”Darkness Energy” set=”XY” no=”138″ c=”deck2″ amt=”9″][/card]4x [card name=”Double Colorless” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”136″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

[card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY08″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] won the Special Event in Puerto Rico, and I’m a little puzzled as to why it hasn’t gotten much attention. I won two quarter two League Cups with Yveltal (one of which was the same day as Puerto Rico), so I can attest to the strength of the deck. I believe Yveltal is an extremely strong play for Virginia Regionals. Yveltal decks have something special about them in both Standard and Expanded. There’s always a chance to win against any deck. Yveltal doesn’t have any auto-losses! The deck is powerful and consistent. Yveltalt-EX works against almost everything, [card name=”Yveltal” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card] helps against decks that run Pokemon-EX (almost everything), and Garbodor slows down other decks while helping out with the [card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card] matchup.

Card Explanations

Three Yveltal-EX

[cardimg name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY150″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

[card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY08″ c=”name”][/card] is a strong and reliable main attacker that you use in every matchup. Many lists actually run four Yveltal-EX along with [card name=”Hoopa-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”36″ c=”name”][/card], but that is incorrect. In most games, you only need two or three Yveltal-EX. If you end up needing three and one is prized, [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ c=”name”][/card] can help out. I have never found myself wishing I had Hoopa. I do see the merit in running it, but I don’t think that Hoopa is a great fit for the deck. You could try running it if you want, but I think the space is better used elsewhere.

Two Yveltal

[card name=”Yveltal” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card] has two phenomenal and criminally underrated traits. In case you are unfamiliar with the card, its Fright Night Ability turns off all Tools while Yveltal is Active. This is great in the early game against many decks, especially those that use Mega Pokemon. In addition to nullifying [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card], Fright Night also shuts down Spirit Link cards. This slows down Mega decks quite a bit, and it slows down other decks if they need [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] to retreat something. There are many other cute plays that are possible with Fright Night. The possibilities are endless!

Yveltal’s attack is great as well. Pitch-Black Spear does 60 damage and 60 to a Benched Pokemon-EX for a Dark and two Colorless. Combined with Fright Night, this makes Yveltal incredibly strong against Mega Pokemon. Against anything that plays down a [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card], Pitch-Black Spear applies a ton of pressure. If your opponent cannot OHKO the 130 HP non-EX on the following turn, the Shaymin will fall and there will be 120 extra damage on the board somewhere else. The longer Yveltal is able to stay alive, the more advantageous the game becomes for you. I love this card. [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card] can facilitate Fright Night traps while the Spear damage starts racking up. I am actually considering running a third Yveltal.

One Wobbuffet

Perhaps [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC11″ c=”name”][/card] is optional, but I do believe it’s necessary with the amount of [card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card] decks running around. Wobbuffet’s main purpose is to provide a temporary Ability-lock as a way to establish [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] as a permanent lock. Wobbuffet can be used as a way to get around [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card] in case you miss the early [card name=”Trubbish” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”56″ c=”name”][/card] plus [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card]. It also gives you a chance against [card name=”Beedrill-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY157″ c=”name”][/card]. For instance, an early Double Scrapper can get rid of Float Stones and re-establish Vileplume, but it isn’t hard to KO the Beedrill from there. Once the Beedrill is gone, you can promote Wobbuffet and attach another Float Stone to Garbodor.

Two Garbodor

Some players prefer one [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card], but two is much more consistent. Garbodor is important against two of the most popular decks: Decidueye and Volcanion. Garbodor single-handedly destroys both of them. For that reason alone, it is worth running a 2-2 line of Garbodor.

Three Lysandre

My original list ran the standard count of two, but when I saw that the Puerto Rico list ran three, I thought that was pretty smart. I always found myself either using [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”110″ c=”name”][/card] for [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card] or wishing that I had one. Three Lysandre complements [card name=”Yveltal” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card], and it helps against Decidueye in particular. Messing around with Lysandre is important and disruptive in the Decidueye matchup, so having more outs to it under Item-lock (and not under Item-lock) is always nice.

One Delinquent

This is a personal favorite of mine that has won me several games across the two League Cups I played it in. I am beyond biased at this point and can only speak from experience. The card is just good. It’s a win condition if your opponent ever has three or less cards in hand, it’s insanely disruptive, and it removes opposing Stadiums. You could theoretically cut [card name=”Delinquent” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”98″ c=”name”][/card], but I wouldn’t.

Four Float Stone

[cardimg name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Four copies of [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] may seem a bit high, but it is the best switching option that this deck has. Of course, you need it in order for [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] to work, but it is useful with every other Pokemon as well. You want to have a Float Stone immediately if you start with anything besides an attacker, and it has great synergy with early [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card]. Given the choice, I will almost always open with [card name=”Trubbish” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”56″ c=”name”][/card] instead of [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY150″ c=”name”][/card]. This is so I can use Max Elixir to potentially attack on my first turn. I know that starting with Trubbish is fairly safe because of my high odds of drawing into Float Stone on any given turn. Basically, if any of your Pokemon in play isn’t a Belted Yveltal-EX, you want a Float Stone on it.

Two Fighting Fury Belt

[card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] is a great card, but it’s really only useful on Yveltal-EX. The third Belt is the 61st card. That’s really all I have to say about my decision to run only two. If you end up craving a third, the easy cut to make would be a [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card].

One Super Rod

I originally thought that [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ c=”name”][/card] was unnecessary, but it has proven its worth over time. Super Rod is great for recovering discarded [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card], extra Yveltal, and even an Yveltal-EX if I end up prizing one or two. Super Rod can also grab Dark Energy of course, so it improves the odds of mid and late game [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card]. Because of the high Energy count, sometimes you will have to discard a bunch of them early on, which is where Super Rod saves you.

Matchups

Yveltal has great matchups. I know I’ve already said this, but the fact that it has a chance to beat everything is just amazing. I will talk about Yveltal’s matchups against the main decks in a little more detail because I have more experience with this deck than the others.

Decidueye-GX / Vileplume – Favorable

This matchup actually depends on what techs the Decidueye player uses. If they run both [card name=”Beedrill-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY157″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Jolteon-EX” set=”Generations” no=”28″ c=”name”][/card] like my list above, then the matchup becomes tricky. I’d say that it’s around even. If the Decidueye player doesn’t run both of them, then this match is in Yveltal’s favor. [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] is priority number one. With Garbodor in play, the Decidueye deck is severely hindered. Without Feather Arrow, they are forced to 3HKO a Belted [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY08″ c=”name”][/card], 2HKO [card name=”Yveltal” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card], and 2HKO Garbodor. If Garbodor doesn’t come out in time or is threatened by Beedrill, you must resort to the Fright Night Yveltal.

If Garbodor isn’t out, Fright Night still works. You want to trap Vileplume with Lysandre and Fright Night. That way, you can use Pitch-Black Spear three times to KO the Vileplume, which also KOs a Jolteon or a Beedrill on the Bench. If Jolteon hits the board and the trap strategy isn’t available, you want to Lysandre it up and smack it with Evil Ball or Y Cyclone before it starts attacking. Y Cyclone does 90 damage and [card name=”Rainbow Energy” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] adds another 10 damage. This means that all you have to do is use Lysandre and snipe the Jolteon (which only has 60 HP remaining) with Pitch-Black Spear.

Beedrill can easily be dispatched with any combination of Evil Ball and Pitch Black Spear. Once the Beedrill is gone, you can promote [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC11″ c=”name”][/card] and use your Items to make a Garbotoxin. You always want to go for Garbodor, though it is still possible to win without Garb. Wobbuffet is also a fantastic opener against Decidueye, but don’t let it die against the ones that run Beedrill.

Volcanion-EX – Favorable

[cardimg name=”Yveltal” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”94″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

[card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] and baby [card name=”Yveltal” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card] destroy this deck. Garbodor turns off Steam Up as well as Fright Night, so it is impossible for [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card] to OHKO a Belted Yveltal or a non-Belted Yveltal-EX. Get out Garbodor, Belt the Yveltal, and Spear away. Once their board has been sufficiently softened up, you can sweep with Yveltal-EX.

Turbo Darkrai-EX – Slightly Favorable

This matchup can go either way. An especially explosive start from Turbo Dark can make things interesting, but overall this matchup is favorable thanks to baby [card name=”Yveltal” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card]. Since Darkrai typically can’t hit very hard early-game, you can get two Pitch-Black Spear off. This is enough to soften up two Darkrai, or you can soften one and KO a [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card]. If you can get three Pitch-Black Spears off to KO two Darkrai, you have essentially won the game. Similar to the strategy against Volcanion, use Pitch-Black Spear as often as you can early on so that Yveltal-EX has an easy time finish off the Prizes. Lysandre trapping [card name=”Hoopa-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”36″ c=”name”][/card] is also an effective strategy, as they will likely use [card name=”Escape Rope” set=”Primal Clash” no=”127″ c=”name”][/card] to get out of it. Escape Rope also lets you switch, so baby Yveltal lives another turn to use Pitch-Black Spear.

Darkrai-EX / Giratina-EX – Favorable

Yveltal-EX / Garbodor – Even to Slightly Unfavorable

M Mewtwo-EX – Even

M Rayquaza-EX – Highly Favorable

M Gardevoir-EX – Slightly Favorable

Vespiquen – Slightly Unfavorable

Conclusion

Thanks for reading guys! Decidueye and Yveltal are undoubtedly two of the strongest plays for Roanoke. I also think that Dark Dragons has huge potential in this format, but I have tested literally zero games with it, so I wouldn’t feel comfortable writing about it. [card name=”Gyarados” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY60″ c=”name”][/card] is a great deck for any other Standard events you may have, though I can’t recommend it as a play that could win Roanoke. It is powerful and a lot of fun. I hope you guys enjoyed the article. As always, feel free to hit me up with any questions or comments about the article or the game in general.

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