Versatility — Adapting Your Decks Based Off Expected Metagames

By: Treynor Wolfe · Posted Posted onApr 9, 2017 at 7:18 PM · 0 Comments

Hey guys, it’s Treynor again with another article. I’ve been playtesting a bunch of Standard for my local League Cups, and some thoughts occurred to me while I was practicing, playtesting, and pondering the state of Standard right now. I’ve been fairly critical of the rock-paper-scissors-ness of Standard since the rotation. In addition to that, I’ve been critical of the lack of good consistency cards in the Standard format. [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] is a staple in almost every deck, however, dead draws still happen often and are the leading cause of frustration amongst players.

So I got the idea to prioritize testing of decks that are very versatile. What do I mean by “versatile” though? I use the term to describe decks that can shift easily by changing a card or two, or decks that gain or lose disadvantages by changing a single card. There’s also value to decks that are solid with their own game plan (decks that win if they stay consistent). I’ve thought about decks players in my area play and ways to beat them. I hate doing that, since I generally like playing decks that are fun and have good fundamentals (mainly [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY08″ c=”name”][/card] decks), however, League Cups are so small and localized, that you almost have to metagame to a degree.

[cardimg name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”144″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

On the flip side, Regionals are so big, it’s almost impossible to metagame. Yes, you can predict what may be popular, but there are so many rounds and so many different skill levels and knowledge levels amongst the players at such a large tournament, that you never know what you’re going to face. Almost every Regionals I’ve been to, I don’t see the same deck more than two or three times in a nine-round tournament. If you make day two, you face even more decks that are different than what you’ve faced before.

League Cups are a different animal altogether. They’re small, and they force you to think about what the good players in your area are playing and what you can do to play against those decks. If you’ve got a 20+ person League Cup, chances are you will cross paths with players that you know and can predict their plays. But you also have to beat the weird decks that you are going to face. The decks that you didn’t even know existed, piloted by more casual players. Most League Cups are best of one as well, so that’s something else you have to consider.

So we need a deck that we can easily mutate and adapt, possibly the day of the tournament, without changing the fundamentals of the deck. It also needs to be fairly consistent to survive the best of one format. Or we need a deck that has a solid game plan that has solid matchups against nearly everything, and has that same consistency to it.

The Analogy

I can be stereotypical and break down the whole Swiss Army knife thing, but what I’ve been pondering is how you can liken decks to the F-18 Fighter Jet. You don’t need to know about this particular jet. Not everyone comes from a military background, but hear me out, you can liken decks to this fighter. I won’t go into the weeds of this thing. I know you’re all here to better yourselves as Pokemon players.

The F-18

The F-18 Hornet is a twin engine craft that the United States Navy employs. It’s deployable off of aircraft carriers, and there are multiple weapon loadouts and variants of this fighter that serve different roles. This fighter was designed to have different weapon systems on it to change its battlefield role entirely. Here’s a few of those:

• Fighter Aircraft – The F-18 Hornet can engage other aircraft and defend airspace
• Attack Aircraft – The F-18 Hornet has the capability of being loaded with bombs to provide air support for ground troops
• Electronic Warfare Aircraft – The F-18 Hornet has a variant that can be loaded out to jam enemy radar

In addition to these roles it can fulfill, it also has these features.

• High thrust to air ratio, giving it excellent aerodynamic features
• Carrier-based, so is easily deployable

Now being multirole can be a feature in itself, but for the sake of explaining things, I will split the two and explain each part separately.

So now you might be already applying the whole role to feature idea to Pokemon decks. These are ways that I think about decks and what they counter.

The Good and Bad Matchup Approach

I know some players that will literally write down a list of all the decks, their good matchups and their bad ones. I’ve seen all sorts of ways that players enact this in some way or another. I’m not a fan of this as there are some flaws with this approach.

The Assumption that Matchups are Black and White

So what does that mean? Well, Pokemon players argue matchups more than anything. Sure, [card name=”Greninja” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] beats [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] loses to [card name=”M Scizor-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”120″ c=”name”][/card]. That’s easy. However, depending on who you talk to, matchups aren’t so easy to say that X beats Y. Your own personal testing is the best way to prove these matchups as 50-50s or as lopsided matchups. Sometimes your testing is flawed. (What is the skill level of your testing partners? Are their decks well built? Do you test as often?)

Word of mouth from others that have tested their matchups well is one of the best approaches on getting ideas on what matchups are good and bad for a particular deck. However, you almost never find a consensus for some of those grey area matchups.

Ignoring Fundamentals

You hear me write about deck fundamentals a lot. Decks are “fundamentally sound” I say a lot. What that means is, what is your deck’s gameplan? Does it slowly build up damage over time? Does it hit hard early but lose its attackers a lot? Is it slow but have a dominating late game? This is incredibly important, since it doesn’t only dictate matchups, but it also dictates how well your deck is going to perform. That slow dominating deck did way better with the card pool of Worlds 2011 versus the Night March format of 2016. These deck fundamentals also are different based on the decks you like to play. Believe it or not, players tend to gravitate towards different decks. You can use this idea to help metagame your area as well.

It’s Just Complicated

Building a web of good and bad matchups has always given me a headache. Same with looking at another player’s chart / web / hieroglyphics that they use to map a format. It doesn’t work for me and it might not work for you. I’m not a “metagamey” player; however, I don’t ignore or neglect that idea that you can roll into a tournament that is full of decks that can steamroll you.

A Note On Deck Choice and Scouting

[cardimg name=”Unown” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”30″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

I’m going to go into detail about how little things you can do to a deck can make it function better against a particular metagame. Now, there’s no use making [card name=”M Scizor-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”120″ c=”name”][/card] work against a big [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card] metagame. So a note needs to be made here about making a good deck choice as well. You can’t out-tech every bad matchup. The decks in the second half of this article are decks that shouldn’t lose to many decks, but they still have hard counters. Standard is full of hard counters and it’s not something you can do a whole lot about. It’s simply how Weakness works in the game right now.

[card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] has an advantage in that it doesn’t care too much about its own Weakness. It expects to get Knocked Out every turn anyway. However, if everyone is fitting in [card name=”Zebstrika” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”49″ c=”name”][/card] and you know it, don’t try to make [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”144″ c=”name”][/card] work. Play Turbo [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] instead or [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”160″ c=”name”][/card]. Your F-18 can do a lot of things, but it isn’t going to able to fly underwater. Use the multirole capability of your deck to augment or supplement matchups. You can’t get rid of bad ones altogether.

Scouting is also important here as well. You can predict what your friends are playing, but sometimes players are good at keeping their decks hidden. So you have to scout / predict to the best of your ability and take a shot in the dark with how you’re going to configure your deck. A big part of why I like the multirole decks, is that they don’t lose sight of what makes the deck great. It doesn’t lose its features no matter what role you want your deck to cover.

So in essence, predict and build, but don’t be surprised that your deck may not be teched against your opponents properly on game day.

Now that I’ve got that note out of the way, let’s begin.

Multirole Decks

Let’s apply our analogy earlier and break down some popular decks that I consider multirole. To reiterate, these are decks that are solid in their own right, but given a card or two, their matchups against particular decks can drastically change. We can add these cards on the spot right before the tournament, given what we can glean from what we see other players playing or from word of mouth.

Turbo Darkrai

This is my second favorite example. The reason why I started with this one is because it has been what I’ve been testing extensively. Let’s go over some of the roles that it can perform.

• Prize denial (removing cheap Prizes off the Bench)
• Strong potential Ability-lock
• Special Energy removal

So essentially, you can see roles as ways your deck can beat specific decks. Now let’s break down the features.

• Energy conservation ([card name=”Exp. Share” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”118″ c=”name”][/card])
• Solid single Prize attackers ([card name=”Yveltal” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC16″ c=”name”][/card])
• Steady damage ramp
• Solid recovery options
• Easy [card name=”Ninja Boy” set=”Steam Siege” no=”103″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Tauros-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”100″ c=”name”][/card] combination integration
• Psychic Resistance
• Late game OHKO potential

So we can see features as what makes a deck good in general.

So what can we add to our deck that will make Turbo [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”118″ c=”name”][/card] serve its roles well while not touching the core of the deck? You’ve probably heard about a “skeleton” deck list before. A “skeleton” list is one where you have a core with some flex spots where you can add techs or more consistency cards. Let’s discuss these flex spots.

Prize Denial

[card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card] and not needing to rely on [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card] is the best way we can serve this role. This deck plays the typical two [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card] allotment; however, we can play two copies of [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card] in the deck to make sure these [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card] don’t stay on the Bench for long. This deck also plays [card name=”Hoopa-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card], which is an awful Bench sitter. Most of these decks have three Stadium slots. These can either be [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Silent Lab” set=”Primal Clash” no=”140″ c=”name”][/card], or [card name=”Reverse Valley” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”110″ c=”name”][/card]. By incorporating more [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card], we remove these cheap Prizes from decks such as [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Passimian” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”73″ c=”name”][/card].

Strong Potential Ability-lock

[cardimg name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”118″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

I add potential in this role. It’s not a solid Ability-lock, such as with [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] decks, however, we can incorporate a second copy of [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card] and play two [card name=”Silent Lab” set=”Primal Clash” no=”140″ c=”name”][/card] in the deck. Turbo [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] has such a benefit in that it only needs to attach an Energy every turn to keep its game plan going. If you can attach an Energy without a Supporter, you can play these awesome tech Supporters such as [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card]. You can essentially keep a permanent Ability-lock going this way with smart [card name=”Silent Lab” set=”Primal Clash” no=”140″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card] plays.

Special Energy Removal

Adding two copies of [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card] to this deck is dirty in metas that have a heavy [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY08″ c=”name”][/card] presence. These decks take OHKOs like crazy if you allow them to set up multiple [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Fates Collide” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card] on a single attacker. I almost always get beat by [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY08″ c=”name”][/card] in testing if they get multiple [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY08″ c=”name”][/card] going with four Energy or so on them. If you can remove said Energy, you can almost ensure you will not get OHKOd, while your damage slowly ramps up with Energy attachments and [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card] plays.

These are merely some of the roles that this deck can fulfill. These are the roles that I tested. I’m sure you can read some of the cards in Turbo [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] and get a good idea of what the deck strategy is. [card name=”Exp. Share” set=”Primal Clash” no=”128″ c=”name”][/card] is so powerful in the deck. Your own Pokemon getting Knocked Out won’t necessarily ruin your damage output over the course of the game. [card name=”Yveltal” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY06″ c=”name”][/card] seamlessly integrating with this deck’s strategy is also a huge plus. Recovery is excellent with this deck too since you will always have multiple attackers on the Bench with multiple Energy.

I mention the [card name=”Ninja Boy” set=”Steam Siege” no=”103″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Tauros-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”144″ c=”name”][/card] combo because it is significant. Eric Gansman goes over it in his latest article on [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY08″ c=”name”][/card] decks. This combination is insane when you pair it with [card name=”Yveltal” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY06″ c=”name”][/card] in this deck. A small setup attacker immediately becomes an attacker that will take a OHKO. That’s a huge feature in this deck. Sure, it doesn’t play [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Next Destinies” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card], but attaching two Energy to an attacker is so trivial in this deck with all the Energy ramp it has.

Psychic Resistance is crucial as well. This vastly improves your [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] matchups and will help prevent these decks from OHKOing you.

Last but not least, this deck hits 180+ easily late in the game. Hitting those numbers almost makes adding [card name=”Rattata” set=”Evolutions” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card] to the deck to counter [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card], but I haven’t tested this and I don’t think it fits in well with the deck compared to the other options that I will discuss later.

[premium]

Let’s take a look at a deck list that works well in my metagame. My area tends to focus on [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY08″ c=”name”][/card], so I will focus heavily on Ability denial and Special Energy removal.

[decklist name=”Turbo Dark” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Darkrai-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”74″][pokemon amt=”9″]4x [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”74″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Yveltal” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC16″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”106″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Hoopa-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”89″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”39″]4x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”N” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”96″ 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=”Olympia” set=”Generations” no=”66″ 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]3x [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”100″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Escape Rope” set=”Primal Clash” no=”127″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Exp. Share” set=”Dragon Vault” no=”18″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”94″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Silent Lab” set=”Primal Clash” no=”140″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”12″]12x [card name=”Darkness Energy” set=”Black and White” no=”111″ c=”deck2″ amt=”12″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

As you can see, I added cards to help in my metagame. I could easily cut the [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card] for a [card name=”Ninja Boy” set=”Steam Siege” no=”103″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Tauros-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”144″ c=”name”][/card], to re-enable that feature, however, I do want to have a favorable matchup against my metagame. I have a pretty average matchup against [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY08″ c=”name”][/card] decks even without [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card], so I may still throw [card name=”Tauros-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”144″ c=”name”][/card] back in. I brought in the Ability hatred in this deck in force. Turbo [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] needs help to beat [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card] decks, and the second [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card] and heavy [card name=”Silent Lab” set=”Primal Clash” no=”140″ c=”name”][/card] line should help.

Vespiquen

This is the textbook deck that you can easily change up to beat any metagame. There’s so many Pokemon options you can add to this deck to make it beat whatever is popular in your area. [card name=”Zebstrika” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”49″ c=”name”][/card] is an excellent backup attacker, but we can also add the Eeveelutions to the deck and make your [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] hit for Weakness against nearly everything. Here are the roles the deck can fill.

• Hit for Water Weakness
• Hit for Lightning Weakness
• Hit for Fire Weakness
• Hit for Psychic Weakness
• Prize denial
• Tool removal
• Hard hitting first turn
• Resistance to late game [card name=”N” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”96″ c=”name”][/card]
• Ability-lock

Here are some of its features.

• Mid to late game OHKO potential
• Resistance to Mega Pokemon
• Single Prize attackers

So I’ll break down these roles in detail and talk about how we can fill them. Our Pokemon line can literally be anything outside of the 4-4 [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card], four [card name=”Unown” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”30″ c=”name”][/card] and up to four [card name=”Klefki” set=”Steam Siege” no=”80″ c=”name”][/card].

Hitting for Lightning Weakness

Obviously, instead of the typical [card name=”Zoroark” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] line, we can put in [card name=”Zebstrika” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”49″ c=”name”][/card] to destroy [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY150″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card]. [card name=”Jolteon” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card] can be teched in as well to have your Stage 1 Pokemon hit as Lightning.

Hitting for Water and Fire Weakness

[card name=”Flareon” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”13″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Vaporeon” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”22″ c=”name”][/card] can easily be members of this deck. Two [card name=”Eevee” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”101″ c=”name”][/card] and a couple of the Eeveelutions aren’t hard to put in the deck, because even in matchups they aren’t needed, we can easily simply discard these Pokemon.

Hitting for Psychic Weakness

If [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card] is popular in your area, I highly recommend a [card name=”Mew-EX” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”46″ c=”name”][/card] in your deck or even the [card name=”Mewtwo” set=”Evolutions” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] from Evolutions. [card name=”Mew-EX” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”46″ c=”name”][/card] is a bit better since [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card] decks don’t need a ton of Energy to collect Knock Outs against you, and [card name=”Mewtwo” set=”Evolutions” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] needs a lot of Energy on the opposing [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card] to collect a OHKO. [card name=”Mew-EX” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”46″ c=”name”][/card] also has that Versatile Ability, that lets you do some weird things with it. I Knocked Out a [card name=”Cosmog” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card] with [card name=”Mew-EX” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”46″ c=”name”][/card] using Sky Return from a Benched [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] to collect a first turn KO. [card name=”Mew-EX” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”46″ c=”name”][/card] is honestly one of my favorite cards of all time.

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

Prize Denial and Hard Hitting First Turn

These belong in the same section since I believe they are mutually exclusive. You either play two [card name=”Forest of Giant Plants” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] or you play one or two [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card]. I like making my opponent take six Prizes on six Knock Outs, so I tend to err more towards [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card]. This allows you to make a long game for your opponent that gives you time to hit for 180+. [card name=”Forest of Giant Plants” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] has its own bonuses however in the mirror. Taking a Pokemon-EX KO turn two is pretty great with this deck since it tends to be pretty speedy.

Tool Removal

If you do not play the Eeveelutions, it’s almost mandatory to play a couple of [card name=”Rattata” set=”Evolutions” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card]. Hitting 180 isn’t too difficult, however, hitting 210+ is hard. You want to take OHKOs on Pokemon-GX in the mid game if possible so knocking off Tools is important.

Resistance to Late Game N

[card name=”Oranguru” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”113″ c=”name”][/card] is so easy to add to this deck. He hasn’t been all too useful to me in testing, however, he has helped my friends out a lot in tough situations. Getting [card name=”Delinquent” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”98″ c=”name”][/card]ed to nothing sucks and same with getting nailed with an [card name=”N” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”96″ c=”name”][/card] to one late in the game when all you need is a [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Fates Collide” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card] to win.

Ability-lock

[card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] are options in this deck. This isn’t as popular an option anymore, since [card name=”Greninja” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] has fallen out of favor. However, [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] has obvious synergy with [card name=”Zoroark” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card], so if [card name=”Greninja” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] is popular in your area, don’t hesitate to test [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] in your own deck.

The features of this deck make it solid. Depending on how easily you blow through your deck, hitting 180 might not be difficult after turn four or turn five. This is a big plus for this deck, since other decks struggle to hit those numbers that quickly and you can sweep decks entirely by doing that. [card name=”Klefki” set=”Steam Siege” no=”80″ c=”name”][/card] gives you major resistance to Mega Pokemon, even though most Mega Decks play [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card]. Having attackers that don’t give up two Prizes is also an advantage for this deck. I generally favor decks that force my opponent to take six Knock Outs, and this is one of them. [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card] with this deck is a dirty combo, eliminating potential outs for your opponent on your Bench and also adding to your damage output. Every Knock Out your opponent takes on a [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] also gives you 20 more damage on your next attack.

This article wouldn’t be complete without me giving you guys a list. So here’s one that suited to my particular needs. Like I mentioned earlier, [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY08″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card] are popular in my particular meta. A couple [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card] players may be around as well.

[decklist name=”Bees” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″][pokemon amt=”29″]4x [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Combee” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”9″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Zoroark” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”91″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Zorua” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”89″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]4x [card name=”Unown” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”30″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Klefki” set=”Steam Siege” no=”80″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Vaporeon” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”22″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Jolteon” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”26″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Eevee” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”63″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Mew-EX” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”46″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]3x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”27″]4x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”N” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”96″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Teammates” set=”Primal Clash” no=”160″ 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=”Fates Collide” no=”113″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Acro Bike” set=”Primal Clash” no=”122″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Revitalizer” set=”Generations” no=”70″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Special Charge” set=”Steam Siege” no=”105″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”4″]4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Next Destinies” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

As you can see, I have a solid lineup of attackers, with a 3-3 [card name=”Zoroark” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] line and a 4-4 [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] line. I also have access to the Eeveelutions. I will need to emphasize Knocking Out [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] early to keep that advantage, but with two [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card] is should be doable. [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card] makes an appearance in this deck as my own personal preference, since I do not want my opponent taking a [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] Knock Out if I can help it.

Solid Decks Regardless of Meta

These are decks that are good to take to a metagame that you are unsure of. I won’t go too into details with the roles of these decks, but I will go over the features. Now, you can still apply different ways to build these decks to adjust to your metagame, however, most of the time I find that these decks cut consistency to do so, as opposed to having the spots open to begin with.

Yveltal / Garbodor

This deck was popular when the format was young. This deck has fallen a bit in popularity, however, it still is incredibly good and its solid in a metagame you’re unsure of.

Features

• Extreme consistency
• Easy one-shot potential
• Ability-lock
• Techable Double Colorless attackers
• Prize denial

There are two ways to build this deck: with and without [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”100″ c=”name”][/card]. I’m not going to go too into detail with this deck, since Eric covered this deck well in his latest article. We can cut Trainers’ Mail to make this deck play more roles. Ability-lock with [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] makes this beat a lot of decks with that alone. You won’t have much difficulty beating random decks you may face at a League Cup. OHKO potential is real with this deck too. You easily hit huge numbers if your opponent has a lot of Energy on their Active. [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Next Destinies” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] attachments become huge with this deck. Extreme consistency is almost only a feature if you play a heavy [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”100″ c=”name”][/card] line, but [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY08″ c=”name”][/card] is inherently consistent with its straightforwardness. If you have two Energy and an [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY08″ c=”name”][/card], you’re doing big damage. Simple.

[card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”144″ c=”name”][/card] decks almost universally play two [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card] to help against [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] decks. This is often used to dump easy Prizes off the Bench in these decks as well.

Roles

• [card name=”Tauros-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”144″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Ninja Boy” set=”Steam Siege” no=”103″ c=”name”][/card] combo
• Special / Basic Energy removal
• Hit for Psychic Weakness
• Fright Night [card name=”Yveltal” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card]

[card name=”Tauros-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”144″ c=”name”][/card] fits seamlessly into this deck, and [card name=”Ninja Boy” set=”Steam Siege” no=”103″ c=”name”][/card] combos so well with it, especially if you play an [card name=”Yveltal” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card]. Now hear me out: I don’t think [card name=”Yveltal” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card] is a necessity anymore. It is good against particular metagames, such as metagames that play a high amount of Mega Pokemon. The card is good in general, with its Ability and its attack. I’ve explained many times why this is one of my favorite cards. However, I don’t automatically include this card in my deck anymore. I think it depends on how many Pokemon-GX decks are in your metagame and how many decks feature Mega Pokemon. Hitting Psychic Weakness is only a necessity if [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card] is popular in your area. [card name=”Mewtwo” set=”Evolutions” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] from Evolutions covers this well. You can OHKO a [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card] with four Energy on it with a [card name=”Mewtwo” set=”Evolutions” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] with a [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card].

[cardimg name=”Tauros-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”156″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

[card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card] was popular in versions of this deck that didn’t play [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”100″ c=”name”][/card]. It is incredible in the mirror match if you’re expecting to play it often in your area. [card name=”Team Flare Grunt” set=”Generations” no=”73″ c=”name”][/card] works well in this deck too, even though it limits your Evil Ball damage. I would only play [card name=”Team Flare Grunt” set=”Generations” no=”73″ c=”name”][/card] if you want to absolutely beat the mirror and I would only combo it with [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card].

[card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY150″ c=”name”][/card] decks are always good. I’d be beating a dead horse if I were to explain how good of a card [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY150″ c=”name”][/card] is. Dark has been a solid type to play since 2012 when [card name=”Dark Patch” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] was printed. [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] pushed the deck over the top and it has always been dominant. As long as you avoid [card name=”Zebstrika” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”49″ c=”name”][/card] or somewhat competent Lightning decks, [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] should perform well in your area. Especially if the area plays a lot of Ability based decks.

Mega Mewtwo

[card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card] is my absolute answer to beating anything that isn’t a meta deck except for maybe rogue Psychic decks. [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card] has insane damage output and also has a great attack in Damage Change. This attack alone is why I believe [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card] is still being played now. [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card] decks also feature [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card], which should always lower your uncertainty when you’re going into an unfamiliar metagame.

Features

• Damage swap
• Insane damage output
• High HP without [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card]
• Ability-lock
• Prize denial
• Energy acceleration

Damage Change being able to completely heal your [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card] makes this deck function well with trades. [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card] out a [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] and Damage Changing for a knock Out and a full heal of your [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”160″ c=”name”][/card] can win you a game in a single play alone. Psychic Infinity hits for so much damage as well, that OHKOs are quite possible on turn two or three, especially if the deck plays three or four [card name=”Mega Turbo” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card]. [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] makes an appearance in this deck as well, as does [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card], so there isn’t much use in explaining that again. Having 210 HP as well without needing to attach a Tool is a plus, however, an [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] being able to have the same HP without having to Mega Evolve is a big reason why Mega Pokemon are not necessarily played for their HP.

Let’s go over some ways to refit our Mega Mewtwo deck.

Roles

• Easy [card name=”Espeon-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”61″ c=”name”][/card] integration
• Easy [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC11″ c=”name”][/card] integration

This deck doesn’t have many ways to change things up. Unfortunately, being a Mega Pokemon takes a lot of space up, and doesn’t allow for many techs. [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”36″ c=”name”][/card] is being incorporated in nearly every deck right now, because it is oh so good against [card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card]. [card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card] has taken off like crazy, with the deck being able to easily take wins with its huge turn one plays. Our own John Kettler popularized this deck and has written about it in detail already. [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”36″ c=”name”][/card] is incredible at countering this deck. For one, it shuts off [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card] and it also shuts off [card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card]. Now finding it under lock is difficult, so you almost have to get it in the first few turns or on the first turn if your opponent hits the turn one [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card].

I don’t agree with [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC11″ c=”name”][/card] making it in every deck. I’ve seen it added to lots of decks, including [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”144″ c=”name”][/card] decks. Such is the power of [card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card]. [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC11″ c=”name”][/card] is strictly a metagame call, since it only exists to counter [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card] decks. It fits in well in [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”160″ c=”name”][/card], since you can at least attack with it, and the deck plays a thick [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] line to easily retreat it.

[card name=”Espeon-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”140″ c=”name”][/card] is an incredible card. It’s great in this deck to give you a quick attacker that doesn’t need the sequencing that [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”160″ c=”name”][/card] provides. Adding a GX attack to the deck is also taking advantage of something that was recently introduced to the game. Psychic isn’t a bad attack, and 200 HP isn’t too shabby either.

[cardimg name=”Espeon-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”140″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

There are many other decks that can fit in this category. Decks that are straightforward in their execution that they can win against most everything with little need to metagame. These decks also benefit from being more consistent than the decks in the first part of this article. Consistency is a huge deal in this standard format. [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”100″ c=”name”][/card] is a big part of keeping a deck flowing. I’ve written before about how good [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”100″ c=”name”][/card] is for sequencing. I believe Andrew Mahone wrote a huge blurb about it as well. I will almost never play a deck without the card, except for [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card], which has other ways to draw cards, such as [card name=”Unown” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”30″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Acro Bike” set=”Primal Clash” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card].

Conclusion

This method is how I wrap my head around decks. I’m a pretty big fundamentals kinda guy. I like decks that have a good strategy. I mean, that’s what makes decks good in the first place, right?

When there’s a few cards you can tech in and out without breaking what your deck is designed to do, that deck is a solid play for a metagame that you can predict. However, decks exist that are good in uncertain metagames as well. I hope you all have an understanding of how to change things up to work in your local area and against your local players.

That’s all I got. I’ll see you all next time.

~Treynor

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