No Damage, No Problem — How I Broke the Format for Virginia Regionals

By: Grant Manley · Posted May 10, 2017 at 6:36 PM · 0 Comments

Hello PokeBeach readers! Recently I attended the Virginia Regional Championships and I placed second, coming up just short of winning the entire thing. The tournament was incredibly fun and exciting for me. There were lots of confused looks and reactions when people tried to figure out what I was playing. I played an unusual rogue deck that contained four [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC11″ c=”name”][/card] and other anti-meta techs, and this deck is what I am writing about today. Without further ado, let’s take a look.

The List

[decklist name=”Quad Wobb” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Wobbuffet” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC11″][pokemon amt=”10″]4x [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC11″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Jolteon-EX” set=”Generations” no=”28″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Glaceon-EX” set=”Fates Collide” no=”20″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Araquanid” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”46″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Dewpider” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”45″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”40″]4x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Team Flare Grunt” set=”Generations” no=”73″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Ninja Boy” set=”Steam Siege” no=”103″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Pokémon Center Lady” set=”Generations” no=”68″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Team Skull Grunt” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”133″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”2″][/card]4x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Supreme Victors” no=”140″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”135″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”94″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Buddy-Buddy Rescue” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”135″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Rough Seas” set=”Primal Clash” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”10″]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]2x [card name=”Lightning Energy” set=”XY” no=”135″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card][/energy][/decklist]

The entire premise of this deck is to counter the meta. By “the meta,” I mean the most popular decks. I was expecting six top tier decks to show up to the event: [card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card], Turbo [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY08″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card], in that order of popularity. I considered every other deck to be bad or not widely played enough to be considered a threat. The one relevant deck that I hoped to avoid all weekend was Quad [card name=”Lapras-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”35″ c=”name”][/card], which is essentially an auto-loss. Aside from offbeat Tier 3 decks and other rogues, this anti-meta list can beat everything fairly easily. I was able to defeat all of the main meta decks in testing and in the tournament without any trouble.

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

The actual game plan of the deck varies, greatly depending on what deck you are playing against. Unfortunately, this means that there are dead cards in every matchup. When constructing the deck, I had to weigh the importance of each card to determine if it was worth using, as each card is crucial in some scenarios and completely useless in others. Overall, I think each card in the list is incredibly important to have. Some of the Supporters could be played in counts of one if [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] was legal to fish them out, so that is something to consider going forward. Now let me explain each card’s purpose.

Card Choices

Four Wobbuffet

I cannot stress enough how strong of a card [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC11″ c=”name”][/card] is right now. Its Ability turns off other Abilities if Wobb is Active, and this slows down every other deck tremendously by cutting off the draw-power provided by [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card]. Running four Wobbuffet maximizes the odds of starting with it, thus instantly slowing other decks down to this deck’s sluggish pace. It is also a useful target to [card name=”Ninja Boy” set=”Steam Siege” no=”103″ c=”name”][/card] in and out of, and Psychic Assault is a nice attack in various odd situations. Wobbuffet is more useful in some matchups than others.

Against [card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card], Wobbuffet is the supreme counter. It turns off Feather Arrow, Irritating Pollen, and Set Up, all of which are important Abilities for the Decidueye player. You absolutely need four Wobbuffet against Decidueye, so that is the main reason why I included four of them. If you don’t open with Wobb, try and find a Ninja Boy as soon as possible. Psychic Assault is also great in this matchup. The damage adds up quickly in the slow-paced game that the matchup usually devolves into.

Against [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card], Wobbuffet slows them down and prevents them from easily exploding. It is difficult for those decks to find all the pieces needed to KO your threat while under Ability-lock. The same can be said for [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] but to a much lesser extent. You ideally want to start with [card name=”Jolteon-EX” set=”Generations” no=”28″ c=”name”][/card] against Darkrai anyway.

Two Jolteon-EX

[card name=”Jolteon-EX” set=”Generations” no=”28″ c=”name”][/card] is included solely to deal with Dark decks. I originally ran [card name=”Regice” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”24″ c=”name”][/card] in testing, but I found that I lost to Turbo Dark every single time because of their two copies of [card name=”Yveltal” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC16″ c=”name”][/card]. I had to switch Regice out for Jolteon and change the Energy lineup around, but the dramatic improvement in the Turbo Dark matchup was well worth it. Jolteon is completely invulnerable to all attacks from Turbo Dark and [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY08″ c=”name”][/card] decks, so it makes those matchups nearly auto-wins. Flash Ray also hits for 140 (or 160 with [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card]) against [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] which is surprisingly useful. Flash Ray can also close games against most decks by using Lysandre on [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] and taking it out due to Weakness. Jolteon makes a nice starter when you go first because of its free Retreat, but if you go second you usually want to start with [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC11″ c=”name”][/card] instead.

One Glaceon-EX

[card name=”Glaceon-EX” set=”Fates Collide” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] was included to handle Mega decks and some other miscellaneous things that I could run into. Previously, I could use [card name=”Regice” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”24″ c=”name”][/card] to handle [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], but those decks pack answers now. Unlike Regice, Glaceon is not badly affected by [card name=”Espeon-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”61″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Gumshoos-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”110″ c=”name”][/card], or [card name=”Oranguru” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”113″ c=”name”][/card]. Glaceon is also a great counter to random decks such as [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] , [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Gyarados” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”21″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Umbreon-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”80″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Lurantis-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”15″ c=”name”][/card], some of which showed up to play in Virginia. While Glaceon is mainly used for Crystal Ray, I used Second Bite a few times to pick up some crucial KOs.

One Shaymin-EX

[cardimg name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

[card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] surprisingly came in clutch during the weekend. It is an emergency draw card if you need to dig for something, and Sky Return is useful in so many situations. I wasn’t comfortable with running only [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] as draw cards, so I included Shaymin to turn [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”135″ c=”name”][/card] into a draw card too! Of course, you can’t use Shaymin if [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC11″ c=”name”][/card] is Active, but if that’s the case then your opponent is probably being slowed down too.

While Shaymin is known for its amazing Ability, its attack is great too. Sky Return looping is a viable way to damage and apply pressure to passive [card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card] players. It also clears a liability (itself) from the board while dealing a small amount of damage and allowing Wobbuffet to replace it in the Active spot.

1-1 Araquanid

[card name=”Araquanid” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”46″ c=”name”][/card] is the answer to [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card]. Since some Volcanion decks run [card name=”Pokémon Ranger” set=”Steam Siege” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card], I can’t risk going in with a lone [card name=”Jolteon-EX” set=”Generations” no=”28″ c=”name”][/card]. Araquanid is a foolproof counter to Volcanion. If you get Araquanid out, you win the game. It’s that simple. The Volcanion player is reduced to Sky Return looping, a strategy that deals very little damage and can be disrupted in some way by every Supporter in this deck besides [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Ninja Boy” set=”Steam Siege” no=”103″ c=”name”][/card]. You can also use [card name=”Rough Seas” set=”Primal Clash” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] to heal what small damage Volcanion can muster by using [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Salamence-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY170″ c=”name”][/card]. Luckily, Volcanion decks very rarely play both [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Pokémon Ranger” set=”Steam Siege” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card], so either Araquanid or Jolteon will work. If they play both of those Supporters and don’t prize them, you will lose. Since every match at a Regional is a best of three, prizing a Spider piece may cost you a single game but will rarely cost a match.

[premium]

Four Professor Sycamore, Four N

This deck has a tendency to dead draw, which is usually fine in small doses. I wanted to maximize my odds of being able to draw cards while Ability-locking both players, so I chose to include four of each of these cards. [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card] is only useful for digging for things, like when I am quickly trying to make a lone [card name=”Jolteon-EX” set=”Generations” no=”28″ c=”name”][/card] against Turbo Dark. [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card] is useful for the same reasons as it is in every other deck, and I often use it to prevent myself from decking out. Of course, using N to disrupt your opponent’s potential responses to your threat is very useful as well. Overall, drawing cards is a nice thing to have in any deck, and this rogue is no exception.

Three Team Flare Grunt

Nicknamed “Team Flare Grant,” this disruptive Supporter is useful primarily against [card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card], Megas, and random stuff. It can also slow down Turbo Dark in a pinch. The entire strategy against Decidueye is to run them out of Energy, and this card is the perfect one for the job. Against Mega decks, they can usually make some sort of weak answer to [card name=”Glaceon-EX” set=”Fates Collide” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card], often by attacking with the Basic form of their Mega. Flare Grunt in tandem with healing cards mitigates their feeble responses while Glaceon sweeps through. Flare Grunt’s use against Megas is basically to strengthen Glaceon and make it more resilient to Basic attackers.

Two Lysandre

[card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card] is a ridiculously strong card. It can strand liabilities Active, apply pressure, and help eliminate threats from the Bench. Lysandre simply adds another element of control to this already-powerful lock deck.

Two Ninja Boy

[cardimg name=”Ninja Boy” set=”Steam Siege” no=”103″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

[card name=”Ninja Boy” set=”Steam Siege” no=”103″ c=”name”][/card] is broken! Holy moly I did not realize how absolutely insane this card was until I made this deck. The option to pivot in and out of tricky Basics just makes the deck. There are so many things to do with Ninja Boy I don’t know where to start. It is useful against Decidueye if you start with something that’s not a [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC11″ c=”name”][/card], as you want your entire field to consist of Wobbs. Ninja Boy is also great against Volcanion for the surprise [card name=”Araquanid” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”46″ c=”name”][/card] play. If the Ninja Boy target has already been in play for a turn, you can swap into [card name=”Dewpider” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”45″ c=”name”][/card] and evolve it immediately. Ninja Boy plus [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”135″ c=”name”][/card] (or Araquanid) is the most desired combo in the Volcanion matchup.

The main reason for including Ninja Boy is for the Turbo Dark matchup. You win that matchup by establishing a lone [card name=”Jolteon-EX” set=”Generations” no=”28″ c=”name”][/card], so as long as you can find Ninja Boy within the first few turns, it doesn’t really matter what you start with. Ninja Boy can be used in every matchup in some capacity. Frequently I found myself having Energy in hand but not the desired attacker. I can put Energy on a Wobbuffet or something and just use Ninja Boy on it later. The option to go back and forth between Jolteon, Wobbuffet, and [card name=”Glaceon-EX” set=”Fates Collide” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] was very useful throughout the tournament.

Two Pokemon Center Lady

[card name=”Pokémon Center Lady” set=”Generations” no=”68″ c=”name”][/card] was a fantastic card to have in this deck. First of all, it forces [card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card] to 3HKO a [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC11″ c=”name”][/card] with [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card]. It is already difficult enough for Decidueye to get three attacks off against this deck. Center Lady is mainly for the Volcanion matchup. You can’t expect [card name=”Rough Seas” set=”Primal Clash” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] to stick, so PCL is the fallback healing option for when Volcanion starts Sky Return looping against [card name=”Araquanid” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”46″ c=”name”][/card]. PCL is also great for when [card name=”Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”62″ c=”name”][/card] start attacking into [card name=”Glaceon-EX” set=”Fates Collide” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card]. PCL makes Glaceon tanky enough to handle the non-Mega versions of those cards. Of course, PCL is also very clutch against [card name=”Espeon-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”61″ c=”name”][/card], whose Psybeam attack is incredibly annoying to Glaceon.

Two Team Skull Grunt

This card turned out to be way more useful than I was expecting. I included [card name=”Team Skull Grunt” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”133″ c=”name”][/card] to deal with Hollow Hunt GX and Sky Return. Both of those attacks return Energy to the hand, so I would frequently use Skull Grunt to bop the Energy after those attacks were used. It helps tremendously with Energy denial against Owls.

I used Skull Grunt in other matchups too! It is great against Turbo Dark and Volcanion by preventing attachment plus [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card] plays and it also denies Steam Up plus Lysandre plays. I pulled off very successful Skull Grunts against those decks as well as against Decidueye. Skull Grunt is also useful against Mewtwo in some scenarios because they run a lot of Energy and you want to get rid of them.

Four VS Seeker, Four Ultra Ball, Three Trainers’ Mail

These are the supreme consistency cards for almost every deck out there. Unfortunately, the entire list can’t be full of fun and games and tricky techs. I have to make sure the deck itself works! These cards are the glue that holds the deck together, and their functions are the same as with every other deck. [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”110″ c=”name”][/card] is particularly powerful because of the array of Supporters it can retrieve.

Three Enhanced Hammer

[card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”124″ c=”name”][/card] provides extra help against Decidueye, Mewtwo, and Rayquaza. Of course, it is used against every deck that runs Special Energy, but those were the main three that I had in mind. It is a powerful and disruptive card that swings games all on its own.

Two Float Stone

[card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC11″ c=”name”][/card] has two Retreat! You don’t always want to waste a [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card] to retreat it, so [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] is needed. Float Stone adds some mobility. While Wobbuffet is the ideal starter, you do want to get it to the Bench eventually! I’d like another Float Stone, but the deck also has [card name=”Ninja Boy” set=”Steam Siege” no=”103″ c=”name”][/card], which can serve a similar purpose.

Two Fighting Fury Belt

[cardimg name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

This card is another one that seems too powerful. Having an extra 40 HP on any of your Basics is insane. It helps [card name=”Jolteon-EX” set=”Generations” no=”28″ c=”name”][/card] survive a little bit longer against Turbo Dark if you don’t get an immediate Flash Ray. It is exceedingly difficult for [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] to hit for 200 damage early in the game. [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] is also a great Tool to put on [card name=”Glaceon-EX” set=”Fates Collide” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card]. It is yet another Trainer that augments Glaceon’s strength against Mega Pokemon and their non-Mega counterparts. FFB allows for some excellent math with a Flash Ray or Crystal Ray for 80 plus Second Bite for 100 or Psychic Assault for 90. Those combos round out to 180 and 170 damage respectively, which can KO lots of Pokemon-EX.

One Buddy-Buddy Rescue

You will inevitably prize a [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC11″ c=”name”][/card] against Decidueye at some point, and [card name=”Buddy-Buddy Rescue” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”135″ c=”name”][/card] provides the fourth Wobb in that scenario. Even if you don’t prize a Wobb, you can use this to get a fifth one. Buddy-Buddy can get back [card name=”Dewpider” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”45″ c=”name”][/card] if it was KOd too early against Volcanion. It can get back [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] for some instant draw in a pinch. Finally, it can be a sort of proxy for the second [card name=”Glaceon-EX” set=”Fates Collide” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card], which is a card that I just couldn’t find room for.

Two Rough Seas

[card name=”Rough Seas” set=”Primal Clash” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] is basically used for the same reasons as [card name=”Pokémon Center Lady” set=”Generations” no=”68″ c=”name”][/card]. It heals your stuff. It’s great against Volcanion, Mewtwo, and Ray in particular. Rough Seas is even better later in the game when the opponent may be low on counter Stadiums.

Two Lightning Energy

I chose to run two Basic Lightning Energy because I was scared of a potential [card name=”Team Flare Grunt” set=”Generations” no=”73″ c=”name”][/card] and / or [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card] tech from Turbo Dark. Energy disruption is their only potential out to lone [card name=”Jolteon-EX” set=”Generations” no=”28″ c=”name”][/card], so I wanted to run more Energy to make that less of an issue. Turns out, none of the Turbo Darks I faced actually ran Energy removal, so the Lightning Energy merely provided a consistency boost.

Four Rainbow Energy, Four Double Colorless

These counts should be obvious. I want to have the option to use Psychic Assault, Flash Ray, Crystal Ray, and Aqua Edge. [card name=”Rainbow Energy” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] is the only viable option. I would run six of them if I could. [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card] has been a mainstay in the game for quite some time. It is incredibly useful on almost every attacker in the deck by making them a whole turn faster.

Potential Inclusions

Wishiwashi

[card name=”Wishiwashi” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”44″ c=”name”][/card] can make lone [card name=”Jolteon-EX” set=”Generations” no=”28″ c=”name”][/card] scenarios more consistent and it can make your opponent laugh at you. You can [card name=”Ninja Boy” set=”Steam Siege” no=”103″ c=”name”][/card] into a Wishiwashi to remove any Pokemon from the board. For some reason, a myth got started that I was playing this card, so everyone actually thought I was running it for a short time. It wasn’t important enough to make the cut, but you can certainly try it out.

Unown

[card name=”Unown” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”30″ c=”name”][/card] would be used for the exact same reason as [card name=”Wishiwashi” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”44″ c=”name”][/card]. Unown can be used under [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC11″ c=”name”][/card] lock and it lets you draw a card! Unfortunately, it cannot be used in the Active slot, which is a massive drawback. It’s up to you to decide which one is better, though I think I prefer Wishiwashi just a tad more at the moment.

Celebi

[cardimg name=”Celebi” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY93″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

[card name=”Celebi” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY93″ c=”name”][/card] is a decent attacking option once Decidueye runs out of Energy. Theta Stop blocks Feather Arrow damage done to Celebi, and the spread damage from its attack will eventually win the game. However, I realized that [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC11″ c=”name”][/card] works as an attacker too, but it can be slighly less efficient. However, with Wobb, I don’t have to go out of my way to include Celebi for a very specific scenario. Celebi actually wins the [card name=”Gyarados” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”21″ c=”name”][/card] matchup outright, which is fairly useful too. There was a Gyarados deck in Top 32, and there were two more who almost made Top 32. [card name=”Glaceon-EX” set=”Fates Collide” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] is not always enough to beat Gyarados because of techs like [card name=”Pokémon Ranger” set=”Steam Siege” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Escape Rope” set=”Primal Clash” no=”127″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Mew-EX” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”46″ c=”name”][/card].

A Second Glaceon-EX

The second [card name=”Glaceon-EX” set=”Fates Collide” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] was definitely the 61st card. I just couldn’t find the space for it. Another Glaceon would simply improve the matchups against every Evolution-based deck.

Special Charge

There’s not much explaining to do here. This deck runs lots of Special Energy, and [card name=”Special Charge” set=”Steam Siege” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card] can get them back. It has great synergy, but again it is just something I couldn’t justify a cut for.

Matchups

Decidueye-GX / Vileplume – Highly Favorable

This matchup is basically an auto-win. The [card name=”Rainbow Energy” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] version is an auto-win, and so is the version with three Grass Energy. The only version that even has a marginal chance of victory is the version with four Basic Grass Energy, and that’s only a game if they know exactly what they’re doing. I was paired against Aaron Tarbell three times during the tournament. By the time our Top 4 match rolled around, he almost completely figured out the matchup and made a game out of it. Regardless, the matchup is always highly favorable for this deck. After all, Decidueye is the main deck that I was trying to hard-counter.

The strategy is to only play down [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC11″ c=”name”][/card]. Play down all of your Wobbuffet! If you don’t start with Wobbuffet, get a Wobbuffet as soon as you can and try to draw into [card name=”Ninja Boy” set=”Steam Siege” no=”103″ c=”name”][/card]. Use [card name=”Team Skull Grunt” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”133″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Team Flare Grunt” set=”Generations” no=”73″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card] to run your opponent all out of Energy. This strategy is foolproof. The matchup is almost impossible to lose, but you might have to think and adapt a little bit if your opponent plays intelligently.

If you are in a position where you would deck out first, or if you just need to apply pressure, start attacking with Psychic Assault and / or Sky Return. Against players who don’t know what to do in this matchup, you should try to win by deckout. Otherwise, you have to win by collecting all six Prize cards. Make sure that each [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”110″ c=”name”][/card] gets rid of at least one Energy.

Volcanion – Highly Favorable

[cardimg name=”Araquanid” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”46″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

[card name=”Araquanid” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”46″ c=”name”][/card] solves this matchup all on its own. Most Volcanion lists don’t play [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card], so they have no actual way to KO Araquanid. Your entire game plan should revolve around getting Araquanid into play. If you can get [card name=”Dewpider” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”45″ c=”name”][/card] early enough as well as a [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC11″ c=”name”][/card] or two, it should stay safe for a turn to evolve into Araquanid. You can also use [card name=”Team Skull Grunt” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”133″ c=”name”][/card] to scout your opponent’s hand and remove Energy that they need for attachments and Steam Up. If for some reason you don’t get an early Dewpider, you might have to wait to draw into [card name=”Ninja Boy” set=”Steam Siege” no=”103″ c=”name”][/card] and Araquanid.

After Araquanid comes into play, your opponent will attempt to Sky Return loop or use Beastly Fang (from [card name=”Salamence-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY170″ c=”name”][/card]). Don’t play down any Pokemon-EX. That could make you vulnerable to Beastly Fang. Sky Return loop can easily be disrupted with Team Skull Grunt, [card name=”Team Flare Grunt” set=”Generations” no=”73″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Pokémon Center Lady” set=”Generations” no=”68″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Rough Seas” set=”Primal Clash” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card]. If the Volcanion list doesn’t run [card name=”Pokémon Ranger” set=”Steam Siege” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card], then lone [card name=”Jolteon-EX” set=”Generations” no=”28″ c=”name”][/card] works just as well as Araquanid. Some run Ranger and some don’t, so if you aren’t sure, go with the Spider.

Turbo Dark – Highly Favorable

Turbo Dark is another very easy matchup, though the version with Energy disruption can steal a game here and there. Your strategy is to get out a [card name=”Jolteon-EX” set=”Generations” no=”28″ c=”name”][/card] and nothing else. No Dark lists run [card name=”Pokémon Ranger” set=”Steam Siege” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card], so they have no way to defeat Jolteon. If you don’t open with Jolteon, try and find a fast [card name=”Ninja Boy” set=”Steam Siege” no=”103″ c=”name”][/card]. If you don’t get a fast Ninja Boy, you will have to play a Jolteon on the Bench and power it up. Then let them KO your Active Pokemon. If they have any neurons whatsoever, they won’t KO your Active and will wait until they have the resources to KO your Jolteon. Hopefully you can find a Ninja Boy by this time to go into the second Jolteon or a [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] (to potentially Sky Return it up). Basically, start using Flash Ray as soon as possible. If you get the lone Jolteon, stack as much Energy as possible onto it in case of [card name=”Team Flare Grunt” set=”Generations” no=”73″ c=”name”][/card].

M Mewtwo-EX – Favorable

This matchup is about 50-50 if they run [card name=”Espeon-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”61″ c=”name”][/card], and it is very favorable if they do not. Luckily, the vast majority of Mewtwo players chose to exclude Espeon at Virginia Regionals. [card name=”Trubbish” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”56″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] are horrendous attackers against [card name=”Glaceon-EX” set=”Fates Collide” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card], so they are left to attack with [card name=”Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”62″ c=”name”][/card]. Mewtwo has two attacks: Shatter Shot and Damage Change. Thanks to copious amounts of [card name=”Team Flare Grunt” set=”Generations” no=”73″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card], they won’t be able to use Damage Change very often. Also thanks to Flare Grunt, Shatter Shot will usually deal somewhere between 30 and 90 damage at a time. This damage can easily be healed off with [card name=”Rough Seas” set=”Primal Clash” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Pokémon Center Lady” set=”Generations” no=”68″ c=”name”][/card]. Crystal Ray 3HKOs Mewtwo, and Crystal Ray plus Second Bite is a KO as well. Second Bite will often leave you open to a powerful Psychic Infinity, so it is not the optimal attack most of the time.

Espeon-GX is just annoying. Psybeam doesn’t do any damage after Crystal Ray, but it still can confuse Glaceon. Belted Crystal Ray plus Second Bite is 190 damage, just short of KOing an Espeon. Thus, you have to 3HKO it. Because of Psybeam’s Confusion, you are forced to hit [card name=”Pokémon Center Lady” set=”Generations” no=”68″ c=”name”][/card] every turn, flip heads, or waste Energy retreating Glaceon. This is a winnable situation, it’s just not fun and not easy. Divide GX hits right through Crystal Ray, so that’s something to keep in mind too.

M Rayquaza-EX – Favorable

The Mega Ray matchup is varying degrees of easy depending on what techs they play. The most troublesome variant by far is the [card name=”Magearna-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card] version. Magearna-EX can OHKO Glaceon, while Mega Ray can OHKO Jolteon. There’s really no good option besides to go all-in with the disruption. Opposing [card name=”Jolteon-EX” set=”Generations” no=”28″ c=”name”][/card] are also quite annoying to deal with, though you can run it out of Energy eventually. The Fire and Water variants are the easiest to deal with, as they typically run less answers to [card name=”Glaceon-EX” set=”Fates Collide” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card]. The general strategy is to hide behind [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC11″ c=”name”][/card] and set up Glaceon. Crystal Ray forces the Ray player to attack with the Basic [card name=”Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card]. Use the same strategy as you would against Mewtwo. Heal and disrupt the Energy. The fact that Dragon Pulse mills the Ray player is only icing on the cake. If you let them power up [card name=”Dragonite-EX” set=”Evolutions” no=”72″ c=”name”][/card], you probably deserve to lose that one, but it can happen from time to time. If they try to use Sky Return, use [card name=”Team Skull Grunt” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”133″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card].

Yveltal-EX – Highly Favorable

[cardimg name=”Jolteon-EX” set=”Generations” no=”28″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Once again, we find another favorable matchup. Just use [card name=”Jolteon-EX” set=”Generations” no=”28″ c=”name”][/card]! Since [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY08″ c=”name”][/card] decks typically run less copies of Energy and [card name=”Escape Rope” set=”Primal Clash” no=”127″ c=”name”][/card], lone Jolteon doesn’t matter as much as it does against Turbo Dark. Just use Flash Ray as soon and as often as possible. [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”124″ c=”name”][/card] and healing cards help work around the few answers the Yveltal player may have.

Quad Lapras – Highly Unfavorable

Quad Lapras is about a 15-85 matchup in best of one, 10-90 in best of three swiss, and about 2-98 in top cut. In other words, the matchup is an auto-loss. The only hope is to donk a lone opposing [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC11″ c=”name”][/card] start, which is actually possible. I briefly had that slim hope in finals, but it quickly evaporated when I [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card]’d James out of [card name=”Skyla” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”148″ c=”name”][/card] only for him to draw into Lapras. You can theoretically run them out of Energy if they prize the [card name=”Energy Recycler” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”72″ c=”name”][/card] and never get it out. That is a very real possibility too. However, the odds of one of these win conditions happening twice in a best of three is astronomically low.

If you happen to play against the [card name=”Manaphy-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”32″ c=”name”][/card] version with [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card] and fewer disruption cards, you should actually win fairly easily with [card name=”Jolteon-EX” set=”Generations” no=”28″ c=”name”][/card]. Just try to have the [card name=”Pokémon Center Lady” set=”Generations” no=”68″ c=”name”][/card] at the times when they might use Ice Beam GX to Paralyze Jolteon through Flash Ray.

Tournament Report

Here’s a brief summary of my rounds at Virginia. Most of them were uneventful.

Round 1 vs. [card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card] WW
Round 2 vs. [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card] LWW
Round 3 vs. [card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card] WW
Round 4 vs. [card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card] WW
Round 5 vs. [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Magearna-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card] LWT
Round 6 vs. [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] WW
Round 7 vs. [card name=”Lurantis-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”15″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Trevenant-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card] WW
Round 8 vs. [card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card] WW
Round 9 vs. Turbo [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] WLW

Result: 8-0-1, second seed out of 660 Masters

Round 10 vs. Turbo [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] WW
Round 11 vs. Turbo [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] WW
Round 12 vs. [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card] Intentional Draw
Round 13 vs. [card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card] Intentional Draw
Round 14 vs. [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card] Intentional Draw

Result: 10-0-4, first seed going into Top 8

Top 8 vs. [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card] WW
Top 4 vs. [card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card] WW
Finals vs. Quad [card name=”Lapras-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”35″ c=”name”][/card] LL

Result: Second place. I actually prized my [card name=”Araquanid” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”46″ c=”name”][/card] in both games in Top 8 and never got it out. Luckily he did not run [card name=”Pokémon Ranger” set=”Steam Siege” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card], so [card name=”Jolteon-EX” set=”Generations” no=”28″ c=”name”][/card] was able to do the job.

Going Forward

I haven’t thought too much about the deck going forward into a format with Guardians Rising, but I do know that this deck will absolutely love [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card]. Tapu Lele increases consistency by a ton and it can be used while [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC11″ c=”name”][/card] is Active! I would run at least two Tapu Lele. You can decrease the counts of most of the Supporters, though I would definitely keep four [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card] and three [card name=”Team Flare Grunt” set=”Generations” no=”73″ c=”name”][/card] for sure. Tapu Lele is good on both ends of Ninja Boy, as its attack is fairly strong. This deck can theoretically handle the [card name=”Drampa-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] deck by attacking with Jolteon and not playing down many Items. We will see how that works. Unfortunately, the deck will suffer an auto-loss at the hands of [card name=”Sylveon-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card], which is basically just a new and improved version of Lapras.

Conclusion

Thanks so much for reading! I hope I covered this deck and explained it well enough. It was a wild ride and a fun tournament. I will be attending Toronto Regionals as well, so expect another article coming up soon to recap that and talk about the new Guardians Rising meta! The next set will definitely shake things up, and there are tons of interesting and powerful cards. Hopefully I can come up with something spicy with those cards as well. Until next time, see ya and good luck!

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