Guardians Gauntlet — The Five Central Decks of Standard

What’s up ‘Beach-goers? I’m super excited to be joining you all here for an update on what is quickly becoming one of my favorite formats. Think about where we were just one year ago. Oppressive decks like Night March, [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Trevenant BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] dominated the format. Since then, the game has opened up considerably. There are a variety of different paths to victory and the outcome of most games seems to be the result of deck building and crucial in-game decision making. Mistakes are being punished more often and the game has slowed in pace, making for more interesting and thought provoking matches. This format has been very engaging to test so far, and I am looking forward to digging even deeper into this format for the North American International Championships and the World Championships in the months to come.

Speaking of Worlds, I was finally able to snag my World Championship invitation by finishing in the Top 4 at a local League Cup, the Nicholas Bailey Invitational, a couple weeks ago. The League Cup was well attended, drawing over 50 Masters competitors, and the results were surprising! Half of the Top 4 decks utilized the criminally underrated [card name=”Alolan Ninetales-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”22″ c=”name”][/card], while the other half played combinations of [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card]. For those of you who don’t know, the Nicholas Bailey Open is a tournament dedicated to my friend, Nicholas Bailey, who died of glioblastoma last fall. All of the profits from the event were donated to brain cancer research. It was really encouraging to see so many players rally behind a good cause, and reminded me how wonderful this community can be. Shout out to my man Nicholas! I miss you every day.

In this article, I will be showing off the strongest decks in Standard format. I have put a lot of hours into testing so far, but there are still so many avenues left to explore! I have six lists that I am very confident in to get us started. These five decks form what I consider to be the foundation of the Standard format. The format is sure to expand and grow from here, but these are the decks that every other successful deck will be measured against. If a deck can’t hang with these five, it isn’t worth playing at all!

Decidueye / Vileplume

[cardimg name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ align=”right” c=”custom”]Still one of the top decks![/cardimg]

This deck did me bad at the Virginia Regional Championships. I played a handful of 50 / 50 matchups against [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY173″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card], none of which buffed out in my favor. I was frustrated with the archetype afterwards and dismissed it for the time being. However, with the release of the new set, Decidueye gets buffed in all the right ways. Mega Mewtwo, a previously sketchy matchup for the archetype, has tanked in popularity thanks to the dominance of Trachalanche [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card]. The Ability [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] also used to pose a threat to Decidueye, forcing some lists to find room for the horrible [card name=”Beedrill-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY157″ c=”name”][/card]. Now that Decidueye has access to [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card], sticking Pokemon in the Active, especially Garbotoxin Garbodor, has never been easier. [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] is a welcome addition to the Decidueye family as well, boosting consistency while providing a substantive [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Legendary Treasures” no=”113″ c=”name”][/card] attacker. If you had your eye on results from Japan lately, you may even be aware that there is a brand new way to build this deck with [card name=”Alolan Ninetales-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”22″ c=”name”][/card]! This is the version that I was able to clutch my invite with recently at the Nicholas Bailey Open, and I can confirm that Nintetales is not just a gimmick, but jives with the archetype very well. I will be reviewing both a traditional and a Ninetales version of the archetype below.

Ninetales / Decidueye / Vileplume

When I first saw [card name=”Alolan Ninetales-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”22″ c=”name”][/card], I thought about pairing her with Decidueye because of her formidable HP and pair of [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Next Destinies” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] accessible attacks. My friends told me that the idea was bad though so I put it in the back of my mind for a while. Then, I saw that Ninetales / [card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card] was seeing some success in Japan, so I decided to sleeve it up and give it a try. Truthfully, I hadn’t even read [card name=”Alolan Vulpix” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”21″ c=”name”][/card] until I started to put the deck together, but I quickly realized that Vulpix’s Beacon attack is what makes this messy array of evolution lines a completely viable deck.

Vulpix’s Beacon is a free attack that lets you search your deck for up to two Pokemon and put them in your hand. This works wonders alongside Decidueye and [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card]. If you draw into a hand without a Supporter, you can Beacon for a [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] to set up the following turn. If you draw into a hand with a Decidueye and a [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card], you can Beacon for a [card name=”Rowlet” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”9″ c=”name”][/card] and a [card name=”Dartrix” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] to get another Decidueye into play the following turn. Want a quick Ninetales? You can Beacon for an early Ninetales to set up behind a formidable wall or even the remainder of your Vileplume line. What really makes Beacon valuable, however, is the ability to set up under an early Item-lock. Previously, diving in for the turn one Vileplume was risky because you would rarely have time to use your own Items and set up your own board state. With Vulpix this is not an issue. You can easily go in on a turn one Vileplume to slow your opponent down, then Beacon for the rest of the Pokemon you need to set up! If nothing else, this deck is a lot of fun to play and I absolutely recommend trying it out. Shout out to Spencer Vanderpoel for finishing in the Top 32 with a version of this deck at the Seattle Regional Championships!

[decklist name=”Ninetales / Decidueye / Vileplume” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Alolan Ninetales-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”22″][pokemon amt=”25″]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=”Alolan Ninetales-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”22″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]3x [card name=”Alolan Vulpix” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”21″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/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]2x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”28″]4x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”2″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”100″ 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″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ 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=”7″]4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Next Destinies” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Grass Energy” set=”EX Ruby and Sapphire” no=”104″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card][/energy][/decklist]

Strengths

[card name=”Alolan Ninetales-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”22″ c=”name”][/card]’s attacks, Ice Blade and Ice Path-GX both fit perfectly with the strategy of this archetype. Ice Path-GX moves all damage from Ninetales to the defending Pokemon, dishing out damage while healing and buying you more turns to snipe your opponent with Feather Arrow. Ice Blade, much like my beloved [card name=”Meowth” set=”Fates Collide” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card]’s Turmoil Strike, deals 50 damage to any of your opponent’s Pokemon. This, combined with Feather Arrow, allows you to take out threats on your opponent’s Bench before they ever come to fruition. I’ve mentioned it previously, but it’s worth mentioning again that [card name=”Alolan Vulpix” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”21″ c=”name”][/card] is an all star here. Since Vulpix is your ideal starter, we play three copies. This allows you to consistently start Vulpix, sacrifice it while using Beacon, and still have Vulpix in deck to evolve up to Ninetales-GX.

[cardimg name=”Alolan Ninetales-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”22″ align=”right” c=”custom”]That’s a lot of tails.[/cardimg]

One of my favorite aspects of this archetype is that it can hang with almost any deck you pair it against. As far as specific matchups go, Ninetales definitely helps your [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY173″ c=”name”][/card] matchup, boosting it from 50 / 50 to favorable. Ninetales’ 210 HP is a lot more difficult for Volcanion to OHKO under Item-lock than [card name=”Lugia-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”68″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card]’s 170 HP. Ice Blade also allows you to target down Volcanion-EX your opponent builds up on the Bench even if they start the little [card name=”Volcanion” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY145″ c=”name”][/card] in the Active.

In addition to Volcanion, [card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card] / Ninetales also succeeds versus [card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card], Stage 1 decks like [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] and straight Ninetales variants. A lot of matchups with this deck feel right around 50 / 50, but this deck also has a high skill ceiling that rewards good play and smart decision making. It’s a rewarding deck for a skilled player to pilot, making it a top choice for any competitor.

Weaknesses

The synergy between these cards is great, but with the addition of more options, unfortunately, the deck has become a lot more difficult to play optimally. I have found out the hard way that 20 damage here or 20 damage there can swing an entire matchup. I have shot myself in the foot more times than I care to admit while playing this deck, but it’s a very gratifying feeling when you come out of a close matchup just right, knowing that you made the perfect plays required to bring you to victory.

One issue that I am having with this list is the lack of a big damage attack. With a traditional build, [card name=”Lugia-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”68″ c=”name”][/card] could get out there and spam Deep Hurricane. This list has to be much more calculated when dealing with big threats like [card name=”Tauros-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”100″ c=”name”][/card], and leans heavily on attacking with Decidueye for big damage. Leaning on attacking with Decidueye can be rough, since it means less snipe damage overall once one goes down.

Another criticism I get for this lists is that there is only one copy of [card name=”Revitalizer” set=”Generations” no=”70″ c=”name”][/card]. This list is admittedly tight on space. One Revitalizer is enough to get by in most situations though. You can always Hollow Hunt for Pokemon back if you absolutely need them. Another reason I was okay with this compromise is because [card name=”Alolan Vulpix” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”21″ c=”name”][/card] can smooth your turns out by searching for evolution lines before you discard them with [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card]. Since evolving is easier with Vulpix, I have found myself discarding Pokemon less and, in turn, using Revitalizer less. Decidueye / Ninetales also doesn’t have room to play Tapu Lele-GX, meaning that it sacrifices the luxury of hand selecting Supporters with Wonder Tag, something my other Decidueye list really enjoys.

As far as matchups go, Decidueye / Ninetales, like most Decidueye variants, has a bad time with Energy removal decks like Lapras and [card name=”Sylveon-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card], and struggles with certain builds of Lele / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] that run [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC11″ c=”name”][/card] as well. Otherwise, I feel like the deck is very evenly matched against most things that it squares up against.

[premium]

Tapu Lele / Decidueye / Vileplume

This version of [card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card] shows promise as well. Naturally, under Item-lock, Decidueye / [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card] enjoys the ability to hand-pick Supporters via [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card]’s Wonder Tag. This makes finding a clutch [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] under Item-lock a breeze. Lele also serves to boost the consistency of this deck on turn one, allowing you to go for an early [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card] or N with an [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card] rather than awkwardly using Set Up to draw a couple of cards with hands that can’t be thinned down. Where [card name=”Alolan Ninetales-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”22″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card] aims to take out threats with precision, Lele / Decidueye builds up big Basic attackers with multiple DCE to dish out substantial damage alongside Feather Arrow.

[decklist name=”Lele / Decidueye / Vileplume” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″][pokemon amt=”23″]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]2x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Lugia-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”68″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”29″]4x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”101″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”2″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”100″ 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]2x [card name=”Revitalizer” set=”Generations” no=”70″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ 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=”Grass Energy” set=”Generations” no=”75″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”HeartGold and SoulSilver” no=”103″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

I won’t rehash the strengths and weaknesses of this list as they are mostly the same as the [card name=”Alolan Ninetales-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”22″ c=”name”][/card] version. It should be noted though, that this version of the deck deals with [card name=”Drampa-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Tauros-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”144″ c=”name”][/card] much more efficiently than the Ninetales version does. Because of Drampa’s overwhelming success at the Seattle Regional Championships, I have decided to revert back to a Fourth [card name=”Grass Energy” set=”EX Ruby and Sapphire” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card] in this list. Drampa’s Righteous Edge attack can cause this deck a lot of problems, but with four Grass Energy, it is easy to keep enough Energy on board to KO Drampa before it can wreak too much havoc on your board. I am continuing to test both this version and the Ninetales version to see which I prefer. You should definitely have these decks on your radar if you plan on attending Nationals or Worlds this year!

Greninja

[card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card] is back baby! From my experiences, people are really excited to play Greninja now that it has access to [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card] to effectively deal with [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] to buff its damage output. Greninja has favorable matchups versus nearly every other popular deck in Standard Format, therefore catapulting itself back into the top of competitive play. Unfortunately, as usual, the biggest thing that stands in the way between Greninja and success are the inconsistencies of the deck itself.

[decklist name=”Greninja” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″][pokemon amt=”18″]4x [card name=”Talonflame” set=”Steam Siege” no=”96″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]4x [card name=”Greninja” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”40″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Frogadier” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”39″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Froakie” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”38″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”32″]4x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Ace Trainer” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”69″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Fisherman” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”136″ 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=”Dive Ball” set=”Primal Clash” no=”125″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]3x [card name=”Rough Seas” set=”Primal Clash” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”10″]8x [card name=”Water Energy” set=”EX Ruby and Sapphire” no=”106″ c=”deck2″ amt=”8″][/card]2x [card name=”Splash Energy” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”113″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

There are a lot of different directions you can take with a [card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card] deck. [card name=”Brooklet Hill” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”120″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Silent Lab” set=”Primal Clash” no=”140″ c=”name”][/card] are Stadium options I have seen many players trying out. Some lists run [card name=”Max Potion” set=”Emerging Powers” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card], while others run [card name=”Team Flare Grunt” set=”Generations” no=”73″ c=”name”][/card] to try and pad the suboptimal [card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card] matchup. Fellow PokeBeach writer, Jimmy Pendarvis, prefers the consistency of [card name=”Repeat Ball” set=”Primal Clash” no=”136″ c=”name”][/card], while I like to play [card name=”Talonflame” set=”Steam Siege” no=”96″ c=”name”][/card] to provide a formidable wall and assist early set up. There are a lot of options out there, and I suggest getting your hands dirty to try things out and see what works best for you! I have tried [card name=”Team Flare Grunt” set=”Generations” no=”73″ c=”name”][/card] and Brooklet Hill personally, and didn’t feel like either of them were effective enough to spend deck space on. I like this list as I feel like it is straightforward and consistent, a good place to start when trying to discern Greninja’s place in the metagame.

[cardimg name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ align=”right” c=”custom”]Frogger is back![/cardimg]

Strengths

[card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card] is in a stunning position because of its fantastic matchups. Greninja is favored versus nearly the entire metagame including [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Sylveon-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Lapras-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”151″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY173″ c=”name”][/card]. Greninja also goes toe-to-toe with Mega Pokemon decks like [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card]. Greninja is a sturdy archetype that plays no Pokemon-EX or Pokemon-GX while boasting the same amount of HP as Pokemon worth twice the Prize count. With [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] in the deck’s arsenal, Greninja can hit fantastic numbers as well. Shadow Stitching for 70 and Moonlight Slash for 110 is amazing. Greninja can 2HKO big threats without even using Giant Water Shuriken, freeing up Shuriken for sniping other targets on the Bench.

Weaknesses

[card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card]’s Achilles Heel is [card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card]. Greninja can hang with every other deck in Standard, but when it comes to Decidueye, there’s not much that can be done. I’ve even tried lists with two [card name=”Team Flare Grunt” set=”Generations” no=”73″ c=”name”][/card] to try and slow Decidueye down, but a smart Decidueye player can maneuver around Flare Grunt just fine. If the Decidueye player knows what they are doing, they will just set up three Decidueye and go to town, they don’t even need [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card]! One of Greninja’s only outs to winning this matchup is to stall something heavy in the Active and snipe the Bench. Basically, Greninja has to trap a Vileplume with no Float Stone or Energy Active long enough to steal the game. Also concerning for Greninja is the recently released Tapu Bulu-GX. I have seen Tapu Bulu decks popping up more and more online, and the archetype seems to have promise alongside the new Promo Lurantis. I fully expect Greninja’s viability in the upcoming months to be directly proportional to the popularity of Grass. I think Grass is a very strong right now with all the tools it needs to dominate the format. The only thing is, if Grass gets big, [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY173″ c=”name”][/card] could grow in popularity as well, which in turn could make [card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card] good again. I can see a kind of triangle forming in the format down the road, but only time will tell!

Volcanion

[card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY173″ c=”name”][/card] was my early favorite for this format. [card name=”Turtonator-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”18″ c=”name”][/card] is absolutely awesome and [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] allows Volcanion to hit OHKO numbers with ease. Unfortunately, however, as the format developed, Volcanion’s flaws became more evident. The deck is relatively Item dependent and has a rough time dealing with the new [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card]. It also has a glaring weakness to [card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card] and a questionable [card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card] matchup. Not to mention, Volcanion loses to other random things like the new [card name=”Alolan Ninetales-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”132″ c=”name”][/card] and good old [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card]. It seems as if Volcanion is in a similar space that it occupied previously. It is a good consistent deck that will attract some players, but it still occupies a suboptimal place in the metagame.

[decklist name=”Volcanion” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Volcanion-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY173″][pokemon amt=”10″]4x [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY173″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Volcanion” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY145″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Turtonator-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”18″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Hoopa-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”36″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”37″]4x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”101″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Fisherman” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”136″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”EX FireRed and LeafGreen” no=”100″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Energy Retrieval” set=”Black and White” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Escape Rope” set=”Primal Clash” no=”127″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”2″][/card]3x [card name=”Scorched Earth” set=”Primal Clash” no=”138″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”13″]13x [card name=”Fire Energy” set=”EX Ruby and Sapphire” no=”108″ c=”deck2″ amt=”13″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

You’ll notice a couple of interesting things about my list right off the bat: a plentiful 13 [card name=”Fire Energy” set=”EX Ruby and Sapphire” no=”108″ c=”name”][/card], no [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] and three copies of [card name=”Scorched Earth” set=”Fates Collide” no=”110″ c=”name”][/card]. With the changing format, Volcanion has to evolve to try and keep up. Trainers’ Mail is too much of a liability for this deck to run alongside [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card]. With Mail in deck, it is far too easy for [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] to begin to hit OHKO numbers against you with Trachalanche. I’ve replaced the consistency of Mail with more Fire Energy and three Scorched Earth. Scorched Earth’s purpose is twofold. Not only does it allow you to draw cards, especially under Item-lock, it also allows you to pitch more Energy to the discard for an early Nitro Tank GX with [card name=”Turtonator-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”18″ c=”name”][/card]. As you can see, I am only playing two copies of the little [card name=”Volcanion” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY145″ c=”name”][/card] in here. That’s because Turtonator serves as an effective starter as well. Many times, an ideal turn one consists of using Nitro Tank to accelerate four or five Energy anywhere on the field. Turtonator is completely awesome in here. He completely changes the way the deck is able to be played. Now, you can go in early with a turn one or turn two Volcanic Heat without fear of punishment. Previously, you had to set up your board responsibly with the little Volcanion. Now, you can dive in head first with [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY173″ c=”name”][/card], then rebound after your board has been cleared of Energy with Turtonator’s Nitro Tank!

[cardimg name=”Turtonator-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”131″ align=”right” c=”custom”]The tank man himself![/cardimg]

Strengths

The major strengths of this archetype are speed, consistency and OHKO power. There aren’t many decks that boast the Ability to churn out a turn one or two two 220 damage with ease, but [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY173″ c=”name”][/card] is one of them. Volcanion has a relatively easy time disposing of [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Lapras-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”151″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Sylveon-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] based decks. Volcanion is one of the few decks in format that runs a plethora of Basic Energy and multiple ways to accelerate them, making the deck nearly impervious to Energy removal strategies.

Weaknesses

Unfortunately for Volcanion, this deck has a laundry list of weaknesses that will likely keep it from spending time in the limelight at the end of the season. First and foremost is Trachalanche [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card]. We play two copies of [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card] to deal with Garbotoxin [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card], but Trachalanche is the real problem here. It is difficult to set up your board without putting a handful of Items in the discard. And even if you limit yourself to five Items, which is very hard to do, Garbodor still trades well with you since that 120 HP Bag of Waste is very difficult to take down in one hit without using [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY173″ c=”name”][/card]! I’ve seen some lists accommodate for a copy of [card name=”Entei” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”14″ c=”name”][/card] in an attempt to remedy this issue, but one copy of Entei didn’t solve the issue at hand for me. Not to mention, there just isn’t enough Bench real estate for more Pokemon in this deck! You could cut the [card name=”Scorched Earth” set=”Fates Collide” no=”110″ c=”name”][/card] for cards like [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card], but at that point you are sacrificing major consistency points, which is the main reason to play Volcanion in the first place!

In addition to Garbodor, Volcanion also struggles against the usual suspects like [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card]. Greninja used to be a fine matchup, but now, Greninja can OHKO your Volcanion-EX with Moonlight Slash and [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] without even needing to Shuriken! Yikes!

Finally, Volcanion has issues with the promising [card name=”Alolan Ninetales-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”22″ c=”name”][/card]. The more time I spend with Ninetales, the more I realize her potential. With Choice Band and [card name=”Professor Kukui” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”148″ c=”name”][/card], Ninetales can OHKO a Volcanion-EX with Ice Blade for just a [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”HeartGold and SoulSilver” no=”103″ c=”name”][/card]. It’s a scary world out there for Volcanion right now, and although the deck gets a huge buff in the form of Turtonator, I don’t know that the deck has the stuff to finish out the end of the season strong.

Sylveon

I don’t particularly like the [card name=”Sylveon-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] deck, just as I wasn’t too fond of [card name=”Lapras-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”151″ c=”name”][/card] either, however, I must admit that the deck is powerful. If Sylveon can survive the opening turns of the game, it can quickly take a stranglehold on nearly any matchup and turn it into a long and painful win. Sylveon’s Magical Ribbon is just an insane attack. Search your deck for any three cards? This is like Lapras / Hammers on steroids! Games with this deck will usually devolve into you not even knowing what to get because you already have everything, you’ve used [card name=”Delinquent” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”98″ c=”name”][/card] to get rid of your opponent’s hand and Hammers to remove all of their Energy. When this happens, it’s time to grab [card name=”Team Rocket’s Handiwork” set=”Fates Collide” no=”124″ c=”name”][/card] and start decking away.

[decklist name=”Sylveon” amt=”60″ caption=”undefined”undefined][pokemon amt=”7″]3x [card name=”Sylveon-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]4x [card name=”Eevee” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”101″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”39″]4x [card name=”Team Flare Grunt” set=”Generations” no=”73″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”101″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Delinquent” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”98″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Team Skull Grunt” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”149″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Team Rocket’s Handiwork” set=”Fates Collide” no=”124″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Judge” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”143″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Puzzle of Time” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”109″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”EX FireRed and LeafGreen” no=”100″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Crushing Hammer” set=”Emerging Powers” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Max Potion” set=”Emerging Powers” no=”94″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”94″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Silent Lab” set=”Primal Clash” no=”140″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”14″]12x [card name=”Fairy Energy” set=”XY” no=”140″ c=”deck2″ amt=”12″][/card]2x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”HeartGold and SoulSilver” no=”103″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

Some of the original lists I saw for [card name=”Sylveon-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] played four copies of [card name=”Delinquent” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”98″ c=”name”][/card] and no [card name=”Crushing Hammer” set=”Emerging Powers” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card]. This was probably the case to avoid taking big damage from Trachalanche [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card]. Even so, I didn’t like that very much, so I made room to accommodate for a full line of Hammers. Much like [card name=”Lapras-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”139″ c=”name”][/card], This deck should make the opponent wary of placing any Energy on board without taking a KO. You’ll notice that this deck plays a seemingly high number of Fairy Energy. Simply put, a turn one Fairy Energy makes the difference between a turn one Energy Evolution / Magical Ribbon and a turn one Eevee / pass. To avoid getting our poor little Eevee donked, we need to run at least 12 Fairy Energy, enough to confidently start one every game.

[cardimg name=”Sylveon-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”140″ align=”right” c=”custom”]So Magic![/cardimg]

Strengths

Eevee’s Energy Evolution makes it so easy to get a turn one Magical Ribbon, meaning that this deck regularly boast a 200 HP Pokemon-GX and any three cards it wants from the deck on the first turn. A turn one [card name=”Silent Lab” set=”Primal Clash” no=”140″ c=”name”][/card] spells disaster for many decks as well, [card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY173″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] and even opposing [card name=”Sylveon-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] all hate a turn one Silent Lab. This deck boasts some of the most threatening first turns in the game, and only gets stronger as the game progresses.

Another beautiful thing about this deck is that you never waste a single resource. There are no [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card] here. No [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card]. Everything in the deck, so long as it isn’t prized, is at your disposal as early as turn one. With [card name=”Puzzle of Time” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] and the perfect attack to seek them out, it feels like your resources are limitless. That being said, this is a thinking person’s deck. You need to have a game plan early on and stick to it. Will you try to trap something of your opponent’s Active and mill the rest of their deck away? Are you going to try and deplete their Energy with [card name=”Team Skull Grunt” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”133″ c=”name”][/card] and Hammers? A cohesive strategy is paramount to winning with this deck. If you start getting greedy and taking Prizes when you should be milling, your opponent can [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] you out of the game if you are not careful!

This deck’s biggest asset is that it fares well versus [card name=”Drampa-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] / Garbodor and Decidueye, two of the most successful decks at the Seattle Regional Championships this past weekend. Drampa / Garbodor doesn’t deal enough damage to effectively take down a Sylveon while Decidueye doesn’t run enough Energy to deal with the onslaught of [card name=”Team Flare Grunt” set=”Generations” no=”73″ c=”name”][/card] and Hammers in Sylveon’s arsenal!

Weaknesses

The major weakness of this archetype, and the reason I do not want to bring this deck to a tournament, is that it can get run off the table before you get to stabilize your board position. Many games this deck loses are solely based on how hot your opponent draws, making it a frustrating deck to pilot. For example, this deck should be favored against a deck like [card name=”Raichu” set=”Generations” no=”27″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Lycanroc-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card], however, if Raichu is able to deal a turn two, 210 damage, it’s likely that [card name=”Sylveon-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] will not have a backup [card name=”Eevee” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”101″ c=”name”][/card] in time to stay in the game. This same logic applies to the [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] matchup as well as the [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY173″ c=”name”][/card] matchup. Any deck that can go from no Energy on board to a 200+ damage attack in one turn can donk [card name=”Sylveon-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] before Sylveon gets to Magical Ribbon for a backup Eevee. I had the same issue with [card name=”Lapras-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”139″ c=”name”][/card] / Hammers back when that was seeing play. These removal decks are undeniably strong, but I just don’t think I can get my head around their inherent flaw enough to want to bring them to a tournament like Nationals.

Drampa / Garbodor

And finally, the moment we have all been waiting for, [card name=”Drampa-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card]. This deck took Seattle Regionals by storm, making up nearly two thirds of the Top 32 decks. The reason for this is twofold. First of all, this deck is ridiculously good, and I have no problem calling it the current BDIF. The ability to hand select each Supporter for turn via [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card]’s Wonder Tag is amazing, and offers a lot of control and consistency. Drampa has been underrated the last few weeks, but the secret is out. The Energy denial offered by Drampa’s Righteous Edge attack, combined with the ability to smack for 180 damage (while utilizing [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card]) with Beserk makes Drampa an essential asset to this control archetype. In addition to effortless Energy removal and damage output, this deck also has access to Ability denial in the form of Garbotoxin [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC11″ c=”name”][/card]. With all this hazing going on, the opponent will need to expend resources to maintain pace, and that’s where Trachalanche comes in. If the opponent spends too many resources, they can count on being OHKOd by Trachalanche.

This deck is strong, hard to counter, and offers a lot of control over games, which brings me to my second point. It is an attractive choice for skilled Pokemon Players. Yes this deck is great, but it was also far and away the deck of choice among skilled players at the Seattle Regional Championships. From reports that I am hearing, it compromised a ridiculously large chunk of the field, which is part of the reason why so many versions of the deck made it into day two of play. This deck reminds me a lot of [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY150″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] from the first half of the season. It’s consistent and the games with it are slow, grindy and skill intensive. Though this deck is undeniably strong, I don’t expect it to maintain a stranglehold on the format like it seemed to have at Seattle. Players will need to respond to this looming threat, and build / select their decks accordingly from now on.

[decklist name=”Drampa / Garbodor” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Drampa-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”115″][pokemon amt=”15″]3x [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Trubbish” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”56″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Drampa-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC11″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”34″]4x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Olympia” set=”Generations” no=”66″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Team Flare Grunt” set=”Generations” no=”73″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Brigette” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”134″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”EX FireRed and LeafGreen” no=”100″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ 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=”11″]5x [card name=”Psychic Energy” set=”EX Ruby and Sapphire” no=”107″ c=”deck2″ amt=”5″][/card]4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Next Destinies” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Rainbow Energy” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”152″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

My list for this deck has shifted considerably since I first built it a month ago. At first I was playing it just like [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY150″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card], with [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card] and all. In that list, I would build up big [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] to sweep games with. I also used to play a couple copies of [card name=”Tauros-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”100″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Ninja Boy” set=”Steam Siege” no=”103″ c=”name”][/card], but found myself rarely using them. Then, I tested Travis Nunlist’s list for a while. He played a suite of [card name=”Crushing Hammer” set=”Emerging Powers” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] with [card name=”Drampa-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] and a couple [card name=”Team Magma’s Secret Base” set=”Double Crisis” no=”32″ c=”name”][/card] to activate Drampa’s Beserk attack. While I liked the Drampa from Travis’ list, I wasn’t too fond of the Hammers, and didn’t feel like they brought enough to the archetype overall. Since then, I have found a happy medium between the two lists. I have kept the Drampa, but replaced the Magma Base with my favorite disruptive Stadium, [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card] and now use [card name=”Rainbow Energy” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”152″ c=”name”][/card] to activate Drama’s Beserk bonus.

After speaking with a few players from Seattle Regionals, they seem to agree that in order to be successful in the mirror, you need to play multiple copies of Drampa for his Righteous Edge attack. If a player favors Tauros over Drampa in their list, they will get slowly run out of Energy until they eventually lose the mirror. As you can see, I have continued with the disruptive trend by including a [card name=”Team Flare Grunt” set=”Generations” no=”73″ c=”name”][/card] in my list. Being able to access Flare Grunt at specific points in the game has proven to be extremely useful in my testing so far, and especially powerful alongside Drampa’s Righteous Edge.

[cardimg name=”Drampa-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”115″ align=”right” c=”custom”]Gramps man himself![/cardimg]

Strengths

The nature of this deck is slow and grindy, which benefits skilled players. Think of it this way, the longer a game lasts, the more opportunities there are for a player to misplay. Since this list promotes long and drawn out games, the more skilled player tends to be favored in many of its games. That being said, Trachalanche is so strong that inexperienced players can steal wins with it as well. [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] is such a ridiculously powerful card that anyone can just sit back, set a couple up and take six Prizes against a deck that is not prepared for Trachalanche.

This deck has excellent matchups across the board, it’s no wonder it did so well in Seattle. Even this deck’s “bad” matchups, like [card name=”Sylveon-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card] are closer to 50 / 50 and can quickly go wrong for the opponent if they play too many Items or don’t draw optimally. [card name=”Drampa-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card], generally speaking, is favored versus Mega decks and [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY173″ c=”name”][/card], while going even to slightly favorable (depending on the build) versus [card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card] variants. The [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC11″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Olympia” set=”Generations” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card] in this list put in a lot of work versus Decidueye. Unlike the Wobbuffet that saw play in [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card] decks, this Wobuffet actually gets the opportunity to attack sometimes. Games with this deck are so slow and grindy that you have the luxury to attach an Energy to your Wobb on the Bench. Once you do this, you can threaten to finish off a crucial KO with Psychic Assault while also shutting off Abilities. This is especially useful versus Ability-reliant decks like Decidueye and Mega Ray, and helps push them convincingly in your favor.

As you can see, I have also chosen [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card] over [card name=”Altar of the Moone” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”117″ c=”name”][/card]. It’s absolutely absurd to me that more Garb decks didn’t play Parallel at Seattle. Parallel is amazing in the mirror, which is one of the most important matchups to prepare for. Parallel can disrupt the opponent’s set up and draw by forcing them to compromise their Bench after a turn one [card name=”Brigette” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”134″ c=”name”][/card]. It can also hamper their ability to use [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card]’s Wonder Tag by cutting off their access to Bench space. [card name=”Team Flare Grunt” set=”Generations” no=”73″ c=”name”][/card] has also proven to be essential to winning the mirror. Drampa / Garbodor is a manual attachment deck, meaning that Energy disruption is a highly effective strategy against the deck. Flare Grunt is a must have in this list.

Weaknesses

There aren’t many weaknesses to this deck, but there are a few! First and foremost, this deck depends on your opponent playing high counts of Items. If the opponent is able to limit their Item usage while pumping out damage, they are going to be able to roll through this deck relatively easily. I saw a [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] list pop up that utilized [card name=”Mallow” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Unown” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”30″ c=”name”][/card] to draw exactly what it needed without using Items. That’s a very creative solution to play around [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card]! I can even see lists start to cut down on [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Supreme Victors” no=”140″ c=”name”][/card] to limit the potency of Garbodor as well. If decks are able to get their Item usage under control, they will be able to topple this deck without too much of an issue.

Let’s face it, most Pokemon-EX and Pokemon-GX centered decks are going to have a hard time dealing with Trachalanche. That’s why we need to look to decks that won’t care about trading with Garbodor! [card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] both do well against Garbodor. I saw that one Vespiquen player was able to crack the Top 32 of Seattle. If Vespiquen hits the right matchups, it has the inherent strength to roll through a tournament. Unfortunately for Vespiquen, however, [card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card] will always be a looming threat. I also heard that some players were showing up to Seattle with [card name=”Oricorio” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”56″ c=”name”][/card] in their list to autowin the Vespiquen matchup. I’m surprised to see that Greninja didn’t have a better showing at Seattle with all the Garbodor there. I will be interested to talk to more players upon their return to see what happened with that deck and what they think the future holds for it!

Conclusion

And that’s it! This format is wild. Top 8 of Seattle Regionals has been posted literally as I am typing this. It’s encouraging to see that Water Box and [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] were able to crack the Top 8 of Seattle alongside six [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] variants. As players get accustomed to the strength of Garbodor and learn what beats it, I expect this format to open up considerably. I think that [card name=”Alolan Ninetales-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”22″ c=”name”][/card] has a lot of potential as a deck that can go toe-to-toe with Garbodor. [card name=”Alolan Vulpix” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”21″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Brooklet Hill” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”120″ c=”name”][/card] can set up the entire deck without using Items, while Ninetales can spam Blizzard Edge to take big OHKOs. I will be testing fervently in the weeks to come to bring you the best of the format and a slew of decks that can beat Garb next time I write in June!

Later Trainers,

Andrew Mahone

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