Let’s Get Ready to Rumble! — Decks and Preparation for the Largest Tournament of All Time
Hello Pokemon players! Right now we are headed towards one of the most hyped tournaments of all time, and I cannot wait to get this show on the road! The North American International Championship is only a few short days away, and it is predicted to be the largest Pokemon TCG tournament of all time. Some are predicting numbers as large as 2,000 for TCG Masters attendance! Regardless of the actual number of players, this event is sure to be exciting for players and spectators alike.
Such an enormous and hyped tournament begs the question (especially for newer players): how can I stand a chance at a tournament like this? Believe it or not, most of the recent U.S. National Championships have been won by little-known players. Ever since 2012, with the exception of Jason Klaczynski in 2015, talented but less renowned players have taken the tournament each time.
The most important thing is to practice. Practice a lot. The more practice you put in, the better chance you have at succeeding. That, and have a competent deck of course. All the practice in the world won’t help you if you are testing a theme deck, or worse, Greninja. As for me, I have recently picked up a summer job, so I haven’t gotten the opportunity to practice quite as much as I would like. Never fear, for I still have been playing quite a bit online when I have the time, so I have some quirky and powerful decks for you all to consider for this behemoth event.
Also, remember that weird stuff can win. It’s no secret that I like to break the format. When I was preparing for Virginia Regionals, I grind in test games against myself for hours on end until I perfected [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC11″ c=”name”][/card] Toolbox. Over a few weeks, I tweaked strategies and card counts until I was satisfied with my matchups and results. Don’t be afraid to break the mold. I actually have a version of Quad Wobbuffet made for this format, which I will share with you in just a little bit.
On the topic of weird stuff and disruption, I encourage you to keep an open mind with this article. I remember getting some mixed reactions in 2015 before Nationals. I wrote about a similar [card name=”Wailord-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”38″ c=”name”][/card] concept as the one that placed second. Some criticized me for wasting time, others found it amusing, but no one really took it seriously until it proved itself at the tournament. I wish I had the guts to play it that year, and ironically Wailord itself ended up knocking me out of the tournament.
You may hear this a lot, but if you really want to succeed and give yourself a legitimate shot at winning this tournament, you have to completely apply and dedicate yourself towards it. While Pokemon has always been a game of luck, the format is in a diverse and undefined state right now. I’ve found this format to be far more skill intensive than those in recent years. Sure, you might flip seven tails in a row at the hands of [card name=”Espeon-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”61″ c=”name”][/card]’s irritating Psybeam. However, if you extensively test every matchup and pick a good deck, you can most definitely succeed at the coming International Championship. Additionally, I don’t mean test every matchup with your deck. I mean test every matchup with every single deck you are considering. Not many people have the time to do this, but my biggest downfall last year (where I failed miserably) was playing a deck that I didn’t have the time to test.
Now let’s look at the three decks that I am considering for Intercontinentals.
Decidueye / Tapu Koko
[decklist name=”Decidueye” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″][pokemon amt=”19″]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]3x [card name=”Tapu Koko” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM30″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Espeon-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”52″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”33″]3x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”135″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Level Ball” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”76″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Devolution Spray” set=”Evolutions” no=”76″ 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=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Supreme Victors” no=”140″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ 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=”Evolutions” no=”91″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”90″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realize that this Decidueye list is quite weird. I’ve been playing this online a lot recently and it actually works. The idea is to start with either [card name=”Tapu Koko” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM30″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] and start spreading away. Use Tapu Koko and [card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card] to ping away at whatever looks threatening, and [card name=”Espeon-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”52″ c=”name”][/card] can come in to clean up against Evolution decks. You want to get as many Decidueye out as quickly as possible in order to maximize damage output. In this regard, it is similar to DeciPlume. Unlike Deciplume, this build is dedicated to attack often with Tapu Koko. If at any time Flying Flip becomes a sub-optimal attack to use, Decidueye itself can do decent damage while boasting a ton of HP. [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] can also attack when it’s needed.
DeciKoko does very well against Evolution decks because of their low-HP pre-Evolutions. It is generally pretty easy to pile damage on their board early on, which sets up Espeon-EX for some power plays. With all of the different Evolution decks taking over the meta, DeciKoko is poised quite nicely. Unfortunately, [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card] will completely stomp this deck. However, I do think that is a loss you can afford to take. [card name=”Drampa-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] is certainly annoying as well, but it isn’t too big of a problem. A few pings and an Energy Drive from Lele can bring down the Dramps.
Card Choices
Pokemon
I do feel like the Pokemon lines are fairly self-explanatory. I maxed out the Decidueye pieces which is the obvious choice for a deck built around the owl. I run three Koko because when I tried it out they made the deck more clunky than it needed to be. You usually only use two anyway. Two Lele for two uses of Wonder Tag is solid, and you don’t need more than one copy of Espeon. I only run one [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] because Bench space is already tight, and only use it to find Owl pieces (or a Supporter) in a pinch or to accelerate my start.
Supporters
I went with the bare minimum of Supporters because of space constraints. This list runs slightly fewer draw Supporters than the typical DeciPlume list, but that is because it can play with [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Supreme Victors” no=”140″ c=”name”][/card] in the absence of [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card]. Two [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card] is nice, but perhaps you can get away with one. [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card] is critical because many powerful decks such as VikaBulu, [card name=”Metagross-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”85″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card] all heavily rely on Abilities.
3 Devolution Spray
Here’s where the fun begins! [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] is definitely an option because it can provide more damage overall, but [card name=”Devolution Spray” set=”Fates Collide” no=”95″ c=”name”][/card] has proven itself in this deck. By devolving Decdiueye, you can use its Feather Arrow Ability again. The way I see it, as long as Forest is in play, Devolution Spray reads: “Place two damage counters on one of your opponent’s Pokemon.” This is actually absurd and it is reminiscent of [card name=”Hypnotoxic Laser” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] in that it is an Item card that deals damage.
The great thing about Devolution Spray is that it really abuses the meta by punishing decks with low-HP Basics. Occasionally it will secure you a turn one win, and can often nab some quick and cheap KO’s on Pokemon that would otherwise be just out of reach. The downside is that it does make Decidueye more clunky than it already is. I would say that Devolution Spray is optional, but it has proven itself to me, so I have no intentions on taking it out of the list.
2 Field Blower
Regardless of how popular [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] actually turns out to be, two copies of [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card] prevent an auto-loss against it. Just a few extra Feather Arrows can be a deal breaker against Garbodor variants, and of course the option to use Wonder Tag in the mid-to-late stages of the game can be helpful as well. In other matchups, Field Blower can remove Choice Bands that have been attached prematurely, usually while Tapu Koko is Active. This renders potentially threatening Choice Bands useless. Field Blower does a ton of damage to Turbo Dark too. Of course, there are more uses of Field Blower, and I would never go with less than two copies of it in this deck.
2 VS Seeker
I would like to have more of these guys, but space really is an issue. I’d rather not cut the Sprays, and Hollow Hunt can always retrieve VS Seeker if you need it to. VS Seeker is good, but too many of them will clunk up the early-game even more.
The Rest
The Energy counts and other Trainer cards are not very exciting and shouldn’t need much of an explanation. I love three [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] in this deck because a lot of pieces are needed to make a Decidueye, and Mail makes things go a little easier.
[premium]
Other Options
[cardimg name=”Spiritomb” set=”Steam Siege” no=”62″ align=”right” c=”custom”]Check for this guy in your bulk boxes.[/cardimg]
Alolan Ninetales-GX
[card name=”Alolan Ninetales-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”22″ c=”name”][/card] is definitely an option for the same reasons as it is in DeciPlume. However, the early game strategy for this deck is to attack with Tapu Koko, and that makes [card name=”Alolan Vulpix” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”21″ c=”name”][/card]’s Beacon less important. Running an additional Stage 1 line would also take up a lot of space, and I’m not sure that the list can afford that. It is nice to have a 210 HP Stage 1 sniping for 50 and threatening with Ice Path GX, though, so you can try it out if you feel so inclined.
Spiritomb STS
[card name=”Spiritomb” set=”Steam Siege” no=”62″ c=”name”][/card] is a bulk rare from Steam Siege that has never been used competitively, but Spiritomb actually has two solid attacks that make it useful in this deck. For one Dark Energy, Spiritomb does 10 damage and puts the opponent’s Active to sleep. This can potentially stall your opponent for a turn, which lets you rack up more Feather Arrow damage. Spiritomb’s second attack costs a Dark and a Colorless, and it allows you to move around the damage on your opponent’s board in any way you like.
I had Spiritomb in the deck for awhile, but I took it out for one main reason. Running Spiritomb forces you to have [card name=”Rainbow Energy” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] instead of Grass Energy. This, in turn, makes the deck more vulnerable to [card name=”Drampa-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card]. I am personally not okay with this trade-off, but if you are, then by all means play Spiritomb.
Choice Band
[card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] usually provides more raw damage than [card name=”Devolution Spray” set=”Evolutions” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card], that I can’t deny. Choice Band is a great card that every attacker in the deck can use to reach some cool numbers (in addition to Feather Arrow). I have considered Choice Band, but it does not provide the clutch factor or the versatility that Devo Spray does. I can’t recommend ignoring Choice Band, and it definitely has merit if you want to try it out. I’ve already explained why I like Devo Spray more, but they are both great cards for the deck. I just can’t find the space to include enough copies of both.
Quad Wobbuffet
[decklist name=”Quad Wobb” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Wobbuffet” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”36″][pokemon amt=”4″]4x [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”36″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”56″]4x [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Skyla” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”148″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Team Rocket’s Handiwork” set=”Fates Collide” no=”112″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Team Skull Grunt” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”133″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Team Flare Grunt” set=”Generations” no=”73″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Brigette” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”134″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”3″][/card]4x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Captivating Poké Puff” set=”Steam Siege” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Crushing Hammer” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”124″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Puzzle of Time” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”109″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”2″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”0″][/energy][/decklist][cardimg name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”36″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
Unlike my past iterations of “Quad Wobb,” this version does not run any Energy or other Pokemon. It truly is a Quad Wobb deck. The strategy is exactly like that of [card name=”Wailord-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”38″ c=”name”][/card]. You run your opponent all out of resources until they inevitably deck out. The reason why I prefer [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”36″ c=”name”][/card] as a wall is because of decks like VikaBulu, DeciPlume, [card name=”Metagross-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”85″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card]. These decks would easily best any such control deck unless they were Ability-locked the entire time. You may notice the lack of [card name=”Delinquent” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”98″ c=”name”][/card], and you’ll just have to trust me when I say that the other cards are more important than Delinquent and Stadiums. I’ve tried the deck both ways, and this version works better.
Card Choices
4 Wobbuffet
You need to start with it, and what better way to do so than by only playing Wobbuffet? Your opponent will be Ability-locked for the entire game and there’s nothing they can do about it. The only exception is Greninja decks that run [card name=”Silent Lab” set=”Primal Clash” no=”140″ c=”name”][/card], and those can always be removed by [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card]. Ability lock is ridiculously strong right now as usual, and as I said earlier, most decks can handle the disruption if they are allowed to use their Abilities.
4 N
[card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card] is the preferred draw Supporter because it will always get you six cards. It is good once your hand size is low or if you have a hand full of useless junk. It simply replenishes your hand with more disruption cards. N itself also works great as a disruption card once your opponent has taken a few Prizes.
4 Skyla
[card name=”Skyla” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”148″ c=”name”][/card] finds whatever you need when you need it. It is usually used to find [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card], a Hammer, a Puzzle piece, or a specific disruptive Supporter for next turn. In a deck that comprises of 56 Trainers, it makes sense to have a way to find specific ones.
4 Lysandre
[card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card] is one of the best disruptive Supporters in the game. It drags something up that your opponent doesn’t want to be Active, and you can keep sticking things Active until your opponent runs out of switching options. Lysandre is definitely one of the most integral parts of the deck.
4 Team Rocket’s Handiwork
[card name=”Team Rocket’s Handiwork” set=”Fates Collide” no=”112″ c=”name”][/card] makes sure that your opponent is always the one who will deck out first, and it can discard crucial resources as well. There’s really never a bad time to use TRHW, so if you don’t need to use another disruption Supporter on any given turn, mill away!
4 Team Skull Grunt
[card name=”Team Skull Grunt” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”133″ c=”name”][/card] runs your opponent out of Energy, which is the ultimate goal of the deck. It is particularly useful against Greninja and DeciPlume. It’s good in other matchups too, as I usually use it at least once every game, regardless of the matchup.
4 Team Flare Grunt
[card name=”Team Flare Grunt” set=”Generations” no=”73″ c=”name”][/card] is a staple in all disruption decks. It is a great disruption card that aids in running your opponent out of Energy. You will almost always use every copy that isn’t prized.
3 Brigette
[card name=”Brigette” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”134″ c=”name”][/card] is the way to get all of your Wobbs out! You would normally have a hard time finding six of them by drawing normally, and it is fairly easy to find Brigette at some point within the first few turns. Brigette is also great after a [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”name”][/card] play. After shuffling two or three Wobbs back in, you can get them right back and not have to worry about getting any more out.
4 VS Seeker, 4 Crushing Hammer, 4 Enhanced Hammer
These cards are some of the most obvious auto-inclusions for the deck. They are the most powerful disruption Items, so it makes sense to max out the counts of them.
[cardimg name=”Captivating Poké Puff” set=”Steam Siege” no=”99″ align=”right” c=”custom”]Om nom nom![/cardimg]
4 Captivating Poke Puff
This card is actually broken! Lysandre-stalling is one of your primary disruption tactics, and [card name=”Captivating Poké Puff” set=”Steam Siege” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] forces your opponent to bench liabilities. Even if there aren’t any Basics in your opponent’s hand, the ability to see exactly what they have is highly valuable. Once you know exactly what resources your opponent has available, you can pick and choose from your array of disruption Supporters to use the one that will hurt them the most. I love using Poke Puff to discover two Energy cards that are ripe for the [card name=”Team Skull Grunt” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”133″ c=”name”][/card] follow up.
4 Trainers’ Mail
The reasoning for Mail is similar to that of [card name=”Skyla” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”148″ c=”name”][/card]. This deck is not fast by any means, so Mail isn’t used to go turbo. Mail is just so that you have more outs to specific cards at specific times. It gives you a little extra reach, and it has certainly proven itself useful.
4 Puzzle of Time
There’s no reason not to run [card name=”Puzzle of Time” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] here. Unfortunately, if you prize a piece, you will never get it out, because you’re not taking prizes. Puzzle is fantastic because each piece is a wildcard that’s good for getting any card you want out of the discard. Sure, you have to play two at a time, but that is rarely an issue with the copious amounts of Skyla and Mail.
3 Field Blower
[card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] is a huge annoyance for Quad Wobb, and you want to be able to remove them consistently. [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card] does a great job of getting rid of Floats, and also Greninja players’ [card name=”Silent Lab” set=”Primal Clash” no=”140″ c=”name”][/card]s. I would consider a fourth copy of Field Blower, but that might be overkill.
2 Rescue Stretcher
Rescue Stretcher can force your opponent to get through six [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC11″ c=”name”][/card]. If you don’t prize any Wobbs, you can use Stretcher to get two or three back into the deck, and use [card name=”Brigette” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”134″ c=”name”][/card] to get them back out. If you do prize a Wobb, you may need to use Stretcher twice on individual Wobbs. In fact, sometimes I even use Puzzle to get back a Wobb.
Matchups
Espeon / Garbodor — Unfavorable
The one glaring weakness of the deck is its unfavorable [card name=”Espeon-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”61″ c=”name”][/card] matchup. Espeon can 2HKO a Wobb for only one Psychic Energy, and it can OHKO a Wobb for three Energy. Usually you can regulate Espeon so that they are stuck using Psybeam for the entire game, and that is usually okay. It is fairly easy to remove Psychic Energy enough times to run them out if they only use Psybeam. The problem is that you have to play Items eventually, which makes [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] OHKO Wobbuffet with Trashalanche. So in order for Espeon to win the matchup, they do have to rely on Espeon for early game, and Garbodor for late game.
Here’s what you want to do: Usually your opponent will put a Trubbish and/or a Garbodor into play. In the early stages of the game, do not play any Items at all. You may have to get a little lucky with draws early on. You want to Lysandre-stall Garbodor as many times as you can while Trashalanche is not a threat. You might have to play a Field Blower to remove Float Stone, and that is fine as long as Trashalanche is stuck doing only 40 damage. You want to go as long as possible without playing Items, and use Flare Grunts to take Energy off Espeon.
[cardimg name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
Eventually, you will have to unload Items. When you do that, try to hit a Lele with Poke Puff (a Lele may already be on the Bench, which is good). Lysandre-stall the Lele and try to hit heads on [card name=”Crushing Hammer” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] to strip Psychic Energy off the Bench. Then go with the typical disruption strategy from there. This matchup is unfavorable any which way, but this strategy will give you the best chance of success. If you are alright with an unfavorable Espeon matchup, you will have a fun time with Quad Wobb in every other matchup.
Drampa / Garbodor — 50-50
This matchup is not super easy because [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] itself does well against Wobb, but [card name=”Drampa-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] is a lot easier to mess with than Espeon. You want to play the beginning with the same strategy as you’d use against Espeon / Garb. Do not play any Items at all. This forces the Garbodor player to commit to Drampa. Eventually you should be able to strand a Drampa Active. Whenever it retreats, keep Lysandre’ing it Active. As long as you have decent draws, your opponent won’t be able to win.
Again, play no Items for as long as possible. As soon as three Items inevitably hit the discard, there’s no point in playing conservatively anymore, as Trashalanche OHKO’s Wobb with three or more Items in the discard. The matchup is only 50-50 because you do have to draw fairly well to win, but this matchup is in no way unfavorable.
Zoroark / Drampa — Near Autowin
It is almost impossible to lose this matchup. It is so easy to run them out of Energy before they can take six Prizes. Never Bench a Wobb unless your opponent can KO your lone Wobb next turn. Never have more than two Wobbs total in play. You want to limit Mind Jack’s damage. Their main source of damage will be with Foul Play copying Psychic Assault. Deny them Energy and strand Drampa Active with Puff and Lysandre.
Vespiquen — Favorable
[card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] is a favorable matchup because of Poke Puff and Lysandre. As soon as anything hits the board that isn’t a [card name=”Combee” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”9″ c=”name”][/card] or a [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card], you win the game. Thanks to [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”124″ c=”name”][/card] and Lysandre, you can set up an inescapable trap by locking something Active that can’t do much damage. Just like with the Zoroark matchup, never keep more than one Wobb on the Bench so Mind Jack’s damage is capped at 40.
VikaBulu — Favorable
If your opponent makes the mistake of getting a [card name=”Vikavolt” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”52″ c=”name”][/card] into play, they lose. If they start [card name=”Grubbin” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”13″ c=”name”][/card], they lose. If you manage to Poke Puff and find a Grubbin, they lose. This matchup is fairly easy no matter what happens. You have near-infinite uses of [card name=”Team Flare Grunt” set=”Generations” no=”73″ c=”name”][/card] to keep Tapu Bulu’s damage output at 30, and you will eventually run them out of Energy. There’s no point in wasting Energy disruption cards on Lightning Energy (if they’re on Bulu). Only use Flare Grunt on Bulu if it has a Grass Energy attached.
You can also Puff + Lysandre any other Basic at any point in the game, and if they attach Float Stone, use Blower and Lysandre to reset the lock. The best time to Lysandre something is when Bulu has less than two Energy on it. That way, the VikaBulu player can’t Float + Grass and start one-shotting with Bulu’s second attack. Sure, they can use [card name=”Energy Recycler” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card], but it still doesn’t provide them with enough Energy to deal with all of the nasty things Quad Wobb can do to them.
Decidueye — Auto Win
There’s no way to lose this. Enjoy! Don’t play down too many Wobbs at once because Tapu Koko can spread. I don’t think it matters that much, but it’s still something to keep in mind.
Metagross — Favorable (or Auto Win)
I haven’t tested this matchup, but I’m pretty sure it’s impossible for [card name=”Metagross-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”85″ c=”name”][/card] to win. Metagross decks run low counts of switching cards and they rely on Geotech System to get Energy back. It seems absurdly easy to run Metagross out of Energy.
Others
I’ll just go over some of the less popular decks real quick because this meta is so diverse. Anything with [card name=”Lurantis-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”15″ c=”name”][/card] is a really hard matchup. If they start with [card name=”Fomantis” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”14″ c=”name”][/card], you have to rely on Puff and Lysandre. No matter what, I would not expect to ever win against Lurantis. Against [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card], you can use an intelligent combination of Skull Grunt, Flare Grunt, Field Blower, Lysandre, and Poke Puff to stall them out. Power Heater and Nitro Tank GX are annoying, but they can’t deal with Wobb if they have a lot of Basics down thanks to Poke Puff.
Water decks have a lot of Energy and access to [card name=”Aqua Patch” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”119″ c=”name”][/card], but you can still run them out of Energy. You can also Lysandre-stall because Wobb shuts off [card name=”Manaphy-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”32″ c=”name”][/card]. [card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card] seems like a sketchy matchup, but they have to use Moonlight Slash 12 times to win. This should give you enough time to run them out of Energy via Skull Grunt and Handiwork. Of course, if you find a Froakie with Skull Grunt, Puff + Lysandre it on the following turn. That gives you more time to mill with Handiwork. Turbo Dark seems like a very poor matchup, but it is not a popular deck at all right now.
Big Basics / Garbodor
[decklist name=”Big Basics Garb” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Drampa-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”115″][pokemon amt=”16″]2x [card name=”Drampa-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Zygarde-EX” set=”Fates Collide” no=”54″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Oricorio” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”56″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]4x [card name=”Trubbish” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”56″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”32″]3x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Professor Kukui” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”128″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Brigette” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”134″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Teammates” set=”Primal Clash” no=”141″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Supreme Victors” no=”140″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”135″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Team Magma’s Secret Base” set=”Double Crisis” no=”32″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”2″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”12″]2x [card name=”Psychic Energy” set=”XY” no=”136″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Strong Energy” set=”Fates Collide” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]4x [card name=”Double Colorless” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”136″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Rainbow Energy” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist][cardimg name=”Zygarde-EX” set=”Fates Collide” no=”54″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
Big Basics / Garbodor is not a new concept, but this time around it can utilize the new [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card]. Honestly though, this is basically Drampa / Garb but with [card name=”Zygarde-EX” set=”Fates Collide” no=”54″ c=”name”][/card]. Drampa / Garb is already a strong deck, and Zygarde helps against other Garbodor decks as well as [card name=”Zoroark” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card]. I like this deck for Internationals because it has a great chance against every popular deck, although it is a little clunky. Let’s look at the cards.
Card Choices
4-2/2 Garbodor
I went with two Garbotoxin Garbs because a good portion of the meta relies heavily on Abilities. It makes sense to have the extra insurance against decks such as Metagross, Volcanion, VikaBulu, and Greninja. [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card] can get around it once or twice, but the card is still incredibly effective overall. Only two Trashalanche Garbs is fine because all of the other cards can handle your matchups fairly well. Trashalanche is only good later on, and two plus two Stretcher is enough.
I kept Trashalanche Garb in the deck because it is amazing late game, and it works well against Espeon. The one thing that I might actually change is the count of four [card name=”Trubbish” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”56″ c=”name”][/card]. I’m not entirely sure that four Trubbish are necessary, and I really would love a third [card name=”Drampa-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] or a third [card name=”Team Magma’s Secret Base” set=”Double Crisis” no=”32″ c=”name”][/card]. You definitely shouldn’t go under three Trubbish.
2 Drampa-GX
[card name=”Drampa-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] is about as big as Big Basics get. It’s got 180 HP and can swing for the same amount of damage as early as turn two! I was not sold on this card before the set released but now I see how incredible it is. Righteous Edge is cool, Berserk is insane, and Big Wheel GX is a useful move as well. This deck actually relies on Big Wheel GX as a consistency crutch at times, what with the low Supporter counts and complete absence of [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card]. Drampa is the go-to early-game attacker in many matchups, especially VikaBulu and Volcanion.
2 Zygarde-EX
[card name=”Zygarde-EX” set=”Fates Collide” no=”54″ c=”name”][/card], like Drampa, has three useful attacks that will all be used depending on how many Energy are attached. Land’s Pulse can do up to 120 damage against Fighting-weak Pokemon, and even up to 160 with [card name=”Professor Kukui” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”128″ c=”name”][/card]. Cell Storm is fantastic because it deals solid damage and heals 30 damage from Zygarde. Land’s Wrath matters least, but it can swing for some heavy damage if needed. Zygarde is great against Zoroark, Garbodor, Eevee, and even Espeon at times. Espeon will confuse you with Psybeam, so try and leave the Tool spot open for Float Stone in that matchup.
2 Tapu Lele-GX
The inclusion of [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] is a no-brainer. Lele’s Ability and its attack are both amazing, though I don’t see the need for any more than two.
1 Oricorio
[card name=”Oricorio” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”56″ c=”name”][/card] is an optional tech for the [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] matchup. I really do think that this card swings the matchup, especially with the two [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”name”][/card]. Without Oricorio, I imagine Vespiquen would be slightly unfavorable at best.
1 Shaymin-EX
Just like the single copy of [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] in DeciKoko and four Mails in Quad Wobb, use Shaymin here for extra reach. I highly value the ability to have a little extra reach in a pinch, and Shaymin does just that. It’s like a spare tire. You won’t use it every game, but you’ll be glad you had it when you need it.
Draw Supporters
I only run five of a combination of [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card]. I realize these counts are rather low, but the deck does have some space issues going on thanks to Zygarde. I am fine with relying on Drampa and Lele to pick up the slack at times. The deck still works, so I think running this split of the draw Supporters is acceptable.
[cardimg name=”Teammates” set=”Primal Clash” no=”141″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
2 Lysandre
This is another card that I’m considering reducing. I think you can get away with one, but I am running two for now. I am considering cutting the second one for another N, Drampa, or Magma Base.
1 Teammates
I played many games without [card name=”Teammates” set=”Primal Clash” no=”141″ c=”name”][/card] and kept thinking to myself: “I really wish I had Teammates right now.” After a few such situations, I naturally decided to include Teammates. It gets any two cards out of the deck! What’s not to love? I honestly don’t know what else to say about this card. It’s good.
1 Professor Kukui
[card name=”Professor Kukui” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”128″ c=”name”][/card] is amazing for hitting some clutch numbers in the most random situations. It commonly lets Drampa hit for 170 without [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] or for 200 with Choice Band. It also helps out Zygarde’s numbers quite often, especially in tandem with [card name=”Strong Energy” set=”Fates Collide” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card].
1 Brigette
[card name=”Pokémon Fan Club” set=”Fates Collide” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card] is only good in decks with [card name=”Hoopa-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”36″ c=”name”][/card]. [card name=”Brigette” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”134″ c=”name”][/card] is the play here. Brigette is definitely one of the best turn one Supporters right now and it can always be retrieved with Wonder Tag. Brigette makes this deck run smoothly because you can often find two Trubbish and a Drampa right away. This effect is just too strong not to run.
The Tools
I’m sure that many people will find my Tool lineup quite odd. First of all, you definitely need four [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] to maintain the Garbotoxin lock in the matchups where you need it. Additionally, almost everything in the deck has a high Retreat Cost, so Float Stone helps to alleviate that. Float Stone is also great against [card name=”Espeon-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”61″ c=”name”][/card] and its pesky Psybeam. Thanks to Float Stone, you can pivot between your attackers and dispose of Espeon with a 2HKO (or OHKO with Trashalanche).
Three [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] shouldn’t be too surprising. It adds 30 damage, which is just insane. In particular, it gives [card name=”Drampa-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] perfect math by allowing it to easily hit for 180. [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] seems odd at first, but it should make sense the more you think about it. Having an additional 40 HP is still nothing to scoff at. Having a 220 HP Drampa or a 230 HP Zygarde that heals itself is awesome. For just a few examples, Fury Belt lets Drampa survive a fully powered Bulu attack, a Choice Banded Psychic from Espeon-GX, and a Choice Banded Berserk from an opposing Drampa.
2 Rescue Stretcher
I believe that two Stretcher is absolutely correct. Since most of the attackers in this deck are run in counts of two, it is important to have the recovery option in case you prize the second copy of an attacker. That’s really all there is to it.
2 Field Blower
[card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card] disrupts your opponent and adds Items to their discard for Trashalanche. Not much more to say here.
[cardimg name=”Strong Energy” set=”Fates Collide” no=”115″ align=”right” c=”custom”]This deck is a strong choice![/cardimg]
2 Team Magma’s Secret Base
[card name=”Team Magma’s Secret Base” set=”Double Crisis” no=”32″ c=”name”][/card] is nice because it can damage your opponent, but more importantly it provides an easy way for Drampa to do a ton of damage very early on. I would love to find space for a third copy, and I am definitely considering dropping a Trubbish or a Lysandre for it.
The Energy
First of all, two [card name=”Strong Energy” set=”Fates Collide” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] is a necessary evil. It makes things a little clunkier, but it gives Zygarde some clutch math, especially against Fighting-weak Pokemon. Four Rainbows offer compatibility for both Zygarde and Garbodor, and it also damages the Bench in case you need to power up Drampa’s Berserk. Two Psychic Energy are just some extra Energy units thrown in there, and they offer more outs to use Trashalanche. Four [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card] is an obvious decision.
Conclusion
That is all I have for you today! Thanks so much for reading guys! These are my top three decks for Internationals right now, and I plan on testing a little more before taking my pick. I encourage you all to try them out and experiment a little on your own. This format is constantly shifting and keeping things interesting, and I am extremely excited to attend the last Intercontinental of the season. I hope you enjoyed the article. Good luck at any upcoming events and enjoy the rest of your summer!
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