Neutral Shield — The New State of the Standard Format
Hello everyone! Alex back at you with some random thoughts about the format, as well as some early things to start testing if you’re planning on going to the International Championships in Indianapolis. For the first time in a long time, I feel like the Standard format is in a healthy place, and many decks are actually taking skill to pilot. I can’t tell you the amount of times I’ve been online and have gone down to one Prize and actually needed to use my brain to come up with a way to win. In the past, I just threw some Netflix on and mindlessly tested until something felt right. Now, we’re in a good spot.
Before I get started today, I want to tell you a little story. It’s been a while since I started an article with a story, so it feels good to be connecting with you again!
Everyone remembers Runescape, right? Or at least you either remember it, remember other people playing it, or you’re still one of those weirdos still playing it (no judgment). That game took up a lot of my free time during the middle school and high school years. I even went through that stretch of time when I played in college because I was so bored. Heck, I even got my girlfriend at the time hooked in on it. Not to brag or anything, but I totally had three skills at level 99.
Well if you remember enough about the game, there was this quest called Recruitment Drive, in which the player tried to gain access to a secret organization. Halfway through the quest, you’re required to change genders, or at least that’s how I remember it. Basically it was a dressed up way of saying that Runescape was adding the change gender feature, of which the playerbase had been screaming about for some time. Back in 2005, this was a big deal.
During my time trying to finish the quest, I had a lot of people coming up and asking to be my “Runescape Girlfriend.” I didn’t know what this meant, but I assumed that since my character was a girl now, that most others assumed I was then too, a girl. These people would give me tons of free stuff just for saying I was their girlfriend. A little weird? Sure, but it’s how I got my Herblore skill to 60.
[cardimg name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
One problem still eluded me though — the name change. My name was Mario followed by a bunch of numbers, and occasionally each of my boyfriends would ask me why my name was Mario when clearly I was a girl. I usually laughed it off and said that Mario was cute or something. But the next time that I was going to try to scam some 13 year old boys, I was going to come up with a better name. And that next time came up at Laser Quest.
I’ll say it straight, I’m super good at Laser Quest. Not the most marketable skill in the world, but I don’t lose. Period. I’m pretty good at playing [card name=”Sableye” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”62″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card], and I’m easily better at Laser Quest than milling people out. I thought to myself that if I made my name a girl’s name when I played, that nobody would ever guess it was me tagging them until I had already hit then four or five times. And I was right!
So why tell you this embarrassing story about Middle School Alex? Well today I thought I would do something a little bit different for my article. Instead of doing a “Hey, here’s this list, here’s this list, remember U150?” type of thing, I would give you an interview. But not just any interview, an interview with myself using my Laser Quest alter ego, Mrs. Mario.
Cringe worth moments aside, there’s a question I’d like to ask of you. I know a lot of people come to sites for the lists and move on, so if you’re reading this, then you’re my favorite! Originally, I was going to write a normal looking article for you guys, accompanied by a “Fantasy Draft Preview” of sorts. A lot of people like to do a similar thing to fantasy sports and draft players for U.S. Nationals and World Championships. A little preview on this subject might be a fun thing to write about, so I’m wondering if it would be a fun thing to read about? Basically I would take a lot of the players from Worlds, do mini interviews, and smash them into a condensed article, alongside some cool deck lists to expect at the World Championships. If this is something you would be interested in, please let me know so I can write it!
But now, onto the article!
A Standard Format Update
Mrs. Mario: Hey Alex! Thanks for joining me today in talking about your thoughts for Nationals!
Alex: Great to be here! It sucks that it’s no longer called “Nationals” though, but instead, “North American Internationals.” How lame is that?
Mrs. Mario: Right? Well at least you can say “Nats” or “NA ICs,” and people will still understand what you’re saying!
Alex: That’s true! So for the rest of this interview, I might switch back and forth between those, if it’s okay?
Mrs. Mario: Totally fine! First question, what were your thoughts on the results of Madison Regional Championships?
Alex: Well, first things first: the decline of [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] was rapid, which is an odd thing to say, considering it still took eight of the 32 spots in day two. Granted, that’s down from the 24 spots we saw in Seattle, but still enough to be the most represented deck of day two. Those Garbodor variants were split on the line of seven [card name=”Drampa-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”142″ c=”name”][/card] variants and one [card name=”Espeon-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”61″ c=”name”][/card] variant.
Mrs. Mario: Why do you think that is?
[cardimg name=”Zoroark” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”91″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
Alex: Well, since Garbodor was such a force in Seattle, people actually decided to counter it directly rather than rolling the dice. Seattle players were hoping to not face the deck, while Madison players knew that they couldn’t avoid it. I played [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] in Seattle anticipating a lot of Garb, and never once played against it. I think we’ve entered a format now where player skill is mattering a whole lot more than a meta call is. So going into Nationals, play what deck you’re best with and most practiced with.
Mrs. Mario: That’s always going to be solid advice for anyone. Moving on now, of the “new” decks that surfaced in Madison, which one is your favorite?
Alex: By “new” decks I’m assuming you’re talking about the [card name=”Zoroark BREAK” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card]/ Drampa-GX that took third, and the smattering of [card name=”Vikavolt” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”52″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Metagross-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”139″ c=”name”][/card]?
Mrs. Mario: Don’t forget about [card name=”Lurantis-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”138″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Tapu Bulu-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM32″ c=”name”][/card]!
Alex: Oh yeah, that’s a deck as well. Personally I’m not a fan of the Lurantis version, but I have yet to test it. I’ve played around with Vikavolt a little bit, and it seems fun! It’s much different then the Vikavolt build I tested for Seattle, but fun still the same. If you remember from my last article, I touched on Vikavolt a little bit. Part of me is wishing I didn’t go to Toronto so I would have had more time to test out Vikavolt. It seems like a strong play right now.
Zoroark
Mrs. Mario: So based off that response I’m assuming you like Vikavolt the most going forward?
Alex: Actually, no! I’m a big fan of the [card name=”Zoroark” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] deck. When I was testing Vespiquen / Zoroark for Seattle, I threw together an oddball list that used [card name=”Zoroark BREAK” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] alongside Vespiquen and the usual techs there. I found myself falling in love with the attack, but couldn’t quite get the consistency to work. That’s probably because I was trying to smash two different deck ideas into one. I discarded the Zoroark BREAK thinking it wasn’t good enough for the meta. Boy was I wrong! I’m kicking myself now because Zoroark / Drampa seems like the best pairing for the meta now. In the games I’ve played this last week and a half, I’ve been winning the most with the Zoroark list I have right now.
Mrs. Mario: Sounds fantastic! May I see your list?
Alex: You sure can! Keep in mind this list is still very much in the beta testing of things, and is not set in stone. Also, you can always see the lists I’m testing whenever! Anyone can! You only have to ask!
[decklist name=”Zoroark/Eevees” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Zoroark BREAK” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”92″][pokemon amt=”20″]2x [card name=”Zoroark BREAK” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]4x [card name=”Zoroark” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”91″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Zorua” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”89″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]1x [card name=”Umbreon-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”80″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Vaporeon” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”22″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Flareon” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”13″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Eevee” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”101″ 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]1x [card name=”Oranguru” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”113″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”30″]4x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Teammates” set=”Primal Clash” no=”141″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Professor Kukui” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”128″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Delinquent” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”98″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Brigette” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”134″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”110″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Special Charge” set=”Steam Siege” no=”105″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”10″]6x [card name=”Darkness Energy” set=”Black and White” no=”111″ c=”deck2″ amt=”6″][/card]4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Next Destinies” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
Mrs. Mario: Whoa, that’s a crazy list! I don’t know where to start!
[cardimg name=”Drampa-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”115″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
Alex: Yeah it’s definitely a little bit different. I did take inspiration from the list that Danny Altavilla took to a third place finish in Madison, with a bit of changes here and there — most notably, the lack of Drampa.
Mrs. Mario: I think that was the first thing I noticed, too. Why drop your backup attacker?
Alex: Honestly, I found myself not needing it as much as I thought I would. I wasn’t a big fan of using a two Prize attack in a lot of matchups and found myself attacking with [card name=”Zoroark” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] for a majority of the game. Drampa was cool for those clutch OHKOs late game, but that was the extent of its usefulness — late game. If I ran hot or my opponent bricked, it was a dead card, as Zoroark carried me most of the way there. Even in the close games I still didn’t use it 100% of the time.
Mrs. Mario: So with those two spaces gone, where did you move the list from there?
Alex: The lack of Drampa also cuts back on the need for [card name=”Team Magma’s Secret Base” set=”Double Crisis” no=”32″ c=”name”][/card]. I did play around a little with [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card] to bounce my two-Prize attackers, but it didn’t come into play all that often. I decided to cut the requirement of a Stadium in general and play a [card name=”Delinquent” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”98″ c=”name”][/card]. I haven’t used it all that much so far, but with the constant switch in the metagame as we move through this Standard format, I wouldn’t be surprised to see stuff like [card name=”Silent Lab” set=”Primal Clash” no=”140″ c=”name”][/card] make a comeback. Plus, with all Supporters being searchable with [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card], I think if you have the room, Delinquent can and should be thrown into every deck. But you can cut it if you’d like.
Mrs. Mario: Seems good. So that looks like it made some free room in your list. I’m assuming that’s where the Eevee line came from?
Alex: That’s correct. From all of the chatter I’ve heard about Metagross-GX- and [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card]-based decks, I felt like the [card name=”Vaporeon” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”22″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Flareon” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”13″ c=”name”][/card] were needed. Sure, you could argue that you already have a pretty good Volcanion matchup without the Vaporeon, but better safe than sorry. Plus, most Volcanion players will get scared of the Vaporeon and take the [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card] on that instead on taking out the real threat in the form of your Active Zoroark. Since we were already playing an Eevee line, the [card name=”Umbreon-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”142″ c=”name”][/card] was a cute inclusion to give the deck a bulkier attacker. So far it hasn’t found much use, and I almost would prefer it to be another card of some sort, maybe a [card name=”Tauros-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”100″ c=”name”][/card] or a Drampa-GX.
Mrs. Mario: Maybe you could even include the new Promo [card name=”Tapu Koko” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM30″ c=”name”][/card] in this list?
Alex: Honestly, I should. The more and more I’ve played around with this card in other decks, the more and more I’m falling in love with it. It forces your opponent into some very odd situations during the early game, as if they don’t deal with it quickly, the damage starts racking up quickly. It also alleviates the need for a damage modifier in the mid stages of the game if you soften everything up first. It’s not in the above list, but it should be.
Mrs. Mario: How about counts of cards? Anything that you wish you could have a second or third copy of?
Alex: Nah, everything is kind of where I want it to be in terms of counts. I don’t think you can drop to one Zoroark BREAK, or even down to one [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card]. Hex is too good in this list. It’s prompted me to start thinking about a Zoroark / Garbodor list, in which I would play both the [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”custom”]Garbotoxin one[/card] and the Trashalanche one. In that scenario, I would switch over to four [card name=”Rainbow Energy” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] and find room for a second [card name=”Special Charge” set=”Steam Siege” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card]. I think Hex could be dropped to a one count, and the Eevee line would be taken out to make room for these changes. It’s honestly not the worst idea in the world; I simply haven’t tested it out yet. With Rainbow, you could then justify having Drampa back in the list.
[cardimg name=”Spiritomb” set=”Steam Siege” no=”62″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
Mrs. Mario: Whoa! Quad Zoroark with Garbodor teched in. Sounds like a bunch of fun! What other cool ideas do you have for this deck?
Alex: There are a lot of techs you can put into a deck like this. The nice thing about adding Rainbow is that you open yourself to a lot of one-Energy attackers that use other types; you’re not limited to Darkness. That list is too long to write down, but the spicy tech I have added and tested a bit of is [card name=”Spiritomb” set=”Steam Siege” no=”62″ c=”from”][/card]. In this build, I’ve increased the amount of Tapu Koko to two. Generally speaking, with the Eevee and Drampa versions, a good turn one involves an Energy attachment to an Eevee or Drampa. That way from the rest of the game on, when you attach, you can attack. You don’t have to waste a turn whiffing Energy, generally. So with Spiritomb, it’s the same thing. Getting that turn one attachment on Spiritomb opens up some nasty plays for the late game. Mind you this is only a cute idea and not intended to be good. Seems fun.
Mrs. Mario: It sounds like if Nationals was tomorrow, you would be playing Zoroark.
Alex: To be fair, I’m not entirely sold on the idea. It’s definitely one of my final picks, but even though the tournament is less than a month away (yikes), I’m still not married to the idea. Instead, I’ve been falling more and more in love with [card name=”Alolan Ninetales-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”132″ c=”name”][/card].
[premium]
Ninetales-GX
Mrs. Mario: Interesting. Ninetales? Even with all of the Bulu and [card name=”Metagross-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”85″ c=”name”][/card] hype?
Alex: See, that’s exactly it. I think Ninetales is fantastic in the meta we have right now, but Madison Regionals kind of messed that up a little bit. Volcanion wasn’t a good matchup either, no matter what you say. I’ve been considering teching an [card name=”Articuno” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”17″ c=”deck2″][/card] into my list to help there, but honestly it’s not great. I’d play Ninetales if I expected a heavy amount of Garbodor at U.S. Nationals, which is entirely possible seeing how it was still the biggest and best deck at Madison.
Mrs. Mario: What sort of list are you working with right now?
Alex: I haven’t actually settled on a final list quite yet, but for now, this is what I like.
[decklist name=”Ninetales” amt=”60″ caption=””undefined][pokemon amt=”15″]3x [card name=”Alolan Ninetales-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”22″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]4x [card name=”Alolan Vulpix” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”21″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]1x [card name=”Octillery” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”33″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Remoraid” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”32″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Glaceon-EX” set=”Fates Collide” no=”20″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Tapu Koko” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM30″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Espeon-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”52″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”33″]4x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Ace Trainer” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”69″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Professor Kukui” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”128″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Aqua Patch” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”119″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”110″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Dive Ball” set=”Primal Clash” no=”125″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Rough Seas” set=”Primal Clash” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”4″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”12″]8x [card name=”Water Energy” set=”Black and White” no=”107″ c=”deck2″ amt=”8″][/card]4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Next Destinies” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
Alex: Before I start, I do want to say that I’m not a fan of this list anymore.
Mrs. Mario: Why post a list if you’re not a fan of it?
Alex: I know it may seem silly, but I want to explain a few of my card choices before I show you the list I’ve been testing right now. This first list is very similar to the list that I ran at a League Cup recently that got me the points I needed to secure my invite. The League Cup was small — only three rounds — but I didn’t drop a game, which is what counts. In all of my testing leading up to the Cup I was very confident in the list as well.
Mrs. Mario: So then why the change?
[cardimg name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
Alex: Well I realized that this list is far too conservative for the format. The tempo at which decks operate right now is very different from what I had originally anticipated, so the first change is to reduce the high count of [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”101″ c=”name”][/card] and focus on [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”Steam Siege” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card].
Mrs. Mario: I’m not used to seeing a higher count of N than Sycamore. Mind explaining that one?
Alex: Sure. Every time I played against Garbodor, I found myself playing a Sycamore in the early game when I didn’t want to. I was always discarding an [card name=”Aqua Patch” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”119″ c=”name”][/card] or two, or ditching my one counts of Trainer cards I would need for the later game. Plus, with the way this deck relies on Beacon to set up, I was always going down in the Prize-trade early. Originally, I had two [card name=”Ace Trainer” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”69″ c=”name”][/card] for the deck, since after I used Beacon, [card name=”Alolan Vulpix” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”21″ c=”name”][/card] was almost always getting Knocked Out. It even lead me to experimenting with going second in all of my games. I took a tally, and I found I was winning more games by going second than by going first. Very unconventional, but the math checked out. So with the high count of N, I could drop the first few Prizes and feel like I always had a chance to N myself into a plethora of VS Seeker late game to seal the deal.
Mrs. Mario: But doesn’t this deck already have a good Garbodor matchup?
Alex: Yes and no. Against Tauros, I found myself in a hole very early, and banking on hitting all the Energy I needed early, plus the [card name=”Professor Kukui” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”148″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card]. If I manage to get all of that early, I was fine to deal with all of the Garbodor. Drampa is a bit easier since you know they’re going to take an extra turn before they start taking Prizes. So basically if I spent too many resources trying to get the KO on Tauros, I was in a unfavorable spot. But the Drampa / Garb was much easier. It depends on the matchup.
Mrs. Mario: So early KOs are bound to happen against Ninetales, but you built in a way to deal with it?
Alex: Exactly. Not much aggression to be had.
Mrs. Mario: Okay. But now you’re off of that path of thinking and you’re on to a build that I assume flips the count of Sycamore and N? What else is changed with the list?
Alex: Quite a bit actually. I always toyed around with the idea of dropping [card name=”Octillery” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card] completely from the deck. My buddy Royce, who deserves a big shout out for all he’s done to help me with the deck, played the deck to a 40th place finish in Seattle with a heavy 2-2 line. When I brought the deck up to some buddies, they all suggested dropping to 1-1, since it was fine with the high amounts of search in the deck. Plus, I could win games without it. So now, I’m finally testing with zero. That idea was solidified for me when I saw the list that took Top 32 in Madison. His build was much more focused, and didn’t have many cute techs. So when I tried out my build with the adjustments based off of Madison, the picture become much more clear to me. Octillery is a very good card in any deck, but it isn’t needed, especially in Ninetales.
Mrs. Mario: I assume then with all of this extra space you added some more consistency and took out all of that Koko and Espeon nonsense?
Alex: No, actually, they’re still there! In fact, there are more techs now. There are four decks that Ninetales does struggle with, and for me that’s way too many to take into a big tournament. It seems to struggle with Volcanion, Vespiquen, Metagross, and Bulu variants. I’ll take each of those matchups one by one.
Volcanion is very unfavorable. You’d think with the Water Weakness that you’d be favored, but you’re definitely not. Hex Maniac definitely does work here, and I’d want a second one if I had the space, but I managed to bump back up to four VS Seeker to help with the Steam Up math. As I mentioned, adding Articuno would be beneficial here, since all you need is a [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] and one heads to KO a Volcanion-EX. It’s not hard to charge up either, since Water Patch is a thing.
Vespiquen is a deck that did me wrong in Seattle, but has been giving other players much success. With a Regional win and a Regional runner up in the past month, expect to see more of this deck. A simple [card name=”Oricorio” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”56″ c=”name”][/card] helps so much with this matchup. Generally, if they miss their [card name=”Forest of Giant Plants” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card], you can take cheap KOs by sniping any [card name=”Combee” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”9″ c=”name”][/card] that hit the field. If they don’t, then trying to Knock Out a 210 HP Pokemon in the early stages can prove difficult. Using Ice Path GX on a [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card] can turn the game very quickly. Oricorio is there to change the 40-60 matchup into a near auto win. Without it, you can get overpowered in the late game very easily.
[cardimg name=”Alolan Ninetales-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”132″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
It should be obvious why you struggle against Metagross-GX. Ninetales is weak to Metal, and Blizzard Edge doesn’t come anywhere close to taking a OHKO on their Pokemon. This is where the Tapu Koko / [card name=”Espeon-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”117″ c=”name”][/card] combination comes in handy. It looks like this: their turn one is going to be [card name=”Brigette” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”161″ c=”name”][/card] for three [card name=”Beldum” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”83″ c=”name”][/card]. You then try to Flying Flip to spread 20. If they hit the [card name=”Rare Candy” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”165″ c=”name”][/card], then they’ll most likely use their GX attack to set up for a big turn two. If you can get another two Flying Flips off before they get set up, then you actually stand a chance if you can Miraculous Shine their Pokemon away. Trust me, it’s not a perfect solution, but it’s all you got some times. If all else fails, you can hope to go into [card name=”Glaceon-EX” set=”Fates Collide” no=”116″ c=”name”][/card]. I don’t know how to salvage this matchup otherwise — not even using [card name=”Flareon” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”13″ c=”name”][/card] as a tech works.
And finally, [card name=”Tapu Bulu-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM32″ c=”name”][/card]. This one is a tricky one, since it’s a battle of one shots, and they have the advantage. It’s much easier to loop Nature’s Judgement than it is to loop Blizzard Edge. The only thing I’ve found that works here is upping the count of Choice Band to give myself a better chance to hit that Knock Out. Maybe even going to a second Hex Maniac would help.
Mrs. Mario: Wow, yeah, seems like a lot of bad matchups. At least with some of the changes you’ve listed it seems like you have closer to a 50 / 50 there?
Alex: Yeah, that’s what I’ve discovered. It’s almost impossible to make this deck have good matchups against everything. So the two schools of thought are as follows. You can either build it super consistent and hope to win those matchups, or you can tech the living daylights out of the deck and try to outplay your opponent. With the first option, at least you know you stand a low chance of bricking and taking a hard loss there, and with the second option, you know you have a chance against any deck you play against. It’s hard to determine which route is the best to go, but recently I’ve preferred the version with a lot of tech cards.
Mrs. Mario: List us, o great one!
[decklist name=”Ninetales 2″ amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Alolan Ninetales-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”22″][pokemon amt=”15″]3x [card name=”Alolan Ninetales-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”22″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]4x [card name=”Alolan Vulpix” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”21″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Tapu Koko” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM30″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Espeon-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”52″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Glaceon-EX” set=”Fates Collide” no=”20″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Oricorio” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”56″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Articuno” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”17″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”33″]4x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ 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=”Olympia” set=”Generations” no=”66″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”110″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Aqua Patch” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”119″ 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″ divide=”yes” amt=”2″][/card]4x [card name=”Rough Seas” set=”Primal Clash” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”4″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”12″]8x [card name=”Water Energy” set=”Black and White” no=”107″ c=”deck2″ amt=”8″][/card]4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Next Destinies” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
Alex: Now this is a list I can get behind! It’s so much more suited to defend against all of the weird stuff in the meta today. The one big change I’m sure you’ll notice is the severe lack of ways to retreat — no [card name=”Switch” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”132″ c=”name”][/card], no [card name=”Escape Rope” set=”Primal Clash” no=”127″ c=”name”][/card], no [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card], and no [card name=”Manaphy-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”116″ c=”name”][/card]. Just the one [card name=”Olympia” set=”Generations” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card]. It’s a little scary, but easily explained. The only time this is going to hurt you big time is when you start Glaceon-EX, since it retreats for two. Outside of that, any time you get stalled with Lysandre, you’re only opening up your Benched Pokemon for an Aqua Patch or two. Plus with the Energy discarded to retreat, you put another Water into the discard to Patch out later. Sometimes I find myself struggling to get Water into the discard in the early game, and that turn one retreat is such a perfect way to do it. Plus, with Beacon being a free attack, you don’t have to work about attachments to get set up. It’s honestly fine, but it’s a reason that you could convince me to not play Glaceon-EX.
Mrs. Mario: So now you’re telling me that if Nats was tomorrow, you would play this list?
Alex: Probably with one or two cards changed, but yes, this would be the list.
Sylveon-GX
Mrs. Mario: Awesome! Well I do have another question for you, what about [card name=”Sylveon-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”140″ c=”name”][/card]? Aren’t you the master of the mill?
[cardimg name=”Sylveon-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”92″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
Alex: See, that’s what everyone keeps asking me. If I had a dollar for every time someone asked me if I was going to build Sylveon, I could retire.
Mrs. Mario: So you don’t like the card?
Alex: It’s not that I don’t like it; I don’t think people have the build right quite yet. Or rather, I don’t think the correct card is out that makes the deck truly busted yet. I don’t think that the build with a 4-3 Sylveon line is necessarily correct. I think it should be built with a bunch of tech cards to handle matchups, and then take Prizes based on the constant 110 damage per turn. It’s a tricky thing to handle, but eventually it will be done.
Mrs. Mario: Do you have a build you would like to share?
Alex: Nope. I haven’t played the deck too much since I’m not a believer. When I did build the deck, I played around with a version that played three Delinquent, three [card name=”Red Card” set=”Generations” no=”71″ c=”name”][/card], and three [card name=”Captivating Poké Puff” set=”Steam Siege” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card]. The general school of thought going into this deck seems to be reliant on Delinquent. Well most people welcome the Red Card / Delinquent combination, since if you got Carded into at least one Supporter, you were fine and the Sylveon player quickly lost steam. With Puff, you run the chance of getting a Pokemon out of their hand after the Red Card, then using Delinquent to effectively put them into top deck mode.
Mrs. Mario: That actually sounds incredibly busted! Why did it not work?
Alex: Two reasons. Reason one was obvious. If Puff whiffed, I would play Red Card, then Puff, and see their hand of three bad cards and a Sycamore. I would then have to Magical Ribbon for another set of cards and hope I did better on the next turn. By then, I was already a bit too far behind. The other reason it didn’t work was because the combination requires four cards. Red Card, Puff, Delinquent, and a Stadium. That’s one too many to search off of Magical Ribbon. So I would have to hope that my opponent was nice enough to give me the Stadium early, or that I already had one of those cards in my hand before I attacked.
Mrs. Mario: Okay, I’m less convinced now. What Stadiums did you run? The standard [card name=”Team Aqua’s Secret Base” set=”Double Crisis” no=”28″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card]?
Alex: Nope! Four [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card]. You wanted to make sure that Puff was going to actually work when you hit a Pokemon. If your opponent used [card name=”Brigette” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”134″ c=”name”][/card] during their turn one, odds were their Bench was already full or close to full. Sky Field helped a bit with that.
Mrs. Mario: Well I await the day that you finally figure out a way to make Sylveon work!
Alex: As do I!
Wobbuffet / Yveltal / Mew
Mrs. Mario: So then is mill dead?
[cardimg name=”Mew” set=”Evolutions” no=”53″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
Alex: Pretty much. I did test the [card name=”Bunnelby” set=”Primal Clash” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] deck a little bit, but it felt like a weaker Garbodor build to me. I don’t know, I might go back to that idea if I can’t fall in love with Ninetales. Although there is a deck that my buddy Grady won a League Cup with that I’d like to share!
Mrs. Mario: Oh no, I don’t like the sound of this.
Alex: Yeah, you shouldn’t. I’ll tell you now, this deck is bad. It loses hard to Tapu Lele attaching a lot of Energy and going in on you. Surprisingly though, it does beat quite a few things, namely [card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card], and Vespiquen.
Mrs. Mario: Okay, tell me more!
Alex: If someone played this deck at Nationals, you would probably beat a couple of sub-optimal players in the first two or three rounds; then, if you got lucky and played against good matchups, you would have a legitimate shot at being the next [card name=”Wailord-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”147″ c=”name”][/card] of the format. However, once people caught wind of what you were doing, odds are you would start losing very quickly. So it might take someone low profile to pilot this deck so the buzz stays away from the top tables for a bit. Honestly, if you had nothing to lose and wanted to play something immensely fun, this is the way to go.
[decklist name=”dfvnadksjvnds” amt=”60″ caption=””undefined][pokemon amt=”11″]4x [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC11″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Yveltal” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”94″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Mew” set=”Evolutions” no=”53″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Giratina” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY184″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”49″]4x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Team Flare Grunt” set=”Generations” no=”73″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Skyla” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”148″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Team Rocket’s Handiwork” set=”Fates Collide” no=”112″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Team Skull Grunt” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”133″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Ace Trainer” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”69″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Brigette” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”134″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Delinquent” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”98″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Ninja Boy” set=”Steam Siege” no=”103″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Olympia” set=”Generations” no=”66″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”110″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Puzzle of Time” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”109″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Crushing Hammer” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Captivating Poké Puff” set=”Steam Siege” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”124″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Nest Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”123″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Team Aqua’s Secret Base” set=”Double Crisis” no=”28″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”2″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”0″][/energy][/decklist]
Alex: You may laugh now, but I’m being dead serious. The concept is there, and the list has been tested a lot, it just needs that last little push to make it into a real option that I’m actually considering for U.S. Nationals.
Mrs. Mario: You can’t actually be considering this for the largest tournament of all time?
Alex: I am! I personally think it needs to find room for a Bunnelby, a [card name=”Lugia-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card] and a couple of [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”166″ c=”name”][/card] to finally push it over that edge of being good. Maybe even a Tauros-GX, since you have a [card name=”Ninja Boy” set=”Steam Siege” no=”103″ c=”name”][/card] anyway.
Mrs. Mario: How? How does this deck even win, let alone work?
Alex: I think it has the right amount of cards and the right amount of disruption to control the flow of the game enough to give you the edge in the late game. Plus, [card name=”Mew” set=”Evolutions” no=”53″ c=”from”][/card] is criminally underrated right now. Yes, people play Hex, but if you can make them burn through [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”110″ c=”name”][/card] in the early game trying to get Energy out, or at least out of a lock, you can loop into Mew for the rest of the game. The heavy count of Lysandre can help Lele stay out of the Active, and sometimes that’s all you need.
Mrs. Mario: What about decks that don’t play evolutions, like Volcanion?
Alex: That’s actually one of the more tricky matchups. If you can Lysandre something and stick it with [card name=”Yveltal” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card], you actually have a decent shot at taking the game. It’s hard to explain without writing over 1,000 words on each different matchup, so you have to test it to see what I’m talking about. Right now, all of the cards serve a very distinct purpose, and every decision was testing and thought out to perfection. Like I said, this deck did win a League Cup.
Early Thoughts on Internationals
Mrs. Mario: Well then I guess I’ll have to go test it out! But going back to plays that people are actually thinking about, what are your top three decks for U.S. Internationals?
[cardimg name=”Metagross-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”85″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
Alex: Well I think number one and two on that list would have to be Ninetales and Zoroark. I would stray away from Ninetales if I thought there was going to be an increase in Bulu and Metagross, and that’s something we can only judge by looking at the results of the next few weeks. Zoroark doesn’t lose to a whole bunch, but with the uncertainty of my build right now, I wouldn’t pull the trigger on it quite yet. Number three on the list is a hard question. I personally think that both Volcanion and Decidueye are underrated and underrepresented right now. Volcanion has a good matchup into all of the new hype plays right now. Also, people might want to consider bringing back [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] in that build. Sure, [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card] is everywhere, but it’s one of those things that’s becoming less and less of an impact on games. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still an amazing card, but I find people are cutting it in places that makes them more vulnerable to cards like Fighting Fury Belt. Just a thought.
Decidueye is also a great play because it never went anywhere. Changes in the meta didn’t hurt it or help it, it’s still the same great deck that it always was. I think people were worried that with the shift to a more Supporter heavy format that Item-lock wasn’t going to be as good. No, it’s still good. [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card] is still great. If people don’t jump right away to Volcanion, then isn’t Decidueye still the best play right now?
Mrs. Mario: Any other decks that you think have a shot at taking a spot in your top three plays list?
Alex: Not really. I don’t believe in the Metagross hype or the Bulu hype since both seem to be easily countered with well timed Hex Maniac plays. I think they’re good decks, but I don’t see them winning any big tournaments any time soon. They have good matchups against Garbodor, and I guess if you can beat that deck, you have a good shot at making a deep run at Nationals, since I see most of the field being Garbodor-based. Or you could be like me and play against zero of them in Seattle!
Mrs. Mario: All makes sense! I do have one last question for you before I take off, what is your hot tech card of the tournament?
Alex: I think people are sleeping on Banette from Roaring Skies.
Mrs. Mario: Which one?
Alex: Both of them! [card name=”Banette” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”31″ c=”custom”]Tool Concealment[/card] seems like a fantastic Ability right now. I can imagine putting that in Ninetales to save myself from all of the Tapu Bulu running around. Sure, it’s only a Hex Maniac away from being shut down, but if you have the space, why not play it? [card name=”Banette” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”32″ c=”custom”]Evolution Jammer[/card] is a bit more tricky. On one hand, the 20 damage seems like nothing. On the other, [card name=”Salazzle” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”16″ c=”name”][/card] is a thing. Between Hot Poison, Choice Band, and the base 20 damage, you would be dealing 80 damage a turn with Evolution Jammer! Let’s think about the 11 different decks that made day two in Madison. Ten of those 11 archetypes rely on evolutions to make them work. The only one that would be trouble is Volcanion. Again, Tapu Lele would be an issue for a deck like this, but with almost nobody playing Ranger these days, and all this hype on “Stage 2s are back, baby,” I think the meta might be right enough for a little Evolution Jamming!
Mrs. Mario: Oh man, I can see that look in your eye! I know what you’re going to go do when this article is over!
Alex: You know it! Build and test Banette / Salazzle!
Conclusion and U150
And there you have it folks! An interview with myself! That was actually a lot easier than I thought it would be! I hope you liked it! One last little section before I go though. I promised you that I would throw in a section about U150, and I can’t disappoint. If you haven’t yet read my article about it, I suggest it. I’ll be bringing about 10 different decks with me to Indianapolis to play with, so I encourage you to build your own to try and take down the champ!
There has been a lot that’s changed since I wrote that U150 article. A lot of good cards have come out that have made this format a lot more accessible to the new crowd. [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”name”][/card], Field Blower, and [card name=”Mallow” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card] are all reprints of old cards that are staple in this format. Cards like [card name=”Beedrill” set=”Evolutions” no=”7″ c=”from”][/card], [card name=”Jumpluff” set=”Steam Siege” no=”5″ c=”from”][/card], [card name=”Xerneas” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”107″ c=”from”][/card], and [card name=”Incineroar-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”27″ c=”name”][/card] are all amazing cards that hold their own value in this format. I wanted to now share with you my build for Jumpluff!
I apologize for the bad picture, but it’s the best was I could insert the deck list in. I’ve always found it easier to visualize the U150 decks rather than looking at a large list of cards. There are so many to wrap your head around, pictures are easier! The Jumpluff line is 4-3-3 in case that part got cut off for you!
Basically the whole idea of the deck is to take a lot of early prizes with Jumpluff STS since with the eight Prize rule, you’re swinging for 160 damage right out of the gate. After that, the other two Jumpluff should be enough to carry you down the stretch, with Shaymin-EX thrown in for that late game insurance. I don’t want to dive too deep into the format, since I’m encouraging you to go read that other article, but if you have any questions, I’m more than willing to answer them! Just remember, nothing is bad in this format. It’s a “good versus great” rule, really.
And as always, if you have any other questions about life or anything Pokemon related, don’t hesitate to message me! I’ll always respond to any questions or comments!
Until next time,
Alex
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