Strong Charge — Breaking Down Vikavolt, Vespiquen, Zoroark, and Ninetales-GX
Hello PokeBeach readers! It hasn’t been too long since my last article, but man have things changed. The Pokemon world went from being dominated by [card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card] and his pal [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card], to [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] being the king of the world. Garbodor variants have been killing it at League Cups, and had an extremely good showing in Seattle. I was unable to attend Seattle Regionals, but I did attend Madison! At Madison Regionals, Garbodor did take up a large percent of the field day day, but did not have nearly as dominating of a performance as it did in Seattle Regionals. Furthermore, we saw similar results at the Mexico Regionals this past weekend, which I did not attend. Without further ado, let’s hop in and take a look at what I have learned.
Seattle Recap
[cardimg name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
- [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] variants took up 71% of the Top 32 in Seattle.
- [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] variants took up six slots in the Top 8 of Seattle, with [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] and WaterBox being the last two slots.
- [card name=”Rainbow Energy” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Team Magma’s Secret Base” set=”Double Crisis” no=”32″ c=”name”][/card] were seen in several different counts in Seattle. Some lists played both, some lists played two or three of one of them. I personally think zero Rainbow Energy and two Team Magma’s Secret Base is the best way to go.
- [card name=”Teammates” set=”Primal Clash” no=”141″ c=”name”][/card] was seen in some Garbodor lists as a tech for the mirror, but the general consensus seems to be that it is relatively unhelpful. [card name=”Team Flare Grunt” set=”Generations” no=”73″ c=”name”][/card] seems like the better tech moving forward.
- The same team had two players in Top 8 with nearly identical Garbodor lists, with Sam Chen winning the event. I believe their list was the best for the mirror match at the time.
Madison Recap
- [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] variants took up 22% of the Top 32, which is still relatively high.
- Garbodor variants took up one slot in the Top 8, with seven different decks being in Top 8.
- Two [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] decks made Top 8, with the deck lists being three cards off of each other.
- Five Vespiquen decks made Top 32, all of which were a maximum of three cards apart.
- [card name=”Rainbow Energy” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] was in none of the Garbodor decks I saw at the event, Team Magma’s Secret Base seems like the way to go.
- Team Flare Grunt was seen in a lot of Garbodor decks.
- [card name=”Tapu Bulu-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM32″ c=”name”][/card] made quite the appearance, being played in [card name=”Lurantis-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”15″ c=”name”][/card] / Tapu Bulu-GX decks and [card name=”Vikavolt” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”52″ c=”name”][/card] / Tapu Bulu-GX decks.
- Tapu Bulu-GX was in 23% of the day two decks, which makes it slightly more popular than Garbodor,
My Madison Regionals Experience
| Pokemon (25) | Trainers (31) | Energy (4) |
| 4x [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”deck2″][/card] | 4x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”deck2″][/card] | 4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”90″ c=”deck2″][/card] |
| 4x [card name=”Combee” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”9″ c=”deck2″][/card] | 2x [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”deck2″][/card] | |
| 2x [card name=”Zoroark” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”91″ c=”deck2″][/card] | 2x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”deck2″][/card] | |
| 2x [card name=”Zorua” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”89″ c=”deck2″][/card] | 1x [card name=”Teammates” set=”Primal Clash” no=”141″ c=”deck2″][/card] | |
| 4x [card name=”Unown” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”30″ c=”deck2″][/card] | 4x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”110″ c=”deck2″][/card] | |
| 3x [card name=”Klefki” set=”Steam Siege” no=”80″ c=”deck2″][/card] | 4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”135″ c=”deck2″][/card] | |
| 1x [card name=”Vaporeon” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”22″ c=”deck2″][/card] | 4x [card name=”Acro Bike” set=”Primal Clash” no=”122″ c=”deck2″][/card] | |
| 1x [card name=”Eevee” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”63″ c=”deck2″][/card] | 2x [card name=”Special Charge” set=”Steam Siege” no=”105″ c=”deck2″][/card] | |
| 2x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″][/card] | 2x [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”deck2″][/card] | |
| 1x [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”deck2″][/card] | 2x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”deck2″][/card] | |
| 1x [card name=”Oranguru” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”113″ c=”deck2″][/card] | 1x [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”deck2″][/card] | |
| 1x [card name=”Revitalizer” set=”Generations” no=”70″ c=”deck2″][/card] | ||
| 2x [card name=”Forest of Giant Plants” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”74″ c=”deck2″][/card] |
How My Rounds Went
- Round 1: [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Drampa-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] WW (1-0)
- Round 2: [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Dragonair” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”95″ c=”name”][/card] WW (2-0)
- Round 3: [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card] WW (3-0)
- Round 4: [card name=”Espeon-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”61″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Oricorio” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”56″ c=”name”][/card] WLT (3-0-1)
- Round 5: [card name=”Drampa-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Oricorio” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”56″ c=”name”][/card] WLT (3-0-2)
- Round 6: [card name=”Sylveon-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] LWW (4-0-2)
- Rounnd 7: [card name=”Vikavolt” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”52″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Tapu Bulu-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM32″ c=”name”][/card] WLW (5-0-2)
- Round 8: [card name=”Metagross-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”85″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Karen” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY177″ c=”name”][/card] LWW (6-0-2)
- Round 9: [card name=”Drampa-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Oricorio” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”56″ c=”name”][/card] WW (7-0-2)
23 match points, third seed going into day two
- Round 10: [card name=”Vikavolt” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”52″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Tapu Bulu-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM32″ c=”name”][/card] LWW (8-0-2)
- Round 11: [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Zoroark” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] LWL (8-1-2)
- Round 12: [card name=”Drampa-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] WLW (9-1-2)
- Round 13: [card name=”Metagross-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”85″ c=”name”][/card] ID (9-1-3)
- Round 14: Volcanion ID (9-1-4)
31 match points, fourth seed going into Top 8
- Top 8: [card name=”Metagross-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”85″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Karen” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY177″ c=”name”][/card] LL (9-2-4)
[cardimg name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
Analysis
The week leading up to the event, I was talking about [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] with my teammate Rahul Reddy who is pretty experienced with the deck. We worked on a list together, but ended up being a couple cards off on the day of the tournament. Anyways, I expected a lot of [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Tapu Bulu-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM32″ c=”name”][/card] decks, which Vespiquen is very favored against. In testing, I was performing very well against those decks, and almost all other matchups I tested. I discovered that Oricorio usually wasn’t as good against Vespiquen as people thought, as it usually only brought the matchup to 50%. Not only was I winning games, but I was almost never drawing dead hands, which made the decision to play Vespiquen super easy for me. I am a huge consistency freak, and the other decks really were not cutting it for me in that regard.
Card Choices
Vaporeon AOR
This made all the difference in the Volcanion matchup, as it completely swings the Prize-trade. Normally, Volcanion would be able to get ahead early because [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] is not able to one shot things quick enough, but [card name=”Vaporeon” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”22″ c=”name”][/card] allows baby Volcanion to start dying on turn two. Outside of Volcanion, this card did not have much use.
Teammates
This card is very strong in matchups where you are trading one Prize attackers back and forth, so I used it frequently against [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] and the mirror match. In other matchups, I would occasionally use it to find crucial cards like [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Revitalizer” set=”Generations” no=”70″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Forest of Giant Plants” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card], or [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card]. Another useful moment for this card was when I would have a really small deck, which meant Professor Sycamore would deck me. Teammates would allow me to find the cards I needed for a KO that turn, and Professor Sycamore would be left in hand to find the win next turn.
Potential Inclusions
Flareon AOR
Potentially my biggest regret in Pokemon history. This card 100% should have been in my deck, but I got greedy including the third [card name=”Klefki” set=”Steam Siege” no=”80″ c=”name”][/card] over this. The Klefki allowed me to thin my hand and deck easier, and comboed well with [card name=”Unown” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”30″ c=”name”][/card]. Klefki also served the obvious purpose of helping beat Mega Pokemon. However, Flareon makes the [card name=”Metagross-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”85″ c=”name”][/card] matchup significantly easier, which would have been very helpful for my tournament run. I would certainly include this card over the third Klefki if I were to play this deck again.
Mexico Recap
- [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] variants took up 19% of the Top 32, which is the lowest percent of all three Regionals.
- Garbodor variants yet again took up one slot in Top 8, with seven decks being in Top 8.
- Yet again, two [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] decks made Top 8.
- [card name=”Oricorio” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”56″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Karen” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY177″ c=”name”][/card] were reportedly quite popular, which definitely made it harder for [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] decks to succeed.
- [card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card] made quite the comeback this weekend, with five of them making Top 32 and one of them making Top 8.
League Cup #1 — 6/11
| Pokemon (18) | Trainers (32) | Energy (10) |
| 2x [card name=”Zoroark BREAK” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”92″ c=”deck2″][/card] | 4x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”deck2″][/card] | 6x [card name=”Darkness Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”97″ c=”deck2″][/card] |
| 4x [card name=”Zoroark” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”91″ c=”deck2″][/card] | 3x [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”deck2″][/card] | 4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”90″ c=”deck2″][/card] |
| 3x [card name=”Zorua” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”89″ c=”deck2″][/card] | 2x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”deck2″][/card] | |
| 1x [card name=”Zorua” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”90″ c=”deck2″][/card] | 1x [card name=”Teammates” set=”Primal Clash” no=”141″ c=”deck2″][/card] | |
| 2x [card name=”Drampa-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”115″ c=”deck2″][/card] | 1x [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”deck2″][/card] | |
| 2x [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”deck2″][/card] | 1x [card name=”Professor Kukui” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”128″ c=”deck2″][/card] | |
| 1x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″][/card] | 1x [card name=”Pokémon Fan Club” set=”Fates Collide” no=”107″ c=”deck2″][/card] | |
| 1x [card name=”Oranguru” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”113″ c=”deck2″][/card] | 1x [card name=”Brigette” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”134″ c=”deck2″][/card] | |
| 1x [card name=”Tapu Koko” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM30″ c=”deck2″][/card] | 4x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”110″ c=”deck2″][/card] | |
| 1x [card name=”Oricorio” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”56″ c=”deck2″][/card] | 4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”135″ c=”deck2″][/card] | |
| 3x [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”deck2″][/card] | ||
| 2x [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”deck2″][/card] | ||
| 2x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”deck2″][/card] | ||
| 1x [card name=”Special Charge” set=”Steam Siege” no=”105″ c=”deck2″][/card] | ||
| 2x [card name=”Team Magma’s Secret Base” set=”Double Crisis” no=”32″ c=”deck2″][/card] |
Analysis
[cardimg name=”Zoroark” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”91″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
In my local meta, a lot of [card name=”Alolan Ninetales-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”22″ c=”name”][/card] decks can often be found, so I wanted to make sure I had a good matchup against that. While I believe [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] is very strong against Ninetales-GX as well, I expected quite a bit of Vespiquen counters to pop up. The day of the tournament, I definitely thought I made the correct call. A few people chose to include [card name=”Karen” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY177″ c=”name”][/card] in their decks, while Oricorio was in pretty much everyone’s deck. In addition to this, two Decidueye decks made an appearance, which is pretty much unwinnable for Vespiquen. Zoroark was a great call for the day, as a majority of decks that were there were unprepared for it. Ninetales, Vespiquen, [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card], and Volcanion were the four big decks of the day.
I went 3-02 in swiss, but had some unfortunate luck in Top 8 and lost to Vespiquen. I don’t regret my choice at all, and I am very confident that this deck should be on everyone’s radar. In case anyone was wondering, this is Daniel Altavilla’s exact list that he won Mexico with, and Top 4’d Madison with. While he didn’t make the deck either, I really think he did a great job creating the right deck list. After playing with the deck, the only cards I have been questioning were the [card name=”Tapu Koko” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM30″ c=”name”][/card] Promo and the second [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”name”][/card]. I often found myself struggling to find Energy, so I may end up adding a [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ c=”name”][/card] in favor of the second Rescue Stretcher moving forward.
Card Choices
Oricorio
This card served one purpose, to significantly improve my [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] matchup. It did its job in swiss, as I took down a Vespiquen in round three. However, in Top 8, I lost to a Vespiquen because I kept whiffing Energy for game. The Oricorio played a huge role in my Top 8 games as well, and secured the win as long as I actually drew into an Energy card on the final turn of either game. I would definitely say this card should not be automatically included in your list though, as it is relatively useless against everything not Vespiquen. If you expect to play against Vespiquen, put it in, it is as simple as that.
Hex Maniac
[card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card] really fits well in this deck, as it does not really need to go digging for stuff once it sets up. In addition to this, the card is very strong against a few decks that are gaining in popularity such as [card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card], Volcanion, and [card name=”Metagross-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”85″ c=”name”][/card].
Potential Inclusions
A Seventh Dark Energy
As I explained before, I often found myself missing Energy attachments later in the game. At the current moment, I have removed the Tapu Koko Promo for this seventh Dark Energy. It may not be a permanent change, but I am trying it out to see how I like it.
Super Rod
In addition to the seventh Dark Energy option, I believe a [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ c=”name”][/card] could definitely help to fix the problem I have been experiencing. I don’t think both a Super Rod and a seventh Dark Energy is necessary though, so this will probably be a one or the other situation. I would remove a Rescue Stretcher for this card, which would give me a free slot if I chose to remove the [card name=”Tapu Koko” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM30″ c=”name”][/card] Promo.
[premium]
League Cup #2 — 6/12
| Pokemon (23) | Trainers (30) | Energy (7) |
| 4x [card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ c=”deck2″][/card] | 4x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”deck2″][/card] | 4x [card name=”Double Colorless” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”136″ c=”deck2″][/card] |
| 4x [card name=”Dartrix” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”10″ c=”deck2″][/card] | 3x [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”deck2″][/card] | 3x [card name=”Grass Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”91″ c=”deck2″][/card] |
| 4x [card name=”Rowlet” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”9″ c=”deck2″][/card] | 2x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”deck2″][/card] | |
| 2x [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”deck2″][/card] | 4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”135″ c=”deck2″][/card] | |
| 2x [card name=”Gloom” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”2″ c=”deck2″][/card] | 4x [card name=”Level Ball” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”76″ c=”deck2″][/card] | |
| 2x [card name=”Oddish” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”1″ c=”deck2″][/card] | 4x [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”deck2″][/card] | |
| 3x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″][/card] | 2x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”deck2″][/card] | |
| 1x [card name=”Lugia-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”68″ c=”deck2″][/card] | 2x [card name=”Revitalizer” set=”Generations” no=”70″ c=”deck2″][/card] | |
| 1x [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”deck2″][/card] | 1x [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”deck2″][/card] | |
| 4x [card name=”Forest of Giant Plants” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”74″ c=”deck2″][/card] |
Analysis
[cardimg name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
Despite going 3-2 with the deck, this is one of my favorite decks in the current meta. This is also one of the few decks in the format that is still absolutely loaded with Trainers that are aimed to be used on the first turn and burn through the deck. I was able to get second at a League Cup with this list previously, and my teammate, Ryan Sabelhaus, got second with a similar list the next day. The issue was that we both got 2-0’d by [card name=”Drampa-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] in the finals, which is really unfortunate considering how popular the Drampa / Garbodor deck is at the moment. However, outside of that poor matchup and a close matchup with [card name=”Espeon-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”61″ c=”name”][/card] / Garbodor, every other matchup is pretty favored. It is definitely a big risk to play a deck that struggles so heavily against Garbodor though, but I did not expect to play against Garbodor at this Cup.
Card Choices
One Lugia-EX, One Tapu Lele-GX
While [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] obviously has the bonus effect of being able to search for a Supporter, [card name=”Lugia-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”68″ c=”name”][/card]’s Deep Hurricane is something I feel is too good to give up.
Four Level Ball
I really like the fourth [card name=”Level Ball” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] for consistency purposes, and I feel it really helps when it comes to getting explosive starts.
One Field Blower
This is a tech that I have really been liking. It is very good against [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”from”][/card], and gives me the option to knock a [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] off of a heavy retreater that I want to trap Active.
Potential Inclusions
2-2 Alolan Ninetales-GX
I have seen this gaining popularity, but I am personally not a fan of it due to how much it slows down the deck.
A Third Lysandre
This addition is pretty nice for the Garbodor matchups, as trapping something Active and using Feather Arrow is one of your best ways to win.
A Fourth N
This is a nice consistency boost, and is very good against [card name=”Sylveon-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Drampa-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] as it allows you to maintain resources, and not discard Items against Garbodor.
The Decks I Haven’t Played
The following decks are all decks that have been doing well and that I would consider good choices for upcoming weekends.
Garbodor / Drampa-GX
| Pokemon (14) | Trainers (34) | Energy (12) |
| 3x [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”deck2″][/card] | 4x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”deck2″][/card] | 8x [card name=”Psychic Energy” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”162″ c=”deck2″][/card] |
| 1x [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”deck2″][/card] | 4x [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”deck2″][/card] | 4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”90″ c=”deck2″][/card] |
| 4x [card name=”Trubbish” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”56″ c=”deck2″][/card] | 2x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”deck2″][/card] | |
| 3x [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”deck2″][/card] | 1x [card name=”Pokémon Fan Club” set=”Fates Collide” no=”107″ c=”deck2″][/card] | |
| 2x [card name=”Drampa-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”115″ c=”deck2″][/card] | 1x [card name=”Ninja Boy” set=”Steam Siege” no=”103″ c=”deck2″][/card] | |
| 1x [card name=”Tauros-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”100″ c=”deck2″][/card] | 1x [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”deck2″][/card] | |
| 1x [card name=”Team Flare Grunt” set=”Generations” no=”73″ c=”deck2″][/card] | ||
| 4x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”110″ c=”deck2″][/card] | ||
| 4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”135″ c=”deck2″][/card] | ||
| 3x [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”deck2″][/card] | ||
| 3x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”deck2″][/card] | ||
| 2x [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”deck2″][/card] | ||
| 1x [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ c=”deck2″][/card] | ||
| 1x [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”deck2″][/card] | ||
| 2x [card name=”Team Magma’s Secret Base” set=”Double Crisis” no=”32″ c=”deck2″][/card] |
Analysis
[cardimg name=”Drampa-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”115″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
This deck has clearly been the deck to beat recently, and honestly I expect it to stay that way for a while. If people underestimate the deck, [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] will become incredibly powerful once again. Garbodor is an absolutely insane card, that provides a massive damage output if the opponent is not careful. Even if it isn’t swinging for a ton with Trashlanche, that means the opponent is not playing their Items, which should allow [card name=”Drampa-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] to come in and steamroll the board.
One thing I would like to point out is how overlooked Garbodor’s second attack is at the moment, which I think is a huge mistake. Garbodor’s Acid Spray, which hits for 70 damage and you flip a coin to remove an Energy from the opponent’s Active, is the key to beating [card name=”Alolan Ninetales-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”22″ c=”name”][/card]. It puts them in a very awkward spot, as you are discarding their Energy with Acid Spray and [card name=”Team Flare Grunt” set=”Generations” no=”73″ c=”name”][/card]. They don’t want to use Blizzard Edge to Knock Out Garbodor, as they are discarding even more Energy to just take one Prize, but at the same time they can’t simply ignore the Garbodor. After I tested this matchup and realized how close it was, I realized Garbodor isn’t nearly as easy to counter as most people think. There are decks that beat it, don’t get me wrong, but it is not easy to make a deck you want to play beat Garbodor if it isn’t inherently good against it.
Card Choices
Tauros and Ninja Boy
The usual issue with this pair of cards is that they almost always must be used in sync with each other, however, in this deck the cards both have good individual uses. [card name=”Tauros-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”144″ c=”name”][/card] can be used to apply early game pressure, especially against decks that have low HP Basics. [card name=”Ninja Boy” set=”Steam Siege” no=”103″ c=”name”][/card] can be used in several situations outside of grabbing Tauros. My favorite use of it so far has been using it to shuffle back in a [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card], which gives me the option of Wonder Tag again.
Team Flare Grunt
This card is absolutely incredible in the mirror match! Energy are extremely important in the mirror, and Team Flare Grunt makes it so they fall behind on Energy attachments. This allows you to make late game comebacks because your board is stronger and you have more resources left.
Team Magma’s Secret Base
This card is one that I think will be gaining popularity heading into this weekend. It allows Benched Pokemon to take damage easily, which buffs [card name=”Drampa-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card]’s Beserk attack. In earlier stages of the deck, [card name=”Rainbow Energy” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] was actually what people were resorting to for damaging their Benched Pokemon. I think it is becoming clear to people that Team Magma’s Secret Base just flows better in the deck.
Potential Inclusions
A Third Drampa-GX
This is really only to be prevent a poor situation from occurring if a [card name=”Drampa-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] were to be prized. In the mirror match, getting two Drampa on the board early is pretty important, which is why a third Drampa should be a consideration.
Sudowoodo
[card name=”Sudowoodo” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card] has a small range of matchups where he is useful, but having him can make all the difference. This card is amazing against [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card], which can be tricky matchups otherwise.
Teammates
[card name=”Teammates” set=”Primal Clash” no=”141″ c=”name”][/card] is good in matchups where you will be trading non-EX attackers back and forth, as it ensures you don’t whiff any crucial pieces. This card is even better because of the increasing popularity of [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card].
Oricorio
At smaller events, this card is definitely just a meta call. If you think [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] will show up, put it in your deck. Regionals is a similar call, but honestly just depends on your train of thought. Vespiquen is never that popular of a deck, even with five of them being in day two of Madison, those five were basically the only ones who played it. However, [card name=”Oricorio” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”56″ c=”name”][/card] does help significantly against the deck, which could save you from losing a previously bad matchup.
Garbodor / Espeon-GX
| Pokemon (20) | Trainers (28) | Energy (12) |
| 4x [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”deck2″][/card] | 4x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”Steam Siege” no=”114″ c=”deck2″][/card] | 8x [card name=”Psychic Energy” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”162″ c=”deck2″][/card] |
| 4x [card name=”Trubbish” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”56″ c=”deck2″][/card] | 4x [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”deck2″][/card] | 4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”90″ c=”deck2″][/card] |
| 3x [card name=”Espeon-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”61″ c=”deck2″][/card] | 2x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”deck2″][/card] | |
| 1x [card name=”Flareon” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”13″ c=”deck2″][/card] | 1x [card name=”Pokémon Fan Club” set=”Fates Collide” no=”107″ c=”deck2″][/card] | |
| 1x [card name=”Vaporeon” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”22″ c=”deck2″][/card] | 1x [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”deck2″][/card] | |
| 4x [card name=”Eevee” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”101″ c=”deck2″][/card] | 4x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”110″ c=”deck2″][/card] | |
| 3x [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”deck2″][/card] | 4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”135″ c=”deck2″][/card] | |
| 3x [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”deck2″][/card] | ||
| 2x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”deck2″][/card] | ||
| 1x [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”deck2″][/card] | ||
| 1x [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”deck2″][/card] | ||
| 1x [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ c=”deck2″][/card] |
Analysis
[cardimg name=”Espeon-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”61″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
This deck is in a very interesting spot in the meta currently, and I am intrigued by its performance in Mexico. While it does take an advantage in the mirror match, which is absolutely huge at the moment, it is weaker against the other decks in the format. In my testing, not only does the [card name=”Espeon-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”61″ c=”name”][/card] version perform significantly worse against [card name=”Alolan Ninetales-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”22″ c=”name”][/card] due to the lack of [card name=”Team Flare Grunt” set=”Generations” no=”73″ c=”name”][/card] and large damage output via Drampa-GX, but I have also found it to lose to the Garbodor counters more frequently. These decks that are meant to be Garbodor counters are obviously going to be able to handle Garbodor, and from my experience, Espeon-GX is a lot easier to handle than Drampa-GX. While Espeon-GX does have the Confusion attack that can be tricky to deal with, it does not hit for nearly as much damage as Drampa-GX, and lacks the ability to discard Special Energy cards.
Card Choices
Vaporeon
[card name=”Vaporeon” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”22″ c=”name”][/card] is very good against Volcanion, which could be making a bigger showing this week. Volcanion playing [card name=”Starmie” set=”Evolutions” no=”31″ c=”name”][/card] and a large amount of [card name=”Brooklet Hill” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”120″ c=”name”][/card] allows the deck to have a much better Garbodor matchup, while still taking good matchups against Grass and Dark decks.
Flareon
[card name=”Flareon” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”13″ c=”name”][/card] is obviously very strong against things that are weak to Fire, which have been on the rise lately. This helps against [card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Metagross-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”85″ c=”name”][/card].
Hex Maniac
[card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card] can be extremely useful, but is definitely a situational card. I like its inclusion because of how good it is in the mirror match, as it can prevent Energy Evolution early on in the game. Outside of that, it can also be good against Volcanion, [card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Greninja” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card], [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].
Potential Inclusions
Shaymin-EX
[card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] is a card I currently don’t like to include in my decks at the moment, but it can definitely be useful when digging for a crucial card. I think it shines at the end of the game, when you are usually looking for an Energy card and a Lysandre.
A Third Float Stone
This is mostly just for consistency. Most starters in the deck are fine, but sometimes a [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] start can really slow you down if you don’t find a [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] early enough.
Ninetales-GX
| Pokemon (14) | Trainers (34) | Energy (12) |
| 3x [card name=”Alolan Ninetales-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”22″ c=”deck2″][/card] | 4x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”Steam Siege” no=”114″ c=”deck2″][/card] | 8x [card name=”Water Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”93″ c=”deck2″][/card] |
| 4x [card name=”Alolan Vulpix” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”21″ c=”deck2″][/card] | 4x [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”deck2″][/card] | 4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”90″ c=”deck2″][/card] |
| 1x [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”deck2″][/card] | 2x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”deck2″][/card] | |
| 1x [card name=”Octillery” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”33″ c=”deck2″][/card] | 1x [card name=”Brigette” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”134″ c=”deck2″][/card] | |
| 1x [card name=”Remoraid” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”32″ c=”deck2″][/card] | 1x [card name=”Professor Kukui” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”128″ c=”deck2″][/card] | |
| 1x [card name=”Manaphy-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”32″ c=”deck2″][/card] | 1x [card name=”Karen” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY177″ c=”deck2″][/card] | |
| 1x [card name=”Bunnelby” set=”Primal Clash” no=”121″ c=”deck2″][/card] | 4x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”110″ c=”deck2″][/card] | |
| 1x [card name=”Tapu Koko” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM30″ c=”deck2″][/card] | 4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”135″ c=”deck2″][/card] | |
| 4x [card name=”Aqua Patch” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”119″ c=”deck2″][/card] | ||
| 3x [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”deck2″][/card] | ||
| 1x [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ c=”deck2″][/card] | ||
| 1x [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”deck2″][/card] | ||
| 1x [card name=”Escape Rope” set=”Primal Clash” no=”127″ c=”deck2″][/card] | ||
| 3x [card name=”Rough Seas” set=”Primal Clash” no=”137″ c=”deck2″][/card] |
Analysis
[cardimg name=”Alolan Ninetales-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”132″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
When I first built this deck, I was thinking about how great my [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] matchup was going to be. At first, it felt very favored, but as Garbodor lists adapted and my opponents started to understand the matchup more, the matchup kept feeling closer and closer. Despite what everyone says about the Garbodor matchup, I would say it is a very even one as long as both players are experienced in the matchup. A lot of people at my analysis of that matchup would simply move on, but I still think [card name=”Alolan Ninetales-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”22″ c=”name”][/card] is worth testing. Having a 50-50 matchup with Garbodor is fine as long as you are confident in the rest of your matchups, which is currently what I am working on. I know it takes a poor matchup to [card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card] and random Metal decks, but you will most likely not play against more than one of these at a Regional Championships. Other matchups, such as Volcanion or [card name=”Lurantis-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”15″ c=”name”][/card], are ones that Ninetales loves to see, which is a huge plus in my mind heading into Madison. One thing I was struggling with at first was consistency, which lead me to pack the deck with Supporters and the 1-1 line of [card name=”Octillery” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card]. Since I made this heavy increase in consistency, I have definitely been “bricking” a lot less, and I definitely think the fourth [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card] improved my chances against Garbodor.
Card Choices
Bunnelby
[card name=”Bunnelby” set=”Primal Clash” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] allows this deck to get back crucial resources, such as [card name=”Aqua Patch” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”119″ c=”name”][/card] or Supporters. I definitely think this little guy is worth a spot in the current meta, as most games are often slow and very resource based.
Tapu Koko
This Promo is making its way into a lot of lists right off the bat! Its first attack, which does 10 damage to everything for just a DCE, sets up for [card name=”Alolan Ninetales-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”22″ c=”name”][/card] to be able to OHKO everything with ease for the rest of the game.
Delinquent
I consider Ninetales to be a control deck, so what addition would possibly be better than this one! My favorite part about this card is that even if you aren’t using it to discard their entire hand, you will often force them to discard important resources.
Potential Inclusions
Rayquaza
This Pokemon would replace [card name=”Bunnelby” set=”Primal Clash” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card], as they serve the same purpose. They are both meant to be a non-EX Pokemon that helps retrieve resources.
Glaceon-EX
I would only make this inclusion if you expect a lot of the mirror match. It is pretty strong in the mirror match, but it is very underwhelming against every other deck.
Lurantis-GX / Tapu Bulu-GX
| Pokemon (13) | Trainers (36) | Energy (11) |
| 4x [card name=”Lurantis-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”15″ c=”deck2″][/card] | 4x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”deck2″][/card] | 11x [card name=”Grass Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”91″ c=”deck2″][/card] |
| 4x [card name=”Fomantis” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”14″ c=”deck2″][/card] | 4x [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”deck2″][/card] | |
| 3x [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”deck2″][/card] | 3x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”deck2″][/card] | |
| 2x [card name=”Tapu Bulu-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM32″ c=”deck2″][/card] | 1x [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”deck2″][/card] | |
| 1x [card name=”Olympia” set=”Generations” no=”66″ c=”deck2″][/card] | ||
| 1x [card name=”Delinquent” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”98″ c=”deck2″][/card] | ||
| 1x [card name=”Brigette” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”134″ c=”deck2″][/card] | ||
| 1x [card name=”Karen” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY177″ c=”deck2″][/card] | ||
| 4x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”110″ c=”deck2″][/card] | ||
| 4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”135″ c=”deck2″][/card] | ||
| 4x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”deck2″][/card] | ||
| 4x [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”deck2″][/card] | ||
| 4x [card name=”Forest of Giant Plants” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”74″ c=”deck2″][/card] |
Analysis
[cardimg name=”Lurantis-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”15″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
This is one of the lesser known decks currently, which is probably due to the fact that [card name=”Tapu Bulu-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM32″ c=”name”][/card] was just recently released as a tin Promo. Despite this deck’s blatant weakness to some of the lesser played decks, such as Volcanion, [card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card], I believe it has a very strong matchup against some of the more popular decks. This includes positive matchups against [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] variants and [card name=”Greninja” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card]. In addition to this, the deck has a ton of space, I chose to include a lot of extra consistency and some disruption Supporters, but that is definitely up for debate. Cards like [card name=”Sudowoodo” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Oranguru” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”113″ c=”name”][/card] could be included in the deck to help in other situations. Sudowoodo would help to beat Mega Rayquaza, while Oranguru would help to prevent losing games to [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card]. One thing to note here is that if you are able to prevent the death of a [card name=”Fomantis” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”14″ c=”name”][/card] throughout the game, which shouldn’t be too difficult due to the inclusion of [card name=”Forest of Giant Plants” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card], Sudowoodo or Oranguru being Knocked Out would never get the opponent closer to winning the game. While I do think this deck is a strong play, I think it will be underplayed because people are still trying to figure out the best list for the deck, including myself!
Card Choices
Hex Maniac, Delinquent
I chose to use my “extra” spots in this deck for disruption Supporters, as I think it flows well with the deck’s strategy. Despite the deck being relatively speedy, the games often go long because of how the deck functions. This allows disruption cards like [card name=”Delinquent” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”98″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card] to have a very high chance of being useful during a game.
Four Float Stone
[card name=”Tapu Bulu-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM32″ c=”name”][/card] has a very heavy Retreat Cost, and even discards the Energy attached to it when it attacks. This requires an immediate way to get out of the Active, which is why I chose to include four Float Stone and an [card name=”Olympia” set=”Generations” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card]. Four Float Stone also makes it a lot easier to get a turn one attack with [card name=”Lurantis-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”15″ c=”name”][/card].
Potential Inclusions
This deck has a ton of space, so honestly the possibilities for inclusions in this deck are pretty endless, but here are my top three potential inclusions.
Sudowoodo / Oranguru
Earlier in the article, I explained that even if this Pokemon were to get Knocked Out, it usually won’t help the opponent get any closer to winning as it is an odd Prize. [card name=”Oranguru” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”113″ c=”name”][/card] allows this deck to be unaffected by [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card], and have some extra draw support. Sudowoodo greatly improves the deck’s matchups against [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].
Pokemon Center Lady
This allows for a significant amount of healing to be done when used in combination with [card name=”Lurantis-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”15″ c=”name”][/card]’ Solar Blade.
Vikavolt / Tapu Bulu-GX
| Pokemon (15) | Trainers (33) | Energy (12) |
| 3x [card name=”Vikavolt” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”52″ c=”deck2″][/card] | 4x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”deck2″][/card] | 7x [card name=”Grass Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”91″ c=”deck2″][/card] |
| 2x [card name=”Charjabug” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”51″ c=”deck2″][/card] | 3x [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”deck2″][/card] | 5x [card name=”Lightning Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”94″ c=”deck2″][/card] |
| 3x [card name=”Grubbin” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”13″ c=”deck2″][/card] | 2x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”deck2″][/card] | |
| 3x [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”deck2″][/card] | 1x [card name=”Karen” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY177″ c=”deck2″][/card] | |
| 3x [card name=”Tapu Bulu-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM32″ c=”deck2″][/card] | 1x [card name=”Brigette” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”134″ c=”deck2″][/card] | |
| 1x [card name=”Tapu Koko” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM30″ c=”deck2″][/card] | 1x [card name=”Skyla” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”148″ c=”deck2″][/card] | |
| 1x [card name=”Olympia” set=”Generations” no=”66″ c=”deck2″][/card] | ||
| 4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”135″ c=”deck2″][/card] | ||
| 3x [card name=”Rare Candy” set=”Primal Clash” no=”135″ c=”deck2″][/card] | ||
| 3x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”110″ c=”deck2″][/card] | ||
| 2x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”deck2″][/card] | ||
| 2x [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”deck2″][/card] | ||
| 2x [card name=”Energy Recycler” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”123″ c=”deck2″][/card] | ||
| 2x [card name=”Heavy Ball” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”140″ c=”deck2″][/card] | ||
| 2x [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”deck2″][/card] |
Analysis
[cardimg name=”Vikavolt” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”52″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
With the addition of [card name=”Karen” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY177″ c=”name”][/card], this deck should be favored against a lot of the more popular decks at the moment. However, [card name=”Zoroark” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] is a horrible matchup for the deck due to [card name=”Zoroark BREAK” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] being so efficient in the Prize-trade, so if Zoroark becomes popular this deck will become less viable. I am a fan of the consistency of this deck, as I have been attacking on turn two pretty frequently in my testing.
Card Choices
Skyla
Using [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] to find this on turn two guarantees a turn two attack due to [card name=”Rare Candy” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”129″ c=”name”][/card] into [card name=”Vikavolt” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”52″ c=”name”][/card]. This is a nice addition to the deck’s consistency, and I see no reason not to play it due to that reason alone. In addition to this, Skyla can also find [card name=”Energy Recycler” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] in the late game, which can be pretty important if your resources are running low.
Karen
[card name=”Karen” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY177″ c=”name”][/card] swings the [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] matchup completely in Vikvolt’s favor, which is a huge plus in the current metagame. Most lists already play some sort of recover in the form of either [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Brock’s Grit” set=”Evolutions” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card], so I think Karen is a fine inclusion as it doesn’t make you cut an important card for it.
Potential Inclusions
A Fourth VS Seeker
I sometimes find myself wishing that I had this, but at the same time, I struggle to find a card I am okay with cutting for it. I like the deck’s smooth feeling in the early game, so I don’t want to remove anything that would effect that. At the same time, it feels irresponsible to cut one of the utility cards such as [card name=”Energy Recycler” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card].
Conclusion
I am very excited for the next few weeks of Pokemon. I attended the Origins Special Event on the 17th and will attend League Cups on the 24th and 25th. I am very curious to see how the meta pans out, as a bunch of different decks have been seeing a lot of play. Will Garbodor win the war or will its counters be too much to handle? Anyways, if you happen to be at any of these events, feel free to come up and say hi! Otherwise, you can look forward to my next article, which should be discussing the metagame heading into Nationals!
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