Smokin’ Silhouettes — Jay’s Introduction to Burning Shadows

Hey PokeBeach readers! It’s been a little bit over a week since my last article dropped. In this article, I thought we’d explore some new realms of the card pool, and dig into some decks I’ve been testing for the upcoming 2017 World Championships! It’s been very hard for me to find the motivation as a player to continue on during what I call the “desert period” — the period of time in which players take a break from Pokemon, and relax before the biggest tournament of the year. For me, I felt silly even typing that sentence; the biggest tournament of the year deserves all the love, and players should be doing just that. Why are we taking it easy when this is when players obtain the most glory — the most money, for that matter? At the end of the day, the month and a half separating North American Internationals and Worlds can make or break a player, especially since in the desert period, there’s scant info. For any players that are from the beginning of this game, you’ll remember the days before Facebook was even a “thing” — and even more recently, before Twitter blew up. Before I dive into my vast collection of plays for the upcoming World Championships, I’d like to talk a little bit about the value of information right now.

What Makes Information So Valuable Right Now?

Information is valuable right now because it is a hot commodity — there is an extremely high demand for it, and a low supply. The low supply is caused by lack of channels to communicate the information through. In other words, since there are no tournaments in the PRC –BRS format leading up to Worlds, there is virtually no glimmering hope for netdeckers. The only way you can get information from people is via connections, and those connects are more valuable then ever now that Pokemon has decided to drop a new expansion before Worlds for two consecutive years now. Articles are the way to go right now, seeing as they have all the hottest information at such a low price, so if you were to ever subscribe, now would be the time! The alternative to all of this in finding your own information is….

[cardimg name=”Machamp-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY108″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Testing Yourself

It’s equally important to take this information into your own hands, and work on deck lists in your spare time. You can do this with a tight-knit testing circle, but my best advice is to do it with people who you deem as stronger than yourself. While it’s important to grasp matchups and concepts in a way that is unparalleled to other players, an above-average opponent will challenge you, and give you a more accurate representation of the matchup than an average Joe. Likewise, it’s important to play very quickly, because you’re going to want to round out as many games as possible within a tiny window of time. I’ve been testing the new set for approximately 20 hours combined, and that’s only given me a handful of games in all fairness. Luckily, I’ve survived one of these desert periods before, so I understand the tricks of the trade when preparing for these big tournaments.

Solitaire

One of the biggest things we need to be able to test is consistency. One of the ways elite players do this is by playing “solitaire” — referring to playing a game by yourself, as quickly as you can, while being able to set up your field both realistically and accurately. This is an experimental form of testing that allows you to draw your initial starting hand, and play out your first turn(s) as if you had no opponent in front of you, with the sheer goal of testing your decks reliability. The last thing you need in a tournament is to draw dead, so it’s vital to testing that you have a deck that won’t let you down. Rather than play 100 games of Pokemon, you can open 100 first-turns of Pokemon and write down your results. This is especially key for decks that have a very strong board position once setup, but sometimes have lackluster beginnings (I’m looking at you, [card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Greninja” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card]). This form of testing proves to be insufficient when testing more reactive decks, such as a metagame counter or a lock-type deck.

Since you’re getting all the information you need right here on PokeBeach, I figure you’re on the right path to becoming a Pokemon champion! Without further ado, let’s get right up close and personal on some of my favourite decks that emerged from the new expansion, Burning Shadows!

Mega Rayquaza / Darkrai-GX

[decklist name=”Mega Rayquaza/Darkrai-GX” amt=”60″ caption=”Let’s get Breakin’!” cname=”Oranguru” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”113″][pokemon amt=”19″]3x [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”75″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]4x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Darkrai-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”88″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Hoopa-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”36″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Magearna-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”75″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Sudowoodo” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”66″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Oranguru” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”113″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”33″]3x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”XY” no=”122″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Mallow” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”127″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Skyla” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”134″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Karen” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY177″ 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=”Rayquaza Spirit Link” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”87″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Mega Turbo” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”86″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Special Charge” set=”Steam Siege” no=”105″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4 x [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4 “][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”8″]4x [card name=”Metal Energy” set=”HeartGold and SoulSilver” no=”122″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Next Destinies” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

[card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] always seems to be a Pokemon that comes back format after format, much like its brethren sky bird, [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY150″ c=”name”][/card]. Rayquaza as a deck tends to be very fast, and is a classic macho deck that’s able to dish out high amounts of damage. It runs a very different Trainer line compared to most decks, allowing it to draw fluent hands without a ton of Supporters in order to maximize on [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card]’s Set Up Ability. [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] adds a little bit of awkwardness into this deck since it is a Pokemon-GX, and is therefore not searchable by Hoopa-EX. It’s best to use Shaymin-EX as your opening draw-power over using Tapu Lele-GX for a Supporter, mostly because you’ll draw more cards this way. The consistency of this deck is unparalleled by most in the format, mainly because it plays so many copies of draw Pokemon (Tapu Lele-GX, Shaymin-EX, Hoopa-EX). The flexibility this deck brings is also very nice, since you can load your deck with virtually any Pokemon you can think of.

[cardimg name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Achilles’ Heel

This deck has a very straightforward weakness — since this deck operates around benching a ton of Basic Pokemon in order to work, if you can constrict the Mega Rayquaza player’s Bench, you’ll in turn limit their damage overall (think [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card], or playing a counter Stadium). Likewise, if you can complete this while packing an [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card], you’ll have no problem finishing off the Mega Rayquaza. There are also tons of liabilities on their Bench, such as an ample amount of Shaymin-EX, ripe for the picking! In a slower format, Rayquaza strives for speed but gives up its fortitude with low-HP Pokemon-EX. Mega Rayquaza needs a ton of Pokemon at its disposal at all times too, so if you’re ever able to get rid of Pokemon via playing a Stadium card, milling them, or just KOing them, you’ll be in fine shape against this massive dragon!

A straight counter to this deck would be [card name=”Sudowoodo” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card], but since the NAIC, the card has seen a vast reduction in play. It may phase out or see greater play depending on how popular players perceive this deck will be. Stay on the lookout to see if this card is hyped or not.

What’s New?

This deck gained a massive buff this set in the form of [card name=”Darkrai-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”88″ c=”name”][/card]! Since most players will try to run Mega Rayquaza decks out of Pokemon, our natural reaction as Mega Rayquaza players is to sufficiently find ways to keep Pokemon in play. Easy enough? In the Expanded format, players found ways around this via [card name=”Exeggcute” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”4″ c=”name”][/card], which has the Propagate Ability, allowing the player using it to return Exeggcute to their hand from the discard whenever they see fit. With Darkrai-GX, its Restoration Ability allows you to play it straight to your Bench from your discard, and attach a Darkness Energy to it directly. We don’t use Darkness Energy in this deck; we’re strictly using Darkrai-GX for its ability to re-Bench itself. That in itself is such a strong reason for this deck to play it, mainly because it allows us infinite resources to Benched Pokemon! I love this card as an answer to our opponent’s counter Stadiums, as well as a recovery from pesky counters like Sudowoodo.

Strengths

This deck shines really well in this format, where [card name=”Gardevoir-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] will be running rampant and other counter decks will see play, such as the very hyped [card name=”Golisopod-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”17″ c=”name”][/card] deck. Volcanion is another deck that will see ample amounts of play now due to the hype of [card name=”Kiawe” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”116″ c=”name”][/card], followed by massive classics such as [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Espeon-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”61″ c=”name”][/card] and Zoroark. The players who continue to pilot [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Zoroark” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] aren’t trying to be innovative, but moreso “tried and true” — it’s important to always reevaluate a deck in a new format, regardless of what you may think. Theorymon can only get you so far in this game, and should only be a time saver unless the theories that are being tested are proven. Garbodor should take a backseat in the format now that more decks are playing less and less Items, and the newfound BDIF has been born in the form of Gardevoir-GX. This insight alone allows Mega Rayquaza to tower over other decks now that one of its rough matchups is out of the way. As long as Mega Rayquaza can OHKO the opposing attacker, and retain a positive Prize trade, it is a good matchup on paper.

Would I Play This Deck?

You bet I would highly consider this deck! It flows like a dream boat, and the overall matchups for this deck seem very strong, even moreso on paper. Although like I said earlier, it’s very important to test; this is a deck that has years of play on it already, and a rather impressive track record. This may be Rayquaza’s final chance to shine before simply being rotated into our binders, and I don’t think it should go out without a bang. Sometimes just facing off against a 220 HP monster is sometimes difficult to handle, and when matched with its sheer power, it’s a true force to be reckoned with.

On a final note about the deck: people may splash in [card name=”Necrozma-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”63″ c=”name”][/card] to counter us, but a simple [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card] will finish them off. There’s nothing besides 250 HP monsters that scare me with this deck, and if they become more populous then I’ll be sure to include a copy of [card name=”Professor Kukui” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”128″ c=”name”][/card] into this list. Likewise, [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card]’s popularity should rise too considering people are dropping [card name=”Oricorio” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM19″ c=”name”][/card] and we play a natural counter to that deck in the form of Karen. I’m just in love with this deck’s synergy, and I would have zero issues playing this at my next event. It’s a very solid choice looking forward!

[premium]

Gardevoir-GX / Octillery

[decklist name=”Gardevoir-GX/Octillery” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Alolan Vulpix” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”21″][pokemon amt=”19″]4x [card name=”Gardevoir-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”93″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]1x [card name=”Gallade” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”84″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]3x [card name=”Kirlia” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”53″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]4x [card name=”Ralts” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”52″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Octillery” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”33″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Remoraid” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”32″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Alolan Vulpix” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”21″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”29″]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=”Brigette” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”134″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/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=”Mallow” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”127″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”93″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Rare Candy” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”100″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”110″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Fairy Garden” set=”Fates Collide” no=”100″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”12″]8x [card name=”Fairy Energy” set=”XY” no=”140″ c=”deck2″ amt=”8″][/card]4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Next Destinies” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

[card name=”Gardevoir-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] is the monster everybody has been talking about, but there is such a plethora of ways to play this deck that it’s insane. I’ve had virtually no insight on how to build this, so I threw this list together and opted to begin testing against the format. Overall, it has impressed me by being able to win against foreseeable bad matchups, and smothering the matchups it’s strong against. The deck has so much consistency behind it in the form of setup Pokemon, and a unique engine in the form of [card name=”Octillery” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card]’s Abyssal Hand, [card name=”Gallade” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”84″ c=”name”][/card]’s Premonition, and [card name=”Mallow” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”127″ c=”name”][/card]. In the wise words of Russell Laparre, “it’s like being able to legally cheat”. Like Gardevoir / Gallade decks from the past, this deck has a really strong snowball effect in being able to setup a ton of Pokemon once one has been established. Part of what makes this deck so unique is how promptly it can attach Energy, and plan into the future.

[cardimg name=”Gallade” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”84″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Achilles’ Heel

This deck is super susceptible to Ability-lock and Item-lock! I can’t stress this enough. When either of those is turned off, it becomes a struggle for [card name=”Gardevoir-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] to keep up with the opposition. Namely, I’m talking about its matchups against [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] — these can become rough sometimes. Gardevoir is also bound by the fact that it’s a Stage 2 Pokemon, which means it requires a few turns to set up the field, not including any times you may whiff Energy or your Ralts. We can alleviate this by playing multiple Kirlia and [card name=”Rare Candy” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”129″ c=”name”][/card], as well as ample amounts of outs to [card name=”Brigette” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”134″ c=”name”][/card], but past that, every Stage 2 deck will face consistency issues from time to time; it’s just the basic nature of these decks (or should I say, the evolved nature). [card name=”Metagross-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”85″ c=”name”][/card] also becomes a massive problem for this deck, and is a hurdle that can’t be overcome regardless of the list. Your best bet to counter Metagross is with a copy of [card name=”Turtonator-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”18″ c=”name”][/card], but even that can prove lackluster.

What’s New?

This deck is brand spanking new! So I’ll gladly detail this as much as possible — the goal of our deck is to slap as many Energy on a [card name=”Gardevoir-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] as possible, and follow that up with a stream of attackers in the form of [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Gallade” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”84″ c=”name”][/card] to complement our main attacker. This engine isn’t anything new; this engine was created by the aforementioned Russell Laparre and Fred Hoban last season, and utilized in their Gallade / [card name=”Octillery” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card] decks, later piloted by Noel Totomoch at Mexico Regionals this year. It became modernized with the usage of [card name=”Mallow” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”127″ c=”name”][/card] in Noel’s version, which we play a single copy of in this list. The newest addition to this deck would be the [card name=”Alolan Vulpix” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”21″ c=”name”][/card], a necessary addition I feel this deck requires to combat Item-lock.

After John Kettler‘s big runner-up finish at NAIC, [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card] should be relatively popular, so it is absolutely vital that we carry a way to combat it. From the birds, I’ve heard that most people are attempting to combat [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY173″ c=”name”][/card] with multiple copies of [card name=”Silent Lab” set=”Primal Clash” no=”140″ c=”name”][/card] in order to shut down its powerful Steam Up Ability. While I think this is brave, it’s too risky for my liking, as any prepared Volcanion player would just simply play down a copy of [card name=”Brooklet Hill” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”120″ c=”name”][/card] to counter it. If I were to be playing Volcanion at Worlds, I’d simply play four copies of this neutral Stadium card, because it’s too good not to run in this case. To return back to my comment, I believe [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card] is a more solidified, easier way of ensuring your opponent has no outs to Abilities. I play two copies of this to ensure that even if one is in the discard, I can still search through my deck and snatch one with a Tapu Lele-GX’s Wonder Tag. The single copy of [card name=”Fairy Garden” set=”Fates Collide” no=”100″ c=”name”][/card] is just a Stadium that benefits mostly us, and has more value than just a single copy of [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card].

Strengths

This deck is an absolute monster when it comes to a snowball effect! As mentioned before, once one [card name=”Gardevoir-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] is set up, you can just start spawning Energy all over the field, and your damage will begin to stair-climb as quickly as turn two. The typing on this deck is also insane — having a Fighting-type counterpart to compliment this deck’s Fairy main allows you to tower over the up-and-coming Turbo [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] deck by hitting them for Weakness, or having Resistance to them.

One [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”135″ c=”name”][/card] opens your entire deck to its lagoon of Basics via [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] for [card name=”Brigette” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”134″ c=”name”][/card], and that testament alone is something that I enjoy with these new Evolution-based decks. Brigette is a card I’ve always fancied, and Tapu Lele finally gave it the massive boost it needed to be viable. Ross’s inclusion of Brigette in his [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] deck was one of the first at Worlds 2016, and I’m glad that Pokemon made it so decks can now carry that torch. Needless to say, the inclusion of these search cards remind me of a 2010-esque era, and leads me to believe Pokemon’s development crew is headed in the right direction.

Would I Play This Deck?

I’m currently unsure about this deck, because to be honest, I think it has the biggest target on its back. It has successfully dethroned the prior proclaimed BDIF’s, [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Zoroark” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card], without any results to back it up, yet people are looking for ways to counter it immediately (myself being one of them). As a Goliath in a room full of Davids, I think that [card name=”Gardevoir-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] will grant you access to day two relatively easily, but the most veteran among veteran players will counter this the following day. Worlds day one is like an event on its own — once day two players measure what occurs the previous day, they’ll realize Gardevoir’s power and immediately pull out their counter decks. In short, I would not play this deck due to its abundance of potential counter available at my opponents’ disposal.

Greninja

[decklist name=”Greninja” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Jirachi” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY67″][pokemon amt=”19″]3x [card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]4x [card name=”Greninja” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”40″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Frogadier” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”39″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Froakie” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”38″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]1x [card name=”Starmie” set=”Evolutions” no=”31″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Staryu” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”25″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Jirachi” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY67″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”31″]4x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Teammates” set=”Primal Clash” no=”141″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Ace Trainer” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”69″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Dive Ball” set=”Primal Clash” no=”125″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”110″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Level Ball” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”76″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”10″]7x [card name=”Water Energy” set=”HeartGold and SoulSilver” no=”117″ c=”deck2″ amt=”7″][/card]3x [card name=”Splash Energy” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”113″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

[card name=”Greninja” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card]! Everybody’s favourite water frog is making a comeback once again at the tail end of the season, mimicking Cody Walinski’s runner-up finish at the 2016 World Championships. This deck is making a splash namely due to its ability to feed single-Prize attackers to the opponent while dishing out high amounts of damage spread amongst the opposing board. Grafton Roll, Drew Kennett and Zakary Krekeler are prime examples of how this deck has done well numerous times at high level events, and this event should be no different!

This list is essentially Michael Long’s list, and only has the addition of [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card], which we’ll talk about later (it’s a big deal). I figured, rather than innovate my own list, I’d rather not reinvent the wheel and just pilot something that has history; let me tell you, this deck is absolutely crazy.

[cardimg name=”Greninja” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”40″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Achilles’ Heel

This deck is notorious for having “Greninja hands”. Since this deck plays such a minimal Pokemon line, no support Pokemon, and a ton of recovery cards, sometimes this deck will open with downright awful hands. This deck also plays a ridiculously low amount of Basic Pokemon, and in turn has a high chance of getting donked. Sparing Froakie’s Bubble attack, there’s absolutely no way to stall for time — you have a 60 HP Basic, and you have to make it work. This deck is only advised for tournaments that use a best-of-three format, and not best-of-one. Besides that, this deck has a pretty rocky [card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card] matchup, but that tends to be all! This amphibian Pokemon manages to survive time and time again.

What’s New?

This deck doesn’t have an insanely new roster of cards to choose from, especially since it’s just a very straightforward deck. It does what it needs to do, and it does it well! However, [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”name”][/card] has recently done fantastic things for this deck, and smooths out the fruition of your frog army. More often than not, you’re going to be throwing away a BREAK or two, and this will help alleviate any awkward hands (hence the heavy count of three).

[card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] is the only new addition to Michael’s list, and it’s quite the quirky one indeed! I’ve never been a fan of [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card] in Greninja, but Guzma’s added switch effect allows you to reach new limits with this deck — multiple Giant Water Shuriken. It also allows you to weasel your way out of any pesky [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card] plays your opponent may make, and also enables you a way to get out of any weird paralysis set on by your opponent. Overall, Guzma’s addition to the deck allows you to expand on concepts players have been trying to do with the deck, but haven’t had the luxury of accomplishing.

Strengths

Ah, although the other sections for this deck were poor, this section is absolutely rich in discussion. Greninja has the strongest board position establishment in the format right now, followed up only by [card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card] decks. Once the field has established at least two [card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card], and your opponent has two or three Prizes left, you’re able to pull a comeback and begin to cut up your opponent’s side of the field.

As a whole, this deck has gained a ton from recent expansions; enough to resurface as to what I believe is a Tier 1 deck. It’s able to go toe-to-toe with every single deck in the format — including its worst matchup, Decidueye — and absolutely wreck certain decks (including the most hyped, [card name=”Gardevoir-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card]). Both of the other decks mentioned in this article lose to it, and that’s nothing to scoff at — the only saviour I could see stopping this monster would be [card name=”Golisopod-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”17″ c=”name”][/card], which I’m unsure will make an appearance. Surely enough, this deck is versatile in its Ability-locking ways, and can alternate to a highly-aggressive beatdown in the late game. This deck can specifically target Pokemon with ease, and strap down on priority Pokemon on the opponent’s field. This deck is fierce in every way, barring it doesn’t dead draw to open the match.

Would I Play This Deck?

Most likely. I’m still in the midst of solitairing this deck’s hands, and quite honestly I’m fine with the hands it’s been giving me. It has improved majorly over the years, and I have a hard time picturing the old Greninja now that we have the new one. I still am yet to try out [card name=”Talonflame” set=”Steam Siege” no=”96″ c=”name”][/card] (alongside [card name=”Talonflame BREAK” set=”Steam Siege” no=”21″ c=”name”][/card]), but I suspect that it would complement Greninja to a level that is different than [card name=”Starmie” set=”Evolutions” no=”31″ c=”name”][/card]. Although I enjoy the freedom of Space Beacon, I’m still unsure which version has stronger merits. Either way, I’m happy with the basis that Greninja offers, and I highly urge you to try it out for yourselves. Don’t be afraid of a few inconsistent hands from time to time, either: the -best-of-three Swiss format really gives benefit to this deck, especially with its favourable matchups across the board.

[cardimg name=”Starmie” set=”Evolutions” no=”31″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

A Sample Platter

These are all decks that I’ve opted to create because they just sounded good against the hyped meta, or they are the hyped meta. This is only a small sample of decks from the new format, and I highly urge you to creatively try all the decks available at your disposal. Between my brother and I, we just bought a new cartridge of ink the other day to make all of these new decks, and we plan on burning through another two with ease. As much as I’d like to think my predictions are 100% correct, they could just as easily be wrong, and that’s the gamble we take when playing Pokemon. I wish we could all just be 100% correct all of the time, but if that were the case then we’d all be World Champions, and there would be no competition! This is a survival game amongst everybody for deck building, so keep in mind that just as important as it is to obtain knowledge, it’s also vital to conceal information. For me, as a writer, my own vixen is spilling my ideas onto paper, but I do it because I love the community almost as much as I love creativity in the game.

The World Championships are only a few short weeks away, and I’ll soon be at Pearson Airport flying out of Toronto to go to my favourite state, California, with my two best friends Zach and Dakota! Besides all of the hard testing, I’m excited to travel once again (I never thought I’d say that), even more so now that I’m of legal drinking age in the lovely USA (being 20 in the USA sucks). Besides a few responsible beers with friends, I’m looking forward to seeing all of my favourite people in Anaheim, and if you have any questions, feel free to message me on Facebook, post in the Subscriber’s Hideout, or say hi to me at your next upcoming tournament. Thanks for reading my article, and as always, get lucky and run hot!

~Jay Lesage

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