Big Wheels Keep On Turnin’ — Looking at Post-Rotation Standard

Hey PokeBeach! The past month has been extremely exciting. The World Championships showcased how powerful and influential the Burning Shadows set truly is, with both finalist decks being based around Pokemon-GX from the set. The interesting combination of [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Golisopod-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”17″ c=”name”][/card] to output fast damage as soon as possible paired with Ability lock lead to a second place finish for Japanese player Naoto Suzuki. The addition of [card name=”Rainbow Energy” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] meant that the Trashalanche Garbodor could also be included, providing an excellent late-game partner if your opponent had to play high amounts of Items down to deal with the onslaught of damage from Golisopod-GX.

[cardimg name=”Gardevoir-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”93″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Even with all that pressure and Ability lock from Garbotoxin, Suzuki still fell to the crazy power of [card name=”Gardevoir-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card]. Right from its initial Japanese reveal, it was obvious this archetype would make a splash. Gardevoir-GX’s Infinity Force deals just 10 damage less than [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”160″ c=”name”][/card]’s aptly named Psychic Infinity, which already had a good showing in the past two years. Pair that with being able to attach an extra Fairy Energy for each Gardevoir-GX in play and an awesome GX attack that severely dampens Garbodor’s Trashalanche, and we get a Worlds-winning formula. 2017 World Champion Diego Cassiraga’s deck doesn’t have too many tricks up its sleeve, but is there any need for trickery when Gardevoir-GX is so powerful?

In this article we are going to look at how these decks hold up going into the 2017 – 2018 season, as well as what cards leave the Standard format.

Moving Past Worlds 2017

Now that Worlds 2017 is over and done with, it’s time to look towards 2018. I’m pretty hyped about next year’s location for Worlds — Nashville is a unique place unlike any other place the Championships have been held in before! European invites this year are the lowest they’ve ever been for Masters, at 250 Championship Points. No one is sure of the reason that brought about this reduction from 350 CP last year, but it does mean a possible increase in European players for Nashville, which is always great to see.

For myself, gaining a day two invite is the goal this time round. I was able to obtain a top four at Liverpool Regionals playing Drampa-GX / Garbodor / Zygarde-EX, netting 130 CP before the season truly begins. With travel awards and stipends to places like Australia and South America for the International Championships, it seems like an awesome idea to go for it this year.

Moving to the American side of things, the points have also been reduced to 400 Championship Points instead of 500. It looks like Pokemon are going for a larger day one of Worlds this year, after only having six rounds for Anaheim.

What We Lose in Rotation

Moving past structure, let’s look into what’s really important — the format! We lose Primal Clash, Roaring Skies, Ancient Origins and Double Crisis moving into the 2018 season. From Primal Clash we lose the commonly played [card name=”Teammates” set=”Primal Clash” no=”141″ c=”name”][/card], which makes it harder to search for specific pieces of a puzzle straight after your opponent takes a KO. [card name=”Silent Lab” set=”Primal Clash” no=”140″ c=”name”][/card] was used in decks to provide a soft Ability lock, which could stop [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY173″ c=”name”][/card] from using their Abilities. [card name=”Dive Ball” set=”Primal Clash” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card] was a centerpiece of [card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card] decks, since the entire Greninja line was searchable. [card name=”Rough Seas” set=”Primal Clash” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] was great in Waterbox builds or [card name=”Alolan Ninetales-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”132″ c=”name”][/card] decks to heal damage so that it became awkward for opponents to hit correct numbers. The majority of EXs from the set have lost their playability, however [card name=”Primal Groudon-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card] did see play due to its Ancient Trait, Ω Barrier.

The biggest loss from Roaring Skies is [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”110″ c=”name”][/card]. Many players have never played a format without this card in rotation, since it was released three years ago in Phantom Forces. In these three years, the majority of decks had an architecture for Supporters based around VS Seeker. This usually consisted of three/four [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card], two/three [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] and two or more one-of utility Supporters like [card name=”AZ” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card]. With this build, decks could easily access draw support when needed after a Supporter had hit the discard, along with a utility Supporter to gain an upper hand in the game (such as picking up a Pokemon or stopping Abilities for a turn). [card name=”Jirachi-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] and Tapu Lele-GX made it possible to search out the specific Supporter you wanted early on with [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”135″ c=”name”][/card], which could then be re-used when needed by VS Seeker. Without this crucial card, we will need to modify and create new Supporter archetypes to give a similar effect to what VS Seeker could do. This mostly means playing four copies of specific cards, and bumping utility Supporters from one-ofs to two or three counts.

Roaring Skies housed a lot of important cards, but the most influential Pokemon has to be [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card]. Up until the release of Guardians Rising, Shaymin-EX saw play in almost every deck to provide extra draw throughout the turn that could be searched with an Ultra Ball and used alongside a Supporter. Fast decks became a centerpiece for a year, where decks could easily draw through 20 or more cards on their first turn. With the recent release of Trashalanche Garbodor, this fast strategy became undesirable due to the high amounts of Item cards played to get this quick setup.

Coming in a not-too-close second, [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] saw a ton of play with its rule-breaking Δ Evolution Ancient Trait and an insanely powerful attack. Paired with [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card] for an extra three Bench slots and [card name=”Mega Turbo” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card] for the Energy acceleration, Emerald Break was always an attack players were scared of. Other mentions are [card name=”Latios-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY72″ c=”name”][/card] for its turn one attack to try and donk evolution decks, and [card name=”Absol” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] as a solid way to manipulate damage counters on your opponents’ field. [card name=”Reshiram” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”63″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Hydreigon-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”103″ c=”name”][/card] provided solid support for Dragon-type Pokemon. Finally, [card name=”Double Dragon Energy” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card] made Dragon-type decks viable, as the majority of their attacks have some wonky Energy costs that need two different types of Energy. Without Double Dragon Energy, Dragon-type decks will become less viable in the meta, though the painful Fairy Weakness every Dragon-type Pokemon has is a large negative anyway thanks to Gardevoir-GX.

Ancient Origins brought us the first Trainer card to cause full Ability lock: Hex Maniac. When Pokemon with strong Abilities like [card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card] and Volcanion-EX have a stronghold on a format, decks that can’t afford to fit a Garbotoxin [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] can fit in one or two copies of Hex Maniac. As a utility Supporter, this card sometimes matched [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card] for its usefulness and impact in a game. [card name=”Hoopa-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card] was a strong Pokemon when EX-heavy decks saw large amount of play. Mega Evolutions like [card name=”M Sceptile-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”8″ c=”name”][/card] and obviously M Rayquaza-EX needed multiple EXs to get a good setup, so Hoopa-EX helped these decks out tremendously. Item lock has always been a part of the Pokemon TCG, and [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card] combined with [card name=”Forest of Giant Plants” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] provided a simple turn one lock if you were able to find the pieces. Without Vileplume in the format, Item lock-based decks may be nonexistent; the best lock Pokemon, [card name=”Noivern-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card], is weak against Gardevoir-GX, which doesn’t seem to be leaving the meta anytime soon.

[cardimg name=”Forest of Giant Plants” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”74″ align=”left” c=”custom”]So strong it’s not playable in any format.[/cardimg]

Speaking of Forest of Giant Plants, Decidueye-GX was purely powerful based off this rule-breaking card. It wasn’t uncommon to get a turn one Decidueye-GX while easily following up with one or two more in the next couple turns. Feather Arrow damage stacks up quickly when you’re dealing 20s from the very first turn. Without Forest, Decidueye-GX has to be put into play using normal means like [card name=”Rare Candy” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”129″ c=”name”][/card] or even manual evolution. This will slow the deck down a huge amount compared to the past year, and could even spell the end of Decidueye decks in the metagame for a while. Compared to other Stage 2 GXs being released, Decidueye just doesn’t cut it without the speed factor of Forest of Giant Plants.

[card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] decks had chunks of play and even won the U.S. Nationals in 2016. Although the archetype hasn’t had much success recently, this one-Prize attacker always packed a punch once enough Pokemon reached the discard. [card name=”Gyarados” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”21″ c=”name”][/card], who also originated in Ancient Origins, saw success once [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] was released, due to its powerful Full Retaliation attack. The three different types of Eeveelutions ([card name=”Jolteon” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Vaporeon” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”22″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Flareon” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”13″ c=”name”][/card]) played roles in many Stage 1 decks, and were a big part of why [card name=”Espeon-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”61″ c=”name”][/card] / Garbodor had success early on, making it possible for these two Stage 1 Pokemon to hit Decidueye-GX or Volcanion-EX for Weakness. Stage 1 decks might have a harder time hitting numbers without these three in the format.

Coming to the final couple of cards, [card name=”Level Ball” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] played a part in so many decks. It’s easy to forget how good this card is, as so many playable Pokemon and pre-evolutions have 90 HP or fewer (take [card name=”Rowlet” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”9″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Dartrix” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Remoraid” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”32″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Octillery” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card] for example). Without Level Ball, decks will have to look for other types of search cards, such as [card name=”Nest Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Timer Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”134″ c=”name”][/card] to get their Pokemon into play consistently. To finish off we have Lysandre. Although mostly overshadowed by [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] at this year’s Worlds because of its extra switch effect, Lysandre was nearly always a one- or two-of in decks since its release in Flashfire. It looks like one thing’s for sure though: each format will always have some sort of Lysandre effect from now on.

The Starting Point — Gardevoir-GX

After its huge win at the World Championships, [card name=”Gardevoir-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] is the obvious candidate for a deck in the new Standard format. If we look at Diego’s list, there are only six cards that rotate out of the format. However, the four VS Seeker removed from the deck need to be replaced with other draw support cards. Here is the list I’ve been working on:

[premium]

[decklist name=”Gardevoir-GX” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Tapu Koko” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM30″][pokemon amt=”21″]4x [card name=”Ralts” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”91″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Kirlia” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Gardevoir-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”93″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Gallade” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”84″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]3x [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Remoraid” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”32″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Octillery” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”33″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Alolan Vulpix” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”21″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Diancie” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”94″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Tapu Koko” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM30″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”27″]4x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”Steam Siege” no=”114″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Brigette” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”134″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”2″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”135″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Rare Candy” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”129″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ 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=”Generations” no=”74″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

The Pokemon Line

I added two Pokemon to Diego’s Pokemon line: [card name=”Tapu Koko” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM30″ c=”name”][/card] and the second copy of Octillery. As a lovely pivot any deck would like with free retreat, Tapu Koko fits into the deck mainly as a tech option against [card name=”Metagross-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”85″ c=”name”][/card]. I found that Gardevoir-GX’s Infinite Force attack was usually able to get 240 damage off against a three-Energy Metagross-GX with my own four Energy plus a Choice Band. Since Metagross-GX takes three or four turns to get fully rolling, this gives some time to attach extra Energy onto Kirlia and Ralts early on, to maximise the damage output. However, being able to trade KOs against Metagross-GX consistently is quite hard: the opponent needs very little to OHKO Gardevoir-GX due to Weakness, while we need to draw into Double Colorless Energy and Choice Band to return a KO.

Tapu Koko should relieve some pressure once decks start to trade big blows. Flying Flip lowers Metagross-GX’s HP to 230, and a second Flip would bring it down to 210. Each attack lowers the amount of Energy needed for Gardevoir-GX to score a KO on Metagross-GX by one. [card name=”Max Potion” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”128″ c=”name”][/card] might cause some issues, but at least a couple of the 20’s should stick. I’m not sure if Tapu Koko will bring the matchup to be 50-50, however it should make it easier to win one game in a best-of-three, to obtain at least a tie.

A second Octillery is a consistency bumper to aid with the loss of VS Seeker. With just one copy, prizing Octillery would cause some issues since the deck really needs that extra draw to hit Energy and Gardevoir-GX pieces consistently. Another benefit of a second Octillery is being able to get two out at the same time, which can really boost your draw even further as Abyssal Hand can be used twice in a turn.

The Supporter Line

Without VS Seeker we have to maximise the counts of Professor Sycamore and N. The thing is, once one of these Supporter cards hits the discard pile, it’s gone. Until you have the time to use Twilight GX, there’s no way to get a Sycamore or an N back. I imagine the majority of decks will play four copies of these two from now on, since these two are the best draw Supporters in Standard right now. Guzma is also a crucial card that used to be played as a two-of, but without easy recovery a third copy seems necessary. With three, you should be able to have access to one at the right time with Tapu Lele-GX or just drawing a copy off Octillery.

Two [card name=”Brigette” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”134″ c=”name”][/card] is both to increase your odds of drawing a copy on your first turn, and also to make sure it isn’t prized. The deck has a smoother opening when your able to get Ralts, Remoraid and [card name=”Alolan Vulpix” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”21″ c=”name”][/card] into play on turn one. [card name=”Acerola” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”142″ c=”name”][/card] is a consideration, but without VS Seeker, a one-time use feels underwhelming. Finding the copy at a right time is an issue, as well.

The Items and Energy Line

Other than the removal of VS Seeker, the entire Item line stays the same as Diego’s list. I don’t see any changes worth making. A Field Blower could be cut, but Garbotoxin is still a threat, so two copies seems like a good option.

Energy-wise we lose [card name=”Wonder Energy” set=”Primal Clash” no=”144″ c=”name”][/card], due to rotation, so an eighth Fairy Energy is added in its place.

Techs for Messing with Metal Types

[cardimg name=”Delphox” set=”Fates Collide” no=”13″ align=”right” c=”custom”]”Wait, I could be useful?”[/cardimg]

I did try out some other different options for pesky Metal types that really cause problems for Gardevoir-GX. [card name=”Sylveon-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card]’s Plea GX attack can force your opponent to pick up two Metagross-GX and restart their entire setup, which gives some time for Gardevoir to pick up Prizes. Secret Spring makes it possible to power up Plea GX in a single turn as well. Magical Ribbon is an interesting starting attack if you’re able to use it early on — picking out Rare Candy and Gardevoir-GX straight from the deck is an insane consistency boost. The main problem I found with Sylveon-GX was using Plea GX at the right time. Too early, and your opponent can easily recover with leftover Rare Candy. Too late, and your opponent might have a third Metagross-GX down and so few Prizes left to take that they’re only one or two turns from winning, whatever happens. To add Sylveon-GX, I’d cut the Diancie as this can be used as an early setup Pokemon in it’s place, and Tapu Koko.

My other option is a 1-0-1 line of [card name=”Delphox” set=”Fates Collide” no=”13″ c=”name”][/card]. This card has never seen play, but its Psystorm attack is perfect for taking a OHKO on Metagross-GXs. With seven Energy on the field, Psystorm deals a total 260 damage through Weakness. Now that might sound like a lot of Energy, but in reality it’s easy to achieve. Metagross-GX and Delphox both need three Energy to attack. Add a Choice Band onto Delphox or even just play another Energy through Secret Spring and it’s lights out for Metagross-GX! The Energy cost isn’t a problem since Secret Spring provides the extra Energy alongside Double Colorless.

One issue is getting this Pokemon out, since it has to be put into play via Rare Candy. For that reason, I’d add one more Rare Candy into the list in place of the second Brigette, which isn’t ideal but still works fine with a single one. Tapu Koko and [card name=”Diancie” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card] could be removed for [card name=”Fennekin” set=”Fates Collide” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] and Delphox. My only wish is that Delphox had more than 140HP to survive Giga Hammer; I don’t think it’s worth adding [card name=”Delphox BREAK” set=”Fates Collide” no=”14″ c=”name”][/card], unfortunately…

The Secondary Option — Golisopod-GX / Garbodor

What would a format be without some sort of Garbotoxin build? With a second and fourth place finish at Worlds, this deck has tons of potential to make an impression on the post-rotation Standard format. The deck doesn’t lose any Pokemon from rotation, or vital Trainer cards. However Guzma and Acerola play big roles in the deck to trigger the additional 90 damage from Golisopod-GX’s First Impression. Without VS Seeker, it’s going to be much harder to chain these and use them at the right time. Here’s a list I’ve been trying:

[decklist name=”Golisopod-GX/Garbodor” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Tapu Koko” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM30″][pokemon amt=”19″]4x [card name=”Wimpod” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”16″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Golisopod-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”17″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]4x [card name=”Trubbish” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”56″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]3x [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Tapu Koko” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM30″ 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=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Acerola” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”112″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Brigette” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”161″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Fates Collide” no=”113″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Heavy Ball” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”140″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”10″]4x [card name=”Rainbow Energy” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Grass Energy” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”167″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”166″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

The Pokemon Line

My Pokemon line is almost the exact same as Suzuki’s, bar one extra copy of Tapu Lele-GX. The change seems obvious to boost consistency throughout the game, as without VS Seeker, another out to Supporter is always useful. One issue with playing more Tapu Lele-GX comes from the fact that Wonder Tag is shut off by Garbotoxin in the mid to late game, which does limit how useful Tapu Lele-GX is later on. I still feel the consistency boost early on is a big enough incentive to play a third copy, as you do usually have a couple turns where Garbotoxin isn’t online to abuse Wonder Tag as much as possible.

There could be some neat techs that find their place in this deck, but for the time being this Pokemon line feels consistent and solid. Four [card name=”Wimpod” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”16″ c=”name”][/card] maximises your chances of opening with it or finding a copy in your first turn, and the same goes for [card name=”Trubbish” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”56″ c=”name”][/card]. Three Golisopod-GX is more than enough with Acerola being able to reuse copies when you need to pick one up and remove all damage from Golisopod. Tapu Koko is a needed and reliable pivot Pokemon to gain maximum effect from Golisopod-GX’s First Impression. Flying Flip can also finish off a Pokemon that you hit for 150 with First Impression, or chip away early on to bring opposing Pokemon down into OHKO range. Finally, the two/two split of Garbodor is strong combined with two [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”name”][/card]. This means you should never Prize both copies of either Garbodor and can also have easy access to the one you want, whether it’s in the discard or the deck.

The Supporter Line

Here is where some big changes come into play. Like with the Gardevoir-GX deck, four Professor Sycamore and four N seem compulsory for this deck to function consistently. Four Guzma may seem like overkill, but its obvious that Golisopod-GX was made to combo with Team Skull’s leader. Most of the time you will need to reset First Impression to get the damage boost, so with four copies of Guzma you have the leniency to discard a copy or two with Ultra Ball or Sycamore. This still leaves enough copies in the deck to use when you need to.

Three Acerola is also crucial to make sure you can pick up Golisopod-GX once it has too much damage on it. This count has worked fine, as the card is slightly more situational than Guzma but does have a greater effect when used properly, which justifies three copies. Finally, we have the usual copy of Brigette to try and get a strong setup of Trubbish and Wimpod on the first turn.

The Item Line

Barring the cards that have rotated, I’ve opted to keep Suzuki’s Item line mainly the same. I particularly like the inclusion of [card name=”Heavy Ball” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”140″ c=”name”][/card] in the list, since the card can search for four different Pokemon depending on the situation. It can become either Garbodor for your current needs; Wimpod, to get more of the Basic onto the field; or just a Golisopod-GX to start attacking with.

The only addition to the Item line is a third Choice Band. Two copies of Band worked well, but a third means that you shouldn’t have to worry about running out. Being able to hit 180 with Crossing Cut GX is a big deal. With any spread damage that the Tapu Koko can provide through Flying Flip, 170 HP Pokemon like Tapu Lele-GX can be put into range of a Choice Banded First Impression. Having Choice Band early on is never a bad thing either, to put on extra pressure and help with Garbodor’s Trashalanche numbers.

Other Options

This list is relatively straightforward, however adding some techs is definitely viable. With four Rainbow Energy in this deck it’s possible to add a Pokemon that hits for Weakness, like [card name=”Zygarde-EX” set=”Fates Collide” no=”54″ c=”name”][/card] in [card name=”Drampa-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] / Garbodor. Looking at the fourth place list from Worlds, [card name=”Magearna-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY175″ c=”name”][/card] could be a strong tech to help against Gardevoir-GX. Soul Blaster hits for a OHKO against it for only a Double Colorless and Rainbow Energy, and Sho Sasaki included a helpful tech Item to get Soul Blaster up and running in a single turn — [card name=”Multi Switch” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”129″ c=”name”][/card]! Not the easiest card to find as a one-off, but if your opponent has a Gardevoir-GX Active, sending up Magearna-EX and moving a Rainbow or Double Colorless Energy to it puts you in prime position to pick off Gardevoir-GX that turn with one more attachment. To add these two in I’d remove the Heavy Ball and an Acerola, as although the deck loses a small chunk of consistency, it can still function normally.

Sho Sasaki also included a Drampa-GX, which is a reasonable inclusion considering the deck plays Rainbow and Double Colorless Energy to power up Berserk. The deck can fall short of OHKOs on Basic GXs and EXs once Golisopod’s Crossing Cut GX is used. Drampa-GX is a good backup, since you should have damage counters on the bench from just retreating a damaged Pokemon or Rainbow Energy. If you include the tech Multi Switch, it is possible to get Drampa-GX powered up in a single turn, just like Magearna-EX!

The Metal Edge — Metagross-GX

The final deck to talk about today is Metagross-GX. Although the deck didn’t see too much play at the World Championships, the newly rotated Standard is big on Fairy-types due to Gardevoir-GX’s presence. This leaves a big opening for powerful Metal-type attackers like Metagross-GX to take advantage of Weakness. Geotech System is a consistent Ability to stream Giga Hammer each turn, or even power up different attackers since Geotech System can also attach Psychic Energy.

The main strategy is to Retreat a Metagross-GX after attacking by discarding all the Energy, use [card name=”Max Potion” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”128″ c=”name”][/card] to heal any damage taken, and then re-attach all the Energy with Geotech System. Here is a good starting list to test Metagross-GX in the new Standard format:

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[decklist name=”Metagross-GX” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Metagross-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”85″][pokemon amt=”16″]4x [card name=”Beldum” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”83″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Metang” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”84″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]4x [card name=”Metagross-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”85″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Alolan Vulpix” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”21″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Necrozma-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”63″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”33″]4x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”Steam Siege” no=”114″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Brigette” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”161″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”2″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”135″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Rare Candy” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”129″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Max Potion” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”128″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”2″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”11″]7x [card name=”Metal Energy” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”163″ c=”deck2″ amt=”7″][/card]4x [card name=”Psychic Energy” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”162″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist]

The Pokemon Line

[cardimg name=”Necrozma-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”134″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

If you’ve ever seen a Metagross deck before, a lot of the counts are similar. Four Beldum for opening consistency, three Metang to account for any Beldum that don’t evolve via Rare Candy, and four Metagross-GX to maximize your odds of drawing into one at the right time. Without VS Seeker, three Tapu Lele-GX gives the deck more outs to a specific Supporter when it’s needed, and another little boost in consistency. One Alolan Vulpix is included so that you can Brigette for two Beldum and Vulpix, then retreat for a single Energy and use Beacon for free to find whatever Pokemon you need on the next turn. Now the last Pokemon may seem out of place. Necrozma-GX is, however a useful piece of the Metagross puzzle, as an alternate attacker without a Weakness to Fire. Volcanion variants are usually a challenge for Metagross-GX decks, and one copy of Necrozma can help with that. Volcanion builds play both [card name=”Turtonator-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”131″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Ho-Oh-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”21″ c=”name”][/card], which both have a massive 190HP. That 10 extra HP compared to Volcanion-EX is a pain for Metagross, as a Giga Hammer with Choice Band hits for exactly 180, just ten damage short of a KO.

[card name=”Dhelmise” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”59″ c=”name”][/card] can be used to boost the damage to 190, but the Fire Weakness is still a lingering problem. Enter Necrozma-GX! Prismatic Burst pairs very well with Geotech System and the multiple counts of Psychic Energy included, letting you OHKO Pokemon with 190HP-and-below for only three Energy. Without a Fire-type Weakness, your opponent has to invest resources into KOing Necrozma-GX, and could even end up missing out on a KO if they aren’t prepared. One cool aspect of Necrozma is if you’re able to get four Psychic Energy and a Choice Band attached. The damage totals 280, which is enough to OHKO an opponent’s Metagross-GX, even with Resistance. Since the deck also plays two Rescue Stretcher, you have the ability to use multiple Necrozma-GX throughout the game as well, if needed.

The Supporter Line

Not too much to add here, as the Supporter count is similar to the other stage two archetype in the format that I talked about earlier, Gardevoir-GX. The deck even uses Beacon from Alolan Vulpix to obtain Pokemon from the deck, in the same manner as Gardevoir.

The Item Line

Consistency is truly key here, and that’s why there are tons of four counts. Four Ultra Ball is almost an absolute in every deck. Four Max Potion makes sure you can remove damage after retreating as many times as possible. Four Rare Candy might seem like overkill, but I found that maximizing the likelihood of an early Rare Candy into Metagross-GX makes sure the first couple of turns run smoothly. Another added bonus of a quick Metagross is that without VS Seeker giving easy access to N, it’s slightly harder to find N when you need it: this makes turn two or three Algorithm GXs more likely to stick!

Two Rescue Stretcher are played to give enough recovery throughout the game. Necrozma-GX is a good candidate for rescue, allowing you to discard it early on and pull it back later on to get a OHKO. Rescue Stretcher is also great when you need a specific Metagross-GX piece to evolve into and keep the game rolling. If a Metagross-GX has been Knocked Out or pieces have been discarded early on, these pieces can then be searched back at the right time.

With three Field Blower in the list, I’m less scared of Garbodor and of any anti-evolution stadiums like [card name=”Po Town” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card]. Being able to reduce damage at crucial times through removing Choice Band is also a plus. Finally, three Choice Band has been fine, as many matchups don’t require you to hit 180 all the time for OHKOs. Those three copies should do the job when you need to OHKO a Tapu Lele-GX or Drampa-GX, for example.

The Energy Line

Finally, the Energy line is different to the usual 9/1 split seen in other Metagross builds. The main reason for an extra Energy and Psychic Energy is for Necrozma-GX. I want to be able to consistently have enough Metal Energy to use Giga Hammer, but progressively place Psychic in the discard to use Necrozma’s Prismatic Burst later in the game. Necrozma-GX should never need more than four Psychic Energy to attack, so that’s the split I decided on. In testing this count worked well with those ideas, and there have been very few games where Psychic Energy has caused me to miss a Giga Hammer.

Metagross-GX actually seems well positioned in this metagame due to the amount of hype Gardevoir-GX has after winning Worlds. The Weakness is huge and swings the matchup straight into Metagross’s favour. Other than Volcanion, Metagross’s other matchups don’t seem bad either. I definitely think it’s a deck to keep on your radar.

Conclusion

Well, thanks for reading PokeBeach! That’s all from me today. I hope you enjoyed reading this article and gained some more understanding on what decks are going to get played in this all-new format. Definitely shoot me a message or comment if you have any questions. See you later!

-Ryan

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