Some Old, Some New — The Best-Poised Decks for the Updated Expanded Format

By: Grant Manley · Posted Posted onSep 22, 2017 at 7:41 PM · 0 Comments

Hello everyone! This is Grant Manley here and I am excited to bring you guys an article after my summer off from writing. Today I’m going to talk all about the Expanded format. The recent Ft. Wayne Regionals was the first major Expanded tournament of the season here in the U.S., and it reached over 800 total players in the Masters division! This is absolutely unheard of for a Regionals, and it is exciting to see these events keep growing. At this time last year, we thought 600 players in Florida was insane! I wonder when TPCi will learn how to scale prizing… but that’s a topic for another time.

[cardimg name=”Carbink BREAK” set=”Fates Collide” no=”51″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Anyway, both Ft. Wayne and the upcoming Daytona Regional Championships use the Expanded format. Sidebar, Hartford is the next Regionals and will be played in the Standard format. At Ft. Wayne, I played [card name=”Carbink BREAK” set=”Fates Collide” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Lycanroc-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] and finished 28th. This isn’t bad considering how many players were there, but I know I could have made Top 8 if I played things a little better.

As you have probably heard by now, the Expanded format was just hit with two significant bans: [card name=”Forest of Giant Plants” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Archeops” set=”Noble Victories” no=”67″ c=”name”][/card]. I could not be more ecstatic to see Forest go. On the car ride to Ft. Wayne, on September 1st, I celebrated Forest’s death day. That was the day it rotated out of Standard. Now, with its ban in Expanded, I have high hopes for the format. Archeops is a card that I couldn’t care less about. I don’t think Archeops hurt the format, but I certainly don’t mind its absence.

Both of these bans help out my pet deck, Carbink, a lot. I chose to play Carbink because I personally like the deck a lot and it seemed to have good matchups. I also wanted to beat Darkrai decks badly, as I correctly predicted that it would be one of the most popular decks. Here is the list that I played in Ft. Wayne.

Carbink BREAK

[decklist name=”Carbink” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″][pokemon amt=”16″]3x [card name=”Carbink BREAK” set=”Fates Collide” no=”51″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]4x [card name=”Carbink” set=”Fates Collide” no=”50″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Lycanroc-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”74″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Rockruff” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”73″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Landorus-EX” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”89″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Zygarde-EX” set=”Fates Collide” no=”54″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Giratina” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY184″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”36″]3x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”101″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”N” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”96″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Korrina” set=”Furious Fists” no=”95″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Pokémon Center Lady” set=”Generations” no=”68″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”AZ” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”91″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Karen” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY177″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”110″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Puzzle of Time” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”109″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Max Potion” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”128″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Focus Sash” set=”Furious Fists” no=”91″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”135″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”124″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Professor’s Letter” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”146″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Computer Search” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”8″]4x [card name=”Strong Energy” set=”Fates Collide” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Fighting Energy” set=”XY” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

This deck has been around since November of last year, but the format has changed since then and forced the deck to change with it. This deck cannot afford to play as passively as it could in the past now that most decks don’t simply lose to Carbink. Instead of tanking and using Carbink as a win condition, [card name=”Carbink BREAK” set=”Fates Collide” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] is now used almost exclusively as Energy acceleration. Of course, some decks like [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] still lack an answer to Carbink, but for the most part you will have to attack with something a little more powerful. The strategy for this deck is to use Carbink BREAK accelerate powerful attackers, kill stuff with said powerful attackers, and deny Prizes like it’s your job (which it is).

[card name=”Lycanroc-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] happens to posses a broken Ability and a GX attack that usually one-shots whatever you want at any given time; [card name=”Landorus-EX” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card] offers snipe damage that adds up quickly and applies crucial pressure to evolution based decks; Land’s Judgement is also your most powerful attack besides the GX attack. I included [card name=”Zygarde-EX” set=”Fates Collide” no=”54″ c=”name”][/card] because it does decent damage for two Energy and heals itself. This niche is especially useful against [card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] decks. [card name=”Giratina” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY184″ c=”name”][/card] makes the Trevenant matchup favorable, which is neat. [card name=”Focus Sash” set=”Furious Fists” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] and all of the healing cards make everything extra durable. Pretty much no deck can actually handle the Prize denial that the healing cards impose.

Because there was a [card name=”Golisopod-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”17″ c=”name”][/card] deck running around that ran only Special Energy, I chose to slip in a [card name=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”110″ c=”name”][/card] and an [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”162″ c=”name”][/card] the night before the tournament so that I could run that deck out of Energy and win that way. I didn’t end up facing Golisopod, but still used those techs every once in awhile. [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] makes Landorus even more imposing against pre-evolved Basics, lets Carbink apply real pressure, and is overall just a fantastic card.

  • Round 1 vs. [card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] LWW
  • Round 2 vs. [card name=”Alolan Ninetales-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”22″ c=”name”][/card] W
  • Round 3 vs. [card name=”Espeon-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”61″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] W
  • Round 4 vs. [card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] L
  • Round 5 vs. [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] WW
  • Round 6 vs. [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] WW
  • Round 7 vs. [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] LWW
  • Round 8 vs. [card name=”Drampa-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] LW (Tie)
  • Round 9 vs. [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] WLW

7-1-1, 11th seed

  • Round 10 vs. [card name=”Sableye” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”62″ c=”name”][/card] WW
  • Round 11 vs. [card name=”Blastoise” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”31″ c=”name”][/card] WL (Tie)
  • Round 12 vs. [card name=”Espeon-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”61″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] LL
  • Round 13 vs. [card name=”Sylveon-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] LL
  • Round 14 vs. [card name=”Espeon-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”61″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] LL
  • Round 15 vs. [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] Toolbox ID

8-4-2, 28th overall

Needless to say, I was not happy about my day two performance. In game two of round 11 I lost instantly against Blastoise. I ended up tying that one overall. That tie knocked me into the Espeon / Garb match that beat me in a close series. I have only myself to blame for the losses in rounds 12 and 13. I didn’t do anything overly stupid, but I just felt like I could have played a lot better and won both of those matches. My round 14 opponent absolutely destroyed me as he drew perfectly and I drew terribly. There was nothing I could do about that one. Round 15 was irrelevant in every way, so my opponent and I just ID’d.

I don’t actually know how good this deck is going forward. I have no idea if I will play it at Daytona. I think it is the most difficult deck to play optimally over an entire tournament in the history of the game (or at least since I’ve been playing). The deck requires a ton of practice unless you are Sam Chen. You are constantly faced with new situations and always have different resources to work with. I do think the [card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] matchup is the most linear and easy to play against, followed by Darkrai and Rayquaza. Against anything else that has a realistic shot of beating Carbink, the games are tricky to play. I still haven’t figured out the Espeon matchup, though I believe it to be slightly favorable. Also, this deck draws bad a lot. You just have to deal with it and win anyway.

Mega Gardevoir-EX

Now I want to talk about [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card]. I very nearly played this deck at Ft. Wayne, as it was my second pick. I think Gardevoir is a stupidly good deck right now and it is definitely on my radar for Daytona. Here is the list.

[decklist name=”garde” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Comfey” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”93″][pokemon amt=”17″]3x [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Gardevoir-EX” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC30″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]4x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Hoopa-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”36″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Jirachi-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Dragonite-EX” set=”Evolutions” no=”72″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Sudowoodo” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”66″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Klefki” set=”Furious Fists” no=”73″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Comfey” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”93″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”36″]3x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”N” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”96″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Karen” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY177″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Acerola” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”112″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Skyla” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”148″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”135″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Max Potion” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”128″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Gardevoir Spirit Link” set=”Primal Clash” no=”130″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Super Rod” set=”Dragon Vault” no=”20″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Computer Search” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Dimension Valley” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”93″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”7″]4x [card name=”Wonder Energy” set=”Primal Clash” no=”144″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Fairy Energy” set=”XY” no=”140″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

2HKOing everything while spamming [card name=”Max Potion” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”164″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card] is apparently a good strategy. This deck is a little clunky but it is absolutely amazing anyway. The only attack you use is Despair Ray, and you use Pokemon like [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Hoopa-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”36″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Jirachi-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] to go through your deck quickly and find everything you need. Despair Ray wipes the one-use Pokemon from the Bench, and [card name=”Dragonite-EX” set=”Evolutions” no=”72″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Karen” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY177″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Super Rod” set=”Dragon Vault” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] get them back, and so the cycle goes. [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] is tough to OHKO, so the deck takes advantage of Max Potion to erase attack after attack while wearing down opponents with Despair Ray. [card name=”Dimension Valley” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] allows Gardevoir to attack for only one Energy which lets it abuse Max Potion.

[cardimg name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”112″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

The techs you see are counters to decks that could normally OHKO [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card], thus ruining your entire strategy. [card name=”Sudowoodo” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card] helps against Rayquaza and Darkrai by limiting their Bench. [card name=”Klefki” set=”Furious Fists” no=”73″ c=”name”][/card] reduces Darkrai’s damage output. [card name=”Comfey” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] blocks the ever-annoying [card name=”Hypnotoxic Laser” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Malamar-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”58″ c=”name”][/card]’s Hyper Hypnosis, which in turn blocks [card name=”Darkrai-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”88″ c=”name”][/card]’s Dead End GX attack. Karen resets Night March’s damage output, and it is incredibly difficult for Night March to reach 210 over and over when it has to start from scratch multiple times a game.

[card name=”Wonder Energy” set=”Primal Clash” no=”144″ c=”name”][/card] is a neat little inclusion that blocks attacks such as Shell Trap, Dead End GX, Silent Fear, Psybeam, and Divide GX. It is better than Basic Fairy Energy in most situations, though you can’t put it back with Super Rod. Let’s look at Gardevoir’s matchups against the top decks from Ft. Wayne. I’ll go over Gardevoir’s matchups quickly because I have a lot of experience playing against some of them and I think Gardevoir has amazing matchups. However, I won’t be doing this for every deck I discuss today because I just don’t have as much experience with them as I do with Garde.

Drkrai – Favorable

Darkrai is a favorable matchup, but even with all of the techs, it’s not as easy as you might think. Once Dark Pulse gets up to 250 damage (210 after [card name=”Klefki” set=”Furious Fists” no=”73″ c=”name”][/card] Resistance, enough to KO Gardevoir), things start to go downhill. It is just a matter of when that many Dark Energy hit the board. Before then, you can Max Potion off any other Dark Pulses. [card name=”Yveltal” set=”Steam Siege” no=”65″ c=”name”][/card] is surprisingly annoying, especially because you cannot KO it if it has [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card]. You definitely want to find Klefki as soon as possible, then Comfey. If you cannot Hex them early game (which you should try to do), at least try to find [card name=”Sudowoodo” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card]. Hex is less important than Klefki late game, but early Hexes are certainly your friends, especially when going first. You also want to have [card name=”Wonder Energy” set=”Primal Clash” no=”144″ c=”name”][/card] in play whenever possible. Darkrai can Hex Laser for Dead End around Comfey, or you may just not have Comfey in play at all times. However, regardless of Comfey, Wonder Energy will always block Dead End GX.

Night March – Favorable

Like Darkrai, this matchup is not as easy as it seems on paper, but it is still in Gardevoir’s favor. The matchup really comes down to when you can use [card name=”Karen” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY177″ c=”name”][/card]. In a perfect world, you use it on every turn, but that doesn’t happen in practice. As always, a turn one Hex going first is busted. Gardevoir is difficult for Night March to OHKO and you can Max Potion away any Night March attacks that don’t land the OHKO. There aren’t any huge strategies, just use Karen and try to put yourself in positions where you can access Karen on crucial turns.

[premium]

Turtonator – ???

I actually have yet to play against the new [card name=”Turtonator-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”18″ c=”name”][/card] deck with Gardevoir. In theory, Gardevoir should win. If the matchup goes anything like the previous iterations of Volcanion, Gardevoir had the edge because of [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card]. The new dynamic here is the Shell Trap, which is why Wonder Energy is a pivotal card in this matchup. They can’t OHKO you under Hex, so settle for the 2HKO and Max Potion strategy and abuse Wonder Energy. You definitely want to strategically place your Energy. What I mean by this is that you want to spend your Basic Fairies on turns they don’t Shell Trap, so that you have Wonder Energy for turns they do. After all, Max Potion discards your Energy, so you have to be wise with how you use them.

Garbodor – Favorable

Garbodor Box and [card name=”Espeon-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”61″ c=”name”][/card] / Garbodor just can’t deal with Mega Gardevoir very well. You one shot them every turn and don’t play down nine Items. The annoying thing is Garbotoxin, so try to KO that whenever you get the chance. Wonder Energy is huge against Espeon (EX and GX). Not much to say here to be honest.

Golisopod – Depends

I don’t know how many of the [card name=”Golisopod-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”17″ c=”name”][/card] decks run Garbotoxin, but theoretically that is the only issue. Of course, you can always kill the Garbotoxin. Not gonna lie, I haven’t tested against Golisopod (of all things), but it seems like Gardevoir and Golisopod just trade 2HKOs and heal. Thing is, Garde has more healing cards, so Garde should be favored.

Trevenant – Highly Favorable

This matchup is really easy, all you have to do is get a Gardevoir to attack within a reasonable time frame. Sometimes [card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] locks you too quickly and gets the edge, but overall the matchup is favorable. Once you set up a Mega, all you have to do is use Despair Ray and eventually set up another Mega. There’s really nothing Trevenant can do once you start attacking.

Seismitoad-EX / Seviper

The next deck that I see as a top play for Daytona is actually [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] with an unusual partner.

[decklist name=”Toad” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Skrelp” set=”Flashfire” no=”44″][pokemon amt=”14″]4x [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Seviper” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”50″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Dragalge” set=”Flashfire” no=”71″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Skrelp” set=”Flashfire” no=”44″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Giratina” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY184″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Sudowoodo” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”66″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”42″]3x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Acerola” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”112″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ 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″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Team Flare Grunt” set=”XY” no=”129″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”135″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Hypnotoxic Laser” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”123″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Poison Barb” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”124″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Weakness Policy” set=”Primal Clash” no=”142″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Nest Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”123″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Switch” set=”Secret Wonders” no=”128″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Energy Loto” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”122″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Computer Search” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Virbank City Gym” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”126″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”4″]4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”111″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

I was a little surprised that nobody actually played this deck at Ft. Wayne. Item-lock is still very strong in Expanded and [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] has gained a few toys from the newer sets that help it out a lot. The strategy of the deck is similar to that of older Toad decks. Spam Quaking Punch while supporting the Toad with a variety of Trainer cards. However, this list focuses less on Energy disruption and more on damage. [card name=”Hypnotoxic Laser” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Poison Barb” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”124″ c=”name”][/card] make it so that your opponent’s Pokemon are always Poisoned. [card name=”Virbank City Gym” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”126″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Seviper” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”50″ c=”name”][/card] augment the Poison damage. With Quaking Punch blocking most switching cards as well as VS Seeker, and [card name=”Dragalge” set=”Flashfire” no=”71″ c=”name”][/card] blocking manual retreating, it is difficult for opponents to escape the Poison-lock.

[cardimg name=”Seviper” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”50″ align=”right” c=”Seviper is punishing in Expanded.”][/cardimg]

Of course you’ve got your four Toads because starting with it is important, as is forcing your opponent to go through three of them. Bench space does get a little tight, but I wouldn’t feel comfortable going down to three Toads. I also run four Seviper because they are crucial to the deck’s effectiveness. You want as many Seviper in play as possible at all times. The more the merrier. [card name=”Sudowoodo” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card] has become a popular tech in Expanded because of its Ability that severely limits Turbo Dark and Rayquaza, and you need all the help you can get against Turbo Dark.

Card Explanations

One Giratina

[card name=”Giratina” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY184″ c=”name”][/card] is obviously for the [card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] matchup. With three [card name=”Acerola” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”112″ c=”name”][/card] and access to Items such as [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] and Hypnotoxic Laser, the Trevenant matchup is favorable. If your opponent doesn’t play down [card name=”Trevenant BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card], it could limit your Item usage but it also doesn’t allow them the opportunity to wipe out the Seviper hoard.

1-1 Dragalge

[card name=”Dragalge” set=”Flashfire” no=”71″ c=”name”][/card] is included for the Turbo Dark matchup, and you also want use it against any other deck that retreats easily. [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”63″ c=”name”][/card]’s Dark Cloak allows all of their Pokemon to easily retreat out of Poison, and that’s a huge issue for Toad. Dragalge completely negates that which makes it a huge help in this matchup.

One Karen

[card name=”Karen” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY177″ c=”name”][/card] and Quaking Punch wins the Night March matchup. Seeing as Night March just won the largest Regional ever, hard countering it with just one card seems appropriate. While we are on the topic of one-of Supporters, [card name=”Skyla” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”148″ c=”name”][/card] is fantastic in this deck as well. She can be used to find [card name=”Computer Search” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] for DCE, find a piece of the LaserBank combo, and can basically get anything else in the deck in some way or another. I would like to find room for another Skyla, but the only cards I would consider cutting are the second [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] and the [card name=”Energy Loto” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card].

One Guzma, One Lysandre

[card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card] are both good in different situations, so I included both of them. [card name=”Team Flare Grunt” set=”XY” no=”129″ c=”name”][/card] goes very well with Seismitoad, and it’s another card that you could run two of if you so desired. Flare Grunt is useful in almost every matchup, but I only run one because most of the time you’d like to be using another Supporter instead.

Three Acerola

[card name=”Acerola” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”112″ c=”name”][/card] is one of Seismitoad’s favorite new options. Acerola is why this deck is so busted. You can completely heal Toad for free. I don’t know what else to say, that is absolutely insane. Most decks in Expanded will not OHKO Toad, so denying Prizes while your opponent accumulates up to 70 damage from Poison in between turns is too much for most decks to handle. One thing that I learned playing Carbink is that Prize denial is an effective strategy, and this is even more true when your opponent is Item-locked and suffering from Poison damage.

Three Poison Barb

[cardimg name=”Poison Barb” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”124″ align=”right” c=”Poison, poison, poison.”][/cardimg]

[card name=”Poison Barb” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”124″ c=”name”][/card] is a really broken Tool in this deck and it has seen no competitive play so far. I view it as a permanent [card name=”Bursting Balloon” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card] because of how much damage Poison is doing. It certainly helps that Toad blocks [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Startling Megaphone” set=”Flashfire” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card], so the Barb is here to stay. If your opponent attacks into Poison Barb and takes 50 damage for example, they will take 50 in between each turn. So after just one Quaking Punch on the following turn, they are at 130. This puts them at exactly 180 going into your next turn, which will usually be a knockout. Of course, Poison damage fluctuates wildly with this deck, but it was a realistic illustration nonetheless. With the combination of three Barb and four Laser, it will be fairly rare for your opponent not to be poisoned.

Two Float Stone

I run two [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] because you really want to get a turn one Quaking Punch when going second. Float Stone improves your odds of that happening in the event you start with something that isn’t Seismitoad. Float Stone is also very important as a pivot for when you use Acerola to heal your Active Toad. With how tight Bench Space is, it is entirely likely that you won’t have a backup Toad to go into. Therefore, you can just play down the Toad, Energy, and Barb that you just picked up, retreat back into it, and resume your Quaking destruction.

Two Weakness Policy

[card name=”Weakness Policy” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”126″ c=”name”][/card] is now a critical card to include in this deck because of the uptick in [card name=”Golisopod-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”17″ c=”name”][/card]’s popularity. With Weakness Policy, Golisopod becomes just another deck that has to 2HKO Toad, and that is significantly less threatening. You do have to rely on Laser in the Goli matchup without easy access to Poison Barb, but it is definitely a worthwhile trade-off.

One Switch, One Nest Ball

[card name=”Switch” set=”Secret Wonders” no=”128″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Nest Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] are included as one-ofs because they are useful enough to include but also niche enough to leave the counts at one. I like Switch to get out of Psybeam without wasting a Supporter. It also increases the odds of a turn one Quaking Punch and has a lot of utility in general. Nest Ball is basically a wildcard Basic Pokemon that is useful in the early stages of the game.

One Energy Loto

[card name=”Energy Loto” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card] is a cute inclusion who’s worth I am still questioning. It is simply a consistency card that increases your odds of drawing DCE during the early stages of the game. Is it needed? I’m not sure, but extra consistency doesn’t hurt. [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card] is absolutely essential to remove Tool cards that get played before Quaking Punch is established. Float Stone is the main target here, but most Tools have the potential to hurt Toad in some way. Field Blower is better than Megaphone in this deck because your opponent doesn’t have a whole lot of time to find more than two Tools anyway. Additionally, with three different Tools in this deck, sometimes you may want to discard your own Tools. Of course, the option to discard Stadium cards is nice as well, and sometimes you can manipulate poison math to KO your opponent going into your turn.

Donphan

The final deck that I’m considering for Daytona is [card name=”Donphan” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”72″ c=”name”][/card]. If you are new to the game, odds are you are unfamiliar with this card, as it hasn’t seen competitive play for the past couple of years. I think Donphan is incredibly strong right now because with [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card], Eeveelutions, and of course [card name=”Strong Energy” set=”Furious Fists” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card], it can hit for very high numbers with Spinning Turn. Additionally, most other decks cannot go through four copies of [card name=”Robo Substitute” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card] and take six Prize Cards before losing to Donphan. Before going into the list, you should know that this deck has virtually no space in it, and you need to carefully choose which techs you will use in your limited number of open slots. I’ll go over all the tech options that I don’t have in my list as well. Also, this is the deck that I’ve played the least. A lot of what I will talk about is theory, though I really did want to at least mention Donphan in this article.

[decklist name=”Donphan” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Eevee” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”90″][pokemon amt=”20″]4x [card name=”Donphan” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”72″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Phanpy” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”71″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”36″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Leafeon” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”11″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Flareon” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”13″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Vaporeon” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”22″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Jolteon” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”26″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Eevee” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”90″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Regirock-EX” set=”Fates Collide” no=”43″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”33″]4x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”XY” no=”122″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”N” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”96″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/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=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”118″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Ace Trainer” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”69″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Brigette” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”134″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”135″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Robo Substitute” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Super Rod” set=”Noble Victories” no=”95″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Computer Search” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”7″]4x [card name=”Strong Energy” set=”Fates Collide” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Fighting Energy” set=”XY” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card][/energy][/decklist]

Card Explanations

4-4 Donphan, Three Wobbuffet, Four Robo Substitute

We’ve got four [card name=”Donphan” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”72″ c=”name”][/card] because it is the the only attacker in the deck (besides [card name=”Leafeon” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”11″ c=”name”][/card]). You’re going to use nothing but Spinning Turn and you want to start doing that by turn two. [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”36″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Robo Substitute” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card] are the Pokemon you’re going to switch into with Spinning Turn. Wobbuffet is the most disruptive wall in the format and it can really screw up some decks, especially if you start with it. Robo Sub is simply a free turn because your opponent gains nothing by KOing it. They can pass, but it still accomplishes its goal of buying a turn. If your opponent leaves a Sub Active, you ideally want to use [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card], but you can also discard it if you have to. If your opponent uses a Guzma of their own to go around the Sub, you still have the Sub! You want to be wise about when you throw out Wobb and when you use Sub to avoid discarding Sub unnecessarily. Generally speaking, if your opponent is in a position to KO Wobb on the following turn, you send in Sub. If not, you send in Wobb. Also, if you need to maintain an Ability-lock for some reason, send in Wobb.

One Regirock-EX

[cardimg name=”Regirock-EX” set=”Fates Collide” no=”43″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

[card name=”Regirock-EX” set=”Fates Collide” no=”43″ c=”name”][/card] is a hugely relevant tech that is great in a few matchups. First and foremost, Regirock allows Donphan to OHKO a [card name=”Trubbish” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”65″ c=”name”][/card] with just a Strong Energy. This is a big deal and it allows Donphan to trade evenly with Trubbish while still holding the advantage of the Robo Subs. If your opponent uses Garbotoxin to turn off Regirock, that means they have one less Trubbish to attack with. Regirock also allows Donphan to cleanly OHKO [card name=”Ho-Oh-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”21″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Turtonator-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”18″ c=”name”][/card], Pokemon that would otherwise be out of range. The same applies to other Pokemon-EX that resist Fighting such as [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card]. Please don’t try to attack with Regirock :).

One Leafeon

[card name=”Leafeon” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”11″ c=”name”][/card] can punish other decks very hard for attaching too much Energy, especially combined with [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] and other Eeveelutions. In fact, if your opponent has just three Energy in play, Leafeon can hit for 180 damage with Choice Band if it is hitting for Weakness. Leafeon also helps against [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Keldeo-EX” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”49″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Primal Groudon-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card] thanks to its Grass typing.

One Flareon, One Vaporeon, One Jolteon

[card name=”Flareon” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”13″ c=”name”][/card] is for help against [card name=”Golisopod-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”17″ c=”name”][/card]. [card name=”Vaporeon” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”22″ c=”name”][/card] is mainly for [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Turtonator-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”18″ c=”name”][/card]. [card name=”Jolteon” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card] is for [card name=”Ho-Oh-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”21″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] loops, and other Lightning-weak Pokemon. I think access to the Eeveelutions is the only reason Donphan is competitive right now. Though it is an interesting option, I don’t run [card name=”Rough Seas” set=”Primal Clash” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] because it doesn’t actually help the Trevenant matchup and there’s no space.

Four Sycamore, Two Lele, One Colress, One Ace Trainer, One Brigette, Two Teammates

As far as Supporters go, I’m not entirely sure if four Sycamore and two Lele are needed, but when in doubt, go with consistency. [card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”118″ c=”name”][/card] is great because your Bench is always full. [card name=”Ace Trainer” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”69″ c=”name”][/card] is just a ridiculous card and this deck uses it quite well. [card name=”Brigette” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”134″ c=”name”][/card] is practically a staple for non-EX decks now. [card name=”Teammates” set=”Primal Clash” no=”141″ c=”name”][/card] is insane because it works even if your opponent only KOs a Robo Sub, and you usually count on your opponents KOing at least something every turn. Teammates helps you set up the Donphan, Choice Band, Strong Energy, and Eeveelution combo that is so important in many matchups.

Four Float Stone, One Super Rod

I run four [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] so that you’re never out of ways to retreat [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC11″ c=”name”][/card]. I would like a fourth Choice Band but I’m not sure if it’s needed and I can’t justify cutting anything for it. [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ c=”name”][/card] is slightly superior to [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”name”][/card] because of the skimpy Energy counts. Additionally, you will almost always rather shuffle three Pokemon in than take only one back.

Other Techs

The only two cards that I’m considering for this deck that I don’t have in it are [card name=”Oricorio” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”56″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Latias-EX” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”85″ c=”name”][/card]. Oricorio should make the Night March matchup pretty easy, but I don’t know if it is worth the space because Donphan can go toe-to-toe with Night March anyway. I imagine I’d have to cut the fourth Sycamore if I were to include Oricorio. Latias theoretically gives you a favorable Trevenant matchup, but if they run a [card name=”Silent Lab” set=”Primal Clash” no=”140″ c=”name”][/card] it completely ruins the strategy. Without Latias, you are taking the hard autoloss to any Trevenant variant.

Conclusion

That’s all I have for you guys today. Thanks for reading! I think Expanded is wide-open right now and there is definitely some room for more creativity. I hope you guys like the decks and I encourage you to try some of them out and to try and come up with some stuff for Expanded on your own!

~Grant

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