Build Your Own Counter-Box — Counter Energy Experimentations

By: Caleb Gedemer · Posted Posted onNov 20, 2017 at 12:39 PM · 0 Comments

[card name=”Scramble Energy” set=”EX Dragon Frontiers” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card] was a staple in formats past. It gave non-EX decks a tool with which to compete and come from behind, as they required more setup. While non-EX/GX decks are still competitive in the Standard format these days, they have been lacking the come-from-behind potential of many moons ago. Now enter [card name=”Counter Energy” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”100″ c=”name”][/card], the hero these decks have been searching for! It can provide a “rainbow” of Energy, two at a time, to any non-EX/GX Pokemon you have out as long as you are behind on Prizes. This is pretty amazing and if you employ the correct opening strategy, you can mount huge comebacks.

[cardimg name=”Counter Energy” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”100″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

I’ve been messing around with this idea since I first saw whispers of it online, especially after I saw support for the build from other top players like Phinnegan Lynch and Travis Nunlist. I think the biggest go-to partner with this card is with some of the most vanilla cards in the game like [card name=”Zoroark” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card]. They do big damage and only take a [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card]; pretty sweet for a deck that needs to rely on coming from behind and sometimes needs something to buy time and do some moderate work while you’re waiting.

After kind of concluding that the frisky fox was the best base to build the deck around, I found it was time to create a toolbox of attackers to surround it with. I scrolled through the Pokemon Trading Card Game Online on my collection using the “Basic Pokemon” and “two Energy cost” filters to find potential suitors (looking for “colored” Energy cost attackers, not Double Colorless ones). I came up with the following list of options:

  • [card name=”Absol” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”81″ c=”name”][/card]
    • Doom News is a solid attack in the late game when your opponent can’t find a way to switch out their Active Pokemon
  • [card name=”Cobalion” set=”Steam Siege” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card]
    • Awesome against Metal-weak Pokemon like [card name=”Alolan Ninetales-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”132″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Gardevoir-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card]
  • [card name=”Keldeo” set=”Shining Legends” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card]
    • Sweet against Fire decks like [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card]
  • [card name=”Mimikyu” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”58″ c=”name”][/card]
    • Solid attacker all-around which would normally be unusable without two specific Energy attachments
  • [card name=”Pancham” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”72″ c=”name”][/card]
    • Good against Fighting-weak Pokemon with a Choice Band attached and no damage counters on it
  • [card name=”Passimian” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card]
    • Second attack is strong if you have a Tool card in hand and a Choice Band attached but might be hard to pull off
  • [card name=”Shaymin” set=”Shining Legends” no=”7″ c=”name”][/card]
    • Grass-weak Pokemon will run and hide and probably the best way to deal solid damage for a Counter Energy
  • [card name=”Spiritomb” set=”Steam Siege” no=”62″ c=”name”][/card] (and the unreleased Tapu Lele Promo)
    • Spooky way to move damage counters around on your opponent’s Pokemon, can come out of nowhere after a few Flying Flip uses
  • [card name=”Stunfisk” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”56″ c=”name”][/card]
    • Strong revenge attacker like Shaymin
  • [card name=”Sudowoodo” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”67″ c=”name”][/card]
    • Copy attacks, similar to Mimikyu, good [card name=”Drampa-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] counter
  • [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC11″ c=”name”][/card]
    • Supplemental attacker after already doing some damage to a Pokemon, probably a little underwhelming

When compiling this list, I excluded any Pokemon that was incapable of doing at least 60 damage for one attachment; even with a [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card], those Pokemon would not be able to take the OHKOs that you’re looking to achieve on many popular Pokemon. Aside from that, they are generally quite weak HP-wise, which makes them inferior to even a solid attack from something like Energy Drive from Tapu Lele-GX.

Now on my list of options. There are essentially two directions that a deck like this can be built. One is using [card name=”Tapu Koko” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM30″ c=”name”][/card] and its Flying Flip attack to spread damage and then clean things up with Spiritomb, or to use a toolbox of Energy types to counter each and every matchup you may face. I prefer the latter, and that’s what I’ll be focusing on today. Here’s where you can come in with your own creativity. Which version of the deck do you personally prefer? That’s for you to decide; I like the non-Spiritomb versions.

Quizzical Gameplay

Playing this deck is tough; I struggled using it the first few games I played it in. There are a few ways to open up a game. First, [card name=”Tapu Koko” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM30″ c=”name”][/card] is your ideal starter. While Flying Flip doesn’t pressure an opponent very much with damage, it forces him or her to do something about it. Basically, Flying Flip can’t continue forever, or all of your opponent’s Pokemon will be Knocked Out! Ideally, Tapu Koko will be your first Knocked Out Pokemon. You will now have fewer Prizes remaining than your opponent, and be able to use Counter Energy.

There are other ways to get to this point too, of course, perhaps opting to soften up your opponent’s Pokemon with [card name=”Zoroark” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] and Mind Jack, or just sacrificing something. Sometimes giving up a Prize isn’t always the optimal play, though; some of it depends on the matchup. When facing a deck like [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card], you’re already going to have an advantage. Garbodor decks require a larger Bench, so Mind Jack should make quick work of them. If your opponent opts to limit his or her Bench, then Riotous Beating with [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] can take one-hit Knock Outs on your opponent’s Garbodor if you have a full Bench. Playing from behind is more crucial in matchups where you have a clear type advantage with your tech Pokemon. A good example of this is in the [card name=”Gardevoir-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] matchup when you’re looking to use [card name=”Cobalion” set=”Steam Siege” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card].

Sometimes you’re going to want to opt to use a Pokemon that gives up two Prizes so that you can get “two turns of using Counter Energy”. Say you start with [card name=”Drampa-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] and do a few things, but do not take a Knock Out of your own; now your opponent KOs it. You shove up Mimikyu and take a Knock Out with it, making it an even game on Prizes. Now your opponent is forced to take out Mimikyu, and your opponent now has three Prizes, whereas you have four. Things like this are very important to be aware of when trying to use a Counter Energy deck. Tech attackers are what make the deck viable, and consistently using them is especially important.

Making It Fit

So how does this all get shoved into one deck? It’s actually pretty simple as you’ll see in this 50 card skeleton list:

[decklist name=”null” amt=”50″ caption=”” cname=”Cobalion” set=”Steam Siege” no=”74″][pokemon amt=”13″]2x [card name=”Zoroark” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”91″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Zoroark BREAK” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]3x [card name=”Zorua” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”89″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Tapu Koko” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM31″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Mimikyu” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”58″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Drampa-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Cobalion” set=”Steam Siege” no=”74″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”25″]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]3x [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Brigette” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”134″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Shining Legends” no=”68″ 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]2x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Special Charge” set=”Steam Siege” no=”105″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”12″]4x [card name=”Counter Energy” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”100″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Rainbow Energy” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Shining Legends” no=”69″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

Free Space – 10

A decent-sized Zoroark line needs to be included in each and every one of these lists, since it’s your main attacker. Without it, you’d never be able to do significant damage when you’re not trailing on Prizes in a game, which would be a serious problem. A couple [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] should be in every deck, and as already mentioned [card name=”Tapu Koko” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM30″ c=”name”][/card] needs to be in this deck. Mimikyu, Drampa-GX and Cobalion are the must-have tech attackers that I think you need, since they have the most utility in every matchup. Other ones are debatable, but the aforementioned three Pokemon are crucial to success. Everything else is a little more self-explanatory, and [card name=”Special Charge” set=”Steam Siege” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card] and my Energy lineup are crucial. I like Rainbow Energy in here because it gives you ways to inflict your Bench with damage to power up Drampa-GX and even can allow you to use some tech attackers without Counter Energy being online. Below you’ll get a chance to see my entire list…

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The List

[decklist name=”null” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Cobalion” set=”Steam Siege” no=”74″][pokemon amt=”19″]3x [card name=”Zoroark” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”91″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Zoroark BREAK” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Zorua” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”89″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Tapu Koko” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM31″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Shaymin” set=”Shining Legends” no=”7″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Mimikyu” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”58″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Mew” set=”Fates Collide” no=”29″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Kartana-GX” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”70″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Drampa-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Cobalion” set=”Steam Siege” no=”74″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”29″]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]3x [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Lillie” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”122″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Brigette” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”134″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Shining Legends” no=”68″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Special Charge” set=”Steam Siege” no=”105″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Counter Catcher” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”91″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”12″]4x [card name=”Counter Energy” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”100″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Rainbow Energy” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Shining Legends” no=”69″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist]

Card Explanations

Four Zorua

Getting Zoroark out is your first priority, and having four Zorua as a base to increase your odds of drawing them early is best. I haven’t ever regretted having a handful of Zorua, and it’s nice to have a steady flow of them in the later game too so you can save your [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”name”][/card] uses for other tech Pokemon as you see fit.

Three Zoroark

[cardimg name=”Zoroark” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”91″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Mind Jack is incredible and takes precedent over [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] because of that. The non-EX/GX status is better as well, and helps you utilize many different attackers in a game since you have so many options. Stand In is useful from time to time too. I play [card name=”Zoroark BREAK” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] so having three of these to evolve from is always nice.

One Zoroark-GX

Riotous Beating is a consistently solid attack that can damage your opponent modestly even when he or she plays around filling the Bench up. Trade is impeccable and saves you in the late game from poor draws. I enjoy thinning my deck out since I have to discard a card with its effect as well. Playing one of these is a must with any deck playing Zorua already.

Two Zoroark BREAK

Foul Play is pretty awesome and a solid source of damage no matter which way you look at it. I like to use it a lot against [card name=”Gardevoir-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] since it can copy Infinite Force and create awkward situations for your opponent. Against [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] decks, you can copy Trashalanche and force those same strange situations where your opponent has to play against their own deck concept. Fire decks are especially punished by Foul Play since they rely on attacks with high base damage, and you can easily take OHKOs. [card name=”Tapu Bulu-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM32″ c=”name”][/card] is easy to take a OHKO on with Foul Play as well. This card’s utility is so strong that it pays to play a couple.

Two Tapu Lele-GX

This deck is super cramped for space, and with many different Pokemon to fit on your Bench, two Tapu Lele-GX is all you have space for. Playing another can save you in random games where you Prize one and start with the other but that’s so unlikely that it shouldn’t be a problem.

One Tapu Koko

This card is your absolute best starter and immediately forces your opponent to take it down for a Prize. If you can get your opponent to take an early lead on Prizes, you’ll be in the game right away with [card name=”Counter Energy” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”100″ c=”name”][/card] and be able to use all your techs for type advantage. Don’t forget that Flying Flip sets up plenty of Knock Outs too, especially with Zoroark and Mind Jack!

One Shaymin

Rally Back is sick in this deck. I like this card as a way to do some solid damage and to hit for Weakness against the fringe decks that are weak to Grass; 120 damage is the perfect OHKO on popular cards like Garbodor, too! The overlying reason this card is included is for its pairing with [card name=”Mew” set=”Fates Collide” no=”29″ c=”name”][/card], which I’ll discuss in a minute.

One Mimikyu

Copycat is the most powerful effect on a Basic Pokemon in my opinion. Getting an instant way to copy a powerful attack from your opponent is downright amazing. Counter Energy lets it happen and this card is a must for that reason. This card isn’t great against [card name=”Buzzwole-GX” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] since Jet Punch being copied doesn’t lead to a OHKO; this might not make sense, but right below you’ll see why it’s relevant…

One Mew

Remember [card name=”Shaymin” set=”Shining Legends” no=”7″ c=”name”][/card]? Rally Back is the best source of big damage in this deck for a limited cost. Mew can copy Shaymin and its attacks to swing against Psychic-weak Pokemon like the newly minted Buzzwole-GX. Buzzwole-GX figures to be very important in the coming format, so having this counter package is really nice to have.

One Kartana-GX

Take a Prize! Blade GX completes this deck. I was a little skeptical of the build in games when I would go down to a single Prize and not have a great answer to things my opponent would throw at me. Now, Blade GX will win you the game outright. Counter Energy is obviously unusable when you have a single Prize left so this card is awesome to have. I like to avoid playing it until I use it for the surprise factor to leave the option available to me. Slice Off can have some fringe use against decks where Special Energy are crucial, like [card name=”Gardevoir-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card].

One Drampa-GX

This card is awesome in decks that need to put on pressure early to get anywhere. With three useful attacks, [card name=”Drampa-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] is a gem in this deck. [card name=”Rainbow Energy” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] can power up Berserk and it is awesome in games where you want to start with something that can set up Knock Outs and allow you to fall behind on Prizes.

One Cobalion

[cardimg name=”Cobalion” set=”Steam Siege” no=”74″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

See ya later, Gardevoir-GX! Revenge Blast is probably the best attack in this deck. In the late game, your opponent won’t even be able to play around it if he or she is taking the Prizes to win the game. With a single Prize left for your opponent, [card name=”Cobalion” set=”Steam Siege” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] can do 180 damage with Revenge Blast, and [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] can boost that further. After your opponent has taken only two Prizes, you’ll be able to take OHKOs on a Gardevoir-GX with a Choice Band attached to Cobalion. Don’t sleep on this little beast.

Four Professor Sycamore, Four N and One Lillie

Drawing lots of cards is more important to this card than others since there’s so much packed into sixty cards. I like to use [card name=”Lillie” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”147″ c=”name”][/card] as my “extra” Supporter in decks where I already have four [card name=”N” set=”Black and White Black Star Promos” no=”BW100″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”Steam Siege” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card] and want another Supporter card. Making a toolbox deck as consistent as possible is crucial is you want to be pulling off the combos you aim for.

Three Guzma

[card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”143″ c=”name”][/card] is a more aggressive card for decks that want to be jamming for Prizes early. This deck wants to Knock Out the Pokemon your opponent has in the Active position most of the time so Guzma is less important. That’s why I’ve got three!

One Brigette

Want to set up nicely each game? Use [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] to Wonder Tag for this and sit pretty.

Four Ultra Ball

With so many Pokemon in the deck, this card is much more important than it is in other decks. Sometimes valuing [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”135″ c=”name”][/card] over other cards like even an Energy is smart. Keep that in mind before dumping Ultra Ball with [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card] or discarding one with the effect of a different Ultra Ball. Grabbing techs when you need them is pertinent.

Four Choice Band

Magic numbers are everything for this deck and every damage counter counts. Play four to ensure that you’re swinging for OHKOs when you need to stay in the race.

Two Rescue Stretcher

Your techs are important to success, and sometimes you want to use the same one more than once in a game. [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”name”][/card] allows you to do that and it’s nice to recover pieces of Zoroark as well since that’s a more fragile Pokemon that your opponent can Knock Out rather easily in many cases.

Two Float Stone

Mobility is crucial to almost every deck’s success, and this one is no different. Zoroark and Stand In is super nice with a [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] on it since it’s basically a “free switch” whenever you want.

One Special Charge

This deck only plays Special Energy, so this card has never been in a better situation.

One Field Blower

[card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] would normally be hard to deal with, but this card fixes that. Additionally, against Garbodor decks you’re going to want at least one out to remove a Tool from an online [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”custom”]Garbotoxin Garbodor[/card] since Stand In is important.

One Counter Catcher

[cardimg name=”Counter Catcher” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”91″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Falling behind on Prizes makes this card a viable option in this deck, so playing at least one makes a lot of sense. You can begin to mount comebacks with this card, so keep it in mind. In the late game, this card in combination with an [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card] is just downright dirty. You can basically accomplish two turns of work in one ([card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] and an N normally).

One Parallel City

Removing threats from your Bench that your opponent can win the game off of is important in a deck that uses a lot of non-EX/GX Pokemon. It’s also nice to remove opposing Stadiums in many situations. Reducing your opponent’s Bench seems awkward since Mind Jack preys on large Benches, but it’s something not to discount either since you can apply lots of pressure with your techs in the late game along with a [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card].

Four Rainbow Energy

These are better than playing Darkness Energy in this deck, with one, you can power up Berserk on [card name=”Drampa-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] and also even use the attacks of many of your techs manually if you decide to. You can recover it with Special Charge as well, so it’s a better option overall.

Four Double Colorless Energy

Berserk, Energy Drive, Mind Jack, Riotous Beating, and more are all able to be powered up with [card name=”Double Colorless” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”136″ c=”name”][/card], so four of these cards is essential.

Four Counter Energy

Your techs are almost useless without a full set of these, so don’t sleep on playing four. One could potentially be cut for a second [card name=”Special Charge” set=”Steam Siege” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card] or something like that, but I’m not a fan since I want to draw into them early.

Matchups and Closing

  • [card name=”Alolan Ninetales-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”22″ c=”name”][/card] | Favorable
  • [card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM37″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Alolan Ninetales-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”22″ c=”name”][/card] | Slightly Favorable
  • Garbodor / [card name=”Buzzwole-GX” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] | Slightly Favorable
  • Garbodor / [card name=”Drampa-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] | Favorable
  • Garbodor / [card name=”Golisopod-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”129″ c=”name”][/card] | Slightly Favorable
  • [card name=”Gardevoir-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] | Favorable
  • [card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card] | Unfavorable
  • [card name=”Ho-Oh-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”21″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Salazzle-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”25″ c=”name”][/card] | Favorable
  • [card name=”Metagross-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”85″ c=”name”][/card] | Even
  • [card name=”Silvally-GX” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card] | Even
  • [card name=”Vikavolt” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”52″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Tapu Bulu-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM32″ c=”name”][/card] | Slightly Favorable
  • Volcanion | Slightly Favorable

This deck’s matchups are insane. You really have the option to counter anything, so the sky’s the limit. [card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card] is your only hard loss, although you can make it competitive with your Mind Jack early and Rally Back late. You have some general consistencies, but those can be mitigated with the list like mine currently with extra draw support. Having Zoroark-GX in play helps a ton since Trade can get you moving every single turn. Play around with this deck and you should see what I mean. It takes a bit to get the hang of, but once you’ve started rolling you’re not going to look back. Just remember to pay attention to Prize-trades and to capture any opportunity you have to get ahead in the long run!

Thanks for stopping by, everyone; I’m pleased to say that you’ll be seeing two more articles from me during this month! It’s never been a better time to be a PokeBeach member and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your support of the site. We all work tirelessly to improve the content and functionality for you and appreciate each and every one of you. Next time I stop by I’ll be chatting about the Standard format in its entirety, trying to give you readers a better idea of what’s good and what to expect at upcoming events. See you later, take care!

~Caleb

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