Foul! — The Return of Zoroark / Drampa-GX & a Daytona Regionals Top 8 Report
[cardimg name=”Gardevoir-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”140″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
Hello readers! I am here again to write about Standard. I said this in the last article, but both formats are extremely healthy, and I am glad to be able to play in this time period. There appears that there is, however, a dominant deck in both formats. [card name=”Necrozma-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”63″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] is toppling all competition in the Expanded format whereas [card name=”Gardevoir-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] is seemingly unstoppable in Standard. Though I think there is some merit to these claims, players big and small are adjusting to an ever-evolving format.
In this article, I will mostly focus on an innovative Standard deck that is geared to beat nearly anything you can throw at it, centered around my favorite type in the TCG: Darkness. That deck is of course [card name=”Zoroark BREAK” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Drampa-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card]. But first, I would like to give a tournament report for my Gardevoir-GX Top 8 at Daytona, along with an analysis of how I think this deck can be tweaked to beat the newly crowned best deck in format (BDIF).
Daytona Beach Top 8 Report
Daytona Beach is a great idea for a venue. I was not afraid, and actually hoping, to do poorly and drop the tournament as I could enjoy the beach for the rest of my time. I had chosen Gardevoir-GX as my deck weeks in advance because I like to choose decks that might not have many great matchups, but do not have any highly played bad matchups. In my last article, I discussed how I believed the matchups went, so I won’t go into that here, but I did tweak the list by about ten cards due to heavy testing with my teammates. My list can be found on Pokemon.com.
Testing with my group revealed that, even with [card name=”Karen” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY177″ c=”name”][/card], Night March was an abysmal matchup. I was worried because I thought that I would have to go back to the drawing board. However, after adding [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card], the matchup became much easier to deal with. Being able to completely lock out their Items and taking their damage away makes the matchup unimaginably easy. If they manage to take out the Seismitoad-EX with a [card name=”Tauros-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”100″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Marshadow-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”80″ c=”name”][/card], you can always follow up with a [card name=”Gallade” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”84″ c=”name”][/card] KO and repeat the cycle with more Quaking Punches and Karen. This lead me to switch out the [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card]s in my old list for [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card]s, and play more of the Psybolt [card name=”Ralts” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”59″ c=”name”][/card].
My other big change was [card name=”Comfey” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card]; which was added because of how people were reacting to the Night March win. Some were just adding Karen or [card name=”Oricorio” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card], but there were a lot of people who just wanted to play Seismitoad-EX with [card name=”Hypnotoxic Laser” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card]s like fellow PokeBeach author Grant Manley. To avoid that and any [card name=”Accelgor” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”11″ c=”name”][/card] that might pop up, I took out the [card name=”Giratina” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY184″ c=”name”][/card] for Comfey. This ended up being the best change I made to the deck.
Day One
Overall I played a lot more Gardevoir-GX than expected. I also completely underestimated the Garbodor matchup.
Round 1: Turbo Dark (LWW) — 1-0
My first game of the tournament, my opponent goes first, hits a Hypnotoxic Laser heads on my lone Psybolt Ralts, [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card]’s me into a dead hand, gets four Energy on board and passes. When I flipped tails on the sleep flip to open my turn, I swore I could smell the beach already. I was donked the next turn.
Games two and three were completely different. I absolutely dominated my opponent with my monstrous 230 HP Stage 2s that one shot his entire board and a one-Prize Gallade that provided beautiful consistency. To add insult to injury, his Dead End-GX attack was useless with Comfey on my Bench, requiring him to find a [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card] plus Hypnotoxic Laser to get the one KO off, only to be overpowered by even more of my fearsome Stage 2s. After this complete turnaround, I remembered why I had chosen this deck.
Round 2: Drampa / Garbodor (WW) — 2-0
When my opponent flipped over Drampa, then [card name=”Brigette” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”134″ c=”name”][/card]’d for another one and two [card name=”Trubbish” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”56″ c=”name”][/card], I knew this would be an easy match. At first, I was only able to get Gallade out, but that didn’t matter because Drampa is weak to Gallade anyway. The following turns all consisted of me using Teammates to pull the exact pieces out of my deck to seal up the game.
Round 3: Gardevoir Mirror (WW) — 3-0
The Gardevoir-GX mirror is something I didn’t test against too much. I didn’t really see the point, as I didn’t hear much about it going into the tournament, and I felt it was more luck-based than skill-based. However, after playing it several rounds, I saw that skill does matter in this matchup, even in Expanded.
[cardimg name=”Necrozma-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”63″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
My strategy going in was to abuse [card name=”Gallade” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”84″ c=”name”][/card] in the early turns to weaken my opponent’s Gardevoir-GX and to follow this up with a Energy-light Gardevoir to clean up. Gardevoir needs three Energy to KO a two-Energy Gallade. After hitting a three-Energy Gardevoir with Sensitive Blade for 130, a one-Energy Gardevoir-GX follow up will finish it off. However, in these instances, I used a [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Shining Legends” no=”69″ c=”name”][/card] on [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] to bait my opponent to over extend, then I followed up with a critical N to three and a OHKO on their Gardevoir-GX. This sealed up the game for me both times.
Round 4: Necrozma / Garbodor (LL) — 3-1
I faced Xander Pero in this round and completely underestimated the deck. This round was after lunch, so I wasn’t at my sharpest with the post-food drowsiness that I was experiencing. [card name=”Necrozma-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”63″ c=”name”][/card] decimating your GX/EX’s HP with other tools like [card name=”Mimikyu” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”58″ c=”name”][/card] and one-Energy Tapu Leles makes the matchup pretty difficult. I got swept up pretty hard, but definitely could have won the match if I played better.
Round 5: Archie’s Blastoise (WW) — 4-1
I was pretty scared when my opponent got a turn one [card name=”Blastoise” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”31″ c=”name”][/card]. However, they were not able to find their [card name=”Articuno” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”17″ c=”name”][/card], or didn’t think of it, to build early pressure in either game. They did manage to take a OHKO with [card name=”Wishiwashi-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”38″ c=”name”][/card]’s Blue Surge GX, but I was able to [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] where the Energy went for some easy KOs. At the end of game two I had a Ralts with five Energy and a Choice Band attached, and I decked myself out to draw my last DCE, Gardevoir, and [card name=”Rare Candy” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”129″ c=”name”][/card] to OHKO a Wishiwashi-GX with a [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card].
Round 6: Gardevoir Mirror (LWT) — 4-1-1
Game one of this series is why I kind of hate this mirror. I started Tapu Lele, and scooped only a few minutes later when my opponent had three Gardevoir-GX’s on board by turn three and all I had was one [card name=”Kirlia” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card]. Game two we both got equal setups and I was able to grab a win by out-playing my opponent, and time was called in the middle of game three.
Round 7: Turbo Dark (WW) — 5-1-1
With my day two life on the line, I was happy to be paired up against Turbo [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card]. This matchup was, again, easy. My opponent knew that I was playing Gardevoir-GX and was pretty pessimistic about his outcome. He even told me his friend saw my secret tech, but he thinks he can get around it. His friend was referring to [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] — he had no idea I was playing [card name=”Comfey” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] or even what the card did. I showed him in a quick 2-0 series, putting me in my win-and-in match.
Round 8: Gardevoir Mirror (WW) — 6-1-1
This round, I played against PPG B-Team member Stephen Roche in the [card name=”Gardevoir-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] mirror again. I had a rocky start, but I was able to turn it around when I attacked with Gallade three times, and followed up with an N. For N insurance my opponent played a sole [card name=”Oranguru” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”113″ c=”name”][/card]. After dead drawing with such a huge lead, perhaps [card name=”Octillery” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card] would have been the better play for him.
[card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] also came clutch in this matchup, as it let me dig for my DCE to close out game two of the series.
Round 9: Necrozma / Garbodor (ID) — 6-1-2
I was facing Brad Curcio whom I was talking to right before the round started. He said he wasn’t going to ID unless his opponent was playing a bad matchup for him. Once we realized him and I were paired, I put my poker face on because I was also pessimistic about the matchup, and he signed the slip. Unfortunately, he bubbled out, and I appreciate his sacrifice. He later gave me his Top 8 powers via text message, and I was excited to roll on to day two.
I ended the first day at 26th seed. I was pretty happy about my performance as my game record was overwhelmingly positive at thirteen wins and only four losses.
Day Two
Looking at the standings and what decks were present in day two, I realized that there wasn’t many easy matchups for me. Luckily, I hit most of the people I wanted to hit, starting with two Seismitoad decks.
Round 10: Seismitoad / Garbodor (WW) — 7-1-2
[cardimg name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”106″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
As I mentioned earlier, I played Comfey specifically for this matchup. I made sure to [card name=”Brigette” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”134″ c=”name”][/card] for it quickly, and find my Seismitoad-EX. With my own Quaking Punch, I stopped my opponent from activating Garbotoxin so that I could build up a couple of huge Gardevoir-GX to completely take the game. I repeated this strategy game two, but couldn’t find my only [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card] to remove the [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] off of their [card name=”Trubbish” set=”Noble Victories” no=”48″ c=”name”][/card] turn one. He Poisoned my Seismitoad before I attacked with it, so the game was a little rougher, but my opponent threw the game away when he decided to heal his Seismitoad with [card name=”Acerola” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”112″ c=”name”][/card] over [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card]-ing my damaged Tapu Lele to win the game.
Round 11: Seismitoad / [card name=”Seviper” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”50″ c=”name”][/card] (WW) — 8-1-2
Grant didn’t even play [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card]; this matchup was pretty free. Before the match, we joked about how he would win the coin flip and get three [card name=”Seviper” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”50″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Virbank City Gym” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”126″ c=”name”][/card] to KO my lone Ralts before I even got a turn. This actually scared me into benching a Lele game one, and a Shaymin game two. After getting Comfey out with a Brigette and attaching a Fairy Energy to it preventing itself from being afflicted with Poison, the match was sealed.
Round 12: Necrozma / Garbodor (WLL) — 8-2-2
I mentally prepared myself for this matchup so that I would be able to handle the [card name=”Necrozma-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”63″ c=”name”][/card] drop well. Game one I had a slow start and came back, and my opponent did the same game two. In the second game, I over extended with a [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] which became an easy two Prizes after a Black Ray GX. Game three I was donked. I would probably have scooped if I was losing anyway, because a tie just makes it harder to bubble into Top 8.
Round 13: Turbo Darkrai-GX (WLW) — 9-2-2
Danny Altavilla was the second PPG player I knocked out of top 8 contention. He got a win against me game two because of slow draws, but not even playing the Dark Pulse Darkrai meant he only had one option to deal with my Gardevoir-GX. After using Hex Maniac plus [card name=”Hypnotoxic Laser” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] plus [card name=”Darkrai-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”88″ c=”name”][/card]’s Dead End GX, he had few options to win and I swept the game.
Round 14: Necrozma / Garbodor (WLW) — 10-2-2
My final match in Swiss was against Russell LaParre with the deck I didn’t want to play against — again. Game one I had a slow start, but I did start Seismitoad, so it forced my opponent to play at my pace. After setting up, and using Twilight GX, I easily swept the game. Game two I started dead slow and didn’t set up at all. Game three was completely the opposite. My hand was excellent, but it was [card name=”Ghetsis” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”101″ c=”name”][/card]’ed away. Left with only a Gardevoir in hand, I top decked a [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] to pull the [card name=”Teammates” set=”Primal Clash” no=”141″ c=”name”][/card] from my discard to get cards I needed to carry on. It was lucky, and happened again when I top decked a [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card] after being Ghetsis’ed to zero.
I was exhausted. I hadn’t played this much Pokemon in a while. Still, I pressed on, and was ready to get into Top 8.
Top 8: Necrozma / Garbodor (LL) — 10-3-2
Ryan Sablehaus absolutely rolled me. I think he played 59/60 of Russell’s cards, so there weren’t any surprises. I just didn’t play well — I definitely need to work on my stamina, and have a steady flow of caffeine to deal with the crashes. Excuses aside, Ryan is a great player, and he definitely deserved the win. He got me with a combination of Necrozma and [card name=”Oricorio” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”56″ c=”name”][/card], and had so many outs to win I couldn’t keep up with them all.
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Post-tournament Thoughts
After this tournament, I definitely see how much of a power house [card name=”Necrozma-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”63″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] can be with access to so many powerful Psychic Pokemon introduced in the Sun and Moon block that can be paired with [card name=”Dimension Valley” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card]. I do think it is the BDIF, but I don’t think it is completely dominant.
[cardimg name=”Gallade” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”61″ align=”right” c=”custom”]Show of hands if you knew this card existed![/cardimg]
Dealing with the Necrozma threat isn’t so bad if you tech for it. One big tech that Gardevoir-GX can play is a second [card name=”Gallade” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”61″ c=”from”][/card] with the Powerful Storm attack. If you have enough Energy on your field, which you usually will, you easily one-shot Necrozma while only sacrificing a DCE and one Prize. In testing, I found just having it on my Bench is enough to scare away the Necrozma from coming out in the first place, forcing my opponent to waste resources to deal with it.
My other suggestion is to mimic Takuya Yoneda’s Gardevoir list with [card name=”Max Potion” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”128″ c=”name”][/card]s. He was able to abuse Max Potion to heal some of the damage from Necrozma’s GX attack, and he didn’t have to worry about running out of resources because of Twilight GX. Necrozma-GX plus DCE is the only reason this deck has a chance against Gardevoir-GX aside from donks.
Zoroark / Drampa
My next couple of tournaments are Standard. This meta is about to change because of the introduction of the Shining Legends set. [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] is, however, much less impactful than most people think. Zoroark-GX’s “discard one draw two” Ability has been done before. Although we are lacking non-Supporter draw in Standard, I don’t think this is strong enough to warrant it be played in every deck. Zoroark-GX, despite the fact that it’s a great card, does not one-shot much in the format. The most popular deck in Standard, and arguably the BDIF, [card name=”Gardevoir-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card], plays [card name=”Gallade” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”84″ c=”name”][/card] as an easy solution to the Fighting-weak card.
I do think the card is useful, however, as a single copy in a deck no one has talked about since Daniel Altavilla won Mexico Regionals with it and followed it up with a Top 4 in Madison Regionals. Gardevoir-GX has scared it away; but with [card name=”Po Town” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Espeon-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”52″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”124″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Tapu Koko” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM30″ c=”name”][/card], you have enough tools to make the Fairy succumb to the darkness. I’ve tested this list quite a bit, and this is the current build that I recommend:
[decklist name=”Drampa-GX / Zoroark ” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″][pokemon amt=”17″]3x [card name=”Drampa-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Zoroark BREAK” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]3x [card name=”Zoroark” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”91″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/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]1x [card name=”Espeon-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”52″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Tapu Koko” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM30″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”33″]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=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”94″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Special Charge” set=”Steam Siege” no=”105″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]3x [card name=”Po Town” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”121″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”10″]6x [card name=”Darkness Energy” set=”Diamond and Pearl” no=”129″ c=”deck2″ amt=”6″][/card]4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”HeartGold and SoulSilver” no=”103″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
Drampa-GX
[card name=”Drampa-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] is the glue that holds the deck together. With how frequently Special Energy are being played in the format, Righteous Edge is an underestimated attack. Activating Berserk with Po Town and your own Stage 1s is fairly consistent, and puts pressure on your opponent quickly. The only downside is that the attack costs two attachments. I play three copies because of how integral having a Basic Pokemon with OHKO potential is, as well as having the excellent GX attack that can get you out of a tough spot.
Three Zoroark BKT, One Zoroark-GX, Two Zoroark BREAK
Although the GX is hyped, I don’t think the card is so useful that it should take up two slots in the deck. It is definitely great as an [card name=”Oranguru” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”113″ c=”name”][/card] replacement from Daniel Altavilla’s dated list; however, the biggest reason to not go heavy on Zoroark-GX is to have more room to play and set up [card name=”Zoroark BREAK” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card]. Being able to Stand In at any time and copy your opponent’s attack for one Energy is the reason we built this deck. Anything from Hug to lock an opponent’s [card name=”Octillery” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card] in place to Crossing Cut GX to finish off a [card name=”Golisopod-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”17″ c=”name”][/card] — the possibilities are endless!
[cardimg name=”Zoroark” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”91″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
One Lillie, Zero Hala
When playing Drampa, many are tempted to play a [card name=”Hala” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”126″ c=”name”][/card] as an extra draw Supporter. However, playing a copy of this card guides your decisions to want to use Big Wheel GX early instead copying your opponent’s GX move. I’ve copied [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card]’s GX move to prevent my opponent from winning, [card name=”Solgaleo-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card]’s Sol Burst GX to set up enough Energy to take the game on the following turn, and even Twilight GX to recover lost resources. Also, Trickster GX on Zoroark-GX is seemingly underwhelming at first, but when you consider it can copy any move on your opponent’s field and not just their Active, its utility is much more sneaky.
Two Rescue Stretcher
My aversion to [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ c=”name”][/card] comes from my good friend James Miller. In general, I like my deck thin. While I do think discarding Energy turn one is a problem, after turn one, I don’t see the need to put Energy back in my deck aside from [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Shining Legends” no=”69″ c=”name”][/card]. In combination with [card name=”Special Charge” set=”Steam Siege” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”name”][/card] has way more utility than Super Rod as it can act as another way to put up evolutions that were either KO’d previously or discarded from [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”135″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card].
One Tapu Koko, One Espeon-EX, Three Po Town
This combination of cards is extremely strong against decks that revolve around evolution GX cards. For instance, [card name=”Gardevoir-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] has 230 HP. If it has to evolve under a Po Town, and is hit by Tapu Koko’s Flying Flip, it is reduced to a mere 180 HP, a number that Drampa-GX’s Berserk attack can hit with a [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card]. Po Town also has utility against both [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”from”][/card] and [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”from”][/card], as it decreases the number of Pokemon your opponent needs on their Bench for [card name=”Zoroark” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] to knock it out with Mind Jack.
Two Enhanced Hammer
Around this time last year in Standard, Azul Griego won a Regionals with [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”124″ c=”name”][/card], and it reminded people why the card exists. The same thing just happened with Igor Costa. All decks except for Volcanion use Special Energy of some sort — even [card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card] plays [card name=”Splash Energy” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”113″ c=”name”][/card]. Setting your opponent behind an attachment steals games; eliminating reserved Energy while simultaneously KO’ing a powered up attacker can give you the edge you need to win otherwise disadvantageous scenario.
Honorary Mentions
For consistency and space reasons I did not include these cards in the deck. However, these are all cards I highly considered.
Second Tapu Koko
This card is the best card versus Stage-2-and-up decks. However, now that Gardevoir-GX seems to be teching in [card name=”Mr. Mime” set=”Generations” no=”52″ c=”name”][/card] because of all the expected hate, I hesitate to play a second copy.
Fourth Po Town
I don’t include this card because it is not useful in all matchups. For instance, Drampa-GX / Garbodor is expected to be the most popular deck in the close of this quarter’s League Cups. Every copy of this card is a dead card if they have played one down already.
[cardimg name=”Po Town” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”121″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
Giratina
People like to play [card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card]. I, personally, would never play it. Giratina is to Greninja BREAK as [card name=”Sudowoodo” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card] is to [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card]. Without the Giratina, the matchup is not unwinnable, but it becomes unwinnable if they hit their cards in the correct order and end up with three BREAKs and a [card name=”Starmie” set=”Evolutions” no=”31″ c=”name”][/card] in play.
Hoopa from Shining Legends
This gimmick has been around for quite a while. I don’t exactly care for it too much because of Garbodor and other players’ access to non-GX attackers, but there are niche situations in which this becomes spectacular. [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”EX FireRed and LeafGreen” no=”100″ c=”name”][/card]’s rotation means that when your opponent uses all of their [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card]s, they can’t get it anymore. Just having this card do 80 or 110 with a Choice Band can sweep games readily. It is a great tool against [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], Gardevoir-GX when they don’t have access to [card name=”Gallade” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”84″ c=”name”][/card], and especially against Golisopod-GX now that most players are switching to Zoroark over Garbodor.
Mallow
[card name=”Mallow” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”127″ c=”name”][/card] plus Trade is equivalent to a [card name=”Teammates” set=”Primal Clash” no=”141″ c=”name”][/card] that requires you to discard a card instead of needing to be KO’d the previous turn.
I’m not a big fan of this card. We only play one [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card], and using a Supporter to trade two cards in your hand for two is detrimental to card advantage to maintain proper tempo. I prefer to use Professor Sycamore plus Trade because it allows you to dig deeper into your deck and get a huge hand. This usually prompts an [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card] from your opponent, but drawing all of those cards thinned out your deck, making the N less effective.
Matchups
I’ve tested this deck for a couple of weeks for my upcoming Leagues and, so far, its matchups are pretty positive.
Gardevoir-GX: Slightly unfavorable
Recommended Techs: Fourth [card name=”Po Town” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] in place of a [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card]
This is probably your worst matchup, especially if they play [card name=”Max Potion” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”128″ c=”name”][/card]s. It is not unwinnable by any means, however.
In this matchup, I don’t mind using Big Wheel early to set up. In the early game, I try to find N’s and reset their hand to deny them their cards from Beacon or Magical Ribbon. You want to utilize [card name=”Tapu Koko” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM30″ c=”name”][/card] heavily (unless they play Mr. Mime), then you try to stall as long as possible with [card name=”Espeon-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”52″ c=”name”][/card] and Po Town. It takes five Energy on a Gardevoir-GX to OHKO an Espeon-EX. With enough residual damage, you can retaliate with a Foul Play or Berserk to swing the game in your favor. [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”124″ c=”name”][/card] can also swing this matchup.
Volcanion-EX / Turtonator-GX: Favored
This matchup is all about using Foul Play on their [card name=”Turtonator-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”18″ c=”name”][/card] and Ho-Oh. These OHKO’s are game defining for sure. If they decide to only go for [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card]’s attacks, which is rare because of the lack of [card name=”Starmie” set=”Evolutions” no=”31″ c=”name”][/card] in modern lists, you can set up KO’s with a Tapu Koko so that your Foul Plays can sweep the game.
Mind Jack is a powerful attack in this matchup as their Bench is almost always full. The only trouble I see with this matchup is if they start using a [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card]ed baby [card name=”Volcanion” set=”Steam Siege” no=”25″ c=”name”][/card] to attack — one Steam Up KO’s a BREAK, and Choice Band has no effect on it. In this situation, I try to go the Drampa route to take out the Volcanion-EX with Guzma.
Ho-Oh-GX / Salazzle-GX: Favored
Similar to Volcanion / Turtonator, Foul Play is the route you want to go. If you have a slow start, you can be easily overtaken. I do not recommend benching EX’s/GX’s unless it is absolutely necessary as Ho-Oh-GX deals with them handily. Ho-Oh-GX is weak to Lightning; this means a Choice Banded Tapu Koko deals 100 damage to it for just a DCE, making the 2HKO easy, and a great trade for a four-Energy Ho-Oh. Later in the game, if they have Salazzle-GX out, you can always use their Diabolical Claws with Foul Play for your advantage.
Drampa / Garbodor: Slightly Favored
[cardimg name=”Drampa-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”115″ align=”right” c=”custom”]Its biggest threat is itself![/cardimg]
Recommended Techs: Mallow over [card name=”Lillie” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card]
If your meta looks anything like mine, this matchup will be predominant in your upcoming tournaments. This matchup is all about the [card name=”Drampa-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] mind games. If you are able to get the first attachment on a Drampa, I recommend focusing Drampa. However, if you go second or miss your turn one attachment to not allow you to set up for a Berserk first, the correct play is to go with Tapu Koko to put residual damage on their attackers to facilitate Foul Play/Mind Jack KO’s in future turns.
Po Town is a double-edged sword in this matchup because your Resistance on [card name=”Zoroark BREAK” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] makes it hard for Trashalanche to KO. If you’re not trying to Berserk, ditch the Po Town until you have already evolved your own Zoroark.
Mallow helps this matchup because it is basically a slug fest of one-Prize attackers. Mallow ensures you can attack multiple turns in a row to keep up with their tempo, without having to dig too hard and waste Items.
Metagross: Slightly Unfavorable
Recommended Techs: Second Tapu Koko
This matchup is weird, but the scale is tipped a little in [card name=”Metagross-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”85″ c=”name”][/card]’s favor. If you are able to start Tapu Koko, the spread damage and Po Town become extremely relevant when trying to KO. Espeon also does a lot of work, as they can only play so many [card name=”Rare Candy” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”129″ c=”name”][/card] through your Miraculous Shines. You have to time your 2HKO’s and Koko around their Max Potions, so only go for the two-shot if it doesn’t appear that they can attack the following turn.
Solgaleo-GX: Favored
I’ve been seeing more of this deck online because of its dominance over Gardevoir-GX.
You would think that this matchup would play similar to the Metagross one, but it is actually a cake walk because you have an out to one shots their [card name=”Solgaleo-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card]: [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card]ed Foul Play. Trading a single-Energy Zoroark BREAK for a Stage 2 GX is an excellent trade in your favor. If you have the time, you can set up to use Trickster-GX as well, although it is a more expensive attack.
Greninja: Favored with Giratina, Slightly Unfavored Without
Recommended Tech: Giratina
[card name=”Giratina” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY184″ c=”name”][/card] makes this matchup unimaginably easy. Between [card name=”Po Town” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Tapu Koko” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM30″ c=”name”][/card], and Drampa’s Berserk, you should have no resistance to take your fast six Prizes.
Without Giratina, it is a different story. Their BREAKs can OHKO your Drampa-GX with Giant Water Shuriken. In the Tina-less version of the matchup, I like to chip away with Koko and do as much damage with [card name=”Zoroark” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] as possible. Using Espeon to kill their Benched Starmie is also a great strategy, as with Po Town you can further damage their [card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card] and eliminate their constant stream of Energy.
Decidueye-GX / Ninetales-GX: Favored
Drampa-GX puts in work. This deck is your dream matchup if you enjoy chipping away and using [card name=”Espeon-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”52″ c=”name”][/card]. Typically this deck plays their own copies of Po Town, so they have only [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card]s to knock off the Stadium. This deck’s damage is slow, and has a hard time against Drampa-GX. [card name=”Alolan Ninetales-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”22″ c=”name”][/card] is immediately in danger of a KO from Berserk if they are softened up by your Po Town. Choice Banded Foul Play works wonders in this situation as well, because you can copy Blizzard Edge to the same effect. [card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card]’s damage is pretty laughable compared to the pressure that is put on by your own Tapu Koko and Po Town, both of which make Espeon-EX invaluable.
Tapu Bulu / Vikavolt: Favored
I don’t know why people play this deck in Standard. It has mediocre matchups all around and has auto-losses against Zoroark and Metagross. There’s not too much to say here, except don’t bench Drampa. Just try to focus on Zoroark BREAK and Foul Play. If they bench too many Pokemon, a Choice Banded Mind Jack does the trick too!
Golisopod / Zoroark: Even
[cardimg name=”Espeon-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”52″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
Recommended tech: Fourth Po Town
This deck is weird to play against, because they have so many [card name=”Acerola” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”112″ c=”name”][/card] to erase your big hits. However, if your own Po Town sticks, then you set up [card name=”Golisopod-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”17″ c=”name”][/card] for not only a Berserk KO, but also a Foul Play into Crossing Cut GX.
The trouble against this deck is whiffing any piece to get an early KO on their Golisopod-GX. Espeon-EX is also effective in this matchup just to buy some time and deal significant spread damage.
Closing Thoughts
I love the state of both formats. I am excited to see how Shining Legends changes up the meta with Zoroark-GX acting as an alternative for consistency, and to see how other decks like [card name=”Raichu-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”29″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Magnezone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”54″ c=”name”][/card] play out. Crimson Invasion also looks like it will be a welcomed addition to the game, but I do not expect it to be too impactful because of the Psychic Weakness of [card name=”Buzzwole-GX” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] and the general high Energy cost of all the new attackers.
I hope you enjoyed my article, and took more out of it than just the lists. If you have any questions feel free to contact me in the Subscriber’s Secret Hideout, Facebook, or on Twitter @uncle_habibi.
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