Old Favorites — New Spins on Established Archetypes for San Jose
Hello PokeBeach readers! I am here with part two of my San Jose Regionals preparation. To continue my theme of manipulating the Prize-trade, I have two spicy plays for you to consider: Metal [card name=”Mew” set=”Fates Collide” no=”29″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Gyarados” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”21″ c=”name”][/card]. Both of these decks are not only fun and challenging to play, but they are also incredibly powerful and poised to take the win in the forecasted Expanded meta. This time, instead of overextending with [card name=”Guzzlord-GX” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”63″ c=”name”][/card]’s Greedy Glutton-GX attack that closes out games in a few turns, I have engineered a deck that focuses on one Prize attackers with the ability to OHKO anything in the meta.
The first deck I want to discuss is Metal Mew. I came up with this idea around the same time I came up with the [card name=”Aromatisse” set=”XY” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] idea as I was searching for partners for Mew and [card name=”Counter Energy” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”100″ c=”name”][/card]. The more I played with the list, the less I liked Counter Energy because this deck doesn’t really stay behind. Counter Energy’s utility in this deck is to take the lead in the early game so that you can disrupt your opponent’s tempo and outspeed your opponent in the Prize-trade. It is also useful in matchups that you would expect to be poor for the deck such as [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Lycanroc-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card].
Metal Mew
[decklist name=”Metal Mew” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″][pokemon amt=”18″]1x [card name=”Bronzong BREAK” set=”Fates Collide” no=”62″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]3x [card name=”Bronzong” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”61″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Bronzong” set=”Fates Collide” no=”61″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]3x [card name=”Bronzor” set=”Fates Collide” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Genesect-EX” set=”Fates Collide” no=”64″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Mew” set=”Fates Collide” no=”29″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Kartana-GX” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”70″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Sudowoodo” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”67″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Keldeo-EX” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”49″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”32″]3x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”118″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Brigette” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”161″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Teammates” set=”Primal Clash” no=”160″ 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=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Dowsing Machine” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”128″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”10″]8x [card name=”Metal Energy” set=”XY” no=”139″ c=”deck2″ amt=”8″][/card]2x [card name=”Counter Energy” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”100″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
Overall Strategy
[cardimg name=”Bronzong” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY21″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
You mostly want to set up as many [card name=”Bronzong” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY21″ c=”name”][/card] as you can, while also attacking with [card name=”Mew” set=”Fates Collide” no=”29″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Genesect-EX” set=”Fates Collide” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card]. I’ve included [card name=”Brigette” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”161″ c=”name”][/card] and two [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] for the easy turn one set up that lets you take off and deal damage as fast as possible. Bronzong and similar decks typically have a low skill floor when it comes to playing them effectively. The difficulty in this list is knowing when to commit to an OHKO, or when to take it slow. [card name=”Kartana-GX” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”70″ c=”name”][/card] is a great card for manipulating the pace of the game. At any stage of the game when you find yourself unable to pull off a meaningful attack, Blade-GX lets you race with your opponent for a single Energy. When you pair it with Mew, the risk is extremely minimal as you only lose a single Metal Energy and give up a single Prize.
Genesect-EX is an underrated powerhouse in the meta, that lost a lot of favor when Bronzong rotated out of Standard. Sleeving up this deck immediately reminded me why it was popular in the XY – STS format and it has become even more powerful with [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card]. When you attack with Rapid Blaster and discard three Energy with a Choice Band attached, you deal 190 damage. Attacking with Mew makes Rapid Blaster even easier because you’re only committing to a one Prize attacker. I’m not really sure why this Mew hasn’t been implemented in the list before. Mew has free Retreat, decreasing your reliance on [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card]. [card name=”Counter Energy” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”100″ c=”name”][/card] with Mew facilitates Rapid Blaster’s damage output as you can use it with two other Metal Energy to swing for 180 or 210 with a Band. It also can free up one of your Metal Links to build up a second attacker for the following turn.
Pokemon Inclusions
The other Pokemon I have added to this list are mostly to balance your bad matchups. [card name=”Sudowoodo” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”67″ c=”name”][/card]’s Watch and Learn can take powerful attacks, like Riotous Beating on [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] and Bright Flame on [card name=”Turtonator-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”18″ c=”name”][/card], and throw them right back at your opponent. [card name=”Bronzong BREAK” set=”Fates Collide” no=”62″ c=”name”][/card] is mostly for the [card name=”Joltik” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card] matchup. Where Mew might be able to handle Marshadow and win you that Prize-trade, stacking Energy on the [card name=”Bronzong BREAK” set=”Fates Collide” no=”62″ c=”name”][/card] lets you take Prizes on the Bench, taking out multiple [card name=”Joltik” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Pumpkaboo” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”44″ c=”name”][/card] or discarding four Energy to close out a [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card]. When using Metal Rain against Night March, be mindful of Joltik’s Resistance when it is Active.
[card name=”Bronzong” set=”Fates Collide” no=”61″ c=”name”][/card] from Fates Collide protects you from threats like [card name=”Tapu Koko” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM30″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Oricorio” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM19″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Necrozma-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”63″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Trevenant BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card] with its Metal Fortress Ability. Finally, [card name=”Keldeo-EX” set=”Black and White Black Star Promos” no=”BW61″ c=”name”][/card] with Float Stone is an easy inclusion to string together successive Rapid Blasters on the same Genesect-EX or to pull you out of status conditions.
Trainer Inclusions
These Trainers are orthodox for a deck like this, [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card] allows you to bench many Pokemon, as with these types of decks Bench space is a precious resource. [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] positions Supporters and Basic Metal Energy to respectively activate [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] and Metal Links. I prefer [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] in this deck over [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] because you want to attack with Mew as much as possible, and the extra 40 HP on a 50 HP Pokemon does not really increase its survivability too much. [card name=”Dowsing Machine” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”128″ c=”name”][/card] is my Ace Spec of choice because it can search virtually everything we might find useful except for Counter Energy, which is searchable with [card name=”Teammates” set=”Primal Clash” no=”141″ c=”name”][/card] and is only situational.
[premium]
Gyarados
When testing this deck, I really liked having a single Prize attacker that wasn’t vulnerable to [card name=”Oricorio” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”56″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Karen” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY177″ c=”name”][/card] spam. The strategy to wear your opponent out with single Prize attackers is nothing new. It’s what makes [card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card], Night March and [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] viable. Gyarados did see similar success last year, but mostly in Europe. Until the nightmare of [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Gyarados” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY60″ c=”name”][/card] was a viable deck. Now that [card name=”Forest of Giant Plants” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] is banned, and [card name=”Gladion” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”95″ c=”name”][/card] lifts the death sentence that was bad Prizes, I think Gyarados is a viable play for San Jose.
[decklist name=”Gyarados” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Oricorio” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”56″][pokemon amt=”10″]3x [card name=”Gyarados” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”21″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]4x [card name=”Magikarp” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”17″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]1x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Oricorio” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”56″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”46″]3x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”XY” no=”122″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”118″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Teammates” set=”Primal Clash” no=”141″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Gladion” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”95″ 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=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Dive Ball” set=”Primal Clash” no=”125″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Puzzle of Time” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”109″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Special Charge” set=”Steam Siege” no=”105″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”99″ 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=”Team Magma’s Secret Base” set=”Double Crisis” no=”32″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”4″]4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”90″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
Overall Strategy
[cardimg name=”Gyarados” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY60″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
[card name=”Gyarados” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY60″ c=”name”][/card] is an unbelievably strong card that has the ability to take over the meta. Full Retaliation for just a [card name=”Double Colorless” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”136″ c=”name”][/card] is an excellent attack that requires a bit of set up in the beginning, but the maintenance problems that it used to have are nearly non-existent. This format is actually a Goldilocks format for Gyarados for a number of reasons.
First, Promo Tapu Lele with damage manipulation is not released until January. Second, and possibly most importantly, the [card name=”Magikarp” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”17″ c=”name”][/card] from Crimson Invasion has a dovetail fit ability in Submerge, which makes damaging it with spread nearly impossible.
It might not be obvious at first, but this list is all but immune to Oriciorio’s Supernatural Dance because of how much recovery we play. Your opponent might Bench and power Oricorio up expecting to have a multi-KO turn only to find out that you don’t even have any Pokemon in your discard pile.
Getting set up can be a little challenging, but like Night March, we play a plethora of Item cards and a [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] that both allow for explosive first turns. You usually want to get as many Magikarp out under [card name=”Team Magma’s Secret Base” set=”Double Crisis” no=”32″ c=”name”][/card] as fast as possible. This way, each Magikarp provides you with 60 more damage to add to Full Retaliation’s 30 Base, so you hit important numbers like 210 with three Magikarp, or 180 with two Magikarp and a Choice Band.
Having a ‘base’ damage of 210 is unparalleled in the game for just a DCE, and Gyarados’ Theta Double Ancient Trait allows you to place two tools on it at the same time, making your theoretical damage cap 270 damage. With protected Magikarp, it is difficult to reduce your damage output, meaning that usually all you need to get a return OHKO is at most three or four cards. This usually means that you can just set up your board state and play [card name=”Teammates” set=”Primal Clash” no=”141″ c=”name”][/card] until you eventually win the game.
As a word of caution, this deck is pretty difficult to play. I have probably logged over 100 hours with the deck, and still learn new ways of approaching different matchups all the time. I will try my best in the rest of this article to share what I learned. However, without playtesting, I wouldn’t expect to just pick up these 60 cards and be successful with this deck.
Card Choices
Four Ultra Ball, Four Dive Ball
Pokeballs are the foundation of this deck. Not only does [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”135″ c=”name”][/card] give you that early game consistency, finding multiple [card name=”Dive Ball” set=”Primal Clash” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card] when you have a [card name=”Team Magma’s Secret Base” set=”Double Crisis” no=”32″ c=”name”][/card] out makes for an easy game. Dive Ball almost makes this deck completely unfair.
Four Trainers’ Mail
This is a card that has fallen far out of favor in the Expanded format because of [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card]. As our attackers are only worth a single Prize, it doesn’t matter how many Items we have in the discard, our Gyarados is probably getting KOd anyway. This card is integral to setting up and maintaining tempo, as it lets you dig deeper to find your mid and late game resources.
Four Puzzle of Time, One Special Charge
This is what makes the deck great. Being able to recycle [card name=”Double Colorless” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”136″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Team Magma’s Secret Base” set=”Double Crisis” no=”32″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Magikarp” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”17″ c=”name”][/card] gives your deck the endurance and resources that we need to close out games. [card name=”Special Charge” set=”Steam Siege” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card] gives you flexibility and eases your resource management.
One Battle Compressor
[card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card]’s synergy with [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] is old hat, but BC also pairs with [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”name”][/card] because it can act a makeshift Ball.
One Gladion
If Magikarp’s Submerge Ability was a gift from the heavens to Gyarados, then [card name=”Gladion” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”95″ c=”name”][/card] is Heaven itself. In decks like Night March and Gyarados, Prizes can cripple you more so than other decks. Gladion allows you to take any card from your Prizes so they are no longer inaccessible. This slot used to be taken by [card name=”Town Map” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”136″ c=”name”][/card], but I do not miss Map whatsoever.
Remember, you cannot play Gladion on face-up Prizes, so including both is a bad idea.
One Teammates
[card name=”Teammates” set=”Primal Clash” no=”141″ c=”name”][/card] has been a powerhouse for non-EX/GX decks since it came out. It allows you to quickly find [card name=”Puzzle of Time” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card], Energy, Stadiums, Tools, and anything else to keep pace in the game. I almost want to play a second copy because of how strong it is in the deck.
One Oricorio
Without Supernatural Dance, [card name=”Gyarados” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY60″ c=”name”][/card] would fold completely to Night March. Oricorio, combined with [card name=”Team Magma’s Secret Base” set=”Double Crisis” no=”32″ c=”name”][/card], almost makes the matchup an autowin, as Joltik with 20 damage simply from benching makes easy prey for Supernatural Dance. Oricorio is also great in situations where you nearly miss the KO, or your opponent has enough Pokemon in the discard to KO a Pokemon-EX/GX on the Bench for your last two Prizes.
Colress
Your Bench is usually pretty full, and discarding resources can be painful as this deck is all about resource management. Even decks that don’t play [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card] can still benefit from this Team Plasma Scientist.
Two Muscle Band, Two Choice Band
[cardimg name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
When you do as much damage as [card name=”Gyarados” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”21″ c=”name”][/card] does, you wouldn’t think you needed anything extra. But there are situations where you don’t want to bench too many Magikarp, like [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card] and spread damage combos. This is where both of these Tools come in. I usually prefer [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] as it makes KOing 180 HP Pokemon easier with only two Magikarp. Muscle Band helps against threatening one Prize attackers like [card name=”Tapu Koko” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM30″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card]. Muscle Band also allows you to have one or two Magikarp, respectively, to retaliate effectively.
Honorable mentions
AZ
As the selling point of the deck is to deny your opponent access to multi-Prize turns, this card can tip the scales further in your favor by removing [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] off of your field. AZ also works to pick up [card name=”Magikarp” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”17″ c=”name”][/card] that may never have had damage put on it.
It also can act to eliminate opponent’s stall tactics through either special conditions, or using a Trainer-based gust.
Octillery
Because we play so many [card name=”Dive Ball” set=”Primal Clash” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Octillery” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card] is quite easy to get into play. Despite my former stance on Octillery, having protection against late game [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card] is something that decks like this need for consistency.
Escape Rope
In these aggressive decks, I like this card so that I can use a [card name=”Teammates” set=”Primal Clash” no=”141″ c=”name”][/card] or a [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card], and still have the option circumvent their one Prize attackers. It also helps against status conditions or attacks that create obstacles such as [card name=”Jirachi” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY67″ c=”name”][/card].
Lucky Helmet
I would play [card name=”Lucky Helmet” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] if Tool removal wasn’t so prominent right now. Although I don’t think anyone will be playing [card name=”Startling Megaphone” set=”Flashfire” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card], a well-timed [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card] makes this option much less attractive than just having Tools that grant extra damage.
Matchups
Gardevoir-GX: Favorable
Most decks that focus on high-HP two Prize attackers will fall easily to Gyarados. [card name=”Gardevoir-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] is no exception. The only difficulty I can see in this matchup is if they are able to stream [card name=”Gallade” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”84″ c=”name”][/card] and keep two Prize attackers off of the field. This strategy is pretty difficult to pull off for the Gardevoir player, though, because they will run out of [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ c=”name”][/card] after two or three KOs
Zoroark-GX / Lycanroc-GX: Favorable
This matchup can be difficult if you do not play around their [card name=”Sudowoodo” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card] effectively. If you are forced to put a [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Oricorio” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”56″ c=”name”][/card] in play, you may not have enough space to deal 210 damage. You can put two Choice Band on a single Gyarados with two Magikarp to hit 210, but as we only play two [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card], it isn’t a sustainable strategy.
Night March: Favorable
As I mentioned before, the Oricorio / [card name=”Team Magma’s Secret Base” set=”Double Crisis” no=”32″ c=”name”][/card] combo makes this matchup a cake walk. The trouble against this deck is if they play their own Oricorio and you do not have the resources to attack and to recycle all of your Pokemon at the same time to protect yourself. One often forgotten strategy is to use [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card]’s Sky Return to KO [card name=”Joltik” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card]. This helps to conserve Energy and to eliminate double Prize targets from your field.
Garbodor / Psychic Toolbox: Favorable
This matchup seems bad on paper, but Ryan Sablehaus’s list only included two Trashalanche Garbdor. So instead of being able to announce Trashalanche every turn, they will miss some turns due to lack of resources. Garbotoxin and a [card name=”Tapu Koko” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM30″ c=”name”][/card] tech can be dangerous; however, don’t forget that if their Trubbish have taken damage from Team Magma Base, the Garbodor they evolve into are vulnerable to Oricorio’s Revelation Dance enhanced by a [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card]. [card name=”Dimension Valley” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] makes this KO taste even sweeter.
Volcanion-EX / Turtonator-GX: Autowin
I’ve been on the wrong side of this matchup and have come out victorious in several tournament settings, but I think that is mostly attributed to the difference in skill. When I won this matchup, it is because I was able to stream [card name=”Volcanion” set=”Steam Siege” no=”25″ c=”name”][/card] with enough [card name=”Escape Rope” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Blacksmith” set=”Flashfire” no=”88″ c=”name”][/card] to KO Magikarp or Gyarados respectively. [card name=”Volcanion” set=”Steam Siege” no=”25″ c=”name”][/card] without [card name=”Blacksmith” set=”Flashfire” no=”88″ c=”name”][/card] cannot OHKO Gyarados without a couple Steam Up, so finding a way to stream KOs on Volcanion-EX is the best strategy for this matchup.
Golisopod-GX Variants: Favorable
[cardimg name=”Team Magma’s Secret Base” set=”Double Crisis” no=”32″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
Again, they have a two Prize attacker that Gyarados easily KOs. [card name=”Golisopod-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”17″ c=”name”][/card]’s First Impression attack doesn’t even KO a Gyarados that hasn’t been afflicted by a [card name=”Team Magma’s Secret Base” set=”Double Crisis” no=”32″ c=”name”][/card], which makes the matchup even easier. Their single Prize attackers are nothing to write home about either.
Turbo Dark (Without Guzzlord-GX): Favorable
While I would have considered this matchup bad-to-even before Crimson Invasion, it is really easy now. [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”63″ c=”name”][/card] from Dark Explorers does not have the ability to hit a Benched [card name=”Magikarp” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”17″ c=”name”][/card] without a [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card]. If they Hex, they cannot KO the Active Gyarados (assuming they don’t have a [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] attached and Gyarados didn’t take Team Magma Base Damage) and they cannot [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card] a second Magikarp to get the double KO.
Trevenant BREAK: Autoloss
Playing online, I’ve won a couple of games due to my opponent being completely unable to set up. But usually, this matchup never ends well. I don’t really expect too much against this deck.
Sableye / Garbodor: Even
On paper, this matchup seems abysmal because of their Energy denial and Prize denial. After the initial set up though, Gyarados streams pretty easily, and makes it difficult for your opponent to oppress you with Junk Hunt. The trouble in this game comes when they get lucky enough with a [card name=”Team Rocket’s Handiwork” set=”Fates Collide” no=”112″ c=”name”][/card] or a [card name=”Trick Shovel” set=”Flashfire” no=”98″ c=”name”][/card] to deny you Energy before you get to use it.
Greninja BREAK: Even
This is another matchup that seems completely unwinnable because [card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card] can snipe the Magikarp. However, because it takes Greninja three turns to put damage on your board, we have a lot of headway to start the game. The [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] strategy I mentioned earlier is important because it gives more outs to KO a Greninja BREAK. If you do have an extremely slow set up, you will probably lose the game.
Wrapping Up
As I mentioned in my last article, I expect the most popular decks to be Garbodor Toolbox, Night March and [card name=”Gardevoir-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card]. As Gardevoir-GX did not take London, I would expect less of a showing in the San Jose Regionals. This may mean that Volcanion-EX could surge in popularity, which makes Gyarados more poised than Metal Mew to take San Jose. Either of the four decks that I have suggested in this two-part series are excellent calls for San Jose. If you’re expecting more Trevenant BREAK and Greninja BREAK I would suggest Turbo Darkrai / [card name=”Guzzlord-GX” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”63″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Gyarados” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”21″ c=”name”][/card] or Metal [card name=”Mew” set=”Fates Collide” no=”29″ c=”name”][/card] for a meta filled with Gardevoir-GX or [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Lycanroc-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card].
If you choose to play one of these decks, feel free to reach out! As always, leave a comment below or message me privately if you have any questions.
~Ahmed
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