Eternal Flame — The Return of Volcanion

By: Ryan Grant · Posted Posted onDec 3, 2017 at 2:58 PM · 0 Comments

Welcome back to PokeBeach, fans and subscribers! For this article I’m going start by talking about the London International Championships and what decks did well, plus the interesting new decks that came from Crimson Invasion. Then I’m going to talk about my recent League Cup experience and what I played against. Lastly, I’m going to talk about a deck that I think could be a great play for Memphis Regionals or any Standard tournament if the meta continues to have these newer decks.

London Internationals

The London Internationals happened recently, and it was the first big Standard Event with Shining Legends and Crimson Invasion legal. It was clearly going to be an interesting event with new decks and strategies brought to the table.

What New Standard Decks Came from Crimson Invasion and Shining Legends?

The three most notable decks that came from these sets are [card name=”Golisopod-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”17″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card], Metal / [card name=”Silvally-GX” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card] / Zoroark-GX, and [card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card] / Zoroark-GX. Zoroark-GX is being paired with a multitude of different partners because of the strength of its Abillity, Trade. I would expect it to remain a big part of the meta for a long time.

What Decks Did Well?

[cardimg name=”Gardevoir-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”93″ align=”right” c=”custom”]Broken[/cardimg]

Aside from all the Zoroark decks doing well, the single deck that had the most placements in Top 32 was [card name=”Gardevoir-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card]. This comes as no surprise to me considering the deck has been incredibly powerful since it came out and will remain a force until it rotates. For London, most people seemed to shy away from the [card name=”Sylveon-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] version of Gardevoir and switched to a version with four [card name=”Max Potion” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”128″ c=”name”][/card]. Due to the increasing amount of decks that struggle to OHKO a Gardevoir, this version was the most logical and will continue to be moving forward. Many other decks made Top 32 or better, such as Golisopod / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Drampa-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card]  / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card], Silvally / [card name=”Buzzwole-GX” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card], Decidueye / Zoroark, Decidueye / Zoroark / Buzzwole, [card name=”Heatmor” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”24″ c=”name”][/card]  / [card name=”Raichu” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card], Buzzwole / [card name=”Lycanroc-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card]. As you can see, the field was very diverse and plenty of new combinations arose from the new sets. The winning deck of the tournament was Golisopod / Zoroark, so I used that information along with what other decks that were popular to determine what I played for my recent League Cup.

League Cup First Place Report

Why Volcanion?

I chose to play Volcanion because I saw that many Metal and Grass decks did well at Internationals, as well as some Fighting decks that struggle to beat Volcanion. I figured since those were the decks that did well and were new archetypes, people would be dying to try them out at their next event, and I was not wrong. The field was full of Grass, Metal, Fighting, and quite a bit of Fire as well. There was still a fair amount of Gardevoir but luckily, I managed to avoid it. Here are the matchups I faced throughout the tournament.

Matchups

  • Round 1 – Golisopod-GX / Zoroark-GX / [card name=”Kartana-GX” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”70″ c=”name”][/card] – W – (2-0)
  • Round 2 – Drampa-GX / Garbodor – W – (2-0)
  • Round 3 – Lycanroc-GX / Buzzwole-GX – W – (3-0)
  • Round 4 – Volcanon-EX – W – (4-0)
  • Round 5 – ID – (4-0-1)
  • Round 6 – ID – (4-0-2)
  • Top 8 – Golisopod-GX / Zoroark-GX – WLW – (5-0-2)
  • Top 4 – Lycanroc-GX / Buzzwole-GX – LWW – (6-0-2)
  • Finals – Lycanroc-GX / Buzzwole-GX / [card name=”Zygarde-EX” set=”Fates Collide” no=”54″ c=”name”][/card] – WLW – (7-0-2)

As you can see, I faced matchups that were all even to positive. I found out that Golisopod / Zoroark is a tougher matchup than I realized, and the same goes for Fighting, but in the end, they are still positive matchups because you have the ability to OHKO them easier and more often than they do.

The List

[decklist name=”Volcanion” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Oranguru” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”113″][pokemon amt=”13″]4x [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”26″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Volcanion” set=”Steam Siege” no=”25″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Turtonator-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”18″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Ho-Oh-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”21″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Oranguru” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”113″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”32″]4x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]1x [card name=”Kiawe” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”116″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”135″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”124″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Switch” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”132″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”15″]15x [card name=”Fire Energy” set=”HeartGold and SoulSilver” no=”116″ c=”deck2″ amt=”15″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

The list I played was the same list that Emeli Reijonen used to make Top 8 at London Internationals. There wasn’t any card I wanted to change, aside from considering a fourth [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card] over the second [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card] I realized though that three Elixir was was fine with [card name=”Kiawe” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”116″ c=”name”][/card] and that Field Blower is important for against Garbotoxin and [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card]. If you think you will not see a lot of Garb or Gardy, then going down to one Field Blower is fine. You can add a fourth Max Elixir, second [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ c=”name”][/card], 16th Energy, [card name=”Lillie” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card], second Kiawe, or third Lele. Another thing you could cut for any of those cards mentioned would be a Baby Volcanion if you expect less Gardy.

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Volcanion for Memphis!

Why is Volcanion a Good Play?

[cardimg name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”26″ align=”right” c=”custom”][/cardimg]

I think Volcanion is a good play right now due to the big influx of new archetypes. All of them are favorable matchups for Volcanion, and they seem to be played a lot. Your biggest hurdle is [card name=”Gardevoir-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Greninja” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] but Greninja is being played so little right now that I wouldn’t worry about it too much. Gardevoir on the other hand is a  tough matchup. It’s not impossible to beat, but it’s going to take some luck and smart-playing to pull off a win. If you think Gardevoir is going to be huge at Memphis, I would not suggest taking Volcanion. However, if the trend of people playing Grass, Metal, and Fighting decks continues, then I would consider it a great option for the tournament. Let’s look next at how Volcanion handles the current meta.

How Does It Pair Against the Meta?

Buzzwole-GX / Lycanroc-GX

This is a positive matchup because you can OHKO any of their Pokemon, and they can typically only OHKO you once with Dangerous Rogue GX. It is rare for them to get to build up a three Energy attack that can KO you. This is because you can typically KO them before they can do so, or you can use [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”124″ c=”name”][/card] to slow down their Energy build up, discarding their [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”HeartGold and SoulSilver” no=”103″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Strong Energy” set=”Fates Collide” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card]. Going first or second, I would say it’s safe to use Kiawe, as long as you don’t have too many benched Pokemon. Otherwise you risk getting your powered-up attacker getting OHKO’d by Dangerous Rogue-GX if your opponent went first. Using [card name=”Ho-Oh-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”21″ c=”name”][/card] is your best option because it only requires a [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] to OHKO just about everything. Even a Lycanroc-GX can be taken down with just one Steam Up! The other great thing is Ho-Oh resists Fighting-types, so a Ho-Oh with a Fury Belt is a monster for them to deal with. Something great you can do early game as well is chase down [card name=”Rockruff” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”73″ c=”name”][/card]. It’s even better if you can use Baby [card name=”Volcanion” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY145″ c=”name”][/card] to KO them because then you’re building up attackers while leaving a non-EX/GX in the Active for them to hit.

Decidueye-GX / Zoroark-GX

If they ever set up a [card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card] or two, the game should be easy for you. It’s likely though that they won’t simply because it’s just too risky for them. They will most likely go for a straight Zoroark strategy, which is fine, because they can’t OHKO you, but you can OHKO them. They can only OHKO you if you have a full Bench, and they swing with [card name=”Zoroark” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] Mind Jack with a [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] for 190. If you have a Fighting Fury Belt, you’ll survive unless they have a Field Blower or use it later. Your biggest worry is Mind Jack, but this can be played around by limiting your Bench as much as possible. Other than that, this matchup shouldn’t be too difficult, just build up attackers, take advantage of Weakness when applicable, and OHKO everything.

Drampa-GX / Garbodor

This matchup can be tough if you can’t get Kiawe early to utilize Ho-Oh. Ho-Oh is the only Pokemon in your deck that can OHKO Drampa without needing Steam Up which is tremendously important for when the opponent gets Garbotoxin into play. You need to be really careful of your Item usage. If you can keep your Item usage below nine for most the game you should be okay, below eight and you’re golden. Your Ho-Oh should be able to take three to four Prizes since they have no way to OHKO it if you keep your Item use down. After your Ho-Oh is gone, you need to make sure to save your [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card] for the turn that you are going to take a KO. If for whatever reason you thought Drampa / Garb was going to be big, I would suggest playing more than one copy of Ho-Oh and Kiawe. I wouldn’t expect there to be enough of it though to necessitate any big changes like that. Although you don’t want to use too many Items, [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card] can be killer to slow down or stop a Berserk from Drampa. I would say this is a favorable matchup if you draw very well, but overall it’s close.

Gardevoir-GX

This is one of your toughest matchups because you need three to four Energy on your Pokemon and multiple Steam Ups in order to OHKO a Gardevoir-GX. Even when you get this though, it’s relatively easy for them to respond with a KO. This matchup is the main reason there are two Enhanced Hammers in the deck: to slow them down and give you a chance. We sport two copies of [card name=”Turtonator-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”18″ c=”name”][/card] since it’s your best attacker against them; discarding Energy when attacking makes it much harder for them to return KO. Multiple [card name=”Volcanion” set=”Steam Siege” no=”25″ c=”name”][/card] is also for this matchup because it helps you build up attackers while giving them a bulky Pokemon (especially with Fury Belt) to try and KO for a measly one Prize. If you’re going first, Kiawe to a Turtonator if possible. If not, set up to start using Baby Volcanion to power up your attackers. If you can KO one to two [card name=”Ralts” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Kirlia” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”69″ c=”name”][/card] with Power Heater in the beginning, you should be in a good spot. You want to try and get some easy KO’s early on, so you might only have to KO two Gardevoir or a Gardevoir and a [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] to win the game.

[cardimg name=”Octillery” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”33″ align=”right” c=”custom”]KO right away if possible[/cardimg]

Another thing you can do is KO their [card name=”Remoraid” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”32″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Octillery” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card]. It’s is so much harder for Gardy to  always hit all the Energy they need for a KO when they don’t have that extra draw power from Octillery. If you can KO it with Power Heater as well, that’s icing on the cake. Make sure to leave plenty of Bench space for two to three Volcanion-EX. You need two Steam Ups and a Fury Belt for Turtonator to OHKO a Gardy, and three Steam Ups and Fury Belt for Volcanion-EX to do the same. The only reason you would use Volcanion over Turtonator is it’s absolutely necessary, or it would benefit to have something that retains Energy. Sometimes it’s smart to have four Energy on a Turtonator, so that you can attack again the following turn if you survive. You only want to do that if you know for sure or are very positive they won’t be able to KO you, otherwise you wasted an attachment or Elixir. This matchup will always be tough, but it’s far from an auto loss.

Golisopod-GX / Garbodor

This has got to be your easiest matchup aside from Metagross decks. If you get a Kiawe to Ho-Oh off, it’s basically game over for them. You can use Volcanion-EX as well, but you risk getting KO’d by Crossing Cut-GX if they have a Choice Band. If you keep your Item usage down, Garbotoxin won’t harm you and since [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] has 120 HP and Golisopod is weak to Fire, you can still OHKO everything without the use of Steam Up. I wouldn’t expect to see much of this Golisopod variant, but it did have a fair amount of spots in the Top 32 of London so it’s something you may run into.

Golisopod-GX / Zoroark-GX

This matchup should play out similarly to Decidueye / Zoroark, except, they will most likely set up a Golisopod if they know they can get a OHKO with it and it’s worth the easy two prizes. Chances are they won’t set it up until they could take their last two Prizes with it, but if you ever see a Wimpod with a Double Colorless on it, Hammer it off if possible or KO it with Baby Volc. Other than that, it will play out like I said above where they use only Zoroark. They may also use [card name=”Tapu Koko” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM30″ c=”name”][/card] to spread to make it easier or possible to OHKO, but if you KO it right away, it shouldn’t be too much of an issue.

Greninja BREAK

There isn’t a whole lot to say about this matchup that hasn’t been said before. A quick refresher would be that if you  want a chance to beat it, you should probably play at least two [card name=”Ho-Oh-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”21″ c=”name”][/card] since it’s weak to Lightning, and add in [card name=”Giratina” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY184″ c=”name”][/card]. That gives you a chance since Ho-Oh can OHKO a [card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card] without the help of Steam Up, as your opponent should be using Shadow Stitching. However, since Greninja usually isn’t popular, I would just accept the loss since you probably won’t face it often.

Silvally-GX / Zoroark-GX/Metal

This will be just like the other [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] decks as well except they may use [card name=”Silvally-GX” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card] to attack and build up Energy, and you need to watch out for Rebel-GX. It does the same thing as Dangerous Rogue-GX so it’s one of their few ways to OHKO you. They can also play [card name=”Celesteela-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM67 ” c=”name”][/card] which is weak to Lightning, not Fire. It can OHKO a Volcanion-EX with its GX attack and anything else if it has Choice Band. It has 200 HP, but that’s nothing for you to worry about. Just remember you need Steam Ups to KO it. Like with the other matchups, early KO’s on [card name=”Zorua” set=”Shining Legends” no=”52″ c=”name”][/card] is good, especially with Baby Volc.

Things to Remember

[cardimg name=”Kiawe” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”144″ align=”right” c=”custom”]Best friend turn one[/cardimg]

Always [card name=”Kiawe” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”116″ c=”name”][/card] if you’re going first, but only if you have another draw Supporter in hand or a way to get one. The matchup will usually determine which Pokemon you want to Kiawe to. Typically, it will be Ho-Oh or [card name=”Turtonator-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”18″ c=”name”][/card], but doing it to a [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card] isn’t bad either depending on the matchup. Unless you know for sure you are going to use Power Heater no matter what, you should typically attach your Energy for turn before you Steam Up and go for a OHKO. Getting an attack off or getting an Energy attachment is typically better than not and just passing your turn. The only exception to that would be if you’re against Gardevoir and you don’t want to make their KO easier, so you Steam Up first instead.

You need to know when to be aggressive early on or when to sit back and build up with Baby Volc. Typically against decks you know can’t return a OHKO, you can be aggressive and start taking KO’s right away. Against something like Gardevoir, you’re going to want to sit back and build your attackers because they can replenish their attackers better than you can. Although most Zoroark-GX decks struggle to OHKO your Pokemon, you do need to watch out for the non-GX [card name=”Zoroark” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card], and GX attacks like Rebel GX and Dangerous Rogue GX. Against those, it’s all about limiting your Bench size or being so far ahead that you can afford for that to happen.

Be careful with using Steam Ups for extra Damage with Power Heater or using [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card] when you don’t really need another attacker. You need to make sure you’re saving enough Energy to be able to Steam Up when you need it for a OHKO. It can be easy to run through your Energy quick if you don’t pay attention. You do have [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ c=”name”][/card]  to bail you out just in case, but that’s only three Energy at most. If you’re going to use Nitro Tank GX you should use it early on, or if it puts you in the position to win. For example, if you have two Prizes left and they have three or four, you can use Nitro Tank to build up two attackers that can win you the game. Lastly, keep [card name=”Oranguru” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”113″ c=”name”][/card] on board if possible. Whenever someone uses [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card] to limit my Bench, I almost always keep Oranguru. Late game all you usually need to close the game out is some Energy and maybe a [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card]. Having access to that extra draw if your opponent plays [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card] can be huge. [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card] are your best friends. Usually you want to bring up a threat or something you can take two Prizes on with a KO, or you want to draw seven new cards to fish for more Energy for a OHKO.

Conclusion

[card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card] has been around for quite sometime now but usually seems to stay relevant with new cards or formats that make it a good play. It’s one of the simpler decks to play, but that doesn’t mean it’s not fun. It’s always fun to Steam Up a few times and blow up your opponent’s Pokemon with one attack. I think if [card name=”Gardevoir-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] isn’t highly played, Volcanion will be a great play for Memphis. There are no evolution Pokemon in the deck which helps make it consistent, and it also has many favorable matchups right now. It’s not surprising to me at all that it made Top 8 at London. I will be attending Memphis, and I am very excited about it. It’s the first Regional I will have attended since Daytona and I completely ready to compete at a big event again. As of right now, Volcanion is the deck I’ve liked the most, but who knows where my testing from now will take me. If I think the meta is right for Volc, don’t be surprised to see me Steaming Up at Memphis. If not, I’m not sure what I’ll play as of now, but I’m sure one of my friends will convince me something is the play. I want to wish safe travels and good luck to anyone competing at Memphis or any other tournaments. I hope you learned a thing or two about Volcanion, and thank you for reading.

Until next time,

Ryan

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