Intriguing Internationals — Drampa-GX / Garbodor and a Look at the Top Cut

Hey there PokeBeach! It hasn’t been long since I last wrote for you all. Now that the London International has finished, there are a ton of things to look over for the Standard format and its upcoming tournaments. [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Silvally-GX” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card] both had a huge showing, finishing in first and second on the day. Multiple players managed to prove the strength of [card name=”Buzzwole-GX” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] by playing the Ultra Beast alongside [card name=”Lycanroc-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] to obtain two top eight finishes. Four Norwegian players were able to finish in the top 8, which is astounding for such a large tournament.

For this article, I’ll start by looking at what I opted to play on the day, and then move on to some of the trends that will most likely define the format for the next couple of months. Since Crimson Invasion was first legal on the day of Internationals, we will be starting 2018 with tournaments in this format before Ultra Prism brings as much Metal support as possible in February.

If It’s Still Good, I’ll Play It — Drampa-GX / Garbodor

[cardimg name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ align=”right” c=”custom”]It’s hard to resist playing this one.[/cardimg]

I started off for Internationals by toying around with the Silvally-GX list I posted in my last article. My mind was set on playing some iteration of Silvally-GX / Metal the week before, but I couldn’t get the deck to consistently beat the main reason our secondary attackers are Metal typed — [card name=”Gardevoir-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card]! The matchup still felt like a 50-50 due to the power of [card name=”Gallade” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”84″ c=”name”][/card]. The deck definitely had potential to make it through the tournament, but I decided to shift back to what I’ve been playing for the past couple of tournaments: [card name=”Drampa-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card].

This deck just doesn’t go away. The combination of Drampa-GX, a powerful Colorless attacker, plus the one-two punch of Ability lock and Item punishment in the form of Garbodor gives this archetype a chance versus any deck. Four copies of [card name=”Po Town” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] keep evolutions in check, while [card name=”Espeon-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”61″ c=”name”][/card] provides a great stall tactic when needed with Confusion along with Divide GX as a way to KO Benched pre-evolutions or soften up bigger threats.

With the release of Crimson Invasion and Shining Legends, there weren’t any new cards that fit into Drampa-GX / Garbodor after trying out some of them. [card name=”Shining Jirachi” set=”Shining Legends” no=”42″ c=”name”][/card] was an interesting option in place of [card name=”Espeon-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”52″ c=”name”][/card], but being able to devolve only a single Pokemon and its low HP meant that it still felt inferior to Espeon’s high 170 HP and Miraculous Shine. [card name=”Lusamine” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”96″ c=”name”][/card] was a thought to grab extra copies of [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card] in the late game. This seemed too slow compared to just playing the full four copies of these important Supporters, so it also didn’t make the cut.

Another potential idea was to go back to [card name=”Rainbow Energy” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] for techs like [card name=”Celesteela-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM67 ” c=”name”][/card] or even a return to [card name=”Zygarde-EX” set=”Fates Collide” no=”54″ c=”name”][/card] or Buzzwole-GX to help with the Fighting-weak Zoroark-GX. Having a big attacker for these matchups is great, but the issue was both getting these Pokemon powered up in time, and the threat of [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”124″ c=”name”][/card]. The mirror match becomes slightly worse as well, as with less basic Energy there’s a greater chance your opponent can Righteous Edge early on to gain an advantage.

With these thoughts in mind, I landed on this list:

[decklist name=”Drampa-GX / Garbodor ” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Drampa-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”115″][pokemon amt=”15″]2x [card name=”Drampa-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]3x [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Trubbish” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”56″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Espeon-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”52″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Eevee” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”101″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Espeon-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”61″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”33″]4x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”Steam Siege” no=”114″ 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=”143″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]1x [card name=”Brigette” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”161″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Acerola” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”112″ 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=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Po Town” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”121″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”12″]8x [card name=”Psychic Energy” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”162″ c=”deck2″ amt=”8″][/card]4x [card name=”Double Colorless” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”136″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist]

The Pokemon

Everything feels standard, with a few exceptions. Two Drampa-GX plus the 1-1 line of Espeon-GX are the attackers of choice for this metagame, giving the deck multiple options. These two Pokemon offer utility attacks to remove Energy or cause Confusion, or dish out massive damage — Berserk for 150 damage as long as there’s damage on your Bench, and Psychic which punishes your opponent for overextending their Energy attachments. Three [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] provides enough Supporter search until Garbodor’s Garbotoxin is set up.

I opted to run a 3-2/2 line of Garbodor in this case. This felt strange at first, but makes sense — in nearly every game, one Garbotoxin Garbodor is discarded as the second copy isn’t needed for the matchup. The reason why there are two Garbotoxin Garbodor in the list is mainly for prizing issues. Without Ability lock, Secret Spring, Trade, and Wonder Tag all lead to the opponent having easier access to what they need to counter our plays. Getting [card name=”Trubbish” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”56″ c=”name”][/card] into play is still easy with three as it was with four — [card name=”Brigette” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”134″ c=”name”][/card] is a big help early on, and three copies is more than enough to draw into them in the first couple of turns. If you really need an extra copy throughout the game to get a final Trashalanche [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] into play, [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”name”][/card] gives you that access when you need it.

[cardimg name=”Espeon-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”117″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Finally, Espeon-EX is still crucial against all evolution decks to make use of Po Town and previously placed damage to take KOs on lower health pre-evolutions.

The Trainers and Energy

This deck is all out on consistency, with four copies of the main Supporters in the format. Brigette gives the option to set up our Bench straight away on turn one.

[card name=”Acerola” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”112″ c=”name”][/card] doesn’t usually find its way into Drampa-GX / Garbodor lists, but I like the inclusion. Being able to reuse a Drampa that had chip damage, pick up a stranded Garbodor in the Active, or even reuse a Tapu Lele-GX for Wonder Tag all helped out during testing. The effect also catches opponents by surprise, which is understandable considering that most Drampa-GX / Garbodor lists don’t deviate from the norm nowadays.

Four counts of both Tools still feels crucial to make sure you have Garbotoxin when needed, or access to the damage boost of [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] to hit important KOs. Four Po Town makes sure the Stadium spot is ours throughout the game, and chip damage constantly gets placed on evolutions to soften them up for KOs.

Since I didn’t opt for any Rainbow Energy, the Energy line is a simple eight Psychic and four [card name=”Double Colorless” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”136″ c=”name”][/card]. This provides enough Energy throughout the entire game.

How My Day Went

With over 750 Masters from all around the world, it wasn’t going to be an easy day. Drampa-GX / Garbodor is still a 50-50 deck, so my mindset was to get at least some points towards the top 22 invite for Worlds.

• Round 1: Espeon-GX / Garbodor WW (1-0-0)
• Round 2: [card name=”Tapu Bulu-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM32″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Vikavolt” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”52″ c=”name”][/card] LWL (1-1-0)
• Round 3: Volcanion WW (2-1-0)
• Round 4: [card name=”Scizor-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card] WLT (2-1-1)
• Round 5: [card name=”Gardevoir-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] LL (2-2-1)
• Round 6: Gardevoir-GX WW (3-2-1)
• Round 7: Gardevoir-GX WW (4-2-1)
• Round 8: Metal Box ([card name=”Celesteela-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM67 ” c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Kartana-GX” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”70″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Registeel” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”68″ c=”name”][/card]) WW (5-2-1)
• Round 9: Drampa-GX / Garbodor / Celesteela-GX WLT (5-2-2)

5-2-2, 136th Place

Unfortunately, my tournament run didn’t go as well as I hoped, but you can’t win them all! I hit some pretty bad hands at times and found it hard to keep up due to the deck’s 50-50 nature. My last round gave me a good shot at top 64 if the mirror went in my favor, but I couldn’t find a final Guzma for game in the last three turns of time and the match was a draw.

Overall, Drampa-GX / Garbodor is still a strong deck and I’d gladly play it all over again. Sometimes riskier plays like newer archetypes or the most popular archetypes make it all the way through these big events, and this International is no exception. Let’s have a look at what managed to come out on top in the European cut.

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The Two G’s — Gardevoir and Golisopod

After all nine rounds of Swiss, Gardevoir-GX was the most popular and played deck in the top 32. This seemed inevitable with the majority of the field choosing to play some sort of Gardevoir build.

The first primary variant of this deck opted to include [card name=”Sylveon-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] as a consistency booster which could help get the deck set up with Magical Ribbon in the early turns, plus the option of Plea GX for disruption against evolution decks like the mirror or [card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card]. The issue here was that this 2-2 line took up space in the deck, and once one Sylveon-GX was set up you didn’t want to draw into the other pieces.

The second variant came straight from the States, and was dubbed “Brokenvoir” on the day. The main change from other Gardevoir lists was the exclusion of the Sylveon line for a full suite of [card name=”Max Potion” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”128″ c=”name”][/card], and a single copy of [card name=”Alolan Vulpix” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”21″ c=”name”][/card] to search for Pokemon early on without the need for a Fairy Energy. The ability to heal every turn is huge in the mirror, in which you will most likely have to 2HKO opposing Gardevoir due to its huge 230 HP.

[cardimg name=”Gardevoir-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”140″ align=”left” c=”none”][/cardimg]

With Max Potion you can attach one or two Energy first, then attack for a solid 90-to-120 damage with Infinite Force. Your opponent will usually have Acerola or Max Potion themselves to heal that damage, attach an Energy or two and then return that damage straight back to your Active. Many lists opted for one or two copies of Max Potion or Acerola, and here’s where four comes into play – at some point one player will run out and be forced to let that damage stick. With four healing cards, your opponent will always be the one who runs out first! Here is Christopher Schemanske’s list, with which he managed to make top four.

The next deck was the biggest surprise of the weekend. [card name=”Golisopod-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”17″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] took two powerful Stage 1s, stuck them together, and added [card name=”Puzzle of Time” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] to build an insanely consistent deck. By constantly using Trade to draw cards and discard pieces of consistency you don’t need, your deck thins out and your hand gets larger every turn. Both Pokemon have strong attacks that can deal 120 damage for a single Energy, and Golisopod has the added bonus of Crossing Cut GX which can OHKO popular Pokemon like [card name=”Drampa-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] when needed.

High copies of [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] meant that First Impression nearly always hit maximum damage and access to the opponents’ Bench was always possible. 2HKOs aren’t really a problem when it’s easy to pick up your damaged Pokemon via [card name=”Acerola” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”112″ c=”name”][/card], since these bulky 210 HP Stage 1s take some effort to fall. Re-bench the Basic and it’s ready to evolve next turn, while one of your other attackers can become Active and start dealing damage. The inclusion of Puzzle of Time makes it that much easier to reuse these Supporters, Energy, or Pokemon, adding to the overall consistency. Zoroark-GX’s Trade means you don’t have to throw away a piece of the puzzle either – just keep trading ‘till the next one comes along.

It’s a brilliantly crafted deck that ended up taking down the entire tournament, in top player Tord Reklev’s hands no less. Here is the list that won Internationals. I gave it a try at a local League Cup, and at times the draw engine is so powerful it feels like a different game!

The one addition I might try is a single copy of [card name=”Professor Kukui” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”128″ c=”name”][/card] in place of the fourth [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card] to up the potential for OHKOs. This inclusion boosts the deck’s damage to 140 against non-GX and EXs, and 170 when you can add Choice Band. Straight KOs are now possible against the likes of [card name=”Registeel” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”68″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Volcanion” set=”Steam Siege” no=”25″ c=”name”][/card] and even [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] with First Impression or Riotous Beating.

Silvally-GX and Its Steely Showing

[cardimg name=”Silvally-GX” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”90″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Since I wasn’t able to get [card name=”Silvally-GX” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card] / Metal working to its full potential, I wasn’t too sure if anyone else would find the perfect list for the day. The results show though, and Silvally builds come in third combined with [card name=”Celesteela-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM67 ” c=”name”][/card], Registeel, and some other combinations of Metal techs. Zakary Krekeler managed to take second with this build, losing out to Tord in the finals.

Krekeler made some choices that I also ended up making when testing the deck. For example, four [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card] was an early addition of mine to increase the Energy acceleration factor of the deck even further, which was otherwise too slow.

I also latched on to Celesteela-GX due to its strong presence in the [card name=”Gardevoir-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] matchup. Rocket Fall plus [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] does 240 damage to Gardevoir, for the small cost of one [card name=”Double Colorless” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”136″ c=”name”][/card] and a single Metal Energy. Combined with Max Elixir, free retreat from Silvally’s Gyro Unit, and extra acceleration from Turbo Drive, getting a Celesteela-GX up and running was never an issue. 200 HP means that returning a KO through Gardevoir-GX’s Infinite Force isn’t just as simple as attaching a Fairy Energy and Double Colorless — a [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] or extra Energy is needed alongside, which can pose problems considering the opponent just lost one their previous Gardevoir. Including more than one copy meant that Zakary had access to this powerful Pokemon more consistently, which I’m sure helped him excel to the finals.

One card I did not think of at all is [card name=”Dhelmise” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”59″ c=”name”][/card]. This Pokemon is perfect for boosting damage to reach certain numbers. Celesteela-GX’s Moon Press hits for 160 with Choice Band, which is just short of hitting some good numbers on GXs. Additionally, Registeel could deal with [card name=”Ralts” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] but fell short to KO [card name=”Kirlia” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card]’s 80 HP. The extra 10 damage doubles against Metal-weak targets such as Kirlia, plus it pushes Moon Press up to 170, which can OHKO the common Tapu Lele-GX.

Everything else is quite similar to the list I was trying. Zakary managed to fit in extra tech Pokemon like [card name=”Kartana-GX” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”70″ c=”name”][/card] for discarding Special Energy, and [card name=”Genesect-EX” set=”Fates Collide” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card] for holding [card name=”Fighting Memory” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card] plus its Rapid Blaster attack for its high scalable damage. He fit these cards by forgoing the [card name=”Psychic Memory” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”98″ c=”name”][/card], a riskier choice against [card name=”Buzzwole-GX” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] builds but overall understandable for space.

This deck certainly has a place in this format, especially if your metagame includes lots of Gardevoir-GX and Zoroark-GX. Right now, Krekeler’s list is probably the best way to go if you want to try this archetype out. His build has a much better Gardevoir matchup due to his heavier focus on Celesteela-GX.

My only change would be to include a Psychic Memory in place of a Metal Energy, just to cover all of your bases. Taking an easy OHKO on Buzzwole-GX is potent, plus games against [card name=”Drampa-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”142″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] are extremely one-sided with access to both tools — Drampa-GX’s Fighting and [card name=”Espeon-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM35″ c=”name”][/card]’s Psychic Weakness leaves the deck with just Tapu Lele-GX that can survive a hit from Turbo Drive.

The Leftovers

After these three decks, we see builds that managed to get one or two placements. Many different archetypes like Greninja, Volcanion, and Drampa-GX / Garbodor were able to take a single spot, but the most interesting here is Buzzwole-GX / [card name=”Lycanroc-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card]. Both decks in the top 32 managed to make top 8 that day.

The idea is to get a Buzzwole powered up ASAP by using Max Elixir, then move it to the Active via Float Stone and start taking OHKOs using Absorption GX or Knuckle Impact, depending on which one does enough damage. Choice Band and [card name=”Strong Energy” set=”Fates Collide” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] can increase the damage of these attacks to 190 or 210 damage. Early snipe damage from Jet Punch against evolution decks also puts in work to soften higher-HP Pokemon to hit for OHKOs.

Combined with this, we have a 2-2 line of Lycanroc-GX and a full four copies of [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] — this means your opponent’s Bench will never be safe with six different “gust” options, which lets you choose which Pokemon you want to remove from play. Dangerous Rogue GX can come in handy as well, both as a huge damage source if your opponent over-benches plus a deterrent to your opponent playing down too many threats at once.

[cardimg name=”Heatmor” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”24″ align=”right” c=”custom”]Who’d of thought this would make it to T16?[/cardimg]

[card name=”Octillery” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card] provides the draw engine. [card name=”Zygarde” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY129″ c=”name”][/card] is an intriguing one-Prize attacker that can lock Pokemon in the Active if needed. Finally, [card name=”Regirock-EX” set=”Fates Collide” no=”43″ c=”name”][/card] boosts damage up by 10, which makes a difference. For example, a Jet Punch with [card name=”Strong Energy” set=”Fates Collide” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] and Choice Band hits for 80, not enough to take out weak GX’s in one go or set up 2HKOs. The extra 10 boosts this up to 90. Now you can take OHKOs on Drampa-GX or lower a Silvally-GX’s HP down to 30, which is enough for another Bench snipe to take a KO.

My final mention here goes to the crazy [card name=”Heatmor” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”24″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Raichu” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card] deck that made top 16. Heatmor can retrieve two cards from the discard pile on two flips. This lets you reuse disruption cards like [card name=”Team Rocket’s Handiwork” set=”Fates Collide” no=”112″ c=”name”][/card], but specifically [card name=”Devolution Spray” set=”Fates Collide” no=”95″ c=”name”][/card] must be in your hand every turn. Why do you need to recycle Devolution Spray? Well, Raichu provides your stall tactic through its Evoshock Ability, Paralysing the opponent when it evolves. Most decks play Guzma as their only way to switch their Active Pokemon, which runs out after three or four uses. Combine this with Puzzle of Time for extra recycling options, [card name=”Durant” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”9″ c=”name”][/card] to mill a full four cards, [card name=”Victini” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] to maximize your odds of hitting heads on Odor Sleuth, plus a whole host of disruption for a very, very potent stall deck. This is also the first deck I’ve seen to incorporate [card name=”Counter Catcher” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] into its strategy — since the deck takes no Prizes, this card becomes a [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card] as soon as your first Pokemon falls, perfect as another option to stall. If you want to see how this deck works, make sure to check out this article by Jay Lesage where goes over the list that Sander Wojcik invented for this tournament.

To Conclude…

Internationals was an interesting, defining tournament for this season. There are a ton of different decks to try out and get your hands on for upcoming tournaments, which shows that the TCG is in a solid and fun format at the moment. The deck to beat still seems to be [card name=”Gardevoir-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card], but [card name=”Golisopod-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”17″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] is a big threat that you need to be prepared for as well.

For myself, I’ve been trying out everything recently for tournaments. From more rogue decks like [card name=”Tapu Bulu-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM32″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Vikavolt” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM28″ c=”name”][/card], which somehow netted me a League Cup win; to the insane Heatmor / Raichu which is definitely a great deck for League nights, although I’m still not sure I could risk a Regionals with that one. Anyways, that’s all from me today — if you have any questions about Internationals, deck ideas, or anything you want to ask, please do and comment below! I’m also available in the Subscriber’s Secret Hideout any time.

-Ryan Moorhouse

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