Judgment Returns — Tapu Bulu-GX / Vikavolt in Standard

By: Treynor Wolfe · Posted Posted onDec 14, 2017 at 11:22 AM · 0 Comments

[cardimg name=”Tapu Bulu-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”130″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

I can’t let a deck go. I played [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] last season at Madison Regionals, the first Regional where it was legal. I took the deck to a Day 2 finish at the North American International Championships, too. I swore off the deck for this season, playing [card name=”Drampa-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”142″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] for most of it, but with how underwhelming Drampa-GX / Garbodor is now, it only makes sense that I look at other options.

Speaking of Drampa-GX / Garbodor under-performing, this cracks the metagame right open for Tapu Bulu-GX to shine. [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card]’s Garbotoxin Ability killed Vikavolt by shutting off Strong Charge hard, which Bulu needs to continue to take OHKOs. With this deck seeing far less play, I see an opening for Bulu decks to emerge once more. Not to mention, most of the more powerful Pokemon in the format have 210 HP: [card name=”Silvally-GX” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Golisopod-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”129″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] are all within the range to get Knocked Out with one [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card]-boosted Nature’s Judgment. Add in Tapu Bulu-GX’s lack of Weakness and phenomenal ability to trade two-hit Knock Outs with its GX attack, and you’ve got yourself an excellent attacker in the current metagame.

There are some poor matchups too, which I will cover later, but Tapu Bulu-GX / Vikavolt has a bigger opening than it may have ever had before. This deck is one of a few that I’m considering for local League Cups as well as Memphis Regionals. In this article, I’ll cover my idea of what the Memphis metagame will be, and explain in detail why Tapu Bulu is great in that context.

My Personal Tier List

Many of our writers have tackled this subject, and I’ll try to spare you the details. This is my personal tier list for decks currently:

Tier One

  • Brokenvoir ([card name=”Gardevoir-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] with four [card name=”Max Potion” set=”Emerging Powers” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card])
  • [card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card]
  • Zoroark-GX / Golisopod-GX

Tier Two

  • [card name=”Buzzwole-GX” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Lycanroc-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card]
  • Other Gardevoir-GX variants (such as with [card name=”Sylveon-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”140″ c=”name”][/card])
  • [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Turtonator-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”131″ c=”name”][/card]
  • [card name=”Silvally-GX” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Celesteela-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM67 ” c=”name”][/card]
  • Tapu Bulu-GX / Vikavolt
  • [card name=”Greninja” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card]

Tier Three

  • Drampa-GX / Garbodor
  • [card name=”Metagross-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”139″ c=”name”][/card]
  • Everything else

There are some decks that you can easily argue to be tier one, but this is my general perception of the metagame based off of matchups against other decks as well as the overall perceived strength of the deck. Zoroark-GX is turning out to be a format-defining card, and is erasing some of the flaws of Standard, such as a lack of draw power outside of Supporters.

Most people have come to the consensus that Gardevoir-GX is the BDIF currently, with the Max Potion variant having the most strength due to its attrition and usage of [card name=”Gallade” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”84″ c=”name”][/card], which handles almost all of this deck’s bad matchups.

Decidueye-GX / Zoroark-GX is so good in the hands of the right player, it’s unbelievable what it can accomplish. Being able to put damage down on a whim, as well as having access to Zoroark-GX’s draw engine, puts it ahead of so many other decks. Our own Caleb Gedemer covered this deck in his most recent article, so be sure to check that out.

[cardimg name=”Vikavolt” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”52″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Zoroark-GX / Golisopod-GX is so incredibly consistent that it’s hard to not put it in tier one. The deck trades better than anything I’ve seen in a long time. Only having to get out Stage 1 Pokemon make this deck hit early and often. It also benefits from having a sustainable draw engine in Zoroark-GX’s Ability, Trade. This lets you play [card name=”Acerola” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”112″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] with no problems at all.

I placed most of the current archetypes in tier two, including the one I’m going to talk about in this article. This isn’t a dig against any of those decks, it’s simply that they all have some sort of flaw, or have a rough time against at least one of the tier one decks. These decks are also relatively unproven right now. It wouldn’t surprise me to see Zach Lesage’s prediction in his last article of Buzzwole-GX performing phenomenally at Memphis due to the amount of Zoroark-GX decks that will see play. I also see [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card] picking up steam as well (no pun intended).

Tier three has some decks that have been successful in the past. Drampa-GX / Garbodor used to be definitively tier one! However, hitting 180 damage on turn two isn’t impressive anymore. In addition to that, playing around Garbodor is pretty easy in Standard. Also, not every deck is crippled by Garbodor with the Garbotoxin Ability. Metagross-GX is still good, and may be tier two if you pair it with [card name=”Solgaleo-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card]. Similar to Drampa-GX, hitting 180 with Giga Hammer isn’t relevant anymore, and playing a high Max Potion count isn’t too special either, since Gardevoir-GX does the attrition game so much better.

Tapu Bulu-GX has a huge opening in this meta, and with a more proven track record, it can easily become tier one. In my personal testing, I’ve been smoking the tier one decks. One criterion I use to determine how good I think decks are is their track record in tournaments. To be honest, Tapu Bulu-GX has a relatively small amount of day two results. This can change, however, and I expect it to in Memphis.

Updating the Deck

So I’ve gone over some of the advantages of this deck, as well as the metagame that it’s going to play in. I took my old list and modified it to fit the needs of the current format. Here is my updated list:

[premium]

[decklist name=”Bulu” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Oranguru” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”113″][pokemon amt=”15″]3x [card name=”Tapu Bulu-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”130″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Vikavolt” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM28″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Charjabug” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”51″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]3x [card name=”Grubbin” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”13″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Clefairy” set=”Evolutions” no=”63″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Oranguru” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”113″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”33″]4x [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Professor Kukui” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”128″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Skyla” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”148″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Brigette” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”134″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”2″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Rare Candy” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”129″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Energy Recycler” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”123″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”12″]7x [card name=”Grass Energy” set=”EX Ruby and Sapphire” no=”104″ c=”deck2″ amt=”7″][/card]5x [card name=”Lightning Energy” set=”EX Ruby and Sapphire” no=”109″ c=”deck2″ amt=”5″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

There are a few things that should jump out at you right away. Most of this list should be familiar to you if you’ve seen a [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] deck before. I’ll break down the cards that I’ve changed up since then.

Clefairy

For the longest time, I have been waffling on [card name=”Clefairy” set=”Evolutions” no=”63″ c=”name”][/card]. Low HP, high Energy cost attack, and a horrible Weakness that gets taken advantage of by [card name=”Registeel” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”68″ c=”name”][/card]. However, Metronome is a phenomenal attack, and this deck doesn’t care at all about high Energy costs with the advantages that Vikavolt’s Strong Charge gives you. Metronome copies any attack that your opponent used last round. That includes GX attacks! I’ve even used this before on [card name=”Gardevoir-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card]’s Twilight GX in one game during testing. But most of the time, you use it to copy big GX attacks that do a lot of damage, such as those of [card name=”Lycanroc-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”138″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Buzzwole-GX” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card]. Another use for it is copying Gardevoir-GX’s Infinite Force attack for a quick Knock Out. Usually your opponent has to stretch a bit to take Knock Outs against Tapu Bulu-GX, so Metronome badly punishes them, especially with a [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card].

Oranguru

Some lists play [card name=”Octillery” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card], but I’ve found a dual purpose for [card name=”Oranguru” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”113″ c=”name”][/card] in this deck. Its attack is incredible, but its cost is pretty high. Fortunately, in this deck, powering it up isn’t a problem at all. I’ve used it to smack a Gardevoir-GX many times, as well as any Pokemon that attack with two Energy or so.

[cardimg name=”Professor Kukui” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”148″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

The best part of this card though is his Ability, and that’s what I tend to use most of the time. It’s quite solid late game when you get [card name=”N” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”96″ c=”name”][/card]’d to one or two cards. It’s not entirely necessary in the deck, since most of the time your hand is full of cards like [card name=”Rare Candy” set=”Unleashed” no=”82″ c=”name”][/card], Energy, and other Pokemon. The fact that this deck can almost run autonomously with all the search from Vikavolt may make it seem like Oranguru is unnecessary, but it’s sometimes needed late game to get that [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Professor Kukui” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”148″ c=”name”][/card] for that final Prize.

Three Professor Kukui

Professor Kukui is imperative in this deck to hit those perfect numbers. I’ve never seen anyone play it in this deck before, but you need it to have a chance against Gardevoir-GX, which has just enough HP to avoid the Knock Out from a Choice Band plus Nature’s Judgment for 210. Professor Kukui changes that, and we have three in this list so that we get it at the right time. That’s also why there are three [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] in the deck. With three copies of each, we always have a Kukui — or a Tapu Lele to get the Kukui — when a Gardevoir-GX is staring us down.

It also helps as a draw Supporter in a way, since we can add cards to our hand and not get rid of our existing hand. This is crucial in hitting the Rare Candy plus the Vikavolt combination that we need in the early game. Other Supporters, such as [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”101″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card], force us to get rid of that Rare Candy or Vikavolt.

Four Guzma

You may notice that there are no real retreat options in this deck. Guzma has a dual purpose, allowing you to take OHKOs on specific targets quickly, and acting as your retreat option. I’m not a fan of a single copy of [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Escape Rope” set=”Primal Clash” no=”127″ c=”name”][/card], mainly because it’s not there all the time when you need it. Sure, you can [card name=”Skyla” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”148″ c=”name”][/card] for it, but you can also Guzma to swap your Active out if you’re willing to burn a Supporter for it.

Your other option is to Strong Charge and manually retreat. In addition to that, just about every Pokemon in this deck can attack. The only ones that can’t are [card name=”Grubbin” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”13″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Charjabug” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card], but they can easily evolve into a Vikavolt and lay down an Electro Cannon if you have two Vikavolt out.

Three Skyla

I’ve played around with the idea of two, but three is needed in this deck. Most of the time, not much is needed out of your hand to keep this deck going. A [card name=”Rare Candy” set=”Unleashed” no=”82″ c=”name”][/card] or an [card name=”Energy Recycler” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] is often all you need to hit for big damage in a single turn. Skyla is that solid card that gives us exactly what we want for pulling off the combo that we need to attack. It’s helped me get Rare Candies, Choice Bands, and the one-of [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card] in the past. It’s too good of a card not to play at least two of.

Two Brigette

Prizing this card is catastrophic for this deck. We need a turn one [card name=”Brigette” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”134″ c=”name”][/card] to get our deck going. Two Grubbin and a Tapu Bulu-GX is the ideal start, and starting with a Brigette in your hand, or any of your three Tapu Lele-GX, ensures this setup. It’s harder to prize two Brigette, so playing two increases the odds that you will at least get one Brigette off in a game.

[cardimg name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Four Choice Band

The magic number to hit now is 210, with [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Golisopod-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”129″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Silvally-GX” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card] all having that amount. Nature’s Judgment hits that perfectly, so we need to hit those [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] early and often, since Tord’s winning Zoroark-GX / Golisopod-GX played four copies of Field Blower and I expect many other players to use his list. We must reattach Choice Band every time your opponent plays a Field Blower, since not hitting for a one-hit Knock Out plays into Zoroark-GX’s strategy, which involves high amounts of [card name=”Acerola” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”112″ c=”name”][/card] drops.

One Field Blower

Field Blower was mostly unnecessary outside of beating Garbotoxin. I’m taking a huge risk on the metagame right now by predicting to not play against any [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] in Memphis. This saves me two spaces, and removes dead cards that I don’t need for most matchups.

[card name=”Drampa-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”142″ c=”name”][/card] was the big target to remove Choice Band off of, and that’s not being played as often right now either. The only Stadium that hurts us is [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card], but Gardevoir-GX decks are starting to cut that card right now, and even then you can still Skyla for your one Field Blower to get rid of it.

Matchups

Most of [card name=”Tapu Bulu-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM32″ c=”name”][/card]’s matchups are good. This deck tends to lose to a poor setup more than it does to a particular matchup. This deck is just about unstoppable when you get multiple [card name=”Vikavolt” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”52″ c=”name”][/card] by turn three or four. Let’s go over how I handle some of the most common matchups in the format.

Golisopod-GX / Zoroark-GX

This is a common deck to play against now. Tord Reklev’s win in London will resonate throughout the metagame and will make a lot of players pick up this highly consistent and simple deck. This deck’s main strategy is to attack early and often with multiple Stage 1 options as well as various other utility attackers, such as [card name=”Mewtwo” set=”Evolutions” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card]. This deck collects two-hit Knock Outs while recycling attackers with [card name=”Acerola” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”112″ c=”name”][/card].

Fortunately, this deck’s HP caps out at 210, and that makes it vulnerable to Tapu Bulu-GX’s Nature’s Judgment attack. One strategy I’ve come across was using Armor Press on Golisopod-GX, which puts Golisopod at essentially 230 HP. This isn’t a problem for the [card name=”Professor Kukui” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”128″ c=”name”][/card] heavy Tapu Bulu build that I talked about earlier. Tapu Bulu shouldn’t have a problem at all with hitting that card, and it’s even harder for the Golisopod player to get two Energy down and Armor Press multiple times in a game.

Overall, I find this matchup highly favorable for Tapu Bulu. Assuming Bulu sets up, it should be collecting Knock Outs fairly easily, and not playing into the two-hitting strategy that suits the Golisopod deck.

Gardevoir-GX

[cardimg name=”Gardevoir-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”93″ align=”left” c=”none”][/cardimg]

I find this matchup to be Bulu’s most difficult, ranging from slightly unfavorable to even at best. [card name=”Gardevoir-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”140″ c=”name”][/card]’s 230 HP is a challenging amount for Tapu Bulu-GX to deal. Yes, we do play three [card name=”Professor Kukui” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”128″ c=”name”][/card]; however, being a realist, I know that we won’t always have the Kukui in hand. But, usually, it only takes one or two one-hit Knock Outs against Gardevoir-GX to win the day.

Another thing to worry about is your Energy consumption. You always want to leave yourself with no Energy after Nature’s Judgment because it makes it difficult for Gardevoir to one-shot you right back. This makes a great defense for Tapu Bulu, but you also have to be conservative with your [card name=”Energy Recycler” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card]s. [card name=”Clefairy” set=”Evolutions” no=”63″ c=”name”][/card] will punish opponents that try to stack five or six Energy on a Gardevoir and one shot your empty Tapu Bulu.

If you get a chance, target their [card name=”Octillery” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card] as well. A lot of players are implementing this strategy, since it’s hard for Gardevoir-GX to take successive one-shots when their draw engine is gone. Don’t hesitate to kill the [card name=”Remoraid” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”32″ c=”name”][/card] with a Horn Attack early, hitting for Weakness. [card name=”Gallade” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”84″ c=”name”][/card] is a huge pain, since Nature’s Judgment feels like a waste on it, and using Tapu Bulu’s GX attack leaves you vulnerable to a Gardevoir-GX Infinite Force. I’ve always just begrudgingly hit it with Nature’s Judgment, but if you have a Professor Kukui in hand, you can use your GX attack and bait out their Gardevoir-GX for a one-shot the next turn if you have a Tapu Bulu on the Bench ready to go.

There are tools for both decks to combat each other, but if you’re playing against a more skilled Gardevoir player, and you aren’t hitting your Kukui, you’ll have a bad time.

Decidueye-GX / Zoroark-GX

This is a fun matchup that I didn’t know how to approach at first. You can one shot their [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card], but their [card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card] create a big problem, especially since they can heal with [card name=”Max Potion” set=”Emerging Powers” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card]. You have to be careful when you choose to use Tapu Wilderness GX, as you want to heal the most that you can. You also have to be wary of [card name=”Espeon-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”117″ c=”name”][/card] taking your [card name=”Vikavolt” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”52″ c=”name”][/card] out with the help of a couple of Feather Arrows. I lost to Decidueye-GX on stage at North American Internationals due to Espeon-EX.

This is a matchup that I can’t describe well how to play against. You have to play smart with your GX attack, and also you have to take two shots against their Decidueye-GX and be content with that. Zoroark-GX is a piece of cake, but a good player won’t attack you with it often. I’ve won some games before by loading up a [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] and taking a Knock Out against a Decidueye-GX that Razor Leafed, but I wouldn’t count on this strategy often.

This matchup is just unfavorable. Not unbeatable, especially if you play smart and manage the damage pileup, but it’s not a matchup that I’m happy to play against.

Buzzwole-GX / Lycanroc-GX

This matchup comes down to protecting your Vikavolt. [card name=”Buzzwole-GX” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] decks tend to play high amounts of [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] to complement their [card name=”Lycanroc-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card], which make your Vikavolt a big target. They need two [card name=”Strong Energy” set=”Fates Collide” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] and a [card name=”Regirock-EX” set=”Fates Collide” no=”43″ c=”name”][/card] to OHKO it with Jet Punch, so I recommend taking one-shots on Buzzwole-GX that have a Strong Energy to keep them from getting that second one. I tend to prioritize setting up multiple Vikavolt, while continuing to put down pressure with Tapu Bulu-GX.

Guzma up Tapu Lele-GX sometime during the match and use Tapu Wilderness GX so that you can heal, take two Prizes, and keep your Energy for next turn to take a Nature’s Judgment Knock Out. Being able to one-shot Lycanroc-GX too is helpful, if they decide to attack with it.

I think this matchup is favorable, but their early pressure combined with their Bench damage and their ability to take advantage of a slow start, if you have one, will make this a bit difficult.

Volcanion-EX / Turtonator-GX

[cardimg name=”Volcanion” set=”Steam Siege” no=”25″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

I like this matchup a lot for [card name=”Tapu Bulu-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”130″ c=”name”][/card] since Bulu doesn’t have Weakness to Fire, and all of their Pokemon are easily Knocked Out in one hit. However, things get dicey if they include [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] in their lists, which not all [card name=”Volcanion” set=”Steam Siege” no=”25″ c=”name”][/card] players do anymore.

The early game can be a little awkward, but I cannot stress enough how important it is to Tapu Wilderness GX their baby [card name=”Volcanion” set=”Steam Siege” no=”25″ c=”name”][/card]. It seems like a huge waste to take one Prize, but they normally would have done some damage to your Tapu Bulu-GX already. Normally, Volcanion decks cannot respond to a turn two Knock Out on their Volcanion, since [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Turtonator-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”131″ c=”name”][/card] both need three Energy to attack. Plus, you get to keep your Energy for a Nature’s Judgment next turn.

Silvally-GX / Celesteela-GX

This matchup should go incredibly smoothly. [card name=”Silvally-GX” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card] has the ideal amount of HP for Tapu Bulu to hit. [card name=”Celesteela-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM67 ” c=”name”][/card]’s 200 HP isn’t much of an advantage when it’s easy for us to hit 210. Celesteela-GX’s Rocket Fall does hurt when it hits Tapu Bulu, since Tapu Bulu has a Retreat Cost of three, but the only way they can one-shot any of your attackers is with Silvally or Celesteela’s GX attacks. This makes Tapu Wilderness GX that much better in this matchup — it’s even better if you can take a Tapu Lele-GX Knock Out with it.

This should be a simple matchup. You accelerate so much faster and you take one shots, while they have to settle for two shots most of the time. I wouldn’t worry too much about this matchup.

Conclusion

Tapu Bulu is coming back with a vengeance. It should shine better now than ever before! I’m looking forward to seeing how it does at Memphis; I can definitely see it taking a Top 8 spot. Tapu Bulu sets the tempo in most games with its explosive openings and its sustainability throughout the game. It also has an opportunity to take advantage of the lack of Garbodor and the amount of 210 HP Pokemon in the meta. I’ll be testing Bulu even more in the coming days and weeks.

I’m going to try to use Twitter more this season! Follow me @treynorwolfe to catch my performances and deck lists that I will be posting throughout the season. I cannot wait to engage you all in person and on Facebook/Twitter!

See you all in Memphis,

Treynor

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