[cardimg name=”Joltik” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”26″ align=”right” c=”custom”]Can anything stop these little guys?![/cardimg]

Hi guys, my name is Conner LaVelle, and I’m excited to have the opportunity to write for you all! To formally introduce myself, I have played in the St. Louis area for eight years with multiple Regional Top 8s (or better), two Nationals Top 32s, and a number of smaller accomplishments as well. This season, I brought [card name=”Gardevoir-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] into Expanded with my lists taking Top 64, Top 16, and Top 8 between Jac Carter and myself. I’m always open for questions, so feel free to post or message me on the forums or Facebook — I’ll do my best to answer quickly!

With introductions out of the way, I’d like to move to the topic of today’s article: the Night March mirror match. Night March’s dominance of San Jose Regionals demonstrated that the deck is likely the single most powerful force in Expanded, and this means that you will certainly be playing against it. If you’re one of the people who has recently decided to pick up the deck, then you may be uncertain of the best approach to one of the most skill-intensive mirror matches in the game. In this article, I’ll go over the best lines of play in each phase of the game, providing insight that will give you the highest odds of pulling a win through incremental advantages. I’ll begin with points that are universal throughout nearly all points of the game, moving through each phase one at a time from there.

When testing for and writing this article, I used Azul Garcia Griego’s first place Night March list from San Jose. It is an incredibly well-built list, approaching the point of solution, and it is by far the list you are most likely to play against in your League Cups and at Dallas. For ease of reference, I’ve provided it here:

[decklist name=”Azul’s 1st place Night March” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Marshadow-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”80″][pokemon amt=”21″]4x [card name=”Joltik” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”26″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Lampent” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”42″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Pumpkaboo” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”44″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Zorua” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”70″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Marshadow-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”80″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”35″]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=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Ghetsis” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”101″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Teammates” set=”Primal Clash” no=”141″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Puzzle of Time” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”109″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Special Charge” set=”Steam Siege” no=”105″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Dowsing Machine” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”128″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Dimension Valley” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”93″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”2″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”4″]4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”HeartGold and SoulSilver” no=”103″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist]

Always…

[cardimg name=”Pumpkaboo” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”44″ align=”right” c=”custom”]Your go-to vegetable.[/cardimg]

Avoid benching EXs and GXs. This one is a bit of a no-brainer, but you should avoid using [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] to set up. They’re two-Prize liabilities that will put you behind in the long run. The exception to this is if you’ll miss a Knock Out or have an extremely weak turn without playing one of them; it’s important to weigh the benefits against the possibility that the Prize trade will swing unfavorably for you. There is an important exception to this rule specifically regarding Zoroark-GX in the “late game” section below.

Mainly attack with [card name=”Pumpkaboo” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”44″ c=”name”][/card]. This is for one primary reason: [card name=”Joltik” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card] is KO’d by Sky Return. Pumpkaboo is also much better against potential [card name=”Oricorio” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”56″ c=”name”][/card] techs than Joltik, and the [card name=”Dimension Valley” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] is rarely an issue, considering both players will be trying to get one in play ASAP. There is an exception to this rule in the late game since [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card] can remove Dimension Valley from play, and Zoroark-GX is difficult to KO for a last Prize due to Resistance.

Remember to take advantage of Sky Return. This ties in to the previous point. If your opponent chooses to,or is forced to, play a Joltik, Sky Return is by far the best way to knock it out. The initial Set Up allows you to draw cards, and Shaymin returning to your hand preserves the all-important [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Shining Legends” no=”69″ c=”name”][/card]. Additionally, [card name=”Marshadow-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”80″ c=”name”][/card] can take a KO on a [card name=”Zorua” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”70″ c=”name”][/card] with Sky Return due to Weakness, so a Shaymin in your discard pile can be beneficial to you.

Choose to go second if you’re certain that you’re playing against the mirror. While this may seem strange, in testing we’ve found that, if both players are of equal skill, the player going second has a 70%-80% win rate. Grabbing the first Knock Out is crucial, and disruptive Supporters such as [card name=”Ghetsis” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”101″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card] rarely completely kill a hand.

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In the Early Game

The early game consists of the first and second turn. While this may seem like a short window, the Night March mirror progresses extremely quickly, and the strongest lines of play change at the same rate.

Try to use Ghetsis or Hex Maniac if you’re going first. In general, I find Ghetsis to be much stronger than Hex on the opening turn because your opponent will be trying to avoid benching Shaymin-EX or Tapu Lele-GX anyway. That said, sometimes these Pokemon are needed to keep turns flowing, and Ability prevention can be quite strong in these situations. This statement comes with a condition: do not use Tapu Lele-GX to search for these Supporters. If your choice is to use a draw Supporter or Lele for Ghetsis, play the draw Supporter. If your opponent’s hand isn’t killed by the Ghetsis, the Tapu Lele is a tremendous liability on your Bench and can directly contribute to you losing the matchup.

Get a [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”XY” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Teammates” set=”Primal Clash” no=”141″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] in your discard. These are the three Supporters you’ll be using most during the game, and you’d much rather have them accessible by [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] than searchable by Lele. Not only do you have far more opportunities to play the cards this way, but, as previously stated, you want to avoid benching Lele whenever possible. I prefer Guzma over [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card] because you’ll frequently end up in situations where you want to target specific targets with specific attackers in the opening turns. The most common examples are taking advantage of Sky Return on a Joltik or KO’ing an EX or GX with the best possible Night Marcher.

Unless your opponent is playing Oricorio, you’re safe to play your [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] as soon as you hit them. Getting dead cards, six to eight Night Marchers, and your Supporter toolbox into your discard pile are all things you want to do as quickly as possible. It will give you the greatest odds of drawing what you need in all stages of the game and ensure that you maintain offensive pressure. While many matchups require you to conserve Battle Compressor, the Night March mirror is not one of them.

However, moving forward, we may see Oricorio become a common tech in Night March, so playing around it may be advantageous. In this case, you need between four and six Night Marchers in your discard, depending on which attackers you and your opponent decide to use, but you should not commit anything past this. This makes you more likely to dead draw in the late game, as thinning your deck of Pokemon is no longer an option, but it limits the impact of opposing Oricorio to nearly nothing.

Get a [card name=”Zorua” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”70″ c=”name”][/card] down, but don’t evolve it. While it can be tempting to start using Trade as quickly as possible, Night March has a variety of ways to Knock Out a Zoroark-GX. You want the option available at all times, especially when you move into the late game, but jumping the gun on the Zoroark can lead to situations where you fall behind in the Prize trade as well as lose the ability to recover from a late game [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card].

In the Mid Game

The mid game is between turns three and five, or between five and three Prizes remaining. It is the most “auto pilot” of the three phases, but there are still a few key things to keep in mind.

Try to eliminate your opponent’s [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card]. Zoroark-GX not only provides a constant stream of draw and deck thin, but it also yields two Prizes when KO’d. The reason why this is a goal toward the mid game is because you want to lower your opponent’s resistance to N in any way possible in preparation for the late game. In addition to this, Zoroark-GX is the most difficult KO to grab in the Night March mirror, so it’s easiest to deal with in the stage of the game where you have the most resources. This will prevent your opponent from easily drawing out of a low-card N and/or presenting a 210 HP attacker to get over for your last couple of Prizes.

[cardimg name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ align=”right” c=”custom”]Easy money![/cardimg]

In a similar vein, start prioritizing KO’s on EX’s and GX’s, if your opponent has been forced to bench any. In the early game, you may not have the ability to get a significant number of Night Marchers in the discard and follow it up with a Guzma or Lysandre. By the mid game, you should have the Night Marchers you need in the discard, and your deck is thin enough that you will reliably have access to these two Supporters. You can pull ahead on the Prize trade here, sometimes significantly, by Knocking Out opposing [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card].

If you do go ahead in this way, you may want to evolve into Zoroark-GX earlier, as your opponent will be attempting to disrupt your aggression with N. The reason evolving into Zoroark a little earlier is fine here is because you are far enough ahead on Prizes that you can afford to lose the GX. If the Prize trade is closely contested, evolving into Zoroark-GX is best saved for the final few turns.

Focus on taking a KO every turn. This is obvious, but it can occasionally contradict my earlier point of not benching EXs and GXs. Do what you need to in order to stay ahead on Prizes in the mid game. While you shouldn’t be reckless, this does sometimes mean benching Shaymin or Zoroark-GX to keep up. Missing a KO is the worst thing you can do in this matchup, so you should keep this in mind when deciding how far to extend each turn.

Make sure you have access to N for the late game. This often means discarding it, though it can involve leaving it in deck depending on how many outs to Ultra Ball into Tapu Lele-GX you have. Either way, be conscious of your most reliable avenue to the Supporter by keeping an eye on your remaining VS Seekers, Tapu Lele-GX, and [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”135″ c=”name”][/card].

Being able to disrupt your opponent’s hand is incredibly important as Night March tends to amass resources toward the mid game. In closely contested games, an N can be game-deciding, especially if used in tandem with [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card] and Zoroark-GX. The Night March mirror largely hinges on each player’s ability to use and recover from N, so having access to it is a must.

In the Late Game

The late game begins as soon as either player is down to two or fewer Prizes. You have a great deal of influence over the outcome of the game at this point, so it’s important to know both how you can recover and how to push your advantage to a win.

When your opponent has a single Prize, evolve your Zorua. This can be stretched to when your opponent has two Prizes, if you plan to N yourself and your opponent to two, but it does provide them an avenue to take their final two Prizes in a single Knock Out. Trade is at its most useful when drawing you out of an N to one or two, and this is the situation where you’re most likely to need the extra cards. A lack of cards on your opponent’s side also means that Zoroark will be more difficult to Knock Out here than any other stage of the game.

Zoroark-GX becomes one of your best attackers. This is a continuation of the previous point. Zoroark-GX has a few qualities that make it ideal in endgame situations:

The first is it massive HP total. While 210 is normally no issue for Night March, it can be challenging if they don’t already have 11 Night Marchers in the discard. They’ll also be digging for a final [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Shining Legends” no=”69″ c=”name”][/card] at this point, forcing them to find more cards to claim their last Prize.

The other major asset that Zoroark-GX has it that its attack costs two Colorless Energy regardless of whether there is a [card name=”Dimension Valley” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] in play. This opens up opportunities for you to [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card] a Dimension Valley before an [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card], further increasing the number of cards your opponent has to draw to close out the game.

[cardimg name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Watch for opportunities to disrupt your opponent. Your primary tools for this are N, Field Blower, and [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card].

The effect of N, of course, is to reduce the number of cards in your opponent’s hand. This is almost always going to be your go-to method of disruption once the Prize count falls to three or lower. Field Blower on [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] and Dimension Valley can force your opponent into awkward situations where they miss a turn of attacking, especially if used in conjunction with N.

Hex Maniac is useful if your opponent already has very few cards, making it harder for them to respond with the correct combination of cards. It is also useful for when they may need to use [card name=”Marshadow-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”80″ c=”name”][/card] to attack (usually to KO Zoroark).

Which card is most effective will depend heavily on the board and contents of your opponent’s discard, but it’s important to remember that you have multiple options here.

Thin your deck aggressively. While you should always be looking to thin your deck, the late game is where you can discard otherwise key resources, depending on the specific game state. In the late game, you should aim to identify your win condition — or win conditions — and eliminate as many cards from your deck as possible that are not required for this win condition. The more you can eliminate, the higher your odds of finding those cards that will seal the game for you.

For example, if your win condition is finding a Double Colorless Energy, you should aim to remove every single card that cannot help you toward this goal. If you already have plenty of Energy on board and desperately need a Guzma, getting rid of Double Colorless Energy can even be the correct play. This is heavily dependent on the game state and changes drastically depending on your opponent’s remaining resources and what techs they may have ([card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”124″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Target Whistle” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card], etc). Experience is your best friend when deciding how best to thin the deck in the late game.

Tech Options

In addition to the play pointers I’ve offered, there are a few techs that can swing the mirror match your way if you want to gain a more significant edge. I’ll go over a few of my favorites here, explaining why I like each of them and what effect you can expect them to have.

Oranguru

[card name=”Oranguru” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”113″ c=”name”][/card] is my favorite single tech for the Night March mirror as it provides draw power without the dangers of a GX on board. Instruct is highly likely to draw you out of a low N since your deck is so thin by this point. It also provides risk-free draw in the earlier phases as well. While you are unlikely to ever attack with Oranguru here, you can use it as a means to force your opponent to discard up to six Night Marchers (advantageous if you play [card name=”Oricorio” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”56″ c=”name”][/card] as well) or commit a [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] to knock it out.

Fighting Fury Belt and Zorua from Shining Legends

[card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] was Azul’s Tool of choice, and for good reason: the additional 30 damage is pivotal against decks like Zoroark and [card name=”Gardevoir-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] in the Expanded format. That said, [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] is by far the most powerful Tool card in the mirror. Fury Belt makes it so that Joltik cannot be KO’d by Sky Return and [card name=”Zorua” set=”Shining Legends” no=”52″ c=”from”][/card] becomes an excellent attacker capable of taking Knock Outs on both Joltik and Pumpkaboo. The extra 10 damage remains relevant in matchups across the board, though it only saves you a single Night Marcher instead of Choice Band’s two. While these changes have the weakest impact of any tech mentioned here, they are the least intrusive when changing the list and will not be dead in other matchups.

Target Whistle

[card name=”Target Whistle” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card] was a common Night March tech in 2016 for its ability to place an EX on your opponent’s Bench. This effect remains just as relevant today as it can swing you ahead on the Prize exchange or cement your lead. The effect is incredibly powerful in conjunction with [card name=”Puzzle of Time” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] as well. Target Whistle is also much more difficult to play around than the next tech, Oricorio, as doing so often means avoiding Sycamore as a primary draw option.

Oricorio

[cardimg name=”Oricorio” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”56″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

The anti-Night March tech of choice for much of the format can be played in Night March as well. Notably, [card name=”Oricorio” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”56″ c=”name”][/card] attacks for free with Dimension Valley in play, and it can take a Knock Out on Joltik with its second attack, allowing you to preserve Energy or attach elsewhere.

I actually like Oricorio less than the other cards on this list because it is easy to play around in this particular matchup. Each player needs a minimal amount of Night Marchers to KO everything in their opponent’s deck, and even the massive 210 HP Zoroark-GX only requires a Choice Band and four Night Marchers discarded for Marshadow to KO. In a best-of-one format, Oricorio is at its strongest as it can take a huge number of Prizes when not played around, but it will lose a tremendous amount of its value in a best-of-three after your opponent knows that you play it. On top of this, skilled Night March players may begin playing around Oricorio in the mirror regardless of whether they know their opponent runs it or not, making the card significantly weaker.

Conclusion

The Night March mirror is something that you will likely become intimately acquainted with if you plan to play the deck anytime soon. San Jose demonstrated the deck’s resilience even in the face of heavy counters, meaning a major metagame shift would be required to knock Night March off its pedestal. Looking ahead to the next set, this does not seem likely for the foreseeable future.

Thank you to everyone who took their time to read this article! I hope you’re able to draw meaningful insight from it and improve your win rate in the game’s most skill intensive mirror. If you have any questions, feel free to ask through the Subscriber’s Secret Hideout, commenting on this article, a private message, or Facebook, and I’ll do my best to answer as quickly as possible. I look forward to writing for you all in the future!

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