Another ZoroArticle — The Definitive Zoroark-GX List for Dallas

By: Zakary Krekeler · Posted Jan 26, 2018 at 8:53 PM · 0 Comments

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

Hello all! We are now just a day away from the largest Expanded event in the history of Pokemon. With so many players attending, and plenty of prep time since the last Regional, there is no doubt that the Dallas Regional Championship will be one of the most anticipated tournaments of the year.

In my last article, I focused on Standard [card name=”Silvally-GX” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card] variants, highlighting the importance of the Silvally-GX’s versatility. In this article, I’ll continue that theme and look at a Pokemon that lends itself to an even larger variety of decks — and is powerful enough to completely warp the Expanded format. I’m talking, of course, about [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card], a card that has vaulted into tier-one contention in both Standard and Expanded. As we are about to enter one of the most competitive Expanded events of the season, I’ll use this article to focus on Zoroark-GX in Expanded. I’ll be discussing specific ways to play it, as well as the tricks you need to know to be successful when playing this incredible card. In addition, I’ll be going over my Zoroark variant of choice, and providing a detailed look at the list that I will be playing for Dallas.

What Makes Zoroark-GX so Strong in Expanded?

We know that cards such as [card name=”Lycanroc-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Golisopod-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”17″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card] have all been paired with Zoroark-GX to play a major part in recent Standard tournaments. Expanded, however, tends to be a much different experience: decks are faster and can hit harder; Trainer engines are different; and there is a much larger card pool that you have to be prepared for. What is it that makes Zoroark-GX decks able to handle that transition between formats?

To answer that, let’s first look at what cards Zoroark-GX decks gain from the Expanded card pool. Two cards in particular stand out as immediately helpful for every variant of the deck.

Sky Field

Since Zoroark-GX’s damage scales with the number of Pokemon you have in play, a Stadium that allows you to increase that number will naturally be beneficial. Increasing the potential damage of Riotous Beating from 150 to 210 (assuming Choice Band is attached) is a drastic change, as it allows Zoroark-GX to change from relying on a two-hit strategy against bigger Pokemon, to being able to reliably one-shot nearly all Basic and Stage 1 Pokemon. Most importantly, this change means that Zoroark-GX no longer needs to rely on a secondary attacker as it does in Standard; you can instead build a deck that focuses on Zoroark-GX itself as the main attacker, opening up many more options for tech cards or support Pokemon.

Exeggcute from Plasma Freeze

[cardimg name=”Exeggcute” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”4″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

This little Basic combos perfectly with Trade, since you can repeatedly put it back into your hand rather than discarding valuable resources. Previously difficult decisions on what to Trade away can easily be avoided, thanks to Propagation. (That isn’t to say you can’t also use Trade to thin out your deck, however.) [card name=”Exeggcute” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”4″ c=”name”][/card] also solves the potential problem of running out of Basic Pokemon with which to fill your Bench and fuel Riotous Beating. In many games, the winning play is made possible by Propagating one or more Exeggcute out of the discard pile and then using it to fill up your Bench — particularly at times when you need to use [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”143″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card], and thus can’t play a draw Supporter to dig for more Basic Pokemon.

Of course, Expanded has a few other benefits for Zoroark-GX besides those obvious two. In Standard, we’ve already seen some players cutting down on draw Supporters in the deck, instead using Trade as the main draw engine. In Expanded, you can naturally take that concept to the extreme, thanks to [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”110″ c=”name”][/card]. Many builds in Expanded play as few as two or three draw Supporters, and instead load up on tech Supporters, such as [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Karen” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY177″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Acerola” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”142″ c=”name”][/card]. The incredible draw power provided by Trade takes care of most of the typical consistency needs of the deck, while VS Seeker means that you’ll have the flexibility to use whichever Supporter is needed for the situation.

As I’ve said, one of the highlights of Zoroark-GX in Expanded is the vast number of different deck concepts that can center around it. Well-known partners for the card include [card name=”Lycanroc-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Golisopod-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”148″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card], as well as newer variants such as [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”3″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Magnezone” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”46″ c=”name”][/card] (see articles by Ahmed Ali and John Kettler for more details on those decks). Of course, that list doesn’t include decks that use Zoroark-GX as a secondary attacker or draw engine, such as Night March. Because there are so many different ways to play Zoroark-GX, preparing for the many variants is a much harder task than normal.

A deck that can reliably beat Zoroark has to first deal with Zoroark itself: no small task, given the card’s innate power. Even after that, it still needs to manage to deal with whatever else the Zoroark deck has planned, whether it is disruption (such as in Seismitoad / Zoroark), techs and speed (such as in Lonzoroark), or even more diverse attackers (such as [card name=”Lycanroc-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Golisopod-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”17″ c=”name”][/card]). Very few decks can manage to deal with all Zoroark variants. (For examples of a few decks that can do so, check out Ryan Allred’s recent article.)

So, given all of these Zoroark builds, which one is “the play” that can best navigate the crowded Dallas field? Each build has distinct advantages and disadvantages, and as such, none has been able to pull away as the clear “best” variant.

The Zoroark Variants

While there are many different possible ways to build a deck centered around Zoroark, most seem to fit into a few categories. Those are:

“Straight” builds, such as Lonzoroark and Zoroark-GX / Lycanroc-GX. These decks tend to focus on Zoroark-GX as the main attacker, with the other Pokemon in the deck acting as support.
“Zoroark + secondary attacker” builds, such as Zoroark-GX / Golisopod-GX and Zoroark-GX / Silvally-GX. While these decks still utilize Zoroark-GX as a strong attacker, they have a secondary attacker as well. These builds may not go all-out in supporting Zoroark-GX; for example, Zoroark-GX / Golisopod-GX doesn’t play Sky Field, instead opting to focus on the strengths of Golisopod-GX.
“Disruption” builds, such as Zoroark-GX / Vileplume and Zoroark-GX / Magnezone. These decks utilize Zoroark-GX as the main attacker, but focus more on maximizing the benefit from Trade rather than going all-out with Riotous Beating. These builds run plenty of ways to disrupt the opposing strategy, be it Item lock, hand disruption, or Ability lock.

All three of these categories contain competitive Zoroark-GX decks, and each should be expected in large numbers at Dallas Regionals. They all play fairly similarly, but have different ways of dealing with the various other meta decks.

The Definitive Zoroark Variant

While I’m definitely fond of the number of potential partners Zoroark can have, in my testing, the variant I’ve come to love the most has turned out to be one of the most straightforward. I initially began with “Zoroark + secondary attacker” builds, but I quickly came to appreciate just how powerful Zoroark-GX is as an attacker by itself in the Expanded format. Not many partner Pokemon can come close to reaching 210 for a Double Colorless Energy, as early as turn two! So, rather than try and find a strong partner for Zoroark, I instead focused on the strengths and weaknesses of the “straight” builds, and tried to account for them without impacting the consistency or spirit of the deck. I ended up deciding on a “Lonzoroark” build (the Zoroark-GX / Seismitoad-EX / Alolan Muk deck created by Pacific Northwest players), as it felt a bit smoother to play and seemed to have plenty of wiggle room in the decklist.

Here is my list for Lonzoroark:

[premium]

[decklist name=”LonZoroark” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″][pokemon amt=”22″]4x [card name=”Zorua” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”70″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Zoroark” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”91″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Zoroark” set=”Black and White” no=”71″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Tapu Koko” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM31″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]3x [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”106″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Exeggcute” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Alolan Grimer” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”83″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Alolan Muk” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”58″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Sudowoodo” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”66″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”106″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”34″]2x [card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”135″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”101″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Brigette” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”161″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”143″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Acerola” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”142″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Karen” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY177″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Iris” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”101″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Pokémon Ranger” set=”Steam Siege” no=”113″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”110″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Puzzle of Time” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”109″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”122″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]1x [card name=”Computer Search” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Special Charge” set=”Steam Siege” no=”105″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]3x [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”4″]4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Generations” no=”74″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist][cardimg name=”Alolan Muk” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”58″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

For those of you unfamiliar with this version of Zoroark, I’ll briefly touch on some of the key points here. Basically, this is a straightforward Zoroark deck. You utilize Zoroark-GX as your main attacker, with the non-GX Zoroark as secondary options. Alolan Muk is included primarily as a way to shut off opposing Sudowoodo, and ensure that Riotous Beating will hit for the maximum possible amount of damage. Alolan Muk and the Seismitoad-EX can also be used as powerful disruption cards, particularly in the early game or against decks such as Night March. The two [card name=”Tapu Koko” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM30″ c=”name”][/card] are my unique addition to this list; I’ll go over that below.

Card Choices

Most of this list is based on the successful Lonzoroark lists from the most recent Expanded Regional in San Jose. There are a few key changes from those list to this one, however. In some cases, I moved cards that were in one list, but not in another, into this deck. In others, I made changes to the actual skeleton of the deck, and added or removed several cards. The primary newly-added cards that I want to highlight are [card name=”Pokémon Ranger” set=”Steam Siege” no=”113″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Iris” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”81″ c=”name”][/card], and Tapu Koko, while the removed cards include [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card], Ghetsis, and Professor Juniper. The rest of the list is fairly standard — there wasn’t a lot worth changing!

Tapu Koko

The addition of Tapu Koko came as a potential countermeasure against many of the decks that are typically known for a strong matchup against Zoroark decks, namely [card name=”Gardevoir-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Primal Groudon-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card]. Both of those decks rely on their main attackers’ high HP, taking advantage of the fact that Zoroark-GX cannot one-shot a Gardevoir-GX or a Primal Groudon-EX. Even without [card name=”Focus Sash” set=”Furious Fists” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] as a factor, Zoroark-GX’s 210-damage cap cannot take a OHKO on a Primal Groudon-EX. Likewise, Resistance to Darkness ensures that Gardevoir-GX cannot be hit for more than 190 damage. While cards like Iris can increase Zoroark-GX’s damage output, a Primal Groudon-EX opponent needs to have taken three Prizes, and a Gardevoir-GX opponent four, for Zoroark-GX to actually take a KO – in many cases, that may mean that it’s already too late to win the game.

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

To solve this issue, I took inspiration from a deck that had a similar problem with Gardevoir-GX’s 230 HP: [card name=”Vikavolt” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”52″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Tapu Bulu-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM32″ c=”name”][/card]. In St. Louis, early damage spread from Tapu Koko became a dominant anti-Gardevoir strategy pioneered by former National Champion John Roberts II. The strategy is fairly straightforward: simply use one or more Flying Flip attacks in the early turns while Gardevoir-GX is setting up, and from that point on, your one-shots will be set up, and you’ve successfully eliminated the “bulkiness” problem.

While one might think that Expanded is far too fast a format for such a strategy to be effective, Gardevoir-GX decks have actually remained rather similar to their Standard builds, with the main Expanded additions coming in the form of [card name=”Teammates” set=”Primal Clash” no=”141″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] – neither of which speed up the deck against this strategy. The strategy works similarly against Groudon decks, and has the added benefit of being able to eliminate their Focus Sash protection. In addition, Tapu Koko gives you a reliable Bench-hitting option against decks such as [card name=”Gyarados” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”21″ c=”name”][/card], and since it has no Retreat Cost, you can use Tapu Koko to easily switch from one Pokemon to another after KOs or when using Guzma.

This free-retreat benefit allows us to cut one copy of [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] from the deck, as you don’t need it in so many situations.

Finally, since we already play Alolan Muk, we can shut off Abilities such as [card name=”Mr. Mime” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”47″ c=”name”][/card]’s Bide Barricade or [card name=”Magikarp” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”17″ c=”name”][/card]’s Submerge.

Iris

This card was in some of the San Jose lists, but was absent from the Lonzoroark builds. I’ve added it in, and found it to be an incredibly strong card. In ideal situations, you can surprise your opponent with Iris to take an otherwise unobtainable Knock Out, but even if you add it to your discard pile early to bring back with a late-game VS Seeker, you can still force your opponent to play around it. With Iris in the list, Zoroark’s damage output increases from 210 to a possible 250 or 260, depending on how your opponent takes their Prizes. I’ve mentioned Gardevoir-GX and Primal Groudon-EX as important targets that can be OHKO’d by using an Iris, but the card can also help in other situations, especially if you’re lacking the necessary Benched Pokemon to reach that 210 damage in the first place.

Pokemon Ranger

[cardimg name=”Pokemon Ranger” set=”Steam Siege” no=”113″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

I’ve been debating the inclusion of this card in the list, and will likely continue debating it right up until I submit my final decklist for Dallas. The reason for including Pokemon Ranger is to prevent Chaos Wheel from either [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Mismagius” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] from handing you an unwinnable gamestate. Since Lonzoroark plays no basic Energy, Chaos Wheel and [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card] can effectively eliminate all Energy from our side of the field for the rest of the game. With the addition of Pokemon Ranger, however, that worry is completely negated, as we can just remove the blocking effect, attach another Energy, and go on our merry way.

Even with this drastic difference in outcomes, however, there is still a decent argument for not including the Pokemon Ranger. Basically, since we know that Zoroark-GX is incredibly popular, we can assume that many players have been looking at counters such as Chaos Wheel. But there’s also a good chance many will consider what I’ve just discussed and decide to include Pokemon Ranger in their decks. If enough people do that, the usefulness of the Chaos Wheel strategy goes down considerably, and if the inclusion of Pokemon Ranger is anticipated before the event, the prevalence of Chaos Wheel decks and techs will also decrease considerably. Of course, if that happens, then Pokemon Ranger may end up being a useless card in this list! (But then if people think that is the case, Ranger will be played less, and Chaos Wheel will be better, and if people think that is the case, then Chaos Wheel will be played more, and if people think that is the case… The arguments do end up going in circles a bit.) The main thing to consider is whether enough other competitors will be running Pokemon Ranger, thus hindering Giratina-EX or Mismagius decks, that you can effectively avoid Chaos Wheel altogether. If there are, then you can safely drop the Pokemon Ranger, and make much better use of that card slot. If there aren’t, then Pokemon Ranger may be a necessity. Pokemon Ranger does have a few other uses, such as negating the effects of [card name=”Jirachi” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY67″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card], but something like Ghetsis or additional copies of other cards would be more helpful in most matchups. When deciding whether or not to include Pokemon Ranger, take note of the pre-tournament hype, and try to decide how much of a risk it is not to play the card, and whether or not that risk is worth it.

Removed Cards

Field Blower

In this list, I’ve chosen to not just cut down on Field Blower, but remove it entirely. Given the heavy presence of [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card] in other Zoroark decks (such as the four played by Tord Reklev at the EUIC), this may be a bit of a surprise. The reasoning behind it comes down to the meta share of [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] over the past few months. In San Jose, there was not a single Garbodor deck that made top 32; those results have been well reflected in League Cup standings as well. Even in the projected field, the only relevant Garbodor decks include Seismitoad-EX / Garbodor (against which you can’t play Field Blower anyway), [card name=”Sableye” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”62″ c=”name”][/card] / Garbodor, and [card name=”Necrozma-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”63″ c=”name”][/card] / Garbodor (which has seen very little recent success, and isn’t a terrible matchup even without Field Blower). With Garbodor out of the picture, there is much less use for Field Blower.

There aren’t really any Tools that Zoroark needs to get rid of; [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] has seen very little play recently as a result of Zoroark decks typically playing many Field Blower, and [card name=”Bursting Balloon” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card] is almost non-existent. Removing Items like [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”162″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] is more or less a luxury that will rarely be relevant in deciding a match, and you already play multiple counter Stadiums for the likes of [card name=”Dimension Valley” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card]. So, similar to the logic behind why you wouldn’t want to play Pokemon Ranger, Field Blower simply isn’t needed if you don’t play against any decks where Field Blower is relevant. If you do insist on playing Tool removal, I would opt instead for a [card name=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”119″ c=”name”][/card], as it is usable against Seismitoad-EX, and it also provides a secondary effect in your other matchups.

Float Stone

I discussed this a bit above. Since you have Tapu Koko in this list, the number of scenarios where you need a Float Stone goes down. As such, you can cut out one of the Float Stone, and add in an additional Tapu Koko.

Ghetsis and Professor Sycamore

[cardimg name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”Steam Siege” no=”114″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

When testing these cards, I found both rather unhelpful.

[card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”XY” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card] seemed to be far more of a liability than a benefit, as it would often either be ignored in favor of [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”118″ c=”name”][/card]; or worse, it would force me to discard valuable resources, the absence of which would end up hurting me later in the game.

[card name=”Ghetsis” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”101″ c=”name”][/card], similarly, felt more like a luxury Supporter than anything. Very rarely would I be in a situation to use Ghetsis turn one (I almost always opted for [card name=”Brigette” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”134″ c=”name”][/card] if possible), it isn’t that great as a draw Supporter (especially when compared to a Sky Field-boosted [card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”135″ c=”name”][/card]), and the late-game disruption factor happened far less often than I wanted.

The loss of a single draw Supporter hasn’t hurt the consistency of the deck, as Trade and Colress provide plenty of draw as is. While it would be nice to have Ghetsis against matchups such as Sableye / Garbodor, the meta share of those types of decks have decreased so drastically that the card is not needed in the list.

Gameplay

In most matchups, your main goal is to set up Zoroark-GX as quickly as possible. Ideally, you want to be drawing a ton of cards and hitting for 180-210 damage as early as turn two. Turn one should almost always be dedicated to a Brigette, unless it isn’t possible to play one. You typically want to get three [card name=”Zorua” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”70″ c=”name”][/card] in play early; if you’ve started with one, get Sudowoodo (against other Zoroark decks), Tapu Koko (against Gardevoir or Groudon, or if you really need a free-Retreater), or [card name=”Alolan Grimer” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”83″ c=”name”][/card] (against Volcanion or opposing Sudowoodo, or to block Tapu Lele-GX and Shaymin-EX if your opponent is in a dead-draw situation). You don’t really have any turn one attackers, so digging for Energy isn’t necessary, and you won’t typically need any resources that you can’t dig for on turn two, after you’ve set up your Bench. Once your Zoroark-GX get going, the draw provided by Trade will allow the rest of the deck to function, moreso once you set up multiple Zoroark-GX. The Night March matchup is a notable exception to this strategy, as playing many Pokemon-GX may end up being a liability.

The main strategy of the deck is pretty similar to other Zoroark decks: you set up fast, hit hard, and use whatever other cards you want to control the matchup. The earlier you can start taking KOs, the better. Against decks with a similar “hit hard and fast” strategy, utilize your non-GX Zoroark well, especially if you’re attacking into non-GXs, as the Prize trade will likely be the key factor in deciding the winner. Against bulky decks like Gardevoir-GX, use the Tapu Koko strategy outlined above. If you can, focus on taking Knock Outs on Pokemon-GX so you avoid playing a seven-Prize game and can take full advantage of Zoroark’s speed.

Hex Chaining

[cardimg name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

One of the strongest points that any Zoroark deck has is the capacity to continually shut off your opponent’s Abilities, even on a very early turn of the game.

If you can get into a situation where your draw can be completely covered by Zoroark, you open yourself up to other Supporter options. If your opponent is playing an Ability-reliant deck, or needs Abilities to set up, repeatedly using Hex Maniac can be a useful strategy to put yourself ahead. This can be especially strong in the Zoroark mirror match, as the opponent relies on Zoroark-GX for draw power just as you do. Shut that down, and you can completely turn the match in your favor.

The Big Roadblock

As with any deck that relies on filling the Bench to deal damage, [card name=”Sudowoodo” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card] will have a huge impact on how effectively Zoroark is able to function. An opposing Sudowoodo can drop your Zoroark-GX’s maximum damage output to a paltry 130 — not enough to KO anything aside from small basics and the occasional Shaymin-EX. Typically, there are two routes you can take to get around Roadblock: you can bring the Sudowoodo Active with Guzma and KO it, or you can achieve a one-turn “dodge” by using Hex Maniac. Knocking Out Sudowoodo can provide multiple turns of relief, but in some cases the one Prize will not be enough to justify doing so, especially if you could otherwise KO a Pokemon-EX or -GX. Hex Maniac has similar problems, as it only lasts for one turn, and forces you to discard back down to four Benched Pokemon after that turn. You can use that to your advantage, however, to discard “liability” support Pokemon such as a Shaymin-EX or Tapu Lele-GX.

Luckily for us, though, we have another route for getting around Sudowoodo’s Roadblock. With [card name=”Alolan Muk” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”58″ c=”name”][/card], we can shut off Roadblock and all other Abilities. Of course, there is a downside; after activating Power of Alchemy, we no longer have access to our own Sudowoodo, nor do we have the Abilities of Exeggcute, Shaymin-EX, or Tapu Lele-GX. What’s worse is that we have no way of shutting off our Alolan Muk once we play it down — the effect is permanent until our opponent KOs it or the game ends. So, we have to be very careful about when to activate it. Typically, it’s best to play down the Muk if…

you can get a critical Knock Out by doing so.
your opponent is completely reliant on Basic Pokemon Abilities (something like Volcanion).
your opponent is in a situation where they need Basic Pokemon Abilities to continue the game (say, if you know their only card in hand is a Shaymin-EX).
you no longer need Basic Pokemon Abilities (say, you have a thin deck and don’t need Propagate, or you’re out of Shaymin-EX and Tapu Lele-GX).
you are facing [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”36″ c=”name”][/card].
you want to shut off a [card name=”Mr. Mime” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”47″ c=”name”][/card].

Otherwise, just hold onto the Muk — you can always play it down later if you need to, but you can easily cripple yourself in the late-game by playing it down unnecessarily.

Matchup Notes

Against Night March

Seismitoad + [card name=”Karen” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY177″ c=”name”][/card] is the way to go, and it’s even better if you have an Alolan Muk out. You just need to be patient to get to that point – don’t drop your Seismitoad-EX before you can immediately attack with it, otherwise it’s likely to be targeted by [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card]/[card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card] so your opponent can KO it, take two Prizes, and get that huge threat off of the field. In general, you don’t want to put any Pokemon-GX down unless it’s strictly necessary, as they can provide easy Prizes for the Night March deck, potentially putting you too far behind to take advantage of Seismitoad-EX. Try to use [card name=”Zoroark” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] from BREAKthrough to attack if you need to, to save any Zoroark-GX you do have on your Bench. Once you do get Seismitoad-EX going, use Karen quickly, so that you limit the Night March player’s damage as much as possible. Don’t be afraid to use multiple Karen repeatedly, if your opponent manages to discard several Night March Pokemon (such as with Professor Sycamore), so that you can keep your Seismitoad-EX alive. [card name=”Acerola” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”112″ c=”name”][/card] is also helpful for this purpose.

Against Primal Groudon-EX

[cardimg name=”Groudon-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”85″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Use Tapu Koko and be aggressive. If you go first (or if your opponent doesn’t play down [card name=”Groudon-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”85″ c=”name”][/card] until turn two), aim for a KO on the “danger turn” — that is, the turn where they have to play down a Groudon-EX, but before it can evolve. If you can bring up that Groudon-EX and hit it for a KO, you’ll be able to jump ahead in Prizes. Late-game N is great against this deck. Remember, Alolan Muk shuts down both Wobbuffet and Mr. Mime, so getting it out is a great way to ensure that both your Trades and Flying Flips are working to full potential. Flying Flip is a great way to soften their attackers up, but they do play plenty of healing cards, so it can be difficult to get any damage to stick. Foul Play [card name=”Zoroark” set=”Black and White” no=”71″ c=”name”][/card] is a great final attacker, as it only needs one Flying Flip to stick before it can attack for a KO, and it doesn’t require you to build a large Bench of Pokemon (something which can be quite difficult, given the rate that Primal Groudon-EX decks can knock away your Sky Field, and given that Exeggcute will be unavailable).

Against Gardevoir-GX

There’s a pretty good rule of thumb: if you have to tech for a matchup, it isn’t a favorable one. [card name=”Gardevoir-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] is certainly one of your trickiest matchups – not only is the card incredibly difficult to Knock Out, but the deck also has a type advantage on you because of [card name=”Gallade” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”84″ c=”name”][/card]. Gallade can easily Knock Out your Zoroark-GX for two Prizes, but you only get one Prize for the return KO!

The one big advantage you have going for you here is your speed. Gardevoir typically takes a few turns to fully set up, and you have those turns to try to pull ahead in the Prize trade. If you use Tapu Koko, you can also prevent them from utilizing an early-game [card name=”Teammates” set=”Primal Clash” no=”141″ c=”name”][/card], which can buy you another turn. If you can, take aim at their Tapu Lele-GX, as it provides the easiest two-Prize KO of any of their Pokemon. Ideally, your opponent will play down multiple copies. If you can pull ahead early, you can set up your final two Prizes to be taken by KO’ing a Gardevoir-GX, by utilizing either Flying Flip damage or Iris.

Against Trevenant

If you run into this deck, just do your best to set up a Zoroark-GX. Once you do, you can set up the rest of your board far more easily, while also taking KOs on opposing [card name=”Trevenant BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card] every turn. Typically, you can sit back and wait once set up, as it takes a lot of damage for the opponent to KO any of your Zoroark-GX — even more if you can use Acerola. Wait for an opportunity to use Guzma to get out of Item lock; once that happens, take full advantage, using all of the Items that you likely have saved from turns of Trades. Even though you’re playing against Trevenant, you don’t want to just randomly discard Items, as many may be usable once you finally manage to remove yourself from Item lock.

Against Buzzwole-GX / Landorus-EX

[card name=”Buzzwole-GX” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card] was one of the first decks I started testing after San Jose, and also one of the main reasons I jumped onto the Zoroark bandwagon. While this matchup seems daunting at first, Zoroark-GX can quickly outspeed whatever the opponent decides to attack you with. In most Expanded Fighting variants, [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card] isn’t played. What this means is that if you can KO a Buzzwole-GX or [card name=”Landorus-EX” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card] with Energy on it, the opponent won’t be able to retaliate with an OHKO on your Zoroark-GX, allowing you to easily get ahead in the Prize trade. While variants with Crobat can add up damage, the most damage a single-Energy Buzzwole-GX can do to Zoroark-GX is 160 with a [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] and a [card name=”Strong Energy” set=”Furious Fists” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card], thus requiring both a [card name=”Golbat” set=”Generations” no=”31″ c=”name”][/card] and Crobat to get a KO. If they miss this combo, you can easily use Acerola to wipe the damage off of your board. In addition, if you manage to get going, you can utilize Hex Maniac to ensure that they can’t get any unexpected KOs. They will try to be very aggressive early-game, but as long as you don’t sacrifice all of your Zorua too early, the matchup is manageable. Survive the early onslaught, aim for their Energy, and keep the damage you take to a minimum.

Against Wailord

[cardimg name=”Wailord-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”38″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

This matchup is bad; there’s not really any way around it. The best way I’ve found to approach it is to use Tapu Koko early to try and force them to use up their healing Items. If they don’t, you can potentially get them in KO range for Zoroark-GX, but you typically run out of Energy before they run out of ways to heal.

Against LycanZoro

Despite the type disadvantage, I tend to find that this plays more like a mirror match than anything else. They have a bit of an advantage in that they can easily target your Bench with [card name=”Lycanroc-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”138″ c=”name”][/card]’s Bloodthirsty Eyes, but that’s really only effective if they can pair it with an impactful Supporter like Hex Maniac, or can use it to save resources. As an attacker, Lycanroc-GX isn’t more threatening than Zoroark; you should assume both can one-shot any of your Pokemon. Take advantage of your Alolan Muk. Avoid playing down unnecessary Pokemon-GX, and use your non-GX attackers as much as you can; Foul Play is especially strong if they have Lycanroc-GX out, as you can copy either Dangerous Rogue GX or Trickster GX (copying Dangerous Rogue GX) to get an easy KO.

Against ZoroPod

This matchup is unique as far as your Zoroark matchups go, as the opponent most likely won’t be playing any [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card]. In this matchup, they will try to force you to play their style of game. Your goal is to not let them do that, and instead dictate the game by your own moves. GoliZoro will have [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card], so be wary of placing too many Energy on your board. Remember, since you play both Sky Field and Alolan Muk, you get to decide when to move from a game where you trade two-shots (which is what they want to do) to a game where you (and only you) can take one-shots. Be careful, though, as you can’t shut off their Sudowoodo without also shutting off your own, which will then allow them to also get a one-shot. There is certainly a lot of nuance in this matchup; deciding when to play Sky Field, when to target their Sudowoodo, and how effectively you can utilize your non-GXs all are skills critical to success.

Overall, the strategy in most of these matchups tends to be about the same. Get your Bench set up, evolve multiple Zoroark-GX to begin utilizing Trade, attack with non-GX Pokemon whenever possible, and take Pokemon-GX Knock Outs whenever possible. The deck sets up fast, hits hard, and is rightfully at the center of the expanded meta.

Conclusion

That’s all I’ve got for today! If you have any questions about the article, feel free to message me — either directly, by commenting on this article, or on our wonderful forums! If you see me in Dallas, stop and say hello; I’ll either by playing, or at the vendor booths, so I’ll be easy to find.

Thanks for reading!

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