Toads and Dragons — Seismitoad-EX / Giratina-EX for Dallas Regionals

By: Zachary Lesage · Posted Posted onJan 9, 2018 at 2:10 PM · 0 Comments

Hey PokeBeach readers, I hope you have enjoyed all of your holidays and that you had some time to playtest some Pokemon! The next major tournament will be in Dallas, Texas and it is an Expanded tournament; luckily for us, we can quickly look at the San Jose, California results from November.

In this article, I will briefly go over the best decks from all age divisions from San Jose, provide a deeper look into two of the Expanded front runners, and fully detail [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] — a deck that has lurked in the shadows since Toronto, Ontario Regionals last season. Sometimes in the Expanded metagame, some decks will lay low for months, or even a year, until it becomes viable again. The factors that cause this are the current card pool being accepting of an idea, certain metagame trends, and how talked about a deck is heading into a tournament. With all of this being said, let’s check out the top decks from San Jose.

San Jose Results

[cardimg name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”77″ align=”right” c=”custom”]I’m running this game now![/cardimg]

In Expanded, players have many options for cards that they can use to construct their decks. This allows for many decks to become successful. All of the decks in this list made Top 8 or better in either the Juniors, Seniors, or Masters age division. While other decks may still hold viability, these decks are proven to see success within our current Expanded metagame:

  • Night March ([card name=”Pumpkaboo” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”44″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Joltik” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Lampent” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”42″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Marshadow-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”80″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card])
  • Zoroark-GX / [card name=”Lycanroc-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card]
  • [card name=”Gyarados” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”21″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Team Magma’s Secret Base” set=”Double Crisis” no=”32″ c=”name”][/card]
  • LonZoroark (Zoroark-GX / [card name=”Zoroark” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”91″ c=”from”][/card] / [card name=”Zoroark” set=”Black and White” no=”71″ c=”from”][/card] / [card name=”Alolan Muk” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”58″ c=”name”][/card] / Seismitoad-EX)
  • [card name=”Wailord-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”38″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Hoopa” set=”Shining Legends” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Wishiwashi-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”38″ c=”name”][/card]
  • [card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card]
  • Seismitoad-EX / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”54″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card]
  • [card name=”Gardevoir-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card]
  • Zoroark-GX / [card name=”Golisopod-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”17″ c=”name”][/card]
  • [card name=”Sableye” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”62″ c=”name”][/card] / Garbodor
  • [card name=”Tapu Koko” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM30″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Dusknoir” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”63″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Necrozma-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”63″ c=”name”][/card]
  • Garbodor Toolbox ([card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Trubbish” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”65″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Mimikyu” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”58″ c=”name”][/card])
  • Turbo Turtonator ([card name=”Turtonator-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”18″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Blacksmith” set=”Flashfire” no=”88″ c=”name”][/card])

This gives us a solid snapshot on where the Expanded metagame is right now. I would expect most of these decks to see play at Dallas, some more so than others. The biggest two decks overall right now are LonZoroark and Night March. Let’s have a look at these two decks briefly:

Azul Garcia Griego’s Night March Deck

[decklist name=”Azul Garcia Griego’s Night March Deck” 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=”Pumpkaboo” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”44″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Lampent” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”42″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/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]3x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/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 Juniper” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”84″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Teammates” set=”Primal Clash” no=”141″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ 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=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/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=”EX FireRed and LeafGreen” no=”100″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”135″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Special Charge” set=”Steam Siege” no=”105″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ 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=”Shining Legends” no=”69″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

Looking over this deck, Azul Garcia Griego took the tried and true tactics of Night March and added Zoroark-GX into the mix. For those of you who don’t know how Night March works, the goal is to promptly discard Lampent, Joltik, and Pumpkaboo with [card name=”Professor Juniper” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”84″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Shining Legends” no=”68″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Dowsing Machine” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”128″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card], and Zoroark-GX to power up the Night March attack. The deck has many different attacking Pokemon and can become versatile in type advantages due to Marshadow-GX, Pumpkaboo, Joltik, and Zoroark-GX all having different types. Night March may be the most successful Expanded deck of all time due to its quickness and ability to adapt to any metagame.

Bodhi Tracy’s “LonZoroark” Deck

[decklist name=”Bodhi Tracy’s “LonZoroark” Deck” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Sudowoodo” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”66″][pokemon amt=”20″]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]4x [card name=”Zorua” set=”Shining Legends” no=”52″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]1x [card name=”Alolan Muk” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”58″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Alolan Grimer” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”83″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]3x [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Exeggcute” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”4″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Sudowoodo” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”66″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”36″]2x [card name=”Brigette” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”134″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”118″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/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=”Acerola” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”112″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Karen” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY177″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Puzzle of Time” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”109″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”EX FireRed and LeafGreen” no=”100″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”135″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/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]1x [card name=”Computer Search” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]3x [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”3″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”4″]4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Shining Legends” no=”69″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

This is the new deck on the block and it takes the resemblance of a consistent [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] deck mixed with some crazy techs! Zoroark-GX’s Riotous Beating creates waves in combination with [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card] to do massive amounts of damage! With Sky Field, the deck can do 180 damage, or 210 damage if you have a [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] attached.

At this point, we also need to recognize that Zoroark-GX can use its Trade Ability over and over to draw important cards from the deck. Furthermore, between having Zoroark from BREAKthrough and Zoroark from Black & White, you have many different attacking options that you can use at will throughout the game. Did I mention Alolan Muk yet? The Alolan Muk in his deck allows you to block all Abilities from Basic Pokemon — something that is recommended only after you have a few Zoroark-GX on your board.

Overall, this deck is powerful, has locking capabilities, and is extremely versatile.

Toads and Dragons in the Shadows

[cardimg name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”166″ align=”right” c=”custom”]I am a very important card in Expanded![/cardimg]

If you looked closely at these above two deck lists, you may have noticed something… both decks only play [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Shining Legends” no=”69″ c=”name”][/card]. With that being said, I have looked at the pool of Expanded cards and have found an old concept that seems likely to creep into the metagame at Dallas. I took inspiration from the list that Igor Costa used to make Top 4 at Toronto Regionals last season and updated it with some new cards. Here are the reasons why I think the deck is good again:

  • You can block Special Energy cards
  • You can block Pokemon Tool cards
  • You can block Stadium cards
  • You can block Item cards
  • Two of the best decks in Expanded only play Double Colourless Energy
  • You can deny your opponent Energy attachments
  • You can loop your Supporters with VS Seeker and Lusamine
  • Mega Pokemon, while not often played, are still blocked

All of these reasons add up to a strong control factor that can lead the deck to success. While the deck hasn’t been played to success since Toronto, the biggest factor for that is the metagame that surrounds us right now. Most of the best decks in the metagame utilize Special Energy cards and explosive engines that play many Item cards.

You may be wondering how this actually plays out, so let’s go slightly more in depth.

[premium]

Quick Strategy 

Both LonZoroark and Night March rely on Special Energy cards in the form of Double Colorless Energy, so we need to isolate what we need to do with our deck. Both of these matchups play out similarly so we can easily group them together when discussing strategy.

Our strategy nods towards [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card]’s Chaos Wheel to prevent our opponent from attaching their Double Colorless Energy. If they already have Energy in play, we can easily get rid of those by using either [card name=”Crushing Hammer” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”124″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”110″ c=”name”][/card], or [card name=”Team Flare Grunt” set=”XY” no=”129″ c=”name”][/card].

[card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] can also be useful in these matchups, more in the early game, because we can use Quaking Punch to slow down their setup. We can halt Night March to a dead stop by using [card name=”Karen” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY177″ c=”name”][/card] to shuffle back their Night Marchers, and then using Quaking Punch to stop our opponent from using Battle Compressor to get them back into the the discard pile.

Decks that only play Special Energy or limited basic Energy are our easier matchups. We can often lock them out of their resources and isolate threats as they come up. Our harder matchups are decks that play limited Special Energy and many basic Energy. Sometimes we need to hope for [card name=”Hypnotoxic Laser” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] Sleep flips to go our way or go for a desperate [card name=”Ghetsis” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”101″ c=”name”][/card] play on turn one.

I’m sure with all of this strategy, you must want to see how my list turned out, so here it is:

The Deck List

[decklist name=”Seismitoad-EX/Giratina-EX Deck” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Seviper” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”50″][pokemon amt=”10″]3x [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Keldeo-EX” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”49″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Hoopa-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”36″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Seviper” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”50″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”42″]2x [card name=”Professor Juniper” set=”Black and White” no=”101″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Lusamine” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”96″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Team Flare Grunt” set=”XY” no=”129″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Shadow Triad” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Acerola” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”112″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”110″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Ghetsis” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”101″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”118″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Karen” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY177″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Crushing Hammer” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Hypnotoxic Laser” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”123″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”EX FireRed and LeafGreen” no=”100″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”135″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”124″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Special Charge” set=”Steam Siege” no=”105″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Computer Search” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]3x [card name=”Virbank City Gym” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”126″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”3″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”8″]4x [card name=”Double Dragon Energy” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”97″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Shining Legends” no=”69″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist][cardimg name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”106″ align=”right” c=”custom”]Did you want to play those Items?[/cardimg]

Three Seismitoad-EX

This is one of the main components of our deck. We are only using Seismitoad-EX for its Quaking Punch attack. Here are some of the most popular Item cards that Seismitoad-EX will stop:

  • [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”EX FireRed and LeafGreen” no=”100″ c=”name”][/card]
  • [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card]
  • [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Shining Legends” no=”68″ c=”name”][/card]
  • [card name=”Computer Search” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card]
  • [card name=”Dowsing Machine” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”128″ c=”name”][/card]
  • [card name=”Puzzle of Time” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card]
  • [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card]

All of these cards are important pieces of decks in Expanded and your opponent won’t be able to play them at all. We do need to watch out for opposing [card name=”Pokémon Ranger” set=”Steam Siege” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card], but it is possible that our opponent will not have a VS Seeker to get it back once they play their first Pokemon Ranger.

Two Giratina-EX

Similar to Seismitoad-EX, Giratina-EX is used to block pivotal cards in your opponent’s deck. If your opponent does not need Special Energy cards for their deck to function, it is best to use Seismitoad-EX’s Quaking Punch instead because that attack only requires one Energy attachment. However, Giratina-EX is important versus many strong decks such as Night March and LonZoroark.

One Hoopa-EX

This is your go-to turn one Ultra Ball target each game. It allows you to easily grab whatever combination of Seismitoad-EX, Giratina-EX, [card name=”Keldeo-EX” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”49″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] you need to get that quick turn one setup!

One Shaymin-EX and One Tapu Lele-GX

Shaymin-EX naturally belongs in this deck due to the synergy with [card name=”Hoopa-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”36″ c=”name”][/card]. It will hopefully not be in the attacking position too often, but a quick Sky Return may give you an extra turn due to your opponent having less easy Prize card options on board.

While you may be wondering why we opted to play [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] over [card name=”Jirachi-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] in this deck, it is mostly for the option of using Energy Drive to deal some damage if necessary.

One Keldeo-EX and Two Float Stone

This combination of cards allows us to give all of your Pokemon in play a pseudo free Retreat Cost by using Keldeo-EX’s Rush In Ability. Furthermore, Status Conditions can be an annoying factor so we can use Keldeo-EX to get out of sticky situations when facing an opposing [card name=”Hypnotoxic Laser” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Malamar-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”58″ c=”name”][/card]. You gain the benefits of having less damage on your Pokemon because Poison damage won’t add up and you can get out of a seemingly endless amount of failed Sleep flips, which can win you games!

One Seviper, Three Virbank City Gym, and Four Hypnotoxic Laser

[cardimg name=”Virbank City Gym” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”126″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

These cards are a powerful combination of not only Poison, but the sometimes the pesky Sleep condition. Due to Poison, you can reach new damage levels with any of your attacking Pokemon or you can slowly chip away at their Pokemon. No matter how you utilize these cards, they can and will be helpful in many different situations.

The [card name=”Seviper” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”50″ c=”name”][/card] adds an extra 10 damage in between turns which allows you to choose between doing 10, 20, 30, and 40 damage in between turns. While it is often better to do more damage, in a lock deck such as this we want to control the damage so that the Knock Outs happen going back into our turn. This allows us to keep a more complete lock and the variation of damage can allow us to achieve this feature. Notably, you can use [card name=”Lusamine” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”96″ c=”name”][/card] to get back a [card name=”Virbank City Gym” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”126″ c=”name”][/card] in a pinch — the difference between extra damage or not can be game altering!

If you are having some trouble understanding the math between these cards, let’s look at how it actually works. I will go over three different routes of attacks to show off the variety that this combination adds into our deck, and how each one achieves radically different outcomes. In all scenarios, we will be using Seismitoad-EX versus a [card name=”Buzzwole-GX” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] — a Pokemon that has been slightly hyped going into Dallas.

Scenario One: No Poison Damage

In this scenario, we have no Benched Pokemon, no [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card], and no Poison damage modifiers.

  • You: Use Quaking Punch for 30 damage — Buzzwole-GX has 160 HP remaining
  • Opponent: Use Jet Punch for 30 damage — Seismitoad-EX has 150 HP remaining
  • You: Use Quaking Punch for 30 damage — Buzzwole-GX has 130 HP remaining
  • Opponent: Use Jet Punch for 30 damage — Seismitoad-EX has 120 HP remaining
  • You: Use Quaking Punch for 30 damage — Buzzwole-GX has 100 HP remaining
  • Opponent: Use Jet Punch for 30 damage — Seismitoad-EX has 90 HP remaining
  • You: Use Quaking Punch for 30 damage — Buzzwole-GX has 70 HP remaining
  • Opponent: Use Jet Punch for 30 damage — Seismitoad-EX has 60 HP remaining
  • You: Use Quaking Punch for 30 damage — Buzzwole-GX has 40 HP remaining
  • Opponent: Use Jet Punch for 30 damage — Seismitoad-EX has 30 HP remaining
  • You: Use Quaking Punch for 30 damage — Buzzwole-GX has 10 HP remaining
  • Opponent: Use Jet Punch for 30 damage — Seismitoad-EX is Knocked Out

In this scenario, our opponent was able to Knocked Out our Seismitoad-EX before we could fully take care of Buzzwole-GX! Let’s look at a drastically different scenario:

Scenario Two: Poison Damage

[cardimg name=”Hypnotoxic Laser” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”123″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

In this scenario, we have access to Fighting Fury Belt, Hypnotoxic Laser, Virbank City Gym, and Seviper. We will not take Sleep Flips into account.

  • You: Play a Virbank City Gym, Hypnotoxic Laser, and a Seviper. Attach a Fighting Fury Belt. Use Quaking Punch for 40 damage — Buzzwole-GX has 150 HP remaining
  • In between turns: Buzzwole-GX takes 40 damage from Poison — Buzzwole-GX has 110 HP remaining
  • Opponent: Use Jet Punch for 30 damage — Seismitoad-EX has 150 HP remaining
  • In between turns: Buzzwole-GX takes 40 damage from Poison — Buzzwole-GX has 70 HP remaining
  • You: Use Quaking Punch for 40 damage — Buzzwole-GX has 30 HP remaining
  • In between turns: Buzzwole-GX takes 40 damage from Poison — Buzzwole-GX is Knocked Out

In this scenario, we were able to Knock Out our opponent’s Buzzwole-GX quickly, but the math didn’t allow us to attack a fresh Pokemon. Let’s look at a scenario that is even more ideal than the last:

Scenario Three: Poison and Luck

In this scenario, we have access to Fighting Fury Belt, Hypnotoxic Laser, Virbank City Gym, and Seviper. We also get lucky with our Sleep flips.

  • You: Play a Virbank City Gym, Hypnotoxic Laser, and a Seviper. We flip heads on Hypnotic Laser to make our opponent’s Buzzwole-GX Asleep. Use Quaking Punch for 30 damage — Buzzwole-GX has 160 HP remaining
  • In between turns: Our opponent flips tails on their Sleep flip. Buzzwole-GX is Asleep. Buzzwole-GX takes 40 damage from Poison — Buzzwole-GX has 120 HP remaining
  • Opponent: Buzzwole-GX is Asleep and can’t attack — PASS
  • In between turns: Our opponent flips heads on their Sleep flip. Buzzwole-GX is awake. Buzzwole-GX takes 40 damage from Poison — Buzzwole-GX has 80 HP remaining
  • You: Play another Hypnotoxic Laser. We flip heads on Hypnotic Laser to make our opponent’s Buzzwole-GX Asleep. Use Quaking Punch for 30 damage — Buzzwole-GX has 50 HP remaining
  • In between turns: Our opponent flips tails on their Sleep flip. Buzzwole-GX is Asleep. Buzzwole-GX takes 40 damage from Poison — Buzzwole-GX has 10 HP remaining
  • Opponent: Buzzwole-GX is Asleep and can’t attack — PASS
  • In between turns: Our opponent flips heads on their Sleep flip. Buzzwole-GX is awake. Buzzwole-GX takes 40 damage from Poison — Buzzwole-GX is Knocked Out

While this scenario displays some luck, it is possible with our damage modifiers to try and control when our opponent’s Pokemon can attack us. Seismitoad-EX’s Quaking Punch makes it tough for them to fully play around our strategy. Experiment with different numbers of Poison damage in between turns and the attacking strength of attacks to see if you can force your opponent to get Knocked Out heading back into your turn. This will allow for your Pokemon to get attacked less often and give you more turns out of your lock.

Two Lusamine and Four VS Seeker

[cardimg name=”Lusamine” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”110″ align=”right” c=”custom”]Let’s grab some Supporters![/cardimg]

The use of Lusamine in this deck is incredible! Lusamine can be used in many ways, but it should follow an infinite loop in this pattern:

  • 1. Play any Supporter and/or Stadium
  • 2. Play any Supporter and/or Stadium
  • 3. Play a Lusamine to get back any two Supporters and/or Stadiums
  • 4. Play any Supporter and/or Stadium
  • 5. Play your second Lusamine to get back a Lusamine and get any Supporter or Stadium
  • 6. Repeat steps 4 and 5 as many times as desired

If you follow this pattern, you have access to an infinite amount of every Supporter in your deck, along with [card name=”Virbank City Gym” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”126″ c=”name”][/card]. In the nature in which the deck is played, there are often turns where you can “waste” your one Supporter per turn by using Lusamine to recover cards because your opponent may not be able to respond due to the lock. It is even possible of using this “Lusamine loop” technique to get back infinite copies of N to avoid decking out.

[card name=”VS Seeker” set=”EX FireRed and LeafGreen” no=”100″ c=”name”][/card] plays out similarly, but it ultimately is a forgiving card because it can allow us to use a Supporter instantly instead of waiting for Lusamine.

One Guzma and One Lysandre

With this deck focusing on locking our opponent, we want to have access to Guzma and Lysandre to bring up whichever Pokemon we want to stay in the Active position. We also use Gumza as a pseudo-switching card, which is how we can get away with only running two Float Stone. We do have the whole [card name=”Keldeo-EX” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”49″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] strategy, but that combination can quickly fail to a [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card].

One Shadow Triad

This card is used mostly for getting back Hypnotoxic Laser, but it can also be used to grab back [card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”118″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Ghetsis” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”101″ c=”name”][/card] as well.

One Acerola

Acerola can be used to either heal a Pokemon when it is in danger of being Knocked Out or it can be used as a way to preserve Energy.

One Colress

In a format where [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card], one of the biggest decks in the format, plays [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card], Colress has the potential to draw upwards of sixteen cards! I guess you can say we will be using this card a few times per game with VS Seeker!

One Team Flare Grunt, One Xerosic, One Enhanced Hammer, and Four Crushing Hammer

[cardimg name=”Crushing Hammer” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”115″ align=”right” c=”custom”]IT’S HAMMERTIME[/cardimg]

In order to maintain our lock, we need to be able to discard our opponent’s Energy cards. If we are unlucky with our [card name=”Crushing Hammer” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] flips, we can go the distance by using [card name=”Team Flare Grunt” set=”XY” no=”129″ c=”name”][/card] in combination with Lusamine or VS Seeker.

One Karen

With Night March being one of the best decks in Expanded right now, we can often create a game-winning combo of using [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card]’s Quacking Punch and playing a [card name=”Karen” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY177″ c=”name”][/card]. This stops our opponent from using [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] to discard all of the Night March Pokemon we just shuffled back into their deck.

If our opponent were to combat us with one of their Zoroark-GX, we can often switch our attacking Pokemon and focus on [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card]. If we focus on Giratina-EX, we can use Chaos Wheel to stop our opponent from attaching any [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Shining Legends” no=”69″ c=”name”][/card] to their Pokemon.

Both of these strategies are strong against Night March, but like any strategy we attempt to pull off, we need to realize that our opponent can play around them — we need to be prepared for their next move. Luckily for us, we can use any combination of Karen, Seismitoad-EX, Giratina-EX, and Energy denial to slow our opponent down or even stop them completely. Just remember to watch out for [card name=”Pokémon Ranger” set=”Steam Siege” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card], a card that can cripple us almost instantly.

One Ghetsis

Ghetsis is a monster of a card. It can completely change a game up for the better, or completely backfire on you if they have no Trainer cards in their hands. This card can win games on the first turn of the game when you blindly play it on your opponent’s opening hand. The best way to play this card is by keeping track of your opponent’s emotions, their tells, and what you know they have in their hand.

One Hex Maniac

Similar to Colress, this is tech Supporter can be used multiple times in a game with an accompanying VS Seeker. It is especially great on the first turn to shut off your opponent from using a plethora of setup Pokemon such as [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Jirachi-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Hoopa-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”36″ c=”name”][/card].

[card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card] is not without its niche uses: it can quickly stop a [card name=”Gardevoir-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] from using its Secret Spring Ability, or allow you to use Items for a turn against a horrifying [card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card].

Two Fighting Fury Belt

[card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] allows us to do extra damage in between turns, something that we can use in combination with Poison damage from Hypnotoxic Laser to make sure that we bring the Knock Outs back into our turn. It also gives us extra HP to survive attacks.

Dallas, Here I Come!

I hope that you enjoyed my take on the current Expanded metagame. I invite you to explore many different decks as we head into Dallas. Speaking of Dallas, I have registered for the tournament and booked my flight! While it often goes unsaid, a key factor in playing in events is actually planning for them. If you put your mind into playing in an event, you will start taking each event seriously within its own right! For any of my upcoming articles, they will be all about Expanded heading into Dallas so get excited for new content coming from me soon!

As you may or may not have known, I have taken a brief break from the game after London to relax and I am super excited to play in Dallas. It was getting very tiresome playing the game at a top level; the travel was expensive, I was losing sleep, and I would frantically force myself to playtest. During my minor break from major competitive tournaments, I started focusing my efforts into coaching players, writing articles, and getting myself together. Sometimes you just need to pause your Pokemon life to regroup.

This is regardless of whether you are a newer player trying to catch a wave or a seasoned veteran who is out grinding tournaments weekly. Taking a break doesn’t necessarily mean that you don’t want to play, but sometimes you need to clear your head, realize what you want out of the game, and make sure you are making wise decisions. It feels great to be back with many planned tournaments heading into 2018!

Either way, I am personally excited to see the results of the upcoming Dallas Regionals and hopefully I will continue to ride the wave on top of the competitive spectrum.

I wish everyone the best of luck who is living out their dream trying to compete for a World Championship invite or for those who are loving and supporting the game from a casual standpoint. If you haven’t met me in person or if we have just briefly met, feel free to introduce yourself because I love knowing everybody. Thank you for all of the support, I truly appreciate everyone who take the time to read one of my articles and for supporting PokeBeach.

-Zach Lesage

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