Blue Steel — Alolan Dugtrio and Glaceon-GX for Collinsville
[cardimg name=”Lycanroc-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”74″ align=”right” c=”custom”]Too Strong (Energy)[/cardimg]
A new set is shaking up our format, and I, for one, am welcoming the expected changes in both our Standard and Expanded tournaments. Even though there is still Oceania Internationals in the current format, I have grown tired of it. [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Lycanroc-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] has pretty much dominated as the BDIF. The incredible consistency from multiple Trades per turn paired with the control from Bloodthirsty Eyes gives skilled players the reigns to the board. Most opposing decks are either outpaced or just beat down. Ultra Prism is set to deliver a brand-new Standard and Expanded meta with [card name=”Cynthia” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”119″ c=”name”][/card] added as a draw Supporter, the overwhelming new Metal support, and overpowered attacks like Total Command.
To start off this article, I want to discuss how to approach deck design in an unexpected meta. The potential of most of the cards are obvious to most players with any competitive experience. However, it does not mean that players will build around these cards correctly. When I build a new, competitive deck in a new format, I try to adhere to the following guidelines:
Ahmed’s Step-by-Step Guide to Building A New Meta Deck
1. Be mindful of the meta before the change.
The meta of the last set heavily influences the meta of the next set, especially when we have such a large player base like we do now. A lot of players just want to play it safe and stick to what they know, so big decks like Zoroark-GX / Lycanroc-GX, [card name=”Gardevoir-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card], [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] and [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card] are sure to make an appearance in the first Regional of the format.
2. Believe the hype.
You’ll want to believe the hype at first, not only to construct decks with the hyped cards, but to plan against them as well. The hyped cards of the set are bound to be played, even if they test poorly. In this set, I’ve heard the most noise about [card name=”Glaceon-GX” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”39″ c=”name”][/card] variants, [card name=”Leafeon-GX” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”13″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Dusk Mane Necrozma-GX” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Magnezone” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”83″ c=”name”][/card]. Plan to beat these decks while formulating your list, but also try to be creative with them; they are hyped for a reason.
3. Look to older formats for guidance.
Most of the text on the cards in new sets has already been printed in a previous set. If that text has not been useful before, investigate why. For instance, [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] when it was first printed was not at all prevalent. That is because most of the Supporters were search and draw Supporters, and had no utility like [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Acerola” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”112″ c=”name”][/card]. This meant repeated use was not as valuable, and the space was prioritized to have an effective turn one Supporter instead of the mid-game consistency boost.
The opposite is true as well: [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”63″ c=”name”][/card]’s Night Spear won multiple Regionals, whereas the more cost-effective Shadow Bullet on [card name=”Umbreon-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”80″ c=”name”][/card] has been irrelevant since its introduction into the game. There are several reasons for that observation, but the most important one is [card name=”Dark Patch” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card]. Even though Shadow Bullet is one attachment faster, it is still a turn behind a Dark-Patch-fueled Night Spear.
[cardimg name=”Cynthia” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”148″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
4. When fine-tuning, take it slow.
The staples in every deck — [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”N” set=”Black and White Black Star Promos” no=”BW100″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] — are staples because they are the most influential cards in the format. The reincarnation of [card name=”Professor Oak’s New Theory” set=”Call of Legends” no=”83″ c=”name”][/card] has been touted as the ultimate N replacement. I feel this is a complete overreaction and oversimplification of N. The primary utility of N is not a shuffle draw effect, but hand disruption. That hand disruption has been making or breaking games since the card came out. N should definitely be played as a four-of in every deck until it rotates.
5. Test against real people.
This is probably the most important guideline on the list. Theory crafting can only take you so far. You can day dream all day about the card combinations that you want to play, but nothing beats building the 60-card deck and trying to beat an established deck with it before you take it to any level of tournament. This seems like an obvious statement, but it needs to be reinforced.
6. Know when to give up.
Sometimes the card is not nearly as good as you think it is. Last year when [card name=”Salazzle” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”16″ c=”name”][/card] came out, I tried it with everything that seemed like it would be remotely viable with, from [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] to [card name=”Sceptile-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”7″ c=”name”][/card]. At first it was difficult for me to accept the incompatibility of a Stage 1 damage booster, when [card name=”Crobat” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card] was so influential in the past; but with the HP/damage power creep combined with the popularity of [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card], Salazzle is just unviable.
Following the above guidelines, I have tinkered with my two favorite concepts from the new set and created [card name=”Alolan Dugtrio” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Glaceon-GX” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”39″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Alolan Ninetales-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”22″ c=”name”][/card]. These decks have two different play styles, but they can both take a big spot in the meta.
Alolan Dugtrio
When I brought up the idea of Alolan Dugtrio to my testing group, they immediately dismissed it because of how gimmicky the attack sounds. But after following my dreams and building it anyway, I found this concept to be worth testing. Gold Rush’s potential is dependent on how consistently it can pull out basic Metal Energy from the deck and recycle them from the discard. In Standard, there are numerous options already, and then TPCi printed another Energy retrieval card in the form of [card name=”Mt. Coronet” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”130″ c=”name”][/card]. The difficulty in building this deck came from knowing which Energy search/recovery options to use. Initially, I thought revolving my strategy around only [card name=”Fisherman” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”136″ c=”name”][/card] and Mt. Coronet with a thick [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] line would be adequate to win games, but that build had too many problems to address. Eventually I got to this list:
[premium]
[decklist name=”Alolan Dugtrio” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Oricorio” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”55″][pokemon amt=”16″]4x [card name=”Alolan Dugtrio” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”79″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Alolan Diglett” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”86″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Starmie” set=”Evolutions” no=”31″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Staryu” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”25″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Octillery” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”33″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Remoraid” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”32″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Oricorio” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”55″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”34″]4x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”N” set=”Black and White Black Star Promos” no=”BW100″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Brigette” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”134″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Cynthia” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”119″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”2″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Shining Legends” no=”68″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Energy Retrieval” set=”Shining Legends” no=”59″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Professor’s Letter” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”146″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Pal Pad” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”132″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Evosoda” set=”Generations” no=”62″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]3x [card name=”Mt. Coronet” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”130″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”10″]10x [card name=”Metal Energy” set=”Diamond and Pearl” no=”130″ c=”deck2″ amt=”10″][/card][/energy][/decklist][cardimg name=”Alolan Dugtrio” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”79″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
Piloting the Deck
The basic strategy of this deck is to have as many outs to putting basic Energy in your hand without sacrificing consistency. Alolan Dugtrio’s 60 HP leaves a lot to be desired and is easily return KO’d, so we’re going to need to grab Knock Outs whenever possible. Your first turn [card name=”Brigette” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”161″ c=”name”][/card] ideally assists you in playing down four Basics Pokemon on your Bench (two [card name=”Alolan Diglett” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card], one [card name=”Staryu” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”25″ c=”name”][/card] and one [card name=”Remoraid” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”32″ c=”name”][/card]). I chose the Sun and Moon Alolan Diglett because its free cost attack, Spelunk, lets you rearrange the top three cards of your deck. Eventually you will want to try to set up both [card name=”Starmie” set=”Evolutions” no=”31″ c=”name”][/card].
During my first turns, I typically want to get as many Metal Energy in the discard as possible. For instance, I’ll start Alolan Diglett even when I have Staryu just to take advantage of discarding Energy to retreat. If I have two [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Shining Legends” no=”68″ c=”name”][/card] in hand and if my hand is big enough, I can use the first Ultra Ball to grab [card name=”Oricorio” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card], use its Vital Dance Ability to grab Metal Energy, then discard the two Metal to get a second Pokemon. The reason why you want them in the discard is because that’s where most of your Energy comes from. With three [card name=”Energy Retrieval” set=”Shining Legends” no=”59″ c=”name”][/card], three Mt. Coronet and two Starmie, you have plenty of Energy recovery options. Aside from setup, the deck is really easy to play — you just try to dig for as many Metal Energy as you can per turn.
2-2 Starmie, Three Energy Retrieval, Three Mt. Coronet, and Zero Fisherman
The reason why [card name=”Fisherman” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”136″ c=”name”][/card] is terrible in this deck is because Mt. Coronet is so good. With Starmie and Mt. Coronet, Fisherman typically only yields one or two Metal from the discard, which is not worth it as your Supporter for the turn. Also, because Alolan Dugtrio is so fragile, you don’t want to have to choose between drawing to maintain board state and taking Prizes. These card counts make it so you don’t have to choose at all.
I didn’t max out either Energy Retrieval or Mt. Coronet because a lot of times they become redundant. You can’t play two Stadiums in the same turn, and you only have to take so many Knock Outs. Starmie is what does the most recycling.
Two Professor’s Letter and One Oricorio (Vital Dance)
Deck thinning is deck winning. As we want to play out of our discard as mentioned before, these card counts are kept thin on purpose. You will typically draw your Energy organically and only be able to use the double search effect twice. However, you cannot go without these cards. Sometimes the Energy likes to stay at the bottom of the deck and you will need a way to search them out. [card name=”Professor’s Letter” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”146″ c=”name”][/card] is objectively better than Oricorio because it does not take a precious Bench spot.
Three Brigette and One Tapu Lele-GX
You don’t want to give your opponent the ability to take two Prizes at any point in the game. Because Alolan Dugtrio is so fragile, it is almost certain that it will get KO’d every turn. If you give your opponent the opportunity to take two Prizes twice, you pretty much lose the game. Three Brigette has become somewhat of a standard in a lot of decks. It makes sense in this deck because, like Zoroark-GX’s Trade, Starmie’s Space Beacon requires a card sacrifice, and in the mid-to-late game that card becomes Brigette. Even in the late game, after you [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”name”][/card] three Alolan Diglett into the deck, you can place them immediately onto your Bench with Brigette.
Four Professor Sycamore, Three N, and Two Cynthia
I know I said at the beginning of the article that four [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card] will probably stay in every deck, but this deck is special. Because of the Ability to Prize trade, you don’t really want to use a late-game N in most games. However, not all games go as planned and sometimes you need to disrupt your opponent, so we still play three.
[card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card] is the optimal turn two Supporter after Brigette on turn one. It allows you to dig as deep as possible into your deck to find the Energy you need. [card name=”Cynthia” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”119″ c=”name”][/card] is great only when you want to draw a good amount, but don’t want to discard your retrieval or evolution cards. It’s still only a two-of because of how much better the other Supporters are.
Zero Float Stone
All of our Basics have one retreat, and the only Pokemon in the whole deck that doesn’t is [card name=”Octillery” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card]. I do not expect that to survive if gusted up. [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] becomes a dead card after losing Octillery because paying the one Retreat Cost is negligible when we play Energy recovery cards.
Honorable Mentions
[cardimg name=”Sophocles” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”146″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
Sophocles
This card seems bad to most people, and in a lot of instances, it is. However, because of the nature of this deck, you don’t want to ever change your hand, just build upon it. [card name=”Sophocles” set=”Shining Legends” no=”65″ c=”name”][/card] does exactly that. It allows you to keep the cards you need in your hand but still dig a little deeper to find that last Energy.
Cobalion
There have been games where my opponent has the ability to out-play me by killing my last Starmie and using [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card] to remove my [card name=”Mt. Coronet” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”130″ c=”name”][/card]. [card name=”Cobalion” set=”Steam Siege” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] is an insurance card to that effect. You can attach once to him at any point in the game and it sets up your board to clean up games without the need to retrieve Energy.
Mr. Mime
[card name=”Tapu Koko” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM30″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Buzzwole-GX” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Glaceon-GX” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”39″ c=”name”][/card] all disrupt your field because of your Pokemon’s low HP. [card name=”Mr. Mime” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card] makes the game more fair by preventing them from taking multiple Knock Outs on your board at once.
Matchups
[card name=”Alolan Dugtrio” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card]’s matchups in the predicted meta can be divided into three categories: extremely easy, easy, and impossible. The extremely easy matchups are those where your opponent’s main attackers are weak to Metal. This includes [card name=”Glaceon-GX” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”39″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Gardevoir-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Xerneas BREAK” set=”Steam Siege” no=”82″ c=”name”][/card]. Easy matchups are basically anything that has a main attacker that’s a GX/EX that isn’t weak to Metal, and the hard matchups are anything that plays [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card]. I don’t think it’s worthwhile to discuss the extremely easy matchups, so below I will only go into detail for the easy and impossible matchups.
Easy Matchups
Most GX attackers only have 210 HP. This means all you need is six Energy and a [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] or seven Energy to take a KO with Gold Rush. Six Energy is attainable by using an Energy Retrieval, a Starmie and a Mt. Coronet, and playing three Choice Band makes 210 HP an easy target to hit. At this point, it plays mostly like Night March does in Expanded where you’re out trading your opponent, and with this deck you don’t even have to attach Energy.
Impossible Matchups
At one point, I included Field Blower in the deck to deal with Garbotoxin Garbodor. But after testing the matchup, it was pretty much useless. The decks that play Garbodor are Buzzwole-GX and [card name=”Golisopod-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”17″ c=”name”][/card]. Golisopod-GX is a tough matchup because of Armor Press and [card name=”Acerola” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”112″ c=”name”][/card]. 230 HP is a big number to hit on an opponent that isn’t weak to Metal, and anything less than that can be removed by Acerola. When they pair that with Garbodor, the matchup is just too difficult.
Buzzwole-GX is able to take multiple KOs per turn, and with Garbodor it means that you have to retaliate without Space Beacon or Abyssal Hand. It is a difficult matchup even with Field Blower because of how much pressure your opponent can put on you. After just a few turns, one Buzzwole-GX can completely clear out all of your attackers.
Glaceon-GX / Alolan Ninetales-GX
[card name=”Glaceon-GX” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”39″ c=”name”][/card]’s Freezing Gaze Ability is hyped because it stops the bread and butter of the format: [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Shining Legends” no=”68″ c=”name”][/card] for [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] to Wonder Tag for [card name=”Brigette” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”134″ c=”name”][/card]. It also puts the breaks on the most popular card in the format: [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card]. Freezing Gaze is not as powerful as its spiritual predecessor Bide Barricade because it only stops your opponent’s turn one Abilities if you go first. However, because Water types have access to [card name=”Aqua Patch” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”119″ c=”name”][/card], Freezing Gaze isn’t just a lone gimmick to build around — it becomes an enhancement on the formerly proven archetype: [card name=”Alolan Ninetales-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”22″ c=”name”][/card].
[decklist name=”Glaceon-GX / Alolan Ninetales-GX” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”White Kyurem” set=”Fates Collide” no=”21″][pokemon amt=”17″]2x [card name=”Glaceon-GX” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”39″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]3x [card name=”Eevee” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”101″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Alolan Ninetales-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”22″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Alolan Vulpix” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”21″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Tapu Koko” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM30″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Octillery” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”33″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Remoraid” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”32″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”White Kyurem” set=”Fates Collide” no=”21″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”32″]4x [card name=”N” set=”Black and White Black Star Promos” no=”BW100″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Cynthia” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”119″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Brigette” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”134″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Cyrus Prism Star” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”120″ 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=”Aqua Patch” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”119″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”124″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Pal Pad” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”132″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”11″]7x [card name=”Water Energy” set=”EX Ruby and Sapphire” no=”106″ c=”deck2″ amt=”7″][/card]4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Shining Legends” no=”69″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
I think this deck is one of the most powerful decks in the format because of the history of this type of combination. Decks like [card name=”Gardevoir” set=”Secret Wonders” no=”7″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Gallade” set=”Secret Wonders” no=”6″ c=”name”][/card], Luxchomp, [card name=”Yveltal-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY08″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card], and currently [card name=”Lycanroc-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] / Zoroark-GX all have great similarities: they have powerful, consistent attacks that can be combined with some form of control. Glaceon-GX / Alolan Ninetales-GX has the same control and power that you can find in any of those past successes.
[cardimg name=”Alolan Ninetales-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”22″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
3-2 Glaceon-GX and 3-3 Alolan Ninetales-GX
You might be asking, “if you want to start [card name=”Eevee” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”101″ c=”name”][/card] every time, then why don’t you play four?” This is because Glaceon-GX is only great late game to disrupt your opponent, and early game to stop your opponent in their tracks. At a count of three, Eevee is still your most common starter tied with [card name=”Alolan Vulpix” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”21″ c=”name”][/card], and we play [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Brigette” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”134″ c=”name”][/card] to search out the turn one Freezing Gaze. The muscle in this deck is Alolan Ninetales-GX; it will be your attacker for most of the game.
The mathematical synergy with these two cards is insane. I don’t think a better partner for Glaceon-GX could be printed without the intent to completely destroy the metagame. Against most decks, turn two you’ll want to lay down 30 damage with Frost Bullet on a threat on the Bench. This sets up a KO with Blizzard Edge later in the game. The 30 damage is also relevant to take KOs with Polar Spear GX: 30 damage on a 210 HP Pokemon means that a Choice Banded Polar Spear GX hits 180 which is perfect math for the Knock Out. This combo also works well with Ninetales-GX who can lay down 50 damage on any Pokemon on the field, which turns into 300 damage with Polar Spear GX.
More fun math comes from Frost Bullet and Ice Blade: Hitting 120 with a Choice Banded Bullet on a Tapu Lele-GX allows a [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Shining Legends” no=”69″ c=”name”][/card] to be a game closer from an Alolan Ninetales-GX at any point in the game. I haven’t seen such good number synergy since [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] was released in 2014 to help out [card name=”Virizion-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”9″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Genesect-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”11″ c=”name”][/card]!
Cyrus Prism Star
This card is severely underrated in this meta — it has so much utility against so many decks. Because your attacks deal damage to the Bench in a meta filled with evolved Pokemon, choosing which Benched Pokemon to hit becomes important. [card name=”Cyrus Prism Star” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”120″ c=”name”][/card] makes it so that your opponent has to choose between keeping support Pokemon like [card name=”Octillery” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card] on the Bench, or having multiple Basics to evolve from. Let’s say, for example, your opponent is playing [card name=”Gardevoir-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card]. Their Bench after a Brigette is three [card name=”Ralts” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card], one [card name=”Remoraid” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”32″ c=”name”][/card] and a Tapu Lele-GX. Cyrus forces them to choose between having a fresh Ralts to evolve from or having access to Octillery in the following turn. Either way, the disruption is game changing, and this is a tactic you can pull out on turn two no less.
Furthermore, if your opponent plays [card name=”Mr. Mime” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card], this Supporter is a great check to it. It makes your opponent choose between having multiple Basic Pokemon or having them remain undamaged.
Four Aqua Patch
[card name=”Aqua Patch” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”119″ c=”name”][/card] is one of the strongest cards in the whole format; but until now, all Water-based decks were mostly overpowered by other attackers. Now that Glaceon-GX can regulate your opponent’s output, it becomes a much better card.
Two Enhanced Hammer
Turn two [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”124″ c=”name”][/card] against most decks is nearly as scary as a turn two Cyrus. Against Zoroark-GX, if you have Glaceon-GX Active, they cannot use Trade. Trade allows Zoroark-GX to play low counts of Energy because it can easily dig through its deck to find them. If you play Energy removal and Ability control, Zoroark-GX will turn to mush.
One Tapu Koko
Spread damage is always great when you’re trying to make numbers work with Alolan Ninetales-GX. Alolan Ninetales-GX caps at 190, so a Flying Flip puts all 210 HP Pokemon at 190. It is also good to set up a Polar Spear GX if you can get two Flying Flips off. This makes it so that Glaceon-GX can KO the entire meta. Free retreat is also nice for starting if you are looking to get a turn one Freezing Gaze Active.
Three Float Stone
Free retreat is paramount in this deck because it alleviates Aqua Patch’s requirement for a Benched Pokemon, and it allows you to start a Basic that isn’t Eevee and retreat into it after a Brigette.
One White Kyurem
In the recent Regionals that weren’t Dallas, there were a lot of stall-based decks playing [card name=”Hoopa” set=”Shining Legends” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] which can block your main attackers. [card name=”White Kyurem” set=”Fates Collide” no=”21″ c=”name”][/card] is a non-EX/GX that can one shot Hoopa, which is an asset for sure in this format.
Zero Stadiums and Zero Field Blower
There isn’t a Stadium that I want to play in this deck. [card name=”Brooklet Hill” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”120″ c=”name”][/card] is not as good as you might think because Eevee isn’t a Water type! Also, after Cyrus Prism Star, your Brooklet Hill makes it easier for them to retrieve Remoraid the following turn.
I haven’t found a need for [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”163″ c=”name”][/card] either. [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] isn’t that scary to play against, decks that play [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] aren’t that hard without Octillery, and the only Stadium we’d want to replace is [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card].
Honorable Mentions
[cardimg name=”Alolan Ninetales” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”28″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
Alolan Ninetales
In a format that’s EX/GX heavy, [card name=”Alolan Ninetales” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”28″ c=”name”][/card]’s Luminous Barrier is definitely a powerful asset. However, with all of the current stall decks being played, people will be prepared for this strategy.
Tapu Fini-GX
This card was originally in the list, it was just the weakest card. [card name=”Tapu Fini-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”39″ c=”name”][/card]’s Hydro Shot is nice and sets up for Frost Bullet/Ice Blade KOs, but that situation is not more preferable than just using a [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card]ed Blizzard Edge and a [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card].
Eighth Water Energy or Professor’s Letter
Having enough Energy in the discard for Aqua Patch and having it turn one for Energy Evolution is enough reason to play more copies. Seven Energy is typically enough to pull this off, but sometimes mid game I find myself holding multiple Aqua Patch with no Water Energy in the discard.
2-2 Garbodor
Because Glaceon-GX is the centerpoint of the lock, sweeping with Ninetales-GX allows your opponent to make a comeback. By replacing the Octillery line and Enhanced Hammers with a 2-2 Garbodor, you maintain your lock the whole game and deny your opponent the turn one set up. This is crucial for beating more difficult matchups like [card name=”Magnezone” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”83″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Gardevoir-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] and [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].
Matchups
Like Dugtrio, many of the matchups can be lumped together. There’s the easy matchups (all [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] variants, [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”26″ 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]), the medium matchups ([card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card], Gardevoir-GX, and [card name=”Dusk Mane Necrozma-GX” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card]), and the terrible matchups (Tapu Bulu / Vikavolt, [card name=”Alolan Dugtrio” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Espeon-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”61″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card]).
Easy Matchups
In these matchups, you mostly just use the simple mathematic combinations mentioned earlier to set up your six Prizes. Zoroark-GX and Golisopod-GX are reliant on having a stable Bench, so [card name=”Cyrus Prism Star” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”120″ c=”name”][/card] shakes them up and forces them to resort to using damaged attackers. Volcanion-EX can’t ever OHKO a Glaceon-GX because Steam Up is shut down, and is OHKO’d in return. Decidueye-GX has the same issue where it can’t use its Abilities to deal damage, so they’re stuck doing mediocre damage to your [card name=”Glaceon-GX” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”39″ c=”name”][/card], giving you the key to the game.
Medium Matchups
The medium matchups are listed as such because they don’t rely on GX attackers, or they can OHKO you. Gardevoir-GX has 230 HP which means the 2HKO options are limited to double Frost Bullet, Ice Blade into Blizzard Edge, or Ice Blade into Polar Spear GX. All of these attack combinations require multiple Energy on your attackers which makes you susceptible to Infinite Force.
Greninja is difficult in a similar fashion, because you cannot reliably OHKO Greninja BREAK. This means you have to be aggressive early by spreading meaningful damage with Frost Bullet.
Magnezone / Dusk Mane Necrozma-GX relies on a non-GX/EX Ability and has the ability to consistently OHKO. However, blocking turn one [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] for [card name=”Brigette” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”134″ c=”name”][/card] can be crucial, and you can always OHKO Dusk Mane Necrozma-GX with [card name=”Alolan Ninetales-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”22″ c=”name”][/card].
Impossible Matchups
[cardimg name=”Tapu Bulu-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM32″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
The impossible matchups are such because they don’t rely on GX/EX Abilities and have the ability to take control of the board with ease. Glaceon-GX / Alolan Ninetales-GX lacks mobility, so Espeon-GX’s Psybeam is a powerful inhibitor. Taking the Confusion flip is never something you want to do, so you have to save your [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card]s for your Active Glaceon-GX. This line of play blocks the double Frost Bullet KO because [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] is off the table.
Alolan Dugtrio is a pain because you’re always trading two for one, or at best two for one and a half with Frost Bullet’s Bench damage. The Weakness also almost guarantees an OHKO every turn.
VikaBulu is a more consistent Dusk Mane Necrozma that can heal itself. You can use a Choice Banded Blizzard Edge for three KO’s, but most of the time you’re just outpaced.
Conclusions
I hope you decide to test one or both of the decks in this article. The two decks have two different play styles so I am hoping to catch a wide net. If you don’t find either of these decks appealing, I hope you use my personal guideline to help you manage your own creativity. If you have any questions, please find me on Facebook, Twitter, message me here, or comment on this article.
-Ahmed
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