Post-Collinsville Developments: Golisopod-GX / Lurantis in Standard

[cardimg name=”Lurantis” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM25″ align=”right” c=”custom”]How much damage can we do with Lurnatis?[/cardimg]

With Collinsville Regionals behind us and only two weeks of Cups to explore the format before Charlotte, innovation in Standard is currently in a difficult spot. There is little time to explore new concepts, and many of the game’s best deckbuilders are playing Expanded in Costa Mesa this weekend. In an attempt to sate the appetite of our readers looking for a new, unexplored deck, I would like to share the product of my last couple weeks of testing: [card name=”Golisopod-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”17″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Lurantis” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM25″ c=”name”][/card].

While I am currently uncertain as to this deck’s staying power across metagames, a strong basic game plan and some solid matchups among the top decks have given the deck quite a bit of early promise. In this article, I’ll go over the deck list that I currently have with a list of potential changes, finishing out with a matchup discussion and where the deck falls into the current format.

Reasoning

My original inspiration for this deck came from Ian Robb and Joe Ruettiger’s runs to first and Top 8 of Collinsville Regionals. Their Golisopod-GX / [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] deck was unusual in that it included a 2-2 Lurantis Promo line to fix some of the deck’s damage issues. I tested this deck fairly extensively, finding the Lurantis line to be extremely powerful against nearly every matchup. That said, I was finding it difficult to set up more than a single Lurantis each game, and I wanted to investigate the potential of having two or three on board reliably. From this, I built Golisopod-GX / Lurantis.

The original list was close to the winning Zoroark / Golisopod list, but I made some changes after a few games to buff out the deck’s consistency and remove some of the fluff. After a fair bit of testing and alterations, the list came out to look like this:

[decklist name=”Golisopod/Lurantis” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Octillery” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”33″][pokemon amt=”17″]3x [card name=”Lurantis” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM25″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]4x [card name=”Fomantis” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”14″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Golisopod-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”17″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Wimpod” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”16″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ 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][/pokemon][trainers amt=”33″]4x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Cynthia” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”119″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Brigette” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”134″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”2″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”135″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Evosoda” set=”Generations” no=”62″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/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]3x [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Revitalizer” set=”Generations” no=”70″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”10″]6x [card name=”Grass Energy” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”167″ c=”deck2″ amt=”6″][/card]4x [card name=”Double Colorless” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”136″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

Some of the deck’s strengths are:

  • You don’t rely on [card name=”Tapu Koko” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM31″ c=”name”][/card] to set up your numbers. This makes your damage faster in terms of turns spent attacking and also does not come with the liability of giving up extra Prizes.
  • You hit nearly every relevant damage number in the Standard format: 170 for [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card], 190 for [card name=”Buzzwole-GX” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card], and 210 for a large variety of attackers, the big ones being Zoroark-GX and Golisopod-GX. With a fourth Lurantis Promo or [card name=”Professor Kukui” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”128″ c=”name”][/card], even [card name=”Gardevoir-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] is within First Impression’s one-shot range!
  • Your attacker is easy to set up and has low Energy requirements. In addition, if your opponent decides to [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] around your Golisopod, a [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Shining Legends” no=”69″ c=”name”][/card] allows you to push even more damage with your GX attack.
  • Any deck that has to bench Tapu Lele-GX grants you a huge advantage in doing so. 170 can be achieved in a variety of ways, and none of them are terribly difficult. I often take four Prizes strictly off Lele.
  • You have the ability to end games lightning quick if you draw moderately well, putting any deck on a short clock to respond to your pressure or lose. In many cases, your opponent will be unable to do this.
  • Your GX attack deals a crazy amount of damage thanks to Lurantis. One Lurantis in play puts you at 200 with [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card], and two puts you at 220, one-shot range for the lion’s share of this format’s attackers.
  • The deck is easy to play. You just set up your Pokemon and attack; in general, the decision making is basic. This is great for players of all levels, lowering the number of games you can lose to misplays and easing the mental strain of a long event.

As of now, I am uncertain that this is the optimal build for the deck. I am constantly making changes and, therefore, I want to go into detail on the list of cards that either have been in the deck or could be in the deck. This should give you an idea of some good changes that can be made, and it will also give some insight into my deck building process.

Potential Techs and Changes

Pokemon

[cardimg name=”Golisopod-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”17″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

3-3 to 4-4 Lurantis

This is the count that I’m not sure about. I started with 4-4 and found it to be too heavy, but I’m terrified of prizing Lurantis Promos at three. Finding multiple Fomantis early on is a must, so I would play at least three.

3-2 to 4-3 Golisopod-GX

I’ve been a little more stable on this count. In general, finding your Golisopod is more important than it is in, say, Zoroark / Golisopod, but you don’t need to set up more than one early on. You will usually only need one or two in a game, so a four-count of Golisopod is unneeded. A [card name=”Wimpod” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”16″ c=”name”][/card] start is always nice, but your Float Stone count is high enough that it doesn’t matter enough to add a fourth.

1-1 to 2-2 Octillery

While I have 1-1 [card name=”Octillery” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card] in my current list, I really want 2-2. It makes you far more resistant to prizing, and you can more easily respond to having it Knocked Out at any stage in the game. That said, I find Octillery to be a luxury in many games, and I’m typically able to thin my deck enough toward the late game to find what I need after a low [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card]. For this reason, I’ve kept it at a 1-1.

One Tapu Koko 

Tapu Koko can help clean up difficult or messy numbers. It is also an excellent pivot off of a Knock Out or Guzma. The reasons it is not in the deck at the moment are that I find Lurantis Promo to be quite effective at fixing your numbers already, and Bench space is unbearably tight for this deck.

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Supporters

A Different Draw Line

My current split of four [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card], three N, and two [card name=”Cynthia” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”119″ c=”name”][/card] has been working quite well, but it could certainly change if you find yourself discarding too many resources. There is a solid amount of Pokemon recovery in this deck, so I’ve found the heavier Sycamore count to be ideal, especially since we aren’t building big hands like Zoroark decks would.

Honorable Mentions

2-3 Acerola

My original build of the deck had two [card name=”Acerola” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”112″ c=”name”][/card], but I ended up dropping both in favor of a [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] and an [card name=”Evosoda” set=”Generations” no=”62″ c=”name”][/card]. While I originally saw this deck as a [card name=”Golisopod-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”17″ c=”name”][/card] deck — a deck where Acerola has a great deal of value — I came to the realization that games with this deck play out radically different from more standard Golisopod variants. Because your damage is extremely high once you set up, you are often ending games quickly. You are completely fine with losing a Golisopod or two over the course of a game as you are frequently taking two Prizes a turn from turn three. In addition to this, you frequently want to Guzma or Sycamore to continue to target key Pokemon or develop your board, with a much shorter mid-game to really make use of Acerola. That said, the card has undeniable advantages in terms of mobility and healing, so it’s a perfectly reasonable card to include.

Two Professor Kukui

[card name=”Professor Kukui” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”128″ c=”name”][/card] helps a ton when your board doesn’t set up quite right, whether it be having to over-bench Lele or needing to develop in a certain way to play around your opponent ([card name=”Weavile” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] is an example of this). It is best at either a two-count or zero. One is too hard to find, since you don’t run [card name=”Puzzle of Time” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] and won’t usually have the Bench space to Lele for it. It isn’t currently in the deck because I don’t feel that the space is worth the benefit it provides. I rarely find myself in situations where I really wished I was playing Kukui, and I don’t expect that to change much with the heavy [card name=”Lurantis” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM25″ c=”name”][/card] line.

Items

[cardimg name=”Evosoda” set=”Generations” no=”62″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

2-4 Evosoda

This deck has a lot of evolutions. Unlike a [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] deck, we don’t have a ton of draw to continually set up Pokemon, so we have to turn to a heavier search line for that. Currently, I’m enjoying the consistency of Evosoda at a three-count, but this could drop to two if I feel that I desperately need a space. Alternatively, it could go up to four if I feel that I’m missing key evolutions too often.

3-4 Float Stone

Float Stone is your primary means of mobility. For this reason, I have a three count, but a four count would be completely justified. Finding it early is critical to getting your starter out of the Active (regardless of what it is), and finding it throughout the game is equally important as Field Blower counts are currently high in this metagame.

3-4 Field Blower

Speaking of high [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card] counts, we pack a hefty three of them ourselves. This deck is reliant on Abilities, and [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] can make our damage much less effective. You can usually spend a turn Guzma’ing and Knocking Out a [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card], but being able to break Ability lock at will is much preferred. The fourth Field Blower is among my top wants for the current deck list.

Different Recovery

[card name=”Revitalizer” set=”Generations” no=”70″ c=”name”][/card] is a powerhouse, but [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”name”][/card] is sometimes needed to recover Octillery pieces. Either card can be prioritized, or even switched for [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ c=”name”][/card], but this is my favorite count so far.

Stadiums

Parallel City

The only Stadium I would consider for this deck is [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card], but both sides hurt you so badly that it isn’t worth it in almost any case. If you want to take advantage of Parallel, you’re better off playing Zoroark / Golisopod.

Energy

6-7 Grass Energy

I’ve had the Grass count as high as eight, but six or seven has worked well. You only need to find two Grass Energy during the game, but you need one by turn two, meaning a higher count than three or four is needed.

3-4 Double Colorless

Originally, I had the deck at two [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Shining Legends” no=”69″ c=”name”][/card] because my logic was that I would typically be using First Impression. This quickly went up to three, and a little more slowly went up to four. I still consider three a viable count, but missing it can sometimes be game losing.

Matchups

Zoroark-GX / Golisopod-GX — Slightly Favorable

You tend to bench fewer [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] than they do and have a much easier time one-shotting their attackers. Between your GX attack and a single Tapu Lele-GX Knock Out, only two of your Prizes will come with any difficulty. If you manage to set up three [card name=”Lurantis” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM25″ c=”name”][/card], all of their attackers are within First Impression’s one-shot range.

This matchup is not a total cakewalk, however. They have the advantage of Trade over your Abyssal Hand draw — and sometimes you don’t even have that — so they have more reliable access to their resources than you do. In addition to this, they commonly run Parallel City which can present an additional level of challenge. Ultimately, their assets do not outweigh your ability to one-shot everything in their deck, but they do bring it close.

Zoroark-GX / Weavile — Even

[card name=”Weavile” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] is a greater asset than Golisopod, and the matchup shifts slightly because of it. While your attacker does not have an Ability, the presence of a [card name=”Sneasel” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”73″ c=”name”][/card] or Weavile on your opponent’s Bench makes developing multiple Lurantis and [card name=”Octillery” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card] increasingly dangerous. This means that one-shotting Zoroark-GX is a risky venture, and it should only be done if you either have eliminated all of your opponent’s Sneasel and Weavile or can reliably end the game in doing so.

Zoroark-GX / Lycanroc-GX — Favorable

This is the opposite case to Zoroark / Weavile in that Zoroark’s partner is bad against you. The matchup is similar to Zoroark / Golisopod, but they have Dangerous Rogue GX. Lurantis is a bit of a trap for your opponent here, as the single Prize they gain from using Bloodthirsty Eyes on it is far outweighed by the two-Prize liability they have placed on their Bench. That said, having three Fomantis on your Bench allows you to lose a Lurantis and still have a comfortable cushion to keep your damage up, so I generally like to take that approach here.

Dangerous Rogue GX takes two Prizes once, but you immediately gain those two Prizes back by Knocking Out the [card name=”Lycanroc-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card]. Nothing that your opponent can do is particularly threatening in this matchup.

Zoroark-GX / Garbodor — Slightly Unfavorable

Your lack of [card name=”Acerola” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”112″ c=”name”][/card] and their ability to re-establish the lock every turn regardless of your Field Blower usage makes this hard. You still have the one-shot potential that you can rely on against Zoroark variants, but this one will put more pressure on you to find resources throughout the game. This means [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] loses some of its value as most of your turns will consist of using a draw Supporter to see more cards, specifically Field Blower.

A valid approach to this matchup is to Knock Out their [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”from”][/card] as soon as it hits the board, sometimes twice. Successful use of this approach will make this matchup significantly easier for you. However, this is not always feasible, as their use of [card name=”Puzzle of Time” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] and at least a 3-2 Garbodor line keep a new Garbodor within reach fairly consistently. Acerola doesn’t do much to change this matchup due to your need to break Garbodor lock so regularly. A fourth Field Blower will make a much bigger difference here than any count of Acerola.

Buzzwole-GX / Lycanroc-GX — Heavily Favorable

[cardimg name=”Buzzwole-GX” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”57″ align=”right” c=”custom”]This bug is no match for our bug![/cardimg]

You one-shot their whole deck with relative ease and they have no way to stop you. The spread from Jet Punch is virtually worthless because of your huge amount of evolution search. Two Lurantis Promo in play seal this matchup comfortably, allowing you to pick up one-shots on [card name=”Buzzwole-GX” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] with a [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card].

Don’t be afraid to trade Knock Outs in the earlier phases of the game as yours are far easier to achieve than theirs. Streaming more than two three-Energy Buzzwoles is essentially impossible, but [card name=”Revitalizer” set=”Generations” no=”70″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”name”][/card] give you an easy time developing three [card name=”Golisopod-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”17″ c=”name”][/card]. On top of your ability to take highly favorable trades in terms of resource commitment, you can find an easy two Prizes on any Lycanroc-GX or [card name=”Regirock-EX” set=”Fates Collide” no=”43″ c=”name”][/card] that may find their way on to your opponent’s board.

Buzzwole-GX / Garbodor — Favorable

The presence of Garbodor means your damage can be limited at awkward times, but your heavy Field Blower count means that you will typically have damage when you need it. [card name=”Carbink BREAK” set=”Fates Collide” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] puts a little bit more pressure on you to find Guzma and Field Blower for your final Prizes, and the combination of it and Garbodor are what demote this matchup from heavily favorable. That said, I still win this matchup an overwhelming portion of the time in testing, so I place it among the deck’s best matchups.

Glaceon-GX — Heavily Favorable

Your damage output is high and you generally don’t care about [card name=”Glaceon-GX” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”39″ c=”name”][/card]’s Freezing Gaze. The version with Garbodor can limit your damage, but your high Field Blower count prevents that from hurting too badly. The full four Guzma help here in that you don’t rely on Lele to hit a couple of them, and this will generally mean an easy KO on an opponent’s Lele at least once in a game. Nothing about their deck is particularly threatening, and this will mean that you can reasonably expect to close out a game with only two Golisopod-GX.

Espeon-GX / Garbodor — Unfavorable

Dealing with Confusion every turn is difficult. It means you can’t use Choice Band as freely as you otherwise would, and that, in turn, puts a major cap on your damage. [card name=”Drampa-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] can one-shot Golisopod-GX after a Psybeam, and Psychic on a three-Energy Golisopod-GX can achieve the same level of damage with Choice Band. Divide GX is always a pain, and your complete lack of Acerola means that their damage will always stick. Versions with heavy [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card] will be even better against you as you are at least moderately vulnerable to both sides.

If you expect a significant amount of [card name=”Espeon-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”61″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card], it would be in your best interest to fit two or three Acerola into the deck, as it will drastically improve your matchup. It makes getting out of Confusion much easier, and it also weakens Divide GX drastically.

Ho-Oh-GX / Kiawe — Slightly Unfavorable

[card name=”Ho-Oh-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”21″ c=”name”][/card] being a Fire type doesn’t mean much in this matchup besides saving them a Choice Band, so your big hurdle is their first Ho-Oh-GX. If they miss their [card name=”Kiawe” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”116″ c=”name”][/card], your odds of winning are, of course, much higher. Grabbing a one-hit Knock Out on their first Ho-Oh-GX is actually not that difficult, though, because your count of Lurantis is so high. Two Lurantis and a Choice Band allow First Impression to one-shot a Ho-Oh-GX — a highly achievable goal.

The biggest problem here is that they put you on a clock immediately, and you can’t stall for a turn by throwing a clean Golisopod-GX Active. For this reason, I consider this matchup unfavorable, though only slightly. If you can get over their first Ho-oh GX in a reasonable time frame, you tend to pull a win.

Volcanion-EX — Heavily Unfavorable

[cardimg name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”26″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

The big difference between this deck and Ho-Oh / Kiawe is that this deck can attack more readily with [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card] and one-shot you with [card name=”Volcanion” set=”Steam Siege” no=”25″ c=”name”][/card]. That difference makes this matchup horrendous. You can try to leverage your damage and one-shot their attackers, but a single baby Volcanion with either three Steam Ups or two and a Choice Band immediately levels your advantage. Avoid playing this deck if you expect a significant amount of Volcanion in your metagame.

Vikavolt / Tapu Bulu-GX — Slightly Favorable

At first glance, this matchup seems rough as Golisopod is an easy KO for a Choice Banded Nature’s Judgment. Upon further inspection, though, this matchup is perfectly fine for you. Crossing Cut GX and a First Impression with two Lurantis both pick up Knock Outs on [card name=”Vikavolt” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”52″ c=”name”][/card] for no loss, and you have an easy time taking one-hit Knock Outs on [card name=”Tapu Bulu-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM32″ c=”name”][/card]. In addition to that, if you manage to set up three Lurantis, Choice Band allows you to Knock Out a Tapu Bulu-GX with Armor Press, guaranteeing that your Golisopod-GX survives another turn. Managing this often wins you the game on the spot, as they cannot keep up in the Prize trade.

Another advantage you have is that they often have to bench multiple Tapu Lele-GX to set up, and you have an easy time knocking them out. Overall, provided you don’t draw poorly in the early game, you have several assets that can usually carry you to a win.

Conclusion

Golisopod / Lurantis is a rogue concept that I believe has a great deal of potential moving forward. High damage for little commitment has always been strong, and Golisopod-GX is an excellent attacker to make use of this. The commonality of Tapu Lele-GX in Standard is of great benefit to this deck, as you can easily achieve 170 damage. In addition to this, you hit a plethora of important numbers throughout the format, giving you an edge against many of the format’s top decks.

I plan to play this deck for at least one League Cup over the next two weeks, using that as a gauge for its viability for Charlotte. In testing thus far, it has shown a great deal of promise, and I am excited to be playing something new for a change.

Let me know your thoughts, questions, and results in the comments below, and thank you for reading!

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