Beauty and the Beast: Gardevoir-GX and Buzzwole-GX
The Roanoke Regional is the first Regional that I’ll be attending since my hiatus in January. I’m excited to play in it as it is the last Expanded Regional this season. Expanded has been pretty good to me this season, it’s where I’ve gotten most of my points. But as the meta has evolved, I’ve liked it less and less. I think Forbidden Light will put Expanded back on track to a healthier format. Cards like [card name=”Beast Ring” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Diancie Prism Star” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Diantha” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Mysterious Treasure” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”113″ c=”name”][/card] give a consistency boost to more aggressive decks that control decks will have a hard time dealing with.
I would not go as far to say that Forbidden Light will completely reshape the meta. Most of the decks that we saw in Salt Lake City will make a reappearance in Roanoke. [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Exeggcute” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”4″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Sableye” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”62″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Gardevoir-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] are still quite formidable. I also don’t really see any new archetypes, if you don’t count [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] performing particularly well in Roanoke due to how strong the current decks are. However, there will be a pecking order change. In this article, I’ll go over what I think are the best five plays followed by my lists for [card name=”Buzzwole-GX” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] and Gardevoir-GX in the new format.
New Pecking Order
5) M Gardevoir-EX
[cardimg name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
The Expanded version of [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card] has quite the tool set. First, its dual typing of Fairy and Psychic is almost unfair. Darkness Resistance and hitting Buzzwole-GX for Weakness is too good to not consider. Furthermore, the deck gets a huge consistency boost from cards like [card name=”Dimension Valley” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Jirachi-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Mega Turbo” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card]. Forbidden Light gives the deck [card name=”Mysterious Treasure” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”113″ c=”name”][/card] which can be used to search out important cards: [card name=”Oricorio” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”56″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”M Gardevoir-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”79″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Hoopa-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”36″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card]. It just hasn’t seen too much play this season because [card name=”Joltik” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”26″ c=”custom”]Night[/card] [card name=”Pumpkaboo” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”44″ c=”custom”]March[/card] is a bad matchup for the deck, and I think people have just forgotten about it. The only downside to this deck is that it is a Mega Evolution, so requiring a [card name=”Gardevoir Spirit Link” set=”Steam Siege” no=”101″ c=”name”][/card] to evolve without ending your turn isn’t as great when the Evolution has the same HP and attack power as a Stage 1 that doesn’t have the same downside. Although, both M Gardevoir-EX and Zoroark-GX have Resistance against each other, which means neither of them get to OHKO each other which is why this deck isn’t at the top of my list.
4) Trashalanche and Friends
I can’t imagine [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] ever falling far out of relevance in the Expanded format. Expanded is all about abusing Items like [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card], Trainers’ Mail and [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card]. It also gets an awesome secondary attacker with [card name=”Trubbish” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”65″ c=”name”][/card] providing early game pressure. Furthermore, [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] is one of the best cards in the game and it has seen play since the day of its release. Now that it hits the most expected deck in the format for Weakness, it will be a strong play.
3) Zoroark-GX Variants
A card with OHKO power and its own draw engine sounds like something that should only be on a Stage 2. Zoroark-GX does suffer from being outmatched by Buzzwole-GX, but its consistency allows it to tech for nearly any matchup. It has the space and draw power to abuse cards like [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”124″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Red Card” set=”Generations” no=”71″ c=”name”][/card] while also having the ability to reuse them with [card name=”Puzzle of Time” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] and VS seeker. I don’t think this will be the best play this weekend because of the resurgence of Gardevoir-GX in Salt Lake City to try to reclaim its title as the best deck in the format.
2) Gardevoir-GX
I’ll go over this further in my deck description below, but similarly to M Gardevoir-GX, Mysterious Treasure is a great consistency boost. Also, 230 HP on a strong attacker with its own Energy acceleration is staggeringly strong.
1) Buzzwole-GX variants
There are two variants for this deck that I can see doing well this weekend: one that uses [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Virbank City Gym” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”126″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Hypnotoxic Laser” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] And the more common version that uses [card name=”Lycanroc-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] and Diancie Prism Star. I prefer the latter as I prefer to have better consistency through Abilities and [card name=”Brooklet Hill” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”120″ c=”name”][/card] over the control of Hypnotoxic Laser and Garbotoxin. Regardless of the cards you partner with the muscular bug, Beast Ring places this deck on a whole different level allowing you to completely set up mid-game to put your opponent in checkmate.
Decks I Expect to Underperform
Sableye / Garbodor
[card name=”Sableye” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”62″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] is a deck that really only does well when you don’t expect it to. Because it just won Salt Lake City, people will be countering this not only with their deck choice, but the techs that they will put in their deck. Multiple copies of [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card] rip this deck to shreds as Garbotoxin and [card name=”Life Dew” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card] is shut off, and Bench damage damages this deck’s ability to function. The addition of more recovery cards is also bad news for Sableye.
Malamar variants
In Standard, I think this deck will perform wonderfully. In Expanded however, it requires too much set up to also be completely shut down by Hex Maniac. Getting hit by multiple Hex Maniac per game while trying to set up under the threat of constant OHKOs is too much for this deck to handle. Even though we’ve seen this type of ability do well in the past with [card name=”Rayquaza-EX” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”85″ c=”custom”]Ray[/card] [card name=”Eelektrik” set=”Noble Victories” no=”40″ c=”custom”]Eels[/card] and [card name=”Bronzong” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”61″ c=”name”][/card], we haven’t seen it lately because the setup is too difficult for the reward, even with type advantage.
Trevenant BREAK
[card name=”Trevenant BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card] always seems like it should be a good play for Expanded events as it can shut your opponent completely out of the game as early as turn one. However, with as much Dark-type decks as there almost always is, Trevanent BREAK really struggles. And even though it has Resistance and Weakness over Buzzwole-GX, I don’t think that Trevenant BREAK is necessarily favored. Lycanroc-GX using Bloodthirsty Eyes, other decks having the ability to OHKO, and Bench damage spread decks really put this deck in a bind. Also, the damage output is too low on single targets to eliminate big threats like it used to.
Dusk Mane Necrozma-GX
[cardimg name=”Dusk Mane Necrozma-GX” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”90″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
Beast Ring is also great for [card name=”Dusk Mane Necrozma-GX” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card]. If you’re lucky enough, when your opponent goes to four Prizes you can set up multiple Dusk Mane Necrozma-GX to close out the game. However, the shortcoming of Dusk Mane Necrozma-GX is not the late game but the early game. Without sufficient early game pressure, your opponent can take their time to take Prizes, putting a game plan in motion to deal with the expected [card name=”Beast Ring” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card] storm. Another big issue with the deck is that unlike [card name=”Buzzwole-GX” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card], Dusk Mane Necrozma-GX discards its Energy, meaning that a well timed Guzma can wipe your only Energy on field and completely shut you out of the game.
Beauty and the Beast: My Top Two Plays for Roanoke
The Beauty
I want to start off with [card name=”Gardevoir-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] because it is the deck that I have got the most CP out of this year. As I’ve mentioned before in this article and previous articles, Gardevoir-GX is a 230 HP tank with great typing and its own Energy acceleration. Aside from Metal decks, there isn’t much out there that outright beats Gardevoir-GX. It even has a great time against annoying mill decks like Sableye / Garbodor, [card name=”Sylveon-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Wailord-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”38″ c=”name”][/card] because of its recovery and acceleration. With the addition of [card name=”Diantha” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Mysterious Treasure” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”113″ c=”name”][/card], Gardevoir-GX has the potential to be the best deck in Expanded.
[premium]
[decklist name=”The Beauty” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Alolan Vulpix” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”21″][pokemon amt=”19″]3x [card name=”Gardevoir-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”93″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Gallade” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”84″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Kirlia” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”69″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Kirlia” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”53″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Ralts” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”59″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/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=”Sudowoodo” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”66″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Oricorio” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”56″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Mew-EX” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”46″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Alolan Vulpix” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”21″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”30″]2x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Cynthia” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”119″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Brigette” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”134″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”118″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Teammates” set=”Primal Clash” no=”141″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Diantha” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”105″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Acerola” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”112″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”135″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Rare Candy” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”129″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Mysterious Treasure” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”113″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Computer Search” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”11″]7x [card name=”Fairy Energy” set=”XY” no=”140″ c=”deck2″ amt=”7″][/card]4x [card name=”Double Colorless” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”136″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
Notable Cards
Two Mysterious Treasure
With [card name=”Ralts” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”59″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Kirlia” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”69″ c=”name”][/card] having Psychic-type alternatives, Mysterious Treasure becomes one of the most important cards in the deck. Not only can it grab these Pokemon, but it also gives you more outs to a turn one Supporter with eight outs to a [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] in your opening hand. It also searches out your tech cards: [card name=”Mew-EX” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”46″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Oricorio” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”56″ c=”name”][/card].
One Diantha
[cardimg name=”Diantha” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”105″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
When I showed this list to my testing partners, they immediately thought Diantha was counter intuitive when I am playing only Psychic Ralts. But after a few games, I made them realize that it’s not for when the little ones are KO’d, it’s for when a giant Gardevoir-GX gets KO’d that you are able to pick up the pieces and keep the tempo going. When a Ralts is KO’d in the early game, it is much better to pull resources out of your deck with [card name=”Teammates” set=”Primal Clash” no=”141″ c=”name”][/card] because there isn’t typically anything in the discard. Because Diantha allows you to grab any two cards, this becomes extremely powerful by allowing you to reuse [card name=”Double Colorless” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”136″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Fairy Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Rare Candy” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”129″ c=”name”][/card].
Three Rare Candy, One Rescue Stretcher
I lowered the counts of Rare Candy and [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”name”][/card] because Diantha facilitates recycling so that you do not have to have multiple Rare Candy in deck to pull out enough Gardevoir-GX to win the game. Most lists opt to use four Rare Candy so that you may play a [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card] or discard them with [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”135″ c=”name”][/card] without worrying if you’ll get another one, but Diantha alleviates that need and frees up the space.
One Alolan Vulpix, Zero Tropical Beach
The purpose of [card name=”Tropical Beach” set=”Black and White Black Star Promos” no=”BW50″ c=”name”][/card] is to replenish your hand after you’re emptied it with Ultra Ball, Mysterious Treasure, or just laying down a bunch of Basic Pokemon. It’s usually only good turn one or turn two if you’re falling behind on your setup. So to free up the space in our deck required to see Tropical Beach in the early game, I just replaced it with [card name=”Alolan Vulpix” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”21″ c=”name”][/card] as it ends your turn anyway, and is searchable by [card name=”Brigette” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”134″ c=”name”][/card]. If I had room for a Stadium in my list, Tropical Beach would be one of the most considered behind [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card].
One Mew-EX, One Oricorio GRI
These two cards are to deal with decks that use a lot of Fighting-type Pokemon, but they have other uses as well. Oricorio is an excellent Night March counter that is almost always guaranteed to get you a couple of Prizes because Gardevoir has such high HP.
Mew-EX is able to copy Infinite Force. So when hitting Buzzwole for Weakness, you don’t need much at all to take the KO. Mew-EX is also good in the mirror, allowing you to over extend on a Basic that will be KO’d anyway instead of sacrificing a Stage 2.
Honorable Mentions
Counter Catcher
You’ll spend your first couple turns with this deck just setting up and will more than likely fall behind in the Prize trade. So when you’re ready to roll, [card name=”Counter Catcher” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] can easily put you back in the drivers seat. Not only is it searchable by [card name=”Teammates” set=”Primal Clash” no=”141″ c=”name”][/card], but it’s reusable with Diantha as well.
Giratina
You never know when you could face a [card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card] in a tournament as long as it’s legal. That deck will always rear its inconsistent, ugly head somewhere. [card name=”Giratina” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY184″ c=”name”][/card] also helps trmendously against [card name=”Trevenant BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card] as well.
The Beast
I am usually more skeptical of the hype around certain cards when a set drops. Being excited about [card name=”Buzzwole-GX” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] is actually pretty uncharacteristic for me. But I cannot deny results, and Buzzwole GX / [card name=”Lycanroc-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] has proven itself to be one of the most powerful decks in the Standard format winning quite a few major recent events. Although, I do not think this deck is as strong in Standard anymore because of the [card name=”Malamar” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] variants that just recently dominated the SPE in Mexico. Malamar will be irrelevant in Expanded.
[decklist name=”The Beast” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Buzzwole” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”77″][pokemon amt=”15″]3x [card name=”Buzzwole-GX” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”57″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Rockruff” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”73″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Lycanroc-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”74″ 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=”56″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Landorus-EX” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”89″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Sudowoodo” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”66″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Diancie Prism Star” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”74″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Buzzwole” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”33″]3x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Cynthia” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”119″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Acerola” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”112″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Korrina” set=”Furious Fists” no=”95″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”118″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”135″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Beast Ring” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Super Rod” set=”Dragon Vault” no=”20″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Computer Search” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Brooklet Hill” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”120″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”12″]9x [card name=”Fighting Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”96″ c=”deck2″ amt=”9″][/card]2x [card name=”Strong Energy” set=”Fates Collide” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Beast Energy Prism Star” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”117″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
Notable Cards
Three Buzzwole-GX
[cardimg name=”Buzzwole-GX” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”57″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
Buzzwole-GX is the muscle of the deck, and three is the absolute minimum you want to play of any card that is supposed to be the focus of your deck. Jet Punch with [card name=”Beast Energy Prism Star” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”117″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Diancie Prism Star” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] hits for 110 damage. If you hit a [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] with this combo, you’ve OHKO’d it for a single Energy. Being able to do that to the best deck in the format is scary.
One Korrina
This card is what makes Fighting decks worthwhile in Expanded. [card name=”Korrina” set=”Furious Fists” no=”95″ c=”name”][/card] is almost as good as Teammates, but you don’t have to get KO’d first. Korrina has the ability to get you any card in your deck when paired with [card name=”Computer Search” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card], giving you options to get exactly what you need to set yourself ahead in the game.
Two Rockruff
I’m torn between using the Promo [card name=”Rockruff” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM120″ c=”name”][/card] or Guardians Rising [card name=”Rockruff” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”73″ c=”name”][/card]. Corner has a great control element to it that can get you out of a bind, but Promo Rockruff can KO [card name=”Mew” set=”Fates Collide” no=”29″ c=”name”][/card] with all the passive power ups we have in this deck. When I sleeve up this deck, I’ll just go with whatever my gut tells me to the day of.
One Buzzwole
I mentioned this in my last article, but this brings a useable non-GX to Buzzwole-GX decks that was desperately needed. Most players I’ve talked to about this card have shrugged it off because of its narrow window of use. However, I think that the window isn’t that narrow, and its Swing Around attack isn’t useless. Swing Around, combined with other damage modifying cards, can deal great amounts of damage, allowing you to trade with one-Prize attackers efficiently when paired with Beast Ring. If you are able to force [card name=”Trevenant BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card] to go to four Prizes, this Buzzwole is pretty unstoppable, as it can clean up Pokemon on their Bench that have been chipped away by earlier uses of Jet Punch.
Two Beast Ring, Three Max Elixir
Speaking of narrow windows, Beast Ring does have its limitations, and it is for that reason that I don’t play a full playset. Although [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card] is a gamble, it is at least playable at any time. I only expect to get one Beast Ring off per game, so only having two seems like a very reasonable compromise of space and utility. Although it is searchable by Korrina, Korrina can only grab one at a time.
One Octillery
The reason why we only play a 1-1 line in this deck is because I’m not expecting to always have Abilities when I need them. Zoroark-GX has a nasty habit of spamming [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card] every turn. If my opponent plays [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card], my one Field Blower is not typically going to be enough to mitigate their seven or more Tools. There are matchups where [card name=”Octillery” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card] will be more relevant, but Ability-lock makes me comfortable about having a thin line.
One Sudowoodo GRI
Although Zoroark-GX is weak to Fighting, that doesn’t make it an autowin. Zoroark-GX still draws significantly more cards than Buzzlwole-GX decks can and also still has the ability to one-shot. We play [card name=”Sudowoodo” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card] to make it that much harder to KO Buzzwole-GX. Being able to search it out with a [card name=”Brooklet Hill” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”120″ c=”name”][/card]makes it too convenient not to include in this deck.
Two Choice Band, One Muscle Band
In Expanded, there are a numerous non-EX/GX threats to be weary of. [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] deals with them much more effectively, but the additional 10 damage with Choice Band is just too valuable to count out. That extra 10 damage allows you to set up for multi-Prize turns with Jet Punch against a GX Pokemon that wouldn’t be possible if you didn’t just hit that correct amount just once.
Nine Fighting Energy, Two Strong Energy, One Beast Energy Prism Star
If I could, I would fit more Fighting Energy into this list. Max Elixir is your main source of Energy acceleration and every other Energy is just a damage boost. With the amount of damage modifiers we have at our disposal, the Special Energy in the deck are more of a luxiry than a neec. It helps you hit the numbers you need at different times, but I have found myself wanting more Fighting Energy. Thus, to make room and not to clog most of our hands with Energy, I went with a split of nine Fighting Energy and three Special Energy as a compromise for power and consistency.
Honorable Mentions
Counter Catcher
Even though this deck is quite aggressive, you will still find yourself in a position where you will be behind in Prizes against Zoroark-GX. With two Guzma and a 2-2 Lycanroc-GX line, you have plenty of effects that can bring up a Pokemon from their Bench. But a Zoroark-GX player constantly reusing Hex Maniac, it isn’t always enough to win the game. [card name=”Counter Catcher” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] is also searchable by Korrina and can allow you to make some busted plays to put you back in the race.
Red Card
This is another Item searchable with Korrina. You can play Korrina to grab Lycanroc-GX and [card name=”Red Card” set=”Generations” no=”71″ c=”name”][/card] in the early game to decimate your opponents field and put them in a bad position as early as turn two.
Wide Lens
Against Zoroark-GX, [card name=”Wide Lens” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”95″ c=”name”][/card] is a crucial card to disrupt their setup. You can start a game by taking two simultaneous Prizes by attacking two [card name=”Zorua” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”70″ c=”name”][/card] crippling their setup and putting you ahead of two Prizes in the early game.
Target Whistle
For the same reason Wide Lens is good, you can use [card name=”Target Whistle” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card] to bring back an [card name=”Exeggcute” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”4″ c=”name”][/card] back on their bench to give you an extra Prize for the turn. It also works as a way to bring an extra Basic Pokemon onto your opponents Bench to block their attempts at playing [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] and using Wonder Tag.
Landorus
This can is your out to mill decks like [card name=”Wailord-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”38″ c=”name”][/card] , [card name=”Sylveon-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Sableye” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”62″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card]. Similar to [card name=”Yveltal” set=”XY” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card] , [card name=”Landorus” set=”Furious Fists” no=”58″ c=”name”][/card] lets you reuse your discarded Energy cards. For instance, if you put five Energy on a Lycanroc-GX, there’s not really much any mill deck can do to you as you attack with Claw Slash every turn until you win the game. I wouldn’t play [card name=”Carbink BREAK” set=”Fates Collide” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] over Landorus, as a single Basic Pokemon is more consistent than a 1-1 line.
Closing Thoughts
After playing Buzzwole-GX / Lycanroc-GX in the Duluth League Cup this past week, I can more confidently say that this deck along with Gardevoir-GX are the best decks for the expected meta for Roanoke. I did lose in Top 8 to Zoroark-GX after being first seed due to some unfortunate draws, but I had spent most of my day easily beating similar Zoroark decks. If you’re not keen on playing control decks, Buzzwole-GX is a great choice and a breath of fresh air for the format.
As always, if you have any questions, feel free to message me here, Facebook or Twitter. In my next article, I will be discussing the Malamar / [card name=”Necrozma-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM58″ c=”name”][/card] deck that was in Top 8 at the Mexico SPE. Until next time, happy testing, trainers!
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