Looking at NAIC — Malamar and Buzzwole

By: Zachary Lesage · Posted Posted onJun 29, 2018 at 1:06 PM · 0 Comments

[cardimg name=”Malamar” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”51″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

What’s up PokeBeach readers? I’m chillin’ out here in another hotel, in another city, in another part of the world — basically living the Pokemon dream, right? In this article, I’ll be going over my top picks for the 2018 North American International Championships: [card name=”Malamar” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Buzzwole-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM69″ c=”name”][/card]. These two archetypes have proven themselves on the worldwide stage since they were introduced, and have both been quite successful thus far. My goal is to sell you on these two as the best decks in our Standard format; to explain their strategies; and to help prepare you for the upcoming NAIC.

Making a Deck Decision

Now that there has been a handful of tournaments worldwide in our latest format (BREAKthrough–Forbidden Light), we can analyze the results of those events to predict the future metagame. I find that looking at the top results from worldwide tournaments can help shape my decision for my deck choice and tech inclusions going forward. Let’s look at some results from the tournaments that have concluded since the release of Forbidden Light:

(For all of these events, I will be considering the Top 8 of Masters only, regardless of event attendance.)

May 19 — Special Event — Tours, France

  • 1. Heddi Brahmi — [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Lycanroc-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card]
  • 2. Francisco Toranzo Santiago — [card name=”Ultra Necrozma-GX” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”95″ c=”name”][/card] / Malamar
  • 3. Kiko Hodas — [card name=”Naganadel-GX” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”56″ c=”name”][/card]
  • 4. Camille Pedrosa — Buzzwole-GX
  • 5. Jimmy Wuyts — [card name=”Greninja-GX” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”24″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Latios” set=”Shining Legends” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card]
  • 6. Miloslav Posledni — Buzzwole-GX / Lycanroc-GX
  • 7. Stephane Ivanoff — Buzzwole-GX / Lycanroc-GX
  • 8. Tom Van Geenhoven — [card name=”Espeon-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM35″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card]

Notes

May 19-20 was the first weekend of major events since the inception of Forbidden Light in Standard, and quite a few players were confused in terms of making a deck choice. There were a few surprising results in this Top 8, namely Greninja-GX / Latios and Naganadel-GX, but those have taken a backseat as the format has evolved through late May and early June.

May 19 — Special Event — Mexico City, Mexico

[cardimg name=”Dawn Wings Necrozma-GX” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”63″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

  • 1. Sam Chen — [card name=”Dawn Wings Necrozma-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM101″ c=”name”][/card] / Malamar
  • 2. Rahul Reddy — Dawn Wings Necrozma-GX / Malamar
  • 3. Fernando Castaneda Perez — Ultra Necrozma-GX / Malamar
  • 4. Juan Espinola Ortega — Zoroark-GX / Garbodor
  • 5. Daniel Altavilla — Dawn Wings Necrozma-GX / Malamar
  • 6. Angel Garcia — Buzzwole-GX / Lycanroc-GX
  • 7. Eder Jarillo Soto — [card name=”Gardevoir-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card]
  • 8. Jose Juarez Gonzalez — Buzzwole-GX / Lycanroc-GX

Notes

I would argue that this is the first event that really shaped the BREAKthrough–Forbidden Light format. As seen in the standings, Malamar decks took a stranglehold on the event and mostly dominated Buzzwole-GX decks. It was from this tournament that most people took those lists and used them to model our current Malamar lists.

May 26 — Special Event — Cancun, Mexico

  • 1. Eder Jarillo Soto — [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Golisopod-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM62″ c=”name”][/card]
  • 2. Miguel Angel Lopez Bernal — Zoroark-GX / [card name=”Lycanroc-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card]
  • 3. Victor de Velasco — Ultra Necrozma-GX / [card name=”Malamar” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card]
  • 4. Sam Chen — Dawn Wings Necrozma-GX / Malamar
  • 5. Jorge Lopez — Zoroark-GX / Garbodor / Garbodor
  • 6. Juan Espinola Ortega — Zoroark-GX / Lycanroc-GX
  • 7. Manual Valdez Garcia — Dawn Wings Necrozma-GX / Malamar / Zoroark-GX
  • 8. Luis Nolasco — [card name=”Metagross-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”85″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Solgaleo-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM16″ c=”name”][/card]

Notes

With Dawn Wings Necrozma-GX and its Darkness-type Weakness putting up such a strong showing during the previous weekend’s events, and the threat of Malamar keeping Buzzwole-GX’s numbers in check, it’s easy to see how two Zoroark-GX decks made the finals in Cancun. The Metagross-GX / Solgaleo-GX deck that made Top 8 goes to show that some zany ideas can always sneak through the masses!

May 26 — Regional Championships — Melbourne, Australia

  • 1. Joey Ho — [card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card]
  • 2. Jordan Palmer — Buzzwole-GX / Lycanroc-GX
  • 3. Ryan Bentley — Dawn Wings Necrozma-GX / Malamar
  • 4. Corey Matthews — Dawn Wings Necrozma-GX / Malamar
  • 5. Alfred Yang — Ultra Necrozma-GX / Malamar
  • 6. Shane Chee — Buzzwole-GX / Lycanroc-GX
  • 7. Jack Millar — Buzzwole-GX / Lycanroc-GX
  • 8. Matthew Taverna — [card name=”Xerneas BREAK” set=”Steam Siege” no=”82″ c=”name”][/card]

Notes

This is the tournament that started to bring the Buzzwole-GX / Lycanroc-GX deck back from the ashes, which was surprising to me because at that time I considered Malamar the superior archetype. Although Joey Ho did win the event with Greninja BREAK, Jordan Palmer proved to the world that his Buzzwole deck could beat Dawn Wings Necrozma-GX / Malamar in Top 4. We saw again that more unique decks can still sneak through — in this case the Xerneas BREAK deck in Top 8.

June 2 — Regional Championships — Subang Jaya, Malaysia

[cardimg name=”Zygarde-GX” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”73″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

  • 1. Adrian Velasco — Ultra Necrozma-GX / Malamar
  • 2. Klive Aw — [card name=”Zygarde-GX” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”73″ c=”name”][/card] / Lycanroc-GX
  • 3. Keng Fai Lee — Buzzwole-GX / Lycanroc-GX
  • 4. Hariz Hamdan — Buzzwole-GX / Lycanroc-GX
  • 5. Attar Ricco — Buzzwole-GX / Lycanroc-GX
  • 6. Yee Wei Chun — Zoroark-GX / Lycanroc-GX
  • 7. Keith Yong — Buzzwole-GX / Lycanroc-GX
  • 8. Rishwyn Singh — Buzzwole-GX / Lycanroc-GX

Notes

Players at this tournament took the success of Buzzwole-GX / Lycanroc-GX from Melbourne and ran with it, although once again the deck did not win the event. While it is apparent that Malamar variants have an edge on Buzzwole-GX variants, we can only assume that there were Malamar casualties throughout the day from Buzzwole-GX. The other noteworthy occurrence at this tournament was Klive Aw piloting a relatively unknown concept of Zygarde-GX / Lycanroc-GX to the finals. Aw might have some foresight with this concept, because the deck doesn’t directly suffer from a Psychic-type Weakness, nor should it have an awful Buzzwole-GX / Lycanroc-GX matchup.

June 2 — Regional Championships — Santiago, Chile

  • 1. Bastian Silva — [card name=”Buzzwole-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM69″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Lycanroc-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card]
  • 2. Benjamin Ferrel — [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] / Lycanroc-GX
  • 3. Nicolas Galaz — Buzzwole-GX / Lycanroc-GX
  • 4. Marco Cifuentes — Zoroark-GX / Lycanroc-GX
  • 5. Gustavo Wada — Zoroark-GX / [card name=”Golisopod-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM62″ c=”name”][/card]
  • 6. Diego Cassiraga — [card name=”Dawn Wings Necrozma-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM101″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Malamar” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card]
  • 7. Sebastian Lozano — Buzzwole-GX / Lycanroc-GX
  • 8. Moises Santibanez — Zoroark-GX / Lycanroc-GX

Notes

At this point, the format is starting to stabilize. In Santiago, we had Buzzwole-GX / Lycanroc-GX winning the event, many other players dominating with the deck, and a few other archetypes sprinkled in for some spice. Post-Santiago, it seems that only Buzzwole-GX, Malamar, [card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card], and Zoroark-GX variants were worthy of tier one consideration. Most of the other decks that performed decently at these major events; such as [card name=”Lapras-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”35″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Volcanion Prism Star” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”31″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Xerneas BREAK” set=”Steam Siege” no=”82″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Gardevoir-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card]; can all be considered tier two decks.

June 2 — Regional Championships — Madison, United States

  • 1. Igor Costa — [card name=”Buzzwole” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] / Buzzwole-GX / Lycanroc-GX
  • 2. Will Mantho — Buzzwole-GX / Lycanroc-GX
  • 3. Jake Ewart — Greninja BREAK
  • 4. Ian Robb — Buzzwole-GX / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card]
  • 5. Caleb Gedemer — Buzzwole / Buzzwole-GX / Lycanroc-GX
  • 6. Xander Pero — Buzzwole / Buzzwole-GX / Lycanroc-GX
  • 7. Zack Taylor — [card name=”Ultra Necrozma-GX” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”95″ c=”name”][/card] / Malamar
  • 8. Joey Ruettiger — Buzzwole / Buzzwole-GX / Lycanroc-GX

Notes

This tournament brought two major advancements to Buzzwole-GX decks: Chris Leandro shared his Buzzwole / Buzzwole-GX / Lycanroc-GX deck with many top players, who proceeded to take down the event; and Ian Robb re-invented Buzzwole-GX / Garbodor in our new format. The variant of Buzzwole-GX / Lycanroc-GX with three baby [card name=”Buzzwole” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] forces players to Knock Out many one-Prize Pokemon while simultaneously building up its own superior board state. Madison definitely shaped the metagame significantly, and I expect most players to use the results from this tournament to further refine concepts and introduce new ones.

June 9 — Special Event — Singapore, Singapore

  • 1. Shane Chee — Zoroark-GX / Lucario-GX
  • 2. Klive Aw — [card name=”Zygarde-GX” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”73″ c=”name”][/card] / Lycanroc-GX
  • 3. Patrick Ebio — Zoroark-GX / Golisopod-GX
  • 4. Clifton Goh — Buzzwole-GX / Lycanroc-GX
  • 5. Colin Tang — Buzzwole-GX / Lycanroc-GX
  • 6. Christopher Schemanske — Buzzwole / Buzzwole-GX / Lycanroc-GX
  • 7. Joey Ho — Greninja BREAK
  • 8. Perry Lim — Greninja BREAK

Notes

This was the last major event before Sheffield Regionals and Mexico City Regionals, both of which are taking place as I draft this article. This tournament had a variety of decks including the Melbourne Greninja deck, Buzzwole-GX / Lycanroc-GX, and a handful of Zoroark-GX variants. Again, we saw Klive Aw play his infamous Zygarde-GX / Lycanroc-GX deck to another finals appearance.

After this event, I believe that most players will continue to pilot one of four decks: Greninja BREAK, Malamar variants, Buzzwole-GX variants, or Zoroark-GX variants.

June 16 — Regional Championships — Sheffield, United Kingdom (NEW)

  • 1. Seb Symonds — Zoroark-GX / Lycanroc-GX
  • 2. Magnus Kalland — Zoroark-GX / Golisopod-GX
  • 3. Marc Lutz — Buzzwole-GX / Garbodor / Garbodor
  • 4. Ryan Moorhouse — Dawn Wings Necrozma-GX / Malamar
  • 5. Juraj Schrojf — Buzzwole-GX / Lycanroc-GX
  • 6. Luke Williams — Zoroark-GX / Lycanroc-GX
  • 7. Tomas Just — Espeon-GX / Garbodor / Garbodor
  • 8. Tord Reklev — Buzzwole / Buzzwole-GX / Lycanroc-GX

Notes

This tournament was actually fairly unique because it had Zoroark-GX variants absolutely tear up the scene. While it rarely happens in most matchups from top players, Buzzwole-GX / Lycanroc-GX variants can lose to Zoroark-GX variants. This is due to the inclusion of cards such as [card name=”Mewtwo” set=”Evolutions” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Mew-EX” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”46″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Latios” set=”Shining Legends” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card] because of their Psychic typing. Additionally, we saw Tord Reklev cut another Buzzwole-GX from his list in order to make room for additional tech cards like [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ c=”name”][/card]. Oddly enough, Espeon-GX / Garbodor / Garbodor made a random appearance; perhaps European players struggled to beat this now off-beat deck?

June 23 — Regional Championships — Mexico City, Mexico (NEW)

  • 1. Eder Jarillo Soto — Zoroark-GX / Golisopod-GX
  • 2. Christopher Schemanske — Buzzwole-GX / Garbodor
  • 3. Alex Schemanske — Zygarde-GX / Lycanroc-GX
  • 4. Fernando Castanada Perez — [card name=”Hoopa” set=”Steam Siege” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] / Malamar
  • 5. Angel Loya — Buzzwole-GX / Garbodor
  • 6. Aaron Rozbicki — Buzzwole / Buzzwole-GX / Lycanroc-GX
  • 7. Michael Pramawat — Buzzwole / Buzzwole-GX / Lycanroc-GX
  • 8. Jimmy Pendarvis — Buzzwole / Buzzwole-GX / Lycanroc-GX

Notes

Similar to how we saw many top players dominate the Madison Regional Championships with Buzzwole / Buzzwole-GX / Lycanroc-GX, we also saw similar success at the Mexico City Regional Championships. This success is further demonstrated by my own unfortunate luck of bubbling the Top 8 by coming in ninth place with Buzzwole / Buzzwole-GX / Lycanroc-GX! Zoroark-GX saw similar success with Eder Jarillo Soto winning the whole event and we saw Alex Schemanske take the baton from Klive Aw to giving another placement to Zygarde-GX / Lycanroc-GX.

Tier List

[cardimg name=”Lycanroc-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”74″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Based on the above results, I’ve put together a tier list. The format going forward has a clear assortment of tiers: decks that have continuously performed at the highest level all over the world, and a few other decks that have done well to a slightly lesser degree.

Tier One

  • [card name=”Buzzwole” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Buzzwole-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM69″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Lycanroc-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card]
  • Buzzwole-GX / Lycanroc-GX
  • [card name=”Dawn Wings Necrozma-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM101″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Malamar” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card]
  • [card name=”Ultra Necrozma-GX” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”95″ c=”name”][/card] / Malamar

Tier Two

  • [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] / Lycanroc-GX
  • Zoroark-GX / [card name=”Golisopod-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM62″ c=”name”][/card]
  • [card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card]
  • Buzzwole-GX / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card]

Now, let’s dive into some discussion of those tier one archetypes. We’ll start with Malamar, which many top players have predicted to be the most-played deck at the NAIC.

[premium]

Hoopa / Malamar

[decklist name=”Hoopa / Malamar Deck” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Hoopa” set=”Steam Siege” no=”51″][pokemon amt=”17″]4x [card name=”Malamar” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”51″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Inkay” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”50″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Dawn Wings Necrozma-GX” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”63″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Hoopa” set=”Steam Siege” no=”51″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Necrozma-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”63″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Mewtwo-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”39″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Giratina” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY184″ 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]2x [card name=”Cynthia” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”119″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Brigette” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”134″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Mysterious Treasure” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”113″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Shining Legends” no=”68″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”2″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”10″]10x [card name=”Psychic Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”95″ c=”deck2″ amt=”10″][/card][/energy][/decklist][cardimg name=”Hoopa” set=”Steam Siege” no=”51″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Deck Explanation

This deck focuses on using single-Prize attackers ([card name=”Hoopa” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY147″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Giratina” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY184″ c=”name”][/card]) to quickly gain an advantage in the Prize race. Hoopa is a strong attacker because it can do chip damage with its first attack or an impressive 130 damage with its second attack. Hoopa’s 130 HP also allows it to survive a hit from a Zoroark-GX operating with a full Bench. During the latter half of the game, the deck can use Dawn Wings Necrozma-GX, [card name=”Necrozma-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM58″ c=”name”][/card], or [card name=”Mewtwo-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”39″ c=”name”][/card] to take its last remaining Prize cards. Dawn Wings Necrozma-GX can quickly catapult you back into a game if you are able to use Moon’s Eclipse GX to prevent your opponent from attacking you back. Necrozma-GX can use its Prismatic Burst attack to take a big KO, since it has the highest damage cap of all the attackers in the deck. Mewtwo-GX is primarily in the deck to get around an opposing Moon’s Eclipse GX, since its Psystrike GX is able to hit through all effects of attacks. In a deck like this, every Pokémon serves a purpose, and winning involves finding the right way to use each of these unique Pokémon.

In my testing, the early game revolves around setting up multiple [card name=”Inkay” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”50″ c=”name”][/card], having a direct response for an opposing [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card], and keeping the discard pile filled with Psychic Energy. In order to do this, I am highly selective of what I discard with [card name=”Mysterious Treasure” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”113″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Shining Legends” no=”68″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card] in order to preserve valuable resources. You want to have a balance between using these resources to set up in the early game and having enough left to search out attackers in the late game. The same goes for holding onto Supporters and [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] to deal with your opponent playing [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] in the late game.

Matchups

The following matchups for the deck are based on my tier list that I included earlier in the article:

  • [card name=”Buzzwole” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Buzzwole-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM69″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Lycanroc-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] — SLIGHTLY FAVOURABLE
  • Buzzwole-GX / Lycanroc-GX — FAVOURABLE
  • [card name=”Dawn Wings Necrozma-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM101″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Malamar” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] — EVEN
  • [card name=”Ultra Necrozma-GX” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”95″ c=”name”][/card] / Malamar — EVEN
  • [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] / Lycanroc-GX — SLIGHTLY UNFAVOURABLE
  • Zoroark-GX / [card name=”Golisopod-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM62″ c=”name”][/card] — SLIGHTLY UNFAVOURABLE
  • [card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card] — EVEN / SLIGHTLY UNFAVOURABLE
  • Buzzwole-GX / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] — EVEN / SLIGHTLY FAVOURABLE

Now let’s look over the deck that Ian Robb first showcased at the Madison Regional Championships: [card name=”Buzzwole-GX” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Order Pad” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”131″ c=”name”][/card]. Below, I’ll showcase my personal list:

Buzzwole-GX / Garbodor

[decklist name=”Buzzwole-GX / Garbodor Deck” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Buzzwole-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM69″][pokemon amt=”11″]4x [card name=”Buzzwole-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM69″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Trubbish” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”56″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Buzzwole” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”37″]4x [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Cynthia” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”119″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Lillie” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”125″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Beast Ring” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Order Pad” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”131″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Nest Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”123″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Mysterious Treasure” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”113″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Random Receiver” set=”Fates Collide” no=”109″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”12″]7x [card name=”Fighting Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”96″ c=”deck2″ amt=”7″][/card]4x [card name=”Strong Energy” set=”Fates Collide” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]1x [card name=”Beast Energy Prism Star” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”117″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/energy][/decklist][cardimg name=”Buzzwole-GX” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”57″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Deck Explanation

While I classified this deck as tier two in my tier list above, I strongly believe that it has the capacity to attain a tier one status over time.

The goal of this deck is to chip away at your opponent’s field with Jet Punch while searching out the pieces to activate Garbotoxin. This strategy forces your opponent to commit to Knocking Out a Buzzwole-GX, which causes them to waste valuable resources. Once your Buzzwole-GX is Knocked Out, you can then use [card name=”Beast Ring” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card] to power up more Buzzwole-GX, which should allow you to finish off your opponent’s side of the board with Knuckle Impact once you are fully set up. You can also utilize the single copy of baby Buzzwole once your first Buzzwole-GX is Knocked Out, hitting with Sledgehammer for an easy 120+ damage if needed.

[card name=”Order Pad” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”131″ c=”name”][/card] is one of the most interesting and useful cards in the deck: it aids in retrieving Beast Ring from the deck during the mid-game. [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] offers you a whopping 40 additional HP, which is the reason why this deck has a favourable matchup against Buzzwole-GX / Lycanroc-GX variants — it is difficult for them to hit 230 damage,and they don’t typically play [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card].

In order to beat Malamar variants, you need to establish the Garbotoxin lock quickly, target opposing Pokemon with Energy attached, KO those Pokemon, and use [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] to lower the opponent’s hand size. You have only few turns to accomplish this, but if you can get the lock to stick, the Malamar player is usually left without many options.

Zoroark-GX, on paper, is a strong matchup. The Zoroark-GX player is usually forced into using their auxiliary attackers under Garbotoxin, which means that once those attackers are Knocked Out, Zoroark-GX becomes the de facto late-game attacker. You can then send your baby Buzzwole Active to force the opponent to fight for an additional Prize card, while you keep your army of Buzzwole-GX ready on the Bench.

When playing Buzzwole-GX / Garbodor, you may notice that it is extremely linear, which is a good and bad thing at the same time. This is just the nature of playing the deck. I have had the most success playing the deck by sequencing my cards properly, thinking out my moves a few turns in advance, and running probabilities in my head to determine the best odds of finding what I need.

Matchups

  • [card name=”Buzzwole” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Buzzwole-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM69″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Lycanroc-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] — EVEN
  • Buzzwole-GX / Lycanroc-GX — FAVOURABLE
  • [card name=”Dawn Wings Necrozma-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM101″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Malamar” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] — EVEN / SLIGHTLY UNFAVOURABLE
  • [card name=”Ultra Necrozma-GX” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”95″ c=”name”][/card] / Malamar — EVEN
  • [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] / Lycanroc-GX — FAVOURABLE
  • Zoroark-GX / [card name=”Golisopod-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM62″ c=”name”][/card] — SLIGHTLY FAVOURABLE / FAVOURABLE
  • [card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card] — FAVOURABLE
  • Buzzwole-GX / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] — EVEN

Finally, let’s look over the deck that I played at the recent Mexico City Regional Championships to a ninth-place finish:

Buzzwole / Buzzwole-GX / Lycanroc-GX 

[decklist name=”Buzzwole / Buzzwole-GX / Lycanroc-GX” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Buzzwole” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”77″][pokemon amt=”13″]4x [card name=”Buzzwole” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Buzzwole-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM69″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Lycanroc-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”74″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Rockruff” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”75″ 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]1x [card name=”Diancie Prism Star” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”74″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Regirock-EX” set=”Fates Collide” no=”43″ 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]2x [card name=”Cynthia” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”119″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”2″][/card]4x [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Shining Legends” no=”68″ 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]3x [card name=”Beast Ring” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]3x [card name=”Brooklet Hill” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”120″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”3″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”14″]9x [card name=”Fighting Energy” set=”Call of Legends” no=”93″ c=”deck2″ amt=”9″][/card]4x [card name=”Strong Energy” set=”Fates Collide” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]1x [card name=”Beast Energy Prism Star” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”117″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/energy][/decklist][cardimg name=”Buzzwole” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”77″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Deck Explanation

This deck has been performing extremely well since it was introduced at Madison Regionals, with teammate Igor Costa winning that whole event. This deck is slightly different than other versions of Buzzwole-GX / Lycanroc-GX because it utilizes the baby Buzzwole to a much higher degree. The goal of this deck is force Buzzwole down your opponent’s throat until you activate Sledgehammer’s extra damage or [card name=”Beast Ring” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card] (or both). You want to create a plan to efficiently Knock Out your opponent’s Pokemon to collect all of your Prize cards while using the least amount of resources. This varies game by game, but in the all-important mirror match, strategies usually consist of Knocking Out opposing [card name=”Rockruff” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Remoraid” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”32″ c=”name”][/card], and any Pokemon that have Energy attached to them. Key plays that allow you to advance your board state include using Lycanroc-GX to bring up Pokemon with Bloodthirsty Eyes, using [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] to target Pokemon on your opponent’s Bench, and using [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] to lower your opponent’s chances of finding Beast Ring. Buzzwole from Forbidden Light is considered by top players to be one of the best cards ever printed, and this deck exploits that Pokemon by giving it a supporting cast of damage modifiers and Energy acceleration.

Debates in the Buzzwole / Buzzwole-GX / Lycanroc-GX Deck (NEW)

After seeing Buzzwole-GX variants tear up the entire season since its release, the deck has taken on quite a few forms. It went from including three or four copies of Buzzwole-GX to now only including one or two copies in current iterations. The correct count at this time of writing is two because you always want to have access to a big Knuckle Impact or a quick Absorbtion GX.

The debate continues when it comes to deciding between the 1-1, 2-1, and 2-2 line-up of Lycanroc-GX and Octillery. Some top players swear by 2-2 for each and there are other players, such as Michael Pramawat and myself, who are totally fine with a 1-1 line of each in the deck. While I am fine with a 1-1 line of both of those cards right now, I have been tinkering with my list to try out a potential 2-2 line of Lycanroc-GX: it is difficult to Knock Out at 200 HP, it doesn’t carry a Psychic Weakness, and it has a great Ability. In order to add those two cards in the deck, I have cut out the third copy of Brooklet Hill and the fourth copy of Max Elixir. I am still unsure if I like this change at all because sometimes the deck just dead draws with these changes — it will require much more testing.

The other hot debate is the inclusion of [card name=”Regirock-EX” set=”Fates Collide” no=”43″ c=”name”][/card], which also usually comes with the third copy of Float Stone… I am totally a believer in these cards being in the deck! The fact that Buzzwole-GX can do 190 damage with Knuckle Impact by having a [card name=”Diancie Prism Star” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] and a Regirock-EX on the Bench is absolutely mind-boggling. Float Stone also allows your Pokemon to be more fluid throughout a game in terms of Retreat Cost — the card is just good!

My only other consideration going forward is adding in a copy of [card name=”Sudowoodo” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”67″ c=”name”][/card] to copy an opposing Knuckle Impact or Absorption GX in a pinch. Sudowoodo falls in and out of the metagame so it might end up becoming a strong play again at the NAIC. I will be testing these concepts out at my League Cup this weekend.

Whatever you decide to add within your Buzzwole / Buzzwole-GX / Lycanroc-GX list, make sure that you achieve your goals and that you keep the deck consistent!

Matchups

Let’s look over the quick matchup spread for this deck to see how the deck will hold up to some opposing decks that we are likely to face at the NAIC:

  • [card name=”Buzzwole” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Buzzwole-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM69″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Lycanroc-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] — EVEN
  • Buzzwole-GX / Lycanroc-GX — FAVOURABLE
  • [card name=”Dawn Wings Necrozma-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM101″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Malamar” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] — EVEN / SLIGHTLY UNFAVOURABLE
  • [card name=”Ultra Necrozma-GX” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”95″ c=”name”][/card] / Malamar — EVEN
  • [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] / Lycanroc-GX — FAVOURABLE
  • Zoroark-GX / [card name=”Golisopod-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM62″ c=”name”][/card] — SLIGHTLY FAVOURABLE / FAVOURABLE
  • [card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card] — FAVOURABLE
  • Buzzwole-GX / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] — EVEN

The Grind

…and that’s a wrap! I hope that this article has helped you refine your deck decision, whether you’re playing in one of the last few League Cups in your area or preparing for the massive North American International Championship.

There are zero breaks when it comes to competing for a coveted spot among the Top 16 players in North America. For updates on my travel plans, tournament schedule, premium deck lists, strategies, and links to my latest articles, feel free to follow my professional Pokemon Twitter @ zlesage_pokemon. Feel free to chat with me any time: I always enjoy talking to new players, people from around the world, and aspiring Pokemon trainers. Also, remember to give this article a like to let me know that you appreciated it — it gives me the motivation needed to write! Thanks for supporting PokeBeach, reading my articles, and watching me grow as a player!

Until next time,

Zach

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