Pod Power — Is Zoroark-GX / Golisopod-GX the BDIF?
[cardimg name=”Golisopod-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM62″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
What’s up my PokeBeach readers? I have been scouring the Internet, pulling facts, building decks, and testing for the upcoming 2018 North American International Championships in Columbus, Ohio! I am sure most of you are as excited as I am which usually means that you want to do the best you possible can do at the tournament. Well, I already wrote an article that goes over [card name=”Hoopa” set=”Steam Siege” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Malamar” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Buzzwole-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM69″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Buzzwole” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] / Buzzwole-GX / [card name=”Lycanroc-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] earlier this week so check it out here. But wait, there is also this article here today, right?
I have found a trend when I have been doing my deck research heading into the NAIC and you would never have guessed it… [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] has been performing extremely well against the other top decks in the format! I started to notice that this deck has re-entered the metagame during my travels in Mexico and it has since gone on to win a large amount of Championship Points. In this article today, I want to showcase this deck’s recent success, look over Eder Jarillo Soto’s Mexico City Regional Championship winning list, and provide some insight into the deck heading into Columbus. I have been practicing with this deck on the side for about a month now and it has been one of my low-key picks for a while now. Without wasting time, let’s jump into some data on how this deck has been crushing tournaments worldwide:
Foxes and Giant Isopods Running Rampant
Foxes and isopods… Am I taking about Pokemon or the Discovery Channel? This deck first appeared at the 2018 European International Championships in London, UK when Tord Reklev took this deck to a striking first place finish. While we can give Reklev and his testing partners kudos for getting the engine figured out, we can also thank some of other the current top players for re-defining it. After the 2018 Collinsville Regional Championships, I viewed this deck as dead due to Buzzwole-GX / Lycanroc-GX taking over the metagame at that time. However, the deck has recently made a resurgence largely due to some top players in Mexico. Let’s look over some of the top placements of this deck:
- May 26 — Special Event — Cancun, Mexico
1) Eder Jarillo Soto - June 2 — Regional Championships — Subang Jaya, Malaysia
14) Patrick Ebio - June 2 — Regional Championships — Santiago, Chile
2) Benjamin Ferrel
5) Gustavo Wada
15) Mauricio Pereira
29) Ignacio Cortes - June 2 — Regional Championships — Madison, Wisconsin, United States
34) Gabriel Jardim
42) Robert Simpson
43) Charlie Kerr
48) Emmet Hurley
61) Austin Ellis [cardimg name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM84″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg] - June 9 — Special Event — Singapore, Singapore
3) Patrick Ebio - June 9 — Special Event — Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
1) William Azevado
4) Cladio Ferla - June 16 — Special Event — Mexico City, Mexico
1) Pablo Meza
3) Eder Jarillio Soto
4) Juan Espinola Ortega - June 16 — Special Event — Hong Kong, Hong Kong
4) Patrick Ebio - June 16 — Regional Championships — Sheffield, United Kingdom
2) Magnus Kalland - June 23 — Special Event — Santiago, Chile
5) Javier Gamboa - June 23 — Special Event — Auckland, New Zealand
8) Gareth Murphy - June 23 — Regional Championships — Mexico City, Mexico
1) Eder Jarillo Soto
13) Pablo Meza
18) Hanzel Ivan Cabellero Gutierrez
Looking at the plentiful results for [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] on a worldwide scale shows that this deck has what it takes to excel at major events!
In my testing, Zoroark-GX / Golisopod-GX has found a middle ground approach within our metagame triangle of [card name=”Malamar” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Buzzwole” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card], and Zoroark-GX variants because the deck has generally even matchups. This is due to the deck having techs such as [card name=”Mew-EX” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”46″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”124″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Counter Catcher” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Max Potion” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”128″ c=”name”][/card] to help the deck win some tough games. Beyond all of those nifty techs, both Zoroark-GX and Golisopod-GX share the same bulky 210 HP that can create situations where it is difficult to Knock Out those Pokemon. This deck carries its bag of tricks to each and every matchup and it ultimately is a huge force to be reckoned with due to its many lines of play available. My current favourite list for this deck is not my own because I think that Eder Jarillo Soto has created a fantastic list with his recent Mexico City, Mexico Regional Championship win! Let’s check out his list below and then dive into a more in-depth explanation:
Zoroark-GX / Golisopod-GX Deck
[decklist name=”Zoroark-GX / Golisopod-GX” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″][pokemon amt=”19″]4x [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Zorua” set=”Shining Legends” no=”52″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Golisopod-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM62″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]3x [card name=”Wimpod” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”16″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Mew-EX” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”46″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Tapu Koko” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM30″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”34″]3x [card name=”Brigette” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”134″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Cynthia” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”119″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Acerola” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”112″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Mallow” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”127″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Puzzle of Time” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”109″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Shining Legends” no=”68″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”124″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Counter Catcher” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”91″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Max Potion” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”128″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”7″]4x [card name=”Double Colorless” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”136″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Grass Energy” set=”HeartGold and SoulSilver” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card][/energy][/decklist][premium]
Deck Explanation
As explained above, this deck came to fruition during the 2018 European International Championships in London, United Kingdom where Tord Reklev was able to claim victory with an early concept list. Since then, the deck has evolved to feature different techs, a solidified draw engine, and it is decently placed in our current metagame.
The techs that it utilizes heavily depend on the user and the perceived metagame because this deck has a solid amount of room to make it your own. This deck has a great matchup spread as long as you feel confident in your [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] matchup and if you are able to win against other [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] variants.
Quick Strategy
[cardimg name=”Brigette” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”161″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
In all cases of a die roll, you always want to go first with this deck because you want to evolve into your Stage 1 Pokemon on your second turn. On your first turn of the game, it is wise to play a [card name=”Brigette” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”134″ c=”name”][/card] or to use a [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] to search your deck for a Brigette. The rule of thumb is to have a field of at least two [card name=”Zorua” set=”Shining Legends” no=”52″ c=”name”][/card] and one [card name=”Wimpod” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”16″ c=”name”][/card] to have a decent board state.
The deck has a drawing engine of using Zoroark-GX to draw cards with its Trade Ability, but that isn’t as easy of a strategy as one may think. Trade essentially forces you to discard important resources from your hand in order to draw potentially better cards. There are two ways to address Trade and they coincide together within most games. On one hand you want to discard cards that are not important to you during the middle of a game such as Brigette, extra copies of Tapu Lele-GX, and perhaps [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card]. On the other hand, since this deck runs [card name=”Puzzle of Time” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card], you can discard important cards from your hand such as [card name=”Double Colorless” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”136″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Acerola” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”112″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”124″ c=”name”][/card] to get back at a later time.
This deck also carries somewhat of an “attack-and-heal” personality with it due to the included copies of Acerola and [card name=”Max Potion” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”128″ c=”name”][/card] which can allow you to stay in games longer than your opponent can handle. In my testing, once I set up my board state, I attempt to two-shot Pokemon-EX/GX on my opponent’s field while utilizing my healing cards to stay in the game longer. The healing aspect is exemplified further when you look at the included four copies of Puzzle of Time that can grab back any cards from the discard pile whenever necessary.
This deck can play out either as a normal Zoroark-GX by attacking with low-Energy attacks or it can surprise your opponent by plopping down a Mew-EX out of nowhere to copy any attack in play. Depending on your exact build, you can tailor the deck to your liking, your circle of techs, and play around with the lines of the deck a bit.
Possible Tech Options
With this deck having many options in terms of deck space, that means that there are options for plenty of interesting tech cards within the deck. Check out the list below for some of my favourite options:
Latios
[card name=”Latios” set=”Shining Legends” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card] is a relatively new tech to this deck, but it is due to the amount of Pokemon that have a Psychic-type Weakness in this format, namely Buzzwole. Break Through can do a solid 60 damage to a Buzzwole and snipe a Benched Pokemon, such as [card name=”Remoraid” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”22″ c=”name”][/card], for an additional 30 damage too! This Pokemon has enough HP to usually stay around for two attacks which equals to Break Through being an extremely cost efficient attack for only a Double Colorless. Additionally, you can put the 30 damage on a Pokemon that you plan to KO later with a larger attack from [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Golisopod-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM62″ c=”name”][/card] to actually get the Knock Out.
Mewtwo
Similar to Latios, [card name=”Mewtwo” set=”Evolutions” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] is a solid tech choice because it can do some serious damage to a Buzzwole-GX or a [card name=”Necrozma-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”63″ c=”name”][/card] due to both of those Pokemon suffering from a Psychic-type Weakness. Mewtwo takes advantage of Pokemon that require two or more Energy and the damage can quickly add up once you factor in [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] and a multiplier for Weakness. Additionally, Mewtwo has a solid base of HP that often requires opposing Pokemon to attack it twice to knock it out. Mewtwo benefits from this because Zoroark-GX / Golisopod-GX can heal a Mewtwo once it is threatened by damage by using an Acerola or a Max Potion. Even against Pokemon that aren’t suffering from a Psychic Weakness, Mewtwo can line up some chip damage to pave way for your other Pokemon to clean up.
Sudowoodo and Counter Energy
We saw this combination of [card name=”Sudowoodo” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”67″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Counter Energy” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”100″ c=”name”][/card] come out at the 2018 Collinsville Regional Championships when Igor Costa made a deep run with Zoroark-GX / Golisopod-GX. This strategy within a tech is triggered when your opponent decides to go ahead and draw Prize cards with an early attack and Sudowoodo can counter that attack back. This strategy is mainly used to attack popular Pokemon such as Zoroark-GX and Buzzwole-GX to knock them out in return. With the inclusion of Puzzle of Time being a staple in Zoroark-GX variants, you have the option to use these cards up to three unique times per game.
What Should I Cut?
In order to make space for any of these tech cards, you can potentially cut the second [card name=”Mew-EX” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”46″ c=”name”][/card], the third [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card], the third Field Blower, the two Enhanced Hammer, the [card name=”Counter Catcher” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card], or the Max Potion. While I enjoy all of those cards in the list, they are all matchup and metagame dependent so switch them up after testing those changes extensively.
Matchups
These decks have accumulated massive amounts of Championship Points, have taken many tournament titles, and you should know about all of them.
Buzzwole / Buzzwole-GX / Lycanroc — Slightly Unfavourable to Even
[cardimg name=”Buzzwole” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”77″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
This matchup is tough because baby Buzzwole is the new focus in the BuzzBuzzRoc deck! That news is difficult to swallow because Buzzwole is a single-Prize attacker that preys on Zoroark-GX having a glaring Fighting-type Weakness. Looking at what you can do, you are able to use Mew-EX to attack their army of Buzzwole and to Knock Out their included copy of Buzzwole-GX. Going beyond, you also cover the opposing Lycanroc-GX because of its Grass-type Weakness. I have also found that utilizing Enhanced Hammer whenever my opponent drops down a [card name=”Strong Energy” set=”Fates Collide” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Beast Energy Prism Star” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”117″ c=”name”][/card] can set them a few turns behind. Lastly, I would recommend using Zoroark-GX only for its Ability due to the high chance of it just getting Knocked Out in response to an attack. Overall, hold onto your tech cards, utilize Mew-EX, and try to exploit your opponent’s board state whenever possible.
Buzzwole-GX / Garbodor — Slightly Unfavourable to Unfavourable
Similar to the above matchup, this matchup is difficult because of Zoroark-GX having a Weakness to Fighting-type Pokemon. Unfortunately, this matchup gets even worse because of the addition of [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] using its Garbotoxin, preventing Zoroark-GX from using its Trade Ability. We can combat these issues by using any of our three copies of [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card] and using Mew-EX to Knock Out Buzzwole-GX. The matchup can quickly swing into our favour if our opponent struggles to gather their copies of Beast Ring, if they miss Garbotoxin, or if we can play an [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] against them to lower their hand size.
Hoopa / Malamar — Favourable to Very Favourable
This is one of the best matchups available for us in Columbus because Zoroark-GX has a Psychic-type Resistance that will keep opposing attackers at bay. Furthermore, a popular Pokemon in the [card name=”Hoopa” set=”Steam Siege” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Malamar” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] deck, [card name=”Dawn Wings Necrozma-GX” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”63″ c=”name”][/card], has a Weakness to Darkness-type Pokemon. You need to worry about [card name=”Necrozma-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”63″ c=”name”][/card] Knocking Out a Zoroark-GX if it has enough Energy, so keep your eyes peeled for opportunities your opponent may capitalize on. During my testing against this deck, I focused on attacking two-Prize attackers which allows you to win games earlier.
Zoroark-GX / Lycanroc-GX — Even to Slightly Favourable
This has been a controversial matchup since the inception of both decks earlier this season. Some players say that [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Lycanroc-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] is quicker and others applaud Zoroark-GX / [card name=”Golisopod-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM62″ c=”name”][/card] for targeting Lycanroc-GX on its Grass-type Weakness. I view both decks as similar concepts and this is largely due to both decks carrying a similar engine consisting of Zoroark-GX, [card name=”Brigette” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”134″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Puzzle of Time” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card].
Due to Lycanroc-GX being a strong attacker, I would lessen the amount of Pokemon that are played on the Bench and try to target their Special Energy whenever possible with [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”124″ c=”name”][/card]. One of my favourite plays in this matchup is to sacrifice the first Prize card, get a Golisopod-GX set up, and use Counter Catcher to bring up a Lycanroc-GX to knock it out with First Impression. Keep a strong pool of conserved resources and you should do fine as long as you get a decent hand.
Zoroark-GX / Golisopod-GX (Mirror) — Even
Like any other mirror match, the in-game play, the variations in techs, and the better setup are all determine factors. My goal in this matchup is to focus on setting up a strong board for the long game instead of taking instantly gratifying Prize cards by using First Impression with [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card]. I also try to conserve healing resources such as [card name=”Acerola” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”112″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Max Potion” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”128″ c=”name”][/card], and Puzzle of Time to keep my Pokemon full of HP. Try to keep a balance of holding onto Enhanced Hammer at key times and keeping watch on your own Special Energy to keep your opposite from playing their own Enhanced Hammer. Keep your head cool, think out your plays, and be as efficient as possible!
Everything Else
Most of the other matchups in this format are either lesser decks or variations of the archetypes listed above. If you find yourself playing against something unique at the NAIC with your Zoroark-GX / Golisopod-GX deck, try to identify the opposing deck’s flaws during game one to gain an advantage going into game two. Thinking on your feet is a core asset in Pokemon and this article has sprinkles of great plays throughout its entirety — read it over again to fact check me on this!
See Ya in Columbus
Well, that’s a wrap PokeBeach readers! I hope that you enjoyed my last article before the 2018 North American International Championships in Columbus, Ohio and I hope to meet many of you out there! The tournament is sure to be flooded with [card name=”Buzzwole” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card], Malamar, and Zoroark-GX decks so make sure you pick your deck wisely. For me, I am still deciding upon the last few cards in my Buzzwole / Lycanroc-GX deck, my Hoopa / Malamar deck, and my Zoroark-GX / Golisopod-GX deck. Whatever you do, make sure that you test your deck, learn the matchups, and read up on as much strategy as possible so that you have a great day in Columbus.
If you see me at any upcoming tournaments, feel free to say “hi!”, and I will gladly have a conversation with you! One of my favourite things, beside playing the Pokemon TCG competitively, is to meet all of the people within our community. Also, feel free to follow me on my Twitter @zlesage_pokemon for deck lists and to tag along with me on my Pokemon adventure! See you all at Columbus!
Zach
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