The Final Rundown — Putting on the Final Touches for the NAIC

Hey there PokeBeach readers! Since my last article, I traveled to Sheffield in the United Kingdom to play in their Regional Championship. After a strong start to the day, I made a few mental gaffes and ended up with a record of 6-2-1, which was good enough to make day two, but unfortunately I bubbled out at 40th place due to not having strong enough resistance. I played the exact same ZoroRoc list that I posted in my last article. Today, I will be going over the top decks heading into the North American International Championships that are taking place this week in Columbus, Ohio. As I am the last article scheduled before the event, I am in the unenviable position of seeing all of my fellow writers cover all of the best decks before my article. Alas, I have not been testing any rogue decks either, as I only need top 512 at NAIC to seal up my invite, and as such I am playing it safely with my deck choice. Since everything has already been written about and there is not a major deck left that has not been touched, I have decided to spend this article updating my lists that I supplied for the top three decks for Sheffield as well as two new decks that have entered the metagame since then, talk about their changes, and how the meta is shaping up. Without further ado, let’s get started!

Zoroark / Lycanroc

Heading into this weekend, my number one choice for this tournament is still ZoroRoc, or as I affectionately call it, SorosRoc. Even with BuzzRoc lists transitioning to four [card name=”Buzzwole” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] (more on this later), I still feel as if [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM84″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Lycanroc-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”138″ c=”name”][/card] boasts a solid 40-60/45-55 matchup versus the best deck in the format, which is much better than many other decks in the format, even with Weakness. Outside of that caveat, I think Zoroark boasts the best traits of any deck in the format, as it is the most consistent, offers a very high skill cap to the pilot, as well as being able to abuse two of the most, if not the most, broken Abilities in the game (Zoroark’s Trade and Lycanroc’s Bloodthirsty Eyes). Beyond this, Zoroark has an incredibly favored [card name=”Malamar” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM117″ c=”name”][/card] matchup, which is the third side of the tier one meta triangle we currently have. Due to the results of Sheffield and Mexico City Regionals where ZoroRoc and ZoroPod won respectively, I have had to alter my deck list to keep up with the current rise in popularity of Zoroark decks.

[decklist name=”ZoroRoc” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Mewtwo” set=”Evolutions” no=”51″][pokemon amt=”18″]4x [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM84″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Zorua” set=”Shining Legends” no=”52″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Lycanroc-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”138″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]3x [card name=”Rockruff” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”75″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Mew-EX” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”120″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Mewtwo” set=”Evolutions” no=”51″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”33″]3x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”101″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Brigette” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”161″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”143″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Cynthia” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”148″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Mallow” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”145″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Professor Kukui” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”148″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Puzzle of Time” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”109″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Evosoda” set=”Generations” no=”62″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”162″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”165″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Multi Switch” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”164″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Reverse Valley” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”110″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”9″]4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”HeartGold and SoulSilver” no=”103″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Strong Energy” set=”Fates Collide” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]1x [card name=”Fighting Energy” set=”EX Emerald” no=”106″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

4-4 Zoroark

[cardimg name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

While this has not changed since my last list, I would like to mention that I have toyed around with a 3-3 line while upping my [card name=”Lycanroc-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] line to a 3-3. This was done with the intention of helping my BuzzRoc matchup, as my thought process was the less Zoroark I put in play, the better odds of winning I would have. However, in practice this was not the case, as I often needed to put down multiple Zoroark just to hit the combos necessary to compete with BuzzRoc. Plus, in other matchups, I felt the loss of the extra Zoroark line, as my set up was noticeably weaker in the games I played with a thinner line. While you can test 3-3 Zoroark for yourself, I would not recommend it after trying it out.

Two Guzma

This is the change in my list I currently dislike the most, as most games I feel the impact of not having the third [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”143″ c=”name”][/card]. I made this cut in order to add some mirror and ZoroPod techs, as I felt that the third Guzma was one of the most cuttable cards in my list due to having a thick 3-2 [card name=”Lycanroc-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card] line with one [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”165″ c=”name”][/card]. If I decide last minute that I think the metagame moved away from Zoroark decks, this will be the first card I reintroduce to the list.

Two Enhanced Hammer

With the rise of Zoroark decks, I felt it was important to tech my list out for mirror matches going forward, as my list for Sheffield was teched heavily for Buzzwole and not equipped to handle the mirror matchup whatsoever. Thus, I made room for two [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”162″ c=”name”][/card] in my list, in my mind the premier tech against other Zoroark decks. A common play I make with ZoroRoc is to Enhanced Hammer the DCE off my opponent’s Zoroark-GX and attack into them with Riotous Beating, forcing them to re-attach to a Zoroark that will die the next turn or Acerola and promote another attacker while still needing to find another DCE. Enhanced Hammer also helps prevent surprise attacks that can happen thanks to [card name=”Multi Switch” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”164″ c=”name”][/card]  as Zoroark decks can otherwise build up their board with Special Energy and then move them around for a Dangerous Rogue GX out of nowhere. Finally, while Enhanced Hammer was included mostly for Zoroark decks, it does have some use versus BuzzRoc, as they play four [card name=”Strong Energy” set=”Fates Collide” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] and one [card name=”Beast Energy Prism Star” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”117″ c=”name”][/card] as well as [card name=”Ultra Necrozma-GX” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”127″ c=”name”][/card] variants of Malamar that play Beast Energy. Overall, I have found this card to be very useful as the metagame has evolved, and currently I would not play the deck without at least one Enhanced Hammer.

Four Double Colorless, Four Strong, One Basic Energy

Since my last list, I have changed the [card name=”Energy Loto” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card] to a single [card name=”Fighting Energy” set=”EX Ruby and Sapphire” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card]. I added the Basic Energy in order to help counter opposing Zoroark decks that play Enhanced Hammer. If I can ever get an Energy to stick on the field, [card name=”Multi Switch” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”164″ c=”name”][/card] becomes live for the rest of the game, giving me opportunities to pull a Dangerous Rogue GX out of nowhere, even if I have just lost a Lycanroc. Plus, it does not hurt that the Basic Energy allows me to use Claw Slash and Dangerous Rogue with [card name=”Mew-EX” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”120″ c=”name”][/card] as you previously could not copy Lycanroc’s attacks due to not being able to attach [card name=”Strong Energy” set=”Fates Collide” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] to a non-Fighting Pokemon.

[premium]

BuzzRoc

My other top choice heading into this weekend is none other than the best deck in the format, [card name=”Buzzwole-GX” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Lycanroc-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”138″ c=”name”][/card]. Recently, many successful lists have transitioned to playing four [card name=”Buzzwole” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] and only one Buzzwole GX, allowing the deck to essentially function for most of the game as a one-Prize attacking deck. One adaptation I have made in my list is to include a 2-2 [card name=”Octillery” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card] line. While I have seen other lists at 1-1 or even 2-1 lines, I feel it is extremely important to ensure that you have the additional draw power that Abyssal Hand offers in play every turn after turn two. Many deck’s win conditions rely on them shutting off Abyssal Hand, whether through Knock Out or Ability lock, so it is imperative that you are able to keep an Octillery in play so you do not suffer from dead hands after a late game [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”101″ c=”name”][/card]. While I don’t think there is much left to say about this deck that has not already been said, it is always interesting (at least to me) to see how each player decides on their card counts for their Pokemon. With that said, let’s take a look at my current list.

[decklist name=”BuzzRoc” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Buzzwole” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”77″][pokemon amt=”14″]4x [card name=”Buzzwole” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Octillery” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”33″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Remoraid” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”32″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Lycanroc-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”138″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Rockruff” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”75″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Buzzwole-GX” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”104″ 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=”155″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”32″]4x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”Steam Siege” no=”114″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”143″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Cynthia” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”148″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”101″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”2″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Beast Ring” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”102″ 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]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″ amt=”3″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”14″]9x [card name=”Fighting Energy” set=”EX Ruby and Sapphire” no=”105″ 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] 

As you can see, my list is pretty standard. Unfortunately, I have found through testing that there really just is not much room for innovation with BuzzRoc unless you want to completely change how the deck functions. For example, I tried playing a 3-3 Lycanroc line during testing, and the deck just felt completely different and not as strong, as I could not stream one Prize attackers the whole game like this version can. My “innovation”, if you can call it that, is to play thicker Stage 1 Pokemon lines and forgoing playing [card name=”Regirock-EX” set=”Fates Collide” no=”43″ c=”name”][/card]. Regirock would be very helpful against Zoroark decks, as it allows you to hit 110 damage with Sledgehammer or Jet Punch with a [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”162″ c=”name”][/card] , [card name=”Strong Energy” set=”Fates Collide” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Diancie Prism Star” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] in play. This is very helpful for sealing up a matchup that can otherwise be somewhat close, but I chose to give myself more consistency with a 2-2 Octillery line over giving me this edge in Zoroark matchups.

ZoroPod

While I am not considering ZoroPod, I still think very highly of this deck, and currently believe it is the “best of the rest”. Coming off a second place finish in Sheffield and then a victory at Mexico City Regionals, ZoroPod is definitely a deck on the rise and one you should be prepared to play against at the NAIC. One adaptation ZoroPod has recently started to do is to forgo playing a high count of [card name=”Acerola” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”142″ c=”name”][/card]. At the beginning of the season, most lists played at least three copies to reset [card name=”Golisopod-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM62″ c=”name”][/card]’s First Impression. However, most lists currently are only playing one copy, or at the maximum two, as they have instead chosen to utilize that additional space on cards such as [card name=”Counter Catcher” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”120″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”162″ c=”name”][/card]. ZoroPod is a deck that often falls behind on Prizes, both due to it being an evolution focused deck as well as having very few, if any ways, to one shot most of the format. As such, Counter Catcher acts almost as a fifth [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”143″ c=”name”][/card] giving you free access to your opponent’s Bench for nearly the whole game. Enhanced Hammer is mostly included to help with opposing Zoroark decks, but it also can be helpful for stalling. As I just mentioned, the deck falls behind on Prizes a lot, so Enhanced Hammer can force your opponent to continue to attaching to a specific attacker instead of beginning to load up other threats. With all that said, let’s take a look at the list I have currently been testing against. While it is no means an original list (most of the tech ideas I have gotten from recent high performing lists), but it should give you a strong list to test against, or if you want to play the deck for NAIC, to use in tournament.

[decklist name=”ZoroPod” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Latios” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM88″][pokemon amt=”19″]4x [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM84″ 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=”Burning Shadows” no=”129″ 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=”137″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Mew-EX” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”120″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Latios” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM88″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”34″]4x [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”143″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”101″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Brigette” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”161″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Cynthia” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”148″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Acerola” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”142″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Puzzle of Time” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”109″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”162″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”162″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Evosoda” set=”Generations” no=”62″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”163″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Counter Catcher” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”120″ 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=”7″]4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”HeartGold and SoulSilver” no=”103″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Grass Energy” set=”EX Emerald” no=”101″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

One Latios

[cardimg name=”Latios” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM88″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

The one card I have yet to mention that is not a standard inclusion in ZoroPod lists is [card name=”Latios” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM88″ c=”name”][/card]. While I have seen some other Zoroark decks run it in order to counter BuzzRoc, I believe the card is only viable in ZoroPod. Latios is best used early game, when you do not have any other attackers that can pressure your opponent. Unlike in other Zoroark decks, where you are usually stuck turn one with whatever Basic you open with in your starting hand, ZoroPod actually has a decent amount of flexibility with what Pokemon it can get in the active on turn one thanks to [card name=”Wimpod” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”16″ c=”name”][/card]’s Ability. As such, Latios can actually be utilized relatively well here, as it does not have as much trouble getting to the Active position early game. Once it is there, Latios is great for chipping Buzzwole, as it can put baby Buzzwole into Knock Out range of both First Impression and Riotous Beating, as well as dealing significant damage (and even two shotting) to Buzzwole GX’s if it has a Choice Band attacked. Latios certainly is not 100% necessary to play in ZoroPod, but if you are worried about your BuzzRoc matchup and don’t feel very comfortable with it, this is a great card that you can add that helps swing the matchup a little bit towards your favor.

Two Mew-EX

I’d like to cover this really briefly, as most of my Zoroark lists play one [card name=”Mewtwo” set=”Evolutions” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] and one [card name=”Mew-EX” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”120″ c=”name”][/card] instead of two Mew. However, after watching some streams and testing with friends, I realized that I had completely looked over the fact that Mew could copy First Impression, even after playing Basic Energy in my ZoroRoc deck and using Claw Slash and Dangerous Rogue with Mew. As such, I immediately went to my ZoroPod list and cut the Mewtwo, as unlike ZoroRoc, ZoroPod can really struggle to one shot a lot of Pokemon in the format. Unlike Mewtwo, which is usually forced to two shot Psychic weak attackers unless they have a lot of Energy on them, Mew-EX can one shot Baby Buzzwole and Buzzwole-GX with ease, making it my preferred choice of primary Psychic attacker in ZoroPod.

Malamar

Of all of the tier one decks that are part of the metagame triangle we currently have, I believe [card name=”Malamar” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM117″ c=”name”][/card] is by far the worst. With no recent placements of note as well as having the worst matchup tree of any of the tier one decks. However, that does not mean this deck is bad by any means; it just is not a deck I would consider if I was aiming to win the entire tournament due to its issues (inconsistency, poor Zoroark matchup, and needing the most board presence of any tier one deck to keep rolling). What Malamar boasts over the rest of the format is the sheer diversity of attackers you can choose to pair it with. From [card name=”Ultra Necrozma-GX” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”127″ c=”name”][/card] to [card name=”Mimikyu” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”58″ c=”name”][/card] to [card name=”Mewtwo” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM77″ c=”name”][/card] there are tons of viable attackers that can pair well with Malamar, giving you the opportunity to tech for nearly any deck and make your list your own. Another positive Malamar has going for it is that is arguably has one of the best BuzzRoc matchups in the format, although I personally believe the matchup is a near 50 / 50 due to Malamar’s extreme clunkiness. With all that said, I have not updated my Malamar list since my last article as it just has not been a deck that I have seriously considered for an event for a long time due to its flaws. However, if I was to play Malamar at an event, it would be very close to, if not my exact list, that I posted in my last article.

BuzzGarb

The final deck I will be talking about today is BuzzGarb, a deck that has seen a decent amount of success in the past month with two Top 4 finishes in Madison and Sheffield Regionals. I think the most interesting thing about both of those finishes is that both lists were very different from each other; Ian Robb’s list from Madison ran a high count of [card name=”Order Pad” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”131″ c=”name”][/card] to give the deck better odds of hitting [card name=”Beast Ring” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card] when you need them as well as other important Items in your deck, while Marc Lutz’s list from Sheffield played [card name=”Rainbow Energy” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] (the list actually played zero Basic Energy, and as such, zero Beast Ring as well) and Trashalanche [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] to give it an additional attacker versus other Buzzwole decks. Personally, my list that I have been testing more mirrors Ian Robb’s variant, as I believe that not playing Beast Ring in Buzzwole is just criminally wrong. Plus, I do not like the inconsistency added to the deck by forcing myself to play multiple types of Energy as well as an alternate Stage 1, while Order Pad only adds consistency to the deck. With that out of the way, let’s take a look at the list I have been testing the past few weeks. Like with the ZoroPod list, none of these ideas were originally mine, as I have just tweaked already successful lists to test against for the event.

[decklist name=”BuzzGarb ” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″][pokemon amt=”11″]4x [card name=”Buzzwole-GX” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”104″ 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=”137″ 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=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”143″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”101″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Cynthia” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”148″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”2″][/card]4x [card name=”Nest Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”158″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Beast Ring” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Order Pad” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”131″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Mysterious Treasure” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”145″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”2″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”12″]7x [card name=”Fighting Energy” set=”EX Ruby and Sapphire” no=”105″ 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] 

Two Parallel City

[cardimg name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

These might be the only cards in my list that are not considered standard in BuzzGarb lists, and honestly I am not sure why people decided to cut [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card] in the first place. Parallel is one of, if not the best Stadium cards in the game, and currently is in a great position in the metagame. Zoroark decks are very reliant on their Bench space, both so they can have access to lots of Trades, as well as being necessary for significant Riotous Beating damage. BuzzRoc needs multiple Pokemon on the bench to function as well; you usually want another attacker powered up on the Bench, [card name=”Diancie Prism Star” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Octillery” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card], and then a Rockruff so you can threaten a Bloodthirsty Eyes with Lycanroc at any point. [card name=”Malamar” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] also needs a large Bench so they can set up multiple Malamar while also having space for multiple attackers to power up. As such, Parallel seemed uncuttable to me, especially in combination with three [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card] and Garbotoxin lock. I would highly recommend finding space in your list for Parallel City if you don’t have it already, but if you choose not to play it, some cards you might want to include would be [card name=”Random Receiver” set=”Fates Collide” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] (Order Pad for a Supporter is pretty cool), as well as thicker counts of Order Pad and [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card].

Conclusion

Thank you so much for reading my article! I know that I was not able to provide some groundbreaking new content for you, but as someone still trying to get my invite at NAIC, I was not able to test out whacky rogues. However, I hope that this insight will give you a good idea of what decks to expect at this tournament, as well as what those decks will look like and contain. As always, if you are not following me on Twitter, please go ahead and give me a follow @OrgansmanTCG. I often tweet about Pokemon, so if you want some free knowledge bombs (and often times complaints about the format), you know where to find me ;). I would also like to shout out everyone who has helped me test and prepare for tournaments this year. While I have not had a stellar season by my own standards, I am still blessed to have some of the best players in the worlds call me their friend, practice with me, as well as talk decks constantly. So thank you to all of them for sticking with me through my down year, and I hope to make you proud by getting my third straight invite this weekend.

Thank you all for reading! Until next time,

Eric

[/premium]