Foul Plays — Three Zoroark-GX Variants for Worlds
Hey there PokeBeach readers, and welcome back to my newest article. While my past few articles have been focusing heavily on a [card name=”Banette-GX” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”174″ c=”name”][/card] list I have been brewing for a few months, I will be moving away from that archetype for the moment to cover what I believe will be the most popular card at the World Championships and Nashville Open; [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM84″ c=”name”][/card]. After Stephane Ivanoff and Tord Reklev proved that Zoroark could not only hang with but come out on top in a [card name=”Buzzwole-GX” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] heavy metagame, Zoroark is once again primed to be the dominant force in our metagame up until rotation (and potentially after, but that is for another article). In this article, I will be taking a look at the two decks Stephane and Tord used, Zoroark / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] and Zoroark Control (now with [card name=”Magcargo” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”24″ c=”name”][/card] ) as well as my third favorite Zoroark archetype at the moment, Zoroark / [card name=”Lycanroc-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card] and see how they have adapted in the new Celestial Storm metagame. Without further ado, let’s get started.
ZoroGarb
The first deck I will be talking about today also happens to be my favorite Zoroark variant at the moment; Zoroark / Garbodor. The first reason I really like ZoroGarb is because it heavily punishes opposing Zoroark players who are poor at managing their Item counts, as well as having an overall favorable matchup versus Tord’s Zoroark variant, as that variant runs a heavy count of Items for disruption. Second off, it has one of the most well rounded matchup trees currently, only really taking a very bad matchup versus [card name=”Gardevoir-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”140″ c=”name”][/card], which is a Tier 2 deck at best currently. While it has some other bad matchups (mainly BuzzRoc; [card name=”Lycanroc-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] is difficult to deal with for the deck), none of the matchups are outright autolosses, giving you a chance to outplay your opponent if things break well for you. Finally, I love, and have loved, the combination of Garbotoxin, [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”101″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card], constantly touting it as the best combination in the format. As such, I am thrilled to be able to play it in ZoroGarb, as it can win an incredible amount of games on its own. When building my list, I based it off Stephane’s Valencia SPE winning list, making a few changes due to metagame shifts and personal preference. Let’s take a look at my list now.
[decklist name=”ZoroGarb” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Oranguru” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”114″][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=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]3x [card name=”Trubbish” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”56″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Oranguru” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”114″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”35″]3x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”101″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”143″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Brigette” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”161″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Copycat” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”163″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Cynthia” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”148″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Acerola” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”142″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Delinquent” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”98″ 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]4x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”163″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”162″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Evosoda” set=”Generations” no=”62″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Mysterious Treasure” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”145″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”162″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”165″ 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=”Psychic Energy” set=”EX Emerald” no=”105″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
One Oranguru
[cardimg name=”Oranguru” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”114″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
I talked about this card last month right after NAIC, but for those who have not read that article, I will reiterate why exactly [card name=”Oranguru” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card] is so strong right now and why I consider it a staple in every Zoroark deck. Oranguru is absolutely essential in every Zoroark mirror match, which is expected to be a significant portion of the metagame. Oranguru is important because it lets you recycle [card name=”Puzzle of Time” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] as well as get back [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”HeartGold and SoulSilver” no=”103″ c=”name”][/card] or disruption cards like [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”124″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Delinquent” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”98″ c=”name”][/card]. This is very important, as the matchup usually comes down to who is able to continue attacking in the end game even after their opponent has disrupted them. I also really like Oranguru for getting back Garbotoxin Garbodor in this deck as well.
Late game, if I have [card name=”Evosoda” set=”Generations” no=”62″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Mysterious Treasure” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card] in my hand, I would rather have my Garbodor back in my deck than have to use my [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”165″ c=”name”][/card] to get it back, as the Stretcher would be much more valuable if used on looping Oranguru again if possible. Finally, I think Oranguru is a perfect fit in this deck as I have chosen to run Basic Psychic Energy, over the more common [card name=”Rainbow Energy” set=”EX Ruby and Sapphire” no=”95″ c=”name”][/card] package. I did this make myself less susceptible to my opponent’s Enhanced Hammer, which is very important in Zoroark matchups in regards to Oranguru. If your opponent is unable to one shot your Oranguru for some reason, they will almost certainly try to strip it of its Energy so it cannot Resource Management again. By playing Psychic Energy, I am forcing my opponent to not only run [card name=”Team Flare Grunt” set=”Generations” no=”73″ c=”name”][/card] in order to remove my Energy, they also must hit it that turn while most likely under Garbotoxin Ability lock. Overall, I think Oranguru is absolutely incredible in here, and I would not consider taking it out of my list in this current metagame.
One Copycat
I loooooooove [card name=”Copycat” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”163″ c=”name”][/card] in this current metagame. I have found that Copycat is overall more useful to me than a [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”Steam Siege” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card] would be in this slot, as I find it to give me incredibly large hands quite often in Zoroark mirrors. Many Zoroark mirrors come down to each player hoarding a giant hand size to try and get all of their disruption cards and Puzzle so that they can constantly prevent their opponent from attacking. Since I try to save my [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”101″ c=”name”][/card] for when I have both [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] with a Tool in play, Copycat is the next best way to even up the game state when your opponent is hoarding a large hand. While Copycat does have its benefits, it is not the perfect card. First off, it’s usually a terrible Supporter to have in your opening hand, as your opponent is likely to play their hand size down to only a few cards early on, as they need to set up their board position. Second, it does not synergize well with [card name=”Delinquent” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”98″ c=”name”][/card] as Delinquent aims to lower your opponent’s hand size while Copycat would prefer your opponent to have a large hand. Finally, while I do believe [card name=”Copycat” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”163″ c=”name”][/card] is more useful than Sycamore overall due to the strength of Zoroark decks in the current metagame, if you believe that you will be playing more non-Zoroark decks at your event such as [card name=”Buzzwole-GX” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Rayquaza-GX” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”177″ c=”name”][/card] Sycamore would most likely be a stronger draw Supporter option for you. Overall though, I really do like Copycat, and as long as the metagame centralizes around Zoroark decks, I plan on playing one in my list to give me stronger draw power in the mirror match.
One Delinquent
While this is certainly not some original Zoroark tech that I claim to have created (Seb Symonds won Sheffield Regionals with [card name=”Delinquent” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”98″ c=”name”][/card] in ZoroRoc, and Stephane Ivanoff had Delinquent in his Valencia SPE winning list), I still feel as if Delinquent is worth explaining in its own section due to its importance currently. As I previously talked about in both the Copycat and Oranguru sections, hand card advantage and having more resources than your opponent one of the major keys in the Zoroark mirror matchup. Delinquent is intended to counter both of those things at once; you reduce your opponent’s hand size, and hopefully force them to discard crucial resources at the same time. One issue that you might be thinking about is: “how does Delinquent force them to discard crucial resources if their hand size is too big?” Well, luckily, ZoroGarb is more equipped to handle that than any other Zoroark deck. Delinquent works especially well after you have Garbotoxin locked and [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card]’d your opponent to a low hand size. Thus, they will no longer have access to Trade, while as long as you draw a [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”163″ c=”name”][/card] to activate your Abilities on your turn or Puzzle of Time if you have already played Delinquent, you will be able to cripple your opponent’s hand, strip them of their resources, and force them to rely on top decks. Delinquent has some other uses as well (such as early on in games before your opponent gets set up and they leave themselves with a small hand and giving you another out to discarding your opponent’s Parallel City if you don’t draw your Field Blowers), but the aforementioned scenario is by far the most important reason for it to be included currently.
[premium]
Three Psychic Energy
[cardimg name=”Psychic Energy” set=”EX Holon Phantoms” no=”109″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
I touched upon this earlier as well, but I just want to reiterate the reasoning behind my list playing Basic Psychic Energy over [card name=”Rainbow Energy” set=”HeartGold and SoulSilver” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card] like many other lists currently are. With Zoroark GX running rampant throughout the format, many players, including myself, have started playing copies (usually one or two) of [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”162″ c=”name”][/card] in their lists to help disrupt these otherwise consistent decks; if you can prevent them from attacking for one turn or force them to use a Puzzle of Time target on a [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”HeartGold and SoulSilver” no=”103″ c=”name”][/card] instead of another important card, Enhanced Hammer will have been worth its inclusion. As such, I have chosen to play Basic Energy in order to give myself attachments that can stick on the field for more than one turn at a time. This is especially important for [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Oranguru” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card] when combined with Parallel City, as opposing Zoroarks will only be able to hit you for 80 damage unless they bump the Stadium, thus allowing you to attach an Energy to another attacker during the next turn instead of needing to power up a damaged attacker. Overall, I feel like the benefit of being less susceptible to Enhanced Hammer and strengthening my Zoroark matchups is worth the loss of [card name=”Kartana-GX” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”117″ c=”name”][/card] and the potential to tech any other potential one Energy attackers into the list.
Summary
As you can see, my list is relatively standard, and as such there is not much out of the ordinary worth talking about in its own section. One personal preference of mine in this list is that I have chosen to play a fourth [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] over the standard count of three. This is because I have Oranguru in my list, and since I have another heavy Retreat Cost Pokemon, I figured it would be nice to have the additional Float Stone to give me some extra mobility. While I do like the changes I have made to my list, I still am trying to fit a few more cards in. An additional draw Supporter, such as a second [card name=”Cynthia” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”148″ c=”name”][/card] or a [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”Steam Siege” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card] are both high on my wants list, as is a second [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”162″ c=”name”][/card]. I also would like to fit an additional disruption Supporter card, such as [card name=”Team Flare Grunt” set=”Generations” no=”73″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Team Rocket’s Handiwork” set=”Fates Collide” no=”124″ c=”name”][/card] to give myself more disruption options in Zoroark matchups, but I do not have them as high on my wants list compared to the other cards I just mentioned.
ZoroControl
The next Zoroark variant I will be talking about is going to be the other finalist deck from NAIC, ZoroControl. This is an archetype that aims to lock its opponent through constant disruption Supporters and Items while looping them back with [card name=”Oranguru” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card] and drawing back into them through the power of Trade. Additionally, the deck can also function as a normal attacking Zoroark deck if it ever faces off with a matchup it cannot disrupt, giving it a lot of versatility in its play style. Since Tord Reklev broke this deck out on the world, Celestial Storm has dropped, giving it another incredibly strong tool to play with in [card name=”Magcargo” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”24″ c=”name”][/card]. Now, Zoro Control can search for whatever card it needs every turn instead of needing to draw into it, giving the deck a whole new level of consistency that the game has not seen in a long time. As such, ZoroControl is definitely one of, if not the best deck headed into the World Championships. Let’s take a look at the list I have been testing that I based off Tord’s successful NAIC list.
[decklist name=”ZoroControl” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Oranguru” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”114″][pokemon amt=”17″]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=”Magcargo” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”24″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Slugma” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”23″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/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=”Oranguru” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”114″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”39″]3x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”101″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”143″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Brigette” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”161″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Acerola” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”142″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Delinquent” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”98″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1 x [card name=”Copycat” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”163″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1 “][/card]1x [card name=”Team Flare Grunt” set=”Generations” no=”73″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Team Rocket’s Handiwork” set=”Fates Collide” no=”124″ 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]3x [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”94″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/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]2x [card name=”Max Potion” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”164″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Weakness Policy” set=”Primal Clash” no=”142″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Counter Catcher” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”120″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”165″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Reverse Valley” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”110″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”4″]4 x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”HeartGold and SoulSilver” no=”103″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4 “][/card][/energy][/decklist]
2-2 Magcargo
The first unorthodox thing about this list that many others I have seen do not run is a 2-2 line of [card name=”Magcargo” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”24″ c=”name”][/card]. While the standard Magcargo line is only a 1-1, I very much prefer the extra consistency added by the additional 1-1 line at the expense of two deck slots. While I am not exactly sure how the exact math works, when you run one copy of a card, you have about a 10% chance of prizing it; as such, if I play a 1-1 line of an important Pokemon, I have a 10% chance of prizing either part of the line, let alone both, which I really do not want to occur ever. I also have chosen to play 2-2 Magcargo to give myself two Smooth Over Abilities per turn. This means that when I have two Magcargo and two [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] on board, I can search for any two cards each turn, which are usually two [card name=”Puzzle of Time” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card]. This is especially important late game once you start looping your [card name=”Puzzle of Time” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] back with [card name=”Oranguru” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card], as the Puzzle would otherwise be on the bottom of your deck and difficult to get back into your hand without access to two Smooth Over. While I do prefer 2-2 Magcargo, that does not mean it does not have its downsides. The major downside is that it makes you much more susceptible to [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card]; when they Parallel you to three, you almost always have to decide between discarding your second Magcargo or a third Zoroark, neither of which are ideal scenarios. This scenario does not occur with other ZoroControl variants, as the two Pokemon they discard can usually be two [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] as their Bench space is not at a premium.
One Team Rocket’s Handiwork
[cardimg name=”Team Rocket’s Handiwork” set=”Fates Collide” no=”124″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
This is the other card in my list that I would consider to be unusual compared to a standard ZoroControl list. As I have talked about a lot in this article, the Zoroark mirror match (when both players have Oranguru of course) usually comes down to which player has more resources left that they can use. [card name=”Team Rocket’s Handiwork” set=”Fates Collide” no=”124″ c=”name”][/card] gives you the potential to mill some of your opponent’s important resources, such as Puzzle of Time, [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”165″ c=”name”][/card] (which would get back Oranguru), Oranguru itself, or [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”HeartGold and SoulSilver” no=”103″ c=”name”][/card] . Any of these discards would be extremely crucial, and late game, when both player’s decks are going to be pretty thin, the chances of you discarding any of these cards if you flip heads is pretty high. As such, I really like Handiwork. While it certainly is a risk to have absolutely no effect and be a wasted Supporter, even one heads in the mirror late game if timed right can be incredibly devastating and make it worth its spot in the list.
Summary
Overall, this is yet another list of mine that certainly is not out of the ordinary, but the techs I have included have certainly made this list potent. However, just like with ZoroGarb, there are a few cards I would like to fit into this list if possible. A second [card name=”Counter Catcher” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”120″ c=”name”][/card] would be very nice, as this deck falls behind on Prizes often due to it being a two shot deck. I would also like a [card name=”Red Card” set=”Generations” no=”71″ c=”name”][/card] or two as well to make [card name=”Delinquent” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”98″ c=”name”][/card] more effective as well as giving my deck another form of disruption versus Zoroark decks. Third, like with ZoroGarb, I would like to add another draw Supporter like [card name=”Cynthia” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”119″ c=”name”][/card] or Sycamore to this list, although it is less essential as it was in ZoroGarb because of the additional consistency offered by Magcargo in this list. Finally, I would like to also fit [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Sylveon-EX” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC21″ c=”name”][/card] as they would improve the [card name=”Rayquaza-GX” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”177″ c=”name”][/card] matchup from about a 50/50 to solidly in our favor.
ZoroRoc
Finally, let’s take a look at ZoroRoc, the deck I have been playing since before Sheffield Regionals back in May. While I certainly do not believe ZoroRoc is still the strongest Zoroark variant in the format anymore, I still really like the deck due to my affinity for [card name=”Lycanroc-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”138″ c=”name”][/card]. I still think it is the most overpowered card in the format right now, and I love playing it at any opportunity I can get. Compared to my previous lists, this list will look very out of the ordinary, as I have tried a lot of different things out to try to get it to keep up with the other strong Zoroark variants in the format. I would also like to shout out Poet Larsen for spit balling a bunch of these ideas at me and testing them with me to see if they are viable; many of the innovations in this list are due to him. Now that the formalities are out of the way, let’s take a look at my updated ZoroRoc list.
[decklist name=”ZoroRoc” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Oranguru” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”114″][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=”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=”Diancie Prism Star” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”74″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Oranguru” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”114″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”33″]3x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”101″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Brigette” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”161″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”143″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Cynthia” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”148″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Copycat” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”163″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/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=”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]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]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=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Reverse Valley” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”110″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”8″]4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”HeartGold and SoulSilver” no=”103″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Fighting Energy” set=”EX Ruby and Sapphire” no=”105″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
One Diancie, One Professor Kukui, Four Basic Fighting
[cardimg name=”Diancie Prism Star” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”74″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
While I could have broken up these changes into three different sections, I figured it would be easiest to just talk about them all together, as all of these changes to a standard ZoroRoc list are related. Because [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”124″ c=”name”][/card] is so prevalent in the metagame right now, I took out all of the [card name=”Strong Energy” set=”Fates Collide” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] in my list for Basic Fighting Energy. In order to compensate for the lack of damage modifiers, I have added [card name=”Diancie Prism Star” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] into the list, while bringing back [card name=”Professor Kukui” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”148″ c=”name”][/card] from previous ZoroRoc variants I have run. Diancie essentially acts as a Strong Energy with the downside of needing to devote a Bench space to it instead of being weak to Enhanced Hammer. With Diancie, I can hit 170 damage with Dangerous Rogue even if I Parallel my opponent the same turn, which is enough to Knock Out [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] while not needing to devote my Supporter for the turn to Kukui. With both Diancie and Professor Kukui (or a Choice Band), Lycanroc can Knock Out [card name=”Buzzwole-GX” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] (or opposing Lycanroc if there is a [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] attached) if there are only three Pokemon on the Bench. Finally, with Diancie, Professor Kukui, and a Choice Band, Dangerous Rogue can hit for 220 damage, which is enough to Knock Out [card name=”Rayquaza-GX” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”160″ c=”name”][/card] with a [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] attached to it. Of course, you can always hit for more damage if your opponent over benches, but this is assuming your opponent manages their Bench adequately versus you.
One Oranguru
I know in the first section about ZoroGarb I already explained that I am running an Oranguru in all of my Zoroark lists right now, I just wanted to highlight the importance of Oranguru in this deck especially. This list runs a lot of very important one-ofs, such as [card name=”Multi Switch” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”164″ c=”name”][/card] and both Stadiums, as well as only playing two [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”163″ c=”name”][/card]. ZoroRoc also has the most “moving parts” of all of the Zoroark decks I have listed, meaning that it needs the most cards to both set up and continue its strategy; unlike with ZoroGarb and ZoroControl where you can play down [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Magcargo” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”24″ c=”name”][/card] at any point, you have to evolve [card name=”Lycanroc-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card] the turn you want to use its Ability unless you are trying to protect a [card name=”Rockruff” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card]. As such, Oranguru is especially important in ZoroRoc, as it has more valuable cards in it compared to other Zoroark decks and as such needs the additional recovery given to it by Oranguru.
Summary
Overall, I would definitely say that this is by far the weakest of the three lists I have posted. While that does not mean this is a bad deck (I would consider this Tier 2), it just pales in comparison to ZoroGarb and ZoroControl due to how the meta has shifted. ZoroRoc does not do very well in a control/lock type of format, as it is a very aggressive deck that thrives in more set up heavy metas. As such, when going up against either of the mentioned Zoroark archetypes, it lacks the disruption Tools outside of [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”124″ c=”name”][/card] that make those decks so strong, and as such will most likely have a difficult time against them. As such, I would recommend this deck the least for someone looking to succeed at the World Championships or Nashville Open, but if you are looking for a deck to play at a League Cup where you know the metagame will be more favorable for ZoroRoc, this is still a very strong and fun deck to play.
Conclusion
Thank you so much for reading my latest article! I hope you enjoyed my take on three different [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] decks, and hopefully you can take one of these lists and have success with it in some way, whether be in testing or at a tournament. I am most likely going to play one of the first two decks I discussed at the Nashville Open in a few weeks, as I honestly believe they are the two best decks in the format right now. If you are attending the World Championships, whether to compete in the main event or in the Nashville Open, I hope you enjoy the experience and have a fantastic tournament run. There is nothing like Worlds, and I look forward to it every year I get to attend. As always, if you are not following me on Twitter, where I talk mostly about Pokemon but also ramble about my life a little bit.
Until next time,
Eric
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