Thought Waves Part 2: Gedemer’s Worlds Decks
[cardimg name=”Beheeyem” set=”Next Destinies” no=”62″ align=”right” c=”custom”]Greetings, humans![/cardimg]
The 2018 World Championships are almost upon us — and even if you didn’t qualify for those, the Nashville Open and the next round of League Cups are right on its heels.
This will be my last article here before Worlds. In my last piece, I covered my testing process and included many of the conclusions I reached about the format. Now it’s time to cover each of my favorite Worlds decks in more detail.
Buzzwole-GX / Lycanroc-GX
This isn’t the “baby” [card name=”Buzzwole” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card]-heavy build that took over the format towards the end of this past season: it goes back to the earlier versions of the archetype, focusing on [card name=”Buzzwole-GX” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card].
Why the change? The deck now needs to be able to consistently OHKO [card name=”Rayquaza-GX” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] as early as turn two, and continue to apply that kind of pressure throughout the game. Baby Buzzwole simply can’t deal that kind of damage in the early game. A secondary problem with the “baby” builds is that they are susceptible to disruption from a late-game [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card], particularly by [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] decks — something that was exploited by top players late in the season. It’s important to play a high count of Buzzwole-GX to avoid situations where your opponent simply opts to not take Prizes early, thus disrupting the strategy of using Sledgehammer for maximum damage.
[decklist name=”Buzzwole/Lycanroc-GX – Worlds 2018″ amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″][pokemon amt=”12″]3x [card name=”Buzzwole-GX” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”57″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Buzzwole” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Lycanroc-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”74″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Rockruff” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”75″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Octillery” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”33″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Remoraid” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”32″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”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][/pokemon][trainers amt=”34″]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=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”2″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Shining Legends” no=”68″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Beast Ring” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/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=”Evolutions” no=”96″ 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]
Noteworthy Inclusions
Three Buzzwole-GX and One Buzzwole
Again, this is a Buzzwole-GX-focused version of the deck. By playing three copies, you have a solid chance of opening with one. Since this list is not built to stream “poke” damage with Sledgehammer, only a single copy of baby Buzzwole is required. You’re going to be using it primarily when your opponent is at four Prizes to get the maximum damage out of Sledgehammer. You have [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ c=”name”][/card] to recover it if necessary.
Four Beast Ring
[cardimg name=”Beast Ring” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”102″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
To optimize my chances of powering up two or even three Buzzwole-GX, I’m playing four Beast Ring. Prioritizing these over [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card] will make the deck’s mid game more consistent and protect you better against a late N. By playing as many [card name=”Beast Ring” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card] as possible during your window to use them, you can power up multiple attackers and have them ready for the late game when you get hit with an N to a low hand size, especially if you haven’t gotten [card name=”Octillery” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card] out.
Two Field Blower
The newest “necessary” addition to the Buzzwole archetype, [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card] gives you an answer to a variety of issues that are too big for the deck to ignore moving forward. [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”from”][/card], [card name=”Weakness Policy” set=”Primal Clash” no=”142″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Wishful Baton” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”128″ c=”name”][/card] are all seeing play now, and each of them is a hindrance to Buzzwole-GX / [card name=”Lycanroc-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card].
Fighting Fury Belt sees some play in Buzzwole-GX / Garbodor and [card name=”Rayquaza-GX” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] decks and can make it difficult for Buzzwole-GX to OHKO opposing Pokemon-GX. Garbotoxin makes your deck work harder to execute its strategy by preventing [card name=”Diancie Prism Star” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card], Lycanroc-GX, and Octillery from using their amazing Abilities. Weakness Policy is climbing in popularity in almost all Zoroark-GX decks, which can make damage numbers awkward if you don’t have a way to discard it. Finally, Wishful Baton is troublesome in Rayquaza-GX decks, as it gives the Rayquaza-GX player a way to recycle Energy and maintain a high damage output even in the face of your KOs.
Issues
This deck’s biggest problem is consistency, and sadly there’s not much you can do about that. Higher Energy counts have always been the norm for this deck — it’s a necessary evil to increase your odds of hitting Max Elixir and Beast Ring. That makes it difficult to find slots for extra Supporters or other consistency cards.
Techs
[card name=”Carbink” set=”Fates Collide” no=”49″ c=”name”][/card] is a hot tech if you’re worried about disruption decks denying your basic Energy. [card name=”Carbink BREAK” set=”Fates Collide” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] is kind of cute as well, but I wouldn’t play it — it’s too much to devote yourself into without altering your game plan for the worst.
[premium]
Rayquaza-GX
The newcomer from Celestial Storm, Rayquaza-GX is a card I was skeptical of at first. However, this was mainly because early lists for the deck were suboptimal. I played those lists for a some time and inserted a few tricky ideas of my own (such as [card name=”Red Card” set=”Generations” no=”71″ c=”name”][/card], which I covered in a previous article), but I still wasn’t infatuated with the deck and began to feel like it was just going to be a disappointment.
That’s when it hit me: [card name=”Marshadow” set=”Shining Legends” no=”45″ c=”name”][/card]. Let Loose is incredibly underrated in this format, allowing you to both disrupt your opponent and draw a fresh hand for yourself. Often, you can use Let Loose and then use Tempest GX to bring yourself back up to a healthy hand size. Your opponent will have low odds of finding an N in their new five-card hand to disrupt your own hand.
After many games played with Marshadow added, I began to like the deck more, and then I came up with another idea: [card name=”Pal Pad” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”132″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Random Receiver” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card]. I cut all Supporters except for [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card], added a Random Receiver, and increased my Pal Pad count.
After all of this, the deck finally felt complete, wielding an insanely high power ceiling and finding ways to win in the late game with extra outs to Guzma.
[decklist name=”Rayquaza-GX – Worlds 2018″ amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Marshadow” set=”Shining Legends” no=”45″][pokemon amt=”8″]4x [card name=”Rayquaza-GX” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”109″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]1x [card name=”Latias Prism Star” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”107″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Mew” set=”Fates Collide” no=”29″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Marshadow” set=”Shining Legends” no=”45″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”38″]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″ divide=”yes” amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Shining Legends” no=”68″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Mysterious Treasure” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”113″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Order Pad” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”131″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Acro Bike” set=”Primal Clash” no=”122″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Pal Pad” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”132″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Random Receiver” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”14″]8x [card name=”Grass Energy” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”167″ c=”deck2″ amt=”8″][/card]6x [card name=”Lightning Energy” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”168″ c=”deck2″ amt=”6″][/card][/energy][/decklist][cardimg name=”Marshadow” set=”Shining Legends” no=”45″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
Noteworthy Inclusions
One Mew
This is included simply to copy [card name=”Latias Prism Star” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card]’s Dreamy Mist attack. This way, if your opponent wants to KO Latias Prism Star, they’ll have to play a gust effect to snag it off your Bench. Also, by attaching an Energy to [card name=”Mew” set=”Fates Collide” no=”29″ c=”name”][/card], you can force your opponent to KO it to prevent it from becoming a “fifth Rayquaza-GX.”
One Marshadow
Let Loose makes this deck, it really does. Adding another way to extend your turn by drawing more cards makes Rayquaza-GX lists that play this card much better than the older lists. The disruption it packs against your opponent early on is also incredible, forcing him or her to dig a little more to get going.
Eight Grass Energy and Six Lightning Energy
Favoring Grass Energy gives you better odds of pulling off a Tempest GX in a pinch. I’ve never noticed a big difference in consistency from the seven/seven split.
Issues
This deck loses to [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] decks consistently. Trashalanche is difficult to deal with, and I’ve tried so many ways to combat it. Rayquaza-GX can also falter against Buzzwole decks at times; but aside from those two matchups, you beat just about everything. Most Zoroark-GX matchups are blowouts.
I like Rayquaza-GX for Worlds if there isn’t a lot of Garbodor in the meta — it’s one of the decks I’ll have sleeved and ready to go.
Yveltal BREAK / Golbat
This deck has been a personal favorite of mine ever since my friend Kidd Starck and I created it right around the beginning of our Worlds testing. It’s simple, focusing entirely on [card name=”Yveltal BREAK” set=”Steam Siege” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card], and includes lots of extra speed and consistency cards such as [card name=”Acro Bike” set=”Primal Clash” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card]. Perhaps the most noticeable contrast to other Yveltal BREAK lists is the inclusion of [card name=”Counter Energy” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”100″ c=”name”][/card] giving this list a different dimension and a means to play from behind. I love this deck and I’m excited to share my unique list with you:
[decklist name=”Yveltal BREAK/Golbat – Worlds 2018″ amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Zubat” set=”Generations” no=”30″][pokemon amt=”10″]4x [card name=”Yveltal BREAK” set=”Steam Siege” no=”66″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Yveltal” set=”Steam Siege” no=”65″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]1x [card name=”Golbat” set=”Generations” no=”31″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Zubat” set=”Generations” no=”30″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”36″]4x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Cynthia” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”119″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”2″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Shining Legends” no=”68″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Acro Bike” set=”Primal Clash” no=”122″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Nest Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”123″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Wishful Baton” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”128″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”2″][/card]4x [card name=”Shrine of Punishment” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”143″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”14″]10x [card name=”Darkness Energy” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”168″ c=”deck2″ amt=”10″][/card]4x [card name=”Counter Energy” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”100″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist][cardimg name=”Golbat” set=”Generations” no=”31″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
Noteworthy Inclusions
One Golbat and One Zubat
These are instrumental in many matchups, mainly for the simple use of [card name=”Golbat” set=”Generations” no=”31″ c=”name”][/card]’s Swoop Across attack. Spreading 10 damage to all of your opponent’s Pokemon may seem feeble, but it serves as one of the simplest ways to activate Baleful Night’s spread damage. Golbat’s Ability, Sneaky Bite, can activate it itself, or it can set up or finish off a Knock Out. This deck doesn’t want to play many Pokemon other than Yveltal BREAK, so a small Golbat line fits in perfectly since it has free retreat and serves as an important attacker itself.
Two Wishful Baton
[card name=”Wishful Baton” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”128″ c=”name”][/card] is useful in almost every matchup to keep up with the pressure of opposing Knock Outs. The biggest, and maybe only, problem this deck has is losing Energy. While Oblivion Wing and [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card] are great, having yet another way to keep up with extra Energy attachments is amazing.
Four Counter Energy
Unlike other Yveltal BREAK lists I’ve seen, this one includes Counter Energy as a fantastic way to fuel Baleful Night with just two attachments. Since this deck is not overly aggressive, Counter Energy will be online most of the time in the mid and late game.
Issues
I like this deck a lot. It serves as a solid counter to most of the current meta decks. [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] / Garbodor is a tough matchup, though. Against other Zoroark decks, [card name=”Buzzwole” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Rayquaza-GX” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card], it is highly favorable. It looks like a weak deck by design, but I can assure you it’s the complete opposite. It struggles against most outlier decks so, again, only play this if you’re expecting to face the aforementioned specific array of decks.
Zoroark-GX / Magcargo Control
[card name=”Magcargo” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”24″ c=”name”][/card] brought so much more to this deck than I ever could have imagined. Smooth Over gets you any card you want in the deck with Trade, but an underrated aspect of the Ability is that it can be used to shuffle any cards you placed on the bottom of your deck with [card name=”Oranguru” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card]’s Resource Management into your deck. If you use Resource Management one turn and then use Smooth Over during the next turn, the second card you draw with Trade has a random chance to be one of the cards you placed on the bottom of your deck. This is especially strong when your deck is quite thin, as is usually the case in the late game.
[decklist name=”Zoroark-GX Control – Worlds 2018″ amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Slugma” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”23″][pokemon amt=”15″]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]3x [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Oranguru” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”114″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Magcargo” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”24″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Slugma” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”23″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”41″]3x [card name=”Brigette” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”134″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Cynthia” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”119″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Team Rocket’s Handiwork” set=”Fates Collide” no=”112″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Team Flare Grunt” set=”Generations” no=”73″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Delinquent” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”98″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Shining Legends” no=”68″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Puzzle of Time” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”109″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Crushing Hammer” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”124″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Max Potion” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”128″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]3x [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Evosoda” set=”Generations” no=”62″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Counter Catcher” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”91″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]3x [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”4″]4x [card name=”Double Colorless” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”136″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist][cardimg name=”Oranguru” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”114″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
Noteworthy Inclusions
Two Oranguru
Winning the mirror match is vital if you want to bring this deck to Worlds or the Nashville Open.
A second Oranguru is also, surprisingly, key to beating Buzzwole. You’ll notice the lack of “anti-Buzzwole” techs like [card name=”Mew-EX” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”120″ c=”name”][/card] in this list: that’s because in that matchup, you shouldn’t be trying to take Prizes. In the strategy I use to navigate the matchup, Oranguru essentially becomes the main attacker, so having two copies reduces your reliance on recovering it with Rescue Stretcher and opens doors for you to have access to “infinite Oranguru.” Playing just one copy also hurts you if you happen to prize it!
One Team Rocket’s Handiwork
Another key card to winning mirror matches. [card name=”Team Rocket’s Handiwork” set=”Fates Collide” no=”112″ c=”name”][/card] is also useful against decks that you don’t try to take Knock Outs, such as Buzzwole. In these matchups, attempting to take six Prizes before your opponent does is often futile, so running your opponent out of cards is a better plan.
Four Crushing Hammer
This card needs to be in the latest lists for a variety of reasons, particularly to give yourself a chance against Rayquaza-GX and to help against Buzzwole. They even give you a chance at beating [card name=”Gardevoir-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card], another deck that may see renewed play at Worlds. While [card name=”Crushing Hammer” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] relies on a flip, the reward outweighs the risk. Having maximum copies helps ensure you’ll see one when you need it.
Issues
While Crushing Hammer helps, Rayquaza-GX is still quite difficult to beat. [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] is also problematic, especially if its lists evolve to play disruption cards themselves.
If you’re just trying to play a solid deck and want to have a chance to beat almost anything, this deck is for you. Most of your success with the deck will truly rely on your in-game skill as a player. I’ve spent many hours perfecting this deck’s gameplay, so it’s an archetype that I’ll be holding onto if all else fails. You can’t go wrong with playing the “best” overall deck.
Zoroark-GX / Garbodor Control
I mentioned that Zoroark-GX / Garbodor lists might start including disruption cards, becoming more similar to the Zoroark-GX / Magcargo / Oranguru variant I discussed above. I’ve done a bunch of testing with this concept, and I believe it is one of the strongest decks heading into Worlds.
It aims to slowly grind your opponent down on resources and force more and more Items out. In the late game you can win via deck out or simply sweeping up the rest of your Prizes with Trashalanche. I think this concept will be excellent during day one of Worlds because of its consistency and great matchup spread. If there’s an issue to be had, it would be that the deck has a high probability of tying.
[decklist name=”.” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Mew-EX” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”46″][pokemon amt=”17″]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]3x [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Trubbish” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”56″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Trubbish” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”50″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Oranguru” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”114″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Mew-EX” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”46″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”36″]3x [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Brigette” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”134″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Cynthia” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”119″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Team Flare Grunt” set=”Generations” no=”73″ 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=”Shining Legends” no=”68″ 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=”Guardians Rising” no=”124″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Mysterious Treasure” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”113″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Evosoda” set=”Generations” no=”62″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Counter Catcher” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”91″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Red Card” set=”Generations” no=”71″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]3x [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”7″]4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Shining Legends” no=”69″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Psychic Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”95″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card][/energy][/decklist][cardimg name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
Noteworthy Inclusions
One Oranguru
It’s now common to see Oranguru in any and every Zoroark-GX deck, primarily to counter the original Zoroark-GX Control deck.
Three Enhanced Hammer
[card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”124″ c=”name”][/card] is good against almost every deck, and three fit beautifully into a deck that aims to force as much Item use out of an opponent as possible.
Three Parallel City
Winning [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card] wars is a frustrating dynamic of these mirror matches, so playing three of your own is crucial in this deck. With Garbodor almost always necessary to your success with the deck, you’ll need all the Bench space you can get to fit both Garbodor and a healthy number of Zoroark-GX. The more [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card] and Parallel City you play, the better.
Issues
This deck struggles against Buzzwole, and I don’t believe there is a surefire way to address that. Try as you might, techs won’t push the matchup past 50-50.
This is the most well-rounded concept of all the ones in this article, though, and I’d suggest it to anyone that wants to play something a little more “fancy” that’s fine-tuned to beat nearly anything.
Conclusion
This article covered all the decks I’ve been spending most of my testing time on in the weeks leading up to Worlds. If there’s anything you’d like to ask about that I didn’t discuss in detail here, drop me a comment in the Subscriber’s Hideout and I’ll get to it as soon as I can. As of now, out of these decks, I like Zoroark-GX / Garbodor Control the most. I could easily see myself playing it at Worlds if the event was tomorrow. I’m excited for this tournament and I feel well prepared.
Good luck in all your adventures. Take care…
~Caleb
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