ZoroCargo — The King of the Format

By: Grant Manley · Posted Posted onAug 20, 2018 at 5:29 PM · 0 Comments

What’s up guys! This is Grant and I am extremely excited for the upcoming 2018 World Championships. Recently, I attended the ARG Invitational, which is the only major event to have used Celestial Storm so far. While this competition was only about on par with past State Championships (or even a large League Cup) in terms of competition, it did offer a glimpse into the upcoming Worlds format. While I realize the majority of players do not have Worlds invites, there are still League Cups and the Nashville Open in the Standard format before the rotation occurs. Since I’ve invested all of my free time into the pre-rotation Standard format, I won’t have anything for those of you looking towards next season. Today I’ll be going over some of the stuff that came up at ARG, and I’ll also look at [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card]  / [card name=”Magcargo” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”24″ c=”name”][/card] in more detail. I’ve put more time into ZoroCargo than I have into any other deck in the format, and I believe it to be the undisputed BDIF, as well as potentially the best deck of all time.

For reference, here’s the final standings from the ARG invitational.

  • 1. [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Magcargo” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”24″ c=”name”][/card]
  • 2. Zoroark-GX / Magcargo
  • 3. Buzzwole / [card name=”Lycanroc-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card]
  • 4. Buzzwole / Lycanroc-GX
  • 5. Zoroark-GX / Garbodor
  • 6. Zoroark-GX / Garbodor
  • 7. [card name=”Gardevoir-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Gallade” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”84″ c=”name”][/card]
  • 8. [card name=”Naganadel-GX” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”56″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Stakataka-GX” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card]
  • 9. Zoroark-GX / Garbodor
  • 10. Zoroark-GX / Garbodor
  • 11. Zoroark-GX / Garbodor
  • 12. Buzzwole / Garbodor
  • 13. Zoroark-GX / Counters
  • 14. [card name=”Rayquaza-GX” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”177″ c=”name”][/card]
  • 15. Rayquaza-GX
  • 16. Rayquaza-GX

Zoroark / Garbodor was the most represented deck in Top 16, claiming five spots. It was also one of the most popular decks at the event overall. This is the deck that just won the NAIC and it is an incredibly solid deck overall, so it’s no surprise that the deck showed up. Additionally, ZoroGarb is difficult to counter and it’s also difficult to play around, so I expect it to be incredibly popular at the upcoming World Championships. However, it was unable to advance past Top 8.

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

Zoroark / Magcargo only had two representatives in Top 16, yet they placed first and second. As I said earlier, ZoroCargo is the BDIF and it has a decent shot at beating just about everything. Isaiah Bradner, the winner of the event, had a bye in Top 16 because his opponent had to leave, but he was still able to overcome [card name=”Gardevoir-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card], Buzzwole, and the mirror in order to win. In my opinion, Isaiah had the most difficult bracket even with his bye. Jon Eng had to make it through Rayquaza, ZoroGarb, and Buzzwole in order to make it to finals. ZoroCargo is a disgustingly good deck. Both of the finalists fought through so-called 50-50s and even supposed unfavorable matchups throughout the entire tournament and still came out on top.

[card name=”Buzzwole” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] didn’t gain anything from the new set but it definitely isn’t going anywhere. In my opinion, Buzzwole is not a great deck, but the only two in Top 16 made it into Top 4. Both Buzzwole decks lost to ZoroCargo, which is indicative of its unfavorable matchup. While this is an unpopular opinion, all of my testing (and this tournament) have shown ZoroCargo to be favored against Buzzwole.

[card name=”Gardevoir-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] had one spot in Top 8 and it seems like a fairly promising deck due to its matchups. When it sets up, Gardevoir is clearly favored against [card name=”Rayquaza-GX” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”177″ c=”name”][/card] and ZoroCargo. It goes about even with ZoroGarb and is unfavored against Buzzwole. Gardevoir is somewhat inconsistent, at least compared to Zoroark. I don’t want to risk playing it.

[card name=”Naganadel-GX” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”56″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Stakataka-GX” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”176″ c=”name”][/card] somehow made it into Top 8. I have no idea how that happened as that deck has terrible matchups. I thought Naganadel was a solid play for NAIC, but much has changed since then.

Buzzwole / Garbodor and Zoroark-GX / Counters are some interesting decks that snuck into Top 16. They are worth being explored in my opinion, though neither advanced past Top 16.

Finally, the new kid on the block, Rayquaza-GX, was perhaps the most popular deck at the event. However, only three made it into Top 16, and none made it mast that. The most popular version of Rayquaza ran [card name=”Beast Ring” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Pheromosa-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM66″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Xurkitree-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM68″ c=”name”][/card]. A few others ran [card name=”Wishful Baton” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”128″ c=”name”][/card] and even Garbodor. The Beast Ring version is the best. Beast Ring offers needed mid-game Energy acceleration. Xurkitree is handy on occasion. Pheromosa ends games efficiently with Beauty GX. Unlike Rayquaza, Pheromosa doesn’t require maintaining a board of seven Energy. Rayquaza is extremely high maintenance and it is also very RNG-based. The deck is undoubtedly very strong, but I will definitely not be running it. It also loses to [card name=”Sylveon-EX” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC21″ c=”name”][/card], despite what Ray players will tell you.

While it is impractical to predict the Worlds meta based off a single medium-sized event, I actually think that the Invitational meta is a fairly accurate depiction of what Worlds is going to look like. We’ll see lots and lots of Zoroark, with healthy amounts of Rayquaza and Buzzwole as well. These three variants are the best decks right now. Malamar is 100% dead. Ultra Beasts aren’t good enough to take on Zoroark. Gardevoir seems decent, but it is not very popular right now.

[premium]

The ZoroCargo List

Here’s the list that Isaiah used to win the Invitational. Jon Eng’s second place list is nearly identical.

[decklist name=”zcarg” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Oranguru” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”114″][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]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]2x [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Mew-EX” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”46″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Sylveon-EX” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC32″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Oranguru” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”114″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”39″]4x [card name=”Brigette” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”134″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”N” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”96″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Cynthia” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”119″ 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=”Team Rocket’s Handiwork” set=”Fates Collide” no=”112″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Acerola” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”112″ 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=”Fates Collide” no=”113″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/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=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Weakness Policy” set=”Primal Clash” no=”142″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Red Card” set=”Generations” no=”71″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”94″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Max Potion” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”128″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Counter Catcher” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”91″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Devoured Field” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”93″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”4″]4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Next Destinies” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

And here’s my current list:

[decklist name=”ZoroCargo” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Oranguru” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”114″][pokemon amt=”18″]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=”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=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Mew-EX” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”46″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Sylveon-EX” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC32″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Oranguru” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”114″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”38″]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]2x [card name=”N” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”96″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Cynthia” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”119″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Acerola” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”112″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Team Flare Grunt” set=”Generations” no=”73″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Puzzle of Time” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”109″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Mysterious Treasure” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”113″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Evosoda” set=”Generations” no=”62″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/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=”Weakness Policy” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”126″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Max Potion” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”103″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Counter Catcher” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”91″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Devoured Field” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”93″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”4″]4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Generations” no=”74″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist]

4-4 Zoroark-GX

This deck is a spiritual successor to the one that Tord’s group as well as my own played at the NAIC. While I wasn’t at the NAIC, I probably would have ended up using it as well. [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] is just a busted card on its own, and this deck uses various disruption cards such as [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”124″ c=”name”][/card] to complement it. [card name=”Weakness Policy” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”126″ c=”name”][/card] helps a lot against Fighting-types, and [card name=”Oranguru” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card]’s Resource Management is also ridiculous because it allows you to infinitely use everything. This deck has lost its edge now that everyone knows about it, but it is still pretty broken. As far as attacks, you’ll be using Riotous Beating 90% of the time. It is quick and powerful. Riotous Beating is reliable for picking off Basic Pokemon and it can 2HKO everything else in the game.

2-2 Magcargo

[card name=”Magcargo” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”24″ c=”name”][/card] is absolutely bonkers! Magcargo makes this deck the greatest deck of all time. It doesn’t necessarily eliminate variance altogether, but it comes pretty darn close. The most variance (or luck, RNG, whatever you call it) from ZoroCargo comes from its opening hand. You need to open with [card name=”Brigette” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”134″ c=”name”][/card] and you need to be able to follow it up with Evolutions. Past that, Magcargo ensures that you get everything you need at the exact time you need it. This increases the amount of decision making tenfold and also drastically raises the skill ceiling of the deck. ZoroCargo is probably the most thought intensive and difficult deck I’ve ever played. The deck itself has answers to everything, so a lot of it comes down to the user and proper use of Magcargo. 2-2 is absolutely correct. You want to have this incredible card on the board at all times. 1-1 is too inconsistent.

Three Tapu Lele-GX, Three Brigette

[cardimg name=”Brigette” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”134″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

I was surprised to see that Isaiah ran four [card name=”Brigette” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”134″ c=”name”][/card] and only two [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] instead of the 3/3 split that I prefer. While it’s true that a natural Brigette turn one is better than Lele for Brigette, you also frequently need a draw Supporter on turn two. Lele gives you the option for both a turn one Brigette and a turn two draw Supporter (usually Cynthia in my case). Brigette is terrible past the first turn. I also used Wonder Tag three times in a game more than once, and I could never imagine going down to just two. I also imagine that prizing a Lele would mess me up pretty bad, as I like to use it mid-game for random Supporters like [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card] as well. You can also find your one-of Supporters without using Magcargo, making combos like N plus [card name=”Counter Catcher” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] easier.

One Mew-EX

[card name=”Mew-EX” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”46″ c=”name”][/card] saves you in the Buzzwole matchup by offering an easy answer to a loaded [card name=”Buzzwole-GX” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card]. That’s pretty much it. You can also use it against Malamar’s attackers such as [card name=”Marshadow-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Mewtwo-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”39″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Necrozma-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”63″ c=”name”][/card]. Attach a [card name=”Weakness Policy” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”126″ c=”name”][/card] to prevent Malamar from KOing it, and they might just have to expose a [card name=”Dawn Wings Necrozma-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM101″ c=”name”][/card] to deal with Mew. Mew can also OHKO [card name=”Naganadel-GX” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”56″ c=”name”][/card] while Weakness Policy and [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card] prevent Nagandel from returning the favor.

One Oranguru

[card name=”Oranguru” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card] was previously used to win the mirror, now it is mostly so you don’t lose the mirror. Resource Management is an incredible attack, though sometimes finding an opening to use it can be tricky. Oranguru solos some decks such as [card name=”Hoopa” set=”Shining Legends” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card], and it makes many disruption builds completely unviable.

One Sylveon-EX and One Choice Band

While a two card commitment for only one matchup isn’t always the best decision, [card name=”Rayquaza-GX” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”177″ c=”name”][/card] is popular enough that Sylveon is worth the space. Sylveon swings the Ray matchup from unfavorable to favorable, though it really is rough when you prize a piece of the package. It is also worth noting that [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] is great in some other matchups, in particular [card name=”Gardevoir-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] and Zoroark mirrors. Choice Band also turns [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] into a more functional attacker. One last thing to note is that Sylveon is an incredible starter when going second in the mirror. Not only can it OHKO [card name=”Zorua” set=”Shining Legends” no=”52″ c=”name”][/card] on turn one, but it also tanks Riotous Beating like a champ.

Three Guzma

I ran two [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] at the Invitational, though afterwards I realized that was a mistake. The way to win the mirror and ZoroGarb matchups is to take as many cheap Prizes as possible. Every single time I played against another Zoroark variant, I needed more Guzma. Run three Guzma!

Two Cynthia, Two N, Zero Sycamore

This split of Supporters is absolutely correct. In this deck, you only need [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card] if your opening hand was stupidly good anyway. Sycamore is rarely better than [card name=”Cynthia” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”119″ c=”name”][/card]. Although you can put back as many cards as you want with Oranguru, I’ve found that resource management (not the attack, but the literal skill) is crucial for ZoroCargo. You can’t always rely on spending an Energy and a turn attacking just to put back three cards, so you want to conserve as many resources as possible while naturally playing out the game. This is especially relevant in grindy matchups like the mirror and ZoroGarb. Sycamore doesn’t help you do that. Cynthia is my go-to Supporter for turn two, besides occasionally Guzma.

[card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card] is a decent draw Supporter in its own right, and it is also an integral disruption card in basically every matchup besides the mirror. N beats Buzzwole, and it can turn Garbotoxin into a liability for opposing ZoroGarb players.

One Team Flare Grunt

This card can be useful in nearly every matchup. It is great against [card name=”Rayquaza-GX” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”177″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Lycanroc-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] in particular. If your primary strategy of killing Rockruff doesn’t work, you can Flare Grunt a Lycanroc after Dangerous Rogue and they’re stuck. You can potentially combo [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”124″ c=”name”][/card] with [card name=”Team Flare Grunt” set=”Generations” no=”73″ c=”name”][/card] against Buzzwole or Lycanroc as well. It’s also comparable to a third Enhanced Hammer in the mirror. Finally, Flare Grunt is part of your win condition against decks like [card name=”Hoopa” set=”Shining Legends” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Sylveon-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card].

One Acerola, One Max Potion

[cardimg name=”Acerola” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”112″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Zoroark is actually quite a tank, especially with Weakness Policy. [card name=”Acerola” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”112″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Max Potion” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”128″ c=”name”][/card] completely erase opponent’s attacks, so that’s pretty broken. They’re is useful in every matchup, especially opposing Zoroark matchups. Since Acerola and Max Potion come with different conditions, they are better suited for different situations. For that reason, I prefer running one of each.

Three Mysterious Treasure, One Ultra Ball, Three Evosoda

Here’s where I most blatantly deviate from other Zoroark lists. Remember where I was talking about resource conservation? I apply the same logic here. [card name=”Evosoda” set=”Generations” no=”62″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Mysterious Treasure” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”113″ c=”name”][/card] carry low costs for their relative strength. [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”135″ c=”name”][/card] is actually quite bad in ZoroCargo (and ZoroGarb for that matter). Not only does running Ultra Ball instantly hurt your Garbodor matchup, but it requires throwing away so many cards. For the first two turns, Mysterious Treasure is infinitely better than Ultra Ball. You still get to search for your turn one [card name=”Brigette” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”134″ c=”name”][/card] and turn two [card name=”Cynthia” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”119″ c=”name”][/card] via Lele, but you don’t have to throw away half of your opening hand to do it. Ultra Ball is just super awkward in this deck.

I run a third Evosoda to compensate for the lack of Ultra Ball. With the six Evolutions and three Evosoda, you do not have any problems drawing into Evolutions, and you don’t have to pitch resources to draw what you need. I run one Ultra Ball just because the versatility is nice to have. Mysterious Treasure also searches [card name=”Mew-EX” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”46″ c=”name”][/card], and that detail is extremely relevant against Buzzwole!

Three Field Blower

[card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card] is more important than ever. First and foremost, Zoroark decks are throwing Parallel City at each other like crazy. You never want to be stuck under Parallel, and most of the time you want to be able to use Blower and follow up with a Parallel of your own. Next, getting rid of [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Wishful Baton” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”128″ c=”name”][/card] from Rayquaza is critical for that matchup. Finally, Field Blower is your best answer to Garbotoxin.

Two Enhanced Hammer

[card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”124″ c=”name”][/card] is somewhat disruptive in the mirror match, and it helps you keep Fighting in check as well.

Two Weakness Policy

[card name=”Weakness Policy” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”126″ c=”name”][/card] hilariously makes Zoroark a good attacker against Fighting. They run low counts of Blower (if any), so Policies often stick for a turn, which is all you really need. [card name=”Lycanroc-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] needs to burn the GX in order to KO Zoroark, Baby [card name=”Buzzwole” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] can’t OHKO Zoroark at all, and [card name=”Buzzwole-GX” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] needs Choice Band as well as [card name=”Diancie Prism Star” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Strong Energy” set=”Fates Collide” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card]. Obviously, Buzzwole-GX can easily hit 210, but Mew-EX exterminates them as soon as they hit the board.

One Rescue Stretcher

[card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”name”][/card] has lots of uses. You will most commonly use it to recover discarded [card name=”Slugma” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”23″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Zorua” set=”Shining Legends” no=”52″ c=”name”][/card]. It’s also great for recovering tech Pokemon like Mew, Sylveon, and Oranguru in their respective matchups. Finally, I sometimes use it for Lele to find any Supporter in my deck.

One Counter Catcher

This card is just insane. If you’re ahead, great! If you’re not ahead, you get to abuse this broken monster! Just use it to kill whatever you want. It’s critical in the BuzzRoc matchup. You usually end up Catchering [card name=”Octillery” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card] at some point so that you can use [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card] to stick them with a weak hand.

One Float Stone

Two [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] is probably correct, and I ran two at the Invitational. However, I’d much rather have the third [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card], and I can’t find any other cuts.

One Devoured Field

[cardimg name=”Devoured Field” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”93″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

A damage boosting Stadium is incredibly important for opposing [card name=”Latias Prism Star” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”107″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Yveltal” set=”Steam Siege” no=”65″ c=”name”][/card], and baby [card name=”Buzzwole” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card]. I’m not completely sure who is right in the [card name=”Devoured Field” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] versus [card name=”Reverse Valley” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”110″ c=”name”][/card] argument. I’ve yet to see any relevant scenario that favors Reverse Valley. I think Devoured Field is better because you can bump Reverse Valley, which is the more popular choice. Devoured Field also lets you OHKO a random [card name=”Registeel” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”68″ c=”name”][/card] or Promo [card name=”Dusk Mane Necrozma” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM107″ c=”name”][/card] here and there. It also makes it slightly easier to 2HKO [card name=”Stakataka-GX” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”176″ c=”name”][/card] through its Ability. There are counterarguments to be made here, so I’m not completely discounting Reverse Valley at this point.

Two Parallel City

Parallel City is ridiculously strong in every matchup. There is not a single deck in the format that isn’t hurt in some capacity by [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card]. I’d like a third actually, but space just doesn’t allow for it.

The Delinquent Plus Red Card Package

This is something that both Isaiah and Jon ran and I didn’t. There’s something to be said for the combo. [card name=”Red Card” set=”Generations” no=”71″ c=”name”][/card] followed by [card name=”Delinquent” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”98″ c=”name”][/card] is pretty disgusting. However, I think it is somewhat gimmicky, unreliable, and very luck-based. Decks can usually get out of it with some sort of draw Ability, so you’re basically spending your Supporter to try and hit some crucial cards off a Red Card. You’ve also got to cut something for it, which usually means trimming counts of Policy, Hammer, or Parallel. I’m not a fan.

Team Rocket’s Handiwork

This card is awful! All it does is win the [card name=”Oranguru” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card] mirror war, and that’s only if your opponent doesn’t run it. I just think this is a terrible Supporter as it is hardly ever worth using.

The Matchups

  • Mirror – 50-50
  • [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] / Garbodor – 50-50
  • Buzzwole / [card name=”Lycanroc-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card]  – 70-30
  • [card name=”Rayquaza-GX” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”177″ c=”name”][/card]  – 65-35

Well here’s a load of unpopular opinions from me! Keep in mind that these matchups are for my list. Obviously having two Policy and two Hammer make ZoroCargo a little better in the Buzzwole matchup at the expense of forgoing the Delinquent package. I was told that lacking Delinquent and Handiwork make me unfavored in the mirror, but I disagree. Having a third [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] and not having to discard resources off [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card] make up for that and bring the matchup back to even.

As for ZoroGarb, you’ve got players on both ends swearing that it’s favorable. In my experience, it’s a straight 50-50. Try to kill Zorua and Trash Bags, and try to keep Trashalanch from OHKOing Zoroark. Sometimes you win, sometimes you don’t.

I haven’t figured out the correct way to play the Rayquaza matchup yet, but I don’t think it matters because [card name=”Sylveon-EX” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC21″ c=”name”][/card] destroys it anyway. Try to get two [card name=”Magcargo” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”24″ c=”name”][/card] out. And again, for Buzzwole you’ve got [card name=”Mew-EX” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”46″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Devoured Field” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Weakness Policy” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”126″ 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], [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Team Flare Grunt” set=”Generations” no=”73″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card]. All of that is enough to win more often than not.

Conclusion

That’s all I’ve got guys! Thanks for reading. Zoroark is king. ZoroCargo has answers for everything and unparalleled consistency. ZoroGarb has Trashalanch. Buzzwole and Rayquaza are the heavy hitters. These are by far the strongest and most popular decks right now. Every other deck is fringe, so don’t worry about them.

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