BuzzGarbVile Part 2: The Matchups Explained

By: Caleb Gedemer · Posted Posted onSep 29, 2018 at 3:27 PM · 0 Comments

[cardimg name=”Victory Cup” set=”Black and White Black Star Promos” no=”BW31″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

It is safe to say that [card name=”Buzzwole” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Weavile” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Shrine of Punishment” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”143″ c=”name”][/card] can beat almost anything. In the first part of this piece, I talked about the purpose of each card in this deck. Here, I’ll be delving into the deck’s matchups and completing everything you need to know about the deck and some matchups. Let’s begin!

Matchups

Day One

  • R1 – [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Golisopod-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”17″ c=”name”][/card] • 2-1 • Win
  • R2 – Zoroark-GX / [card name=”Lycanroc-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] • 2-0 • Win
  • R3 – Zoroark-GX / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] • 2-0 • Win
  • R4 – [card name=”Magnezone” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”83″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Dusk Mane Necrozma-GX” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card] • 2-0 • Win
  • R5 – [card name=”Malamar” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Shining Lugia” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM82″ c=”name”][/card] / Shrine of Punishment • 2-0 • Win
  • R6 – Buzzwole / Garbodor / Shrine of Punishment • 2-0 • Win
  • R7 – Zoroark-GX / [card name=”Banette-GX” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card] • 1-1 • Tie
  • R8 – [card name=”Vikavolt” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”52″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Rayquaza-GX” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] • 2-1 • Win
  • R9 – Buzzwole / Garbodor / Shrine of Punishment • 2-1 • Win

Day Two

  • R10 – Zoroark-GX / Banette-GX • 0-2 • Loss
  • R11 – Malamar / [card name=”Necrozma-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”63″ c=”name”][/card] • 2-0 • Win
  • R12 – Zoroark-GX / Lycanroc-GX • 1-1 • Tie
  • R13 – Zoroark-GX / Lycanroc-GX • 2-1 • Win
  • R14 – Buzzwole / Garbodor / Shrine of Punishment • 2-1 • Win
  • R15 – Concession • Loss
  • T8 – Zoroark-GX / Lycanroc-GX • 2-0 • Win
  • T4 – Zoroark-GX / Banette-GX • 2-1 • Win
  • T2 – Malamar / Necrozma-GX • 2-1 • Win

Itemized Matchups

  • Buzzwole / Garbodor / Shrine of Punishment 3-0-0
  • Magnezone / Dusk Mane Necrozma-GX 1-0-0
  • Malamar / Necrozma-GX 2-0-0
  • Malamar / Shining Lugia / Shrine of Punishment 1-0-0
  • Vikavolt / Rayquaza-GX 1-0-0
  • Zoroark-GX / Banette-GX 1-1-1
  • Zoroark-GX / Garbodor 1-0-0
  • Zoroark-GX / Golisopod-GX 1-0-0
  • Zoroark-GX / Lycanroc-GX 3-0-1

Overall 14-2-2 (one Concession for Loss)

Every relevant deck in the format was present and I beat each of the decks at least once, except myself when I conceded for better seeding in Top 8. The most impressive thing is the undefeated record against mirror matches. My record should be seen as an anecdotal testament to the deck’s strength; I want to solidify your opinion with in-depth matchup descriptions. Let’s begin with some general  tips on playing the deck.

General Gameplay and Sequencing

Focus on the following steps during your first couple turns:

  • Prioritize getting a [card name=”Buzzwole” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] Active and a [card name=”Slugma” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”23″ c=”name”][/card] on your Bench.
    • You don’t want your support Pokemon to get damaged, a Buzzwole is a nice way to put on some pressure but also soak up damage with little drawback.
  • The more Buzzwole the better, having [card name=”Oranguru” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”113″ c=”name”][/card] down is nice as well.
    • It’s important to have a Buzzwole on your Bench going into the turn where your opponent is sitting on four Prizes, your “Sledgehammer turn”.
  • Worry about techs ([card name=”Sneasel” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”73″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Trubbish” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”50″ c=”name”][/card]) later, they’re less important starting off.
    • Putting your one-of Sneasel down early is a poor choice, as holding it for a time where your opponent has to deal with a different threat at the same time is optimal.

If you’re not heavily favored in the Prize trade, such as Pokemon-GX decks, things become a one-for-one trade where you’ll want to focus on having a backup attacker every time following a Knock Out, like having an extra Buzzwole, Trubbish, etc. Once you lock-in your setup of [card name=”Magcargo” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”24″ c=”name”][/card], Oranguru, and a follow up Buzzwole, you’ll be good to go! Optimize your chances of pulling off a powerful Sledgehammer turn and let ‘er rip. Turn towards setting up your tech Pokemon and build a game plan for later; you have so many options to counter whatever way things turn towards.

[premium]

Matchups

Buzzwole / Shrine of Punishment Variants: Slightly Favorable

[cardimg name=”Buzzwole” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”77″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

This deck has quickly become all the rage, so listen closely! You want to start with Buzzwole, your opponent will too, so the first couple turns are going to be awkward, and maybe even messy. There’s two different routes you can take starting off: aggressive Item usage to outspeed or a slower strategy, limiting Items. I prefer the full steam ahead approach, ignoring any reluctance you may have to play Items. An inability to recognize this matchup as a simple Prize trade will hurt you as the Items matter little. Sure, some situations exist where you can limit Items and completely run your opponent over, but that is luck-based. If you both start with a Buzzwole, your first few attacks are going to be underwhelming. [card name=”Diancie Prism Star” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] makes you do 50, but other than [card name=”Professor Kukui” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”128″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Beast Energy Prism Star” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”117″ c=”name”][/card], you’ll only be doing 50 damage. Worst case scenario is you’re three-shotting an opposing Buzzwole, but best case will be two-shotting. Sometimes, the early exchange of attacks might make you question why going first is optimal. The advantage of getting the first Energy attachment is something, and being first to evolve matter as well. While the Buzzwole battle is raging, you want to get at least two Trubbish on your Bench and set up Magcargo. Oranguru doesn’t need to come down immediately. In fact, it’s wise to hold it sometimes because it can be a good thing to target down; or if your opponent is playing [card name=”Sudowoodo” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card] it’s one of the first things you should part with off Roadblock.

Your opener should be Buzzwole. It can take a hit and puts on pressure. Focus on eliminating your opponent’s Active Buzzwole first. Falling behind on Prizes doesn’t matter too much, and for good reason: you get to Sledgehammer sooner and you can activate [card name=”Counter Energy” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”100″ c=”name”][/card]! When Counter Energy is activated, you can Swing Around with a Buzzwole, this is amazing for many reasons. Swing Around can one-shot an opposing Buzzwole if you have Beast Energy Prism Star and Diancie Prism Star in play, or you can set up a Knock Out with the combination of Diancie Prism Star, Professor Kukui, and one heads on your attack. If you can pull off a Swing Around with a Buzzwole after your opponent takes their first Prize, you’ll be in a position where you can take another Knock Out with the same Buzzwole if you put another [card name=”Fighting Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”96″ c=”name”][/card] down as Counter Energy will be deactivated. That’s two Knock Outs for the price of one, and you’ll suddenly be ahead in the Prize race. Most other lists don’t have Counter Energy, so this list is favored in mirrors. There’s a couple other openings to be mindful of: Slugma and Trubbish have 70 HP. If you can get your Beast Energy Prism Star and Diancie Prism Star into play, you’ll be able to Sledgehammer for 80 either of those. You can try to jam [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] to eliminate those important Pokemon quickly, which is a really strong play if you can do it. Early on, I would pick Slugma to cut off your opponent’s setup, but once the game progresses and you still have the option, then Trubbish is better, especially if there’s only one in play. Cutting off your opponent’s access to [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] is amazing.

In the late game, the turn you get to Sledgehammer for 120 is extremely important, and part of that is the reason you don’t want to use Garbodor too quickly. Even though you might get a one-hit Knock Out, your opponent will be able to Knock Out your Garbodor with Sledgehammer once you’re at four Prizes, so be mindful of that, you don’t want to waste a Garbodor until later once you start trading Garbodor for Garbodor with your opponent. On that Sledgehammer turn, I like to Guzma something valuable of my opponent’s if I can. A solid option that’s almost always out there is [card name=”Magcargo” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”24″ c=”name”][/card]. By KOing it you’ll make it harder for your opponent to do a Prize trade with Garbodor in the late game, you’ll make it that they whiff a piece of the attack. Another option is Garbodor, or even Trubbish; trying to make it difficult for your opponent to take Knock Outs with Garbodor later on. Almost directly after the Sledgehammer turn it’s going to be Garbodor wars until all six Prizes are taken on one side. If someone successfully limits their Items to two, which is nearly impossible, then this is different. If you or your opponent can successfully limit Items to two, then you win–flat out. If you have an opportunity to do so early on, do it, but that’s almost never the case. Two Items avoids Knock Outs from Trashalanche, that’s why it’s so good. Back to the point here, the late game breaks down into a trade, so Garbodor pieces and [card name=”Rainbow Energy” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”151″ c=”name”][/card] are important. If you miss an attack you usually lose, so having a Magcargo down to Smooth Over what you need is essential. Since a Garbodor retains its Energy after using Trashalanche, you don’t have much choice but to Knock Out your opponent’s Active Garbodor. This means once you get to the point of trading Garbodor, you need to be all in on it. [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”name”][/card] and Rainbow Energy need to be treated like precious metals, you can’t discard them early because they’re so important to finally winning the game. [card name=”Judge” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”108″ c=”name”][/card] is nice later to try to stop your opponent from getting a piece of the Garbodor puzzle, so try to keep that on tap for disruption. Targeting down your opponent’s Magcargo early can make their late game consistency suffer, so give some extra thought to that play early on. All of this considered, you have a slightly favorable matchup with the key techs, but it’s still one that needs a lot of testing to fully understand.

Hot Tech: Double Colorless Energy

[cardimg name=”Double Colorless” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”136″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

A quick Acid Spray from Garbodor can be devastating; a single [card name=”Double Colorless” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”136″ c=”name”][/card] can power it up for you and from there you’ll be wrecking anything that stands in your way. You can even use it to use Psychic with [card name=”Oranguru” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”113″ c=”name”][/card]it is a nice way to do some solid damage with an unexpected attacker!

Buzzwole-GX / Lycanroc-GX: Favorable

Start by identifying the biggest threat: [card name=”Lycanroc-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card]. This with Diancie Prism Star is doing 130 damage with Claw Slash, taking a one-hit Knock Out on a [card name=”Buzzwole” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card]. This is troubling because you don’t have a surefire way to one-shot a Lycanroc-GX. You do have a few options:

  • Use multiple Buzzwole back-to-back-to-back, giving you a Sledgehammer turn. On that turn, you want to have [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] and Beast Energy Prism Star with Diancie Prism Star in play, that’s doing 200 damage.
  • Use Garbodor
  • Use [card name=”Weavile” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] 

The issue with Garbodor and Weavile is that your opponent can control how powerful they are by limiting Abilities and/or Items. Aside from Lycanroc-GX, you can handle Buzzwole and [card name=”Buzzwole-GX” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] with Garbodor. Trashalanche can be played around, but with [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card] you can catch your opponent off guard and boost your damage output. Remember a few key numbers, four Items for a baby Buzzwole Knock Out, four and a Choice Band for Buzzwole-GX, or five Items outright. Buzzwole is your go-to if Items are limited; try to chip away and work towards taking Knock Outs. When in doubt, Sledgehammer!

Malamar / Necrozma-GX: Slightly Favorable

There are many misconceptions about this matchup. The attackers in a [card name=”Malamar” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] deck are weak to Psychic; you have Garbodor. Malamar uses lots of Pokemon with Abilities; you have Weavile. This isn’t a deck that’s crippled by Psychic Pokemon, that’s where the confusion has come to play. My finals with Rukan Shao weren’t pretty, but I had beaten him two games to zero earlier in the day at Regionals. I felt good about the matchup and still do.

You want to open the game with Buzzwole as always, and work towards getting the best value you can out of your Sledgehammer turn, ideally Knocking Out a Malamar. This game boils down to a one-for-one Prize trade until your opponent has to bench a Pokemon-GX. That doesn’t always happen, but when it does you instantly gain the advantage. Malamar itself is a solid attacker in this matchup. It can do 120 after Weakness to a Buzzwole, a Knock Out if you have 10 damage from a Rainbow Energy, or Garbodor; perfect math for a one-hit Knock Out on the latter. It’s difficult for a Malamar deck to conserve Items, so your Garbodor will be your best attacker in this matchup, no doubt. Try to make sure that you have at least two [card name=”Trubbish” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”50″ c=”name”][/card] down at all times, as you should in matchups that are particularly dependent on your use of Garbodor. You don’t want the one you have getting  Knocked Out and losing because of it.

Hot Tech: Weavile

The more Abilities a deck has the better Weavile is. Malamar decks use lots of Abilities, so your Weavile is a great attacker that can one-shot almost anything your opponent has up. Conserve it until a good time and you’ll be on your way to victory!

Malamar / Shining Lugia: Even

[cardimg name=”Shining Lugia” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM82″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

This deck is similar to your mirror match, don’t be distracted by the fact that [card name=”Shining Lugia” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM82″ c=”name”][/card] has Fighting Resistance. Your first focus should be targeting down every [card name=”Inkay” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”50″ c=”name”][/card] and Malamar you can with [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card]. Buzzwole with [card name=”Beast Energy Prism Star” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”117″ c=”name”][/card] can Sledgehammer to one-shot an Inkay, so prioritize getting [card name=”Magcargo” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”24″ c=”name”][/card] down quickly so you can get that Special Energy card out of your deck. You may fall behind on Prizes quickly, but on your Sledgehammer turn that should correct itself. Be sure that, on that turn, you can take out a Malamar with a Guzma. From there, your opponent should be sitting on few Malamar remaining from all the pressure you’ve put on, and you can then safely sweep things up with Trashalanche. [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] should almost always be taking one-hit Knock Outs since your opponent’s deck is extremely Item-based. Without [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card], it needs to rely on the likes of [card name=”Acro Bike” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] and heavy Pokemon search to reliably set up and get all the things it needs to draw well. Prioritizing Magcargo is important so you can get the cards you need once your Pokemon start getting Knocked Out in back-to-back turns.

Vikavolt / Rayquaza-GX: Slightly Favorable

This deck utilizes [card name=”Dhelmise” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”22″ c=”name”][/card] and Shining Lugia which makes this matchup difficult. One of the fail-safes you have is your opponent starting a Pokemon-GX. In a deck based around [card name=”Rayquaza-GX” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card], it’s certainly not uncommon, and in the event that happens the game is about over. Your opponent shouldn’t be playing a counter Stadium so you can go ahead and drop your [card name=”Shrine of Punishment” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”143″ c=”name”][/card] right away and it should stick. If nothing else, your opponent will have to bench a Tapu Lele-GX to set up [card name=”Vikavolt” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”52″ c=”name”][/card], which you can get a two Prize advantage at some point. Dhelmise is a true pain to Knock Out, but Shining Lugia is even harder. Dhelmise has to recharge for a turn after using Powerful Spin so on that turn you can even yourself out in the Prize trade by landing an uncontested attack with Buzzwole. As always, Buzzwole is your best starter and your Sledgehammer turn is important. If your opponent is able to solidify a field of one Prize attackers, then taking down Vikavolt with Guzma on that Sledgehammer turn is a strong option. From there, your opponent will have to burn more Items to set up again, and in doing so your Garbodor should be able to one-shot everything else that’s left. Weavile is a solid backup attacker if Abilities swarm the field. If Rayquaza-GX rears its head, then Weavile will have a field day. The cards are stacked against your opponent from all angles, even with the one Prize Pokemon. I’m confident about this matchup as I beat three of them all in one League Cup recently, as well as the one I faced in Oaks.

Zoroark-GX / Golisopod-GX: Slightly Favorable

This matchup is harder than [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] / Lycanroc-GX because [card name=”Golisopod-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”17″ c=”name”][/card] can be tough to handle, especially once it gets to use Armor Press. You don’t have a direct counter to a Golisopod-GX, so much of the game turns to your opponent if they’re going to limit Abilities or Items, or both. Zoroark-GX should now be your target of choice, using your Guzma conservatively, but also aggressively to take out Zoroark-GX and get ahead on Prizes. Openings to Knock Out a Zoroark-GX are easy to see, but something I see done incorrectly often is taking one Prize Knock Outs when it’s not correct. Taking out a [card name=”Zorua” set=”Shining Legends” no=”52″ c=”name”][/card] is cool and all, but if you’re going to odd Prizes it does you no benefit at all unless you’re able to find another one Prize Knock Out elsewhere. If Golisopod-GX does present itself without using Armor Press, you can do 210 on your Sledgehammer turn with [card name=”Diancie Prism Star” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card], and Beast Energy Prism Star. If Armor Press is online, you can drop a [card name=”Professor Kukui” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”128″ c=”name”][/card] on top of that to finish it up. Shrine of Punishment can mess with this math as well, making it easier to hit. Golisopod-GX is the biggest threat, because you can definitely deal with Zoroark-GX. Playing against Zoroark-GX with this deck isn’t as easy as it may seem, so give this a try before writing it off.

Zoroark-GX / Lycanroc-GX: Favorable

This version is easier to beat because [card name=”Lycanroc-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] takes multiple Energy to get going and has less HP. Zoroark-GX, again, is going to be your go-to to take Prizes, but be wary of Lycanroc-GX, it still can one-shot most of your Pokemon with the right tools. Many opposing lists are beginning to play [card name=”Sudowoodo” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card], specifically for how effective Roadblock is in this matchup. My advice here is to not let it take you off guard and be ready to part with your least valuable Pokemon. Often times, that’s Diancie Prism Star as its effectiveness is significantly lessened past your Sledgehammer turn. In this Zoroark-GX matchup, be ready to lose your Magcargo, so have another [card name=”Slugma” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”23″ c=”name”][/card] ready to go after that happens. A smart player will target the Magcargo, taking the wheels out from under you. This deck can crumble without Magcargo, so always be prepared to lose it. If you find yourself with a bad hand for your next turn, make sure to Smooth Over for a draw Supporter so that you’re not completely derailed by a Knock Out on your all-important slug. [card name=”Weakness Policy” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”126″ c=”name”][/card] can play a large role in this matchup, so attempt to conserve your [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card]  for the most opportune time. Be wary of Stadium wars, as you should in any matchup. With a lower Shrine of Punishment count you’ll want to wait for your opponent to play a Stadium of their own first before you play your own, then you can drop yours and so on and so forth.

Hot Tech: Field Blower

Weakness Policy has crept into most Zoroark-GX decks by now, especially this one. Field Blower is a nice way to combat that, and it’s solid in general to add more Items to your opponent’s discard pile for Trashalanche. In a format where Field Blower isn’t being played as much, it’s an unexpected twist that can save you.

Conclusion

I didn’t get to go over two decks that might belong on here, Vikavolt / Tapu Bulu-GX and Zoroark-GX / [card name=”Banette-GX” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card], but there’s a lot of carryover between those decks alongside Vikavolt / Rayquaza-GX and Zoroark-GX builds in general. [card name=”Buzzwole” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] / Garbodor / [card name=”Weavile” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] / Shrine of Punishment has an amazing matchup spread and can be built to beat about anything. Give it a try, it’s a hard deck to play, but once you get it down it will be rewarding. Good luck, take care, and until next time!

~Caleb

[/premium]