I Wanna Roc — Updated Standard Zoroark-GX / Lycanroc-GX
[cardimg name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
It is my opinion that my friend and teammate Poet Larsen is the best [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] deck builder in the world; he’s more Zoroark now than man. Poet has been crafting the best lists for the deck, specifically Zoroark-GX / [card name=”Lycanroc-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card], with help from me, my friends, and just his own undying obsession with Zoroark-GX. His most recent accolade comes in the form of his first ever Top-8 finish at a Regional Championship, taking his pet deck to the quarterfinals of the tournament. He worked hard to make a creative list, working against adversity with the rotation of [card name=”Brigette” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”134″ c=”name”][/card] in Standard. This, with a couple changes, is the best way to play Zoroark-GX going forward, completely outclassing [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Golisopod-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”17″ c=”name”][/card]. The [card name=”Banette-GX” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card] version of Zoroark-GX is interesting too, but I still believe that Lycanroc-GX is a better partner.
Poet Larsen’s List
[decklist name=”.” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Marshadow” set=”Shining Legends” no=”45″][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=”Lycanroc-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”74″ 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=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Sudowoodo” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”66″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Marshadow” set=”Shining Legends” no=”45″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”34″]3x [card name=”Lillie” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”125″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Professor Kukui” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”128″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Acerola” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”112″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Mallow” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”127″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Cynthia” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”119″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Apricorn Maker” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”124″ 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=”Nest Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”123″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Weakness Policy” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”126″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Timer Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”134″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Friend Ball” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”131″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Multi Switch” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”129″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Pal Pad” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”132″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]3x [card name=”Devoured Field” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”93″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”8″]4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Shining Legends” no=”69″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Fighting Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”96″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
Looking at the original list, it’s easy to get caught in its beauty. Healthy counts of most cards, and even some excess on cards like [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] for certain matchups. The inclusion of [card name=”Weakness Policy” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”126″ c=”name”][/card] is genius, improving the [card name=”Buzzwole” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Shrine of Punishments” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”143″ c=”name”][/card] matchup; and [card name=”Sudowoodo” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card] might just be the star of this list. Let’s not get in too deep, because there are a few things that can be changed…
- -1 [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card]
- Bad starter, less important when you don’t play Brigette.
- -1 [card name=”Apricorn Maker” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”124″ c=”name”][/card]
- [card name=”Lillie” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card] should always be your first-turn draw Supporter of choice.
- -1 [card name=”Timer Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”134″ c=”name”][/card]
- [card name=”Great Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”119″ c=”name”][/card] outclasses this card in this format. You want to mitigate randomness as much as possible. Even though Great Ball, too, can whiff, it’s simply better.
- -1 Fighting Energy
- Removing an Energy isn’t a big deal. I wish people didn’t get so scared about it; it takes a couple percent away from your odds of hitting one on your first turn, but when you’re looking to Lillie right away, you’re drawing so many that you have solid odds to hit an Energy even with just three Fighting Energy. The Energy serving the purpose of an Energy itself rarely matters, it’s more about hitting it early when you need it.
The Updated List
[decklist name=”.” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Marshadow” set=”Shining Legends” no=”45″][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=”Lycanroc-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”74″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]3x [card name=”Rockruff” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”75″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Sudowoodo” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”66″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Marshadow” set=”Shining Legends” no=”45″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”36″]4x [card name=”Lillie” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”125″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Professor Kukui” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”128″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Acerola” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”112″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Mallow” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”127″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Judge” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”108″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Cynthia” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”119″ 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=”Nest Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”123″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Weakness Policy” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”126″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Great Ball” set=”Shining Legends” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Friend Ball” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”131″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Multi Switch” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”129″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Pal Pad” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”132″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]3x [card name=”Devoured Field” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”93″ 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=”Fighting Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”96″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
Two Lycanroc-GX and Three Rockruff
A thinner line of Lycanroc-GX is fine, even with Great Ball in the deck. You’re never going to use three Lycanroc-GX in a game, so I would argue to include more search cards to get Lycanroc-GX and other Pokemon before ever adding another Lycanroc-GX itself.
Three [card name=”Rockruff” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card] is a solid number. You don’t have the Bench space to play down more. Adding a fourth would be okay to bolster your starting percentages, however, so that’s a consideration to be aware of.
Two Tapu Lele-GX
Gone are the days of Brigette, so Tapu Lele-GX is a little less valuable. Since we don’t have as many surefire ways to find Evolution Pokemon either, you’re going to lose more Rockruff and [card name=”Zorua” set=”Shining Legends” no=”52″ c=”name”][/card] in the process, making your Bench space more valuable. You’ll want to leave that Bench space open as much as you can for multiple copies of your pre-Evolutions and even the techs that this deck runs, which I’ll cover next…
One Sudowoodo
[cardimg name=”Sudowoodo” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”66″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
A poor man’s [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card], Roadblock is severely underrated in this format. Most, if not all, decks are taking advantage of luxurious Bench space, opting to play more setup Pokemon like [card name=”Magcargo” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”24″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Oranguru” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”113″ c=”name”][/card] in conjunction — two Bench spots on their own! With this in mind, the retro Zoroark-GX / Lycanroc-GX strategy comes to fruition: use Lycanroc-GX to target down whatever you want and limit your opponent’s Bench in order to make it difficult for them to execute their strategy. Bench limitation is always a strong power, but it’s better than ever in this format specifically.
The drawback of playing Sudowoodo down is it’s like you’re “Roadblock-ing yourself” by putting a Pokemon on your Bench that doesn’t attack; but, unlike Parallel City, your opponent has to use [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] and attack it for a Knock Out instead of simply playing a counter Stadium. You can [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”name”][/card] Sudowoodo right back if you want, too.
One Marshadow
The [card name=”Judge” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”108″ c=”name”][/card] effect is great in this format, especially when it doesn’t count as a Supporter for the turn. [card name=”Marshadow” set=”Shining Legends” no=”45″ c=”name”][/card] is searchable with your Ball cards and can be used in combination with Bloodthirsty Eyes — a powerful move in pivotal situations. Marshadow can even serve as a convenient way to draw more cards before or after playing your Supporter for the turn.
[premium]
Four Lillie
Lillie is the best draw Supporter you can ask for on your first turn. Playing four increases your chances of starting with it naturally, and it’s not bad mid game either. You can play most of the cards in your deck right away, lowering your hand size down and allowing you to draw more cards with Lillie.
Three Guzma
A gust effect for when you can’t set up Lycanroc-GX is useful to have access to, especially in the early game when you’re still setting up. The three Guzma give you extra outs to gust effects while saving your Bloodthirsty Eyes Abilities for later. The extra gust effects of this deck are what makes it so powerful — cutting one would weaken its strength.
Two Professor Kukui
The extra 20 damage is why you play this card, and there’s many reasons to do so in today’s Standard. Buzzwole has 130, 10 shy of Zoroark-GX taking a one-hit Knock Out with Riotous Beating; playing a [card name=”Professor Kukui” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”128″ c=”name”][/card] turns this two-shot into a one-shot. If your opponent is playing Sudowoodo to Roadblock in a Shrine of Punishment deck, you can use this and a [card name=”Devoured Field” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] together to hit that fabled 130 damage as well. What’s most important is hitting 180 against a [card name=”Rayquaza-GX” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] using this, Devoured Field, and Choice Band together to swing for a Knock Out. You never know when a little extra damage will come in handy.
In a format without much recovery from the discard pile, playing multiple copies of your techs is crucial to make sure you can use it when it counts most.
Two Acerola
[cardimg name=”Acerola” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”112″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
Healing cards went in and out of Zoroark-GX decks in Standard formats past; but this Standard calls for a heavy dose of it, [card name=”Acerola” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”112″ c=”name”][/card] being the best option. Without a clear way to recover [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Shining Legends” no=”69″ c=”name”][/card], Acerola is strictly better than [card name=”Max Potion” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”128″ c=”name”][/card]. Healing effects are strong in this format, as few decks are able to pull off more than one OHKO in a game except for [card name=”Vikavolt” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”52″ c=”name”][/card] variants. Denying Knock Outs puts the pressure on your opponent to set up quickly, otherwise they’ll be overwhelmed by the pressure of their best Pokemon being targeted down. While this deck doesn’t rely on one-hit Knock Outs, it’s more crafty in that it can slow down the opponent’s game plan and in turn get more opportunities to deny an opponent’s strategy by aggressively targeting important pieces of their setup or just their main attackers.
One Mallow
[card name=”Mallow” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”127″ c=”name”][/card] has always been a solid card in Zoroark-GX decks, but, with this specific list, it enables a dirty combination: taking a Lycanroc-GX and Marshadow from the deck and then using them together completes a humongous turn on which you can pull ahead. It’s like playing three Supporters: Mallow, Guzma, and Judge!
One Judge
Having a single copy of Judge is up in the air, but I like it because you can reuse it with [card name=”Pal Pad” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”132″ c=”name”][/card]. Additionally, you still want a way to disrupt your opponent other than Marshadow; Marshadow takes a Bench space, a spot that isn’t always available.
One Cynthia
[card name=”Cynthia” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”119″ c=”name”][/card] doesn’t do much in this deck, and you should focus on getting most of your draw power from Trade. Cynthia is however nice once in a while when your hand clogs up and you can’t use Lillie. If you’re not playing the cards in your hand, it is likely because you are saving them for your next turn. If that’s the case, you’d rather build upon the hand you have already rather than shuffling it back into your deck and starting all over again.
Four Ultra Ball, Four Nest Ball, Two Great Ball, One Friend Ball
The Ball lineup of [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] decks has gone through some serious changes lately, but don’t be alarmed — this lineup is nearing perfection.
Timer Ball was ushered in as a “replacement” to [card name=”Evosoda” set=”Generations” no=”62″ c=”name”][/card], but people have grown more and more disenfranchised with it. The problem is that it loses you games sometimes, something that Evosoda never did; you always knew how many Pokemon it could get, and how it could get them. Two tails on a Timer Ball is just deadly… Most people, including myself, got tired of losing games due to bad coin flips and have since preferred playing different search cards in its place.
[card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Shining Legends” no=”68″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Nest Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] need to remain at maxed out counts. Both are extremely important to the deck and get you exactly what you expect them to get.
[card name=”Great Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”119″ c=”name”][/card] is a suitable replacement for Timer Ball, removing one more risky element of luck and replacing it with another more balanced one. Sometimes you won’t get the exact Pokemon you want, sure, but the nice thing about Great Ball is that on the first few turns it can help you get Basic Pokemon, something Timer Ball cannot; think of it like another Nest Ball.
[card name=”Friend Ball” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”131″ c=”name”][/card] is really cool too, giving you a free copy of Zoroark-GX in mirror matches, and almost every deck plays [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] so you’ll almost always have the option to take a Psychic Pokemon. Fighting decks are popular too, giving you another out to your [card name=”Rockruff” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Lycanroc-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card]. I think the single copy is better than another Great Ball. Friend Ball, in the right situations, can get whatever you want with no chance of failure.
Three Choice Band
[card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] is useful for hitting various numbers, but it is mainly in here to improve the Rayquaza-GX matchup. Having three increases your chances of finding it in fast matchups such as the aforementioned Rayquaza-GX matchup, one that you cannot afford to fall behind in.
Two Weakness Policy
[cardimg name=”Weakness Policy” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”126″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
Included for [card name=”Buzzwole” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] decks, it’s gained strength in mirror matches too, since they usually don’t play [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card]. It gives you a way to put your Zoroark-GX up as a viable attacker against decks that it formerly wasn’t great against. It’s by all means a staple in this deck now. Without it, your matchup against Buzzwole decks will suffer, and taking a loss to the most popular deck in the game right now is not a good idea.
One Multi Switch
Lycanroc-GX can be a clunky attacker, so having a surprise way to power it up out of nowhere is amazing. While it’s not as good as it used to be with [card name=”Puzzle of Time” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Multi Switch” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”129″ c=”name”][/card] is extremely instrumental in building to a game-winning position that your opponent doesn’t have an answer to. Powering up an attacker out of nowhere will never lose its power, and Multi Switch gets you to that point.
One Pal Pad
Zoroark-GX has the means to Trade into cards you shuffle back into the deck, and with many useful tech Supporters, Pal Pad suits Zoroark-GX well as a “replacement” to Puzzle of Time. Your deck size gets so low that you will have a high chance of drawing into the Supporters you put back.
Three Devoured Field
Getting a one-hit Knock Out against Buzzwole is extremely good in this format. A high count of [card name=”Devoured Field” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] with [card name=”Weakness Policy” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”126″ c=”name”][/card] can spell doom for a Buzzwole player almost on its own.
It also allows Zoroark-GX to do 180 with Choice Band and [card name=”Professor Kukui” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”128″ c=”name”][/card], another number that’s relevant in a variety of matchups.
Options
Diancie Prism Star
Lycanroc-GX can Claw Slash for 130, one-shotting a Buzzwole or [card name=”Deoxys” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”67″ c=”name”][/card]. Of course you already have Zoroark-GX and Devoured Field to do that, so I personally view [card name=”Diancie Prism Star” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] as unnecessary. It’s one of the first things I’d cut from a Zoroark-GX / Lycanroc-GX list if it were still in the deck.
Magcargo
I go back and forth with my thoughts on [card name=”Magcargo” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”24″ c=”name”][/card], but overall I don’t think it has a place in this archetype. Your Bench is cramped with a stream of Zoroark-GX, a Lycanroc-GX, and hopefully a backup Rockruff. On top of that, you may need to play a [card name=”Marshadow” set=”Shining Legends” no=”45″ c=”name”][/card] or Tapu Lele-GX, not to mention [card name=”Sudowoodo” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card]! Smooth Over is diminished to nearly obsolete with many Zoroark-GX in play, since Trade will almost certainly guarantee you the cards you seek after a certain point.
Apricorn Maker
Another card I’m not a fan of. Your first-turn Supporter should always be [card name=”Lillie” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card] — why even play [card name=”Apricorn Maker” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”124″ c=”name”][/card]? An argument exists where you can use it mid game to get more Stage 1 Pokemon out, but again, I’d almost always rather be using [card name=”Cynthia” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”119″ c=”name”][/card] or Lillie once more. I don’t understand the point of playing two different turn-one Supporters. You want to pick one and stick with it instead of playing conflicting setup methods.
Matchups
Buzzwole / Shrine of Punishment: Slightly Unfavorable
[cardimg name=”Devoured Field” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”93″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
Sudowoodo is the key to taking this one down. Using it and Bloodthirsty Eyes to limit your opponent’s support Pokemon, you can take down Magcargo over and over until your opponent’s strategy falters. You win this matchup by asserting your consistency: you have a more consistent deck than your opponent, so make it look that way; target the support Pokemon that matter.
Weakness Policy is huge too, protecting your Zoroark-GX from easy one-hit Knock Outs barring a [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card]. [card name=”Lycanroc-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] is a safe attacker that can’t be Knocked Out easily if all else fails. Don’t underrate [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] as an attacker in the early game; it can take a couple hits and then you can [card name=”Acerola” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”112″ c=”name”][/card] to save it from a Knock Out, completely brushing away your opponent’s work they put into taking it down.
Assign high value to your Devoured Field, as they are the key to taking down a [card name=”Buzzwole” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] in one hit. But be cautious about dropping your Stadium cards — try to wait until your opponent plays their own before playing yours in order to win the Stadium war.
Aside from that, make sure to limit your Abilities, Items, or have a contingency plan to combat those attackers. Say you can’t limit your Abilities, then make sure to target down [card name=”Sneasel” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”73″ c=”name”][/card] the first time you see it.
Malamar / Marshadow-GX: Slightly Favorable
This matchup is favorable, but it’s easy to let get away from you. Your number-one priority should always be to target down [card name=”Malamar” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card]. If you can do this, then your opponent won’t even have a chance to abuse [card name=”Marshadow-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”80″ c=”name”][/card] to one-shot your Zoroark-GX. On top of that, if you Weakness Policy your Zoroark-GX then you’ll be safe from harm, but Field Blower has begun to creep into Malamar decks to combat that. Lycanroc-GX using Bloodthirsty Eyes gives you many more outs to Malamar Knock Outs than in other decks, so you’re favored on paper. Use of Sudowoodo will further your strategy to eliminate the core of your opponent’s strategy, forcing them into awkward Bench situations where it’s hard to continue setting up.
Your opponent will try to just win the Prize trade by going for an aggressive Marshadow-GX focus, but you can one-shot it right back with a Riotous Beating a Choice Band. Be on the lookout for openings your opponent may have to use [card name=”Dawn Wings Necrozma-GX” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”63″ c=”name”][/card]’s Moon’s Eclipse GX — it’s in such spots where you’ll need a way to gust up something else and take a Knock Out, or you can fall behind on the Prize trade.
Sylveon-GX: Unfavorable
There’s not a great way around this newly introduced deck except for [card name=”Oranguru” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Zygarde-GX” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”73″ c=”name”][/card]. If you play either of those, then I don’t see any way for you to lose. The only exception is if they play [card name=”Gardevoir-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] and it comes down, but with so many ways to target your opponent’s Pokemon on the Bench, I see little hope for that to happen in this matchup, especially if your opponent only plays one [card name=”Ralts” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card]. Oranguru is perhaps more applicable in other scenarios though, giving you a decent attacker in other matchups, too.
All this aside, [card name=”Sylveon-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] absolutely dismantles your strategy. With a wide array of disruptive options and healing, there’s little hope for you to be able to Knock Out multiple Sylveon-GX. You can fall back on Marshadow or [card name=”Judge” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”108″ c=”name”][/card] though, giving you a way to shuffle your opponent’s Magical Ribbon cards back into the deck and hopefully get an attack to stick without being healed immediately. You will need a dedicated slot in your deck to consistently beat Sylveon-GX, so if you want to make that call you may be rewarded with some cheap wins. If not, you’ll be hoping your opponent has a rough start or bricks, because there’s little way around this one.
Vikavolt / Rayquaza-GX: Slightly Favorable
With the teched-out options this list brings to the table in [card name=”Devoured Field” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Professor Kukui” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”128″ c=”name”][/card], a [card name=”Rayquaza-GX” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] is Knocked Out with the two of those, [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card], and a full Bench for Riotous Beating. 180 is a lot of pressure to put on, and while your opponent’s deck can Strong Charge out more Energy to hopefully reciprocate their last attack, you can aim to do the same play as before with another one-hit Knock Out. The issue is keeping the stream up, and somewhere in there you want to work in a Dangerous Rogue GX for another one-hit Knock Out.
Don’t waste time chasing down [card name=”Grubbin” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”13″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Vikavolt” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”52″ c=”name”][/card]. If there’s just one of either in play, knocking it out can get you a free turn of attacking, unless your opponent has another way to accelerate more Energy into play for a one-hit Knock Out in reply.
The non-GX version of Vikavolt / Rayquaza-GX is arguably easier, as both [card name=”Dhelmise” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”22″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Shining Lugia” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM82″ c=”name”][/card] can be taken down in one Riotous Beating with a Devoured Field in play.
In other last-minute advice, make sure to conserve your Marshadow or Judge for the turn your opponent uses Tempest GX, as it will be able to stifle their setup.
Zoroark-GX / Lycanroc-GX: Even
[cardimg name=”Rockruff” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”75″ align=”right” c=”none”]This poor guy is always targeted…[/cardimg]
The mirror match is highly dependent on who gets to go first. By going first you have a chance to take out your opponent’s [card name=”Rockruff” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card] before they can get Lycanroc-GX. [card name=”Sudowoodo” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card] is also important, along with [card name=”Multi Switch” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”129″ c=”name”][/card] to build your own Lycanroc-GX out of nowhere. The key to winning this matchup is solidifying a Lycanroc-GX that you can sweep your opponent’s board with. That sounds simple, but, again, you’ll have to stave off your opponent’s own Lycanroc-GX in the process to get to that point. Whenever you face a Zoroark-GX deck with this deck, you want to target down whatever isn’t Zoroark-GX. That way, once you clear the field of counters to Lycanroc-GX, you can sweep away all the remaining Fighting-weak Zoroark-GX and [card name=”Zorua” set=”Shining Legends” no=”52″ c=”name”][/card] on your opponent’s field with ease.
Conclusion
Zoroark-GX / Lycanroc-GX has found itself in a familiar spot: as the best Zoroark-GX deck in the format. From here, it’s going to be a battle against rising troves of counters, so I would be sure to revisit the techs that you can play to combat them. This deck is still extremely strong, and with consistency at its heart, it’ll be doing what you want it to almost every game.
See you in Memphis! As of now, as much as I like this deck, I find myself still infatuated with my Regional-winning Buzzwole / Shrine of Punishment deck. We’ll see what happens…
~Caleb
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