Stinky Omelet with Toad Topping — Expanded Zoroark-GX / Garbodor

By: Caleb Gedemer · Posted Posted onOct 25, 2018 at 1:43 PM · 0 Comments

Expanded is vastly populated with different decks, creating unique gains and losses as a result of the Expanded format bans a quarter ago. Of the affected decks, [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] certainly lost the most. It has the tools to recover, though, but some things will be lost in the void, [card name=”Ghetsis” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”101″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Puzzle of Time” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card], for one. [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card] has a pseudo replacement out there, [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Legendary Treasures” no=”68″ c=”name”][/card] with Garbotoxin, the focus of this piece.

Garbodor can be deactivated on your turn with three different cards right now: [card name=”Bursting Balloon” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Klefki” set=”Steam Siege” no=”80″ c=”name”][/card]. My list plays all three of these because it is nice to have different options for different situations. The main goal here is to recreate a way to get all of your [card name=”Exeggcute” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”4″ c=”name”][/card] back from your discard pile, use your Trade Abilities, and then have a way to shut off an opposing [card name=”Sudowoodo” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card] so you can fill your Bench to the brim and take one-hit Knock Outs. Ability lock is especially crippling for decks based around Abilities themselves, of which Expanded has many varieties. Melding lock and power together is always a strong combination, and while this deck is new on the surface, it’s really just a revision of the older Hex Maniac archetype, just shifting cards around to make do with the cards available in the current pool.

Zoroark-GX / Garbodor

Rudimentarily, Zoroark-GX is strong, but Sudowoodo nerfs it. You need Garbotoxin to get your [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card] kicking at full power, and the Ability lock accompanying it is incredible as well. Zoroark-GX is the most consistent Expanded format deck once it gets running allowing you to plow through your deck and kick out big attacks. It’s still positioned well because it can stack up to anything, with Ability-based decks reentering the format you take favorable matchups to those, and you retain decent matchups against things like [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Drampa-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Trevenant BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card]. It’s never a bad idea to stick with a tried and true concept, so if that’s where you’re at, this is the deck for you. 

[decklist name=”.” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Klefki” set=”Steam Siege” no=”80″][pokemon amt=”22″]4x [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]1x [card name=”Zoroark” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”91″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Zorua” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”70″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]1x [card name=”Exeggutor” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”5″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]3x [card name=”Exeggcute” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”4″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Legendary Treasures” no=”68″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Trubbish” set=”Noble Victories” no=”48″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Klefki” set=”Steam Siege” no=”80″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”34″]3x [card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”118″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Pokémon Ranger” set=”Steam Siege” no=”104″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Karen” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY177″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Delinquent” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”98″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Brigette” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”134″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Acerola” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”112″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Shining Legends” no=”68″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Bursting Balloon” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”97″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Special Charge” set=”Steam Siege” no=”105″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Red Card” set=”Generations” no=”71″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Pokémon Communication” set=”Black and White” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Level Ball” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”76″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Dowsing Machine” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”128″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]3x [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”4″]4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Shining Legends” no=”69″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

One Zoroark

[cardimg name=”Zoroark” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”91″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Please play the [card name=”Zorua” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”70″ c=”name”][/card] with Paralyzing Gaze, it is simply the best. Any nonsensical split you stoop to is simply incorrect, this one just gives you outs to certain situations and make crank out a turn where you get to chill if you flip heads. [card name=”Zoroark” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] also has been falling out of favor in many Zoroark-GX decks, but that’s just wrong. Mind Jack is a powerful way to deal meaningful damage, and sometimes even one-hit Knock Outs, especially in mirror matches. It’s a great one-Prize attack that helps you stay in the Prize race if you’re to fall behind against a deck like Night March. It’s also an out to Special Conditions and a way to switch your Pokemon around in a pinch with a [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] attached. The [card name=”Zoroark” set=”Black and White” no=”71″ c=”name”][/card] with Foul Play is alright, a better way to counter [card name=”Buzzwole-GX” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] decks, but I’m still a bigger fan of this one.

Three Shaymin-EX and One Tapu Lele-GX

Set Up is a broken Ability; it helps you set up… [card name=”Brigette” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”134″ c=”name”][/card] is a little too slow for Expanded nowadays if you ask me, so I prefer a [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card]-based setup with more Item-based Pokemon search cards. As such, a single [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] is really all you need now, sometimes granting you passage to Brigette or sometimes getting you the tech Supporter of your choice at a critical moment.

Three Exeggcute and One Exeggutor

While this deck can and will bypass Roadblock, you aren’t quite as explosive as you once were. That being said it’s more reasonable to play less Exeggcute, something that I think was fine in the past as well, quite frankly. With 12 Basic Pokemon outside of Exeggcute itself, you’ll be more than fine finding that last Pokemon for a full Sky Field Bench. [card name=”Exeggutor” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”5″ c=”name”][/card] is a crutch for me, I haven’t been using it often in testing, but it’s something I’m just attached to after playing it for so many events last season. It gives you a strong matchup against [card name=”Wailord-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”38″ c=”name”][/card] decks by stopping their disruptive Supporters and giving you time to soften up Wailord-EX with Blockade and can turn the tide in games you “weren’t supposed to win”. It’s a comeback/surprise card, and one of the most cuttable cards in the list if you want to take a more consistent, basic approach. I list it only because that’s what I’m playing right now and I don’t want to hide anything; it’s certainly not for everyone.

[premium]

Two Trubbish and One Garbodor

Creating space for more cards, I only play a single Garbodor, which has been fine. With [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”name”][/card] as a fallback to recover it if your opponent targets it down, the only other thing you’ll want is a second [card name=”Trubbish” set=”Noble Victories” no=”48″ c=”name”][/card], which I play, so you can have that on your Bench in anticipation of a Garbodor-targeting. If you feel the need to go to two Garbodor, I don’t blame you, that’s what I started with but I’ve decided you really only need one. Trubbish with Garbage Collection is the best and it provides you a way to beat mill decks by getting back your [card name=”Dowsing Machine” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”128″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Special Charge” set=”Steam Siege” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card] over and over. This [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Legendary Treasures” no=”68″ c=”name”][/card] is best because it’s less painful to be hit by its own attack if your opponent is to use Trickster GX or something that can copy your attacks. Overall, this is as thin of a line as I would play, however.

One Seismitoad-EX

Another Exeggutor-like tech, [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] is included in this list to create comeback situations and you can play a Seismitoad-EX / Garbodor-like deck when you have the two aforementioned Pokemon in play and doing their job. The combination of Ability and Item lock is crippling and Seismitoad-EX can be used to set up Knock Outs and set up the rest of your board. Again, if you don’t find yourself using it often I would cut it, it’s a card I’ve gotten good use out of and like myself. When I talk about techs like this it’s an advanced play, like seeing an opportunity where you can buy time and set up better, or stop your opponent in their tracks of winning the game and mount a comeback. Before I end with this, I’d like to paint a hypothetical situation:

  • Say your opponent is playing Night March, and you see that there are a [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] and a [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card] in their discard pile.
  • It’s reasonable to assume that those are the last “hard copies” of those Supporters in their deck, meaning they’ll have to recover them with [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] to win the game.
  • If you push your Seismitoad-EX into this situation, maybe pairing it with a [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] of your own for a Pokemon-EX/GX, you can start to creep back into a back that you may have been positioned to lose previously.
  • After taking the Knock Out on that two-Prize Pokemon then you can use your own Guzma again on a following turn to win the game

This is a bit far-out, but I think it illustrates my point. Cards like Exeggutor and Seismitoad-EX give you options, options you don’t normally have in a more linear-focused strategy. I like options, and Item and Supporter lock with [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card], or just in general, can win you games you otherwise wouldn’t have won.

One Klefki

[cardimg name=”Klefki” set=”Steam Siege” no=”80″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Another piece to the Garbotoxin puzzle, Wonder Lock can be used even under Item lock, giving you an out to Garbotoxin against Trevenant BREAK decks, and it’s also just a nice, searchable way to find a “Tool”. At worst, it counts as another Pokemon to boost your Riotous Beating output and can give you a far better matchup against M Pokemon-EX decks (if any those miraculously appear across the table from you).

One Pokemon Ranger and One Karen

These are deck-specific techs that I like for today’s Expanded metagame. It’s always unpredictable as to how much Seismitoad-EX we’ll see at an Expanded tournament, especially the first major one of the season. I like the Pokemon Ranger as a tech just in case, and as for [card name=”Karen” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY177″ c=”name”][/card], it’s insurance against Night March and also good against [card name=”Archie’s Ace in the Hole” set=”Primal Clash” no=”124″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Maxie’s Hidden Ball Trick” set=”Primal Clash” no=”133″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] (or [card name=”Flareon” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card]) decks. I run a second Rescue Stretcher in its place in a Night March-less world and since Karen can serve much of the same purpose, and more, it’s an easy swapping of those two cards.

One Delinquent and One Red Card

Much like Ghetsis, I like to think of [card name=”Delinquent” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”98″ c=”name”][/card] as the modern-day disruption Supporter for Zoroark-GX decks. Most decks don’t have the luxury of drawing cards and disrupting an opponent, so Delinquent fits in this deck nicely and can be deadly in combination with Red Card, a leftover stalwart of Zoroark-GX decks past.

One Acerola

Without [card name=”Puzzle of Time” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card], this deck wants to be able to get the most out of every card it has because they won’t necessarily be coming back. [card name=”Acerola” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”112″ c=”name”][/card] pairs nicely with Seismitoad-EX and again, it allows you to pick up a Zoroark-GX with no drawback only to put it back down and get back to the battle while retaining your Energy and anything else that was attached to it.

Two Bursting Balloon

Another activator for Garbotoxin, the nice thing is that it’s discarded at the end of your turn so you can get your Abilities back immediately. Another way to look at this could be to play a higher [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card] count and more Tools like [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] and/or Float Stone, but I like Bursting Balloon the most right now. It’s also extremely powerful against decks like Night March or builds that you need to soften up ([card name=”Gardevoir-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] has 230 HP).

One Special Charge

Without Puzzle of Time you need a way to get Energy back and this is the ticket to just that. Playing two would be nice but space comes into play quickly once you build the deck full of techs.

One Dowsing Machine

The complement to [card name=”Computer Search” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] , Dowsing Machine is better equipped for Zoroark-GX decks of this format since you get some recovery back which can sometimes be pivotal. Say you’re out of Energy and burned your Special Charge, boom, Dowsing Machine is there to save the day and get you whatever you might need back. It’s been very nice to have and I haven’t noticed significant consistency problems as a result, so there’s been no need to switch back to the more often used Computer Search. For a moment, try to recall days without Puzzle of Time, Computer Search was often less popular back then, with Dowsing Machine making its way into more decks instead.

Options

The only thing to discuss here are some of the counts in this deck. You could play [card name=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”110″ c=”name”][/card] as a ‘multiple-use [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card]’, but I’m not a huge fan of that. [card name=”Bunnelby” set=”Primal Clash” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Oranguru” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card] are also options as dedicated mill counters if you feel the need. The higher Field Blower and Tool count option is another one if you want to do away with [card name=”Bursting Balloon” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card], although I don’t like that at all. Zoroark with Foul Play is something to think about, although I wouldn’t do that and the one with Mind Jack both in the same deck. While it alters the deck completely another mention I’d like to make is Garbodor with Trashalanche and [card name=”Psychic Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”95″ c=”name”][/card], something I’ve talked about here in the past. Overall, this deck is pretty shaved down the skeleton as it is, so to fit new techs you’ll have to take out some of the old. If you have a question about a specific tech or can’t decide which ones to play just ask me in the Subscribers’ Hideout!

Matchups

Blastoise: Slightly Favorable

[cardimg name=”Garbodor” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”54″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Taking a Knock Out on a Pokemon that has most of your opponent’s Energy on it, playing [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card], and establishing Garbotoxin should win you this matchup at some point. It will happen eventually, unless your opponent gets off to an amazingly powerful start and prevents your own setup or targets down Trubbish or Garbodor before they can do their job. Most [card name=”Blastoise” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”16″ c=”name”][/card] lists play one [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card], some play a [card name=”Xerosic” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”110″ c=”name”][/card]. It will be hard to build up attackers that can take a one-hit Knock Out and also stop Ability lock in the same turn, so you will be favored on paper in this one and I have found the same results in practice.

Buzzwole / Shrine of Punishment: Unfavorable

Zoroark-GX struggles with this deck in Standard and it’s even worse in Expanded. Regaining [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card], more consistent Supporters, and [card name=”Octillery” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card] just makes your opponents deck do what it does more efficiently. The readdition of [card name=”Strong Energy” set=”Fates Collide” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] complicates things even more, making one-hit Knock Outs on a Zoroark-GX much more frequent. In any case, one-Prize Buzzwole-focused decks are difficult for Zoroark-GX to beat, so adding other pieces like Garbodor to the mix makes it harder. Your win condition will be some combination of taking down Octillery, then putting your opponent to a low hand size (hopefully three) and using [card name=”Delinquent” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”98″ c=”name”][/card]. Garbotoxin is strong to prevent Octillery from doing its thing, and stopping [card name=”Diancie Prism Star” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] from working is neat too. N and Garbotoxin are always a winning out in the late game, so just test this out to see if you can get it to work. Playing a matchup like this will mean you’ll be falling behind on Prizes frequently, so being mentally prepared for that is necessary.

Buzzwole-GX / Lycanroc-GX: Slightly Unfavorable

Buzzwole-GX is also difficult to beat, my best advice is much of the same, KO Octillery and put yourself in a position where you can use N or Delinquent to get some ‘free turns’ of attacking with no opposition. Garbotoxin when you can, stop [card name=”Lycanroc-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] from using Bloodthirsty Eyes, and take a one-Prize Knock Out before doing anything else so you can avoid activating the damage output of Sledgehammer. On the turn before [card name=”Beast Ring” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card] is activated, you’re going to want to disrupt your opponent in some way to hopefully stave that off. If you have an opportunity to go for a two-Prize Pokemon to deactivate [card name=”Beast Ring” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card] (going from four Prizes to two Prizes remaining) you should take that opportunity. Know your outs for this game and you can win games still, you don’t want to be completely unpracticed with it though, because then you can flounder and get completely ran over. Finally, if there are ever two two-Prize Pokemon in play at a time if you’re playing Seismitoad-EX you can pull off a super cool play. You start by hitting the first for damage enough to put it into range for a Quaking Punch Knock Out, and then you can take that Knock Out on your following turn. While you’ll perhaps fall behind on Prizes in the process, you’ll stop Beast Ring at its onset and then on your next turn you can use Guzma to take out that other two-Prize Pokemon before Beast Ring gets to be used at all; just food for thought.

Garbodor / Drampa-GX: Even

So your opponent will likely be playing [card name=”Sudowoodo” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card] and a heavy [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card] count which presents a unique situation where you don’t have a great out either way. When you’re caught up like this just playing under Garbotoxin lock (yours or your opponent’s) is preferred. That sounds weird, but in a situation like this you almost want to think of your outs to shutting off Garbotoxin like draw cards. This said, you never want to leave your Exeggcute in your discard pile, if you do, then they’ll be trapped there if Abilities are locked via Garbotoxin. Every card needs to count, your [card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”118″ c=”name”][/card] are maybe the most important cards in the deck since they draw you hands where you can reach for the missing pieces you need to take a Knock Out. Shaymin-EX using Sky Return with a Choice Band is very good against Drampa-GX, you can use it and move into a Zoroark-GX and then finish up a Knock Out. It goes without saying, but you know the spiel about limiting Items, do that!

Mill Decks: Slightly Favorable

[card name=”Trubbish” set=”Noble Victories” no=”48″ c=”name”][/card] with Garbage Collection gives you a good shot right away, just providing you with a way to get things back to an ‘infinite’ extent. Playing a tech specifically for mill decks would amp that percentage up further, and you do have to remember that it will vary by deck. [card name=”Sylveon-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] is the hardest of the bunch, but [card name=”Stoutland” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Raichu” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card] and Wailord-EX are nearly free wins. Against Stoutland you activate Garbodor and roll, and if [card name=”Goodra” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] comes in play with Slip Trip you can Klefki to get around it and still manage to activate the Ability-locking power of Garbotoxin. Sylveon-GX is really the only one of the lot that would be made better with a tech, Oranguru specifically (since it requires a [card name=”Professor Kukui” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”128″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] to be one-shot). Last, but certainly least is [card name=”Durant” set=”Noble Victories” no=”83″ c=”name”][/card] something that’s not really even a deck in my eyes. It is a dedicated mill deck which is pretty unfortunate for you, but against that just optimize your chances of taking six Prizes off six attacks. No shenanigans, just Double Colorless Energy to Zoroark-GX and knock the ‘ant attacks down. Colress can put cards back in your deck so keep your Bench at three Pokemon (four Pokemon in play makes Riotous Beating do 80, enough to take out Durant). Dowsing Machine and Special Charge are extremely important so make sure that you get two Double Colorless Energy back with them each both times, giving you a grand total of eight available Energy (this applies to all of these variants). Overall these are matchups where you can take your time and maybe even make some mistakes but still come out on top with your ways to get resources back.

Trevenant BREAK: Slightly Favorable

Garbodor gives you a better shot in this matchup than that of other [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] decks. Klefki serves as a non-Item Tool card, so you can even activate Garbotoxin under Item lock. If you can manage to get a Float Stone on a Garbodor you’ll be even better off, just stopping [card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] and its Forest’s Curse from working at all. Conserve your Double Colorless Energy like they’re precious resources and don’t put any down unless you’re taking a Knock Out that turn so that [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”124″ c=”name”][/card] doesn’t punish you.

Zoroark-GX: Even

[cardimg name=”Bursting Balloon” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”97″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Mirror matches are generally favorable for this deck. It relies on incorporating a debilitating Ability lock into your plans which other Zoroark-GX decks just can’t compete with. [card name=”Red Card” set=”Generations” no=”71″ c=”name”][/card] with Garbotoxin slows an opponent down, giving you turns to get ahead on Prizes or land extra attacks you wouldn’t have otherwise. These mirror matches are difficult to predict since there are so many Zoroark-GX variants, but I would say that you’ll see the Garbodor and [card name=”Alolan Muk” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”58″ c=”name”][/card] versions most often. Ability lock is rampant in both of these, but your version is more effective since you can get your Abilities back going into your next turn after playing down Bursting Balloon or Klefki. All in all these take some getting used to, but your disruption cards and Zoroark with Mind Jack will play a large role if you want to see success in the matchup.

Conclusion

Zoroark-GX / Garbodor is one of the best decks going into Portland, Oregon Regionals later this week. I would expect it to be among those that are the most played so if you’re not playing it with a slew of techs to beat everything else, make sure that you are playing a deck that can beat it on its own. Good luck at Regionals if you’re going and don’t be afraid to come greet me, and if you’re not headed to the West Coast of the United States, the best of luck to you at your next event!

Peace and best wishes in all you do,

~Caleb

[/premium]