To the Best of Our Abilities — Eelektrik, Bronzong and Malamar in Expanded
[cardimg name=”Eelektrik” set=”Noble Victories” no=”40″ align=”right” c=”custom”]Energy acceleration’s back![/cardimg]
The first major Expanded event of this season is almost here: the Portland Regional Championship! The new ban list should change what people are playing in the Expanded format, as discussed by great players previously. I love eternal formats in TCGs! Naturally that makes the Expanded format my cup of tea. I’ve been a fan of it for quite a long time, so I’m excited to add my voice to the conversation. This format can be rewarding for hard-working players and creative deck builders alike. Players are going to have to prepare against a variety of decks in the first Regional since the banning of four cards has changed the landscape. Decks such as Shock Lock come to mind; designing a deck like that from scratch takes some great ingenuity.
Unfortunately for those of us in Europe, the Expanded Format isn’t offered at any events. In fact, all events outside of North America are in the Standard format! League Cups and Challenges can still be sanctioned in Expanded, but organisers are only choosing Standard because other people don’t seem interested in playing it. I’m considering a trip to Toronto this coming March since the Regional will be Expanded — and hey, I’ll be able to play my French [card name=”Tropical Beach” set=”Black and White Black Star Promos” no=”BW50″ c=”name”][/card] there!
For those of you who are interested in Expanded, let’s talk about three Ability-reliant decks that may come up in competitive play now that [card name=”Hex Maniac” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card] is banned. In the past it prevented Ability-reliant decks from seeing significant play in the Expanded format. With Hex Maniac out, decks like [card name=”Archie’s Ace in the Hole” set=”Primal Clash” no=”124″ c=”custom”]Archie’s[/card] [card name=”Blastoise” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”31″ c=”name”][/card] are being talked about again — but there’s more potentially strong decks waiting to be uncovered! In this article, I’ll talk specifically about some Energy acceleration Abilities, how to build a deck around them, what you can expect from them, and give some sample deck lists.
A Brief Talk About Energy Acceleration
Energy acceleration has been a part of the Pokemon TCG since Base Set. Attacks that offer it can have a role to play, while Trainer-based Energy acceleration cards are typical more powerful and widely utilized (hello, [card name=”Dark Patch” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card]). Abilities combine the advantages of both: they can be used a potentially unlimited number of times, and they don’t end your turn — these traits are often strong enough to warrant building entire decks around these Pokemon. Any time a card is released with such an Ability it’ll always deserve to be looked at.
Stage 2 Energy accelerators tend to be more powerful than their Stage 1 counterparts, but they’re also harder to put into play. [card name=”Vikavolt” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”52″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Magnezone” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”83″ c=”name”][/card], while solid cards in Standard, are a bit too slow for the Expanded format. Their reliance on [card name=”Rare Candy” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”142″ c=”name”][/card] can be an issue when up against Item lock decks. There are exceptions, though. Take Blastoise for example: it that can be “cheated” into play with Archie’s Ace in the Hole. [card name=”Gardevoir-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] is another good example as it additionally acts as a powerful attacker. For the most part though, Stage 1 Energy accelerators are preferable.
[cardimg name=”Malamar” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”51″ align=”left” c=”none”][/cardimg]
There are three of these in Expanded that all do the same thing with different types: [card name=”Eelektrik” set=”Noble Victories” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Bronzong” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”61″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Malamar” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card]. All three are 90-HP Stage 1 Pokemon that accelerate a specific type of Energy to the Bench. All three have also been the core of powerful decks in the past (or, in Malamar’s case, in the present). They all share some common strengths and weaknesses. I’ll address those now before analyzing each of them on an individual basis.
What makes these three cards so powerful is their incredible versatility. Each of them requires you to play a Pokemon that use their type of Energy — and that’s all. With the vast card pool in Expanded you’ll find no shortage of Pokemon of the type you need! This means that any deck based on an Energy accelerator — not just these three — can be built in many different ways.
Eelektrik, Bronzong and Malamar have obvious synergy with [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card], which has been a format-defining card since it was released. In addition to discarding the appropriate Basic Energy, Battle Compressor can discard Supporters to use with [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card], Pokemon that you can recover with Rescue Stretcher, or even [card name=”Exeggcute” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”4″ c=”name”][/card] in order to make [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Shining Legends” no=”68″ c=”name”][/card] easier to use if you choose to play it. All in all, Battle Compressor isn’t as central to these decks as it is to Night March or Archie’s Blastoise, but it is a solid two-of.
On the flip side, decks based on Energy acceleration can be a bit on the slower side. The game state that you want to establish requires having two or three Stage 1 Pokemon in play, an attacker as your Active, and Energy in the discard pile. It’s not hard to put two or three Malamar into play in Expanded, but there’ll be quicker threats to contend with while you’re doing so. You could face Basic Pokemon that OHKO all of yours (Night March), or Item lock as soon as turn two ([card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card]).
Speaking of which, there’s another issue for Energy acceleration decks we should discuss. Sure, they can power you up quicker than normal; but that’s not necessarily as game changing as [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] drawing so many cards for free; or Item lock making a part of your deck non-functional; or Ability lock sabotaging your entire game plan. Those things can put a drag Energy acceleration decks. Fortunately, there are ways to deal with them.
[card name=”Giratina” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY184″ c=”name”][/card] can protect you against [card name=”Trevenant BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card]’s Item lock, as well as [card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card]’s Giant Water Shuriken. [card name=”Sudowoodo” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card] has been effective against Zoroark-GX, though you might favor [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card] as a Bench-reducer; after all, Zoroark decks will have either [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Alolan Muk” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”58″ c=”name”][/card] in them to deal with a Sudowoodo. For this reason as well, [card name=”Marshadow-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”80″ c=”name”][/card] doesn’t have nearly the same appeal in Expanded that it does in Standard — I wouldn’t recommend it playing it.
With these general considerations out of the way, let’s look at each Energy accelerator separately:
[premium]
Eelektrik
Eelektrik is the oldest of the trio and has proven its effectiveness time and time again since its release. It was popular in Expanded two years ago and may now have the tools to make a comeback. In order to illustrate its versatility, here is a list of some potential partners:
Rayquaza-GX
[cardimg name=”Rayquaza-GX” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”109″ align=”right” c=”custom”]Old meets new.[/cardimg]
Bad news: it requires us to play Grass Energy as well as Lightning Energy.
Good news: everything else!
Dragon Break is an amazing attack and it doesn’t require any discard of [card name=”Rayquaza-GX” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card]’s Energy. That means if the opponent targets a Benched Eelektrik, the big dragon is still a massive threat that’ll need to be dealt with. Rayquaza-GX can accelerate Energy onto itself with its Stormy Winds Ability, which helps to make the deck a bit faster in the early game. Its Fairy Weakness is much more manageable than the Fighting Weakness of most Lightning-type attackers. Tempest GX can, in a pinch, be a powerful attack; though [card name=”N” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”96″ c=”name”][/card] is everywhere in Expanded, so don’t expect to keep a ten-card hand!
All in all, Rayquaza-GX is probably Eelektrik’s best partner right now.
Raikou
In the context of an Eelektrik deck, [card name=”Raikou” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] is Rayquaza-GX’s polar opposite. Instead of an aggressive Pokemon-GX, it’s a defensive one-Prize attacker. It won’t OHKO most EX or GX without some serious Energy investment, but it is hard to OHKO thanks to its Ability and a potential [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card]. It can also heal with [card name=”Rough Seas” set=”Primal Clash” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] in play! Where Rayquaza-GX needs Grass Energy, Raikou only requires Lightning. For these reasons, these two Pokemon should not be in the same deck, but already you can see that there are several ways to build one.
Raikou and Eelektrik were great partners two years ago, but the recent rise of Fighting-type Pokemon may be an issue for this pairing.
Xurkitree-GX
Its Ability is a problem for any deck that relies on Special Energy: Zoroark-GX and Night March immediately come to mind. It’s not necessarily an auto-win, since the former can use Alolan Muk to shut down [card name=”Xurkitree-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM68″ c=”name”][/card]’s Ability and the latter could play [card name=”Silent Lab” set=”Primal Clash” no=”140″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Mew” set=”Fates Collide” no=”29″ c=”name”][/card] with Basic Energy. It can win the game for you if your opponent didn’t plan for it, though.
Raikou-EX
To be honest, I think [card name=”Raikou-EX” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”38″ c=”name”][/card] has been power-creeped out of the format. I still has one use, though: Volt Bolt’s 100 damage happens to be the right amount of damage needed to snipe an opposing Garbodor! Garbotoxin is such an issue for the deck that being able to handle it with an attack is worth pointing out.
Jolteon-EX
This is another defensive card, but it can wreak havoc on an unprepared deck that doesn’t play [card name=”Pokémon Ranger” set=”Steam Siege” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card]. A good thing with [card name=”Jolteon-EX” set=”Generations” no=”28″ c=”name”][/card] is that even if Dynamotor is shut down because of Garbotoxin, Jolteon-EX can still be an issue to an opponent, unlike Xurkitree-GX. However, many decks now have an Evolution attacker. Most decks that can set up Garbotoxin will also have access to [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card]’s Trashalanche, for example.
Mewtwo-EX
[card name=”Mewtwo-EX” set=”Next Destinies” no=”54″ c=”name”][/card] has benefited from Energy acceleration since 2012! Although [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card]’s attack is similar to X-Ball, X-Ball applies Weakness where as Energy Drive does not. This makes it a good counter to Pokemon that are weak to Psychic, especially [card name=”Buzzwole-GX” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card].
Shaymin
If you use Grass Energy for Rayquaza-GX, it makes sense to include a Grass-type attacker. That way you’ll be able to deal with Pokemon that are weak to Grass-types such as [card name=”Lycanroc-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card]. [card name=”Shaymin” set=”Shining Legends” no=”7″ c=”name”][/card] can revenge KO any of them, and its 70 HP mean that it can be searched out with a [card name=”Level Ball” set=”Next Destinies” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card].
Eelektross
A benefit of playing Eelektrik is that you can play its Evolution, [card name=”Eelektross” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card]! Of course, most of the time, you don’t want to evolve it in order to keep access to Dynamotor. However, Crush and Burn can be an efficient way to end the game if you have enough Energy in play.
Raikou-GX
While [card name=”Raikou-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM121″ c=”name”][/card] isn’t an amazing card, Thunderous Rain GX is a unique attack that could deal several KOs in one turn against an unprepared opponent. Bonus points if you use [card name=”Eneporter” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”106″ c=”name”][/card] to move Energy to an opposing Pokemon with 100 HP or less!
There’s are a lot of options out there that I didn’t highlight here. Look around for more creative cards to pair with Eelektrik if you’re unsatisfied with the list I wrote.
While looking at the list, you may realize that there are two main ways to build the deck: either we go aggressive with Rayquaza-GX, in which case we use Grass Energy; or we opt for a defensive approach with Raikou and Rough Seas. The first option is the best for our current meta, so here’s a sample deck list for you:
[decklist name=”Eelektrik / Rayquaza” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″][pokemon amt=”17″]4x [card name=”Rayquaza-GX” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”109″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]1x [card name=”Eelektross” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”33″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Eelektrik” set=”Noble Victories” no=”40″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Tynamo” set=”Noble Victories” no=”38″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]1x [card name=”Xurkitree-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM68″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Shaymin” set=”Shining Legends” no=”7″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”29″]3x [card name=”Professor Juniper” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”98″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”N” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”96″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”118″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Shining Legends” no=”68″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Level Ball” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”76″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Computer Search” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”14″]9x [card name=”Lightning Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”94″ c=”deck2″ amt=”9″][/card]5x [card name=”Grass Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”91″ c=”deck2″ amt=”5″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
With Rayquaza-GX as your main attacker, you’ll want to play a high number of Energy along with two [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”name”][/card] to recover any key Pokemon that might get discarded from using Stormy Winds. I like VS Seeker for its interaction with [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] and general power, but you might consider replacing some Item cards with Supporters in order to be less vulnerable to Trashalanche.
Another card I’d consider is [card name=”Mr. Mime” set=”Generations” no=”52″ c=”name”][/card]. Buzzwole-GX and [card name=”Landorus-EX” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card] can both be huge threats to this deck when they’re equipped with a [card name=”Wide Lens” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”95″ c=”name”][/card] — that would allow them to KO two [card name=”Tynamo” set=”Noble Victories” no=”38″ c=”name”][/card] as soon as turn one. Mr. Mime is searchable via Level Ball and can prevent this kind of shenanigan from happening to you.
Bronzong
[cardimg name=”Bronzong” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”61″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
If you thought Eelektrik had a lot of possible partners, you haven’t seen anything yet! Metal-type Pokemon get a bunch of cool cards in a set every now and then. In Expanded, we can use all these toys together! There’s even going to be an upcoming Bronzor in Dark Order that can evolve on the first turn as well as Jasmine that searches for five Metal Pokemon. Both of these cards are conditional on you going second, however.
An unfortunate aspect of Bronzong decks is that all the attacking Pokemon have a Weakness to Fire. Conveniently for us, Fire-type Pokemon are rarely played. [card name=”Volcanion-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card] decks may steamroll you, and [card name=”Flareon” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card] can be an issue, but these aren’t played in most Expected decks. There’s also no easily techable Fire-type for decks that may want to counter ours.
On the bright side, [card name=”Bronzor” set=”Next Destinies” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Bronzong” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”61″ c=”name”][/card] both have a Retreat Cost of three, so this makes them searchable through [card name=”Heavy Ball” set=”Next Destinies” no=”88″ c=”name”][/card]. Unlike Level Ball with Eelektrik, though, Heavy Ball has more variety of uses here. Below is a list of potential partners for Bronzong. As you scroll down, take note of the ones that have a Retreat Cost of three or greater.
Dusk Mane Necrozma-GX
One of the most recent additions to the Metal roster, [card name=”Dusk Mane Necrozma-GX” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card] is a OHKO machine. Unfortunately, it discards Energy after attacking, which means that the opponent can try to focus down Bronzong to prevent Dusk Mane Necrozma-GX from attacking again. It might also be necessary to bring it back to the Bench using [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Keldeo-EX” set=”Legendary Treasures” no=”45″ c=”name”][/card], or Guzma in order to use Meteor Tempest two turns in a row. The potential to deal 220 damage is still nothing to scoff at.
Aegislash-EX
The [card name=”Xurkitree-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM68″ c=”name”][/card] equivalent for this deck, [card name=”Aegislash-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”65″ c=”name”][/card] is a solid Pokemon against DCE-reliant decks. It has no sneaky GX attack, but it can adjust its damage to KO more Pokemon. By default it acts as the attacker of choice. Even against decks that don’t only play Special Energy, Aegislash-EX can change the way your opponent plays and force them to make sub-optimal attachments.
Genesect-EX
Its damage output is a bit low, but [card name=”Genesect-EX” set=”Fates Collide” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card] shines by its adaptability. Depending on your needs it can deal between 100 to 160 damage. It can deal even more if you choose to attach more Energy to it. Genesect’s Ability is nice to recover Float Stones along with offensive and defense Tools such as [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Metal Frying Pan” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”112″ c=”name”][/card]. Keep in mind though that defensive Tools are difficult to justify in a format where [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card] sees regular play.
Cobalion-EX
This is another card that can shut out Special Energy reliant decks. Although it doesn’t wall them like Aegislash-EX does, it fares much better against [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] — especially when the latter is partnered with Garbotoxin. That said, unless you play Choice Band, [card name=”Cobalion-EX” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] doesn’t do much more than [card name=”Drampa-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] in that regard. Its second attack is hardly impressive.
Magearna-EX
A powerful defensive card that doubles as a decent attacker. In theory you can attach a Metal Energy on every Benched Pokemon and make them immune to effects such as [card name=”Trevenant BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card]’s Silent Fear. In practice, of course, you can’t afford to distribute Energy everywhere you don’t readily need it. Still, [card name=”Magearna-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”75″ c=”name”][/card] can put some work in that matchup and protect your attackers from other effects coming from an unexpected deck.
Bronzong from Fates Collide
The Metal Fortress Ability is another way to protect your Pokemon from the effects of attacks. Compared to Magearna-EX, you don’t have any constraints on where to attach your Energy with [card name=”Bronzong” set=”Fates Collide” no=”61″ c=”name”][/card]. However, if you play this card you’ll have one less Metal Links at your disposal. It’s also a good card to have against [card name=”Greninja” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] in order to protect your Abilities, even though Metal Fortress’s interaction with Shadow Stitching is unintuitive at best.
Solgaleo Prism Star
Sure, Radiant Star is redundant with Metal Links. However, having a non-Ability form of Energy acceleration is important against Garbotoxin. [card name=”Solgaleo Prism Star” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card] is also a solid one-Prize attacker in other matchups; Corona Impact’s 160 damage is enough to KO a Trevenant BREAK, for example.
Heatran
[cardimg name=”Heatran” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”88″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
Another solid one-Prize attacker. Although the 130 damage threshold is not as important in Expanded as it is in Standard, [card name=”Heatran” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”88″ c=”name”][/card] can still OHKO many of the format’s one-Prize threats such as [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Buzzwole” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Greninja” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card]. By relying on one-Prize attackers such as Heatran rather than something like Dusk Mane Necrozma-GX, it’s easier to keep the Prize trade equal with Night March and similar decks.
Bronzong BREAK
Like [card name=”Eelektross” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card], it can evolve from one of your accelerators to get a late game-winning KO. Unlike Eelektross, you can still use Metal Links with [card name=”Bronzong BREAK” set=”Fates Collide” no=”62″ c=”name”][/card] so you can evolve mid game without any drawback. This way, it also acts as an HP boost for a Bronzong, which can save you against a [card name=”Buzzwole-GX” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] that’s trying to get a KO on the Bench with Jet Punch.
Metal Rain is a versatile attack. You do need to attach Energy to Bronzong itself, but you can make multiple KOs in one turn against a deck with low-HP Pokemon like Night March. You can also snipe one Pokemon on the Bench — if your opponent has a [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] in play, you could take two easy Prizes on it if you can attach four Energy to Bronzong!
Giratina-EX and Tyrantrum-EX
Back in 2015, Bronzong had some success in Expanded while paired with [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Tyrantrum-EX” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY70″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Double Dragon Energy” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card].
Chaos Wheel is still a powerful attack if you can afford its Energy cost. Against some decks it’ll basically win you the game as long as they don’t play [card name=”Pokémon Ranger” set=”Steam Siege” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card]. It also prevents your opponent from playing a Tool onto [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card]. That said, running Giratina-EX makes the deck clunkier, so it’s more of a meta call; run it if you expect a lot of Special Energy, Tools, and few Pokemon Ranger.
Dusk Mane Necrozma-GX mostly outclasses Tyrantrum-EX these days, but it can hit through walls and works nicely with Double Dragon Energy. It could still get a spot in your deck if you want to run Giratina-EX.
If we play these Dragon types, we’re also able to run a [card name=”Hoopa-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”36″ c=”name”][/card] engine! With a [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card] in play we can use Scoundrel Ring to search for Keldeo-EX and Shaymin-EX. This leads us to having an impressive turn one board state. However, if we go second, our opponents could play a [card name=”Sudowoodo” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card] and force us to forego most of our setup options. That’ll force us to play the hard way.
Before deciding whether to build a straight Metal list or one with Dragon types, let’s keep in mind that Chaos Wheel is not the game-winning attack that it once was. Enough decks have ways around Chaos Wheel that it cannot carry Bronzong to tier one by itself. Use the version that purely plays Metal Energy — for now, at least.
[decklist name=”Bronzong” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Dhelmise” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”59″][pokemon amt=”19″]1x [card name=”Bronzong BREAK” set=”Fates Collide” no=”62″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Bronzong” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”61″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Bronzor” set=”Next Destinies” no=”75″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Aegislash-EX” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”65″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Heatran” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”88″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Dusk Mane Necrozma-GX” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”90″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Solgaleo Prism Star” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”89″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Magearna-EX” set=”Steam Siege” no=”75″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Dhelmise” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”59″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”30″]3x [card name=”Professor Juniper” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”98″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”N” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”96″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”AZ” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”91″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Brigette” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”134″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Shining Legends” no=”68″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Heavy Ball” set=”Next Destinies” no=”88″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Computer Search” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”11″]11x [card name=”Metal Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”98″ c=”deck2″ amt=”11″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
Since so many of these Pokemon have a high Retreat Cost, I’ve included a copy of [card name=”AZ” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card]. It can heal Pokemon, get back a Dusk Mane Necrozma-GX stuck in the Active spot, prevent something from being locked up in the Active against a deck like Seismitoad-EX, etc. It’s a suspect choice, but in my testing it’s found its uses.
I also added a [card name=”Dhelmise” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”59″ c=”name”][/card] in order to boost the damage of our attackers. Some key uses are to allow Aegislash-EX to KO 130 HP Pokemon more easily, and to raise Solgaleo Prism Star’s damage output to 170.
Malamar
If you’re playing Standard then [card name=”Malamar” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] needs no introduction. Some of Malamar’s pairings are with cards you’re already familiar with such as [card name=”Dawn Wings Necrozma-GX” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”63″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Lunala Prism Star” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”62″ c=”name”][/card]. One great card that synergises well with Malamar is Giratina-EX. Giratina fits in even better with Malamar than Bronzong when combined with [card name=”Mysterious Treasure” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”113″ c=”name”][/card]. You can also run [card name=”Ultra Necrozma-GX” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”95″ c=”name”][/card] and Double Dragon Energy to give you options for OHKOs without having to run Metal Energy. Frank Percic innovated that idea with the deck he used at Virginia Regionals last season where he placed in the Top 32. If you’re looking to run Giratina-EX, this is one of the best decks to do so. Here’s my take on it:
[decklist name=”Malamar” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Giratina” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY184″][pokemon amt=”17″]4x [card name=”Malamar” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”51″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Inkay” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”50″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Giratina-EX” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”57″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Dawn Wings Necrozma-GX” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”63″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Ultra Necrozma-GX” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”95″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Exeggcute” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”4″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Giratina” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY184″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”32″]3x [card name=”Professor Juniper” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”98″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”N” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”96″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Brigette” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”134″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”118″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Shining Legends” no=”68″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Mysterious Treasure” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”113″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Computer Search” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Parallel City” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”145″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”2″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”11″]7x [card name=”Psychic Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”95″ c=”deck2″ amt=”7″][/card]4x [card name=”Double Dragon Energy” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”97″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
Conclusion
That’s all from me this week! Unlike my past articles, my goal here was to offer you all some new ideas and options rather than to hand out ready-to-use lists. I’m hopeful that you’ll feel inspired to explore one of these decks! There are a lot of possible options you can try out with these decks, as well as with the Expanded format overall. I hope you’ll find something that works for you.
Until next time, best of luck in all your games!
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