Tag, You’re It, GasKan! — Malamar Done Right for Brazil
In my final article before Latin America Internationals, I’d like to share my breakdown and analysis of my top pick for the event: [card name=”Malamar” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card]. This is the “GasKan” variant, donning lots of techs and consistency as its backbone. Lost Thunder gave us Spell Tag, a worthy addition to the deck, as well as Giratina, a great new non-GX attacker. In this article I’ll be going over my current list, introducing the new additions, talking about matchups, and more.
[decklist name=”askanawhatever” amt=”53″ caption=”” cname=”Malamar” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”51″][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]1x [card name=”Necrozma-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”63″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Dawn Wings Necrozma-GX” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”63″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Marshadow-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”80″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x Giratina (Lost Thunder) 1x [card name=”Deoxys” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”67″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Chimecho” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”43″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Marshadow” set=”Shining Legends” no=”45″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Oricorio” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”55″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”33″]4x [card name=”Lillie” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”122″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Cynthia” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”119″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” 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 Spell Tag (Lost Thunder)3x [card name=”Escape Board” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”122″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Acro Bike” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”123″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x Adventure Bag (Lost Thunder)[/trainers][energy amt=”10″]10x [card name=”Psychic Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”95″ c=”deck2″ amt=”10″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
Card Choices
Four Malamar and Four Inkay
[cardimg name=”Malamar” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM117″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
It is sometimes thrown around to cut a Malamar but I prefer the consistency of the full lineup. Ditto Prism Star is an option in addition to four [card name=”Inkay” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”50″ c=”name”][/card], or perhaps in place of an Inkay in the event you want to play a certain tech.
Two Marshadow
I’m sick of [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] and the liability it brings in this deck, so I’ve decided to just go all in with [card name=”Marshadow” set=”Shining Legends” no=”45″ c=”name”][/card]. Let Loose is a great way to disrupt your opponent and give yourself time to set up, but it also draws you cards and extends your turns without having to play a draw Supporter. I prefer the two count instead of one and a Tapu Lele-GX just because the two Prize forfeiture can be game-losing and this lineup still does the job right.
One Oricorio
Vital Dance increases your attacking percentages on your second turn by about ten percent. Finding Psychic Energy and either attaching one or discarding them in some way is incredible for a deck without something like [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] in Expanded.
Speaking of that sort of mechanic, Shuckle and its Fresh Squeezed is alright in Malamar decks, but I still prefer [card name=”Oricorio” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] in its place because it’s searchable with [card name=”Mysterious Treasure” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”113″ c=”name”][/card] and serves the purpose of making Energy fodder or to just attach the Energy you need from your hand, whereas Shuckle is only for that fodder part.
One Necrozma-GX
With a virtually limitless damage ceiling, this is the main powerhouse of the deck.
Playing one can be scary if you prize it or can’t find [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”name”][/card] to recycle it, but you do have [card name=”Marshadow-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”80″ c=”name”][/card] to copy its attack if need be. Since [card name=”Escape Board” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card] is such a big part of this deck and [card name=”Necrozma-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”63″ c=”name”][/card] has a Retreat Cost of two, playing multiple Necrozma-GX is ill-advised because it makes for the worst starter there is in this deck.
One Marshadow-GX
Your main [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] counter, there are a variety of attacks you can copy with Shadow Hunt; namely the aforementioned Prismatic Burst, but really anything is an option. Sometimes you might want to use Psychic from [card name=”Deoxys” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”67″ c=”name”][/card], the only two-Energy attack this deck has to offer; and other times you may want to use [card name=”Dawn Wings Necrozma-GX” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”63″ c=”name”][/card]’s Moon’s Eclipse GX to retain your Energy only to follow it up with a Prismatic Burst for another one-hit Knock Out.
One Giratina
Its three Retreat Cost is the worst thing about this card, but it’s a sacrifice you have to make in order to play such a strong Pokemon. Distortion Door can help set up niche Knock Outs, like requiring less Energy for a Prismatic Burst one-shot, especially in conjunction with [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] (see three Psychic Energy Prismatic Burst against Zoroark-GX after a Distortion Door). Shadow Impact for 130 is really nice, but the drawback of hitting one of your Pokemon for 40 can be troubling sometimes. It hasn’t ever been game-losing flavor text for me yet, so I plan to continue to play this beast until it is, if ever.
One Deoxys
Non-GX option number two, Deoxys brings two unique attacks to the table. Psychic requires less Energy than everything else in this deck, and Power Blast does a little less than Giratina but offers a different drawback of discarding an Energy instead of self-inflicting damage. Depending on the situation you’re in there can be a correct one of these two attackers that will work better for you. A lower number of each works just fine with Distortion Door getting Giratina back from the discard pile and Rescue Stretcher doing the same for Deoxys, albeit in a little less flashy fashion.
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One Dawn Wings Necrozma-GX
[cardimg name=”Dawn Wings Necrozma-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM101″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
One of the best Psychic-type attackers the Malamar archetype has to offer, Invasion, Dark Flash, and Moon’s Eclipse GX all have a unique purpose. This is one of the only comeback cards that exists in the current Standard format, one devoid of counter cards like [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”name”][/card] that formerly were used to bring games back from a deficit. Moon’s Eclipse GX with Let Loose from Marshadow is a powerful way to try to replicate the magic of N, for one.
In any case, this card is incredible and, again, with all of the techs, there isn’t that much room for them all so some concessions have to be made and a single Dawn Wings Necrozma-GX will do the trick. It’s a less valuable card than Necrozma-GX and you usually won’t be putting it down until you’ve taken a few Prizes, so even if you happen to land it in there you should have enough time to take some Knock Outs and retrieve it.
One Chimecho
Truly a one-trick pony, Bell of Silence is a great tool for this deck to counter Zoroark-GX builds and even to randomly surprise your opponent in other matchups when they least expect it. The goal of using Bell of Silence against a Zoroark-GX deck is to build your setup of Malamar and begin the Prize trade, preferably by taking a Knock Out on a two-Prize Pokemon. If you can do that and you also have the means to reciprocate more Knock Outs later (multiple Malamar in play), you should be very favored to win the game.
Four Lillie and Four Cynthia
Malamar decks don’t play support Pokemon that draw you cards in the middle of the game, so playing a thick line of Supporters is important. [card name=”Lillie” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card] is your opening Supporter of choice so you want four for sure. For [card name=”Cynthia” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”119″ c=”name”][/card] it never hurts to max that out too. I wouldn’t budge on either of these counts because Malamar is a deck that cannot win games if it doesn’t set up at least decently.
Four Guzma
Here’s a slot where you could cut one of the four, but a deck like this that can dominate if it gets to pick its Knock Outs. I like four [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] to give yourself some wiggle room to discard one when you must, but three does the job proficiently if you choose to go that route instead.
Four Ultra Ball and Four Mysterious Treasure
All you really need for Pokemon search, a maxed out lineup of both of these is optimal.
If you’re looking to add any additional search I recommend a split of [card name=”Friend Ball” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”131″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Nest Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card], one of each at max. I haven’t felt the need to go back to that level of consistency so here’s where I stand right now.
Three Spell Tag, Three Escape Board, One Choice Band, and One Adventure Bag
Spell Tag really helps this deck out against non-GX decks and even more so against decks that you formerly couldn’t take one-hit Knock Outs against. 40 damage dispersed in any way is as good as it sounds; you can set up opposing Pokemon for much easier Knock Outs. Against Zoroark-GX it sets up Larvitar on its own (if you include that option), and it gives you a nearly automatic win against Lost March by granting a Knock Out on Natu with no effort.
Escape Board is included for the same reasons as always, it’s a pseudo [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] and allows you to pivot things around so that you can get the best value out of Psychic Recharge.
A single Choice Band seems out of place, but with the addition of Adventure Bag to the deck you can find it in a pinch. Not only that, but you can play slightly fewer numbers of the aforementioned Tool cards as well to make room for the Adventure Bag itself and the Choice Band tech. Choice Band works wonders in this deck specifically with Moon’s Eclipse GX — 210 damage is just too good. Formerly, without Adventure Bag, you would just have to draw into Choice Band naturally, which in the process you’d have to get extremely lucky so playing just a single copy wasn’t a viable strategy.
Three Acro Bike
More consistency and a way to get Psychic Energy into the discard pile, at minimum you want to be playing three [card name=”Acro Bike” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] in this deck. Initially a count of four, one of them is a cut to fit in some of the other techs you want while still remaining consistent.
Two Rescue Stretcher
With so many tech Pokemon you will want to have ways to get the one-ofs back. Two Rescue Stretcher is also a boost to your consistency by ensuring that you’ll have ways to retrieve Malamar. If you have a single Rescue Stretcher and have to discard it early, you’ll be in an awkward spot all game and struggle to manage your attackers. I like the flexibility that two copies brings above all else and highly recommend it.
Ten Psychic Energy
This is just the number to play. One-sixth of your deck being Energy isn’t a bad deal, especially for an archetype that relies on landing them in the discard pile. Ten is a smooth number and works correctly in most games. I can’t say that there’s a statistical reason or even something factual, it’s just what feels right. I can say with utmost certainty that this is the optimal number of Psychic Energy for this deck.
Other Options
Lunala Prism Star
[cardimg name=”Lunala Prism Star” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”62″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
Full Moon Star can be great when you’re low on Malamar, and Psystorm is an extremely powerful attack that’s great against just about anything. [card name=”Lunala Prism Star” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”62″ c=”name”][/card] feels like a win harder card to me — something that’s certainly good but just not needed. It’s not something you splash in to improve a matchup just like that, it’s more of something that goes off with a powerful attack and that’s about it. Not a bad thing, but not something necessary.
Mimikyu
Copycat, just like Psystorm, is an amazingly good attack, but it’s just something that isn’t needed for this deck to do its thing. Your matchups are just fine without it, so I wouldn’t play [card name=”Mimikyu” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”58″ c=”name”][/card] unless you figure out something that I haven’t about a matchup it moves from unfavorable to favorable. Filch, shockingly, is the most attractive part about this card to me, so that’s saying something.
Larvitar
This is a cute Zoroark-GX counter. You can activate the damage boost with Spell Tag or some combination of [card name=”Shrine of Punishment” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”143″ c=”name”][/card] if you choose to play that. It can be difficult to set up, making it a questionable inclusion. I still prefer Marshadow-GX as a counter.
Ditto Prism Star
Like a fifth Inkay, a Ditto Prism Star seems spicy in this deck to say the least. It would be really nice to add “another Inkay” to the fold, and with it, you can play some cute Stage 1 techs if you choose. I have tried this out very sparingly at this point and can’t say whether or not it’s any good yet.
Garbodor
[card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] can spook your opponent out of nowhere if you’re playing Ditto. It’s likely the most obvious of the Stage 1 tech options, at least from the building point of view. Most players won’t expect it, so you can execute your normal strategy and then have an even more powerful endgame with a big Trashalanche.
Zebstrika
Another cute Ditto Prism Star tech, Sprint would be strong in this deck for a variety of reasons. Malamar being a draw-based deck would love to have a way to draw cards and also play a Guzma: Sprint can help with that. On top of it all, Sprint gives you another way to get Psychic Energy in the discard pile. I really like the idea of Zebstrika with the Ditto Prism Star and this is something I plan on testing real soon.
Matchups
Blacephalon-GX: Favorable
This matchup is pretty easy. Dawn Wings Necrozma-GX using Moon’s Eclipse GX will carry you even when you fall behind. Let Loose along with that attack can swing the game in your favor immediately, forcing your opponent to have a Guzma to get around your immunity.
I try to leave just one Pokemon-GX on the board at a time, never doubling up because that’s how your opponent will win: taking multiple Pokemon-GX Knock Outs. Your opponent will be wary of using Burst GX early as well because it will immediately activate Moon’s Eclipse GX and open a whole new can of worms. You can use [card name=”Necrozma-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”63″ c=”name”][/card] to Prismatic Burst to take other one-hit Knock Outs, or you can do two-hit Knock Outs with [card name=”Deoxys” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”67″ c=”name”][/card] and Giratina (optimal only when no Pokemon-GX are in play for you).
Buzzwole-GX / Lycanroc-GX: Even
[cardimg name=”Lycanroc-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”74″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
This matchup is much closer than you’d expect, especially if your opponent targets down your Malamar. With many lists now playing Alolan Ninetales-GX, it’s easier than ever to pick off those Malamar and destroy your strategy. When playing this matchup you should focus on setting up as many Malamar as possible, even four if you can, and use non-GX Pokemon to start off. You can close out the game with Pokemon-GX but I try to stay away from them starting off. Feeding your opponent non-GX Pokemon will set the tempo and if you’re just two-shotting Alolan Ninetales-GX or [card name=”Lycanroc-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] that will give you a better opening to come in with Dawn Wings Necrozma-GX and Moon’s Eclipse GX. Choice Band being in the deck makes Moon’s Eclipse GX insanely good, doing 210 to one-shot any Pokemon-GX in your opponent’s deck.
The biggest tip I can give is to never put Dawn Wings Necrozma-GX down without having another Pokemon on your field that can take one-hit Knock Outs when you have a full Bench. Meaning if you can’t play any more Pokemon down, using Dawn Wings Necrozma-GX for Moon’s Eclipse but then lacking a way to take a one-hit Knock Out on your following turn can be devastating. The advantage you gain from the immunity is nearly sent to the void in the process. For this reason, using [card name=”Marshadow-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”80″ c=”name”][/card] to copy Moon’s Eclipse GX from the discard pile is preferable so that you can then copy Prismatic Burst and follow things up with another Knock Out, hopefully on a Pokemon-GX.
Granbull: Slightly Unfavorable
Being a non-GX Pokemon that can one-shot you, Granbull can be annoying to deal with. First and foremost your Giratina will be the main attacker in this matchup, and you should focus on abusing Spell Tag to shore up the Prize disadvantage that you’re sure to run into. Against Granbull I like to target down support Pokemon with [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card], hoping that it cuts off your opponent’s engine to getting to zero cards in hand. Keeping all this in mind you can sometimes edge this matchup out.
Lost March: Slightly Favorable
Spell Tag makes all the difference here. With it, you can pick off Natu that are unfortunate enough to come into play and you’ll be able to pull ahead on Prizes in doing so. Distortion Door can supplement that damage, so all in all you have plenty of great options. You have many non-GX Pokemon that you can attack with, like even Malamar itself. If you pair it with Distortion Door damage you can even one-shot a Jumpluff! Try not to put Pokemon-GX down in this matchup and if you do try to keep them on the Bench.
Malamar (Mirror): Even
This list doesn’t have anything in particular that will help you out in mirror matches other than [card name=”Chimecho” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”43″ c=”name”][/card]. Perhaps your opponent took it out of their list and you’ll be able to get the edge with it. Otherwise, in Malamar mirror matches, you need to focus on trading Prizes.
Taking Knock Outs on Malamar is an okay plan, otherwise you just want to get ahead on Prizes and stay ahead, of course. Dropping Pokemon-GX down is usually ill-advised, I try not to do it until late in the game with a Moon’s Eclipse GX. Dawn Wings Necrozma-GX is really the only worthwhile Pokemon-GX in this matchup, everything else is easy pickings for your opponent.
Zoroark-GX / Alolan Ninetales-GX / Decidueye-GX: Slightly Unfavorable
This matchup is extremely challenging with all of the spread damage. Chimecho should be your go-to, but if your opponent is running [card name=”Alolan Ninetales-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”22″ c=”name”][/card] with Ice Blade or [card name=”Tapu Koko” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM30″ c=”name”][/card] then it will be very difficult to win. If neither of those are played then you should be favored. Just try to be as aggressive as you can be and be wary that your Malamar will go down quickly, so get the most value out of them as soon as you can.
Zoroark-GX / Lycanroc-GX: Slightly Favorable
Lastly we have [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] / Lycanroc-GX, a deck that’s fallen off the map a bit but is still hanging around. Chimecho is your answer here, so try to set up plenty of Malamar behind it and then go in. If your opponent takes a Knock Out, get that Dawn Wings Necrozma-GX in the discard pile and use Marshadow-GX to copy it, then go for a Prismatic Burst on your next turn. That progression alone is usually a huge swing, putting you in the driver’s seat.
More linear Zoroark-GX decks, unlike this one, are better countered with pure aggression in the form of Marshadow-GX, whereas a more intricate one that can dominate you if you leave it unchecked needs to be handled with the tech of Chimecho to stave off the onslaught.
Conclusion
Malamar is always a good choice for an event, that’s much of the reason why I’m considering it as heavily as I am for Brazil. Lost Thunder gave it a few new toys and they make the deck even better.
This will be my last piece before Brazil Internationals so if you have any last minute questions hit me up in the Subscribers’ Hideout. Malamar is pretty sweet, try it out! See you guys later, thanks for reading.
Caleb
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