Back to Expanded — The Optimal Zoroark Variant and a Meta Forecast for Dallas

Hello everyone! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! This is Grant once again and today I’ll be switching back over to talk about Expanded because the next U.S. Regional will be using that format. In Anaheim, I played my own [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Alolan Muk” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”58″ c=”name”][/card]  / [card name=”Trevenant” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”7″ c=”name”][/card] variant. I tweaked a few things with my list since then, and I have the current version to share with you all today. Although I started 5-0 in Anaheim, I only finished at 5-3-1. While there is always ways to improve my play, I have place the majority of the blame here on extremely poor [card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”118″ c=”name”][/card] draws. Basically every single game throughout my last four rounds, I would play Colress for 10-15 cards followed by Trades and would whiff whatever I needed. This happened multiple games in a row and was really quite a nightmare.

Anyway, that does not take away any of my faith in the deck. One of my friends won a Cup with the Anaheim list, and the new version is actually one of my current top picks for Dallas Regionals.

[decklist name=”ZoroLance” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Salamence” set=”Dragon Vault” no=”8″][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]2x [card name=”Alolan Muk” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”58″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Alolan Grimer” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”83″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]3x [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Ditto Prism Star” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”154″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Trevenant” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”7″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Phantump” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”6″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Goodra” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Salamence” set=”Dragon Vault” no=”8″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”34″]4x [card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”118″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Brigette” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”134″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Pokémon Ranger” set=”Steam Siege” no=”104″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Lance Prism Star” set=”Dragon Majesty” no=”61″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Pokémon Communication” set=”Black and White” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/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]2x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Special Charge” set=”Steam Siege” no=”105″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Computer Search” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]3x [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”3″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”4″]4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Next Destinies” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

This is essentially just an aggressive Zoroark deck that abuses how absurdly broken Zoroark-GX is. This deck tries to make full use of [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card] to allow Zoroark to OHKO something every single turn. The strategy is to use [card name=”Brigette” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”134″ c=”name”][/card] turn one and Colress turn two. When you’re able to use those Supporters in that order, you almost always win. I strongly believe that all aggressive Zoroark variants should fully prioritize getting the turn one Brigette followed by turn two Colress, as that is just the best recipe.

Card Explanations

[cardimg name=”Alolan Muk” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”58″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Alolan Muk and No Garbodor

[card name=”Alolan Muk” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”58″ c=”name”][/card] is much easier to use than [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card]. It doesn’t require a Tool at all times and it also doesn’t shut off your own Trade. While Garbotoxin can sometimes be useful to shut off Abilities from the likes of [card name=”Blastoise” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”31″ c=”name”][/card] and opposing [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card], the main purpose of running Ability lock with Zoroark is to shut of [card name=”Sudowoodo” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card]’s Roadblock. Garbodor variants are much weaker against Roadblock because Garbodor requires you to find a Tool and it forces you to Ability lock yourself. This is just bad in my opinion. Muk also enforces a harder lock as it cannot be negated by [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card]. Muk is objectively better against Roadblock, which is Zoroark’s main obstacle. Finally, Garbodor is around an eight space commitment (the Garbodor line, [card name=”Klefki” set=”Steam Siege” no=”80″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Bursting Balloon” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card], and Psychic Energy), while Muk is only a four space commitment, though you do get access Trashalanch with the Garb package. You need a heavy Muk line because if you only have one out and it dies then you just lose to Sudowoodo.

One Zoroark BKT

[card name=”Zoroark” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] has many uses, though it is primarily a tech for Zoroark-GX / Garbodor. Opposing Zoroark-GX are forced to have a full Bench in order to one shot other Zoroark-GX, so Mind Jack swoops in and deals a ton of damage for only a DCE. Since most other Zoroark decks also run this Zoroark, you need to have it in order to not be at a disadvantage. Baby Zoroark also offers a decent answer to baby [card name=”Buzzwole” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card]. It can even OHKO Buzzwole-GX if they have at least five Pokemon on their Bench (and they often do). Whenever you can take a KO with this Zoroark to preserve one of the GX’s, take that opportunity.

One Trevenant

This card is useful but it is not the broken sauce that it may initially seem like. I thought of [card name=”Trevenant” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”7″ c=”name”][/card] when I was considering Zoroark-GX / [card name=”Golisopod-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”17″ c=”name”][/card] as a play. My friend Eddie told me not to play ZoroPod because ZoroPod sucks. So I thought, he’s right, ZoroPod does suck. I’ll play ZoroTrev instead! Trevenant is a suitable Grass-type replacement, it is not a GX liability and it doesn’t require the space commitment of Grass Energy. In case you’re wondering, Poltergeist does 30 damage for each Trainer (including Supporters and Stadiums) in your opponents hand and it operates for just a DCE. If your opponent has only two Trainers in hand, Poltergeist with Choice Band one shots [card name=”Keldeo-EX” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”49″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card]. For three Trainers in hand (plus Choice Band), Trevenant KOs [card name=”Lycanroc-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Kingdra-GX” set=”Dragon Majesty” no=”18″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Primal Groudon-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card]. You usually need three Trainers in hand to KO Seismitoad as well because it locks Choice Band in your hand.

While your opponent can play around Trevenant to some extent, it is usually difficult to regulate one’s own hand to such a low amount of Trainer cards. It becomes nearly impossible when you take into account the probability of drawing one or two Trainers off the Prizes after each KO. Trevenant is amazing in this deck because it wrecks many Grass-weak Pokemon that have historically given Zoroark-GX some trouble. Finally, opposing Zoroark decks often use [card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”118″ c=”name”][/card] for many cards, followed by Trades, followed by a KO. This sometimes leaves them with enough Trainers in their hand for Trevenant to OHKO a Zoroark-GX. This makes Trevenant good against other Zoroark decks, though you have to be extremely careful and smart about how you use it.

A Quick Note about Ditto Prism Star

[card name=”Ditto Prism Star” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”154″ c=”name”][/card] is obviously a natural fit for this deck, but due to the goal of having Muk out the entire game, it can sometimes be useless. For this reason, Ditto is always a [card name=”Brigette” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”134″ c=”name”][/card] target and it is almost always the first Pokemon you want to evolve.

[premium]

One Lance, One Goodra, One Salamence

[card name=”Goodra” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Salamence” set=”Dragon Vault” no=”8″ c=”name”][/card] both have unique and powerful Abilities. Goodra’s Slip Trip prevents both players from playing down Tools. When you’re ready to use [card name=”Lance Prism Star” set=”Dragon Majesty” no=”61″ c=”name”][/card], slap down all the [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] you have and pull the trigger. This prevents opposing Zoroark-GX from KOing your Zoroark-GX, but more importantly it permanently stops Garbotoxin from activating. With Muk out, Garbodor players can’t even use [card name=”Klefki” set=”Steam Siege” no=”80″ c=”name”][/card]’s Wonder Lock. Salamence’s Ability forces your opponent to discard down to four cards. This absolutely ruins opposing Zoroark decks with their frequent large hands. It’s a little unfortunate that Salamence negates Trevenant’s usefulness, but you usually use them each in different matchups anyway.

Three Tapu Lele-GX, One Shaymin-EX, Three Brigette, Four Colress

There are some really greedy Zoroark lists going around, but I prefer to have actual consistency in my list. The [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Brigette” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”134″ c=”name”][/card] split was a little hard to determine. I ended up going with a 3/3 split, though I could see arguments for 4/2 in either direction. Natural Brigette is better if your opponent already has [card name=”Sudowoodo” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card] out so that you can still have an open spot for Lele or [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] the next turn before Grimer evolves. It also lets you save Lele for Colress next turn should that be needed. Using Wonder Tag is better in any other scenario because it is an extra Pokemon on the board for both Colress and Riotous Beating. In a vacuum, having to use Lele for Brigette is actually better. When you have turn one [card name=”Computer Search” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card], consider the scenario carefully because finding Lele is often better than nabbing Brigette directly.

Shaymin gives you a slightly more explosive turn two if you happen to have an extra [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”135″ c=”name”][/card] in your hand at any point before evolving into Muk. There’s never a reason to have more than one Shaymin, and even the one copy is debatably cuttable. Zoroark lists should never run less than four Colress. Some say that [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] is better, but it’s actually not. You want to use Colress on almost every turn from turn two onward, and having the natural Colress in your starting hand is extremely valuable.

One N, Two Guzma, Two VS Seeker

One [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] is bad because Item lock exists. The two [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] are basically my fifth and sixth [card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”118″ c=”name”][/card]. You absolutely don’t need any more. Four Guzma outs should be more than enough for any imaginable scenario. Colress and Guzma are the only Supporters you are likely to retrieve, so there’s no need for another Seeker. N is actually a card that you could conceivably cut. Its disruption effect is occasionally useful, and it is better than Colress every once in awhile during the early game.

One Pokemon Ranger

[card name=”Pokémon Ranger” set=”Steam Siege” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card] is obviously a tech for the Toad matchup. I think Toad is very winnable even without Ranger. However, since the deck has won every Expanded Regional this season, I believe that a one card commitment to completely seal the matchup is worthwhile.

Zero Exeggcute, Three Ultra Ball, Four Pokemon Communication

[cardimg name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”161″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

By running only three Ultra Ball, I am accepting a minuscule hit to consistency. With four [card name=”Pokémon Communication” set=”Black and White” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card], I am simply hoping that the high Pokemon count is enough to make PComm useful when I need it most. PComm is less painful and is overall a better search card for this deck. I run zero [card name=”Exeggcute” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”4″ c=”name”][/card] because the plan is to always have Muk out, making Eggs useless and eliminating the need for [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card], which is mediocre at best in Zoroark. PComm is also needed on your [card name=”Lance Prism Star” set=”Dragon Majesty” no=”61″ c=”name”][/card] turn in case you have Goodra or Salamence in your hand.

Two Field Blower

[card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card] is still needed when Goodra isn’t out. It counters [card name=”Focus Sash” set=”Furious Fists” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] and Garbotoxin.

One Float Stone

One copy of [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] is a little risky. I played two in my Anaheim list but cut one to make room for the Lance package. It’s nice to be able to free Retreat something like [card name=”Alolan Grimer” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”83″ c=”name”][/card] when you’re going first, and it makes a great combo with Stand In against Toad and other disruption decks.

Matchups

Zoroark-GX / Garbodor – Favorable

I failed miserably against the ZoroGarbs that I faced in Anaheim, though that was mostly due to whiffing [card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”118″ c=”name”][/card] after Colress after Colress. One time I Colress’d for nine on turn two and didn’t find any way to get a [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM84″ c=”name”][/card] out! Barring situations like that, the matchup is very favorable. You want to take KOs with the baby [card name=”Zoroark” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] whenever possible, and you even have two [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”name”][/card] to use it multiple times! You want to get Alolan Muk out as soon as possible, because [card name=”Sudowoodo” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card] can come down at any time and just wreck you. This is also the matchup where the Dragons work the best. Both Goodra and Salamence are incredibly useful here. Think carefully about using Salamence’s Ability if you have an opportunity to take a OHKO with [card name=”Trevenant” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”7″ c=”name”][/card] though. Using Salamence is usually better, but that varies on a case by case basis. This is as close to a mirror as you’ll get, but you have [card name=”Lance Prism Star” set=”Dragon Majesty” no=”61″ c=”name”][/card].

Seismitoad-EX / Zoroark-GX – Highly Favorable

This matchup is pretty free to be honest. You want to make sure you’re getting at least one Prize value out of each [card name=”Double Colorless” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”136″ c=”name”][/card] because they can always be hit by Faba. Ideally, you want to use each DCE to take two Prizes. You can do this by [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] KOing a benched Pokemon-GX, by using Trevenant to OHKO a [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card], or by popping off on a [card name=”Pokémon Ranger” set=”Steam Siege” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card] turn to [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card] [card name=”Fighting Fury Belt” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] and KO a Toad with Zoroark. You only need three pop-off turns to win the game, so bide your time for the right moment. 40 damage a turn from Quaking Punch isn’t exactly a ton of pressure. They can use [card name=”Team Skull Grunt” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”133″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Team Rocket’s Handiwork” set=”Fates Collide” no=”112″ c=”name”][/card], but that just isn’t enough to win them the game unless they get real lucky.

Archie’s Stoise – Slightly Favorable

This matchup can be a little scary, but they need a lot of things to go right in order to win. They need to either go first or to hit the turn one Archie’s [card name=”Blastoise” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”16″ c=”name”][/card] with [card name=”Articuno” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”17″ c=”name”][/card] powered up on turn one going second. [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] is actually your best starter if you have another way to get [card name=”Brigette” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”134″ c=”name”][/card] in your hand. Lele avoids Tri Edge. Worst case scenario, they load a huge [card name=”Keldeo” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY191″ c=”name”][/card] and KO Lele, but that’s the same number of Prizes they would get from Tri Edging a Zorua. This way you preserve a Zorua and make it much harder for them to take a KO. Then you can just kill the Keldeo. The Archie player also needs to hit the turn two [card name=”Kingdra-GX” set=”Dragon Majesty” no=”18″ c=”name”][/card] or else Zoroark destroys their board. Since they have to attack with Kingdra, they need to have a way to lower their hand to one or no Trainers (which is very difficult with the amount of Trainers Stoise plays) and they need to not find Trainers off their Prize cards. Otherwise, [card name=”Trevenant” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”7″ c=”name”][/card] with [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] OHKO’s Kingdra.

Buzzwole-GX / Lycanroc-GX – Slightly Unfavorable

[cardimg name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM84″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Zoroark one shots their entire deck and it is sometimes difficult for [card name=”Buzzwole-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM69″ c=”name”][/card] to keep up. However, Buzzwole’s early pressure combined with Roadblock is a lot to deal with. Additionally, they can Prize-trade efficiently with baby [card name=”Buzzwole” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card]. Little Sledgehammer dishes out early pressure. Big Sledgehammer is only for one turn but it takes two Prizes. Swing Around can be loaded up with [card name=”Beast Ring” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card] and OHKOs Zoroark. The matchup is very winnable just because Zoroark kills everything in one hit, but baby Buzzwole is a huge pain. Another thing to note is the natural clunkiness and inconsistency of Buzzwole. It’s more likely for Buzzwole to whiff something on a crucial turn compared to most other decks. Fortunately, there has been very little Buzzwole presence at Expanded events so far. It has made Top 8 at Portland and Anaheim, but the amount of people playing has been quite low compared to the rest of the field.

Trevenant – Favorable

[card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] is slowly dying off because of how weak its matchups are. I had [card name=”Giratina” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY184″ c=”name”][/card] Promo in my Anaheim list. Giratina completely autowins the matchup and also makes Greninja an autowin, but I decided to cut it to make room for [card name=”Lance Prism Star” set=”Dragon Majesty” no=”61″ c=”name”][/card]. Trevenant is still favorable without it but it is also losable. I’d give Zoroark a 65-35. No Giratina makes Greninja an autoloss, but that should be ok. Against Trevenant, you want to keep your Bench relatively small and don’t worry about getting Grimer or Muk into play. You only need four Pokemon down to OHKO [card name=”Trevenant BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card] and you don’t want them piling more damage on than necessary. You also want to keep a space open for when you need to use Wonder Tag. Only get two Zorua out until they’ve used Silent Fear twice in order to lessen the effect of [card name=”Espeon-EX” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”52″ c=”name”][/card]. You do want to play a third Zorua down after two Silent Fears so you don’t lose to Miraculous Shine. Trade away useless cards but don’t get rid of things you’ll want to draw when they break the Item lock and hit you with [card name=”Ace Trainer” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”69″ c=”name”][/card] and Miraculous Shine.

Other Matchups

• [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Flareon” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card] – I haven’t played this one myself. But they have multiple non-GX attackers that can OHKO [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card], including [card name=”Gallade” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”84″ c=”name”][/card], so I highly doubt the matchup is good. [card name=”Alolan Muk” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”58″ c=”name”][/card] may be able to slow them down a little, and you can still trade with baby Zoroark and Trevenant while possibly taking a few KO’s on [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card].
• [card name=”Rayquaza-GX” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] – This matchup is completely free. Every Pokemon in the deck is shut off by Muk and Zoroark OHKO’s everything. Rayquaza is extremely explosive and fast but after a KO or two they will shut down completely thanks to Muk.
• [card name=”Lucario-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM100″ c=”name”][/card] – Lucario is favorable. Lucario is just a worse Buzzwole. They don’t run [card name=”Beast Ring” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card] and usually only play one baby [card name=”Buzzwole” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] so it is easy to beat them in a Prize race. I actually lost to Lucario in Anaheim because I prized both [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card], though.
• [card name=”Wailord-EX” set=”Primal Clash” no=”38″ c=”name”][/card] – Wailord is a complete autowin thanks to Trevenant. Muk shuts off [card name=”Xurkitree-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM68″ c=”name”][/card]’s Ability and [card name=”Trevenant” set=”XY” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] OHKOs everything.

I have no idea if this beats [card name=”Drampa-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] / Garbodor. Random stuff like Lost March and other bad Zoroark variants are free wins. Zoroark on its own is pretty good at handling random stuff. The Hand Lock Zoroark matchup is just as luck-based as all of “Exodia’s” other matchups, but if you tech [card name=”Oranguru” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”113″ c=”name”][/card] then you will win every time you go first or open with it.

Dallas Meta Forecast and Conclusion

A whopping 30 decks in day two of Anaheim ran [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card]! Of those, 18 were Zoroark / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card]. In my opinion, if you aren’t running Zoroark in Expanded, your deck is probably bad. I think Zoroark will continue to enjoy its dominance in Expanded until TPCi does something about it. Personally, I don’t think Zoroark is actually a problem. The only deck that is truly disgusting is the “Exodia” combo of [card name=”Red Card” set=”Generations” no=”71″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Delinquent” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”98″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Peeking Red Card” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card]. Fortunately, that combo is extremely inconsistent to get on turn one no matter how you play it.

As far as Zoroark in Dallas, I’m sure we’ll continue to see lots of Zoroark / Garbodor. Not many people actually played [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] / Zoroark in Anaheim, but it did win Portland and Anaheim (both by Jimmy Pendarvis too!), and was played by the same clique of top players at both tournaments. Due to Toad’s dominance despite its low number of representatives, I expect more people to catch on and play it in Dallas. I actually think the Toad list is unrefined and the deck isn’t even that great, but it managed to catch people off guard and most people play against it incorrectly. How all the Toad players managed to completely avoid [card name=”Blastoise” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”31″ c=”name”][/card] is beyond me.

I also think the degenerate Exodia / Zoroark deck will see a bit of play in Dallas. Le Bui managed to make an undefeated day one run and made Top 4 with the deck. Now that this combo has been revealed and validated by making Top 4, I think many players will pick it up. I was expecting Buzzwole to see a bit of play in Anaheim to combat all the Zoroark. Again, while it did make Top 8, very few people actually played it. While I am not the biggest fan of Buzzwole, it seems like a fantastic play in the current meta and should see some more representation in Dallas. Buzzwole doesn’t auto-win Zoroark by any means, but it definitely has the tools to beat it and has the added bonus of slaughtering Exodia.

As for the random decks that made Top 8 like Rayquaza, Vespiquen, and Lucario, I’m not really sure what to make of them. I’m sure some people will pick these decks up, but I don’t expect any of them in abnormally high numbers. Trevenant did poorly in Anaheim and will continue to drop off because again, it’s terrible. Finally, Archie Stoise was the most hyped deck for Anaheim and flopped massively by only taking two day two spots despite a massive amount of people playing it. I hate the deck and hope it continues to fail, though I do think it is a strong deck. Archie Stoise will continue to see play. I expect it to be slightly less popular in Dallas than it was in Anaheim.

Thank you for reading everyone! Happy holidays! If you like Zoroark, try this deck out! I’m glad I was able to add a little spice, even though it is still a Zoroark deck.

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