Decks That Dominate Standard — OptiMill and Shrine Box
Hello everyone! This is Grant here once again. I just attended Anaheim Regionals but I didn’t really put too much time into Expanded. In fact, the decks I have put the most time into are both in the Standard format. I’ll have another article coming out in a couple of weeks that focuses on the Expanded format. Anyway, I am going to talk about two decks that are currently extremely strong in the Standard format. The first is my Disruption list. It is a refined version of the [card name=”Shuckle-GX” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”17″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Hoopa” set=”Shining Legends” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] deck I played in Roanoke Regionals. I realize this deck triggers a lot of people. I too hate playing against mill archetypes when I have an autoloss against them. That said, it is an extremely strong archetype right now, so it is worth discussing.
The second deck is one that a lot of people have just forgotten about — Shrine Box. Shrine Box saw small amounts of play at Memphis Regionals in October, and seems to have been forgotten about since then. I recently won a small League Cup with the deck and was impressed with the deck.
OptiMill
[decklist name=”OptiMILL” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Regigigas” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”84″][pokemon amt=”12″]4x [card name=”Regigigas” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”84″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Shuckle-GX” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”195″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Hoopa” set=”Shining Legends” no=”55″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Articuno-GX” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”31″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Unown” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”91″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”47″]4x [card name=”Cynthia” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”119″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Steven’s Resolve” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”145″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Lusamine” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”96″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Acerola” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”112″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Plumeria” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”120″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Faba” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”173″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Mars” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”154″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Team Skull Grunt” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”133″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Judge” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”143″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Gladion” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”95″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”124″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Crushing Hammer” set=”Generations” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Max Potion” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”103″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Ancient Crystal” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”118″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Counter Catcher” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”91″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Nest Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”123″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Mount Lanakila” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”118″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”1″]1x [card name=”Rainbow Energy” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”152″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
I don’t always name decks, but when I do, I try to be clever about it. This is what I consider to be the optimal mill list for Standard League Cups. For Roanoke Regionals, I played Shuckle / Hoopa. Instead of the Regigigas / Ancient Crystal package, I opted for [card name=”Mt. Coronet” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”130″ c=”name”][/card] and Metal Energy so I could chain [card name=”Plumeria” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”120″ c=”name”][/card]. I also liked the option to pressure my opponent with Triple Poison. Wrap GX was occasionally useful against [card name=”Ditto Prism Star set=”Lost Thunder” no=”154″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Swampert” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”35″ c=”name”][/card] among other things. I also had [card name=”Hau” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”120″ c=”name”][/card] in the deck for some additionally draw-power. The validity of that decision may be questionable, but at least now I can say I got CP with Hau.
However, I think that [card name=”Regigigas” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”84″ c=”name”][/card] adds value in nearly every matchup. Additionally, the Regigigas package turns the previously close Blacephalon matchup into a near auto-win. In order to fit Regigigas and [card name=”Ancient Crystal” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”118″ c=”name”][/card], I cut the Coronet package, the Hau, and a few other cards.
Card Explanations
Four Regigigas, Three Ancient Crystal
[cardimg name=”Regigigas” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”84″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
Regigigas’ usefulness is most apparent against Blacephalon. [card name=”Blacephalon-GX” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”52″ c=”name”][/card] does not run enough Energy to take out all of the Regigigas even after being softened up by Turning Point. If they try to use Naganadel, you can infinitely loop [card name=”Acerola” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”112″ c=”name”][/card]. Of course, a tech [card name=”Naganadel-GX” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”56″ c=”name”][/card] does win them the matchup regardless. In any other matchup, Regigigas is basically a better [card name=”Steelix” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card]. Steelix is extremely bad when Regigigas exists and does everything better. Sure, it has 10 less HP and a Fighting Weakness, but it doesn’t have to evolve from a weak Basic that is exposed after every Acerola, not the mention the beginning of the game. Regigigas is also useful against Zoroark decks with [card name=”Alolan Muk” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”58″ c=”name”][/card]. With only Shuckle and Hoopa, Zoroark can sometimes apply too much pressure if a few things go its way.
Three Shuckle-GX
[card name=”Shuckle-GX” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”17″ c=”name”][/card] is possibly the best wall in the game. Its Ability pairs with the Energy disruption strategy perfectly, ensuring that most opponents won’t ever be able to deal damage. Shuckle gives you near auto-wins against Granbull, [card name=”Buzzwole-GX” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card], Lost March, and other similar decks. You can use it against Zoroark variants as well, because [card name=”Weavile” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] and Rockruff can tear through [card name=”Hoopa” set=”Shining Legends” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] in some situations.
Three Hoopa
Hoopa is the final “wall Pokemon” in this deck. Its Safeguard Ability prevents it from being affected by any Pokemon-GX. Obviously, this means that it’s used against decks such as [card name=”Gardevoir-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] that rely primarily on Pokemon-GX to attack. Hoopa can be good against Buzzwole in some situations, though usually they will be able to KO it.
One Articuno-GX
Cold Crush GX is disgustingly powerful in this sort of deck. Since this deck is slow and somewhat inconsistent, it isn’t uncommon for opponents to get in multiple turns of uncontested Energy attachments. In case that happens, one [card name=”Steven’s Resolve” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”145″ c=”name”][/card] for the [card name=”Articuno-GX” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”31″ c=”name”][/card] and the [card name=”Rainbow Energy” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”151″ c=”name”][/card] erases any momentum your opponent may have been able to muster up. Articuno is especially necessary against Gardevoir, and it can even seal games after your opponent has used Twilight GX. Articuno can be used in any matchup should the situation call for it, though sometimes you won’t need it at all. One thing to remember is that the Rainbow Energy can be placed anywhere for convenience since Articuno moves it to itself. Most of the time you want the damage counter from Rainbow Energy on the Articuno so you can use [card name=”Acerola” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”112″ c=”name”][/card] on it next turn, but that isn’t always the case.
One Unown HAND
I actually think Unown HAND is technically bad in this deck, as it only wins you games you already have sealed. However, it is a necessary evil for the single game format that is played in most League Cups. Opponents will probably be able to draw out a tie if you rely on them decking out.
[premium]
Three Plumeria, Two Faba, Four Crushing Hammer, Four Enhanced Hammer
These cards are what makes the Energy denial win condition possible. I had three [card name=”Faba” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”173″ c=”name”][/card] in the Roanoke list to handle Zoroark / Control, but that deck isn’t popular anymore so I cut down to two. Faba is mostly for the Gardevoir matchup so they can’t get their [card name=”Double Colorless” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”136″ c=”name”][/card] back via Twilight. It is also useful against [card name=”Malamar” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] to remove [card name=”Escape Board” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card], as well as against any random Zoroark decks that happen to be running [card name=”Oranguru” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card].
Four [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”124″ c=”name”][/card] may seem high but it is extremely valuable. You always want it against decks like Gardevoir and Lost March so you can immediately discard their Double Colorless Energy if Faba isn’t available. You also don’t want [card name=”Super Boost Energy Prism Star” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”136″ c=”name”][/card] to be in play for more than one turn. Basically, in the matchups where you need Enhanced Hammer, you never want to be caught without it in-hand when it matters most. This is also relevant against Zoroark decks with [card name=”Alolan Muk” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”58″ c=”name”][/card].
One Mars
[cardimg name=”Mars” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”128″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
[card name=”Mars” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”128″ c=”name”][/card] is definitely the most cuttable card in the deck. It is useful as a secondary draw option if for some reason Steven’s and / or [card name=”Cynthia” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”119″ c=”name”][/card] is unavailable or undesirable in the current situation. In situations where you and your opponent are doing nothing for extended periods of time, it also works as a pseudo mill card.
One Judge
[card name=”Judge” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”143″ c=”name”][/card] is primarily here to give you an auto-win against mirror matches if they don’t also play Judge. Most of the major disruption lists that I’ve seen for the current format do not run Judge, so this gives you a huge advantage. In Roanoke I did not run Judge or Unown HAND. I didn’t really mind not having HAND, but I do wish I played Judge. Judge can also be a weak draw or disruption option should the situation call for it. It just gives you greater control over the game overall.
One Rescue Stretcher
Occasionally you will find yourself wanting extra copies of any of the three wall Pokemon. Usually this happens if one is in the Prizes and you’re stuck playing with only two copies of something. I will admit that this is a cuttable card but it is something that I definitely recommend keeping.
One Mount Lanakila
[card name=”Mount Lanakila” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”118″ c=”name”][/card] is an easy counter to Shrine of Punishment without having to rely on Faba. In case you don’t know, Mount Lanakila increases the Retreat Cost of all Basic Pokemon by one. It makes life quite difficult for [card name=”Blacephalon-GX” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”52″ c=”name”][/card] and gives you a fighting chance against Malamar. Aside from that, it is another mildly disruptive aspect of the deck.
Matchups
Blacephalon – Free Win
[card name=”Blacephalon-GX” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”52″ c=”name”][/card] is an incredibly easy matchup unless your opponent plays [card name=”Naganadel-GX” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”56″ c=”name”][/card], in which case there isn’t much hope. While I normally expect most players to mindlessly copy successful lists, I have noticed that most players actually are just ignoring the Naganadel-GX tech that got second in Roanoke. That tech was actually genius and brutally effective, by the way. Against the Blacephalon decks without Naganadel-GX, you just plop a Gigas in the Active and infinite [card name=”Acerola” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”112″ c=”name”][/card] to heal off the Turning Points. If they try to nuke multiple Gigas with Blacephalon, they will run out of Energy real quick. The only way to lose is getting unlucky off their Let Loose, but things would have to go extremely wrong. It is almost impossible for Blacephalon to win.
Gardevoir – Free Win
This matchup has a lot of dynamics going on and would seem like a close one at first glance, but it is actually highly favorable. To start off, [card name=”Hoopa” set=”Shining Legends” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] is the preferred wall. Regigigas can come in if the situation calls for it, though it is most efficient against [card name=”Swampert” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”35″ c=”name”][/card]. Hoopa forces your opponent to attack with Swampert if they want to do any real damage. All of their [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Shining Legends” no=”69″ c=”name”][/card] eventually hit the Lost Zone or the discard pile. They do get one good KO with [card name=”Super Boost Energy Prism Star” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”136″ c=”name”][/card], and you just have to accept that. Once Super Boost Energy is gone, you can safely attack into Swampert with Triple Poison to force them to do something, though walling with Regigigas is also an option. Shuckle is just an escape route if Swampert is pressuring Hoopa too much. If they commit four Energy to get a KO with Gardevoir-GX, that’s fine because those Energy are now useless for the rest of the game.
Solgaleo-GX can get Energy back, but it can’t put Energy onto itself. You can eventually run them out of Energy by first targeting the Energy that are on Solgaleo. If they wait to put the Energy on the Solgaleo, that’s fine, just target the Energy on Swampert. You can ignore Energy on anything besides Swampert, Solgaleo, and sometimes Kirlia. Like I said, there’s a lot going on here, so I apologize if my explanation is confusing. You don’t need to do anything crazy to win this matchup. Gardevoir doesn’t run much (if any) hand disruption, so they can’t really do anything. Regigigas is bad to have against Solgaleo, because Solgaleo threatens a 2HKO while recovering Energy. Cold Crush is occasionally useful as well, so don’t forget about it!
Zoroark – Free Win
[cardimg name=”Shuckle-GX” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”17″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
It doesn’t matter what [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] version they are running, they can’t kill your walls. Your preferred wall changes based on the Zoroark variant you are against. Against Zoroark with [card name=”Alolan Muk” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”58″ c=”name”][/card], Regigigas is generally the preferred wall. The main factor working against Zoroark here is their very limited Energy supply. Against [card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card], you can easily heal off all the Feather Arrow damage with infinite [card name=”Acerola” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”112″ c=”name”][/card]. If you ever have the option to KO [card name=”Ditto Prism Star” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”154″ c=”name”][/card] with Wrap GX, do that in case they run Muk. Against Zoroark / [card name=”Weavile” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Shuckle-GX” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”17″ c=”name”][/card] is the preferred wall. Most Zoroark decks don’t run Oranguru and multiple Basic Energy, but if that is the case then you may be in for a rough time and your only chance is to pull off a cheeky Unown HAND win. Against Zoroark with Oranguru and Special Energy, you can just win with Faba.
Lost March – Free Win
[card name=”Shuckle-GX” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”17″ c=”name”][/card] destroys Lost March. While high counts of [card name=”Marshadow” set=”Shining Legends” no=”45″ c=”name”][/card] are really annoying, even mediocre Let Loose draws will let you beat this deck due to its low Energy counts. Triple Poison and Wrap GX are actually useful attacks from time to time.
Buzzwole – Free Win
Your preferred wall is Shuckle-GX because baby [card name=”Buzzwole” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] can actually beat Hoopa and Regigigas. If your opponent somehow manages to build a lot of Energy on a Buzzwole, [card name=”Articuno-GX” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”31″ c=”name”][/card] comes in and wrecks them. Since Buzzwole can’t use their Energy acceleration in this matchup, it is easy to regulate their Energy so that they can never touch Shuckle. However, since [card name=”Plumeria” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”120″ c=”name”][/card] is difficult to chain, you often do need to let a Shuckle go down and use Cold Crush GX, but there is really no danger of them taking six Prizes.
Others
- [card name=”Granbull” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”138″ c=”name”][/card] – Possibly the second easiest matchup for any deck ever. Use Shuckle-GX.
- [card name=”Rayquaza-GX” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Vikavolt” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”52″ c=”name”][/card] – Probably the hardest matchup for any deck ever. It’s as close to 0-100 as you can get. However, no one plays this deck anymore.
- [card name=”Malamar” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] – The [card name=”Escape Board” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card] version is winnable but unfavorable. Versions with high [card name=”Switch” set=”Shining Legends” no=”67″ c=”name”][/card] counts are borderline impossible to beat. Spread / Malamar with no [card name=”Dawn Wings Necrozma-GX” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”63″ c=”name”][/card] is a free win, however.
- Mill Mirrors – If they don’t play [card name=”Judge” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”143″ c=”name”][/card] then you always win. If they do play Judge then the game could last for days or even weeks with no time limit. I have no idea how this would resolve in a single elimination match, unless I’m missing something.
- Sceptile – Free win with any combination of the three walls.
Shrine Box
[decklist name=”shrine” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Oranguru” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”113″][pokemon amt=”18″]3x [card name=”Buzzwole” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Magcargo” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”24″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Slugma” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”23″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Weavile” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”74″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Sneasel” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”73″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Trubbish” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”50″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Diancie Prism Star” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”74″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Ditto Prism Star” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”154″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Oranguru” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”113″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”32″]4x [card name=”Cynthia” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”119″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Lillie” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”122″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Professor Kukui” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”128″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”2″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”93″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Nest Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”123″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]1x [card name=”Pal Pad” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”132″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Escape Rope” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”114″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Switch” set=”EX Ruby and Sapphire” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]3x [card name=”Shrine of Punishment” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”143″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”3″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”10″]4x [card name=”Unit Energy FDY” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”118″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Rainbow Energy” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”152″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]1x [card name=”Beast Energy Prism Star” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”117″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Counter Energy” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”100″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
Traditional lists for this deck are suboptimal. [card name=”Judge” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”108″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Acro Bike” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] are all not very good in this deck. Judge and Blower are just pointless, while Acro Bike actively hurts you while providing zero value. Everyone apparently forgot about this deck because of all the new shiny stuff from Lost Thunder. While the Cup I just won wasn’t exactly a very difficult tournament, it did show me that Shrine Box is favored against most of the meta decks.
Card Explanations
Three Buzzwole
[cardimg name=”Buzzwole” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”77″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
[card name=”Buzzwole” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] is the ideal early-game attacker that applies pressure with chip damage or just outright KO’s low-HP Pokemon. He also hits really hard against Zoroark and gets a nuke attack whenever your opponent is at four Prizes. When your opponent is at three or fewer Prizes, Buzzwole becomes nearly useless.
2-2 Magcargo
This deck truly sucks when [card name=”Magcargo” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”24″ c=”name”][/card] isn’t out. A 2-2 line feels like the proper balance. Magcargo lets you find specific pieces whenever you want them. It compensates for this deck’s slow nature and inability to thin the deck.
2-2 Weavile
I still think Evil Admonition is a stupidly broken attack. It either one shots everything or forces your opponent to play with a nerfed version of their deck. Despite the modest 2-2 line, [card name=”Weavile” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] is the main attacker of the deck and does all of the heavy lifting. If your opponent somehow manages to play around it by keeping one or zero Abilities in play, Buzzwole and [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] will just have to get the job done.
2-2 Garbodor
I briefly considered not playing [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] because it is somewhat mediocre in the current meta, but I realized that it was necessary against Naganadel, [card name=”Buzzwole-GX” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card], and Lost March. Of course, Trashalanch is a really good attack and its damage often piles up no matter the matchup. It always has some use.
Consistency Engine
This deck relies on the Magcargo plus [card name=”Oranguru” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”113″ c=”name”][/card] engine quite heavily. Since the deck can be slow and inconsistent at times, I wanted to max out the consistency cards. This explains the four [card name=”Cynthia” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”119″ c=”name”][/card], four [card name=”Lillie” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card], four [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Fates Collide” no=”113″ c=”name”][/card], and four [card name=”Nest Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card]. Some previous lists only ran two Cynthia and that is straight insanity. [card name=”Professor Kukui” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”128″ c=”name”][/card] is a tech for specific situations so you only need two. I only run three [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] and opted for [card name=”Pal Pad” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”132″ c=”name”][/card] to give you a potential fifth Guzma while also improving mid-game consistency by giving you the option to put draw Supporters back. Pal Pad was useful, though its benefits are hard to specifically measure. Again, Acro Bike adds no value and forces you to discard important cards. I never have any problems drawing into my Smooth Over cards.
One Escape Rope, One Switch
Sometimes you just want to switch out your dudes, especially considering that most of the Basic Pokemon are suboptimal starters. You want [card name=”Buzzwole” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] swinging away as soon as possible.
One Counter Energy
This is the only card I consider cuttable in the list. I thought it could be useful for [card name=”Magcargo” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”24″ c=”name”][/card]’s attack and Acid Spray from [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card]. Magcargo can be useful against Fire-weak Pokemon like Sceptile-GX, and Acid Spray can be useful against Buzzwole and Naganadel if they have very few Items in their discard. Of course, it can be used to fuel any type of attack, making it a [card name=”Rainbow Energy” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”151″ c=”name”][/card] with no downside as long as you are behind.
Matchups
Blacephalon – Favorable
[cardimg name=”Weavile” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”74″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
[card name=”Blacephalon-GX” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”52″ c=”name”][/card] is a pretty good matchup overall. They have to keep their Abilities down to two, which means no support Pokemon if they want to have two [card name=”Naganadel” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”108″ c=”name”][/card] out. Otherwise, [card name=”Weavile” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] tears through the deck. [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] is the answer to Naganadel. If your opponent only attacks with Naganadel, usually you have to claw through two of them. Hopefully you can take your other four Prizes on Pokemon-GX on the Bench. The only way I can see losing this matchup is if your opponent manages to set up multiple Naganadel by only using two Items and if they don’t bench many Pokemon-GX. This scenario is extremely unlikely. Even if your opponent gets by with only three Items in the discard, Trashalanch with [card name=”Professor Kukui” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”128″ c=”name”][/card] still one shots Naganadel.
Gardevoir – Favorable
It is extremely difficult for [card name=”Gardevoir-GX” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] to get by with few Abilities in play. Weavile is an efficient attacker that can at least take 2HKOs. [card name=”Buzzwole” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Shrine of Punishment” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”143″ c=”name”][/card] wear down the Pokemon-GX, while the threat of [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] keeps them from popping off. The biggest issue is [card name=”Swampert” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”35″ c=”name”][/card] with [card name=”Super Boost Energy Prism Star” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”136″ c=”name”][/card], so you usually want to target [card name=”Mudkip” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”32″ c=”name”][/card] whenever possible. Sledgehammer can also OHKO Swampert on the four-Prize turn with any combination of two damage modifiers, so it really isn’t too much of a problem. Overall, Shrine Box is faster and trades efficiently with Gardevoir, making it a favorable matchup.
Lost March – Favorable
On paper, Lost March seems like a poor matchup, but this isn’t the case in reality. Lost March is a clunky pile of cards and this isn’t. At worst, you trade one for one on Prizes, but Shrine Box is faster and much more consistent. Buzzwole is best against Natu, while you want to save Garbodor and Weavile for Jumpluff. Every so often, they can get by with fewer than two Abilities in play. With one Ability, Weavile still OHKOs [card name=”Jumpluff” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”14″ c=”name”][/card] with [card name=”Professor Kukui” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”128″ c=”name”][/card]. Even with no Abilities, you still have a potential 4-4 Garbodor line thanks to Ditto and [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”name”][/card]. This matchup is no problem whatsoever.
Zoroark – Highly Favorable
All [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] variants are free wins, there’s no real strategy. Buzzwole and Weavile just destroy Zoroark.
Buzzwole – Favorable
I haven’t played this matchup so I can’t tell you for sure. I imagine that [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] just wrecks Buzzwole, [card name=”Weavile” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] punishes them if they aren’t careful, and you can at least 2HKO [card name=”Lycanroc-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] with anything. The name of the game for Shrine Box is efficient Prize trading. This works against GX decks like Buzzwole.
Others
- [card name=”Granbull” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”138″ c=”name”][/card] – This matchup is definitely unfavorable but still winnable.
- [card name=”Rayquaza-GX” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Vikavolt” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”52″ c=”name”][/card] – This is a very favorable matchup. Rayquaza lists no longer run double or even a single [card name=”Shining Lugia” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM82″ c=”name”][/card].
- [card name=”Malamar” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] – This matchup seems 50-50 to me with one-Prize attackers trading back and forth.
- Mill – Auto loss, absolutely no chance of winning.
- Sceptile – I think Sceptile is slightly favorable despite their invincibility to Buzzwole should they go for the baby [card name=”Sceptile” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card]. Slugma, Weavile, and even Magcargo are still efficient attackers. After a few ticks of Shrine, Magcargo with [card name=”Counter Energy” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”100″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Professor Kukui” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”128″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] can even take out a Sceptile-GX.
Conclusion
That’s all I have for you today guys! As always, thanks for reading! Mill is actually pretty broken right now despite having a few hard counters. Shrine is also a solid deck that has a good shot at beating everything besides random stuff like Mill and [card name=”Alolan Exeggutor” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”2″ c=”name”][/card]. I am a huge fan of the Standard format right now. There are a lot of viable decks thanks to Lost Thunder, and decks feel a lot more consistent than they were last format.
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