The Rebirth of Rayquaza-GX — New Expanded Techs for a Forgotten Deck
[cardimg name=”Rayquaza-GX” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”109″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
Hello PokeBeach readers! Last weekend, after making a midnight switch from [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] Control to Zoroark-GX / [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card], I choked miserably after a 5-0-0 start to finish 5-4-0 at Anaheim Regionals. One of my three “win-and-in” matches was against [card name=”Rayquaza-GX” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card], an archetype I was surprised to see. The deck featured [card name=”Ho-Oh-EX” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”22″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Zeraora-GX” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”86″ c=”custom”]Zeraora-GX[/card], which made it quite a hassle for control decks like mine to deal with. To make matters worse, my opponent ran a copy of [card name=”Faba” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”173″ c=”name”][/card] to rid me of my [card name=”Silent Lab” set=”Primal Clash” no=”140″ c=”name”][/card], so I couldn’t block his all-important Abilities. All things considered, Expanded Rayquaza-GX really impressed me, especially in a format like Anaheim’s where non-EX/GX decks were scarce.
Let’s start by looking at Preston Ellis’s list that took third place in Anaheim, and then discuss some updates or potential improvements that can be made to the deck.
Preston Ellis’s List
[decklist name=”3″ amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Mew” set=”Fates Collide” no=”29″][pokemon amt=”16″]4x [card name=”Rayquaza-GX” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”109″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Ho-Oh-EX” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”22″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Marshadow” set=”Shining Legends” no=”45″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Zeraora-GX” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”86″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Oranguru” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”113″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Sudowoodo” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”66″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Mew” set=”Fates Collide” no=”29″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”30″]1x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”XY” no=”122″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”118″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”N” set=”Noble Victories” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Ninja Boy” set=”Steam Siege” no=”103″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ 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=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Mysterious Treasure” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”113″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Dowsing Machine” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”128″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]3x [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”3″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”14″]7x [card name=”Grass Energy” set=”EX Ruby and Sapphire” no=”104″ c=”deck2″ amt=”7″][/card]7x [card name=”Lightning Energy” set=”EX Ruby and Sapphire” no=”109″ c=”deck2″ amt=”7″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
When I look at this list there’s one thing that immediately sticks out: a lack of draw Supporters. Preston’s idea here was to be as aggressive as possible by using [card name=”Marshadow” set=”Shining Legends” no=”45″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card], and other “turbo” cards to plow through the deck quickly. However, issues arise against decks that run [card name=”Sudowoodo” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card], since your opponent can limit your Bench size and stop you from going all-out with your Ability-based draw. I feel that a better blend of Supporter-based and non-Supporter-based draw can be achieved. This deck appears very similar to [card name=”M Rayquaza-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] decks of old, focusing on that low draw Supporter count in order to fit in more Ability and Item-based draw, aiming for an explosive strategy where you can overwhelm opponents quickly.
Three Ho-Oh-EX
[cardimg name=”Ho-Oh-EX” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”22″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
Three might seem like a lot, but Rebirth is amazingly strong in this deck. With a heads, you can immediately get a Ho-Oh-EX into play with a Grass Energy and a Lightning Energy, which amounts to a damage boost of 60 for Dragon Break. If you choose to turn the Ho-Oh-EX into a Rayquaza-GX with [card name=”Ninja Boy” set=”Steam Siege” no=”103″ c=”name”][/card], it’s already just a single Energy attachment away from using Dragon Break. This strategy is extremely useful against the much-maligned Expanded “control” decks that aim to slowly remove your Energy. Those decks have nothing to stop you except for Silent Lab, which can be countered with Faba or [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card].
One Zeraora-GX
This might be the best card in the deck. Full Voltage GX serves as even more insurance against control decks, and even outside the control matchup it’s a nice way to flood Energy onto the field to take a big lead or mount a comeback. Thunderclap Zone is just icing on the cake, giving you a way to switch your Pokemon around for no cost at all, which is yet another tool for beating control decks. This gets rid of the need for [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card] in the deck and gives you space for other cards. I can’t say enough good things about this card! Plasma Fists is even a good attack, hitting for a solid 160 damage if you need it.
One Mew
[card name=”Mew” set=”Fates Collide” no=”29″ c=”name”][/card] is one of the more curious inclusions in Preston’s list. I can only put forth an educated guess on why it’s in there: it’s a way to use Full Voltage GX as a non-EX/GX Pokemon, and can serve as a random non-EX/GX attacker if you are playing against a non-EX/GX deck. It can also act as a pivot Pokemon to send up after a Knock Out.
I disagree with Preston’s decision to play Mew — I like having non-EX/GX attacker options, but in a fast deck like this, it’s too impractical to devote a space and resources into a Pokemon that can’t survive a hit. The problem with Mew is that after nearly any attack you’re going to be losing any Energy that are on it. I can’t see myself playing this card in the deck and it’s going to be one of the changes I make in my updated list later in this article.
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Playing the Deck
I dislike the sentiment that “this deck takes no skill to play,” no matter what deck it’s applied to. Not only is that degrading to the person playing the deck, it’s also just not true. Every deck requires some aspect of skill, be it sequencing, resource management, or something as simple as spreading Energy out among your Pokemon (“don’t put all your eggs in one basket,” so to speak). Expanded Rayquaza-GX needs a combination of all of those skills — while the deck is inherently strong, it still needs to be piloted optimally to find success.
Max Elixir
Always give yourself the best odds to hit [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card]. Think about how many basic Energy are left in your deck. Play cards that get other cards out of your deck, such as [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card] first, to increase the odds of finding basic Energy in the top six cards of your deck. Lots of players complain about luck, but a lot of “bad luck” is actually the result of improper sequencing or poor deck thinning.
An interesting gameplay scenario involving Max Elixir features [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] and its Set Up Ability. You may have a Max Elixir in your hand and be planning to use Set Up at some point during your turn. If you really need to hit that Max Elixir, you could play the Shaymin-EX first to try and draw a card that continues to thin the deck, then play the Max Elixir afterward. There’s some risk, but it could be worth it. I need to do more research to determine if there’s a statistical point where drawing cards with Set Up will always or only sometimes increase your Max Elixir chances; that remains to be seen at this point so I don’t want to provide uninformed information further than this.
Stormy Winds
This seems like obvious advice but be sure you don’t use Stormy Winds when you don’t have any basic Energy in your discard pile. If you think there’s an Energy in there, but there actually isn’t, you still have to pay the cost of the Ability — so say goodbye to the top three cards of your deck, all for nothing. Also, sometimes you don’t even need to do use Stormy Winds at all, because you have other options to recover Energy from your discard pile (specifically, Rebirth). I like to play Rayquaza-GX as conservatively as possible, which sometimes requires reigning in some of its raw early-game power that can cost you later on.
Trainers’ Mail
Some of the same concepts as with Max Elixir apply here. If you desperately need to find a certain Trainer card in your deck, you can try to thin with deck search cards first to increase the odds that [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] will find that Trainer.
Sequencing
Another bit to remember for all decks, not just Rayquaza-GX: play cards that give you more information about the gamestate before performing actions that you cannot take back or that will have lasting repercussions. Say you want to retreat your Active Pokemon, but you still haven’t played your Supporter for the turn and have access to a draw Supporter. Never retreat that Active Pokemon before playing that Supporter (unless there’s some strange reason I haven’t thought of). Seeing new cards from the Supporter might change your decision or give you more insight into what else you should do during that turn. Maybe you won’t actually want to retreat that Active Pokemon, or maybe you’ll want to retreat to a Pokemon that’s different from what you wanted earlier. Compartmentalize your turns like this and you’ll become a better player, just because you won’t make subpotimal plays impulsively.
My Updated Expanded Rayquaza-GX List
[decklist name=”.” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Oranguru” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”113″][pokemon amt=”14″]4x [card name=”Rayquaza-GX” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”109″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Ho-Oh-EX” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”22″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Marshadow” set=”Shining Legends” no=”45″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Zeraora-GX” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”86″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Oranguru” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”113″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Sudowoodo” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”66″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”32″]1x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”118″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Ninja Boy” set=”Steam Siege” no=”103″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Faba” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”173″ 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=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Mysterious Treasure” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”113″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Trainers’ Mail” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Energy Switch” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”129″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Dowsing Machine” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”128″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]3x [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”14″]7x [card name=”Lightning Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”94″ c=”deck2″ amt=”7″][/card]7x [card name=”Grass Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”91″ c=”deck2″ amt=”7″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
While I can’t say my list is a revolutionary difference from Preston’s (above) by any means, I think the changes I’ve made are significant. As I’ve already stated, I dislike Mew in the deck, and I thought some of the other card counts could be tweaked. These are the 60 cards I would run if I took [card name=”Rayquaza-GX” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] to an Expanded format event right now.
Two Ho-Oh-EX
Starting with [card name=”Ho-Oh-EX” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”22″ c=”name”][/card] is awful, and I only use it once in a while, so I think two is a better number than three. Two chances to hit heads on Rebirth is enough.
One Faba
[card name=”Faba” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”173″ c=”name”][/card] gives protection against control decks — you can permanently rid them of their [card name=”Silent Lab” set=”Primal Clash” no=”140″ c=”name”][/card] so that your Abilities have free reign. Faba is a great utility card in Expanded; some other uses include ridding your opponent’s [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”54″ c=”name”][/card] of a Pokemon Tool or getting rid of one of those good old [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Next Destinies” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card]. It’s a great one-of Supporter that gives this deck another dimension than just being an offensive-minded juggernaut.
One Energy Switch
[card name=”Energy Switch” set=”Generations” no=”61″ c=”name”][/card] is a cute tech to make sure that you can keep building Rayquaza-GX to attack with by moving an Energy off of a “reborn” Ho-Oh-EX onto a Rayquaza-GX. It also effectively works as a Pokemon-switching card in tandem with Thunderclap Zone, since you can Energy Switch a Lightning Energy onto your Active Pokemon to retreat it for free.
Matchups
Blastoise: Even
[cardimg name=”Blastoise” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”31″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
This is strictly a Prize-trade matchup, but you can get the upper hand in a few ways. Since you can pump out damage so quickly, you can target down the opposing [card name=”Blastoise” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”31″ c=”name”][/card] as soon as possible and cut off your opponent’s only real way of dealing OHKOs. [card name=”Sudowoodo” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card] is useful in limiting your opponent’s setup by giving them one less space for an attacker, Blastoise, or [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card]. Ho-Oh-EX has Water Weakness, so it can be dangerous to bench one of those, especially if your opponent is in a position to attack with [card name=”Articuno” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”17″ c=”name”][/card].
Buzzwole-GX: Slightly Favorable
This is a matchup where you have to put your foot on the gas and never let up. You don’t have a non-EX/GX attacker of your own, so to combat [card name=”Buzzwole” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] during the Sledgehammer-damage-boost turn, aim to take a non-EX/GX KO to start the game, then take out a Pokemon-EX or -GX to put yourself straight to three Prizes and ignore the damage buff. You want to try to gain the Prize lead early and then never give it up.
Flareon / Vespiquen: Unfavorable
The “unfavorable” designation also applies for other [card name=”Battle Compressor” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”92″ c=”name”][/card] decks and single-Prize attacker decks in general, such as Lost March and Night March.
These decks have the same “turbo” strategy as Rayquaza-GX, but they do not rely on Pokemon-EX/GX to attack, so they will almost always out-trade you. Just hope to avoid these decks because there really isn’t much you can do about them.
Seismitoad-EX / Zoroark-GX: Slightly Favorable
Item lock is the biggest danger in this matchup, so you need to go full turbo and make the most out of your first turn. Don’t be afraid to dig through your deck as much as you can, play as many Item cards as possible, and thin your deck before Quaking Punch hits. Try not to bench heavy-retreat Pokemon like Rayquaza-GX without having a very good reason to do so. Those Pokemon can become [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Counter Catcher” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] targets that your opponent can pull up to stall while they continue removing your Energy.
Zeraora-GX will be the MVP of this matchup because of Thunderclap Zone and Full Voltage GX. As I mentioned earlier, use your Faba to remove your opponent’s Silent Lab. Later in the game, you may be able to buy yourself some time by grabbing Faba with [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] and using it to remove a Double Colorless Energy on your opponent’s board. Above all else, accelerate as many Energy into play as you can.
Zoroark-GX / Control: Favorable
Much of the strategy for the [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] matchup also applies here. The most important thing is to monitor your hand size; you don’t want to go to the dreaded hand size of three and be punished by [card name=”Delinquent” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”98″ c=”name”][/card]. The good news is that you don’t have to worry about Item lock, so you can keep churning out Energy with Max Elixir and also VS Seeker more effectively. (Note that some newer Control lists are playing a single tech Seismitoad-EX.) Your opponent will likely try to use [card name=”Articuno-GX” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”31″ c=”name”][/card] to clear Energy off a Rayquaza-GX and strand it Active. You can play around this by having [card name=”Zeraora-GX” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card] in play so you can retreat to safety for just a Lightning Energy, and then use Full Voltage GX to recover those discarded Energy.
Zoroark-GX / Garbodor: Slightly Favorable
This matchup can be tricky since some lists play Sudowoodo and some don’t. Bench management is a bit of a coin flip, so you can start the game passively to feel out whether or not your opponent is playing Sudowoodo. If they don’t, Ho-Oh-EX will have room to operate and you can drop all the Shaymin-EX you want.
[card name=”Garbodor” set=”Dragons Exalted” no=”54″ c=”name”][/card] is a big part of this matchup; your first turn of the game, before Garbotoxin comes into play, will be pivotal to your chances of winning. Getting as many Energy as possible into play is a must. Faba can slow down your opponent by discarding a Double Colorless Energy or a [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”name”][/card], and Sudowoodo can limit their damage output, so search for both of those when you can.
Try to target opposing Zoroark-GX early, since taking quick Knock Outs on those will reduce your opponent’s draw capability and they will struggle to find all the necessary pieces to return the KO. Keep the magic number of seven in mind — that’s the number of Energy you need in play to OHKO a Zoroark-GX.
Zoroark-GX / Hand Lock: Slightly Favorable
Yet another Zoroark-GX deck, this one is the “Exodia” variant that aims to create a game-winning lock on the first turn of the game with [card name=”Marshadow” set=”Shining Legends” no=”45″ c=”name”][/card]/[card name=”Red Card” set=”Generations” no=”71″ c=”name”][/card] followed by [card name=”Delinquent” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”98″ c=”name”][/card] and then a [card name=”Peeking Red Card” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card]. If the turn-one lock doesn’t happen, or if you draw out of it, you’ll win. Your opponent’s deck is fragile and yours is extremely powerful right off the bat, so as long as you get a chance to actually play the game, you should be able to chain KOs and roll to an easy victory.
A niche tip: if you are going second and have Sudowoodo in your opening hand, you should always play it down during setup so you can cut down some of your opponent’s draw power and reduce their chances of achieving the lock.
Conclusion
Rayquaza-GX is very linear but very powerful in the Expanded format. The addition of Ho-Oh-GX helps out a lot, and Zeraora-GX is a fantastic partner that gives the deck a whole palette of options. I think Rayquaza-GX is probably the best Basic Pokemon-EX/GX-based deck in Expanded right now, and I can see it as a top contender for many tournaments to come.
Peace,
Caleb
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