Armstrong and Mr. Bink — A Buzzwole-GX Toolbox Exposé

[cardimg name=”Buzzwole-GX” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”104″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

[card name=”Buzzwole-GX” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card] decks just can’t be held down, they’re always doing well. Most recently, Connor Pedersen took a Buzzwole deck to a Top 8 finish at California Regionals, his list only two cards different from Austin Ellis’s from Oregon Regionals about a month earlier. It’s interesting to see nearly identical lists do well in events back to back, with a new set introduced to the game, no less. Buzzwole has been at the forefront of the metagame since its inception, but what’s curious is why it’s been so under the radar in the Expanded format. See, it has done well, so the strength of the deck is there, but is it just not popular enough to garner the hype it seems to deserve? People do play Buzzwole; however, they are playing inferior lists. This list, popularized by Ellis, is the best way to play the deck in the Expanded format and clearly can be added to, making it even better depending on what you want to tech for.

The main attraction to this deck is [card name=”Korrina” set=”Furious Fists” no=”95″ c=”name”][/card], an Expanded-only Supporter that ties everything together for Fighting-type decks. With four copies, you almost always have access to everything you could ever want and you’ll only lose games to outright bricks or bad matchups. Expanded Buzzwole decks can play a variety of tech attackers since the Fighting type has a very wide pool of options to shore up threats. My favorite techs in the deck right now are [card name=”Carbink” set=”Fates Collide” no=”49″ c=”name”][/card] and the [card name=”Carbink BREAK” set=”Fates Collide” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card]; the Energy Keeper Ability is extremely problematic for all the control decks running around. [card name=”Zygarde-EX” set=”Fates Collide” no=”54″ c=”name”][/card] is another great tech, using it can demolish [card name=”Trevenant BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card] decks on its own.

For all the options this deck has it seems to fall short of winning events. Perhaps it’s because of drawing poorly in top cut or hitting bad matchups or opponents drawing super hot. Whatever the case may be, Buzzwole is perennially an Expanded format contender and this is the best way to play the deck. Let’s take a look at Pedersen’s list.

List and Explanations

[decklist name=”.” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Carbink BREAK” set=”Fates Collide” no=”51″][pokemon amt=”12″]3x [card name=”Buzzwole” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Buzzwole-GX” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”57″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Carbink BREAK” set=”Fates Collide” no=”51″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Carbink” set=”Fates Collide” no=”49″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Zygarde-EX” set=”Fates Collide” no=”54″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Sudowoodo” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”66″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Landorus-EX” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”89″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Giratina” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY184″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Diancie Prism Star” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”74″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”35″]4x [card name=”Korrina” set=”Furious Fists” no=”95″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Cynthia” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”119″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Professor Sycamore” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”107″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”118″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Acerola” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”112″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Float Stone” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”137″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Beast Ring” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Nest Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”123″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Energy Loto” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”122″ 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=”Brooklet Hill” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”120″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”13″]8x [card name=”Fighting Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”96″ c=”deck2″ amt=”8″][/card]4x [card name=”Strong Energy” set=”Fates Collide” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]1x [card name=”Beast Energy Prism Star” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”117″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

That’s right, upon first glance you might notice this deck isn’t playing [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Shining Legends” no=”68″ c=”name”][/card] at all; none. Korrina is going to be your main source of getting the Pokemon you want, and with a single copy of [card name=”Nest Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] you can accelerate that a little more if needed, as well as with [card name=”Brooklet Hill” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”120″ c=”name”][/card]. Nest Ball can snag the only Pokemon that’s not Fighting-type from the deck so there’s how you solve that issue. In other considerations, you might see that there are a ton of Supporter cards. This deck wants to do one thing: attack every single turn with no interruptions. Having a ton of Supporter cards will insure you can do that over and over and with the right supporting cast of Item techs and Pokemon, you’ll be churning out wins in no time.

Three Buzzwole and Two Buzzwole-GX

The main attackers of this deck, three baby [card name=”Buzzwole” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] is essential for many matchups. The strategy starting off is to either lead with a Buzzwole-GX, or a two-Prize Pokemon in general, let it get Knocked Out then go for a Sledgehammer. You can do that or go Buzzwole into Buzzwole into yet another Buzzwole for the same effect. Either way you do it, three baby Buzzwole is great to have that option, or in an event you start with a different one Prize Pokemon. Swing Around is even good in the late game if you’re trying to limit your Pokemon-EX/GX. Two Buzzwole-GX allows you to have some maneuverability to give one up early and then still have one for when [card name=”Beast Ring” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card] is activated. While this isn’t a deck that plays many Beast Ring, it’s main target is still Buzzwole-GX to power up Knuckle Impact for big one-hit Knock Outs.

[premium]

One Zygarde-EX

[cardimg name=”Zygarde-EX” set=”Fates Collide” no=”54″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Land’s Pulse is strong against [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] and requires a little less effort to take a one-hit Knock Out. You’re doing 40 damage outright with a Stadium in play, you can bring that to 60 with [card name=”Diancie Prism Star” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card], 80 with a [card name=”Strong Energy” set=”Furious Fists” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card], and then you can complete the puzzle with a [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] to do 110 overall, doubled to 220 against a Fighting-weak Zoroark-GX. That’s just one positive, but the main reason this card is included in the deck is for Cell Storm. Sixty damage isn’t a whole lot but with your damage modifiers it can add up. Against a Trevenant BREAK you can repeatedly heal the damage done by Silent Fear and while Tree Slam can’t be fully healed off, an opposing Trevenant will still need to use Tree Slam six times to clear a full 190 HP Zygarde-EX from scratch which is a tall task. There are better attacks than Land’s Wrath but it’s an option when you have Energy on a Zygarde-EX already.

One Sudowoodo

Roadblock might seem out of place in a Fighting deck that should already be solid against Zoroark-GX already, but Weakness doesn’t matter much when you’re trading two-Prize Pokemon for two-Prize Pokemon in a one-hit Knock Out battle. [card name=”Sudowoodo” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card] usually gives you the edge over Zoroark-GX decks because it forces an opponent to not only get the Pokemon and such to take a one-hit Knock Out, but they have to go a step further and find a way around Sudowoodo like [card name=”Alolan Muk” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”58″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card]. It’s a card with high value because it increases a close to even matchup into favorable territory in many cases.

One Landorus-EX

Hammerhead is the same as Jet Punch but Weakness to Water can play around certain matchups. With [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] rising in popularity again you might want to look to taking this out of the deck, but regardless the option of a different Weakness is a nice addition to the deck. Land’s Judgement is strong as well but comes with a large drawback of discarding Energy cards. I would mainly stick to using [card name=”Landorus-EX” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card] just for Hammerhead, it is a nice way to defend yourself against Psychic Pokemon like [card name=”Pumpkaboo” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”44″ c=”name”][/card].

One Giratina

Strictly for [card name=”Greninja BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card] and Trevenant BREAK decks (both bad matchups without it), you can pick and choose if you want to run this card. Some days it will be great, perhaps scoring you a win or two, but other days it will be useless and you’ll regret playing it. It’s a decision you’ll have to make.

One Carbink and One Carbink BREAK

Energy Keeper [card name=”Carbink” set=”Fates Collide” no=”49″ c=”name”][/card] is amazing and gives it to the control decks of the world. [card name=”Carbink BREAK” set=”Fates Collide” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] is even more frustrating for control decks because it can evolve and get out of [card name=”Silent Lab” set=”Primal Clash” no=”140″ c=”name”][/card] stopping Energy Keeper. Not only that, but Diamond Gift lets you attach Energy from your discard pile to your Pokemon. Control decks can’t handle big attackers so if you can power them up you’ll be good to go and keep attacking until you win. The problem with Carbink is that an opponent can [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Flashfire” no=”90″ c=”name”][/card] it up, take a Knock Out, and then force you to [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”name”][/card] it back or the disruption will be back online. I’ve found that if you hold the Carbink until your opponent has taken a single Prize you can then drop it and if your opponent takes a Knock Out on it then they will be sitting with four Prize cards remaining and Sledgehammer will get its damage boost. Playing around Sledgehammer is essential for a control deck to win as well, while it can still win when it’s activated, it’s just a whole lot more difficult. In any case, this is truly an MVP in this deck and I would not take it out. A second Carbink is an option, perhaps Safeguard [card name=”Carbink” set=”Fates Collide” no=”50″ c=”custom”]the one with Safeguard[/card] to counter Seismitoad-EX.

Four Korrina

[card name=”Korrina” set=”Furious Fists” no=”95″ c=”name”][/card] doesn’t seem like much but as I’ve already said it’s hugely a staple to this deck and makes it flow. You grab your attacker and then just another piece of the puzzle. Maybe you need an Energy so [card name=”Energy Loto” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card] can do the trick or perhaps you’re looking for a [card name=”Float Stone” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] to retreat. The options are wide open and you can grab the right card for the right situation. This deck isn’t exactly explosive and plays slower than others, but Korrina is just right to make sure that it executes its strategy. Ground and pound, as they said in football, just smack them for a decent chunk of damage, [card name=”Acerola” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”112″ c=”name”][/card], rinse and repeat. You can keep the chain going with [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card].

One Acerola

It might seem weird for a Buzzwole deck to be playing [card name=”Acerola” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”112″ c=”name”][/card], but in this one makes a lot of sense. In Expanded with Strong Energy to boost your damage output to new heights, you can chain Acerola together with [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card], poke, heal, and do it again. Remember [card name=”Darkrai-EX” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”63″ c=”name”][/card] with Night Spear? You can basically do that for one Energy now with Hammerhead or Jet Punch, heal, then do it again; ridiculous.

One Energy Loto

[cardimg name=”Energy Loto” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”122″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

[card name=”Professor’s Letter” set=”XY” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] can guarantee you Basic Energy, but not those broken Special Energy, [card name=”Beast Energy Prism Star” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”117″ c=”name”][/card] and Strong Energy. Those Special Energy are so good and the fact that Korrina can potentially land you one by getting Energy Loto is absurd. I would always favor this over the Professor’s Letter just for that reason, it’s just stronger.

Eight Fighting Energy

Without [card name=”Max Elixir” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card] and multiple [card name=”Beast Ring” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card], why are this many Energy important? Well, for one, you don’t want to lose to control decks. Finding Energy early is important with this deck as well. I’ll be honest and I can say that seven could be alright as well. You’re not looking to improve Max Elixir odds, but only making sure you can use two Beast Ring for full effect. That means you’ll need at least four Fighting Energy to start, which is completely doable. I can see taking one out for something else you might be looking for.

Other Options

Safeguard Carbink

Out of nowhere you can turn into an anti-Ability menace. I like this option as do I like the other [card name=”Carbink” set=”Fates Collide” no=”50″ c=”name”][/card] option. There’s too many, how do you decide which ones to play? Energy Keeper is by far the best and most essential, but playing a thicker Carbink BREAK line with other options is something to consider.

Octillery and / or Oranguru

Without a way to draw cards with an Ability, these are both options to shore up your consistency and chances against decks that aim to kill your hand. [card name=”Oranguru” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”113″ c=”name”][/card] is especially nice against the [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] / Exodia decks that attempt to leave you with a completely dead hand on their first turn. [card name=”Octillery” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card] is better in the late game, but perhaps both would be ideal. The issue is space and the fact that against most other decks you won’t need it or have an opportunity to even use it with Ability lock widespread across the format so the successful lists excluding either makes sense. If you have to choose one and only one I would go with Oranguru because of how good Instruct is against the aforementioned “Exodia” deck.

Wide Lens

With Zorua having Weakness to Fighting, [card name=”Wide Lens” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”95″ c=”name”][/card] is always a tech that’s bounced around in these sorts of decks. I’ve never been a fan of it since it’s almost exclusively good on the first or second turn (after that Zorua are usually evolved). You can snag it with Korrina so there’s that, but I’m not a huge fan overall. It’s not great against anything other than [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] decks itself, so it’s sometimes useless against the deck it’s played for and usually useless against everything else; I think you want to skip it in this deck.

Playing the Deck

This deck is pretty simple, you have a wide array of attackers for certain matchups and you pick the one corresponding to what you’re against and get in there. You’re slower, yes, but with the large variety of damage modifiers you have you can still pack a punch. Think of this as a more traditional deck, something that does what it wants nearly every game and does it well. You do a lot of damage for little cost and still have the essentials of a Buzzwole deck with the Sledgehammer option and a couple [card name=”Beast Ring” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card] for the late game to finish things off. With many copies of gust effects in both [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Lysandre” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”78″ c=”name”][/card] you’re sure to put the pressure on early and often and force your opponent to make some tough decisions. With Zoroark-GX still dominating the Expanded format metagame this is a deck that should be on your radar if you’re looking to defeat the big bad fox. Don’t underestimate Korrina and practice your openings trying to maximize your chances of attacking on the first turn. Remember you might just be a Korrina off from achieving the first turn attack, perhaps completing the puzzle with Energy Loto or a Float Stone to get your attacker going.

Matchups

Blastoise: Even

Baby [card name=”Buzzwole” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] is the key to getting ahead here. You’re going to hope that your opponent puts weaklings like [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] on the Bench that are easy pickings. Leading with Buzzwole-GX is nice pressure and will set up an immediate boosted Sledgehammer. Blastoise decks are a little harder to put a finger on these days with the release of Magikarp & Wailord-GX, so try to play against a variety of them. The Magikarp & Wailord-GX version won’t do much with the GX attack, but the Super Splash can body you quickly. 180 one-shots most of your Pokemon, but a damage modifier may be necessary for completing a Knock Out on a Buzzwole-GX. The plan remains the same, start with a Buzzwole-GX ideally, spread some damage around, hopefully pick up a Prize or two before the attack trade begins, go to Sledgehammer, play your Beast Ring, and finish things with a Buzzwole-GX. You can do this a little differently by going all in with a Buzzwole-GX early as well, powering up Absorption GX to one-shot a Magikarp & Wailord-GX if you have a [card name=”Strong Energy” set=”Fates Collide” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] attached, [card name=”Diancie Prism Star” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] in play, and a damage modifier like Muscle Band. The options are there, this is a matchup where you may need to adapt to the cards you’re dealt. You will need to Sledgehammer for boosted damage in this matchup because Magikarp & Wailord-GX is far too massive to ever take a Knock out on without it. Look for two-hit Knock Outs on average. Remember, just two Magikarp & Wailord-GX need to go down for you to win, plan accordingly.

Buzzwole-GX: Even

The mirror match is best begun with a Buzzwole-GX. From there you go into Buzzwole when Sledgehammer is boosted and you can use Beast Ring to build your winning attackers. The only issue I’ve run into with the low Beast Ring count in this deck is when you prize one or need to hit two in a turn to have the rest of the attackers you need to win the game. This is a Prize race matchup where having a third or even fourth Beast Ring would be nice. Watch out for mirrors that are playing Max Elixir. They will be faster than you and might pack some serious pressure. For that, the Sledgehammer turn will be even more important to slow them down and [card name=”N” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”96″ c=”name”][/card] will be a big part of the game plan as well. This version of the deck has been unfavorable against Buzzwole decks playing [card name=”Lycanroc-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] since the Dangerous Rogue GX adds an Energy efficient attack to get leads in the Prize race.

Flareon / Vespiquen: Unfavorable

[cardimg name=”Flareon” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”12″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

The non-EX/GX attackers in your opponent’s deck make this matchup a huge pain. One of your best bets is setting up double Knock Outs with Hammerhead or Jet Punch and getting ahead on Prizes that way. Buzzwole-GX is your best starter since it has more HP than [card name=”Landorus-EX” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card] and using Buzzwole right after for Sledgehammer, and then ideally powering two more up with Beast Ring to use Swing Around with is best. You can craft a one-hit Knock Out with Diancie Prism Star in play, [card name=”Muscle Band” set=”XY” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card], and a Strong Energy against a [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card] for 90 damage. You can win this matchup, it’s just difficult with the whole one-Prize attacker thing going for your opponent. Your baby Buzzwole are the keys to winning.

Rayquaza-GX: Slightly Favorable

Start with a Buzzwole-GX, spread some damage, go into your Sledgehammer turn, finish up a Knock Out if you haven’t taken one already, then Beast Ring away and finish the game. Oftentimes Jet Punch can be doing 90 damage on your first turn rather reliably so your opponent will be on a clock to one-shot your first Buzzwole-GX and if it doesn’t get Knocked Out then you can Jet Punch again for two Prizes. The same applies for Landorus-EX but Buzzwole-GX is obviously preferred since it has 190 HP, forcing a [card name=”Rayquaza-GX” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card] to Dragon Break with another Grass or Lightning Energy in play to take a Knock Out.

Seismitoad-EX / Zoroark-GX: Favorable

Here’s where it’s time for Carbink BREAK to shine. Remember what I said before about not showing it until you sacrifice a one-Prize Pokemon? If you do that then you can get maximum value out of Sledgehammer. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket; I think that [card name=”Zygarde-EX” set=”Fates Collide” no=”54″ c=”name”][/card] is the best attacker for this matchup since it can attack on back to back turns whereas Buzzwole-GX has to recharge after using Knuckle Impact. Diamond Gift and Energy Keeper are the MVPs of this matchup and you should be favored if you don’t mess it up. I love the one-Prize sacrifice because when Carbink is taken down, Sledgehammer activates and you get to do a lot for a little. Sledgehammer is hard for your opponent’s deck to handle without Sky Field or damage modifiers to one-shot a Buzzwole, so if you limit your Bench accordingly you can decimate your opponent in a flash.

Trevenant BREAK: Even

[card name=”Giratina” set=”XY Black Star Promos” no=”XY184″ c=”name”][/card] and Zygarde-EX are the move here. You can Cell Storm to your heart’s content over and over and if Trevenant BREAK comes down then Giratina will make quick work of it. I only find this matchup to stink when you start with things that are hard to get out of the Active and are overwhelmed quickly by Silent Fear. Acerola allows you to have some maneuverability by picking a Pokemon that’s trapped up, but aside from that things can get hairy if you start drawing poorly. [card name=”Marshadow” set=”Shining Legends” no=”45″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Red Card” set=”XY” no=”124″ c=”name”][/card] are always wild cards so nothing is a guarantee in a matchup where Item lock is the name of the game and can prevent you from playing altogether, hence the even designation here.

Zoroark-GX / Exeggcute / Garbodor / Sky Field: Slightly Favorable

[card name=”Sudowoodo” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card] should be one of your first priorities. Buzzwole-GX or Landorus-EX make for a good starter to start spreading damage and taking cheap Knock Outs. Sudowoodo is only as powerful as the time you can keep [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] and its Garbotoxin offline, so take down [card name=”Trubbish” set=”Noble Victories” no=”48″ c=”name”][/card] at any opportunity to prevent that altogether. Some lists are playing [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”custom”]Trashalanche[/card] now so all the more reason to eliminate Trubbish whenever possible. Red Card and [card name=”Delinquent” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”98″ c=”name”][/card] are the problem factors in this matchup so more than any other matchup you need to be on the watch for Delinquent. If you ever let your hand hit three cards or leave yourself with a hand full of resources and not much room for discarding, you’ll be in an awful spot with very little hope to still win. This is a matchup best won through pressure and execution of the game plan in the effort of bringing down Garbodor before it becomes a lasting threat by disabling your Sudowoodo and allowing Riotous Beating to take full power. While limiting your Item cards is something that’s always included in regards to a deck that’s playing Trashalanche, it’s less relevant in this matchup because your opponent’s Trubbish will be more valuable as a Garbotoxin. The threat is there so play around it if you can, but don’t feel bound to limiting your Item cards.

Zoroark-GX / Exodia: Even

Hope your opponent doesn’t get the combo and you survive to put up a fight. If you go first do everything in your power to find Sudowoodo and prevent your opponent from making full use of Shaymin-EX and a full Bench. Without multiple Shaymin-EX the combo is very hard to pull off and therefore you should get a chance to play the game. If you do, it’s pretty easy to win based off your Fighting type and your opponent’s fragile strategy that depends heavily on the disruption hand destroying combo.

Conclusion

This deck is a solid play. If you’re in doubt and are running out of time, maybe have passing familiarity with Buzzwole decks of old, you should try this one out! I don’t expect it to be in any worse of a spot than it was for the past two Regionals and even with the same exact list that Pedersen played for California this deck will stand a great chance in Expanded format events. I’ll be back one more time before Texas Regionals, so stay tuned. Take care, see you later!

Peace,

Caleb

[/premium]