Monkey Business — A Serious Look at Passimian
Hello readers! Like many players, I’m excited by the release of Team Up. A new set means lots of new decks and strategies to discover, and that’s always fun. [card name=”Jirachi” set=”Team Up” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Erika’s Hospitality” set=”Team Up” no=”140″ c=”name”][/card] are useful cards that will boost consistency, something that is needed in Standard at the moment. [card name=”Zapdos” set=”Team Up” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] is a powerful attacker, but not overwhelmingly so, and should make for a good inclusion in non-GX decks. [card name=”Viridian Forest” set=”Team Up” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card] has a good design and I like that one of the most iconic places of the Pokemon world is finally getting featured on a card. [card name=”Black Market Prism Star” set=”Team Up” no=”134″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Wondrous Labyrinth Prism Star” set=”Team Up” no=”158″ c=”name”][/card] both have powerful but specialized effects, [card name=”Alolan Exeggutor” set=”Team Up” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] has potential in Expanded thanks to [card name=”Exeggcute” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”4″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Double Dragon Energy” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card], and [card name=”Pokémon Communication” set=”HeartGold and SoulSilver” no=”98″ c=”name”][/card] is finally back, which is great because it’s a consistency card that actually favors Evolution decks.
[cardimg name=”Magikarp and Wailord-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM166″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
Everything seems good, then — except for one catch: I hate Tag Team Pokemon. Almost nothing about them is new, and they don’t even recycle good concepts. Basic Pokemon with huge HP and expensive but destructive attacks? We’ve seen them already: they were called Pokemon-EX, and they heralded the least strategy-based era in this TCG. Top-tier decks were all based around one or two Pokemon-EX and a support Pokemon, and then only around Pokemon-EX as Trainers grew powerful enough to eliminate the need for support Pokemon. Evolutions couldn’t keep up and we played 30 Items in every deck until our savior [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] stepped in. Tag Team Pokemon are just Pokemon-EX, but with their traits even more exaggerated, and that doesn’t inspire a lot of confidence in me.
The one thing I like about Tag Team Pokemon is that their GX attacks have two “modes,” depending on how many Energy are attached to the Pokemon. This does add a level of strategizing: do you use your GX attack now even though you won’t get the bonus effect, or risk waiting to possibly get more mileage out of it? That said, there’s no reason for these attacks to only be printed on Basic Pokemon that award three Prizes, so they don’t justify the existence of Tag Team Pokemon.
The point of that rant wasn’t to say that I will never play Tag Team Pokemon. I’m a competitive player first and foremost, so if they’re the best option, I’ll play them. I simply believe that thinking about the overall design of the game, and not simply the short-sighted consideration of what is the best deck in the current meta, can be a valuable exercise.
I have to admit, though, that I’ll be more inclined to search for ways to beat Tag Team Pokemon than to actually use them. Which is why, recently, I’ve been looking at [card name=”Passimian” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”73″ c=”name”][/card] — a deck that’s been underrated considering its tournament results, and one that I think is even more promising in the upcoming Standard format. In this article, I’ll explain why this deck, originally thought of as a joke, is actually good; why it’s getting better with Team Up; and what a list could look like, both before and after the release of the new set.
The Surprising Efficiency of Passimian
Passimian has actually seen quite a bit of success in the Standard format since Lost Thunder was released. If you’re surprised, it might be because you didn’t consider results from outside of North America: Passimian saw quite a lot of success in Latin America and Europe.
On the first tournament of that specific format, the International Championship in Sao Paulo, the Brazilian duo of Gustavo Wada and Lucas Henrique de Araujo Pereira both reached Top 32 with the deck. French prodigy Maxence Feuillard also used the Brazilian list to reach Top 4 in the Junior division. I talked to Lucas at the event and he told me that although he and Gustavo didn’t originally have a lot of confidence in Passimian, once they built it they kept beating all the other meta decks, so they felt they had no choice but to play it.
Fast forward to December and Harrogate Regionals in the UK. Ondrej Skubal, a semi-retired Czech player who was playing his pet deck — Passimian — reached Top 8. His countryman Phong Nguyen got Top 16 with the same list. This inspired some accomplished European players such as Benjamin Pham to pick up the deck for League Cups. Finally, in January, Patricia Gonzalez Walsh won the Special Event in Argentina with Passimian, while another Argentinian player, Tomas Blei, got Top 4.
Clearly, Passimian is a deck that is able to win major events. Top players increasingly trust it and are comfortable playing it against such popular decks as [card name=”Blacephalon-GX” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”52″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Naganadel” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”108″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] variants, or other non-GX decks. I think it’s time to admit that it’s a “real deck” and not a meme.
Of course, simply looking at data on the deck’s results doesn’t explain why it’s good. For such an explanation, we need to look at the actual deck. Here’s Patricia’s winning list from the SPE in Argentina:
[decklist name=”Passimian (P. Gonzalez Walsh)” amt=”59″ caption=”” cname=”Latios” set=”Shining Legends” no=”41″][pokemon amt=”15″]2x [card name=”Passimian” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”73″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Passimian” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”70″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]4x [card name=”Tapu Koko” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM30″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Magcargo” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”24″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Slugma” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”23″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Slugma” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”43″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Oranguru” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”113″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Oranguru” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”114″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Latios” set=”Shining Legends” no=”41″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x Tapu Lele (PRSM #45)[/pokemon][trainers amt=”36″]4x [card name=”Lillie” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”122″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Professor Kukui” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”128″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Judge” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”108″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Cynthia” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”119″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Tate & Liza” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”148″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Nest Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”123″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Acro Bike” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”123″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Switch” set=”EX FireRed and LeafGreen” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Energy Loto” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”122″ 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=”8″]4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”HeartGold and SoulSilver” no=”103″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Counter Energy” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”100″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Psychic Energy” set=”EX Ruby and Sapphire” no=”107″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
Passimian lists can differ by quite a few cards, whether it’s the choice of tech attackers, the Supporter lineup, or the inclusion of Items such as [card name=”Counter Catcher” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card]. However, their general structure stays the same. Current Passimian lists, in addition to running four Passimian, also play [card name=”Tapu Koko” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM30″ c=”name”][/card], usually four, and a [card name=”Tapu Lele” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card] with the Magical Swap attack (either the Fairy or Psychic type, or both). This means that the deck can deal damage both “vertically” and “horizontally.” By “vertically,” I mean attacking the Active Pokemon with Team Play; by “horizontally,” I mean spreading damage across the board with Flying Flip.
Spread decks can be powerful, but they all have innate weaknesses: if an opponent can heal damage from all their Pokemon, or limit their Bench, or set up a powerful high-HP attacker quickly, then the strategy of spreading damage won’t pay off. By adding Passimian, and therefore the ability to deal solid direct damage, these decks can threaten opponents in a different way. It is this flexibility that makes Passimian interesting. Depending on what your opponent is playing, you might play the game in a completely different manner. Are they using a Zoroark-GX deck? You can beat them by one-shotting every Zoroark-GX they play down. Are you playing the mirror match? Just spread damage around and avoid taking Prizes until the end of the game, so you don’t allow your opponent to use [card name=”Counter Energy” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”100″ c=”name”][/card] (and therefore Magical Swap). It’s also worth mentioning that spread decks typically do great against Ultra Beast decks since they can take three or more Prizes in one turn with Magical Swap and therefore never allow the opponent to play a [card name=”Beast Ring” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card].
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All About Typing
[cardimg name=”Passimian” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”73″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
There’s another, much more mundane factor to Passimian’s success, but to omit it would be a mistake. That factor is the card’s typing. Fighting Pokemon are valuable because they deal double damage to some of Standard’s most popular Pokemon — most significantly Zoroark-GX, but also [card name=”Weavile” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Tapu Koko” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM30″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Oranguru” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”113″ c=”name”][/card], and others.
With Team Up on the horizon, Fighting types look to be entering an even more suitable metagame. [card name=”Pikachu and Zekrom-GX” set=”Team Up” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card] is hyped as a top-tier deck based on its success in Japan. If the main attacker of this new, potentially highly-played deck is a three-Prize Lightning-type Pokemon, what could be better than a one-Prize Fighting attacker to counter it?
[card name=”Buzzwole” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] comes to most players’ minds for that role since it needs less support than Passimian, and Sledgehammer deals 120 damage, making it a clean OHKO. However, this requires the opponent to have exactly four Prizes remaining. With its GX attack, Pikachu & Zekrom-GX can take multiple prizes in one turn, potentially skipping the Sledgehammer turn. This is not to say that Buzzwole is not effective against it, since damage modifiers like [card name=”Diancie Prism Star” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Beast Energy Prism Star” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”117″ c=”name”][/card] ensure that it will do heavy damage to the Lightning Tag Team Pokemon in any case. However, Passimian will be more of a threat in the long run, as the only requirement to boost its attack is to Bench your other Passimian, something which your opponent cannot easily disrupt.
Pikachu & Zekrom-GX is not the only new Pokemon with a Weakness to Fighting. Many other Lightning Pokemon in the deck, such as [card name=”Tapu Koko Prism Star” set=”Team Up” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Zeraora-GX” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”86″ c=”name”][/card], share it. [card name=”Jolteon-GX ” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM173″ c=”custom”]Jolteon-GX[/card], another new powerful attacker that is seeing play in Japan alongside [card name=”Zapdos” set=”Team Up” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Jirachi” set=”Team Up” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card], is also weak to Fighting — as is [card name=”Eevee and Snorlax-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM169″ c=”name”][/card], which may see play with [card name=”Malamar” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] or as part of stall decks.
It should be noted that the deck can also hit other Weaknesses by incorporating Basic Pokemon and Counter Energy. For example, [card name=”Lycanroc-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card], another Fighting-type mainstay, could see a lot of play in the upcoming meta for the same reasons as Passimian. However, Passimian can tech [card name=”Shaymin” set=”Shining Legends” no=”7″ c=”name”][/card] in order to hit Lycanroc-GX for Weakness and OHKO it.
Finally, one should consider what has previously held Passimian back. Its most direct counter is stall decks. Pokemon like [card name=”Xurkitree-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM68″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Shuckle-GX” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”17″ c=”name”][/card] are almost impossible to damage with Passimian, and decks that can infinitely recycle [card name=”Enhanced Hammer” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Faba” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”173″ c=”name”][/card], and/or [card name=”Plumeria” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”120″ c=”name”][/card] can easily get rid of Passimian’s limited supply of Energy, especially since they don’t take Prizes and therefore don’t activate Counter Energy; the exception is Zoroark-GX Control, which Passimian can beat as long as it KOs three Zoroark-GX before running out of Energy. However, these stall/control decks don’t look strong in the upcoming metagame. Pikachu & Zekrom-GX and its allies don’t care at all about Xurkitree-GX or Shuckle-GX, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see a resurgence of decks with “unlimited” damage output such as Blacephalon-GX / Naganadel and Malamar in order to deal with the high HP of Tag Team Pokemon. This paints a picture of a format where stall decks would not have a lot of success, at least at the earliest tournaments. In turn, this means that Passimian looks appealing in this format, at least for the Oceania International Championship.
[cardimg name=”Jirachi” set=”Team Up” no=”99″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
A New List
Copying Patricia Gonzalez Walsh’s or Ondrej Skubal’s deck lists wholesale wouldn’t be the worst idea, but a new format warrants a new list. There is one card in particular from Team Up that can help Passimian a lot: Jirachi. Stellar Wish provides a lot of consistency, especially to a non-GX deck that doesn’t want to use [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card]’s Wonder Tag. This concept has already been proven in Japan, where decks have made use of the Wish Pokemon’s amazing compatibility with [card name=”Escape Board” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card].
We can go one step further: with Jirachi now able to provide consistency, the need for [card name=”Magcargo” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”24″ c=”name”][/card] is lessened. Jirachi can find Supporters, Energy via [card name=”Energy Loto” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card], Pokemon via [card name=”Nest Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Shining Legends” no=”68″ c=”name”][/card], and even tech Items such as [card name=”Counter Catcher” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card]. By cutting Magcargo as well as [card name=”Oranguru” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”113″ c=”name”][/card], we can achieve an interesting feat: all the Pokemon in the deck now have a maximum of one Retreat Cost, except for Diancie Prism Star, which means that we can rely on Escape Board for mobility and don’t need to play [card name=”Switch” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”132″ c=”name”][/card] or a high count of [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card]. This adds space in the deck to play more Items such as [card name=”Electropower” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”172″ c=”name”][/card], and also allows for the inclusion of [card name=”Gladion” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”95″ c=”name”][/card] to find a prized Passimian.
I’m not just theorizing here. Passimian has seen some success in Japan, and the lists being played over there all include the Jirachi and Escape Board engine. Here is a list that made Day 2 at the Pokemon Card Memo Invitational, an independent event similar to the USA’s ARG tournaments.
[decklist name=”Passimian” amt=”60″ caption=”undefined” cname=”Tapu Lele” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”94″][pokemon amt=”11″]2x [card name=”Passimian” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”73″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Passimian” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”70″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]3x [card name=”Tapu Koko” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM30″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Jirachi” set=”Team Up” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Diancie Prism Star” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”74″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x Tapu Lele (PRSM #45)[/pokemon][trainers amt=”41″]4x [card name=”Lillie” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”125″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Cynthia” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”119″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Erika’s Hospitality” set=”Team Up” no=”140″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Professor Kukui” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”128″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Gladion” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”95″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Nest Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”123″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Electropower” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”172″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Escape Board” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”122″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Energy Loto” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”122″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Counter Catcher” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”91″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Switch” set=”HeartGold and SoulSilver” no=”102″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Shrine of Punishment” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”143″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”2″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”8″]4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”HeartGold and SoulSilver” no=”103″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Counter Energy” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”100″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
This list is a strong starting point for Passimian in the SUM-TEU format. However, there are a lot of possible modifications that can be made to this list!
Tapu Lele
The original Japanese list played a Fairy-type [card name=”Tapu Lele” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”94″ c=”name”][/card], but I prefer the Psychic one as it can hit [card name=”Buzzwole-GX” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card]’s Weakness. The Fairy Tapu Lele is useful against [card name=”Rayquaza-GX” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card], but I don’t think that will see a lot of play.
Tech Attackers
In addition to Passimian and Tapu Koko, it is easy to include tech attackers that use [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Shining Legends” no=”69″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Counter Energy” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”100″ c=”name”][/card].
I’ve already mentioned [card name=”Shaymin” set=”Shining Legends” no=”7″ c=”name”][/card] as a possible counter to Grass-weak Pokemon such as Lycanroc-GX. [card name=”Victini” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”49″ c=”name”][/card] is more effective now that Magcargo has been removed from the deck, although its Fire typing is only relevant if Celebi & Venusaur-GX does well or if [card name=”Decidueye-GX” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”12″ c=”name”][/card] comes back. [card name=”Mimikyu” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”58″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Latios” set=”Shining Legends” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card] both deal well with Buzzwole-GX, with Latios also being useful to spread damage around especially when the opponent only has one or two Benched Pokemon.
Diancie Prism Star
Western lists have omitted this card recently; but with Magcargo out of the picture, there’s more space, both on the Bench and in the list, to run it.
[card name=”Diancie Prism Star” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] allows Passimian to OHKO Pikachu & Zekrom-GX without the need of a Choice Band or residual damage from Flying Flip and/or Shrine of Punishment. For this reason, I think it’s worth playing, even if its two Retreat Cost makes it a bad starter — really the only bad starter in the deck.
Oranguru (Resource Management)
Patricia Gonzalez Walsh included a copy of this [card name=”Oranguru” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card] in her winning list, although she claims it was useless. Nevertheless, against slow decks that discard Special Energy, Oranguru could give Passimian a chance.
Honestly, if I expected a significant showing from stall decks I’d just play something other than Passimian, but it’s worth mentioning this card as an option anyway.
Mr. Mime
Since this is the anti-[card name=”Acerola” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”112″ c=”name”][/card] tech, you can see how it could be good in a deck whose strategy involves spreading damage.
I don’t recommend [card name=”Mr. Mime” set=”Team Up” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card] right now because you already beat Zoroark-GX variants and you don’t beat stall decks regardless of whether you have Mr. Mime or not. It’s still a card to keep in mind depending on how the format develops.
Absol
Another new tech introduced in Team Up, [card name=”Absol” set=”Team Up” no=”88″ c=”name”][/card] is good against the Jirachi + Escape Board combo. If many decks end up using that combo, Absol could be an invaluable tech, but it’s too early to tell.
Note that an opposing Absol is an issue for your Passimian deck, and Absol becoming popular would justify the re-addition of Switch to the deck.
Guzma and Counter Catcher
[cardimg name=”Counter Catcher” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”91″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
A 2-2 split is enough, but playing Counter Catcher means you expect to be behind in most matchups. This seems reasonable, as Passimian often plays as a spread deck. A third copy of [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] would probably make the deck less dependent on staying behind, and allow for more aggressive plays. That said, I can see the appeal in playing a draw Supporter, then using Stellar Wish to get Counter Catcher.
It should also be noted that Magcargo getting stuck Active was often a lose condition in the deck, especially against similar spread decks, so Guzma is less necessary now that Magcargo is gone.
Judge
My list above has no way to disrupt the opponent’s hand. [card name=”Judge” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”108″ c=”name”][/card] is not an amazing card, but it can fill this role.
[card name=”Marshadow” set=”Shining Legends” no=”45″ c=”name”][/card] would also be a consideration, but space on the Bench is precious and I don’t think there’s enough room for Marshadow in this deck.
Electropower
This is the card I have the most doubts about, although it seems to be a staple in this archetype in Japan. On the one hand, a 30-damage boost is extremely valuable — think of it as a [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] that works on non-GX Pokemon. Sure, it only works for one turn, but there’s a good chance that a 110-HP attacker would only get one turn of using Choice Band anyway. On the other hand, it only works with [card name=”Tapu Koko” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM30″ c=”name”][/card], not [card name=”Passimian” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”73″ c=”name”][/card] or your tech attackers. Plus, if you’re dragging a high-retreat Pokemon into the Active spot to buy turns to spread, you don’t want to deal more damage to it with Flying Flip — the less damage you deal to it, the longer it will hypothetically stay Active and the more time you have to spread damage to the Bench.
I wouldn’t be surprised if, after more experimentation, I cut down to three or even two copies of this card.
Acro Bike
Most Western lists used to play [card name=”Acro Bike” set=”Primal Clash” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card] as a non-Supporter consistency card that also works well with Magcargo’s Smooth Over. I think that, in the new version of the list, Acro Bike has much less utility, but it could add a bit more consistency to the deck — maybe in place of one or two Electropower.
Field Blower
There’s a perpetual debate, in many decks, about whether to play [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card] or not. Playing it can prove extremely helpful in certain matchups, but it costs you a precious deck slot that could be used elsewhere. Play Field Blower when it’s not needed, and you’ll be less efficient than if you’d cut it — but cut it and you might lose to a Pokemon Tool that you didn’t expect.
The Tool I would be most worried about in early SUM-TEU is [card name=”Weakness Policy” set=”Primal Clash” no=”142″ c=”name”][/card]. We haven’t seen much of it recently, but Tag Team Pokemon increase its value. The difference between a Zoroark-GX that gets KO’d and one that survives thanks to Weakness Policy is two Prizes. The difference between a Pikachu & Zekrom-GX that gets KO’d and one that survives is three Prizes. This extra value is all the more necessary since everyone knows that Lightning Pokemon are going to be strong, and therefore Fighting Pokemon should see a rise in play. It wouldn’t be surprising, then, to see Pikachu & Zekrom-GX or Jolteon-GX players include Weakness Policy.
Adventure Bag
There’s not much to say about [card name=”Adventure Bag” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”167″ c=”name”][/card], other than that it provides a bit of value in a deck that uses both Escape Board and Choice Band. It’s not necessary, but it’s nice if you can fit it.
Shrine of Punishment
Just two copies might not seem like enough, but decks currently tend to play fewer Stadiums than they did a few months ago. It’s still possible to play three (four would be too much, in my opinion), but it’s a meta call: if you expect a lot of Zapdos / Jirachi or other non-GX decks, then [card name=”Shrine of Punishment” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”143″ c=”name”][/card] would be a dead card.
Psychic Energy
[cardimg name=”Psychic Energy” set=”HeartGold and SoulSilver” no=”119″ align=”right” c=”custom”]Best card in the deck?[/cardimg]
This is the card that Patricia Gonzalez Walsh featured in her list that made me take a newfound interest in Passimian. This simple card has three main uses:
First, it allows the use of Latios’ Lagoon Flight, should you play it. This is not relevant in most matchups, but it can be quite strong against Buzzwole and Buzzwole-GX.
Second, it lets Tapu Lele use Psywave. Again, this is useful against Psychic-weak Pokemon, but it also gives you a decent attack option that does not require two Energy. Should a Pikachu & Zekrom-GX deck play a copy of Xurkitree-GX, Tapu Lele can 2HKO it with Psywave and Choice Band, or the help of Shrine of Punishment.
Finally, a Psychic Energy means you can use Magical Swap without being behind in Prizes. This has huge implications in the mirror match and against similar decks. Even if you are ahead in Prizes, you can still use a big Magical Swap to win the game, rather than waiting until your opponent takes more Prizes or you take natural KOs via spread damage.
Conclusion
I would have liked to end this article with a review of Passimian’s matchups, but, to be honest, I’ve barely begun to test the new Standard format, so it would be premature of me to do so.
If you plan to try out the deck, though, my advice is to decide early in each game whether you’re going for a horizontal or vertical plan of attack so you can decide which Pokemon to search for and Bench in your opening turns. In most matchups where you don’t hit for Weakness, a horizontal (spread) attack is better.
That said, don’t be afraid to switch it up! Sometimes, the best way to win is to spread until you can take four Prizes with Magical Swap and take the last two Prizes with Passimian’s Team Play. Or you might need to attack to take care of one problematic Pokemon with Passimian or a tech attacker before going back to spreading. In any case, the wealth of options is what makes this deck so rewarding to play.
Spread decks without Passimian might also be worth looking into since they’re also made better by the inclusion of Jirachi, but I strongly believe Passimian’s typing is what gives this archetype an edge and will, in my opinion, make it relevant in the upcoming format. Even if I’m wrong and it isn’t successful, I’d wager that given the deck’s recent popularity and success, top players will at least test it before the International Championship in Melbourne.
That means it could be time for you to look into this innocent-looking budget deck! Whether you try Passimian or not, best of luck to you in all your games, and I’ll see you next week!
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