Tag Bolt — Updating Both PikaRom Variants for Colorado Regionals
[cardimg name=”Pikachu and Zekrom-GX” set=”Team Up” no=”162″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
Standard [card name=”Pikachu and Zekrom-GX” set=”Team Up” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card] decks have changed a ton since we last covered them here on PokeBeach. Starting off, there was seemingly one variant that emerged successfully from the original turmoil of figuring out Team Up — that being the super turbo list with [card name=”Rayquaza-GX” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Acro Bike” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card], and even [card name=”Wondrous Labyrinth Prism Star” set=”Team Up” no=”158″ c=”name”][/card] popularized by Jose Marrero. We now have two different builds, one focusing more on [card name=”Zapdos” set=”Team Up” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card] and the other using a turbo engine to get off turn one Full Blitz attacks.
Lightning Box
Here’s a successful Lightning Toolbox version of the deck that Gustavo Wada most recently won a Special Championship in Chile with:
[decklist name=”.” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Absol” set=”Team Up” no=”88″][pokemon amt=”14″]2x [card name=”Pikachu and Zekrom-GX” set=”Team Up” no=”33″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Zapdos” set=”Team Up” no=”40″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Jirachi” set=”Team Up” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Jolteon-GX ” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM173″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Eevee” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”101″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Zeraora-GX” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”86″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Tapu Koko-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”47″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Tapu Koko Prism Star” set=”Team Up” no=”51″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Marshadow” set=”Shining Legends” no=”45″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Absol” set=”Team Up” no=”88″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”35″]4x [card name=”Lillie” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”125″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]1x [card name=”Volkner” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”135″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Erika’s Hospitality” set=”Team Up” no=”140″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Cynthia” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”119″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Acerola” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”112″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Electropower” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”172″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Shining Legends” no=”68″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Nest Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”123″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Energy Switch” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”129″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Escape Board” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”122″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Switch” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”147″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Escape Rope” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”114″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Aether Paradise Conservation Area” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”116″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Thunder Mountain Prism Star” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”191″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”11″]11x [card name=”Lightning Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”94″ c=”deck2″ amt=”11″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
Explanations
Two Zapdos
This deck wants lots of options, and two Zapdos gives the deck a great one. You can operate as a non-GX deck and switch into a Pikachu and Zekrom-GX when the time is right if you want. You can also do something like attacking with two Zapdos, followed by two Pikachu and Zekrom-GX, forcing your opponent to take eight Prizes to win the game. This deck has so many different angles to claim an advantage in games and having multiple Zapdos is a big part of it. With so many Zapdos mirror matches these days you need to have your own or you’ll be hit with one-Prize attackers all game and have little to combat them with.
Two Pikachu and Zekrom-GX
While it’s important to the deck, you don’t want to start with it as much as you do with a turbo version of the deck.
Tag Bolt GX is the big attraction here and the whole reason why it’s included in the first place. Tag Bolt GX gets you ahead on Prize cards and wins you games. The strategy of the deck is to slowly build up to that while you pester your opponent with Zapdos and other options and eventually close things out. You can also play the opposite and go full turbo if the cards align to do so; it’s just not a guarantee. You might fancy the turbo approach when your opening hand has a [card name=”Thunder Mountain Prism Star” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”191″ c=”name”][/card], and at that point I would say by all means do it. The many different paths to victory are frankly the only reason why this deck is good; it might look like a mess on paper, but that is by design.
You don’t want to over-invest into one attacker, but Pikachu and Zekrom-GX is a big part of winning every matchup so you want to make sure that you can use it at least once a game. If you just played one you might prize it, not find it, or worse, and never get to take full advantage of it. Unlike Zapdos, your opponent probably won’t Knock Out back-to-back Pikachu and Zekrom-GX, you’re playing two to not prize it and make sure you take full advantage of it. You can also create an unwinnable position for your opponent if you’re able to power up two Pikachu and Zekrom-GX with Full Blitz.
One Jolteon-GX
[cardimg name=”Jolteon-GX ” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM173″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
[card name=”Jolteon-GX ” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM173″ c=”name”][/card]is okay against Zapdos decks when you have [card name=”Absol” set=”Team Up” no=”88″ c=”name”][/card] in play. Electrobullet can set up double Knock Outs, and Absol makes it difficult for an opponent to combat it.
It’s a great insurance counter against [card name=”Vileplume” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”6″ c=”name”][/card], giving you an out against something that would otherwise immediately beat you.
It’s a versatile card with a lot of uses and belongs in a toolbox deck like this because it opens even more possibilities up with spread, a unique GX attack that can create immunity for a turn, and a solid attack that does 110.
One Absol
Zapdos can be tough for Pikachu and Zekrom-GX decks to beat, so Absol is here to make it a little easier. While I’m not extremely confident in the matchup being favorable even still, Absol makes it winnable, whereas before it was very unfavorable.
In order to get ahead in the Zapdos matchup you need to get ahead on Prize cards since you’re not favored on paper with the whole extra-Prize Pokemon-GX Knock Out thing that your opponent has going for them. If Dark Ambition can buy you even one extra turn where you take a Knock Out you can get ahead on Prizes and eventually win the game.
I like the inclusion and it will win you games, albeit not all of them, against Zapdos.
One Aether Paradise Conservation Area
Also solid against Zapdos, reducing 30 damage from attacks negates an entire [card name=”Electropower” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”172″ c=”name”][/card] and helps your Pokemon survive longer. It’s also strong against [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] decks and slows Riotous Beating down. It’s a nice card to help you last longer in games and throw opponents off guard. This deck is all about having options and this is a nice one to have; a 140 HP Zapdos? It’s possible with this Stadium.
[premium]
Options
This list has a few problems in the Supporter card category. I love the Pokemon lineup, but [card name=”Erika’s Hospitality” set=”Team Up” no=”140″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Volkner” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”135″ c=”name”][/card] have to go.
I explained in my last article why Volkner is terrible, especially as a one-of, so now it’s time for an Erika’s Hospitality rant. Here goes: Erika’s Hospitality is always worse than another [card name=”Cynthia” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”119″ c=”name”][/card]. It’s simple: one is always fine to play on the first turn, the other isn’t. Erika’s Hospitality only offers the upside of adding to an existing hand. This is a deck that typically plays most of its cards down in succession, cleaning things out. Why play Erika’s Hospitality in this deck then? There’s not many combos to make past the early turns and I favor hard draw each time. Opening up without Cynthia on your first turn can be horrific if your opponent doesn’t have many Pokemon in play. At best this card accomplishes about the same as Cynthia, but at worst you can’t even play it, or your current hand is such a dud that you don’t really care about keeping the cards in it. Erika’s Hospitality does “thin out” the cards in your hand, as you’re not putting them back into the deck, but the reward is not worth the risk of starting it, or not being able to draw enough with it to reach a comfortable percentage where you get the cards you want to stay in the game.
In any case, I like the replacement of one of these for another Cynthia and the other for an additional [card name=”Escape Rope” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card] or [card name=”Nest Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card]. Take your pick, or choose something like [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] if you’re looking for another tech Pokemon. Another [card name=”Energy Switch” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”129″ c=”name”][/card] can be nice as well to give you a little more pop when you’re looking for it to set up a Tag Bolt GX, for instance. This deck has lots of room since it is a toolbox, but the frame of the attackers should remain much of the same.
Matchups, CliffsNotes Edition
- Lightning Toolbox Mirror: Even
- [card name=”Malamar” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Ultra Necrozma-GX” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”95″ c=”name”][/card]: Slightly Favorable
- Turbo Pikachu and Zekrom-GX: Even
- Zapdos / [card name=”Jirachi” set=”Team Up” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card]: Even
- Zapdos / Fighting: Slightly Unfavorable
- Zoroark-GX / [card name=”Lycanroc-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card]: Slightly Favorable
Anything is beatable for this deck but non-GX decks like Zapdos with a Fighting Pokemon ([card name=”Buzzwole” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card], Lycanroc-GX, etc.) are tricky.
The biggest thing to keep in mind while playing this deck is the Prize trade and how you can manipulate it to your favor. Every game you should be thinking about the hardest way for your opponent to take all their Prizes — so if you’re against a non-GX deck, you likely want to use both of your Zapdos, maybe even [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”name”][/card] them back, and throw a Pikachu and Zekrom-GX at them. Force them to deal the most damage and work the hardest to win the game.
Turbo Pikachu and Zekrom-GX
Here’s a list that Isaiah Williams recently won a League Cup with and the list we’ve been working with for Turbo Pikachu and Zekrom-GX:
[decklist name=”.” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Oricorio” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”55″][pokemon amt=”14″]3x [card name=”Jirachi” set=”Team Up” no=”99″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Pikachu and Zekrom-GX” set=”Team Up” no=”33″ 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=”Zapdos” set=”Team Up” no=”40″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Tapu Koko-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”47″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Tapu Koko Prism Star” set=”Team Up” no=”51″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”93″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Oricorio” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”55″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”36″]4x [card name=”Lillie” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”125″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]1x [card name=”Cynthia” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”119″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Acerola” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”112″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Shining Legends” no=”68″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Nest Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”123″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Mysterious Treasure” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”113″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]4x [card name=”Switch” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”147″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]3x [card name=”Energy Switch” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”129″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]3x [card name=”Electropower” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”172″ c=”deck2″ amt=”3″][/card]2x [card name=”Escape Board” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”122″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”deck2″ divide=”yes” amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Viridian Forest” set=”Team Up” no=”156″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Thunder Mountain Prism Star” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”191″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/trainers][energy amt=”10″]10x [card name=”Lightning Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”94″ c=”deck2″ amt=”10″][/card][/energy][/decklist]
Explanations
Three Jirachi
Instead of [card name=”Acro Bike” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”123″ c=”name”][/card], like in past Turbo [card name=”Pikachu and Zekrom-GX” set=”Team Up” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card] lists, this list runs [card name=”Jirachi” set=”Team Up” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] for a most consistent approach. Stellar Wish has a better reach to get you the pieces you need to complete a first turn Full Blitz and can be used multiple times in a game. To accomplish this you need to run four [card name=”Switch” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”147″ c=”name”][/card], as this list has, to give yourself ways to use multiple Jirachi in a turn and also put Pikachu and Zekrom-GX on the Bench so you can Dance of the Ancients to it, powering it up, then maybe Switch it back into the Active spot and attack. Using Stellar Wish as your guide to getting Full Blitz off early has been working much more consistently for me than other lists have in the past with the likes of Acro Bike, [card name=”Judge Whistle” set=”Team Up” no=”146″ c=”name”][/card], and/or even [card name=”Order Pad” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”131″ c=”name”][/card].
Two Marshadow
To the tune of being a turbo deck, you want as many ways to draw cards without playing a Supporter as possible. For better or worse, [card name=”Marshadow” set=”Shining Legends” no=”45″ c=”name”][/card] is one of those options. Playing two of them is a great way to fly through your deck. As an added bonus, you can disrupt an opponent as well and maybe score a cheap win with it.
One Wobbuffet
[cardimg name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”93″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
[card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card]’s Shady Tail is great after you use your own Dance of the Ancients. Stopping an opponent’s use of their own can give you an advantage against mirror matches and even [card name=”Zapdos” set=”Team Up” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card], preventing easy access to a [card name=”Tapu Koko-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM50″ c=”name”][/card] play by powering it up in one turn.
The Ability has value outside of that as well, stopping [card name=”Ditto Prism Star” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”154″ c=”name”][/card] in Zoroark-GX decks and other decks that happen to be running it.
The big draw to this card is the mirror match boost, where you can stop an opposing Pikachu and Zekrom-GX from powering itself up as quickly while you set up your own and get ahead.
One Oricorio
[card name=”Oricorio” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”56″ c=”name”][/card]’s Vital Dance can complete a Dance of the Ancients play and it gives you another [card name=”Mysterious Treasure” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”113″ c=”name”][/card] target, one of the unique ways this deck functions. You can get Energy in your hand, discard them, and then attach them with Tapu Koko Prism Star’s Ability.
It’s cool to have a searchable way to find Energy in a deck that can’t afford to miss an attachment as well.
One Acerola
It’s no [card name=”Cassius” set=”XY” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] in Expanded which is significantly better, but [card name=”Acerola” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”112″ c=”name”][/card] can save a Pikachu and Zekrom-GX from granting your opponent a three-Prize gift. Situations come up where you may have started with a Pikachu and Zekrom-GX and want to get it out of play, or maybe you need to clear some space on your board to make way for another attacker or maybe a tech.
There’s a lot of utility to Acerola in a bulky deck like this. I like it especially because it gives you a stronger late game instead of just fizzling out after you’ve spent all your resources on getting a first turn Full Blitz.
Options
There’s a few things I don’t like about this list. I think three Pikachu and Zekrom-GX is essential, as are four [card name=”Electropower” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”172″ c=”name”][/card]. I’d recommend finding room for those two cards. I just spent a few paragraphs hyping these two up, but [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”93″ c=”name”][/card] and Acerola can go for two of those cards, or maybe the [card name=”Viridian Forest” set=”Team Up” no=”156″ c=”name”][/card]. A fourth [card name=”Energy Switch” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”129″ c=”name”][/card] can only improve your first turn Full Blitz odds as well, so that’s another potential add. Tapu Koko-GX is cuttable in my opinion so you can look into that as well.
Taking anything out of this deck can compromise your odds of finding a first turn Full Blitz, so always have that in mind when you look to take something out. Turbo Pikachu and Zekrom-GX has the means to get that attack off immediately and I believe it’s a waste to not try and maximize that potential every game.
Matchups, SparkNotes Edition
- Lightning Toolbox: Even
- [card name=”Malamar” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Ultra Necrozma-GX” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”95″ c=”name”][/card]: Favorable
- Turbo Pikachu and Zekrom-GX Mirror: Even
- Zapdos / Jirachi: Slightly Unfavorable
- Zapdos / Fighting: Unfavorable
- [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Lycanroc-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card]: Even
This deck is more linear than the toolbox variant, so matchups are slightly more defined.
Your Zapdos matchups take a hit which I dislike, primarily because you have fewer options like [card name=”Absol” set=”Team Up” no=”88″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Jolteon-GX ” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM173″ c=”custom”]Jolteon-GX[/card]. Additionally, with fewer Zapdos, well, you’re not doing the same job your opponent is anymore, and certainly not as well. Focusing on multiple-Prize Pokemon can be bad in some matchups, and with Zapdos around as much as it is I would favor the Lightning Toolbox deck over this one.
Playing the Pikachu and Zekrom-GX Mirror
Deserving more attention, I want to talk about this matchup in detail.
First, an analogy: remember [card name=”M Mewtwo-EX” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”64″ c=”name”][/card] mirror matches? This matchup is somewhat similar. Start a trade of Knock Outs and attempt to keep it up and finish on top. First [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] wins? Not quite, but close. You’re both going to be powering up Pikachu and Zekrom-GX on the Bench and someone will get there first. Tapu Koko-GX can Tapu Thunder GX to mount a comeback and one-shot an attacking Pikachu and Zekrom-GX, though — comebacks like this are swingy and you will want to save your [card name=”Tapu Koko Prism Star” set=”Team Up” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] if possible to be able to power attackers up again. Likely, though, the first one-shot on another Pikachu and Zekrom-GX will win the game.
[cardimg name=”Tapu Koko Prism Star” set=”Team Up” no=”51″ align=”left” c=”none”][/cardimg]
Now, there are other ways to play this. If you’re using Zapdos, you can go for a more slow approach and move into Pikachu and Zekrom-GX to finish the game. This strategy is a little harder because you need to chain Electropower to complete Knock Outs, but if you can successfully pull it off it can be rewarding. This is more feasible in a heavy Jirachi build, giving you more reach to find Electropower each turn. Doing this in conjunction with Tapu Koko-GX allows you to find ways to all of a sudden win a game where you were behind from the beginning.
Choosing to play from ahead or behind can be hard to commit to. I do it based on the cards I’m dealt; I don’t want to be playing from behind if I have to bench excessive Pokemon-GX like [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] because my opponent will have an easy way to get ahead at some point with a Tag Bolt GX. Going on the offensive is a critical decision to make, you usually only want to do it if you have the firepower to keep it up and finish the game.
Wobbuffet is another interesting card you have to keep in mind amidst all of this. If you can pop off with an aggressive turn one and also get Wobbuffet down, that’s almost the perfect combination to unlock the decision to be aggressive. If you’re not worried about an opposing Dance of the Ancients anymore, you can worry less about Tapu Koko-GX swinging in to take a one-hit Knock Out on a Pikachu and Zekrom-GX.
Be mindful as you Full Blitz to not necessarily take all the Energy you can out of fear of a Tapu Thunder GX one-shot. If you’re attacking with [card name=”Thunder Mountain Prism Star” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”191″ c=”name”][/card] you might just want to take one or two Lightning Energy to cap Tapu Thunder GX at 150 or 200, respectively. While a Knock Out is still possible, it’ll require a lot of damage modifiers and put all of your opponent’s eggs in one basket that might backfire.
So, with that, I think I’ve covered all the ways to play this. There’s the slow and steady approach where you limit your Pokemon-GX from play, and the faster approach that’s more straightforward and aggressive. Both have their merits; the better option depends on your list, your opening hand, and what you have to do with it.
What to Expect the Most in Denver
I’m not going to flesh out matchups as much today because I want to talk about all the decks you should expect to see at Colorado Regionals. Shrinking my “list of decks” from last time, here they are again:
- 1. [card name=”Blacephalon-GX” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”52″ c=”name”][/card]
- 2. Lightning Toolbox
- 3. [card name=”Lusamine” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”96″ c=”name”][/card] / Control
- 4. Malamar / Ultra Necrozma-GX
- 5. Turbo Pikachu and Zekrom-GX
- 6. Zapdos / Jirachi
- 7. Zapdos / Lycanroc-GX
- 8. Zapdos / Ultra Beasts
- 9. Zoroark-GX / Control
- 10. Zoroark-GX / [card name=”Lucario-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM100″ c=”name”][/card] / Lycanroc-GX
- 11. Zoroark-GX / Lycanroc-GX
- 12. Zoroark-GX / Lycanroc-GX / [card name=”Weavile” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card]
Twelve decks can be a lot to handle at once, but if you assign them ten-point scale coefficients, where 1 means you are the least likely to face it and 10 means you are the most likely, it’s easier to manage. In order, using the scale, I believe the popularity will be as follows at the upcoming Regionals:
- 1. Blacephalon-GX: 2
- 2. Lightning Toolbox: 7
- 3. Lusamine / Control: 1
- 4. Malamar / Ultra Necrozma-GX: 5
- 5. Turbo Pikachu and Zekrom-GX: 3
- 6. Zapdos / Jirachi: 6
- 7. Zapdos / Lycanroc-GX: 2
- 8. Zapdos / Ultra Beasts: 5
- 9. Zoroark-GX / Control: 1
- 10. Zoroark-GX / Lucario-GX / Lycanroc-GX: 2
- 11. Zoroark-GX / Lycanroc-GX: 5
- 12. Zoroark-GX / Lycanroc-GX / Weavile: 1
There’s so many variants of each deck now that it’s a little harder to look at them all at once. For decks that “matter”, a five or above, we’ve got an eye on Lightning Toolbox, Malamar / Ultra Necrozma-GX, Zapdos / Jirachi, Zapdos / Ultra Beast, and Zoroark-GX / Lycanroc-GX. Even with this more narrow field I’m only focused on beating Lightning Toolbox, Zapdos decks, and Zoroark-GX / Lycanroc-GX. Why not Malamar, you may ask? Malamar is in a worse spot than ever for a few reasons:
[cardimg name=”Malamar” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”51″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]
- Malamar loses to Pikachu and Zekrom-GX decks
- Tag Bolt GX is too much to overcome when it targets Malamar and eliminates your Energy acceleration
- Zapdos decks are extremely difficult to beat
- So long as the Zapdos player is versed in the matchup and doesn’t bench multiple Jirachi or other 70 HP Pokemon to be taken down with Sky-Scorching Light GX for multiple Prizes
- Zoroark-GX decks have started playing [card name=”Sudowoodo” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card] again
- Roadblock runs you up a tree and makes it hard to function properly when Zoroark-GX also targets your Malamar
Focus on beating Pikachu and Zekrom-GX decks, Zapdos builds, and Zoroark-GX / Lycanroc-GX. If you can find something that beats all three of these, then you have an amazing play and I would go with that. If not, pick one of these that can beat two of the other, or play a well-rounded Zapdos deck that can beat anything, albeit not necessarily being “favored” against those matchups.
Conclusion
While there’s not a magically clear-cut “play” in this current metagame, there’s a lot of strong decks that have their own sets of strengths and weaknesses.
If I had to pick one that was better than the rest, I’d have to go with Zapdos / Ultra Beasts. It can beat mirrors (remember to play first, read my last piece for more), Pikachu and Zekrom-GX decks, and Zoroark-GX builds. I think it’s the most well-rounded deck right now. I like the Ultra Beast variant of Zapdos the most because it has a lot of options packed into the super consistent shell that I love. Attacking on your first turn if you go second, or at least having the option to, allows you to take control of a game right away before your opponent can even do anything.
Right now Zapdos stuff is the deck to beat, and if you can’t you might want to stay home. The mirror matches are fast-paced, interactive, and challenging. I love playing them, they’re so exciting; I can’t wait for this weekend’s Regionals!
Hit me up in the Subscribers’ Hideout if you want to chat about this deck or anything related to the metagame — whatever you want.
Thanks for reading y’all, see ya later!
Peace,
Caleb
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