It’s PikaRom’s World — EUIC Recap and ZoroGarb for Hartford

By: Caleb Gedemer · Posted Posted onMay 2, 2019 at 9:06 PM · 0 Comments

[cardimg name=”Pikachu and Zekrom-GX” set=”Team Up” no=”33″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

Hey everyone, time for another metagame breakdown hot off the results of the European International Championship. For this event, I played [card name=”Pikachu and Zekrom-GX” set=”Team Up” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Zapdos” set=”Team Up” no=”40″ c=”name”][/card], a list built around [card name=”Jirachi” set=”Team Up” no=”99″ c=”name”][/card] Stellar Wish to find the pieces necessary to complete a Tag Bolt GX with the added bonus and more. It ran smoothly, but I made a terrible mistake in my eighth match to lose a third game and fall out of Day 2 contention. On the bright side, the other five players that played the list made it through to Day 2, so our list wasn’t without its share of success. Now for the results for Day 2:

  • 28 Pikachu and Zekrom-GX
  • 25 Zapdos
  • 10 [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card]
  • 4 [card name=”Malamar” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card]
  • 3 [card name=”Vikavolt” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”52″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Rayquaza-GX” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card]
  • 3 [card name=”Tapu Koko” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM30″ c=”name”][/card] Spread
  • 3 [card name=”Lusamine” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”96″ c=”name”][/card] / Control
  • 3 [card name=”Blacephalon-GX” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”52″ c=”name”][/card]
  • 2 [card name=”Shedinja” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”95″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Zebstrika” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”82″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Oranguru” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Slowking” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”55″ c=”name”][/card] / Control
  • 2 [card name=”Quagsire” set=”Dragon Majesty” no=”26″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Naganadel” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”108″ c=”name”][/card]
  • 1 Rayquaza-GX / Naganadel
  • 1 [card name=”Naganadel-GX” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”56″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Stakataka-GX” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”102″ c=”name”][/card]
  • 1 [card name=”Celebi and Venusaur-GX” set=”Team Up” no=”1″ c=”name”][/card]
  • 1 [card name=”Buzzwole” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card]
  • 1 [card name=”Alolan Exeggutor” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”2″ c=”name”][/card]

Day 2 was dominated by Pikachu and Zekrom-GX and Zapdos decks. Many of the game’s best players took one or the other deck to the event, so there’s reason as to why. Additionally, both are seen as the best decks in the Standard format right now and have a chance to beat anything. Zapdos decks are usually slightly favored against Pikachu and Zekrom-GX so the relationship between the two decks themselves is rocky. This event’s Top 8 summed this up with the exception of adding Zoroark-GX to the mix, as three of the ten Zoroark-GX decks in day two slipped into the cut. Fighting-type is good against Pikachu and Zekrom-GX, so the type advantage there helped and the [card name=”Alolan Muk” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”58″ c=”name”][/card] option helped tremendously against Zapdos decks.

  • Pikachu and Zekrom-GX / Zapdos
  • Pikachu and Zekrom-GX
  • Zoroark-GX / [card name=”Lycanroc-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card]
  • Zapdos / Ultra Beasts
  • Zoroark-GX / Lycanroc-GX
  • Zoroark-GX / [card name=”Lucario-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM100″ c=”name”][/card] / Lycanroc-GX
  • Pikachu and Zekrom-GX
  • Pikachu and Zekrom-GX / Zapdos

Gustavo Wada won the event with the Pikachu and Zekrom-GX deck; he’s been steadily improving since the deck was released with Team Up. There was nothing surprising in this event other than the emergence of a new control deck featuring Shedinja. That said, this format is going to be obsolete very soon with the release of Unbroken Bonds.

Expanded Connecticut Regionals

[premium]

The next Expanded event, the final one of the season, takes place in Hartford, Connecticut this weekend. I think there’s a few conclusions to draw after the last event:

  • [card name=”Pikachu and Zekrom-GX” set=”Team Up” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card] is the de facto best deck and you should be playing it, or something that consistently beats it.
  • Saying this might ruin it, but Shock Lock ([card name=”Stoutland” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Raichu” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”41″ c=”name”][/card]) is a dominant deck in Expanded and its success at the past two Regionals says a lot about it.
    • A simple counter like [card name=”Switch” set=”Evolutions” no=”88″ c=”name”][/card] or just playing a deck with [card name=”Garbodor” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card] thwarts the deck and I think this is the time to play a counter; expect more top players to pick up the deck or anyone that has access to [card name=”Tropical Beach” set=”Black and White Black Star Promos” no=”BW50″ c=”name”][/card]. Jonathon Croxton’s list is amazingly consistent.
  • A deck using [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] won the last Expanded event and I believe decks that it makes sense to play a counter in should be playing one.

Picking the Play

Frankly, [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] / Garbodor seems to be the best positioned deck going into Hartford Regionals. I can’t think of a better deck to use [card name=”Pokémon Ranger” set=”Steam Siege” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card], nor can I think of a better deck to give yourself a fighting chance against everything in the metagame. Shock Lock folds to it and with the new and improved [card name=”Lillie” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”122″ c=”name”][/card] engine that I’ve been putting in Expanded format Zoroark-GX decks, I think the deck is better than ever.

[decklist name=”.” amt=”60″ caption=”” cname=”Ditto Prism Star” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”154″][pokemon amt=”24″]4x [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]1x [card name=”Zoroark” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”91″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]4x [card name=”Zorua” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”70″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Legendary Treasures” no=”68″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]2x [card name=”Trubbish” set=”Noble Victories” no=”48″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]2x [card name=”Exeggcute” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”4″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Sudowoodo” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”66″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Mr. Mime” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”47″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Klefki” set=”Steam Siege” no=”80″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Jirachi-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”60″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Ditto Prism Star” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”154″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card][/pokemon][trainers amt=”30″]2x [card name=”Lillie” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”125″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card]1x [card name=”Pokémon Ranger” set=”Steam Siege” no=”104″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”N” set=”Fates Collide” no=”105″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Colress” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”118″ 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=”Level Ball” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”76″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Pokémon Communication” set=”Team Up” no=”152″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/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]1x [card name=”Super Rod” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”149″ c=”deck2″ amt=”1″][/card]1x [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ 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=”6″]4x [card name=”Double Colorless Energy” set=”Shining Legends” no=”69″ c=”deck2″ amt=”4″][/card]2x [card name=”Psychic Energy” set=”Evolutions” no=”95″ c=”deck2″ amt=”2″][/card][/energy][/decklist] 

At first glance, you might be wondering where the [card name=”Jirachi Prism Star” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”97″ c=”name”][/card], [card name=”Magcargo” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”24″ c=”name”][/card]/[card name=”Mallow” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”127″ c=”name”][/card], and Mr. Mime combination that I’ve talked about is at. While it was a fun way to speed up games, it felt like a “win-harder” combo that didn’t actually “win” you games. It was deceiving for sure, tricking me into trying the strategy a few more times when I shouldn’t have. In any case, this list has been running smoothly and I like how it’s looking right now. While I went back on the Lillie engine in the Seismitoad-EX deck for Florida Regionals, Lillie still fits in this deck better than [card name=”Brigette” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”134″ c=”name”][/card] because Brigette doesn’t seem necessary at this point. Here’s some rationale on the cards:

Explanations

[cardimg name=”Zoroark” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”91″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

One Zoroark (BKT)

This [card name=”Zoroark” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] is the better of the two [card name=”Zoroark” set=”Black and White” no=”71″ c=”name”][/card] when you should be expecting mirror matches, which I do for this event. I think a lot of people will reach the same conclusion that Zoroark-GX is the play for this Expanded tournament and it’s best to be prepared with a tech like this for when you play against these like minded players.

One Mr. Mime

Bench Barrier [card name=”Mr. Mime” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”47″ c=”name”][/card] is a must for both the [card name=”Blastoise” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”31″ c=”name”][/card] and Pikachu and Zekrom-GX matchups. While your opponent is likely to be running [card name=”Silent Lab” set=”Primal Clash” no=”140″ c=”name”][/card] to get around it, you still force them to reach for what is usually a one-of and they might miss. That gives you time to recover and set up all the way like you want to. It’s too valuable a card in those matchups and I would never fathom cutting it.

One Klefki

Wonder Lock [card name=”Klefki” set=”Steam Siege” no=”80″ c=”name”][/card] is just another way to activate Garbotoxin and having a searchable way to achieve your Ability lock is really nice. It also plays around Item lock if you don’t have your Pokemon Ranger and allows you to still be able to get around [card name=”Sudowoodo” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card]. At worst it’s just another Basic Pokemon to power up Riotous Beating, so you should play it no matter what.

One Jirachi-EX

Four [card name=”Level Ball” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”76″ c=”name”][/card] in this deck begs the question: Will you play [card name=”Jirachi-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card]? I say yes, while 90 HP is a small risk, it’s a small price to pay for extra consistency, pushing you higher and higher on the odds of a first turn Lillie for maximum value.

One Pokemon Ranger

If you’re going to be prepared once this season, make it the last Expanded event of the year— don’t be caught off guard by [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card]. Pokemon Ranger works best in [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] decks because you have the means to draw into more Items than other decks by using Trade and then make a more potent turn of it.

Playing the Deck

With this list you should be searching to maximize your cards drawn on your first turn [card name=”Lillie” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card]. Play all the Level Ball, [card name=”Pokémon Communication” set=”Team Up” no=”152″ c=”name”][/card], and/or [card name=”Ultra Ball” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”135″ c=”name”][/card] you can and get as many Zorua and such down as possible. One common mistake with this deck is not prioritizing having both Ditto Prism Star and a Trubbish down against any matchup. Not all matchups require [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Legendary Treasures” no=”68″ c=”name”][/card], but in the ones that do you cannot afford to mess it up. The ideal field of Pokemon has the following, at the very least:

  • One [card name=”Ditto Prism Star” set=”Lost Thunder” no=”154″ c=”name”][/card] (if in Prize cards, then second [card name=”Trubbish” set=”Noble Victories” no=”48″ c=”name”][/card])
  • One Trubbish
  • Three [card name=”Zorua” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”70″ c=”name”][/card]

This lineup of five Pokemon is still doable even under a Roadblock from Sudowoodo, so no worries there. If Roadblock isn’t a problem, then you can extend even further with more Zorua and maybe a second Trubbish even if you have the option of Ditto Prism Star. I think it is a must to have a backup Trubbish in case your Garbodor/Trubbish gets KOed and having a solid line of attackers ready in case Roadblock comes down late is important too. You never want to be locked out of a backup Garbodor when Roadblock comes down or be stuck with only one or two Zoroark-GX; be greedy, having more is good.

Don’t hold back in your first few turns, the setup is that important. One of the best things this deck has going for it is the setup factor, with so many support Pokemon like [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] to speed things along, setting up is critical to scoring wins. Don’t worry about putting down too many liability Pokemon, as you can always correct your Bench later when your [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card] gets discarded or you discard it yourself with a [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card] to bump off some two-Prize Pokemon like Jirachi-EX, Shaymin-EX, and/or [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] If you know you’re against an opposing Zoroark-GX deck then get your Sudowoodo down more aggressively than usual, or if you’re against an Item lock deck, consider getting Klefki down so you can pop it and get a Garbotoxin lock going even under that dreaded Item lock. Just some things to consider in the opening turns as much of this deck plays itself after you’re set up and ready to go.

What to Expect in Connecticut

There’s going to be a ton of [card name=”Pikachu and Zekrom-GX” set=”Team Up” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card], so make sure your deck can beat it. There’s always a bunch of Blastoise, Zoroark-GX / Garbodor and some [card name=”Hitmonchan” set=”Team Up” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card]. I would also expect to hit at least one control-style deck, probably with Zoroark-GX. Other than that there’s only really a little bit of every deck, but within that you could play against any of the following, probably at most just one time:

  • [card name=”Alolan Exeggutor” set=”Team Up” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Ditto” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”108″ c=”name”][/card]
  • [card name=”Buzzwole” set=”Forbidden Light” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card]
  • [card name=”Buzzwole-GX” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”57″ c=”name”][/card]
  • [card name=”Celebi and Venusaur-GX” set=”Team Up” no=”1″ c=”name”][/card]
  • Garbodor / [card name=”Drampa-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card]
  • [card name=”Lucario-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM100″ c=”name”][/card]
  • [card name=”Mew” set=”Fates Collide” no=”29″ c=”name”][/card] / [card name=”Counter Energy” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”100″ c=”name”][/card]
  • Night March
  • Hitmonchan
  • [card name=”Rayquaza-GX” set=”Celestial Storm” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card]
  • [card name=”Sableye” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”62″ c=”name”][/card] / Garbodor
  • Shock Lock
  • [card name=”Trevenant BREAK” set=”BREAKpoint” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card]
  • [card name=”Vespiquen” set=”Ancient Origins” no=”10″ c=”name”][/card]
  • Zoroark-GX / Control
  • Zoroark-GX / Seismitoad-EX

Zoroark-GX / Garbodor feels like the most well-rounded deck to me right now and that’s what I’m thinking about playing most at the moment because of it. I originally wanted to play Shock Lock for this event, but after seeing how “obvious” it’s become; I’ve seen other groups of top players talk about it online. I don’t think it’s a good idea anymore. Zoroark-GX / Garbodor is still just a solid, middle ground deck with even or better matchups, so that’s where I’m at.

Zoroark-GX / Garbodor Matchups

I can confidently say that all of the following matchups, the most relevant ones in the metagame, are slightly unfavorable at worst, slightly favorable at best, and even on average. Using [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] / Garbodor is inherently strong with just “average” matchups but holds its own against everything and seems to find some success at the very least. Let me walk you through the matchups to give you a better idea of how you can get an edge in them, as they’re all very close.

Blastoise

[cardimg name=”Blastoise” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”31″ align=”right” c=”none”][/cardimg]

This matchup is somewhat luck-based on your opponent’s part. If you go first, then you have an advantage because it’s much less likely that a [card name=”Magikarp and Wailord-GX” set=”Sun and Moon Black Star Promos” no=”SM166″ c=”name”][/card] can use Towering Splash GX for the bonus. If you do go first there’s two Pokemon that I would like to see get put down as soon as possible: [card name=”Mr. Mime” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”47″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Sudowoodo” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card] Both serve a unique purpose in this matchup: Mr. Mime forces your opponent to have a [card name=”Silent Lab” set=”Primal Clash” no=”140″ c=”name”][/card] in addition to the seven extra Water Energy for Towering Splash GX which is extremely unlikely. Roadblock will make it even harder to do either of those things since Shaymin-EX will clog your opponent’s Bench and make it hard to set up at all.

When you play second, it’s more difficult. Sudowoodo is less effective so you can avoid it altogether, but Mr. Mime is still a must. Getting it down forces your opponent to have a Silent Lab to counter it and with only one in most lists, that can be a tough task even on the second turn. If you can get past the first turn, then it’s usually smooth sailing: Garbotoxin can come online and you have Trashalanche in the reserve for OHKOs as [card name=”Blastoise” set=”Boundaries Crossed” no=”31″ c=”name”][/card] decks play a ton of Items to get the Blastoise out. As far as attackers go, your opponent has a few that are problematic, namely when you’re attacking with Zoroark-GX. They can use [card name=”Eevee and Snorlax-GX” set=”Team Up” no=”120″ c=”name”][/card] toDump Truck Press a Zoroark-GX for 240 damage just like that and you can’t one-shot it in return. For this reason, it’s important to Sky Return with Shaymin-EX with a [card name=”Choice Band” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”121″ c=”name”][/card] attached into the Eevee and Snorlax-GX first and push up something that’s a non-EX/GX Pokemon like an [card name=”Exeggcute” set=”Plasma Freeze” no=”4″ c=”name”][/card]. Once you Sky Return for 60 you can set up a Riotous Beating for 210 and get that coveted KO for three Prizes. Magikarp and Wailord-GX requires even more work, but that two is doable with Trashalanche or two Sky Return. The big idea is not to give up foolish two Prize KOs to your opponent without forcing them to have a [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card]. Sacrificing non-EX/GX Pokemon is the best way to do this! An opposing [card name=”Kingdra-GX” set=”Dragon Majesty” no=”18″ c=”name”][/card] is another big Pokemon you can’t one-shot, 230 HP is not doable with Riotous Beating. Again, if the cards are right for Trashalanche you can do that and if not then you can Sky Return to soften it up first.

There’s a lot of ways you can go about this matchup, making it harder and harder for your opponent to pull off something that “locks you out of the game” like Towering Splash GX taking out all your attackers before they can evolve. When Garbotoxin is online a strong play is a Guzma to KO your opponent’s Blastoise. Ability lock will make it incredibly difficult for your opponent to get Blastoise out again and from there you can score some turns of free attacking where your opponent can’t put up much offense in return. Issues in this matchup arise when your opponent pops off and gets a bunch of Energy into play with Deluge before you can get Ability lock online. Some Blastoise lists are playing two [card name=”Field Blower” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”125″ c=”name”][/card] to defend themselves from [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Legendary Treasures” no=”68″ c=”name”][/card] into the late game. This matchup can swing to either side but using some of the cute plays I’ve talked about here will help you push that ball into your court some of the time. Being aware of win conditions that your opponent doesn’t know exist is an advantage in of itself. Study what you can do to swing the tide in your favor.

Control Variants

Without [card name=”Oranguru” set=”Ultra Prism” no=”114″ c=”name”][/card], this matchup might not seem like you have any chance. The chance you have lies in your Ability lock potential and Trashalanche in the late game. Using [card name=”N” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”96″ c=”name”][/card] will put your opponent on a clock to draw out of your Ability lock right away and you can do that over and over with [card name=”VS Seeker” set=”Phantom Forces” no=”109″ c=”name”][/card]. If you win this game it can seem like you just got lucky, but I know from experience with control decks that it’s part of the matchup. Start the matchup cautiously and feel out what kind of control deck your opponent is playing. A card like [card name=”Team Skull Grunt” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”133″ c=”name”][/card] is a big part of any luck in these matchups: when your opponent draws it, and if they hit anything off Team Skull Grunt, if you are against attacking control decks like Zoroark-GX, you have a better chance. Think about how each of your Energy can get you a Prize: If you have four [card name=”Double Colorless” set=”Sun and Moon” no=”136″ c=”name”][/card] you can get there!

Trashalanche is honestly a bonus and at the end of a game, many control decks have played a ton of Items to disrupt you to the point that you’re at and you can close games out with it. The beginning of a matchup like this is usually pretty chippy and you might take a non-EX/GX KO, put Garbotoxin into play and hope your opponent doesn’t discard your Energy. If your Energy ever stick then it’s easier than ever to win. Wall-based control decks like a Magikarp and Wailord-GX deck will be much harder to beat and you’re going to need to rely on your opponent playing too many Items so that Trashalanche can take care of the rest. I don’t expect decks like that much these days in Expanded without [card name=”Lusamine” set=”Crimson Invasion” no=”96″ c=”name”][/card] in the format, so the Zoroark-GX versions with or without [card name=”Seismitoad-EX” set=”Furious Fists” no=”20″ c=”name”][/card] are what you’re more likely to face. Using [card name=”Pokémon Ranger” set=”Steam Siege” no=”104″ c=”name”][/card] fills the gaps in the Seismitoad-EX matchup where you can get a Pokemon-EX/GX KO on a Seismitoad-EX itself and scrounge up a few more Prizes off Oranguru, [card name=”Zorua” set=”Dark Explorers” no=”70″ c=”name”][/card], and the like. Every Energy should get you a KO, that’s one of the best ways to mentally approach this matchup and set yourself up for success. Putting Energy down in attempts to take two-hit Knock Outs is usually not a good idea unless you have your opponent stuck with a bad hand and you locked their Abilities with Garbotoxin. Remember that Ability lock can harm yourself in this matchup too if you don’t have another Energy to attack with if the one you put down gets discarded and you don’t have access to Trade. Think about ways you can get OHKOs so that each Energy can get its maximum value. Patience, attention to detail, and a awareness of the value of each of your Energy is extremely important in these matchups.

Hitmonchan

This matchup is probably the hardest of all, but you can still win. An opposing [card name=”Wobbuffet” set=”Radiant Collection 2″ no=”RC11″ c=”name”][/card] is hard to deal with as it wreaks your consistency, but since your opponent is going to be stopping your Abilities, and any non-Psychic ones of their own, you’re not going to need your Garbotoxin in this one. What’s better is using every [card name=”Trubbish” set=”Noble Victories” no=”48″ c=”name”][/card] you have to become a Trashalanche. Trashalanche can be problematic for [card name=”Hitmonchan” set=”Team Up” no=”74″ c=”name”][/card] and Wobbuffet with their Psychic-type Weakness and you can sweep with it at the right moments. If you fall behind on Prizes, drop an N, and go in with Trashalanche you can close out games. I would avoid attacking with more than one or two [card name=”Zoroark-GX” set=”Shining Legends” no=”53″ c=”name”][/card] so that you don’t give your opponent too many easy Prizes. Using [card name=”Zoroark” set=”BREAKthrough” no=”91″ c=”name”][/card] is another way to stay in the Prize trade without costing yourself too much. Starting the game with an attacking Zoroark-GX is the best way to do this so that your opponent has to spend Items to stay in the game. Remember that if enough Items aren’t played for OHKOs, you can use Field Blower to do the rest. This matchup is very doable and the 120 HP of [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”51″ c=”name”][/card] can be very difficult for a Hitmonchan player to one-shot so you can chain together multiple Prizes so as long as you didn’t fall behind too far in the beginning of the game there’s still light at the end of the tunnel.

Pikachu and Zekrom-GX

Much like in the Blastoise matchup, playing first helps you a lot and you can get Mr. Mime and [card name=”Sudowoodo” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”66″ c=”name”][/card] down to slow your opponent’s roll. When going second I would just find Mr. Mime and not worry about Roadblock since most of your opponent’s gas will be gone. One common mistake in this matchup is dropping Garbotoxin when you don’t need to and ruining yourself. Remember that Garbotoxin is really only good against your opponent to shut off Roadblock, not much else. Once you get set up, Tag Bolt GX isn’t as powerful especially if you Sky Return your [card name=”Shaymin-EX” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”77″ c=”name”][/card], which also sets up two-hit KOs on [card name=”Pikachu and Zekrom-GX” set=”Team Up” no=”33″ c=”name”][/card], and keep [card name=”Jirachi-EX” set=”Plasma Blast” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] and [card name=”Tapu Lele-GX” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”60″ c=”name”][/card] off your Bench. If they do come down you can discard them when [card name=”Sky Field” set=”Roaring Skies” no=”89″ c=”name”][/card] gets bumped or something like that. Trashalanche is effective in this matchup in the late game or even earlier if your opponent goes ham. Always give yourself the option to get another Garbodor down. Remember that Tag Bolt GX can wipe two Garbodor targets from play completely so doing all you can to not be ruined by a timely Tag Bolt GX is important. That’s the most difficult part of this matchup: balancing your “support” Pokemon in Garbodor and still getting Zoroark-GX out. Sudowoodo is in most Pikachu and Zekrom-GX decks and without the option of Garbotoxin you can get destroyed. I like the Sky Return opening strategy in this matchup and that’s usually how I like to get started. It can keep a Tag Bolt GX at bay when you actually can Knock Out a Pikachu and Zekrom-GX that’s prepping to use its GX attack. This matchup is the most difficult of any of these, but you can still do it. Try it out and get used to playing from behind; playing from behind is scary and kinda hard but you get better at it once you’re comfortable in the situation.

Zoroark-GX / Garbodor

Finally, the mirror match. Zoroark using Mind Jack will be your friend here so save your [card name=”Super Rod” set=”Noble Victories” no=”95″ c=”name”][/card] to recycle your Zoroark and maybe even use your [card name=”Dowsing Machine” set=”Plasma Storm” no=”128″ c=”name”][/card] to get back Super Rod and do it again. A [card name=”Rescue Stretcher” set=”Guardians Rising” no=”130″ c=”name”][/card] would be nice here to do it even easier but I don’t have the space in the list right now. This matchup is just a Prize trade that can sometimes be decided with N and Ability lock from Garbotoxin. Leading off with your [card name=”Klefki” set=”Steam Siege” no=”80″ c=”name”][/card] can get you a bigger lead in card advantage instead of “permanently” locking your Abilities with an actual Tool card. This immediately hurts your opponent while still allowing you to recover on your following turn. Never count yourself out in this matchup unless your opponent gets multiple Zoroark-GX down with Double Colorless Energy attached, as they can kind of board lock you with all the attackers they need to take the rest of their Prizes. Mind Jack plays into the Prize trade and can get you an advantage. Not all lists are playing Mind Jack Zoroark these days, so that will be part of your potential advantage. Mirror matches are often decided by N, especially in this specific one, so prepare yourself for it and thin your deck well. Remember, having Sudowoodo down in this matchup at all times is important and the common theme of having two outs to Garbodor in play is paramount in this matchup too, or your opponent can KO your [card name=”Garbodor” set=”Legendary Treasures” no=”68″ c=”name”][/card] and run you over while you lack a way to deal with Sudowoodo outside of [card name=”Guzma” set=”Burning Shadows” no=”115″ c=”name”][/card]. Speaking of Guzma, taking a KO on Sudowoodo can be a good idea. If you ever KO your opponent’s Garbodor and they don’t have another way to get Garbotoxin online you can sweep games with a Zoroark-GX which will be unbeatable without a way to one-shot it. Trashalanche can be another closer in the late game but it’s not always feasible as many of your Trubbish need to become Garbotoxin in this matchup. Save your Super Rod to give yourself another out to Garbotoxin if it does get taken out. An opposing Mind Jack is possible, so be mindful of your Bench if possible. Remember, though, every Zorua you evolve into the Mind Jack Zoroark doesn’t get Trade, so be wary of N in response to a Mind Jack Knock Out. There’s a lot of different concepts that go into this matchup but in the end it’s an old school Prize exchange that you can gain an advantage in by a variety of different strategies.

Conclusion

Whew! This turned out to be longer than expected, I guess I had a lot to talk about with Zoroark-GX; it’s been a while since I talked about a Sky Field variant of the deck! Right now this is my top pick for Hartford, Connecticut Regionals, I like it’s well-roundedness and ability to hold its own against almost every deck. Hit me up in the Subscribers’ Hideout if you’ve got any questions. Take care, thanks for reading!

Peace,

Caleb

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